sir, to public speaking,-ahem, sir!-I must beg leave to say, sir-to call And sir! The erably bad, ployed, sir, in the unbecoming, that trowel, sir—” tinkling voice said. had been standing near, burgomaster. It struck flying into the air, and then with the burgomaster. The rest it, puffing and red in the face, toward the mountains. As it ran, everybody, and they ran after it,—the strutted to court, the doctors looking gold-headed canes, the merchants, fat and the ladies rustling their finery, the beggars --all followed the magical wheelbarrow. Becarriages and on horseback. Dogs and cats, and galloping on like the rest; and a company of solof music, broke ranks and followed, with the drums the trumpets blowing; and a lonely tortoise slowly Never was such a sight seen by human eyes before! barrow ran on and the crowd ran after it until night, when before the Elm-tree Quarry in the mountain. It stopped so ly that the fat old burgomaster was sent flying out, with his kicking; and then the wheelbarrow rose straight up and made bow to everybody, after which it ran into the mountain and disappeared. rear. THE CHASE OF THE WHEELBARROW The people stared, rubbed their eyes, and went home without a word. On the next morning, when they met their neighbors, they laughed and jested about the odd dream they had had,—all about a magical wheelbarrow, and running after it to the mountain. Even the fat old burgomaster laughed heartily at the idea that he could really have been carried off in that way in a wheelbarrow; and, being in a very good humor, he went to look at the church. The vast building was finished! and Paul and Phenie were again standing together upon the great roof. Seeing them there, the old burgomaster went up to them and shook hands with Paul. "Why, bless my soul! what a grand spire that is, my young friend!" he exclaimed; "and the windows and doors and stone work, they are perfection! Sir, your work is a magnificent and lasting and enduring,-an unparalleled and extraordinary triumph of the loftiest genius, sir! In the name of the respectable and enlightened city fathers, I beg, sir, to present you the freedom of your native city!" Having conferred this high honor upon the young architect, the burgomaster made Paul a low bow and went down the ladder. As he did so, a voice said: "Kiss your bride, Paul!" Paul caught young Phenie to his heart and kissed her, when the tinkling voice said: "You shall marry her in this very church, my good Paul. You are now rich and famous, and you see that the King of the Goblins has not broken his word to you." 66 'Oh, thanks thanks! how can I ever show my gratitude, Your Highness?" exclaimed Paul. By living honestly and uprightly and doing your duty, Paul. Shake hands!" Suddenly Phenie screamed and started back. There before them, on the roof of the church, was the King of the Goblins, with his queer peaked hat, his purple robe, and his high-heeled shoes. He reached up his small hand, and Paul and Phenie shook it, though the young girl was trembling with fright. "Make Paul a good wife, Phenie," said the goblin, winking his eyes rapidly; "and if you ever get into trouble, Paul, remember I'm your friend." He then placed his red heels together, made a low and polite bow, and, with his hands on his hips, walked quietly off the eaves of the church and vanished. Paul took the blushing young Phenie on his arm, and then they went home. They were soon afterward married in the great Lombardic church, and all the great people of the city came to the wedding. The young couple lived a very happy life, and Paul was successful in all his undertakings, becoming very rich and prosperous. He never got into trouble, however, as he was honest and upright; and for that reason he never saw the King of the Goblins again. ON'T imagine it was an actual sunflower. "Sunflower" is my pet name for a lovely little girl of my acquaintance who has a great many sisters but only one brother. Going one day to visit her mamma, I was greeted with outcries of "Such news for you! Aunt Maggie has come! Aunt Maggie has come from California, and oh! such lots of pretty things! Come and see!" When I had been almost dragged upstairs to Mamma's room, I beheld my precious "Sunflower" standing alone in one corner waving a fan almost as large as herself. With the utmost dignity she waved me a salute, informing me that, when there was less noise, she would tell me "a sto-wy about it." Alas for human plans! the "less noise" time seemed very far away. What wonder the children were wild with excitement while all those beautiful things lay scattered about! Such Chinese dolls, tiny shoes, delicate cups and saucers, carved frames, baskets and card-cases of ivory, such boxes, embroidered dresses, kites and fire-works, all brought by Aunt Maggie from San Francisco! The room looked like a Chinese museum, and every child seemed to think it her duty to explain the articles to me, as guest of the day. Meantime, Netty, my Sunflower, stood in silent indignation, merely looking from one to another, when they all informed me in a breath that the wonderful fan had been given to Netty by Aunt Maggie on condition that she should never play with it, but keep it until she should be a grownup young lady. Fortunately, Aunt Maggie herself now appeared on the scene, and, finally, quiet was secured by that traveled lady consenting to tell once more the "whole, whole Story of the Fan,-every bit of it." The children settled themselves comfortably upon the trunks. Netty climbed to my lap, still holding the precious treasure outspread, so that I might look at it while the story went on, and Aunt Maggie began: 'Once upon a time there were no silk dresses or ribbons in the whole world. Now, if you look at this fan you will see that all the figures have delicate porcelain faces, and are dressed in real silk dresses embroidered with gold thread. "More than three thousand years ago the Emperor of China, whose queer name was Ho-ang-ti, received a visit from an old woman, who laid at his feet a great many small bundles, begging him to receive them from her granddaughter, who also had a queer name,-Su-ling-shi. gave this reply (first reverently naming several of the Emperor's many titles, as was the custom): "Most Gracious Son of Heaven, Lord of the Earth, Light of the Empire, and King of the Golden Dragon, our Great Prophet Fo, says: "What is told in the ear is often heard a hundred miles off"; and also "Give not away that which is not thine own." The secret is not mine. The secret belongeth to my daughter and granddaughter.' And here the grandmother (who was not such a very old woman, as women marry very young in China) bowed her head nine times to the earth. "The Emperor ordered a large sum of money to be presented to the woman, and with his own august hands gave her magnificent strings of pearls for her daughter and granddaughter. Also for the granddaughter he gave a golden badge of honor, bidding the grandmother bring the maiden before the next new moon, for he must know her secret, and should her words be straight words, he would honor her as never lowly maid was honored before. "The heart of Su-ling-shi was filled with delight when she heard the words of her grandmother. Busily was her loom set to work that she might have a dress so magnificent for the occasion that the King of the Golden Dragon' might find pleasure in beholding her. "The great day at length dawned, the heart of Su-ling-shi fluttered with fear and delight asarrayed in dress of rose-pink silk and sky-blue tunic embroidered with gold, the pearls in her hair and golden badge upon her bosom-she approached with trembling footsteps his 'Fragrant Majesty,' whose subjects bend their foreheads to the ground, not daring to gaze upon him. "Look on the fan," said Aunt Maggie: "you will see the Great King of the Dragon seated upon a chair which bears the sign of the dragon, the symbol of the Chinese Empire. His robe, sent him by Su-ling-shi, is of royal yellow silk, with a golden sun upon his breast and a royal peacock's feather in his cap. "Next to him is the Grand Mandarin of the Household,' clothed in scarlet. The great Mandarin of War, General Hae-ling-ah, in scarlet robes and blue sash, stands with drawn sword to warn them that death is always the penalty of an untruth before the great Emperor. "The grandmother, in dress of green silk with yellow collar, standing behind the general, advanced first, and bowing nine times to the ground, said: 'Know, Most Mighty King, that in my garden grows a mulberry tree, upon which I ofttimes noticed a worm that spun a ball for a house in which to live. These balls I often took within my dwelling, and I found that in a little time a moth crept out from each and flew away. I amused This La-See, my daughter, with the silken balls. is all that I have done. "Siao te kin." It is very little. Let my daughter La-See speak.' "Then the mother, whom you see next with the royal pearls in her hair and pink silk dress, bowed nine times, saying: 'Most Gracious Ten Thousand Years, whilst amusing myself watching the caterpillar, I found that its house or cocoon would unwind, and I used it as thread with which to embroider the fine muslin," Woven Wind." Afterward, I taught my daughter to do the same. This, my Gracious King, is all that I have done. Let my daughter speak.' "Then came Su-ling-shi, and, after nine bows, she proudly raised her head and said: 'If His Most Gracious Majesty and Light of the Empire will deign to cast his eyes upon these insects, he will see they are but common moths, which I here let fly from my hand. I followed the example of my wise parents (may they live a thousand years !), and saw that it was this insect which laid the eggs upon the mulberry tree, and which afterward became the Bombye mori, or caterpillar. This fed upon the mulberry leaves thirty-two days, and, casting its skin four times, began to spin its cocoon, winding always the same way. My mother (inay Fo bless her!) had learned to unwind the cocoon and had planted many trees. Thus it was, Most Mighty King, that I was enabled to gather many cocoons, and reeling the threads together, I hit upon the idea of weaving them. This, my Sovereign, is the cocoon, and in this roll you will find the result,-a piece of silk, which I hope may prove worthy of the acceptance of your Gracious Loftiness, to whom I surrender my knowledge.' And again she bowed her forehead to the ground. 666 "Behold a maiden possessed of all the virtues,' said the Emperor. And then turning to her, he said: 'Rise, fair maid; such wisdom, such industry, and such beauty are worthy of an empire. Half my throne shall be thine.' And, taking the hand of the blushing Su-ling-shi, he seated her beside him. "My lords,' he continued, 'prepare for the bridal ceremony. Summon the ladies of the court, and henceforth know our mother as the Princess La-See, and our grandmother as the Princess Sang. Honor them as such, and let the whole land know our Dragon will!' "You will see on the fan," continued Aunt Maggie, “that the court ladies were not far off, and that their curiosity was great, for they were peeping. Of course, grandma congratulated herself on her shrewdness in presenting the silk to the Emperor instead of selling it to a merchant. "The ingenious empress not only taught the ladies of her court how to raise the silk-worm, but brought vast sums of money into her husband's treasury by selling the secret to the weavers, and for many hundreds of years these Chinese weavers carefully guarded the secret which only they possessed. At last a sly old European monk went to China, obtained the secret, and, stealing some cocoons, hid them in his hollow reed cane, and walked away, rejoicing all Europe by showing people how silk was made." Aunt Maggie ceased. The children drew a long breath, and slid down from the high trunks to resume their parts as little show-women of the other pretty things Aunt Maggie had brought from California. Netty, with glowing cheeks, looked on, still placidly waving the great fan and wondering how soon she would grow to be a real "young lady." The picture which ST. NICHOLAS has made for you, and which is printed on page 125, is an exact copy, in pencil, of Netty's fan. The figures in this picture-copy had to be made very small, for the illustration to fit the magazine page, but, with a little careful study, you will be able to recognize the principal characters, especially as they are all to be found in the little central pavilion. Seated at the right side of it is the great Emperor, with a sun upon his breast, and before him, with a roll of silk in her hand, stands Su-ling-shi. The Mandarin of War, with drawn sword, stands beside her (in the very center of the fan), and at his left is the Grandmother, with her queer head-dress. Of course, the coloring could not be shown you, but if you will remember that the whole scene in the body of the fan is-in the fan itself-made up of many gorgeous and varied colors, and that the vanes of the fan are all gilded, you can easily imagine from this drawing what a beautiful present Aunt Maggie's was. |