to know what the dwarf giant and the ordinary man have to say." The dwarf giant said that, of course, the prince had a good right to say who should go to the school he had himself founded, and who should not go. But he thought it would be doing a very great favor to the Gudra, and especially to the Gudra's daughter,-who, in his eyes, was a very charming little girl,-if the prince would allow her to study with his son. He put the matter entirely on this ground. The Ordinary Man thought that, while the proposed arrangement would be of advantage to the little girl and the Gudra, it would also be of advantage to the prince, who, when his son was grown up, would probably be very glad to know that there was, in a country not a day's march away, a young lady of noble birth, who was also admirably educated. At this, the prince and the others turned and looked at Volma and the little prince, as they sat side by side. But the two children were now so busy talking that they did not notice this, nor had they heard a word that had been said. "Well," said the prince, "I will carefully consider what all of you have said, and will send an After they had departed,-the Gudra a little discontented, for he had wanted his answer on the spot,-the prince proceeded to consider the proposition that had been made to him. He would not have taken more than a minute to make his decision, had it not been that the dwarf giant was one of the party that asked the favor. He cared nothing for the Gudra and his dwarfs; but it would be a bad thing for him to be drawn into a quarrel with the giants, who would not take long to destroy his city, if they should happen to go to war with him. And, although this dwarf giant was very peaceful and reasonable in his remarks, there was no knowing that the quarrelsome Gudra would not be able to prevail upon him to enlist his countrymen in his cause. He So the prince considered and considered, and the next morning he had not finished considering. walked over to his son's great school-house, that he might consult some of the professors in the matter. While standing in one of the large lecture-rooms, the prince happened to spy a little creature, dressed in white and wearing a glass cap, who was creeping about among the benches and desks. "Hello! What is that?" cried the prince, and he ordered his attendants to seize the creature. The Curious One was very nimble, but he was soon surrounded and caught. When the prince saw him, he laughed heartily, and asked him who he was and what he was doing there. The Curious One did not hesitate a moment, but told the prince all about himself, and also informed him that he had visited the palace, and afterward the school, to try to hear something that would give him some idea of what the prince's decision would be in regard to his master's proposition, so that he could run back and take the Gudra some early news. But, he was sorry to say, he had n't found out anything yet. THE PROFESSOR OF MOTTO-PAINTING PAINTS A MOTTO ON THE CURIOUS ONE'S HEAD. answer some time to-morrow." So saying, he dismissed his visitors, first drawing little Volma toward him and taking a good, long look at her pretty and good-humored countenance. In every thing but stature, Volma resembled her mother. "Then your business," said the prince, "is to hear and see all you can, and tell all you hear and see?" "That is it, Estimable Prince," replied the Curious One. "And to pry into other people's affairs?" continued the prince. "I have to do that, sometimes," returned the little fellow. "Well, you must not come prying here," said the prince, "and I shall punish you for doing so this time. I might send you to prison, but I will let you off with a slighter punishment than that." He then called to him the Professor of Motto Painting, and ordered him to paint a suitable motto in the glass, not only to be written backward, but on the top of the Curious One's bald head. upside down, for the Professor had stood behind The Professor immediately took a little pot of him when he painted them. So he had to give it black paint, and, with up in despair, and for the rest of his stay in the city he wandered about, vainly trying to get some one to tell him what was written on his head. This was the only thing that he now wished to find out. a fine brush, he quickly painted a motto on the smooth, white pate of the Curious One. The glass cap was then replaced, and the motto, which was beautifully painted, was seen to show quite plainly through the top of the cap. All the professors gathered around to see the motto, and they, as well as the prince, laughed very heartily when they read it. The prince then called his son and told him to read the motto. "You must understand," he said to him, "that this is not done to annoy, or to make fun of this little person. It is a punishment, and may do him more good than locking him up in a cell." The moment the Curious One was released, he ran into THE CURIOUS ONE TRIES TO READ HIS MOTTO. the street, and asked the first person he met to "Why don't you wash it off if it gives you so much trou- ly remove it." should never know what it was! I would not wash it off for the world." After the prince had consulted with the professors, he concluded, solely because he was afraid of offending the giants, to agree to the Gudra's proposal. "It will not matter so very much," he said, "as he only wishes his daughter He to attend the school for one week, it seems." The Ordinary Man was very much opposed to this plan of getting an education in a week. thought it was too short a time, not only for Volma, but for himself, for he wished his engagement to last as long as possible. But the Gudra would not listen to any objections. His daughter had an extraordinary mind, and a week was long enough for her. He took her to the school, and desired each Professor to tell her, in turn, all about the branch of learning he taught, and thus get through with the matter without loss of time. Then, each day, while his daughter was in school, he and his party, in company with the dwarf giant, and under the guidance of the Ordinary Man, visited all the sights and wonders of the city. As for Volma, she did not study anything, as children generally study. She went from room to room, asking questions, listening to explanations, and paying the strictest attention to the manner in which the little prince studied and recited his lessons. The professors did not pretend to tell her, as the Gudra had desired, all about their different branches. They knew that would be folly. But they gave her all the information they could, and were astonished to find that she had already learned so much from her mother. In exactly a week, the Gudra brought his visit to a close. He took leave of the prince, giving him a diamond, handsomer than any among his treasures; he bade the dwarf giant good-bye; and then, with his party mounted on the eleven camels, he rode away until he came to the mountains, where, paying the Ordinary Man twice as much as he had promised, he left him to return to the city with the animals, and proceeded, for the rest of the journey, on foot. "There now!" he cried to his wife, when he had reached home. "Did not I tell you I never failed in anything? My daughter has been to the best school in the world, and her education is finished." “My dear Volma," said her mother to her, when they were alone, "what did you learn in the great city?" man. and that neither of them is larger than an ordinary And, at the school, I learned that it takes years and years to study properly all that I should know. And I have found out how the little prince studies, and how he recites, and I have a list of the books and parchments and other things that I need for my education. And now, dear mother, we will get these things, and we will study them together here at home." This they did, and, gradually, little Volma became very well educated. Every year, the young prince came to see her, and, when she was about twenty years old, he married her, and took her away to the great city, of which he was now prince. Volma's mother used to make her long visits, but her father seldom came to see her. He liked to stay where he was bigger than anybody else. The dwarf giant went home in very good spirits. He had found out that a very small giant is as large as an ordinary man, and that satisfied him. As for the Curious One, as soon as he reached home, he gathered together a lot of small lookingglasses, and so arranged them that, by having one reflect into another, and that into another, and so he at last saw the reflection of the top of his head, with the words thereon, right side up, and in their proper order. And he read these words: "There is nothing here.” on, "Now, what does that mean?" he cried. "Did that Motto-Professor mean hair or brains?" He never found out. THE LITTLE RUNAWAY. BY JULIA C. R. DORR. [THE incident occurred in our church one Sunday. I suspect the little creature ran away to church "unbeknownst" to her mother, for I saw her, after service was over, running down street, alone, as fast as her feet could carry her.-Extract from author's letter.] |