Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 37, 20 February 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

THE JEWELLED COLLAR.

: A peasant lad was tramping through the country in search of work when he came at last to the city where the King lived. On the Palace walls he found a notice pasted up: . ; !

WANTED: '- Assistant Jeweller " ' for the Bang \ Must bY honest. Apply within. "Well," said the peasant lad fo himself, "I am>honest, so why shouldn 'i I apply?'' and in he went.

The Royal Jeweller looked him up and down arid took him before the% King. The .King looked him up and down arid asked, ''Are you honest?"

''Yes, .your Mi-jesty," replied

the lad.

"thenypu shall be Assistant Jeweller,'' -said the King,'" and you shall receive two silver pieces a week pocket money, also your ke.ep, which means something to eat and somewhere to sleep and, something to wear," he added, in case the peasant lad didn't know what "'keep"" meant.

•" Hurrah!'' cried the lad when he, was ajone; "now lam all right Assistant Jeweller to the King!'* and he threw his cap into the air and did a dance entirely of hi* own invention. He was happy and no mistake.

The next day the Royal Jeweller came to him.

"His Majesty commands that a jewelled collar shall be made for him to give as a J)irthday present to. the Queen," he said, "and.you, are to make it. It must be finished by to-morrow." He dropped a handful of jewels and^ some .goldon the table and went out/

It was very wrong of the Royal Jeweller to do that, because the peasant lad wasn't expected.to make jewellery, but only tq clean it. and look after it: that's why. he had only to be honest. The Bpyal Jeweller Mmself ought to have made the collar for the Queen. He had been told to start a month ago, but he was too lazy 'to begin, and now the poor peasant lad was faced -with the task. . "How 'I'm. going to do: it J don't know," he said: "I've never made a .collar in my life," and certainly not a jewelled collar." But he set to work all the same, and before long he had the collar finished. • '* . : But what a collar it was! Nobody would have recognised it as a jewelled collar-if they had not been told. It was all sorts of shapes, and the jewels were half in land half out and all mixed up. The poor peasant lad looked at it and shoolc his headi

'' That will never do,' 'he groan-, ed in despair. --"I must try again." He wrapped the. awfully bad collar in tissue paper and put it in his pocket. Then he set to work on another. But it wasn't much better- than the first one. The shape was better and , the -gems were more firmly set, it'is true, -"but it was still a very bad collar. He worked on all nighty but the next day he hadn't made it much better. , . Tlien in came the Jeweller. v ' "Is the collar finished?" he asked, and the peasant lad gave it to him, but sai<T nothing about the first one he had made, which was still in-his pocket. "Terrible!'* said the Jeweller; "the worst collar I have ever s seen. When His Majesty sees it I shouldn't wonder if he has you whipped and thrown' out," and catching the lad he dragged him to the King. , • - ;

.'■"""'■'lt certainly is bad," said the King, looking severely at the lad; ' ' very tad indeed. How dare yon make such a thing! Why?" he declared, "if you can show me a worse collar than that I'll give you a thousand gold pieces!" The peasant. lad' brightened \ip at thisl ;

"You Majesty," he said, "give me the gold, Here is a worse collar," and he drew out the one he had made first.

The Jeweller was so annoyed at this that he collapsed on the spot. But the King laughed till his sides ached.

"You shall have the money,'* he said at last to the peasant lad, "and stay with me- as my minister. I can see full well how that rascally Jeweller has his work arid tried to throw the blante on you."

So the Kirig had the two awr folly bad-jewelled collars put in the €>ourt Museum, and he sent to the -Royal Milliner for a new hat as a *pj*eserit for, the Queen mV stead. That pleased, her Majesty, for she didn't really care for jewelled collars, but she did love new hats.