THE KING WHO COULDN'T CRY.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 2, 5 June 1930, Page 4

THE KING WHO COULDN'T CRY.

The King- couldn't cry and he had never seen anyone else cry. Then one day he was out riding upon> his gold "rocking-horse (for it was. not considered safe to allow the King to ride on a horse that might take it into its head to inn away), when he knocked down a poor old Elf who was sweeping .'the' -silver cobbled highway for th c Kin gto p ass b jr..

This made the King; laugh. He laughed at most things, and this made him laugh very loudly.

But the Elf didn't laugh; he cried. .

This delighted the King,' who clapped his hands as the little- tear drops tumbled out of the ■■ Elf's eyes and fell down his shabby twiic:, and splashed- on to his worn green shoes, ■ /

"Take hihi\ to my castle," he said to his servants; '*'I want to watch him do that, funny trick;" So all" theway'back to the castle the ; servants-'prtfdded: the'old Elf with their riding. whips, and said unkind things to him;' for, whatever happened., they must keep him crying to please the King., : '- Then they bound him with ropes and took him before the King in his coral throne ropm. '",■ Wheii the King:;saw the poor old Elf still crying he laughed and laughed, and when he could laugh no^longer he said to the Elf, '-I will give you anything you ask if you will show me how to do that funny trick of. j'-purs.". .. •

■•■■•'. 'Your Ma j esty, it is not a funny trick at all," sobbed the Elf. "I am crying because I am hurt and unhappy, and. my hearts feels as if it would break.".

•-■ At this tile-King laughed again; he wotild dearly like to see ahe 4 art break. But this didn't matter at the-moment. 0

"Weil/teach me-how to cry," commanded the King. \ ,

Now the Elf know that if he gave the King a neat little punch on. liis royal hose if .would very likely make him cry^ si.nc.e-'. pf f course he'd never'been H\iri'ltirall his royal life. But he couldn't Bring iiimself :to do -^Ivat. v i^o he :1;old the King;-all -the, sad^glbLih'gs he could, think^x>^fejC)f birds' with A broken \yings. of people in the big everyday world who." Jaad no money, and ,of, people Who had lost everything that; mattered.

But all the King said was, ''Mend the broken wings,'' ''Give the people money and make them lsappy/"\

Then lie commanded his servants to make the Elf cry again.

"Beat him.! Beat him! I want to see the 'total's fall out of his eves he shouted. "

So the servants beat the old Elf, but this time he did not cry: he held his head high, and tightened his lips and said his prayers, but he didn't cry.

''Beat him till he does it!" shouted the King. .

And the servants beat him. and beat him, but he wouldn't cry j list to plea.sea 'King

Then'when he could stand the -pain no mprc,-/there came into his blue eyes a look of pitiful pleading, and. before he knew what he

was doing.;ho was sobbing, and big- tears were rolling down his satin robes. ■ ! .

•■■"Stop.!- stop!" he cried, '."I can ?:t- bear to;; see him hurt ,any more and him so brave about it. Oh, it makes .me cry, bbo-hoo!"

The Klf bowed his head. "Your Majesty, I have; taught .y ( ouvta-c.ry,"\lie,saicl..^: v ,' . .■-■ \; "^es,'' sobbect the King, "and it's a Reeling."

"Yon hasrc loarnt to £ry very % royally," said.the Elf,/ 'for anyone can cry when they are hurt; but it isn't.everyone whose heart is so kind as to cry for someone else who is in trouble."

' l What can I give you for teachjng1 me to cry?" sobbed the King.

"Give me a smile, your Majesty, and I am well paid," said the' Elf.':.

So the King ch'ied his tears, and smiled, and the Elf smiled too. .., /' Ybu smile most royally,'' said the "King, "for anyone can smile when they are happy, but it isn't everyone whose heart' is so kind as to smilti because someone else is; happy."

: And. no.w the Elf has a wonderful little house of gold to live in, and every week he receives dishes from the King's table. ■