THE RAT KING'S DAUGHTER

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 206, 19 November 1927, Page 27 (Supplement)

THE RAT KING'S DAUGHTER

There was once a list Kina who liven in a rice field in China with his queen and their daughter, who was ve« > beautiful. So beautiful that the king said proudly she should only marry ii , most powerful person in the world. "But who is that?” asked the queer And the king went to the Hat Witch to find out. "My daughter is to marry the mu. powerful person in the world. Who - be?” asked the king haughtily. Sun,” said the witch, and went on eaiing candle ends. “Excellent!” cried the King. Mv daughter shall many the sun ” So he ran t .1 he r .ti uui ne i right up the stairs of tin skv to t! «un. “Good day. sir!” he said. 1 ..av. come to arrange a marriage It twee you and my daughter, as sht -.t- *U most beautiful thing in the wor’ : I hear you a*e tae most r - * The sun 1; ighed and laugh* i "Why, I’m not the rn< st ~v> . r person in the world!" he joaeo - Tnelouds are stronger than I for I cannot shine through them!” "Oh. then v • not ».:V man *t •’ * said tli- kin] w clouds. “Who is youi *iag’.” he cr 1 r he shall marry :cv da age “We have no king. signed the clouds. “The wind is our master, blowing us where he will.” So the king run on to the wind. “Hallo, my little fellow, what do you want?” shouted the wind. “I come.” said the king, with dignity, “to tell you that you may marry mv daughter, who is the most beautiful tiling in the world, because you are the strongest.” “Ho, ho ho! I’m not!” cried the wind. "The great wall of China is stronger than I. I’ve tried to blow him down for hundreds of years and I can’t.” So the king ran all the way back to the wall, which was quite near hi* own rice field. But the wall grumbled in a deep voice: “I’m not the strongest person in the world. There’s a black rat living under me who is gnawing away at my foundations sq that one dav I shall fall.” Then tlie king went to the blat k rat. whom he knew quite well. When lie got there, there sat the rat princess “Ah. I’m glad you two have met’” said the king. “For I’m going lo arrange a marriage between you.” “Oh. that’s all right, daddy!” said the beautiful rat princess. “You wore away so long that we couldn't wait, and we were married yesterday!”