RAGAMUFFIN AND PRINCESS PENNYWORTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 608, 9 March 1929, Page 29

RAGAMUFFIN AND PRINCESS PENNYWORTH

Kagamuftin was the shabbiest little person in Gnome Rand. He was so thin that liis elbows kept poking through the sleeves of his jerkin as fast as he patched up the holes, and Ins little pointed shoes were always bursting at the seams. If ever there was anything unpleasant to be done the king would send for Ragamuffin, and tl<» i poor little gnome was at the beck and | call of everyone. Food left on platen i would be saved for Ragamuffin, just as children will set aside bones for their dogs | Now. one day a letter, bearing a royal seal, arrived for the King of the Gnomes. It read: “Could your highness kindly lend me one of your subjects who is not afraid of the wet. There have been dreadful rains in my territory, and the seedlings in my garden are in danger pf being washed out. Yours truly. Princess Pennyworth.” “She doesn’t sound very important,’* said the king, disrespectfully. “I have never even heard of her, but she has certainly more than a pennyworth of courage to make such ~ request. No one will miss Ragamuffin. He can go.” So Ragamuffin set out, whistling * mournful little tune, and with a spade over his shoulder. After walking for three days and three nights he came to the palace of Princess Pennyworth. Now, Princess Pennyworth was wrongly named, lor the walls of her home were built of the purest gold, and all the rain in the world could not have tarnished them. But her garden was in a sad state. Many of th» flowers hung broken on their stalks and. all the seedlings were under water. It was still raining, but Ragamuflin

rolled up his sleeves and, without waiting for orders, began to dig trenches* all round the garden. Presently, a very elegant person brought him some food on a mother o’ pearl plate, carefully shielded by a large umbrella. Ragamuffin ate his meal and worked on.

At length he became aware that someone was watching him, and who should be at a nearby window but Princess Pennyworth. Ragamuffin had never seen before so beautiful and gracious a lady. He returned to his work with renewed vigour, until all the beds of seedlings were drained. Then the princess beckoned him across to the palace and came herself to the doorway to speak to him. “Tours is true service,” she said, “for to me it seems that you have been working without any thought of reward.” “Your gratitude is sufficient reward,” answered Ragamuffin, baring his head and bowing low. “Your clothes are very shabby,” said the princess. “What is your name?” Ragamuffin blushed deeply as he told her. “Clothes do not matter,” said the princess, “for you have an honest heart, and your face is beautiful.” All at once a strange thing happened. The cap in Ragamuffin’s hand became a wonderful new one, with a sweeping scarlet plume. His shabby jerkin vanished as if by magic and he found himself clad in royal robes. ; Moreover, he was thin and undersized no longer, for, when a princess admires a ragamuffin, he becomes a person of i equal rank. 1 “Oh,” cried the princess, -with the greatest delight, “let my carriage bo 1 brought that we may visit the King of ► tho Gnomes-and show him the trans- • formation.” 1 The King of the Gnomes was pale with envy when he saw the handsome > pair. “Ah,” he sighed, “why did I send ’ Ragamuffin ?” 1 Now, outside a certain palace, where tho sun is again shining, Princo and ' Princess Pennyworth wonder hand in hand, watching the growth of the seedlings that owe their lives to the unselfish service of an erstwhile shabby gnome. —W.S.T.