THE ALL-ALONE PRINCESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 614, 16 March 1929, Page 29

THE ALL-ALONE PRINCESS

Many years ago there lived a king who was greatly loved by his subjects. but evil times fell upon his kingdom and he was taken prisoner by a neighbouring sovereign, who was all powerful in the land. All his fertile territory was taken from him, and he was cast into a dungeon to await his fate. “They will kill him,” cried the people, wringing their hands, and the heart of his only daughter grew cold with fear. At last, summoning her courage, she went to the powerful king and pleaded for the life of her father. “Why should I spare him?” asked the great man. “One p>etty ruler less is neither here nor there. Why should 1 do this for you?” Suddenly a cruel smile flickered over his face. “I shall release him,” he said, “and give him back his territory on condition that you go into the All-Alone Land and remain silent fo.r ten years. If a sound escapes your lips his life shall be paid as forfeit.” Quito mysteriously the princess disappeared and thereafter her whereabouts remained a mystery. The good king once more reigned over his little kingdom and, as time passed, gave up his daughter for dead. Now, in the All-Alone Land the princess had discovered a strange little house. Nobody lived there, but the tire was always burning, the table was always spread with food, the little white bed was always ready for occupation, and unseen hands swept and polished the floors. “I shall make my home here,” thought the princess, looking about with wistful eyes. “It should not be hard to remain silent when there is no one to talk to.” The little house stood in the centre of a dense wood and soon all the birds discovered the princess and talked over her secret. “The seal of silence- is on her lips,” they said. “Let us do what we can to cheer her in her loneliness.” So all day and every day they sang their sweetest songs for* her, growing ; so tame that they even flew indoors. In the spring they took her to see their ’ nests and showed her the little bird 1 babies that were the future citizens of the big green wood. At length there came a day when the princess awoke to a great trilling and piping. “Princess, princess,” called the birds, “your ten years’ silence is ' over. Speak, speak, and let us hear your voice.” The princess went to the window and stretched her hands to them. She opened her lips, but at first no sound came, then speech returned to her like the music of silver bells. “Dear birds,” she said,” in my father’s kingdom I am mourned as dead. My friends have forgoten me and now this little house has become ; my home. Let me stay with you and C hold speech with you for, when you ; brought me your songs and your love I became an All-Alone princess no i longer.” - “Joy, joy,” cried all the birds in l chorus, and flew down to her in a shining cloud. W.S.T.