VI.

THE GLASS HEART.

'HERE are some people whose hearts are made

THERE

of glass-touch them lightly and they vibrate like silver bells, but roughly handled they break.

Once there was a royal couple who had three daughters, and all three had these glass hearts. "Dear children," said the anxious queen, "take great care of your hearts, for they are brittle ware," and accordingly they were always most careful of them. One day, however, the eldest sister was standing at the window, looking down into the garden, watching the bees and butterflies as they wandered from flower to flower amongst the lilies and roses, when all at once, as she leaned over the sill, a sharp report was heard,-her heart was broken, and she fell lifeless to the ground.

Some time after this the second daughter was drinking a cup of very hot coffee. Suddenly a soft ringing sound fell on the ear, and, as with her sister, she likewise fell to the ground, but this time not lifeless, for as her mother picked her up she saw she was not dead. There was only a crack through her heart.

"What shall we do with our daughter now?" said the king to the queen. "It is true her heart is only cracked, but cracks increase, and her heart might come in two. We must take great care of her."

But the princess only said, "Leave me to myself, cracked glass sometimes lasts the longest."

In the meantime the youngest daughter grew up so fair and so good that princes came flocking in from all parts to ask her for their bride. The old king had, however, become wise through misfortune, and declared

"I have only one daughter with a whole heart, but it is of glass, like her sisters'. If I must give her in marriage at all, it shall only be to he who best knows how to deal with such brittle ware; therefore, king's son though he must be, he must also be a glazier!"

Now it so happened that amongst all the young princes who had come to woo, not one had studied the glazier's art, so there was nothing for them to do but to make their bow and depart.

Amongst the noble pages in the palace was one who had almost served his time in that capacity-indeed he had only to carry the train of the youngest princess three times when he would be declared a nobleman. This done, the king congratulated him, and said—

"Now, having gained your coronet, go your way; I am much obliged to you."

The first time, however, the young page had borne the princess's train he perceived she had indeed a right regal presence. The second time, she turned to him and said

"Leave my train for a minute; give me your hand and lead me up this staircase-gently and respectfully, as it becomes a noble page to lead a king's daughter."

Then he remarked she had a wondrous small white hand. She also remarked something, but what it was shall be told by and by. The third and last time, she again turned to him, saying

"How well you hold my train! Nobody has ever carried it so well before."

Then he discovered she had a soft, low voice. But he had become a nobleman, and the king congratulated him and told him he might go.

And as he went the princess stood at the garden gate and whispered

"No one ever carried my train like you: if you only had been a glazier and a king!'

Then he replied he would do all he could to become both, and if she would only wait for him he would certainly return. Straight off he went and found a glazier. Glazier," said he, "do you want an apprentice?"

"Well, yes," replied the man; "but you must serve me four years. The first year you must learn to fetch

the bread from the baker, and to wash and dress my children. The second year you must learn to stop chinks and crannies with putty; the third year to cut and place the glass, and the fourth year you will be a master glazier."

Then he asked the man if it were not possible to begin business the other way, as it would go so much faster; but he assured him respectable glaziers always began from the beginning if they wanted to be first-rate, and so he was fain to be satisfied. The first year he fetched the bread from the baker, and washed and dressed the children; the second he stopped up all the cracks in the neighbours' windows; the third he learned to cut and place the glass; and finally, the fourth year saw him a master glazier.

Then the young nobleman dressed himself again in all his fine clothes, took leave of his master, and began to consider how he should best manage to become a king. As he wandered along, sunk in deep thought, his eyes fixed upon the pavement, a man came up and asked him if he had lost anything.

"Lost," he said; "I cannot say I have, but I am nevertheless looking for something, and that is nothing more nor less than a kingdom, and if you can tell me how I can become a king, why, I shall feel very much obliged to you!"