FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  
ut into the Royal Museum, where it is still to be seen if no one has stolen it. Now, this is a true story. * * * * * THE SLEEPING BEAUTY Once upon a time long ago--so long, indeed, that even the very oldest people now alive could not remember it--there lived a King and Queen in a beautiful palace, a great white marble palace, with wide halls and high towers, and a golden roof that flashed in the sun. And all round the palace, for miles and miles, there were lovely gardens and pleasure-grounds, with terraces and green lawns, and ancient trees where the birds would sit and sing all day and all night long, and more flowers than you could ever think of if you were to think a whole summer through. There were peacocks and birds of paradise on the broad lawns, and pretty slender brown deer in the shady glades, and gold and silver fishes in the ponds and fountains, and great red and yellow fruits ripened in the orchards. There was everything there that heart could wish--except just one, and that was the one thing in all the world that this King and Queen wanted to make them perfectly happy. For there was no little child to run and play about the sunny gardens and pick the flowers, and pet the birds and beasts that wandered there. And this would often make them very sad. But at last, after many years, they had their wish, and a little baby daughter was born to them--a tiny child with a face like a blush rosebud, eyes like violets, and a little red mouth like the pimpernel flowers that grow in the cornfields and by the wayside in summer-time. Now, you can easily think how glad this King and Queen were, and what great rejoicings were made over all the country. Bonfires as big as haystacks were kept burning all night, fat oxen were roasted whole in the market-place of every town, the church-bells were rung and rung again until the ringers were out of breath and their arms were aching, and every little child in the kingdom was given a beautiful present for the baby Princess's sake. In the palace, of course, all was bustle and hurry to make ready for the christening-feast; the maids were busy putting flowers all about the halls and chambers, and sprinkling the shining floors with sweet-smelling leaves and petals. For the most important guests invited to this christening were seven very powerful fairies, and you know, I am sure, how particular fairies are about what they ea
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
palace
 

flowers

 

gardens

 
summer
 
christening
 
fairies
 

beautiful

 

haystacks

 

Bonfires

 

country


burning
 
pimpernel
 

violets

 

rosebud

 

cornfields

 

easily

 

rejoicings

 

daughter

 

wayside

 

roasted


aching
 

smelling

 

leaves

 
petals
 

floors

 
shining
 
putting
 

chambers

 

sprinkling

 

important


guests

 

invited

 
powerful
 
ringers
 

breath

 
church
 

kingdom

 

bustle

 

present

 

Princess


market

 

towers

 
golden
 

marble

 
remember
 
flashed
 

terraces

 

ancient

 
grounds
 

pleasure