And, meanwhile, his granddaughter grew up with
no one to care for her, or clothe her; only the old nurse, when no one
was by, would sometimes give her a dish of scraps from the kitchen, or a
torn petticoat from the rag-bag; while the other servants of the Palace
would drive her from the house with blows and mocking words, calling
her "Tattercoats," and pointing at her bare feet and shoulders, till she
ran away crying, to hide among the bushes.
And so she grew up, with little to eat or wear, spending her days in the
fields and lanes, with only the gooseherd for a companion, who would
play to her so merrily on his little pipe, when she was hungry, or cold,
or tired, that she forgot all her troubles, and fell to dancing, with
his flock of noisy geese for partners.
But, one day, people told each other that the King was travelling
through the land, and in the town near by was to give a great ball, to
all the lords and ladies of the country, when the Prince, his only son,
was to choose a wife.
Pages:
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91