Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 October 1893 — HE IS A KING, BUT STILL A BOY. [ARTICLE]

HE IS A KING, BUT STILL A BOY.

He Wanted Fan and lie. Slipped Out of the Palace and Oot It. Not long ago there was terrible excitement at the royal court of Anam> The King, Thanh-Tai, who is now 14 years old, was missing. Etiquette requires that the Anumose King shall never leave the royal grounds. He Is a kingly prisoner. Ana that the King should not only be absent from the palace, but that no one should know where he was, constituted an event of such direful consequence that the whole court, was in dismay. But tho -young potentate was not hard to find. Though be was a king, he was a boy; and it is natural for a boy, when ho has some money in his pocket, to want 1 1 go out and spend it. That was exactly what the King of Anam had done. Entirely alcne, ho had started on a “shopping" expedition through the streets of Hue. Of course, no one knew him because he had nover shown his faie in public. Ho was simply a boy, like any other boy, and this was exactly what ho want >d. But he was treated with groat respect by tho shopkeepers because ho seemed to have plenty of money. Curiously enough, tho thing that soemed to attract, him most was a head-shearing maehino, or hair-clipper, and when the frightened nobles of tho court discovered him at last it was with this singular implement in his possession. No doubt ho intended to amuse himsolf by shearing the heads of all his dependents.

A ltace Between Geese and Turkeys. George IV., whon Prince Regent, was much given to wagers; but oftentimes he was boaton at his own gamo. Once a gentleman who had frequently lost wagers with his Royal Highnoss determined to be revenged, and among other subjects introduced one evening, ho casually observed that he mot a drdvo of turkeys, and noticing how slow they traveled, said that he believed geese would travel fastor. “Nonsenso,” said his Royal Highness. “Well,” said the gentleman, "I boliovo they will; and I am willing to wager that I drive a flock of goeso one mile along tho turnplko road against any one you may soloet to drive a number of turkeys, only allowing mo to namo time and place." “Done, for a thousand pounds,” was the reply; and tho next day was fixed for tho trial to come off. They met at a certain spot; tho Prince Rogent was thero incog., but hud a trusty friend with a flock of turkeys. Presently the gentleman appeared with his geese; but as he had the time to namo, lie fixed a quarter of an bquh before sundown. The tima arrived, and away went tho turkeys, outstripping tho geese a hundred yards in a few minutes; but gradually, as tho sun wontdown. tho turkeys desired to roost, and rushed through tho hodgos, first this side and then tho other, until they finally found some trees, in which they sought refuge, and all the efforts of tho driver to get them on the road again were of no avail. All this time the geese kept going quietly along, and, like tho tortoise with tho hare in tho fable, arrived at tho goal while tho turkeys were sleeping.