ONCE upon a time a soldier died, leaving a widow and one son. They were dreadfully poor, and at last matters became so bad that they had nothing left in the house to eat. "Mother," said the son, "give me four shillings and I will go to seek my fortune in the wide world."

"Alas!" responded the mother, "I haven't a farthing wherewith to buy bread, and where am I to find four shillings?"

The son said no more; but later in the day, as he was looking over an old coat of his father's and considering whether he could not wear it himself, he discovered six shillings in one of the pockets. "More than I bargained for," said the lad, laughing. "See, mother, here are two shillings for you, and the rest will pay my way until I find my fortune."

So he started on his travels, and after a while, as he was passing along the borders of a wood, he saw a tigress lying under a tree licking her paw and moaning as if in pain. He was about to run away when the tigress called to him faintly, saying, "Good lad, if you will take out this thorn for me, I shall be forever grateful."

"Not I," said the lad, "why, if I begin to pull it out and it hurts you, you will kill me with a pat of your paw."

"No, no!" the tigress declared. "I will turn my face to this tree, and will pat the tree when the pain comes."

Such an arrangement seemed satisfactory, and the soldier's son went and sat down by the tigress and pulled out the thorn. At the same moment the creature gave the tree a blow that split the trunk all to pieces. Then she turned toward the soldier's son and handed him a small box. "This is your reward," said she, "but do not open it until you have gone nine miles."

 

He thanked the tigress and resumed his travels; but, as he went on, the box grew heavier and heavier. By the time he had gone six miles it was a troublesome burden. He however toiled slowly on two miles more. Then he exclaimed, "I believe that tigress was a witch and is playing tricks on me! I will stand this no longer. Heaven knows what is in the old box. I don't care, and here I will leave it."

 

So saying, he flung the box down on the ground. It burst open with the shock and out stepped a little old man. He was only twenty inches high and he had a beard that reached nearly to his feet. The mannikin immediately began to stamp about and scold the lad roundly for throwing down the box so violently.

"Upon my word," said the soldier's son, scarcely able to restrain a smile at the ridiculous little figure, "you are weighty for your size, old gentleman What may your name be?"

"It is Sir Buzz!" snapped the mannikin, still stamping around in a great rage.

"Well," said the soldier's son, "if you are all the box contained, I am glad I didn't carry it farther."

"You are not very polite," snarled the mannikin. "Perhaps, if you had carried it the full nine miles, you might have found something better, but I'm good enough for you and will serve you faithfully."

"Serve me! — then I wish to goodness you would serve me with some dinner, for I am mighty hungry."

No sooner had the soldier's son said this, than with a whiz! boom! bing! like a big bee, Sir Buzz flew through the air to a confectioner's shop in the nearest town. He walked in and cried in his loudest voice, "Ho! Sir Confectioner, bring me sweets!"

The confectioner looked round the shop, and out of the door, and down the street, but could see no one. Sir Buzz grew angry, and ran and pinched the confectioner's legs and kicked his feet, shouting, "Impudent knave! do you mean to say you can't see me?"

The confectioner apologized humbly and hurried to bring out his best sweets. Sir Buzz chose about a hundred-weight of them, and said, "Quick, tie them up and I'll carry them away."

"They will be a heavy load for you," said the confectioner.

"What business is that of yours, I would like to know?" snapped Sir Buzz. "Do as you are told."

"As you please, sir," responded the man, and he tied up the sweets in a huge bundle. Sir Buzz took the bundle and with a boom! bing! he whizzed off out of the door. Next he alighted at a grocer's shop, and called out at the top of his voice, "Ho! Sir Grocer, bring me flour!"

When the grocer looked round the shop and out of the window and down the street without seeing anybody the twenty inch mannikin with the long beard got into a violent rage and ran and bit and kicked the unfortunate grocer's legs, saying: "Wretched varlet! don't pretend you couldn't see me!"

The grocer apologized and asked Sir Buzz how much flour he wanted.

"A hundred-weight," replied the mannikin, "neither more nor less. Tie it up in a bundle and I'll take it with me."

"Your honor has a cart or a beast of burden with you doubtless," said the grocer, "for a hundredweight would be a heavy load."

"What is that to you?" shrieked Sir Buzz, stamping his foot.

Then the grocer tied up the flour and placed the bundle on the mannikin's shoulder fully expecting it would crush him; but Sir Buzz grasped it firmly, picked up the bundle of sweets and flew away — boom! bing! boom!

The soldier's son was just wondering what had become of his little servant, when, with a whir, the mannikin alighted beside him. Sir Buzz wiped his face as if he were hot and tired, and said thoughtfully, "Now I do hope I've brought enough, but you men have terrible appetites."

"More than enough, I should say," laughed the lad, looking at the huge bundles.

Then Sir Buzz made all the flour into cakes and baked them. The soldier's son ate three and a handful of the sweets, while the twenty-inch mannikin gobbled up all the rest, saying at each mouthful, "You men have such terrible appetites!"

In the days that followed, the soldier's son and his servant Sir Buzz travelled on and on until they came to the city of the king. The king had a daughter called Princess Blossom, who was very beautiful. It so happened that the soldier's son by chance caught a glimpse of the fair princess and at once fell desperately in love with her. He would neither eat nor sleep, and did nothing but say to his faithful mannikin, "Oh, dearest Sir Buzz! Oh, kind Sir Buzz! Carry me to the Princess Blossom that I may see and speak to her."

"You would only get yourself into trouble," responded Sir Buzz, and he refused to do as his master wished.

But at last, when he saw that the soldier's son was growing pale and pining away with thinking of the princess, he bade the lad sit on his hand. Then with a tremendous boom! bine boom! they whizzed away and were in the palace, a second later. It was night-time and the princess was asleep. Nevertheless the booming wakened her, and she was quite frightened to see a handsome young man kneeling beside her. She was about to scream when the soldier's son with the greatest politeness, and in the most elegant language, begged her not to be alarmed. Then they talked to each other about everything delightful, and Sir Buzz stood near the door and acted as sentry.

At length Sir Buzz noticed that the dawn was coming and he said to himself, "Now what is to be done? If my master remains here, he will be discovered and killed as sure as my name is Buzz."

He went to the young people and explained the danger.

"I will not be parted from the princess, come what may," declared the soldier's son.

"Nor will I be parted from him," said the princess. "Then I must carry you both to a place of safety," said Sir Buzz.

So he and his master went outside till the princess had dressed, and then Sir Buzz with one on each hand went bing! boom! away to a large garden belonging to the king outside of the town. There he set the lovers down in the shelter of a big tree and they went on talking, while he pulled up another tree, threw it over his shoulder and marched back and forth keeping guard.

Before long the whole town was in commotion because the Princess Blossom had been carried off, and everyone turned out to look for her. By and by the chief constable came to the garden gate.

"What do you want here?" cried valiant Sir Buzz, making passes at him with the tree.

The chief constable, who could see nothing save the branches, replied sturdily, "I want the Princess Blossom!"

"I'll blossom you!" yelled the mannikin. "Get out of my garden, will you?" and he belabored the constable's pony with the tree so that it bolted away, nearly throwing its rider.

The constable went straight to the king, and said, "Your Majesty! I am convinced that your daughter is in your Majesty's garden just outside of the town, as there is a tree at the gate which fights terribly."

The king summoned all his horses and men and they went to the garden and tried to get in; but Sir Buzz behind the tree routed them and they ran away. The noise of this battle brought the two lovers to the scene, and as they were sure they could no longer exist apart, they decided to fly together. They informed Sir Buzz of their intention, when the fight was over; and the soldier's son said to him in conclusion, "Now that I have won the princess I feel that my fortune is as good as made. I sha'n't need you any more and you can return whence you came."

"Pooh!" exclaimed Sir Buzz, "that is just like young people. However, have your own way, only take this hair which I pull from my beard, and if you should get into trouble, just burn it in the fire. That will bring me to your aid."

So Sir Buzz boomed off, and the soldier's son and the Princess Blossom travelled in company. For a time all went well with them, but at last they lost their way in a forest where they wandered for several days without food. They were nearly starving when a priest found them, and after hearing their story said, "Alas! you poor children! Come home with me and I will give you something to eat."

Had he said, "I will eat you," it would have been nearer the truth, for he was no priest, but a dreadful ogre, who loved to devour handsome young men and maidens. But, knowing nothing of all this, the couple went home with him quite cheerfully. He was very polite, and as soon as they arrived at his house he said, "Please select whatever suits you to eat. Here are my keys. You can open all of my cupboards save the one with the golden lock. Meanwhile I will go and gather firewood."

The two young people went to the cupboards, and in some they found food, and in some beautiful sets of dishes, and in some lovely jewels and rich dresses and bags of money. Finally, curiosity got the better of discretion, and regardless of the priest's warning, the soldier's son said, "I will see what wonderful things are hidden in the cupboard with the golden lock."

He opened it, and lo! it was full of human bones. At this dreadful sight, the soldier's son exclaimed to the princess, "We are lost! We are lost! This is not the house of a priest, but of a horrid ogre "

"If Sir Buzz were here, he might save us," said the princess. "Let me take the hair he gave you."

At that moment they heard the ogre at the door, and the princess, who was very brave and kept her wits about her, had barely time to thrust the magic hair into the fire, before the ogre with sharp teeth and fierce eyes entered. But the selfsame instant a boom! boom! binging noise was heard in

the air coming nearer and nearer. The ogre knew very well the meaning of this sound, and to defend himself he rushed out and changed into a heavy rain pouring down in torrents, hoping thus to drown Sir Buzz. However, Sir Buzz changed into a gale of wind beating back the rain. Then the ogre changed into a dove and fled to the palace of the king. Sir Buzz pursued in the form of a hawk and was about to overtake the dove when it dashed into the palace, changed into a rose and fell in the king's lap. The king was listening to a bard who was thrumming a guitar. Quick as thought Sir Buzz changed into an old musician, and approaching the bard said, "Brother, you are tired. Let me play."

Then he played so wonderfully and sang with such sweetness that the king said, "What shall I give you as a reward? Name what you please, and it shall be yours."

"I only ask the rose that is in your Majesty's lap," replied Sir Buzz.

"I had rather you asked more, or less," said the king. "It is only a rose, yet it fell from heaven. However, it is yours."

So saying, he threw the rose toward the musician, but before Sir Buzz could grasp it the petals fell in a shower on the floor. Sir Buzz instantly went down on his knees to gather them up. Yet quick as he was he failed to secure one petal, which changed into a mouse and started to run. With the speed of lightning Sir Buzz turned into a cat which caught the mouse and gobbled it up.

All this time the Princess Blossom and the soldier's son, shivering with fear, were in the ogre's house awaiting the issue of the combat. Suddenly, with a bing! boom! Sir Buzz arrived victorious, shook his head and said, "You two had better go home, for you are not fit to take care of yourselves."

Then he gathered together all the ogre's jewels and gold into a big bag which he took in one hand, and picking up the young people with the other he whizzed away to the home of the soldier's widow, who was delighted to see her son once more and scarcely less pleased with the princess who came with him.

Sir Buzz did not even wait till the greetings were over, but setting down the bag of treasure, whizzed out of sight with a boom! bine boom! and was never seen or heard of again. But the soldier's son and the Princess Blossom lived happily ever after.