Read Fireside Stories for Girls in Their Teens Page 27

  THE QUEST

  Once there came to the land of the Every-day a messenger from the King. Inhis hand he carried glasses to help him in the search which he was making.Under his arm he was carrying a scroll. On his face there was a look ofdeep concern.

  How could he ever find the most beautiful thing in all the world? Therewere so many beautiful things that he had no idea even where to begin. Yetthis was his commission: "Of all the beautiful things, choose for me themost beautiful."

  So the messenger called for heralds and sent them forth to ask of thepeople of the Every-day their help in choosing for the King.

  "Bring to me your most beautiful thing," he said. "Then I will choose fromthese things what I deem most beautiful."

  And one brought a wonderful gem. It was clear as crystal; it sparkled inthe light and seemed to beg to be chosen. The rays of the noonday sunshone through the stone and all the people cried with one voice:

  "How beautiful! How wonderful! We have never seen the like!"

  "Surely," thought the messenger, "I shall never find anything so rare asthis. I will take it to the King."

  But a voice cried: "Wait, oh, messenger, wait! That which is dead cannever be the most beautiful thing. Surely I have here that which farexceeds the stone which you have seen. I beg you look at this."

  Then he opened the cover of the great box that he carried.

  In a bed of shimmering white there lay a beautiful rose. Its leaves werestill wet with the dew of the garden. Its petals were as perfect asperfect could be. Then as the sun shone into the box, the exquisite rosecaught also the rays of the sun and slowly the beautiful petals began tounfold.

  There was silence in the group of people about the box. What a wonderfulthing the man had brought to the messenger! It had beauty, but it had alsolife.

  Yet even as they looked there came another. By his side walked a greatdog. His hair was like silk; his eyes were tender as a child's; his facewas as knowing as a person's. Quietly his owner brought him forward,saying: "This is to me far more beautiful than the rose. This has beautyand life, but it has also usefulness. It has saved the lives of many."

  And he patted the head of the faithful animal.

  Then a mother pressed through the crowd and said: "Surely no animal is sobeautiful as a child. See! here is my little one. She has beauty and lifeand usefulness--and she has also the magic beauty of innocence. See herhands, and her little feet, and her golden curls. I am sure there is nomore beautiful thing in all the world than my baby."

  Then the messenger sighed. What could he do? He just could not find thething that the King had asked him to find. All were so beautiful. Thinkingto be by himself, he walked away. Into a path alone by himself he went.

  Then he heard voices, and, brushing aside the branches, he saw a youngmaiden who played with a little child. Her touch was very tender as sheplayed the childish game. And when they had finished, the messenger heldhis breath, for the child had thrown a tiny arm about her neck and theyellow curls of the baby were close to the brown ones of the maiden. Andthe maiden's face was wreathed in a wondrous smile.

  "That is beauty," said the messenger. "That is rare beauty. But why is sheso beautiful? I must see."

  Quickly he unfastened the glasses from their case and turned them to thepicture before him. Then, because they were magic glasses used only by theKing, he could see why she was beautiful.

  In her mind he found clean thoughts; in her life he found kind deeds; inher soul he found a high ideal; in her heart he found a mother-love forlittle children.

  Then the messenger took from his arm the scroll which he carried and withhis stylus he wrote these words:

  "In all the world I find no more beautiful thing than a maiden who isreaching toward life's highest goal--a noble womanhood--with love to showher the way."