THE Lost CHILD 61

no longer young. Every day he and his wife went to church
to pray forason. At last, after long waiting, God sent them
what they desired. Now the evening before its arrival the
father dreamed that its chance of living would depend upon
one condition, namely, that its feet never touched the earth
until it was twelve years old. Great care was taken that this
should be avoided, and when the little stranger came, only
trustworthy nurses were employed to look after him. As
the years passed on the child was diligently guarded, some-
times he was carried in his nurses’ arms, sometimes rocked
in his golden cradle, but his feet never touched the ground.

Now when the end of the time drew near the father began
preparations for a magnificent feast which should be given
to celebrate his son’s release. One day while these were in
progress a frightful noise, followed by most unearthly yells,
shook the castle. The nurse dropped the child in her terror
and ran to the window: that instant the noises ceased. On
turning to take up the boy, imagine her dismay when she
found him no longer there, and remembered that she had
disobeyed her master’s orders.

Hearing her screams and lamentations, all the servants
of the castle ran to her. The father soon followed, asking,
“What is the matter? What has happened? Where is my
child?” The nurse, trembling and weeping, told of the dis-
appearance of his son, his only child. No words can tell
the anguish of the father’s heart. He sent servants in every
direction to hunt for his boy, he gave orders, he begged and
prayed, he threw away money right and left, he promised
everything if only his son might be restored to him, Search
was made without loss of time, but no trace of him could be