HOW BOOTS BEFOOLED THE KING

- By Howard Pyle
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American illustrator and author (1853–1911) For the 1950s Arizona governor, see John Howard Pyle.Howard PyleBorn(1853-03-05)March 5, 1853Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.DiedNovember 9, 1911(1911-11-09) (aged 58)Florence, Kingdom of ItalyKnown forIllustration, writing for childrenNotable work The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Otto of the Silver Hand Men of Iron The Story of King Arthur and His Knights The Story of the Grail and the Passing of King Arthur StyleBrandywine SchoolSpouseAnne PooleRelativesKatharine Pyle (sister)Signature Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator, painter, and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy. In 1894, he began teaching illustration at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry (now Drexel University). Among his students there were Violet Oakley, Maxfield Parrish, and Jessie Willcox Smith.[1] After 1900, he founded his own school of art and illustration named the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. Scholar Henry C. Pitz later used the term Brandywine School for the illustration artists and Wyeth family artists of the Brandywine region, several of whom had studied with Pyle.[2] He had a lasting influence on a number of artists who became notable in their own right; N. C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Thornton Oakley, Allen Tupper True, Stanley Arthurs, and numerous others studied under him. His 1883 classic publication The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood remains in print, and his other books frequently have medieval European settings, including a four-volume set on King Arthur. He is also well known for his illustrations of pirates, and is credited with creating what has become the modern stereotype of pirate dress.[3] He published his first novel Otto of the Silver Hand in 1888. He also illustrated historical and adventure stories for periodicals such as Harper's Magazine and St. Nicholas Magazine. His novel Men of Iron was adapted as the movie The Black Shield of Falworth (1954). Pyle travelled to Florence, Italy in 1910 to study mural painting. He died there in 1911 of a sudden kidney infection (Bright's disease). Life[edit] The Battle of Bunker Hill, Howard Pyle, 1897, showing the second British advance up Breed's Hill. This painting's whereabouts are unknown as it was probably stolen from the Delaware Art Museum in 2001.[4] Pyle was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the son of William Pyle and Margaret Churchman Painter. As a child, he attended private schools[5] and was interested in drawing and writing from a very young age. He was an indifferent student, but his parents encouraged him to study art, particularly his mother.[1] He studied for three years at the studio of F. A. Van der Wielen in Philadelphia,[6] and this constituted the whole of his artistic training, aside from a few lessons at the Art Students League of New York.[1] In 1876, he visited the island of Chincoteague off Virginia and was inspired by what he saw. He wrote and illustrated an article about the island and submitted it to Scribner's Monthly. One of the magazine's owners was Roswell Smith, who encouraged him to move to New York and pursue illustration professionally.[1] Pyle initially struggled in New York; his lack of professional experience made it difficult for him to translate his ideas into forms for publication. He was encouraged by several working artists, however, including Edwin Austin Abbey, A. B. Frost, and Frederick S. Church. The Battle of Nashville, c. 1906, Governor’s Reception Room at the Minnesota State Capitol He finally published a double-paged spread in the Harper's Weekly issue of March 9, 1878 and was paid $75—five times what he had expected.[6] He became increasingly successful and was an established artist by the time that he returned to Wilmington in 1880.[1] Pyle continued illustrating for magazines. He also collaborated on several books, particularly in American history. He wrote and illustrated his own stories, beginning with The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood in 1883. This book won international attention from critics such as William Morris.[1] Over the following decades, he published many more illustrated works for children, many of which are still in print today. Pyle married singer Anne Poole on April 12, 1881, and the couple had seven children.[6] In 1889, he and his wife sailed to Jamaica, leaving their children in the care of relatives. While they were overseas, their son Sellers died unexpectedly. This loss likely inspired his children's book The Garden Behind the Moon, which is about death and bears the dedication: "To the little Boy in the Moon Garden This Book is dedicated by His Father."[6][7] From 1894 to 1900, he taught illustration at the Drexel Institute. In 1900, he created his own school in Wilmington where he taught a small number of students in depth. In 1903, Pyle painted his first murals for the Delaware Art Museum. He took up mural painting more seriously in 1906 and painted The Battle of Nashville in Saint Paul, as well as two other murals for courthouses in New Jersey[1] (the Essex and Hudson County Courthouses). Pyle developed his own ideas for illustrating pirate dress, as few examples existed of authentic pirate outfits and few, if any, drawings had been preserved. He created a flamboyant style incorporating elements of Gypsy dress. His work influenced the design of costumes for movie pirates from Errol Flynn to Johnny Depp. It has been noted as highly impractical for working sailors.[3] In 1910, Pyle and his family went to Italy where he planned to study the old masters. Suffering poor health, he felt depressed and drained of energy. After one year in the country, he suffered a kidney infection and died in Florence at the age of 58.[1] In 1937, his niece Caroline Ashton Pyle married his student N. C. Wyeth's son Nathaniel Convers Wyeth.[8] Major works[edit] Sir Kay breaketh his sword at ye Tournament, one of Pyle's Arthurian illustrations Pyle wrote and illustrated a number of books, in addition to numerous illustrations done for Harper's Weekly, other periodical publications, and various works of fiction for children and young adults. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood[edit] Main article: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Pyle synthesized many traditional Robin Hood legends and ballads in this work, while toning them down to make them suitable for children. For instance, he modified the late 17th century ballad "Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham", changing it from Robin killing fourteen foresters for not honoring a bet to Robin defending himself against an attempt on his life by one of the foresters. Pyle has Robin kill only two men, one who shoots at him first when he was a youth, the other a hated assassin named Guy of Gisborne whom the Sheriff sent to slay him. Tales are changed in which Robin steals all that an ambushed traveler carried, such as "Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford", so that the victim keeps a third and another third is dedicated to the poor. Pyle did not have much concern for historical accuracy, but he renamed the queen in the story "Robin Hood and Queen Katherine" as Eleanor (of Aquitaine). This made her compatible historically with King Richard the Lion-Hearted, with whom Robin eventually makes peace. Many of the tales in the Robin Hood book dated to the late Middle Ages. His achievement was to integrate them into a unified story, which he also illustrated. For example, he included "Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar" in the narrative order to reintroduce Friar Tuck. He needed a cooperative priest for the wedding of outlaw Allan a Dale to his sweetheart Ellen. In the original "A Gest of Robyn Hode", the life is saved of an anonymous wrestler who had won a bout but was likely to be murdered because he was a stranger. Pyle adapted it and gave the wrestler the identity of David of Doncaster, one of Robin's band in the story "Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow". In his novelistic treatment of the tales, he thus developed several characters who had been mentioned in only one ballad, such as David of Doncaster or Arthur a Bland. Men of Iron[edit] Men of Iron is an 1891 novel about squire Myles Falworth who hopes to become a knight, thereby redeeming his family's honor. His father was falsely implicated in a plot to kill King Henry IV. The adventure tale follows Myles through his intensive training for knighthood and ends with him becoming a knight and challenging the wicked Lord Brookhurst Alban to trial by combat. The novel was adapted into the 1954 film The Black Shield of Falworth starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Other works[edit] Otto of the Silver Hand, about the son of a robber baron during the medieval period. Rejected of Men:[9] A Story of To-day (1903), setting the story of Jesus as if it had occurred during early twentieth-century America. Portfolio of Etchings:[10] In 1903 the Bibliophile Society of Boston commissioned Pyle to create a series of paintings of scholars and bibliophiles for a limited, four-volume set of books titled The bibliomania, or book-madness. The paintings proved popular and the Bibliophile Society commissioned American engraver W. H. W. Bicknell to create copper etched copies of Pyle's five oil paintings from The Bibliomania books. The etched prints in the Portfolio of Etchings portray the following literary figures: “Friar” Bacon in His Study Erasmus, Colet & More "Izaak" Walton Caxton at his press Richard de Bury tutoring young Edward III The Wonder Clock (1887), a collection of twenty-four tales, one for each hour of the day. Each tale was prefaced by a whimsical verse telling of traditional household goings-on at that hour. His sister Katharine Pyle wrote the verses. Pyle created the tales based on traditional European folktales. Pepper and Salt, or Seasoning for Young Folk, traditional tales for younger readers which he also illustrated. After his death, a publisher collected a number of his pirate stories and illustrations and published them as Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates (1921). Buccaneer of the Caribbean, from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates Pirates fight in Who Shall Be Captain?, 1911, from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates Critical response[edit] He lost his hold and fell, taking me with him from "The Grain Ship" by Morgan Robertson, in Harper's Monthly Magazine, March 1909 Pyle was widely respected during his life and continues to be well regarded by illustrators and fine artists. His contemporary Vincent van Gogh wrote in a letter to his brother Theo that Pyle's work "struck me dumb with admiration."[11] Pyle's reputation stems from his innovation in form and illustration, creating an American school of illustration and art, and for the revival of children's books. His illustrations are vivid and imaginative, yet not overly fantastic or contrived, lending them an air of colorful realism. Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism notes: As time passed, Pyle's historical position as the founder of a distinctly American school of illustration and art, as the innovator who introduced the total-design approach, and as the great reinventor of children's books, would outshine any single work he did, so that he is remembered less for any one project than for his total stance.[6] He had a lasting influence on a number of artists who became notable in their own right. Some of his more notable students were N. C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Elenore Abbott, Ethel Franklin Betts, Anna Whelan Betts, Harvey Dunn, Clyde O. DeLand, Philip R. Goodwin, Thornton Oakley, Violet Oakley, Ellen Bernard Thompson Pyle, Olive Rush, Blanche Grant, Ethel Leach, Allen Tupper True, Elizabeth Shippen Green, Arthur E. Becher, William James Aylward, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Charlotte Harding. Pyle taught his students at his home and studio in Wilmington, which is still standing and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pyle was an early member of The Franklin Inn Club in Philadelphia. According to Robert Vitz, the Howard Pyle School of Art developed a common set of themes in its work: attention to realism and expression of optimism and a faith in the goodness of America.[6] His work also continued to inspire well after his death; for example, comic book artist Tony Harris (born 1969) has cited Pyle as a major influence on his work.[12] Pyle is remembered primarily as an illustrator, but his books have also been analyzed for their literary qualities, particularly The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Taimi M. Ranta and Jill P. May have examined their influence on children's literature. May writes from a feminist sensibility.[6] Susan F. Beegel has studied his influence on Ernest Hemingway.[6] Alethia Helbig has reviewed his poetry, which since his death has not been as highly valued as it was in his own time.[6] Malcolm Usrey wrote that Otto of the Silver Hand has all the marks of a good historical novel: it has an exciting plot, with ample conflict and believable characters; it uses language and dialect appropriate to its setting and the characters; it has a significant, universal theme, and it presents the details of daily life in Germany of the thirteenth century accurately and unobtrusively, making the period real and alive.[6] Selected bibliography[edit] Drawing desk on which Pyle produced his King Arthur drawings, at the Delaware Art Museum Unless noted otherwise, all titles are listed in The Dictionary of American Biography.[1] The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883) Within the Capes (1885) Pepper and Salt; or, Seasoning for Young Folk (1886) The Rose of Paradise (1888) The Wonder Clock (1888), with his sister Katharine Pyle Otto of the Silver Hand (1888) A Modern Aladdin (1892) Men of Iron (1892) Twilight Land (1895) The Story of Jack Ballister's Fortunes (1895) The Garden Behind the Moon (1895) The Ghost of Captain Brand (1896) Washington (Text by Woodrow Wilson, then a history professor; published in 1897) Story of the Revolution (Text by Henry Cabot Lodge; published in 1898) The Price of Blood (1899) History of the American People (Text by Woodrow Wilson; published in 1902) Rejected of Men (1903) The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903) The Story of the Champions of the Round Table (1905) The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions (1907) The Story of the Grail and the Passing of King Arthur (1910) Stolen Treasure (1907) The Ruby of Kishmoor (1908) Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates (A collection of previously published material, assembled in 1921) See also[edit] Children's literature portalEngland portalHistory portalVisual arts portal Delaware Art Museum Le Trésor de Rackham le Rouge National Museum of American Illustration References[edit] ^ a b c d e f g h i Abbott, Charles David (1935). "Howard Pyle". In Malone, Dumas (ed.). Dictionary of American Biography. Vol. V. 15. pp. 287–290. OCLC 1256465953. ^ McDonald, Edward D.; Edward M. Hinton (1942). Drexel Institute of Technology 1891–1941. Haddon Craftsmen, Inc. pp. 126–130. ISBN 1-4067-6374-8. ^ a b Crimmins, Peter (November 16, 2011). "Pirates of pizazz: Delaware Art Museum celebrates century with Pyle's iconic images". Newsworks. WHYY. Archived from the original (text and video) on December 10, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2011. ^ Fishman, Margie (2014-05-18). "First painting auctioned by museum could bring $13.4 million". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE, US. Retrieved 2021-11-24. ^ Willard S. Morse; Gertrude Brinckle (1921). Howard Pyle: A Record of His Illustrations and Writings. Wilmington, Delaware: Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts. p. v. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Baise, Jennifer (1999), Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (print), vol. 81, Gale ^ "The Garden Behind the Moon". C. Scribner's Sons. 1895. ^ "Milestones, Jan. 25, 1937". Time. 1937-01-25. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-02-16. ^ The title is from Isaiah 53:3 (KJV), "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." ^ "Etchings by W. H. W. Bicknell after Original Paintings by Howard Pyle". AbeBooks. Archived from the original on 2024-02-01. ^ Malyon, John (2015). "Howard Pyle Online". Artcyclopedia. Alberta, Canada: Specifica, Inc. Retrieved 2021-11-18. ^ Shapiro, Marc (August 1997). "Wizard Profile: Tony Harris". Wizard. No. 72. p. 208. Further reading[edit] Coyle, Heather C. (2011). Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered. Wilmington, DE: Delaware Art Museum. ISBN 9780977164431. May, Jill P.; Robert E. May; Howard Pyle (2011). Howard Pyle: Imagining an American School of Art. University of Illinois Press. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-252-03626-2. Philadelphia Art Alliance (1923). Report of the private view of the exhibition of works by Howard Pyle, at the Art Alliance, Philadelphia, January 22, 1923. Printed for the Philadelphia Art Alliance, Ad-Service Print. Co. OCLC 34340261. Etext of Twilight Land Pyle biography and etext of Robin Hood External links[edit] Wikisource has original text related to this article: Howard Pyle Wikimedia Commons has media related to Howard Pyle. Wikiquote has quotations related to Howard Pyle. Online Books by Howard Pyle at Online Books Page Works by Howard Pyle at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Howard Pyle at Internet Archive Works by Howard Pyle at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks) Howard Pyle artwork at American Art Archives Thor and Hymir's Fishing. Illustration for Harper's Magazine, 1902. vteNovels by Howard PyleNovels The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883) Otto of the Silver Hand (1888) Men of Iron (1891) The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903) The Story of the Champions of the Round Table (1905) The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions (1907) The Story of the Grail and the Passing of King Arthur (1910) Adaptations The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) vteSociety of Illustrators' Hall of Fame1958–19591958 Norman Rockwell 1959 Dean Cornwell Harold von Schmidt 1960–19691960 Fred Cooper 1961 Floyd Davis 1962 Edward A. Wilson 1963 Walter Biggs 1964 Arthur William Brown 1965 Al Parker 1966 Albert Dorne 1967 Robert Fawcett 1968 Peter Helck 1969 Austin Briggs 1970–19791970 Rube Goldberg 1971 Stevan Dohanos 1972 Ray Prohaska 1973 Jon Whitcomb 1974 Charles Dana Gibson Tom Lovell N. C. Wyeth 1975 Bernie Fuchs Maxfield Parrish Howard Pyle 1976 Harvey Dunn John Falter Winslow Homer 1977 J. C. Leyendecker Wallace Morgan Robert Peak 1978 Norman Price Frederic Remington Coby Whitmore 1979 Edwin Austin Abbey Lorraine Fox Ben Stahl 1980–19891980 Howard Chandler Christy James Montgomery Flagg Saul Tepper 1981 Stan Galli John Gannam Frederic R. Gruger 1982 John Clymer Carl Erickson Henry P. Raleigh 1983 Franklin Booth Mark English Noel Sickles 1984 John La Gatta Neysa McMein James Williamson 1985 Arthur Burdett Frost Charles Marion Russell Robert Weaver 1986 Al Hirschfeld Rockwell Kent 1987 Maurice Sendak Haddon Sundblom 1988 René Bouché Pruett Carter Robert T. McCall 1989 Erté John Held Jr. Arthur Ignatius Keller 1990–19991990 Robert Riggs Morton Roberts Burt Silverman 1991 Jessie Willcox Smith William Arthur Smith Donald Teague 1992 Joe Bowler Edwin A. Georgi Dorothy Hood 1993 Robert McGinnis Thomas Nast Coles Phillips 1994 Harry Anderson Elizabeth Shippen Green Ben Shahn 1995 James Avati McClelland Barclay Joseph Clement Coll Frank Schoonover 1996 Anton Otto Fischer Winsor McCay Violet Oakley Mead Schaeffer Herbert Tauss 1997 Chesley Bonestell Joe DeMers Diane Dillon Leo Dillon Maynard Dixon Harrison Fisher Frank McCarthy 1998 Boris Artzybasheff Robert M. Cunningham Kerr Eby Frank Frazetta Edward Penfield Martha Sawyers 1999 Mitchell Hooks Andrew Loomis Antonio Lopez Stanley Meltzoff Thomas Moran Rose O'Neill Adolph Treidler 2000–20092000 James Bama Nell Brinkley Charles Livingston Bull David Stone Martin Alice and Martin Provensen J. Allen St. John 2001 John James Audubon Will H. Bradley Howard Brodie F. O. C. Darley Charles R. Knight Franklin McMahon 2002 E. Simms Campbell Milton Glaser Jean-Leon Huens Daniel Schwartz 2003 Elaine Duillo David Levine Bill Mauldin Jack Potter 2004 John Berkey John Groth Robert Andrew Parker Saul Steinberg 2005 Jack Davis Brad Holland Herbert Paus Albert Beck Wenzell 2006 Gilbert Bundy Bradshaw Crandell Keith Ferris Harold Foster Frank H. Netter Alvin J. Pimsler Jack Unruh 2007 David Grove Gary Kelley Edward Windsor Kemble Russell Patterson George Stavrinos 2008 Benton Clark Matt Clark Kinuko Y. Craft Naiad Einsel Walter Einsel 2009 Mario Cooper Paul Davis Laurence Fellows Arnold Roth Herbert Morton Stoops 2010–20192010 Charles Edward Chambers Earl Oliver Hurst Orson Lowell Wilson McLean Chris Van Allsburg 2011 Kenneth Paul Block Alan E. Cober Robert Heindel Fred Otnes Jerry Pinkney 2012 Ludwig Bemelmans R. O. Blechman John Collier Edward Gorey John Sloan Nancy Stahl 2013 Ted CoConis George Herriman Sanford Kossin Arthur Rackham Charles M. Schulz Murray Tinkelman 2014 Mary Blair Walter Everett Al Jaffee Syd Mead William Cameron Menzies Alex Raymond Edward Sorel 2015 Bernard D'Andrea Walter M. Baumhofer Will Eisner Virgil Finlay Ted Lewin and Betsy Lewin Pat Oliphant Arthur Szyk 2016 Marshall Arisman Rolf Armstrong Guy Billout Peter de Sève William Glackens Beatrix Potter Richard M. Powers 2017 Mort Drucker Bart Forbes Anita Kunz Ralph Steadman Burne Hogarth George Petty Gustaf Tenggren 2018 Robert Crumb Kate Greenaway René Gruau Jack Kirby Heinrich Kley Hilary Knight James McMullan Kay Nielsen C. F. Payne 2019 Alice Barber Stephens Mary Petty Frank Godwin Mark Summers Vincent Di Fate Roz Chast 2020–20292020 Thomas Blackshear Edmund Dulac Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (Mœbius) Jeffrey Catherine Jones Barbara Nessim Drew Struzan 2021 Braldt Bralds Margaret Brundage Walter Percy Day Dale Messick Craig Mullins Floyd Norman 2022 Charles Addams George Booth Emory Douglas Brian and Wendy Froud Reynold Ruffins Sarah S. 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HOW BOOTS BEFOOLED THE KING

image source: flickr.com

Once upon a time there was a king who was the wisest in all the world. So wise was he that no one had ever befooled him, which is a rare thing, I can tell you. Now, this king had a daughter who was as pretty as a ripe apple, so that there was no end to the number of the lads who came asking to marry her. Every day there was two or three of them dawdling around the house, so that at last the old king grew tired of having them always about.

So he sent word far and near that whoever should befool him might have the princess and half of the kingdom to boot, for he thought that it would be a wise man indeed who could trick him. But the king also said, that whoever should try to befool him and should fail, should have a good whipping. This was to keep all foolish fellows away.

The princess was so pretty that there was no lack of lads who came to have a try for her and half of the kingdom, but every one of these went away with a sore back and no luck.

Now, there was a man who was well off in the world, and who had three sons; the first was named Peter, and the second was named Paul. Peter and Paul thought themselves as wise as anybody in all the world, and their father thought as they did.

As for the youngest son, he was named Boots. Nobody thought anything of him except that he was silly, for he did nothing but sit poking in the warm ashes all of the day.

One morning Peter spoke up and said that he was going to the town to have a try at befooling the king, for it would be a fine thing to have a princess in the family. His father did not say no, for if anybody was wise enough to befool the king, Peter was the lad.

So, after Peter had eaten a good breakfast, off he set for the town, right foot foremost. After a while he came to the king's house and - rap! tap! tap! - he knocked at the door.

Well, what did he want?

Oh! he would only like to have a try at befooling the king.

Very good, he should have his try. He was not the first one who had been there that morning, early as it was.

So Peter was shown in to the king.

"Oh, look!" said he, "yonder are three black geese out in the courtyard!"

But no, the king was not to be fooled so easily as all that. "One goose is enough to look at, at a time," said he; "take him away and give him a whipping!"

And so they did, and Peter went home bleating like a sheep.

One day Paul spoke up. "I should like to go and have a try for the princess, too" said he.

Well, his father did not say no, for, after all, Paul was the more clever of the two.

So off Paul went as merrily as a duck in the rain. By and by he came to the castle, and then he too was brought before the king just as Peter had been.

"Oh, look!" said he, "yonder is a crow sitting in the tree with three white stripes on his back!"

But the king was not so silly as to be fooled in that way. "Here is a Jack," said he, "who will soon have more stripes on his back than he will like. Take him away and give him his whipping!"

Then it was done as the king had said, and Paul went away home bawling like a calf.

One day up spoke Boots. "I should like to go and have a try for the pretty princess, too," said he.

At this they all stared and sniggered. What! he go where his clever brothers had failed, and had nothing to show for the trying but a good beating? What had come over the lout! Here was a pretty business, to be sure! That was what they all said.

But all of this rolled away from Boots like water from a duck's back. No matter, he would like to go and have a try like the others. So he begged and begged until his father was glad to let him go to be rid of his teasing, if nothing else.

Then Boots asked if he might have the old tattered hat that hung back of the chimney.

Oh, yes, he might have that if he wanted it, for nobody with good wits was likely to wear such a thing.

So Boots took the hat, and after he had brushed the ashes from his shoes set off for the town, whistling as he went.

The first body whom he met was an old woman with a great load of earthenware pots and crocks on her shoulders.

"Good-day, mother," said Boots.

"Good-day, son," said she.

"What will you take for all of your pots and crocks?" said Boots.

"Three shillings," said she.

"I will give you five shillings if you will come and stand in front of the king's house, and do thus and so when I say this and that," said Boots.

Oh, yes! She would do that willingly enough.

So Boots and the old woman went on together, and presently came to the king's house. When they had come there, Boots sat down in front of the door and began bawling as loud as he could - "No, I will not! I will not do it, I say! No, I will not do it!"

So he kept on, bawling louder and louder until he made such a noise that, at last, the king himself came out to see what all of the hubbub was about. But when Boots saw him he only bawled out louder than ever.

"No, I will not! I will not do it, I say!"

"Stop! stop!" cried the king, "what is all this about?"

"Why," said Boots, "everybody wants to buy my cap, but I will not sell it! I will not do it, I say!"

"But, why should anybody want to buy such a cap as that?" said the king.

"Because," said Boots, "it is a fooling cap and the only one in all of the world."

"A fooling cap!" said the king. For he did not like to hear of such a cap as that coming into the town. "Hum-m-m-m! I should like to see you fool somebody with it. Could you fool that old body yonder with the pots and the crocks?"

"Oh, yes! That is easily enough done," said Boots, and without more ado he took off his tattered cap and blew into it. Then he put it on his head again and bawled out, "Break pots! break pots!"

No sooner had he spoken these words than the old woman jumped up and began breaking and smashing her pots and crocks as though she had gone crazy. That was what Boots had paid her five shillings for doing, but of it the king knew nothing. "Hui!" said he to himself, "I must buy that hat from the fellow or he will fool the princess away from me for sure and certain." Then he began talking to Boots as sweetly as though he had honey in his mouth. Perhaps Boots would sell the hat to him?

Oh no! Boots could not think of such a thing as selling his fooling cap.

Come, come; the king wanted that hat, and sooner than miss buying it he would give a whole bag of gold money for it.

At that Boots looked up and looked down, scratching his head. Well, he supposed he would have to sell the hat some time, and the king might as well have it as anybody else. But for all that he did not like parting with it.

So the king gave Boots the bag of gold, and Boots gave the king the old tattered hat, and then he went his way.

After Boots had gone the king blew into the hat and blew into the hat, but though he blew enough breath into it to sail a big ship, he did not befool so much as a single titmouse. Then, at last, he began to see that the fooling cap was good on nobody else's head but Boots'; and he was none too pleased at that, you may be sure.

As for Boots, with his bag of gold he bought the finest clothes that were to be had in the town, and when the next morning had come he started away bright and early for the king's house. "I have come," said he, "to marry the princess, if you please."

At this the king hemmed and hawed and scratched his head. Yes; Boots had befooled him sure enough, but, after all, he could not give up the princess for such a thing as that. Still, he would give Boots another chance. Now, there was the high-councillor, who was the wisest man in all of the world. Did Boots think that he could fool him also?

Oh, yes! Boots thought that it might be done.

Very well; if he could befool the high-councillor so as to bring him to the castle the next morning against his will, Boots should have the princess and the half of the kingdom; if he did not do so he should have his beating.

Then Boots went away, and the king thought that he was rid of him now for good and all.

As for the high-councillor, he was not pleased with the matter at all, for he did not like the thought of being fooled by a clever rogue, and taken here and there against his will. So when he had come home, he armed all of his servants with blunderbusses, and then waited to give Boots a welcome when he should come.

But Boots was not going to fall into any such trap as that! No indeed! not he! The next morning he went quietly and bought a fine large meal-sack. Then he put a black wig on over his beautiful red hair, so that no one might know him. After that he went to the place where the high-councillor lived, and when he had come there he crawled inside of the sack, and lay just beside the door of the house.

By and by came one of the maid servants to the door, and there lay the great meal-sack with somebody in it.

"Ach!" cried she," who is there?"

But Boots only said, "Sh-h-h-h-h!"

Then the serving maid went back into the house, and told the high-councillor that one lay outside in a great meal-sack, and that all that he said was, "Sh-h-h-h-h!"

So the councilor went himself to see what it was all about. "What do you want here?" said he.

"Sh-h-h-h-h!" said Boots, "I am not to be talked to now. This is a wisdom-sack, and I am learning wisdom as fast as a drake can eat peas."

"And what wisdom have you learned?" said the councilor.

Oh! Boots had learned wisdom about everything in the world. He had learned that the clever scamp who had fooled the king yesterday was coming with seventeen tall men to take the high-councillor, willy-nilly, to the castle that morning.

When the high-councillor heard this he fell to trembling till his teeth rattled in his head. "And have you learned how I can get the better of this clever scamp?" said he.

Oh, yes! Boots had learned that easily enough.

So, good! Then if the wise man in the sack would tell the high-councillor how to escape the clever rogue, the high-councillor would give the wise man twenty dollars.

But no, that was not to be done; wisdom was not bought so cheaply as the high-councillor seemed to think.

Well, the councilor would give him a hundred dollars then.

That was good! A hundred dollars were a hundred dollars. If the councillor would give him that much he might get into the sack himself, and then he could learn all the wisdom that he wanted, and more besides.

So Boots crawled out of the sack, and the councillor paid his hundred dollars and crawled in.

As soon as he was in all snug and safe, Boots drew the mouth of the sack together and tied it tightly. Then he flung sack, councillor, and all over his shoulder, and started away to the king's house, and anybody who met them could see with half an eye that the councillor was going against his will.

When Boots came to the king's castle he laid the councillor down in the goose-house, and then he went to the king.

When the king saw Boots again, he bit his lips with vexation. "Well," said he, "have you fooled the councillor?"

"Oh, yes!" says Boots, "I have done that."

And where was the councillor now?

Oh, Boots had just left him down in the goose-house. He was tied up safe and sound in a sack, waiting till the king should send for him.

So the councillor was sent for, and when he came the king saw at once that he had been brought against his will.

"And now may I marry the princess?" said Boots.

But the king was not willing for him to marry the princess yet; no! no! Boots must not go so fast. There was more to be done yet. If he would come tomorrow morning he might have the princess and welcome, but he would have to pick her out from among fourscore other maids just like her; did he think that he could do that?

Oh, yes! Boots thought that might be easy enough to do.

So, good! Then come tomorrow; but he must understand that if he failed he should have a good whipping, and be sent packing from the town.

So off went Boots, and the king thought that he was rid of him now, for he had never seen the princess, and how could he pick her out from among eighty others?

But Boots was not going to give up so easily as all that! No, not he! He made a little box, and then he hunted up and down until he had caught a live mouse to put into it.

When the next morning came he started away to the king's house, taking his mouse along with him in the box.

There was the king, standing in the doorway, looking out into the street. When he saw Boots coming towards him he made a wry face. "What!" said he, "are you back again?"

Oh, yes! Boots was back again. And now if the princess was ready he would like to go and find her, for lost time was not to be gathered again like fallen apples.

So off they marched to a great room, and there stood eighty-and-one maidens, all as much alike as peas in the same dish.

Boots looked here and there, but, even if he had known the princess, he could not have told her from the others. But he was ready for all that. Before anyone knew what he was about, he opened the box, and out ran the little mouse among them all. Then what a screaming and a hubbub there was! Many looked as though they would like to swoon, but only one of them did so. As soon as the others saw what had happened, they forgot all about the mouse, and ran to her and fell to fanning her and slapping her hands and chafing her temples.

"This is the princess," said Boots.

And so it was.

After that the king could think of nothing more to set Boots to do, so he let him marry the princess as he had promised, and have half of the kingdom to boot.

That is all of the story.

Only this: It is not always the silliest one that sits kicking his feet in the ashes at home.

Current Page: 1

GRADE:5

Word Lists:

Bawl : weep or cry noisily

Hubbub : a chaotic din caused by a crowd of people

Tattered : old and torn; in poor condition

Blunderbuss : a short-barreled large-bored gun with a flared muzzle, used at short range.

Lout : an uncouth and aggressive man or boy

Bleat : (of a sheep, goat, or calf) make a characteristic wavering cry

Fool : a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person

Wisdom : the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise

Wry : using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor

Clever : quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent

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Additional Information:

Rating: A Words in the Passage: 830 Unique Words: 524 Sentences: 198
Noun: 579 Conjunction: 375 Adverb: 239 Interjection: 20
Adjective: 142 Pronoun: 311 Verb: 592 Preposition: 242
Letter Count: 10,298 Sentiment: Positive / Positive / Positive Tone: Conversational Difficult Words: 188
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