THE ROYAL HUNTING PARTY.  In the course of time, the fame of the Princess Splendor's beauty and the sad fate of all her wooers reached the imperial court and the Mikado himself became possessed with a desire to see this bewitching coquette; so he sent the Lady Tassel to the house of the old wood-cutter to bring him word just what kind of a person she was.  This noble lady proceeded in grand state to the house of the princess and, being met by the wood-cutter's wife, haughtily said, that she had come by His Majesty's express command to see the princess. Her old		foster-mother tried to persuade the princess to meet this grand lady, but she positively declined and said that, really, she did not see, why she need trouble herself so much about the commands of the Mikado. The old woman was dreadfully shocked at this disrespectful reply, but, as there was no help for it, she went out to Lady Tassel and tried to excuse her daughter by saying, that she was such a child she was entirely too bashful to meet Her Excellency. Lady Tassel did not take the matter so complacently, however, and angrily said, it was impossible for her to return to the palace without seeing the princess; besides whoever heard of such a thing, as any one daring to disobey the commands of the King. When her mother reported these
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