The Golden Windows - 1920 Author:Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE COMING OF THE KING 'OME children were at play in their play-ground one day, when a herald rode through the town, blowing a trumpet, and crying aloud, " Th... more »e King! the King passes by this road to-day. Make ready for the King !" The children stopped their play, and looked at one another. " Did you hear that ? " they said. " The King is coming. He may look over the wall and see our playground ; who knows ? We must put it in order." The playground was sadly dirty, and in the corners were scraps of paper and broken toys, for these were careless children. But now, one brought a hoe, and another a rake, and a third ran to fetch the wheelbarrow from behind the garden gate. They labored hard, till at length all was clean and tidy. " Now it is clean !" they said ; " but we must make it pretty, too, for kings are used to fine things; maybe he would not notice mere cleanness, for he may have it all the time." Then one brought sweet rushes and strewed them on the ground ; and others made garlands of oak leaves and pine tassels and hung them on the walls ; and the littlest one pulled marigold buds and threw them all about the playground, " to look like gold," he said. When all was done the playground was so beautiful that the children stood and looked at it, and clapped their hands with pleasure. " Let us keep it always like this!" said the littlest one; and the others cried, " Yes! yes ! that is what we will do." They waited all day for the coming of the King, but he never came; only, towards sunset, a man with travel-worn clothes, and a kind, tired face passed along the road, and stopped to look over the wall. " What a pleasant place !" said the man. " May I come in and rest, dear children ?' The children brought him in gladly, and set him on the seat that ...« less