Tales out of school

by Frank R. Stockton

KING RHINE.

Old King Rhine sat upon his rocky throne among the reeds. He had given his kingly word that for three months his river, the Rhine, should not overflow its banks, and that there should be no manner of tempest upon its waters. The old gentleman was sad and gloomy. A month had passed since he gave this promise, and all that time he had had nothing to do. This was hard upon him, for he had led a very busy life. Many an army had he helped across his river, and many a one had he broken to pieces with floods, and tempests. Christians and savages, knights and nobles, and men of low degree had fought upon his banks. Men had built castles, and he had swept them away, or crumbled them into ruins. And, sometimes, he had helped beautify them, and spread grass and flowers all around them. And he had occupied himself in many other ways.

And now there was nothing for him to do. He looked up and down the length of the stream. The waters were still and blue, and vessels glided over them, and the little boats rocked gaily on the swelling waves. At the wharves of the cities men were busy loading and unloading the ships, and all rejoiced in the pleasant and prosperous season. On the hill-sides the vineyards were as full of grapes as ever they could be, and the vines found their way up the very walls of the ruined castles, and hung their purple clusters on the loosened stones.

It was very pretty, and the old king took pleasure in it, but he always liked to have something going on that was not quite in the ordinary way.

Suddenly he remembered that there were other creatures under his care besides men. There were Nixies, and Fairies, and Gnomes, and Dwarfs, and Undines, and Elves, and Sylphs, and Peris, and Nymphs, and Dryads, and Giants.

A RHINE VINEYARD.

Giants! Here was something for him to attend to! There were not a great many giants left on the banks of the Rhine, but the few that were there were capable of doing a great deal of mischief; and king Rhine had been hearing bad reports of them for a long time. But he had been so busy with men and their affairs that he had neglected looking after anything else. It was high time that these giants were taught better manners.

But who was to teach them? Who should he employ to subdue these giants, who were as tall as oak trees? Men could do nothing against them. Since the death of Jack the Giant-Killer no man had ever been known to conquer a giant.