The second page had a good share of self-conceit, however, and so
was not greatly confused by the king's jest. He determined that
he would avoid the mistake which his comrade had made. So he
commenced reading the petition slowly and with great formality,
emphasizing every word, and prolonging the articulation of every
syllable. But his manner was so tedious that the king cried out,
"Stop! are you reciting a lesson in the elementary sounds? Out
of the room! But no--stay! Send me that little girl who is
sitting there by the fountain."
The girl thus pointed out by the king was a daughter of one of
the laborers employed by the royal gardener; and she had come to
help her father weed the flower beds. It chanced that, like many
of the poor people in Prussia, she had received a good education.
She was somewhat alarmed when she found herself in the king's
presence, but took courage when the king told her that he only
wanted her to read for him, as his eyes were weak.
Now, Ernestine (for this was the name of the little girl) was
fond of reading aloud, and often many of the neighbors would
assemble at her father's house to hear her; those who could not
read themselves would come to her, also, with their letters from
distant friends or children, and she thus formed the habit of
reading various sorts of handwriting promptly and well.
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