fell ml Mill SSI Kcr a , *$> g TUI LITTLB PRINCE 4 ^ DAS A ^ pS $ & « JESUS BIRTHDAY* 1 4 & <$ to 4S iff Copyright, 1921 By The Womans Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. i&xttk PrtnrF t^aa a “Jl?aua Sirt^ay” Condensed by Sue Hopkins interesting incident written by Miss M. L. Guthapfel in her story “Only a Prince of Korea," is worth repeating. And owing to the coming mar- riage of the Prince and his recent visit to Seoul, it will be read with more than the usual interest in princely doings. The little prince, when nine years old, was very much out of touch with things Korean on the twenty-fourth of December. Against the wishes of his “personal guard,” he climbed the wall of the palace, called the gateman of the next compound. and Had Him call out tHe missionary to talk with Him. He asked Her about the “Yea-su Tan-il,” or Jesus' Birthday. She told Him what it was, and invited Him to go next day to the Chong No Church and find out all about it for Himself. But His face clouded as he exclaimed, “Not I, I am only a prince; I am not like the other boys of my country; I cannot go out of the palace gates now even so far as I used to go. But tell me, can you not get one of the 'Jesus Birthdays' and bring it to me here in your room? Look," he said, as he ran along the wall to a place opposite her window, “look, I can see down in there if you will open your window, “look, I can see down in there if you will open your win- dow wide, and if you will put a 'Jesus Birthday' in there to-morrow, I can have one, too, while I stand here. Oh, please, lady; I am a prince, and never had a ‘J es us Birthday.’ Give me one, lady, please do.” Startled by tbe request the missionary thought lor a moment, then with the plead- ing brown eyes looking into hers, she said: "Oh, I don’t see how I can do that. It is too cold for you to stand there. Your mother would not like you to. You might get sick and besides I have nothing with which to make a 'Jesus Birthday.’ It needs a congregation, and then — .” “Oh, that's all right," said this deter- mined young man, "here s your congrega- tion,” and majestically raising his hands he took in the three half-frozen male at- tendants and the three women, whose un- happy, scowling faces looked very unlike the "Jesus congregation” of the church across the way. But the boyish voice went on in pleading tones, “Lady listen, I ve never had a ‘Jesus Birthday’ in my whole life and if you don’t make me one tomor- row I may never have one, for I'm only a little prince and I want one 'Jesus Birth- day’ like other boys.” The missionary yielded, saying, “Ah, your majesty, I shall try to do something tomorrow, although I have little to do with I fear.” As she turned away the boy said, “Lady, I heard that you have a pine tree with funny fruit on it, fruit that comes from America. You’ll get the fruit for my ‘Jesus Birthday' and I'll have my servants get the tree.” “Very well,” laughed the lady, “I'll do my best. . . . Goodbye then, till tomorrow.” She hurried into the house while the prince with a happy face sauntered back to his apartments to think it out, while the disgusted, newly-made, unwilling congrega- tion turned to their various duties of sit- ting around waiting for the young master's call. Sadly they shook their heads as they talked together in whispers, squatting on the handsome floor rugs just outside the room the boy had entered. What new freak is this? He, a prince of Korea, holding conversation with a Christian? His only religious duty should be worshipping at the temples, as did their forefathers. Would not the gods be of- fended and dire calamity visit the palace? “Eigo! Eigo!" they wailed. “What a fool- ish child but who would stop him but the royal mother and who would take the task of telling her?” But let us leave them to their misery and hasten on with Time to the next morn- ing just at daybreak. It was bitter cold. Across the eastern gate the new day strug- gled to arouse itself from the slumbers of the night. The palace door opens, a small boy steps forth softly ordering here and there the officials who follow shivering. . . . A thump on the missionary's door by one official called her from dreamland. “What is it?" she asked. A scared voice answered, “Oh, Pou-in, the prince and the officials are at the wall, and he says he wants his 'Jesus Birthday' right away/' The Pou-in arose, dressed hurriedly and found at the wall the prince and his “con- gregation.” It was just light enough to see their faces, the boy's bright and eager, the attendants' cross and blue with the cold. “My,” thought the lady, “I hope the faces will not freeze; they’ll be very ugly if they do.” The boy seeing her, said quickly and all in a breath, “Oh, Pou-in, here we are and there are trees, two of them, please Pou- in, give me the 'Jesus Birthday' now.” “Ah, no, little prince, I cannot do that, you must wait. I was up until midnight getting the 'Jesus Birthday’ ready for my pupils and I had no time to find the funny fruit you want on the trees. I must go to the stores in 'Jap town' and see if there is some to be bought. You must come back here today when the sun is right overhead. It will be noon then, and warmer. I will see what I can do during the morning. She smilingly instructed the gateman to pick up the two four-foot high trees the officials had tossed angrily over the wall and to carry them into the house. Reluc- tantly, yet with the eager look still on his face, the boy turned away with a “Thank you lady." An hour's search produced but four American tinsel ornaments and one precious package of colored Christmas tree candles and holders. A few more ornaments were secured by a hurried search in the store- room, some oranges and persimmons, tied with stray bits of ribbon and the fruit of the tree was ready. Then a still scared gateman placed the green trees in old flower-pots packed with snow, set them on a table beside the casement window next the wall and all was ready. Just as the sun reached the spot over the palace, the prince burst open the palace doors and rushed out to the wall. The offi- cials and women followed, still disgusted and cross. The gateman had been watch- ing for the prince, a private duty imposed upon himself. He ran in and called the lady, who slipped on a coat, tied a scarf over her head and threw open the window. Pleasantly she greeted her “congregation." The little prince made a pretty picture as he stood with hair neatly plaited, his coat of pale green silk and trousers of soft pink silk; white silk gauntlets and embroidered shoes completing the costume. Then he questioned. “Lady, tell me first what do you do at your 'Jesus Birthday?' “Oh, we sing, pray and preach." “I know to pray, but I don't know the others. Do some for me." Amusement was written on the face of the missionary but she tried to look grave as she answered, “I'll do the best I can. First we must trim the trees." She worked busily, placing the orna- ments and fruit she had collected. As she worked she spoke to the prince of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, of his birth, his love for all, his love for the little prince of Korea. Just as she reached that place, she was shocked to hear the boy say, “Lady, you tell me an untruth, your Jesus does not love me or he would have given me a 'Jesus Birthday' before this. He may love the little children at the churches, but not me; I'm only a prince and he never came to my house." “Ah, little prince, listen," she answered. “He does love you. He tried to come to you before but he comes to you through me today to tell you that he loves you. It is true.” The boy did not answer at once. He was wondering if he had ever heard that the gods in the temples where he worshipped loved him! He didn't believe he ever had. The impatient stamp of some cold persons behind him caused him to turn and tell the whole “guard" to go in the house if they were cold and didn't like his 'Jesus Birth- day.' But they did not go, they knew bet- ter. Their heads might be in danger if they left that small bdy for a moment. When the lady had finished her talk, she said, “Little prince, the tree is trimmed and you must go and get warm. Come back tonight and I will light these candles and give you the rest of the 'Jesus Birth- ay. The small prince gleefully clapped his hands and looking longingly at the tree. ran into the house while the lady closed the windows with a little prayer on this “the prince’s first Christmas Day.” At dusk the lady, sitting in the room with the trees, heard the hurried rush to the wall and the boy's eager voice calling “Pou- in, Pou-in.” She threw open the window, greeted the lad. With a lighted paper she touched the candles one by one. The tiny flames shot into the darkness about the tree, lighting up her gentle face and the tinsel ornaments. A burst of glee from the boy and a “grunt” from the congregation greeted her. “Good, good, how pretty," fol- lowed by a “Now, lady, give me the rest of the birthday.” “Well, then, we will begin," said the lady, “the pupils of my school are in the next room and will help me to sing a 'Jesus Birthday' hymn.” At the close of the sixth verse, the boy ruler clapped his hands, saying simply and with conviction, “Lady, that was a very good 'noise.' Please make some more.” Smiling, the lady turned to the Korean hymnal — "Hark! the Herald Angels sing," "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night," and then the chorus paused to rest. “Oh, that is a splendid noise, I like that. Quick, do some of the rest of the pray and the preach." "Oh, prince, you had the preaching. I told the story of Jesus as I placed the things on the trees today. That is all preaching is.” “Then I had that part, did I?" "Yes, you did." "But I didn’t have the pray part. Don’t you want to give me that? Please I want the pray." The soul of the mission- ary took on new life. "Surely I want to pray but listen, little prince, our praying is talking to Jesus and he will not he happy if we are not reverent as you are to the gods. We always bow our heads.” No sooner said than done. The boy hastily turned to his assistants. “Here, you people, bow your heads there, quick.” Turning, he placed his head in his gloved hands. She dropped on her knees and poured out her heart to God in a fervent prayer that the child could understand. The prayer ended, heads raised, the officials' faces had taken on an awe-struck look. What had they done, prayed to the Christian God? “Ei-go, ei-go, now what would hap- pen?" “Please, lady, some more of the good noise." “Our Savior in Judea Born," "God's Best Gift," with “Joy to the World, the Lord has Come," followed each other, to the delight of the small boy, who clapped his hands and exclaimed in delight. At the last verse of the last mentioned hymn the lady smiled and said: “That is all the 'Jesus Birthday' hymns in the book. You have had them all.” To her surprise the boy said: “I don't think that is right Pou-in, you didn't sing it all.” “Oh, but we did,” answered the lady. Still the little face was clouded. “But lady, the first time you made the good noise you went around that noise six times but now you have only gone around this last 'noise' four times. Where are the other two times?” Bright boy, this lad of Korea. The first hymn had six verses, the last one but four. Explanations were cumbersome, so the lady meekly sang the last two verses of the last hymn over again and the little prince gave a satisfied sigh. He had had it all. The candles were burning dangerously low, so the lady blew them out as she asked, “Have you enjoyed your 'Jesus Birthday,' Little Prince? I think it is all over now." "Oh, I have, I did like it all. I wish a little prince of Korea could have a 'Jesus Birthday" every year. But did you say it was all over? Is there no more, lady?” The lady, puzzled, answere d, “Why, I can think of no more." A short silence and then the boy spoke, “Lady, I heard it said that in your churches, when you had a 'Jesus Birthday' you give the little boys presents and I didn’t get one. Can’t a prince have a pres- ent too?" He was a prince, but the boy nature came out in the last remark. He wanted his present. The poor, bewildered missionary said: “Oh, little prince, I would like so much to give you a present. We do give presents to the boys and girls in the churches but I have none that will do for a little prince. You don’t want these oranges and per- simmons like the little children in the churches ?” “Pshaw, no! Got lots of that stuff in this house.” “Yes but you see there is nothing else, and I am sorry. Another time I will try to see that you, too, have a present.” The disappointed face was raised once to hers. “But, lady, I never had any of that pretty, shiny fruit on the tree. Quickly the lady removed the tinsel orna- ments and handed the shiny “fruit” of those two wonderful Christmas trees to the young monarch. Gravely turning, he care- fully passed them one by one to the wait- ing attendants, saying: “Don’t drop these. If you do you will have to answer to me.” Then with satisfaction, “They are my 'Jesus Birthday' presents.'' But still he lingered. “Lady, I am sorry to bother you, but could you give the little prince one of the books you made the good 'noise' out of?” With a glad throb of joy the missionary handed him her Korean hymnal. Thank- ing her over and over again he turned to her with the book clasped tightly in his hands. With a last lingering look at what had been the Christmas tree, he saluted her in a courteous fashion and entered the palace. His attendants followed, each one carefully holding in his hands the precious fruit of the Christmas tree. The tired worker went to her room but while preparing for her well-earned rest, she heard a frightful noise coming from within the palace. Hastily she slipped on her outer garments. She passed around the wall. found a convenient box, and mounting it looked over the wall into the brilliantly lighted room from which the noise came. She caw a little prince, whose mother had a habit of spanking him when he didn't please the maternal mind. Her heart ached because she had been the cause of it, but to her great joy she saw her fears were groundless. She could just see into the room and looked upon three men, the larger of whom had clasped tightly in his hands the previous Korean by mnal and three women hovering around trying to see as well, while before the six stood a glowing, eager little boy with hand upraised as if beating time. Still as she looked the little voice was raised shrilly suggestive: “I tell you the good noise is in the book. You must get it out. Didn't I hear the lady get it out? The 'Noise' you are getting out is a very bad 'noise.' Now do it again, and get the good 'noise' out or you will see what will happen.” And six scared perspiring faces once more bent over the book. The lady returning to her own room, dropped on her knees her heart leaping for joy, keeping time to the one strain, "Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come!" sung in six different tunes. It was the sweetest music she had ever heard and her last thought was — “Oh, my Father, I thank Thee, that Thou has let me be a missionary to Korea." The Woman's Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 156 Fifth Avenue, New York Price Ten Cents