“The Dwarf King of the Western World”

Once upon a time there lived a free-born King in Ireland who had an only son. His Mother, the Queen, grew so fond of him that she could hardly let him out of her sight and so she insisted on the King having some place of recreation provided for him.So the King one day said to the young Prince “I have an intention to provide some place of amusement for you, but first of all I am anxious to know what you would like best or what sort of game you would prefer”. “Well”, said the young prince, “I would much like hand-ball playing”. So the King had a fine ball-court erected for him at the back of the Castle where he spent days and days practising until he became one of the best hand-ball players in Ireland.Day after day there came competitors from every quarter but none could equal the young prince, until at last, one fine day,