"A CHILD OF THE KING"

Once upon a time a young prince was traveling through the length and breadth of his father, the king's vast realm. He was on a quest for a fair maiden beautiful and sweet enough to merit his love and someday become his queen. There were many lovely young ladies in the king's and queen's court, but they didn't appeal to the prince. While many of them were gorgeous to behold, and all longed for the prince to make them his choice, none had the type of personality the prince desired in a mate.

As the prince and his men entered a beautiful valley he heard a melodious sound wafting in the spring breeze. As they moved along on their fine steeds the sound became louder; until finally he could make out the words sung by a young female voice:

"I'm a child of the King, a child of the King;

With Jesus my Savior, I'm a child of the King!"

The prince and his escorts rode around a bend in the valley and saw the source of the singing. Out in from of the humble hut of a peasant a beautiful maiden stood at a wooden tub with her scrub board washing clothes. As she scrubbed, she sang:
"I'm a child of the King, a child of the King;

With Jesus my Savior, I'm a child of the King!"

The indignant prince touched a sput to his steed and rode up to face the young maiden. She looked up in surprise as his salutation was a stern "Yong maiden!"

He expected her to fall on her face before him, but she pushed a loose lock of golden hair with soapy wet hand, and blushed. "Young maiden," demanded the prince. "how is it that you are singing that you are a child of the king? I am my father the king's only child. While your singing is very beautiful, the words are an untruth!"

"Nay, Your Highness, they are not untrue." the maiden countered as she wiped her hands and face with her apron, then faced the prince. "My Father, God in Heaven is of Whom I sing. Through His Son Jesus who paid my sin debt on that awful Cross, I was made a part of the family of God; Jesus as my Savior and God as my Heavenly Father."

The prince's stern face softened; and he and his men dismounted and filled their water bags from the brook nearby, but the prince kept his eye on the fair maiden, finally walking up to her and handing her a bag of gold.

"I thank you kind sir, for we are poor and needy," the maiden said. "But if you will permit me, I will tell you of something more precious than gold."

As the story goes, the fair maiden told the prince and his men the Gospel story and they all were born again. The prince discovered that this was the very young maiden he had been looking for, so he put her on his steed and as they went out of the valley toward the palace where she would become his wife -- they all were singing:

"I'm a child of the King, a child of the King;

With Jesus my Savior, I'm a child of the King!"