



Produced by Annie R. McGuire








[Illustration: HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE]

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VOL. III.--NO. 112. PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. PRICE FOUR
CENTS.

Tuesday, December 20, 1881. Copyright, 1881, by HARPER & BROTHERS. $1.50
per Year, in Advance.

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[Illustration: "'YES,' HE SAID, 'I DO WANT A NEW PAIR.'"]




     NOTICE.--_The Serial Story, Post-office Box, and Exchanges, omitted
     from our Christmas Number, will be resumed next week._

     HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, 4 cents a week; $1.50 per year.




SHAMRUCK; OR, THE CHRISTMAS PANNIERS.

BY FRANK R. STOCKTON.


There was once a gloomy old giant named Shamruck. His castle was on a
hill not far from a great city, in which dwelt the King of the country.
Everybody knew Shamruck. He was not a dangerous giant, and no one feared
him; but it may also be said that he never cared to do any one the
slightest service. About Christmas-time Shamruck always seemed more
quiet and melancholy than usual, and more anxious to be alone. Nothing
could ever induce him to remain in his castle during the holiday-time.
He did not wish to see nor hear the happiness and gayety of the people,
and always went away a day or two before Christmas, and did not return
until all the festivities were over.

At the time of this story, Christmas was drawing near, and the King had
been thinking a great deal about Shamruck. It disturbed him that any one
in his kingdom, especially the very largest person in it, should not be
cheerful and happy at the joyous Christmas-time. He therefore determined
to make a grand effort to induce Shamruck to stay at home and join in
the general festivities. "If he does it once, he will do it always,"
said the old King to himself. "He hasn't the least idea how happy we
are. I will go and see him myself."

The way up the hill to Shamruck's castle was very steep and rugged, and
so the court engineers made a road up to the castle door, and along this
road the sixteen royal piebald horses easily drew the royal carriage.
The King went in to see Shamruck. He had a long talk with him, but it
was of no use. The giant would not consent to remain in the neighborhood
during Christmas. He was not even willing to stay long enough for any
one to wish him "Merry Christmas." "If I did that," said the grim old
fellow, "I wouldn't go away at all."

Quite disappointed, the King came out, and rode back to his palace. But
this monarch did not give up his plan. He thought that although he had
not succeeded, some other person might; and so he ordered a proclamation
to be made that whoever should prevail upon Shamruck to remain at home
until some of the citizens wished him "Merry Christmas" should be
allowed to give away the Christmas panniers.

The Christmas panniers were two great wicker baskets, filled with
valuable presents, and given by the King every Christmas to the most
deserving person in his dominions. The panniers were put on the back of
a mule, and driven on Christmas morning to the door of the deserving
person. The King proposed this year, as the greatest prize he could set
before any of his subjects, to forego his delightful privilege of giving
away the panniers in favor of that person who should make Shamruck hear,
for the first time in his life, a "Merry Christmas."

This proclamation set all the people in a ferment. Everybody wished to
gain the prize, and everybody began to devise some plan by which to do
it. It was now Monday, and as Christmas came on the following Saturday,
there was no time to be lost. All day Tuesday great people and common
people thronged to the giant's castle to try to persuade him to change
his mind about going away at Christmas-time. Some of these the giant
listened to, some he laughed at, and some he told to go home. About noon
he put up a placard in front of his castle, and shut the great door. The
placard read thus:

     "Any person coming up here to disturb me with propositions about
     Christmas, shall be thrown back to his home, wherever that may be.

  "SHAMRUCK."

After this nobody knocked at the giant's door.

About a dozen miles from Shamruck's castle there lived two young giants.
They had heard of the King's proclamation. They laughed when they heard
of the placard on Shamruck's castle. "He can't throw us anywhere," they
said. "We are nearly as powerful as he is. If we want to make him stay
at home, all we have to do is to do it. If he attempts to go away, we
will just take hold of him, and show him that two giants are better than
one."

The next day the two young giants met Shamruck taking a walk by a
river-bank not far from his castle. They went up to him and spoke to him
very civilly.

"Shamruck," they said, "the King desires that you will stay at home this
Christmas, and we have undertaken to carry out his wishes. So you must
go back to your castle, and stay there until Saturday morning."

"Suppose I don't do it?" said Shamruck.

"Then we will take you back," said the young giants.

"Very well, then, I don't do it," remarked Shamruck.

Upon this, one of the young giants took hold of Shamruck by the right
shoulder, while the other took him by the left,