“But don’t you see,” urged Ione, “you were to the purple born, while who ever heard of a free-born American citizen occupying a throne? Besides it would be too quiet a proceeding for us and I am sure we would jump up at the wrong time or upset a chair during an audience if it proved too tedious.”
“You are mistaken,” said the Prince. “You could rule by right of judgment and strength while you would have me rule because of the blood of my ancestors.”
“Let Mercury decide,” said the Princess.
“Very well,” he replied, “in that case I think Harold and Ione should take the chairs for we are their guests.”
“Good for you, Mercury. You always say the right thing at the right time,” said the Prince.
So Harold and Ione took the carved seats, and for fun, wished they were a king and queen, so when the Prince, Princess and Mercury turned toward them, they were speechless with surprise for a moment, for instead of two plainly-dressed American citizens, they saw two royal personages with golden myrtle crowns on their heads, flowing robes of velvet, and ermine mantles upon their shoulders.
“Well, I declare!” exclaimed the Prince. “You two rival all the kings and queens I ever saw for beauty and kingly bearing. Where is your sceptre?”
Harold held up a golden sceptre in the shape of a wand.
All this time they had been floating along on this silent, silvery stream with its myriads and myriads of silver stars, so tiny and closely packed together that they looked like molten silver.
The first country at which they landed was called The Land of Peace and Quietness. Soft, gentle breezes blow across this land, laden with the perfume of thousands of flowers. No destroying electric storms ever rage here to disturb the peaceful, quiet, sunlit days. This is the land where the tired people of Earth come to rest and have peace; peace, everlasting peace, for those who choose to stop. Here are those who have had to battle with discord at home and rough usage from the world at large and now all they ask is to be let alone and to be allowed to rest and wander through this blessed country, drinking in and enjoying the beauties and quiet of this blissful land.