They had great barns full of grain and vast stores of everything needful for their use and livelihood, and as they often sold their surplus productions to other nations, they had great vaults full of money.
But they all worked away every day, just the same as they used to, because they were so accustomed to toil, that they would not have been happy without work.
So, of course, they became richer and richer, and jollier and jollier until at last they became so prosperous and happy that other nations began to take notice of them. It was rather unusual, in those days to see a whole nation so jolly.
The people in the adjoining countries were by no means so happy and prosperous. Most of them were much better pleased with fighting than with work, and it, therefore, often happened that they were hungry when there was very little to eat.
For war is a very bad thing for crops. It is sometimes as injurious as a long drought. For somebody must plant and hoe or there will be little to eat in a land, and if the people spend most of their time in warfare there cannot be much agricultural work going on.
But these outside people, especially those who lived in the land of Voldor to the north of the country of the Cabordmen, had an idea that it was a great deal easier to make war and capture supplies than to raise crops themselves.
This is why, after having carefully watched the Cabordmen for some years, and noting their great possessions, they resolved to make war upon these industrious and jolly people.
So they gathered together an army, which was an easy thing for them to do, and invaded the country of the Cabordmen.
Our jolly friends were much astounded and distressed when the great army of the Voldorites marched over their borders.
