“But the bell ought to be tolled!” said Jikki.
“Be silent!” growled the lord high purse-bearer. “We know what ought to be done and what ought not to be done.”
But this was not strictly true. In fact, the five high counselors did not know what ought to be done under these strange circumstances.
If they told the people the king was dead, and did not immediately appoint his successor, then the whole population would lose faith in them and fall to fighting and quarreling among themselves as to who should become king; and that would never in the world do.
No; it was evident that a new king must be chosen before they told the people that the old king was dead.
But whom should they choose for the new king? That was the important question.
While they talked of these matters, the ever-active Jikki kept rushing in and saying:
“Hadn’t I better toll the bell?”
“No!” they would shout in a chorus; and then Jikki would rush out again.
So they sat and thought and counseled together during the whole long night, and by morning they were no nearer a solution of the problem than before.