I will set down a tale as it was told to me by one who had it of his father, which latter had it of HIS father, this last having in like manner had it of HIS father—and so on, back and still back, three hundred years and more, the fathers transmitting it to the sons and so preserving it. It may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it COULD have happened. It may be that the wise and the learned believed it in the old days; it may be that only the unlearned and the simple loved it and credited it.

I will set down a tale as it was told to me by one who had it of his father, which latter had it of HIS father, this last having in like manner had it of HIS father—and so on, back and still back, three hundred years and more, the fathers transmitting it to the sons and so preserving it. It may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it COULD have happened. It may be that the wise and the learned believed it in the old days; it may be that only the unlearned and the simple loved it and credited it.

I will set down a tale as it was told to me by one who had it of his father, which latter had it of HIS father, this last having in like manner had it of HIS father—and so on, back and still back, three hundred years and more, the fathers transmitting it to the sons and so preserving it. It may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it COULD have happened. It may be that the wise and the learned believed it in the old days; it may be that only the unlearned and the simple loved it and credited it.

I will set down a tale as it was told to me by one who had it of his father, which latter had it of HIS father, this last having in like manner had it of HIS father—and so on, back and still back, three hundred years and more, the fathers transmitting it to the sons and so preserving it. It may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it COULD have happened. It may be that the wise and the learned believed it in the old days; it may be that only the unlearned and the simple loved it and credited it.

CONTENTS

XV. [Tom as King.]
XVI. [The state dinner.]
XVII. [Foo-foo the First.]

ILLUSTRATIONS

[TOM AS KING]
["TOM HAD WANDERED TO A WINDOW"]
["TOM SCANNED THE PRISONERS"]
["LET THE PRISONER GO FREE!"]
["WHAT IS IT THAT THESE HAVE DONE?"]
["NODDED THEIR RECOGNITION"]
[THE STATE DINNER]
["A GENTLEMAN BEARING A ROD"]
["THE CHANCELLOR BETWEEN TWO"]
["I THANK YOU MY GOOD PEOPLE"]
["IN THE MIDST OF HIS PAGEANT"]
[FOO-FOO THE FIRST]
["RUFFIAN FOLLOWED THEIR STEPS"]
["HE SEIZED A BILLET OF WOOD"]
["HE WAS SOON ABSORBED IN THINKING"]
["A GRIM AND UNSIGHTLY PICTURE"]
["THEY ROARED OUT A ROLLICKING DITTY"]
["WHILST THE FLAMES LICKED UPWARDS"]
["THEY WERE WHIPPED AT THE CART'S TAIL"]
["THOU SHALT NOT"]
["KNOCKING HOBBS DOWN"]
["THRONE HIM"]