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

XVIII. [The Prince with the tramps.]
XIX. [The Prince with the peasants.]
XX. [The Prince and the hermit.]
XXI. [Hendon to the rescue.]

ILLUSTRATIONS

[THE PRINCE WITH THE TRAMPS]
["TROOP OF VAGABONDS SET FORWARD"]
["THEY THREW BONES AND VEGETABLES]
["WRITHE AND WALLOW IN THE DIRT"]
["KING FLED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION"]
["HE STUMBLED ALONG"]
["WHAT SEEMED TO BE A WARM ROPE"]
["CUDDLED UP TO THE CALF"]
[THE PRINCE WITH THE PEASANTS]
["TOOK A GOOD SATISFYING STARE"]
["MOTHER RECEIVED THE KING KINDLY"]
["BROUGHT THE KING OUT OF HIS DREAMS"]
["GAVE HIM A BUTCHER KNIFE TO GRIND"]
[THE PRINCE AND THE HERMIT]
["HE TURNED AND DESCRIED TWO FIGURES"]
["THE KING ENTERED AND PAUSED"]
["I WILL TELL YOU A SECRET"]
["CHATTING PLEASANTLY ALL THE TIME"]
["DREW HIS THUMB ALONG THE EDGE"]
["THE NEXT MOMENT THEY WERE BOUND"]
[HENDON TO THE RESCUE]
["SUNK UPON HIS KNEES"]
["GOD MADE EVERY CREATURE BUT YOU!"]
["THE FETTERED LITTLE KING"]