“‘No,’ ses Lareen. And with that the king shook his head and went his way.
“The next to come was the King of Japan. And he up and ses: ‘There’s going to be great ructions on the other side of the Atlantic another day, and if you will give me the linnet with the golden crown, I will give you your choice of New York or Boston when the war is over.’
“‘And how are you going to land an army, might I ask?’ ses Lareen.
“‘With the aid of the navy,’ ses the king, with a smile.
“‘Bedad, I wonder if that ever occurred to America,’ ses Lareen.
“‘I don’t know, and what’s more, I don’t care,’ ses the king.
“‘There’s too much old talk about peace, I’m thinking,’ ses Lareen.
“‘That’s so,’ ses the king. ‘And talk by itself never did anything. Why, man alive, there is no such thing as peace in the world. The very people who advocate peace are always at cross-purposes with some one else. Sure every thing that’s alive fights, from the fish in the sea to the birds of the air, and those who are not prepared always gets the worst of it. A man with a gun is better than a man with a blackthorn stick in his fist at any time, even though he might be an Irishman inself,’ ses he.
“‘And a small dog often leathered the devil out of a large dog when he caught him unawares,’ ses Lareen.
“‘Now you’re talking sense,’ ses the King. ‘And ’tis only after a fight that you can tell who is the better man. Life itself is a fight from beginning to end, and when we cease fighting, well,’ ses he, ‘that’s the end of us. But be all that as it may, what about giving me the linnet?’