ng which
well expresses this and if you will listen I will sing it."

[Illustration]

"Of course I will listen to your song," returned Kitticut, "for it would
be impolite not to."

So Rinkitink sang his grandfather's song:

"A mighty King once ruled the land--
But now he's baking pies.
A pauper, on the other hand,
Is ruling, strong and wise.

A tiger once in jungles raged--
But now he's in a zoo;
A lion, captive-born and caged,
Now roams the forest through

A man once slapped a poor boy's pate
And made him weep and wail.
The boy became a magistrate
And put the man in jail.

A sunny day succeeds the night;
It's summer--then it snows!
Right oft goes wrong and wrong comes right,
As ev'ry wise man knows."

The Captive King

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 24

One morning, just as the royal party was finishing breakfast, a servant
came running to say that a great fleet of boats was approaching the
island from the south. King Kitticut sprang up at once, in great alarm,
for he had much cause to fear strange boats. The others quickly followed
him to the shore to see what invasion might be coming upon them.

Inga was there with the first, and Nikobob and Zella soon joined the
watchers. And presently, while all were gazing eagerly at the
approaching fleet, King Rinkitink suddenly cried out:

"Get your pearls, Prince Inga--get them quick!"

"Are these our enemies, then?" asked the boy, looking with surprise upon
the fat little King, who had begun to tremble violently.

"They are my people of Gilgad!" answered Rinkitink, wiping a tear from
his eye. "I recognize my royal standards flying from the boats. So,
please, dear Inga, get out your pearls to protect me!"

"What can you fear at the hands of your own subjects?" asked Kitticut,
astonished.

But before his frightened guest could answer the question Prince Bobo,
who was standing beside his friend, gave an amused laugh and said:

"You are caught at last, dear Rinkitink. Your people will take you home
again and oblige you to reign as King."

Rinkitink groaned aloud and clasped his hands together with a gesture of
despair, an attitude so comical that the others could scarcely forbear
laughing.

But now the boats were landing upon the beach. They were fifty in
number, beautifully decorated and upholstered and rowed by men clad in
the gay uniforms of the King of Gilgad. One splendid boat had a throne
of g