e terror of Regos since the world began, and I alone have been
able to destroy the beast. Yet it is singular' that never before did I
discover how powerful a man I am."

He met no further adventure and at midday reached a little clearing in
the forest where stood his humble cabin.

"Great news! I have great news for you," he shouted, as his wife and
little daughter came to greet him. "King Gos has been conquered by a
boy Prince from the far island of Pingaree, and I have this
day--unaided--destroyed Choggenmugger by the might of my strong arm."

This was, indeed, great news. They brought Nikobob into the house and
set him in an easy chair and made him tell everything he knew about the
Prince of Pingaree and the fat King of Gilgad, as well as the details
of his wonderful fight with mighty Choggenmugger.

"And now, my daughter," said the charcoalburner, when all his news had
been related for at least the third time, "here is a pretty present I
have brought you from the city."

With this he drew the shoes from the pocket of his coat and handed them
to Zella, who gave him a dozen kisses in payment and was much pleased
with her gift. The little girl had never worn shoes before, for her
parents were too poor to buy her such luxuries, so now the possession
of these, which were not much worn, filled the child's heart with joy.
She admired the red leather and the graceful curl of the pointed toes.
When she tried them on her feet, they fitted as well as if made for her.

All the afternoon, as she helped her mother with the housework, Zella
thought of her pretty shoes. They seemed more important to her than the
coming to Regos of the conquering Prince of Pingaree, or even the death
of Choggenmugger.

When Zella and her mother were not working in the cabin, cooking or
sewing, they often searched the neighboring forest for honey which the
wild bees cleverly hid in hollow trees. The day after Nikobob's return,
as they were starting out after honey, Zella decided to put on her new
shoes, as they would keep the twigs that covered the ground from
hurting her feet. She was used to the twigs, of course, but what is the
use of having nice, comfortable shoes, if you do not wear them?

So she danced along, very happily, followed by her mother, and
presently they came to a tree in which was a deep hollow. Zella thrust
her hand and arm into the space and found that the tree was full of
honey, so she began to dig it out with a wooden pa