and having carefully unrolled it, he proceeded to read as follows:

"'A Good Man is One who is Never Bad.' How's that, eh? Fine thought,
what? 'Therefore, in order to be Good, you must avoid those Things
which are Evil.' Oh, hoo-hoo-hoo!--how clever! When I get back I shall
make the man who wrote that a royal hippolorum, for, beyond question,
he is the wisest man in my kingdom--as he has often told me himself."
With this, Rinkitink lay back in his chair and chuckled his queer
chuckle until he coughed, and coughed until he choked and choked until
he sneezed. And he wrinkled his face in such a jolly, droll way that
few could keep from laughing with him, and even the good Queen was
forced to titter behind her fan.

When Rinkitink had recovered from his fit of laughter and had wiped his
eyes upon a fine lace handkerchief, Prince Inga said to him:

"The parchment speaks truly."

"Yes, it is true beyond doubt," answered Rinkitink, "and if I could
persuade Bilbil to read it he would be a much better goat than he is
now. Here is another selection: 'To avoid saying Unpleasant Things,
always Speak Agreeably.' That would hit Bilbil, to a dot. And here is
one that applies to you, my Prince: 'Good Children are seldom punished,
for the reason that they deserve no punishment.' Now, I think that is
neatly put, and shows the author to be a deep thinker. But the advice
that has impressed me the most is in the following paragraph: 'You may
not find it as Pleasant to be Good as it is to be Bad, but Other People
will find it more Pleasant.' Haw-hoo-ho! keek-eek! 'Other people will
find it more pleasant!'--hee, hee, heek, keek!--'more pleasant.' Dear
me--dear me! Therein lies a noble incentive to be good, and whenever I
get time I'm surely going to try it."

Then he wiped his eyes again with the lace handkerchief and, suddenly
remembering his dinner, seized his knife and fork and began eating.

Chapter Three

The Warriors from the North

King Rinkitink was so much pleased with the Island of Pingaree that he
continued his stay day after day and week after week, eating good
dinners, talking with King Kitticut and sleeping. Once in a while he
would read from his scroll. "For," said he, "whenever I return home, my
subjects will be anxious to know if I have learned 'How to be Good,'
and I must not disappoint them."

The twenty rowers lived on the small end of the island, with the pearl
fishers, and seemed not to care whether t