This anxiety on the part of King Kitticut led him to keep a sharp
lookout for strange boats, one of his men patrolling the beach
constantly, but he was too wise to allow any fear to make him or his
subjects unhappy. He was a good King and lived very contentedly in his
fine palace, with his fair Queen Garee and their one child, Prince Inga.

The wealth of Pingaree increased year by year; and the happiness of the
people increased, too. Perhaps there was no place, outside the Land of
Oz, where contentment and peace were more manifest than on this pretty
island, hidden in the besom of the Nonestic Ocean. Had these conditions
remained undisturbed, there would have been no need to speak of
Pingaree in this story.

Prince Inga, the heir to all the riches and the kingship of Pingaree,
grew up surrounded by every luxury; but he was a manly little fellow,
although somewhat too grave and thoughtful, and he could never bear to
be idle a single minute. He knew where the finest oysters lay hidden
along the coast and was as successful in finding pearls as any of the
men of the island, although he was so slight and small. He had a little
boat of his own and a rake for dragging up the oysters and he was very
proud indeed when he could carry a big white pearl to his father.

There was no school upon the island, as the people of Pingaree were far
removed from the state of civilization that gives our modern children
such advantages as schools and learned professors, but the King owned
several manuscript books, the pages being made of sheepskin. Being a
man of intelligence, he was able to teach his son something of reading,
writing and arithmetic.

When studying his lessons Prince Inga used to go into the grove near
his father's palace and climb into the branches of a tall tree, where
he had built a platform with a comfortable seat to rest upon, all
hidden by the canopy of leaves. There, with no one to disturb him, he
would pore over the sheepskin on which were written the queer
characters of the Pingarese language.

King Kitticut was very proud of his little son, as well he might be,
and he soon felt a high respect for Inga's judgment and thought that he
was worthy to be taken into the confidence of his father in many
matters of state. He taught the boy the needs of the people and how to
rule them justly, for some day he knew that Inga would be King in his
place. One day he called his son to his side and said to him:

"Our island