that it
roared again. Also, when the little cow-herd with a crown on his head,
lifted his hand or foot toward his partner, and then shrank trembling
away, it roared yet more at the poltroon manner of the thing.

Killian's partner said, 'You alter all my plays, but the way you do
them is something to marvel at. Only, why do you always bring them
round again to that silly lover's ending?'

'I cannot help it,' said Killian; 'often now, with these new plays, I
can't get the strings to work properly. I think the poor puppets are
getting worn out.'

His partner began examining the puppets, and watching how Killian
played them, with more attention; and presently he knew that there was
more in it than met the eye. 'It is the puppets who are the marvel,
not the man,' he said to himself. 'I could work them better myself, if
I had practice.'

Soon after this he proposed that they should set off for another town;
it was the chief town of all, where they hoped at last to be allowed
to show their plays to the queen herself. 'It must be a real play this
time,' said the partner, 'a tragedy; but it wants a third person. You
must make another puppet, while I write the play!'

So Killian set to work. But he had no love for the third puppet, which
was neither himself nor Grendel, and he put no heart inside it, and no
little drop of blood. So the new marionette was but limbs, and a head
drawn on wires.

'Soon,' thought Killian, 'I shall be rich enough to go home and marry
Grendel. Then I will throw this stupid third one away; but the other
two we will always keep close to the niche with the statue of Saint
Lady, to help to make us thankful for the good things God gives us in
this world.'

It was beautiful late spring weather when he and his companion set out
for the capital. On the way Killian's partner told him the play that
would have to be played before the queen, and said, 'In case three
should be too much for you to manage, you had better teach me also
to handle the strings.' So Killian began to teach him, with the two
little marionettes alone, the first play which he had brought down
with him from the mountains,--that being the easiest of all to learn,
and the one he loved best to teach.

The partner was surprised to find how wonderfully the puppets followed
the leading-strings; in spite of his clumsiness the story acted itself
to perfection.

Simple-hearted Killian was charmed. 'Ah! you clever townsman,' said
he, 'see ho