ed again and listened, and this time Gud
stopped and listened also, whereupon he heard from afar, the sound as of
a heavy clanking chain.

As they traveled on again the sound grew louder and was mingled with
mumbling and smothered curses. It was Fidu, as usual, who ran ahead and
found the object from whence came the mumblings of smothered curses.

When Gud drew near he saw a poor being chained to a great rock. Gud
tapped the rock with his staff and discovered from its adamantine nature
that it was the Rock of Conservatism. But he could not identify the
being who was so securely chained, thereto.

"Who are you," demanded Gud, "and why are you chained up here in this
brutal fashion?"

The being only answered with more mumbled cursings.

"If he cannot state his case," said Gud, "why should he expect me to
free him?"

"But master, there is a smaller chain across his mouth."

"So there is," observed Gud, and he reached over and severed that
smaller chain.

"I thank you," said the prisoner, "but there is little more that I can
say, for I am still chained to the Rock of Conservatism."

"Oh, very well," replied Gud, as he severed the great chain also. "And
now please tell me who you are and why you are bound here?"

The creature arose and stretched his aching bones. "I am Free Speech,"
said he, "and who are you?"

And Gud replied: "I am Gud."

"I never heard of you and what is your business?"

"I am retired. What is your business?"

"My business was talking too much until they bound me. But now that I am
again free, I intend to go on talking and saying just what I please. For
one thing I do not like that ridiculous old bath robe you wear. If you
don't care for pants, why wear anything?"

"Have you always been in the business of talking too much?" inquired
Gud.

"No," replied Free Speech, "I was once a school master but I got into
difficulty. I had a private school and both the Just and the Unjust sent
their children to my school. The Just believed that the world was flat
and the Unjust believed that the world was round--"

"Which was it?" asked Gud.

"Keep still and let me talk. The Just wanted me to teach their children
that the world was flat and the Unjust wanted me to teach their children
that the world was round. So I organized two classes in geography and
taught the children of the Just that the world was flat and the children
of the Unjust that the world was round. The Just had me arrested, but I