coats. All
around over the whole mountain top were crowds of other people gazing
at the lively scene.

"The king looked wonderfully fine, didn't he?" asked Lisbeth.

"No. The county magistrate looked much finer, and so did the officers,
and even the people who waited upon them. But it could easily be seen
that he was the king, for he was a head taller than any of the others."

"The king must be tremendously strong," said Peter.

"Strong! Of course he is! And he must have use for every bit of his
strength, too, for he has to govern all the others."

"Was the queen also very large?" asked Lisbeth.

"No, she was not much larger than an ordinary woman. She was unusually
earnest and modest-looking, father said. There was not so much fuss and
feathers with her as with the other women folk."

"No," said Peter; "the old frump that my father drove laughed even at
the magistrate, and found fault because his hands were too big."

"Humph!" said Ole; "that _was_ a joke. As if a grown-up fellow should
not have big fists! Anyhow, I don't see how she could have seen them,
for the magistrate wore his white gloves, although it was high summer."

Ole resumed the part of showman.

"Next they came up over this way,--the whole company, close by that
very stone there; and then the king ran on ahead of them. He wanted to
be the first to reach the top, as one might know. And now I will show
you exactly what he did. Follow me. I will be the king, and you,
Lisbeth, may be the queen. Come along!"

Ole walked hastily over the last spur of the ground, the others
following. Then, running the last few steps, they found themselves
suddenly on the very top of the mountain! Ole threw out his hand and
stood a long time in silence.

The others stood still also, involuntarily, impressed by the wonderful
sight. Here and there over the endless expanse of mountain shone
glistening lakes and mountain pools, and away off in the distance rose
snow-clad peaks. On every open slope lay green saeters; and toward the
south, as far as the eye could reach, were beautiful farming districts
and dark-green, forest-clad ridges.

Ole, in his character of king, threw out his hand again. "This is the
most beautiful spot I have ever seen!" he cried. Then, after a short
pause, "Come, Sophie, and see!" Ole took Lisbeth's hand and drew her
forward.

"Yes," assented Peter, "that is exactly the way the king did. I have
heard about it, too."

"Of course it was," sa