One night Mary saw that the people looked very angry. Some were sad.

"What is the matter?" asked Mary.

"Two of the king's young wives have done wrong. They have broken a law,"
answered one of the natives. "They thought nobody was looking and went into
a room where a young man was sleeping. Each of them will be hit a hundred
times with a whip."

Mary went to the king. She asked him to be kinder to these girls. She
begged him not to beat them so much.

"Ma, you are right," said the king. "I will call palaver of all the
chiefs. If you say we must not whip girl, we must listen to you as our
guest and Ma. But the people will say God's Word be no good, if it keeps
the law from punishing those who do wrong."

Mary saw the king was right. She turned to the girl-wives of the king.

"You have brought shame to the king and the tribe by the silly foolish
things you did. God's Word teaches men to be kind and merciful and
generous, but it does not pass over sin or permit it. I cannot ask the king
not to punish you. Ask God to help you in the future, so that you will not
do bad or foolish things."

All the chief men of the tribe grunted their approval of what Mary had said
to the girls. But then Mary turned to the chief men and said:

"You are to blame. Your custom of one man marrying many wives is wrong and
cruel. These girls are only sixteen years old and still love fun and