Always in the city streets there were vast throngs of people passing to
and fro among the temples, bearing offerings and singing praises to the
gods of their choice; for the chiefest occupation of the dwellers in
Daybyday was then, as it is now, the old, old, occupation of worship.
Some of the temples, it is true, were at times quite deserted, while in
others there was not room for the multitudes; but even in the nearly
empty temples the priests and beggars always remained, for, in that age,
the people of Daybyday changed often their gods nor followed any very
far.

And you must know, too, O Hadji, that in those long ago olden days--the
days of the reign of What-Soever-Youthink there was for the Ruler of
Allthetime a Crown; and that of all the wonders in that wonderful land
this Crown was the most wonderful. More dear to the people of Daybyday
than their city itself, more precious than their splendid temples, more
sacred even than their many gods, was this--the Crown of their King.

It was so, first, because the Crown was extremely old. From the
beginning of the reign of the Royal Family Everyone, no one knows how
many thousands of ages ago, it had passed from king to king, even until
that day.

It was so, second, because the Crown was exceedingly valuable. From the
very beginning of the beginning each ruler had in turn added a jewel to
the golden, gem encrusted emblem of his rank.

It was so, third, because the Crown was a Magic Crown, though no one
then knew its magic--they knew only that its magic was.

Therefore, again, O Hadji, is this Tale.