talk in low tones among themselves, questioning, questioning one another
of the meaning of this thing. And at last the Royal Officers of State
began to look with distrust and fear upon their ruler, who tried so hard
to wear bravely his crown of tarnished gold and lusterless gems; and the
soldiers came to look with doubt and fear upon the officers, who
whispered so among themselves; and the people looked with suspicion and
fear upon them all.

Without understanding, filled with dread and apprehension, worn with
wracking worry, poor Seemsto-Be sought with honors, decorations, and
distinguishing titles to hold the fast-failing confidence of his court
and army, and with holidays more frequent, festivals more gay, games
more interesting, and parades more gorgeous, tried to keep the waning
loyalty of his people.

Now all this time, while the poor foolish pretender, Seemsto-Be, was
losing his power even as the beauty of the Magic Crown was fading, King
Really-Is lived very quietly in his little house under the walls of the
abandoned temple, and never did he fail to make his daily offering to
his god, the god Things-That-Ought-To-Be. And always when his brother
Seemsto-Be with the fading Crown upon his head, passed in gorgeous
procession of state, surrounded by his distrustful officers, doubting
soldiers and suspicious people, Really-Is smiled sadly and whispered to
himself: "Poor Seemsto-Be, poor foolish one!"

So it was, that in all the Royal City Daybyday, in the Land of
Allthetime, peace and understanding dwelt only in the heart of this
King.

And the people more and more came to love Really-Is, even as they more