robes and crown, and was fairly seated on his throne, surrounded by
his guards and courtiers, the trumpets sounded, drums beat, banners
waved, and the people fell on their knees and said:

"O mighty king! We, thy liege subjects, have come to tell thee of the
ruin and desolation this fearful vine maketh in all thy great kingdom,
and to entreat thy majesty to enact a law forbidding it to grow any
more, and commanding it to wither away."

"Alas!" answered the troubled king, "what can I do? No law of mine can
stop this awful thing. It is an enchanted vine sent to torment us.
Hear me, my people! Proclaim it, ye my heralds! I pledge my kingly
word to give up my crown and kingdom, and change places with any one
of my subjects who will wither and instantly sweep away this direful
vine. I, your king, am as helpless as a child to stop it."

And the king, who was a good old man, shed tears for the misery of his
people, and commanded the queen and all the court to dress themselves
in mourning and fast night and day.

The people got home as best they could, and each fell to thinking how
he could stop the vine and so be king. Even Nimble Jim heard of this.
So, every night, he watched, hoping to see the elfin queen. At last
she came, as before, on her moonbeam footpath, saying: "Hello, Nimble
Jim! How are your melons by this time?"

But he was in no mood to be facetious now. He only said, humbly:

"May it please your majesty, what can I do to stop the growth of this
horrible vine, and instantly sweep it from the face of the earth? Help