At length, he arrived at the palace gate, which in old times was
marble, but now was only a hole that had been cut through a melon.

"Halt! Who goes there!" shouted a sentinel, thrusting his spear in
front of Jim's panting breast.

"It's only Nimble Jim, the Cobbler. I want to see the king," said the
boy.

"Be off, you fellow!" shouted the sentry. "Our noble king don't
hob-nob with cobblers! Be off, I say, or----" And he shook his spear
at our hero ominously.

"Hold, there!" shouted the king himself, straining out of a window to
look between the melon-leaves. "Hold, I say! What do you want, young
cobbler?"

"I want your crown and kingdom, sire," boldly answered Jim. "I've
heard of the new law, and I'll stop the melon-vine."

"Let him pass, guards," shouted the king; "and send him hither."

A little page dressed in black led Jim to the throne-room. The king
and his court no longer blazed in gold and jewels. Black covered
everybody and everything, even the golden throne itself, and grief and
dismay were on all faces.

Then said the king, in a hollow tone: "What know you of this vine?
Speak!"