again his companion did the same, and when they had finished their task
of weeding they talked about the thing and remembered that when they had
quarreled the day before they had not finished their task at all, and
had not been paid, and had gone home sore from the blows they had given
each other, and had had no supper.

"No, there is no time," they decided.

At the beginning of the following week there were rumors that a strange
law had been made--the strangest ever known in the world. It was
something about a Blue Flower. What had flowers to do with laws, or what
had laws to do with flowers? People quarreled about what the meaning of
such a law might be. Those who thought first of evil things and fears
began to say that in the rich people's gardens was to be planted a Blue
Flower whose perfume would poison all the poor.

The only ones who did not quarrel were the two boys and their friends
who had already begun to make a sort of password of "There is no time
for anger." One of them who was clever added a new idea to the saying.

"There is no time for fear!" he cried out in the field. "Let us go on
with our work." And they finished their task early and played games.

At last one morning it was made known that the new King was to give a
feast in the open air to all the people. It was to be on the plain
outside the city, and he himself was going to proclaim to them the Law
of the Blue Flower.

"Now we shall know the worst," growled and shivered the Afraid Ones as
they shuffled their way to the plain, and the boys who used the password