Rinkitink, and I have come to Pingaree to see for
myself the monarch who sends to my city so many
beautiful pearls. I have long wished to visit this
island; and so, as I said before, here I am!"

"I am pleased to welcome you," said King Kitticut.
"But why has Your Majesty so few attendants? Is it not
dangerous for the King of a great country to make
distant journeys in one frail boat, and with but twenty
men?"

"Oh, I suppose so," answered King Rinkitink, with a
laugh. "But what else could I do? My subjects would not
allow me to go anywhere at all, if they knew it. So I
just ran away."

"Ran away!" exclaimed King Kitticut in surprise.

"Funny, isn't it? Heh, heh, heh -- woo, hoo!" laughed
Rinkitink, and this is as near as I can spell with
letters the jolly sounds of his laughter. "Fancy a King
running away from his own ple -- hoo, hoo -- keek, eek,
eek, eek! But I had to, don't you see!"

"Why?" asked the other King.

"They're afraid I'll get into mischief. They don't
trust me. Keek-eek-eek -- Oh, dear me! Don't trust
their own King. Funny, isn't it?"