the tumbled heaps of marble for the place where the
royal banquet hall had been. After climbing over the
ruins for a time he reached a flat place which he
recognized, by means of the tiled flooring and the
broken furniture scattered about, to be the great hall
he was seeking. But in the center of the floor,
directly over the spot where the pearls were hidden,
lay several large and heavy blocks of marble, which had
been torn from the dismantled walls.

This unfortunate discovery for a time discouraged the
boy, who realized how helpless he was to remove such
vast obstacles; but it was so important to secure the
pearls that he dared not give way to despair until
every human effort had been made, so he sat him down to
think over the matter with great care.

Meantime Rinkitink had risen from his bed and walked
out upon the lawn, where he found Bilbil reclining at
ease upon the greensward.

"Where is Inga?" asked Rinkitink, rubbing his eyes
with his knuckles because their vision was blurred with
too much sleep.

"Don't ask me," said the goat, chewing with much
satisfaction a cud of sweet grasses.

"Bilbil," said the King, squatting down beside the
goat and resting his fat chin upon his hands and his