FEEBLE JOHN or

in the middle of the Golden Mountains, so
called from ‘the quantity of gold which is
found there. The principal occupation of
the mountebanks consists in digging for
this precious metal, and they would be the
richest people in the world if they were
not so incurably lazy that they waste most
of their time in foolish amusements and
sheer idleness. They are, however, suffi-
ciently wide awake to their own interests,
and as they believe that these are con-
cerned in keeping safe the celebrated hump
which once adorned poor Humpty Dumpty’s
shoulders, they guard it with extraordinary
care. As the King of the hump-backed
mountebanks is himself a magician, you
may easily understand that he has means of
guarding his treasure more than an ordinary
monarch would possess. There are prob-
ably several dangerous creatures who are
employed to keep off and perhaps destroy
any mortals who might be rash enough to
approach the palace. This palace, how-
ever, it is necessary that. you should not
only approach but enter, for in it you will
have to leave your hump, if you are ever to
get rid of that ornament.