FEEBLE JOHN 93

this power will never be exercised on your
behalf unless they have this strong motive
for its exercise. Keeping this in view, your
one object must be to secure their treasure,
and I will now inform you how to proceed.
In the first place, you must go three days’
journey perfectly straight on, stopping at no
obstacles whatever, and feeding meanwhile
only on meat, bread, and vegetables—drink-
ing nothing but wine and water, and only
resting when you are tired, During this
time, if any difficulty occurs to you, there is
but one course to adopt. Stand upon your
head, shut your eyes, and pronounce the
word ‘Gingerbread’ three times. This will
rarely fail, and if it should seem to do so in
any case, add the word ‘nuts,’ for in the
district through which you will have to pass
no living thing can resist ‘gingerbread nuts.’
At the conclusion of the third day, night will
probably ensue. That night you will if
possible pass in sleep, and in the morning,
if no misfortune happens to you, you will
probably awake. Then, indeed, your real
difficulties will begin. Whatever you do,
do not start without your breakfast, and,
having started, remember three things :