94 PRINCE FILDERKIN

‘In walking, always put one foot before
the other.

‘Never stand upon one leg when you can
with equal ease stand upon two.

‘Never stamp upon your own toe or bite
your own tongue, if you can help it.

‘If you preserve these precautions, you
will, by means which I need not point out
to you, find your way to the foot of the
Golden Mountains. And now attend to me.
Be very civil to everybody and everything
you meet. Civility costs nothing, and is by
far the most likely means to win friends
where you will certainly need them. Never
mind how rude others may be to you—
answer them with careful politeness. If,
however, you find that things do not go
right, take this instrument—which is vul-
garly called a banjo—strike upon it with
your hand in the way in which you see me
do, and not only will a tune come forth,
but words will issue from your mouth which
will exactly suit the occasion. Always re-
member this, that a man who accompanies
another person may often be in trouble
thereby, but a man who accompanies him-
self hardly ever falls out with his companion.