TWILIGHT LAND

came riding out of the forest, the hounds hunting hither
and thither, and the lords and nobles and courtiers follow-
ing him.

The king's face was flushed and heated with the chase,
and his forehead was bedewed with sweat. Beppo came
forward and offered the tray. The king wiped his face
with the napkin, and then drank the milk and ate three
of the cakes.

“Who was it ordered you to bring this to me?” said
he to Beppo.

“No one,” said Beppo; ‘I brought it myself.”

The king looked at Beppo and was grateful to him.

“Thou hast given me pleasure and comfort,” said he ;
“ask what thou wilt in return, and if it is in reason thou
shalt have it.”

“T will have only this,” said Beppo: “that your
majesty will allow me once every three days to come to
the palace, and that then you will take me aside and will
whisper these words into my ear so that no one else may
hear them—‘A word, a word, only a few words ; spoken
ill, they are ill; spoken well, they are more precious than
gold and jewels.’ ”

The king burst out laughing. “ Why,” said he, ‘‘ what is
this foolish thing you ask of me? If you had asked for a
hundred pieces of gold you should have had them. Think
better, friend, and ask something of more worth than this
foolish thing.”

‘Please your majesty,” said Beppo, “I ask nothing else.”

The king laughed again. ‘Then you shall have what
you ask,” said he, and he rode away.

The next morning the princess said to Beppo: “This
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