his
grieved the Queen, and she tried to make her museum better; but as
this did no good, she became very angry, and she issued a decree that
all persons of mature age who were not interested in her museum
should be sent to prison.

This decree produced a great sensation in the city. The people
crowded to the building, and did their very best to be interested;
but, in the majority of cases, the attempt was an utter failure. They
could not feel any interest whatever. The consequence was that
hundreds and thousands of the people were sent to prison, and as
there was not room enough for them in the ordinary jails, large
temporary prisons were erected in various parts of the city. Those
persons who were actually needed for work or service which no one
else could do were allowed to come out in the day-time on parole; but
at night they had to return to their prisons.

It was during this deplorable state of affairs that a stranger
entered the city one day. He was surprised at seeing so many prisons,
and approaching the window in one of them, behind the bars of which
he saw a very respectable-looking citizen, he asked what all this
meant. The citizen informed him how matters stood, and then, with
tears mounting to his eyes, he added:

"Oh, sir, I have tried my best to be interested in that museum; but
it is impossible; I cannot make myself care for it in the slightest
degree! And, what is more, I know I shall never be able to do so; and
I shall languish here for the rest of my days."

Passing on, the Stranger met a mother coming out of her house. Her
face was pale, and she was weeping bitterly. Filled with pity, he
stopped and asked her what was the matter. "Oh, sir," she said, "for
a week I have been trying, for the sake of my dear children, to take
an interest in that museum. For a time I thought I might do it, but
the hopes proved false. It is impossible. I must leave my little
ones, and go to prison."

The Stranger was deeply affected by these cases and many others of a
similar character, which he soon met with. "It is too bad! too bad!"
he said to himself. "I never saw a city in so much trouble. There is
scarcely a family, I am told, in which there is not some uninterested
person--I must see the Queen and talk to her about it," and with this
he wended his way to the palace.

He met the Queen just starting out on her morning visit to the
museum. When he made it known that he was a stranger, and desired a
short audie