n his lips, which he seemed to have borrowed from a
monkey, the little man followed her with his eyes until she
disappeared--then, stepping solemnly in front of Alf, called to him in
a hoarse, howling voice, 'art thou willing to become king of Zion,
brother?'

'I king of Zion?' asked Alf in return, with the greatest astonishment.
'How can such a thing be?'

'I ask thee,' howled Tuiskoshirer, 'if thou wilt be king over the new
Zion, formerly under the anti-christ, called Munster?'

'I rule over this same Munster as its chief magistrate?' cried Alf,
laughing. 'That is a wonderful proposition, and besides, it appears to
me as if we were not the men to accomplish it.'

'Short sighted man!' growled Tuiskoshirer, 'knowest thou not that the
first shall be last and the last shall be first? We are all clay in the
hands of the Potter. The Spirit has just seated himself near the board
in order to make a king. To that eminence will I raise thee up; for
thou art a brave warrior, and moreover a handsome youth, and wilt
administer the government with power and mildness, for the welfare of
all.'

'Ah! do not propose such pranks to me,' said Alf. 'You have others more
suitable for that office than I; and besides, Johannes Bockhold would
make a powerful opposition to my mounting the throne.'

'Johannes Bockhold,' answered Tuiskoshirer, 'is a feather in the breath
of my mouth. He has indeed thought of announcing himself as the new
king of this city, yet shall have only served you, if you will but
accept the sceptre. I have seen through the prophet's character; he has
much madness, yet little courage, and we need a consummate man upon
this iron throne.'

'Are you wholly in earnest in making these propositions?' asked Alf.
'Then I must indeed answer in earnest. I do not feel myself fit to
govern a nation and people, nor to take upon myself an office for which
I have not been prepared,--from which may God mercifully preserve me!'

'Fool!' cried Tuiskoshirer; 'ruling is as light and easy as it is
pleasant.'

'Yet heavy and severe is the reckoning above for bad government,'
replied Alf. 'No, seek thee another king.'

Tuiskoshirer then flung open his tattered mantle, and drew from under
its folds a magnificent regal crown, ingeniously formed of fine gold,
and splendidly radiant with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires,
and, as he turned and waved it here and there in the sunlight, the
golden and colored sparkles played so gail