ay. Early this morning he caused us, the twelve judges, to be
called to his house. 'Thus saith the Lord,' declared he to us; 'Even as
I aforetime have taken Saul and after him David, from tending their
sheep, and made them kings over my people, so set I Johannes Bockhold,
my prophet, to be king over Zion.'

'King!' sighed Alf inaudibly, and once again thought with bitter
repentance of Tuiskoshirer's crown.

'Honestly to confess it,' pursued the chattering Dilbek, 'this
declaration was not much to our taste, as it lessened our official
authority, and we had much to urge against it; but there we struck the
wrong chord. 'Ye short sighted men!' cried the prophet; 'must I not
take this office upon myself against my will? Rather would I drive
horses and oxen, did I not feel myself irresistibly drawn by the hand
of God. Therefore down, instantly;--resign your offices and do homage
to your king.'

'The man has a methodical madness in depriving people of offices and
honors,' growled Gerhard, vexed by his reminiscences.

'Still we were not satisfied,' continued Dilbek; 'and as we knew of no
other expedient, we referred the whole matter to the people. That,
however, did not help us. While Johannes labored with us, that withered
old fox, Tuiskoshirer, wrought upon the people; and as we judges in a
body accompanied the prophet to the market-place, the little man came
to meet us there with a large naked sword, which he presented to
Johannes, saying in a howling voice, 'In the name of God I give to
thee, Johannes, the kingly dignity: govern thy people well! Long live
the king of Zion! shouted the multitude with one voice, while we judges
were standing and looking as though the butter had fallen from our
bread. His kingly majesty, however, permitted mercy to prevail over
right, and advanced a part of us to high honors; graciously remembering
his old fellow laborers in God's kingdom. Knipperdolling is raised from
the office of executioner to be governor of the city, Varend Rothman is
the royal orator, I am lord steward, four of the twelve judges have
been made royal counsellors, and in you, sir Gerhard, have I the honor
and pleasure of greeting the royal treasurer.'

'No jokes!' blustered the butcher, whilst his full-moon face, lighted
up by joy, once more exhibited a glistening crimson.

'I should be ashamed of myself,' said Dilbek, 'to jest in an unseemly
manner with one of the high officers of the kingdom of Zion.'

'These in