impressive, while the palace itself
proved far more magnificent than it had been before the warriors from
Regos destroyed it.

Nikobob had been very active and skillful in directing all this work,
and he had also built a pretty cottage for himself, not far from the
King's palace, and there Inga found Zella, who was living very happy and
contented in her new home. Not only had Nikobob accomplished all this in
a comparatively brief space of time, but he had started the pearl
fisheries again and when King Kitticut returned to Pingaree he found a
quantity of fine pearls already in the royal treasury.

So pleased was Kitticut with the good judgment, industry and honesty of
the former charcoal-burner of Regos, that he made Nikobob his Lord High
Chamberlain and put him in charge of the pearl fisheries and all the
business matters of the island kingdom.

They all settled down very comfortably in the new palace and the Queen
gathered her maids about her once more and set them to work embroidering
new draperies for the royal throne. Inga placed the three Magic Pearls
in their silken bag and again deposited them in the secret cavity under
the tiled flooring of the banquet hall, where they could be quickly
secured if danger ever threatened the now prosperous island.

King Rinkitink occupied a royal guest chamber built especially for his
use and seemed in no hurry to leave his friends in Pingaree. The fat
little King had to walk wherever he went and so missed Bilbil more and
more; but he seldom walked far and he was so fond of Prince Bobo that he
never regretted Bilbil's disenchantment.

Indeed, the jolly monarch was welcome to remain forever in Pingaree, if
he wished to, for his merry disposition set smiles on the faces of all
his friends and made everyone near him as jolly as he was himself. When
King Kitticut was not too busy with affairs of state he loved to join
his guest and listen to his brother monarch's songs and stories. For he
found Rinkitink to be, with all his careless disposition, a shrewd
philosopher, and in talking over their adventures one day the King of
Gilgad said:

"The beauty of life is its sudden changes. No one knows what is going to
happen next, and so we are constantly being surprised and entertained.
The many ups and downs should not discourage us, for if we are down, we
know that a change is coming and we will go up again; while those who
are up are almost certain to go down. My grandfather had a so