he way."

"Lions in the way!" cried the travelers, looking at each other with
startled eyes.

"Aye, lions," repeated the man solemnly, "the fiercest and largest
that ever man saw. Their very roaring shakes the ground, and many a
traveler has been devoured by them, so people say. As for myself, I
have not seen them. To hear of them is enough for me."

"And for me," said one of the travelers; and in spite of all his
companions might do or say to persuade him, he would go no farther.

"The king's house may be beautiful as the morning and as full of
wonders as the sky is full of stars, but what good will it be to me if
I am eaten by the lions?" said he.

And his friends were forced to journey on without him.

As they went they talked of the lions in the way and the one said to
the other:

"Think you it is true, or but an idle tale?"

"True or not we shall pass in safety. Have we not the king's own word
for it?" said the other; and he led the way with such great strides
that his friend could scarcely keep pace with him.

On and on they traveled without stop or hindrance, till all at once
the air was filled with a great noise that shook the earth beneath
their feet and set their knees to trembling.

There was no mistaking what it was. Even though they had never heard
the sound before, they knew it was the roaring of the lions.

And the second traveler began to grow afraid.

"Let us go around by another way," he said. "Surely there are more
paths than one to the king's house."

And though the other spread out before him the scroll on which the
path was marked and read once more the message of the king: "Turn
neither to the right nor to the left but follow the path and it will
lead you safely to the House Beautiful, where a place is prepared for
you," he would pay no heed to it but turned away into a by-path and
followed it out of sight.

The other traveler was forced to journey on the path alone, with the
roaring of the lions in his ears and the shaking of the earth beneath
his feet. Nor had he gone a furlong more when just ahead he spied the
lions themselves. One on each side of the path they stood with flaming
eyes and yawning mouths; and at the very sight of them the traveler's
heart beat quick and sharp and his feet faltered upon the way.

But his faith in the king's word was greater than his fear. "Falter
not, oh, feet! Fear not, oh, heart! There is safety in the path. The
king himself has said it," he