ountry on one side of the line, and
the Princess should rule over all the country on the other side. The
Prince's land he called Eastroyal, and the Princess's land he called
Westroyal, and from that day to this there have always been kings over
Eastroyal and queens over Westroyal.

But it was soon noticed that in Eastroyal the people became discontented
and quarrelsome and poor, and were always finding fault with the
government; whereas in the west country over the border they were so
happy and kindly that they praised each queen from the beginning of her
reign to the end. Nobody knew why there should be so great a difference,
but a great difference there was. Things grew worse and worse in
Eastroyal, until at last the people rose and turned the reigning king
off his throne and set his little son in his place. "Perhaps we shall be
better satisfied now!" they said.

The new king's mother walked alone, deep in thought; and she was very
troubled. "How can I teach my little son to please his people better
than his father did?" she wondered. "It would break my heart if he too
angered them and lost his crown, yet already he is showing a haughty
temper in his treatment of his lords, and I know not what to do."

"I know! I know!" said a voice.

The Queen-mother was much startled; though she had not spoken aloud, the
words seemed an answer to her thought. She looked over the low wall of
the garden into the road. There an old woman hobbled, leaning on a
stick, and muttering to herself. She was poor and ragged, and bent with
age. "I know, I know!" she said again.

"What do you know?" asked the Queen-mother gently.

The old woman looked up at her. "Go to Westroyal," she said; and she
hobbled away.

"Ah, a witch!" thought the Queen-mother; "and she is right. The Queens
of the West have undoubtedly some secret means of making their people
love them. I will find out what it is."

She prepared for a visit to Westroyal, and arrived a few days later at
the palace of the reigning queen. Here she was welcomed and feasted and
treated right lovingly, but though she kept her eyes and her ears as
wide open as it was possible for eyes and ears to be, she could not
discover the secret. She grew sad with disappointment.

The young queen saw that she was sorrowful. "You are not happy here.
What is the matter?" she asked. "What can I do to make you glad?"

The Queen-mother held out her hands imploringly. "Only give me your
secret," she