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[Illustration: THE MUSICIAN]

[Illustration: headpiece]

THE MUSICIAN

Sometimes now the old King showed signs of weariness, and Bill bethought
him that a little music occasionally might soothe his nerves. So in the
very next town they came to he engaged the only musician in the place,
and very willing he was too to come along.

He played very wonderful music on his old concertina, often assisted
with his voice, and one evening, after a very beautiful performance, the
talented creature related the following story to his enchanted
hearers:--

'Right glad have I been, good fellows all, to join you in this your
noble enterprise to right our stout old brother of Troy here, and in
good time I trust that my great deeds shall prove my sincerity. But, in
the meantime, as supper hour draws on apace, and the frizzling cutlets
do scent the evening air, a little story should not be amiss to distract
your anxious minds, and thus to check the impatience of your appetite.

'Know then, my jovial birds, my cunning blades, that I am the eldest son
of that Prince of Polynesia who united the scattered kingdoms of this
unwieldy archipelago into one vast empire, over which he ruled with
even-handed justice and some common-sense until his death. Ah! lads, if
all had their rights I should at the present moment be seated on the
soft cushions of my father's throne, and maybe more able to be of help
to you than I am now; but you must take the will for the deed.

'My word! what a plump and healthy child was I, and withal as jolly and
as hearty as the day was long. Moreover, was not I the pride of the
empire and the envy of all the other kings and princes who had ever seen
or heard of me? Alas! who could have foretold that I was thus early in
life destined to have a real good taste of the troubles of this weary
world, and, though surrounded by every care and attention and the object
of the greatest affection that ever bubbled in the human heart, shortly
to become the victim of the meanest spite.

'But to proceed with the yarn--neither care nor expense was spared in my
upbringing, to which possibly more thought was devoted than even to the
education of our very well-educated and trustworthy friend, the buxom
Sicilian char-woman. At all events, the most certificated nurses
procurable were continually being engaged, but apparently only to be
dismissed again, for, almost perfect as most of them were, I can assure
you