natural than that the King, having flung the Gate open,
should cry aloud once more:

"Gate, Gate! What should a King do in a Barn?"

"Now at last," thought he, "I shall be told whether to dance or to pray
in it." And he stood listening eagerly as the Gate hung an instant on
its outward journey and then began to creak home.

"He--should--rule--in--it--he--should--rule--in--it--he--should--"
squeaked the Guess Gate, and then latch clicked and it was silent.

This disconcerted William.

"Now I am worse off than ever," he sighed. "Pray, Pepper, can this
advice be bettered?"

As usual when he questioned her, the nag pricked up her ears and
whinnied so violently that he nearly fell off her back. Nevertheless,
he kept Pepper's head in a beeline for Chanctonbury, never noticing how
very ill she was going, and presently crossed the great High Road
beyond which lay the Bush Hovel. The Wise Woman was at home; from afar
the King saw her sitting outside the Hovel mending her broom with a
withe from the Bush.

"Here if anywhere," rejoiced William, "I shall learn the truth."

He dismounted and approached the old woman, cap in hand.

"Wise Woman," he said respectfully, "you know most things, but do you
know this--whether a King should dance or pray or rule in his Barn?"

"He should do all three, young man," said the Wise Woman.

"But--!" exclaimed William.

"I'm busy," snapped the Wise Woman. "You men will always be chattering,
as though pots need never be stewed nor cobwebs swept." So saying, she
went into the Hovel and slammed the door.

"Pepper," said the poor King, "I am at my wits' ends. Go where yours
lead you."

At this Pepper whinnied in a perfect frenzy of delight, and the King
had to clasp both arms round her neck to avoid tumbling off.

Now the little nag preferred roads to beelines over copses and ditches,
and she turned back and ambled along the highway so very lamely that it
became impossible even for her preoccupied rider not to perceive that
she had cast all her four shoes.

"Poor beast!" he cried dismayed, "how has this happened, and where? Oh,
Pepper, how could you be so careless? I have not a penny in my purse to
buy you new shoes, my poor Pepper. Do you not remember where you lost
them?"

The little nag licked her master's hand (for he had dismounted to
examine her trouble), and looked at him with great eyes full of
affection, and then she flung up her head and whinnied louder than
ever. The so