The pigwidgeons now began to descend the vine; but one of them lingering a little, the Truant, who had a great deal of curiosity, asked him what it was they had to divide.

“There were eight of us,” the pigwidgeon answered, “who helped a farmer’s wife, and she gave us a pound of butter.  She did not count us properly, and divided the butter into seven parts.  We did not notice this at first, and two of the party, who were obliged to go away to a distance, took their portions and departed, and now we can not divide among six the five-sevenths that remain.”

“That is a pretty hard thing,” said the Truant, “but I am sure some of the boys can tell you how to do it.”

The pigwidgeons visited the next four cells, which were occupied by four boys, but not one of them could tell how to divide five-sevenths by six.  The Prince was questioned, but he did not know; and neither did the course-marker, nor the map-maker.  It was not until they came to the cell of the oldest girl that they received an answer.  She was good at mental arithmetic; and, after a minute’s thought, she said, “It would be five forty-seconds.”

“Good!” cried the pigwidgeons.  “We will divide the butter into forty-two parts, and each take five.  And now let us go to work and cut these bars.”

Three of the six pigwidgeons were workers in iron, and they had their little files and saws in pouches by their sides.  They went to work manfully, and the others helped them, and before morning one bar was cut in each of the seventeen windows.  The cells were all on the ground floor, and it was quite easy for the prisoners to clamber out.  That is, it was easy for all but the Jolly-cum-pop.  He had laughed so much in his life that he had grown quite fat, and he found it impossible to squeeze himself through the opening made by the removal of one iron bar.  The sixteen other prisoners had all departed; the pigwidgeons had hurried away to divide their butter into forty-two parts, and the Jolly-cum-pop still remained in his cell, convulsed with laughter at the idea of being caught in such a curious predicament.

“It is the most ridiculous thing in the world,” he said.  “I suppose I must stay here and cry until I get thin.”  And the idea so tickled him, that he laughed himself to sleep.

The Prince and his party kept together, and hurried from the prison as fast as they could.  When the day broke they had gone several miles, and then they stopped to rest.  “Where is that Jolly-cum-pop?” said the Prince.  “I suppose he has gone home.  He is a pretty fellow to lead us into this trouble and then desert us!  How are we to find the way back to his house?  Course-marker, can you tell us the direction in which we should go?”

“Not until to-night, your Highness,” answered the course-marker, “when I can set my instrument by the stars.”