Therefore, again, O Hadji, is this Tale.

Also, in those days, there was about this Royal City a Wall—­a wall built, so they said, on the very foundations of the world; so strong that no force could breach it, and so high that the clouds often hid its towers and battlements.  Only from the topmost cupola of the Royal Palace could one see over this mighty barrier.  Only by the Two Great Gates could one pass through.

And so the good people of Allthetime could all quite clearly see that in the Royal City Daybyday the precious Magic Crown was as safe as ever crown could be.  And it was so, O Hadji—­it was so.  The Crown was as safe as ever crown could be—­as safe indeed as ever a crown can be.

And this too is truth, O Hadji; that in Daybyday, even now, you may find ruins of the many temples, and here and there a little of the many gods.  Even now you may see where the Great Wall was.  But of the Crown, in these days, there is nothing—­nothing.

And this is how it happened—­this is the way it came to be.

King What-Soever-Youthink was the father of two sons; twins they were, and their names—­Really-Is and Seemsto-Be.  No one in all the kingdom could tell them one from the other, though the princes themselves knew that Really-Is was first born, and that when the wise king, their father, died, it would be for him to occupy the throne, to wear the Crown, and rule the Land of Allthetime.

One day when the young princes were playing in the palace yard they discovered, by chance, an old door that led to the stairway in a tower.  Of course they climbed up, up, up, until they stood at last in the cupola at the very top.  Far beneath their feet they saw the roofs of the Royal Palace, and the gardens, fields, and orchards, like spots and splashes of color.  The walks and courts appeared as lines and squares of white, while the soldiers and servants moved about like tiny animated dots.  Reaching away from the palace grounds on every side was the wonderful city Daybyday, so far below that no sound could reach their ears.  To their delight, the princes found that they could even look down upon the Great Wall; and, because there were that day no clouds to shut out the view, they could see far, far away over the Land of Allthetime.

[Illustration:  (see king005.png)]

“Look, brother,” cried Seemsto-Be, catching Really-Is by the arm in quick excitement, “Look! what is that flashing and gleaming in the sun?”

As he spoke, he pointed afar off to the land beyond the river that marks the end of Allthetime.

“I’m sure I cannot tell;” answered Really-Is, shading his eyes with his open hand and gazing long and earnestly in the direction his brother indicated; “It looks—­it looks like a city.”

“It is, it is,” cried Seemsto-Be.  “It is the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome.  I remember hearing once the Chief Gardener telling the Chief Coachman about it, and he said that the Chief Cook said that he heard the Captain of the Guard say that it is far more wonderful than our own city Daybyday; and it must be so, Really-Is, for see, brother, how the walls shine like polished silver, and look!  Is not that a palace or a temple blazing so like a ruby flame?”