The councilors were greatly pleased when they found this law, for it enabled them to solve the problem that confronted them.  So when the King had breathed his last they blindfolded the prime minister and led him forth from the palace, and he began walking about with outstretched arms seeking someone to touch.

Of course the people knew nothing of this law, nor even that the old King was dead, and seeing the prime minister groping about blindfolded they kept out of his way, fearing they might be punished if he stumbled against them.  But Cole was then riding along on the donkey, and did not even know it was the prime minister who was feeling about in such a funny way.  So he began to laugh, and the minister, who had by this time grown tired of the game, heard the laugh and came toward the stranger and touched him, and immediately all the wise men and the councilors fell down before him and hailed him as King of Whatland!

Thus did the wandering fiddler become King Cole, and you may be sure he laughed more merrily than ever when they explained to him his good fortune.

They carried him within the palace and dressed him in purple and fine linen, and placed a crown of gold upon his bald head and a jeweled scepter in his wrinkled hand, and all this amused old King Cole very much.  When he had been led to the great throne room and placed upon the throne of gold (where the silken cushions felt very soft and pleasant after his long ride upon the donkey’s sharp back) the courtiers all knelt before him and asked what commands he wished to give, since everyone in the kingdom must now obey his slightest word.

“Oh well,” said the new King, “I think the first thing I would like is my old pipe.  You ’ll find it in the pocket of the ragged coat I took off.”

One of the officers of the court at once ran for the pipe, and when it was brought King Cole filled it with tobacco from his greasy pouch and lighted it, and you can imagine what a queer sight it was to see the fat King sitting upon the rich throne, dressed in silk, and satins and a golden crown, and smoking at the same time an old black pipe!

The councilors looked at each other in dismay, and the ladies of the court sneezed and coughed and seemed greatly shocked, and all this pleased old King Cole so much that he lay back in his throne and roared with laughter.  Then the prime minister came forward very gravely, and bowing low he said,

“May it please your Majesty, it is not the custom of Kings to smoke a pipe while seated upon the throne.”

“But it is my custom,” answered Cole.

“It is impolite, and unkingly!” ventured the minister.

“Now, see here, old fellow,” replied his Majesty, “I did n’t ask to be King of this country; it ’s all your own doing.  All my life I have smoked whenever I wished, and if I can’t do as I please here, why, I won’t be king—­so there!”

“But you must be the King, your Majesty, whether you want to or not.  The law says so.”