"I'll be killed! I'll be killed! The people will murder me!" he
shrieked. But no one of them all save his mother knew he had had
anything to do with bringing on the dire calamity that had befallen
the kingdom.
Then some of the people proposed: "Let us go immediately to our king,
and ask him to make a law that the vine shall stop growing ere it ruin
us forever."
But when they had eaten and hewed their way to the palace, they found
the king had gone to count his soldiers; and while he was gone the
vine came galloping along, and an enormous melon grew and blocked up
the palace gate. So they had to help the king and his guards force
their way through to the hall of audience.
When they all were in, and the king had wiped the melon-juice off his
robes and crown, and was fairly seated on his throne, surrounded by
his guards and courtiers, the trumpets sounded, drums beat, banners
waved, and the people fell on their knees and said:
"O mighty king! We, thy liege subjects, have come to tell thee of the
ruin and desolation this fearful vine maketh in all thy great kingdom,
and to entreat thy majesty to enact a law forbidding it to grow any
more, and commanding it to wither away.
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