MEN OF THE TREES 



age because there was little food, and by this time the 

 forest whence they cut the trees for the work of build- 

 ing was far away, for all the trees that were near had 

 been cut down for the purpose of building the palace. 

 But still the king kept on saying, "Get on with it, get 

 on with it." And he said to all the people, "Listen. I 

 want a throne so that I may sit on top of the high place 

 and be greater than the God you call Mwininyaga. 



And there came a great famine in the land and many 

 of those who worked died, and those who remained 

 were now too feeble and old to go to the forest. Yet all 

 the time the king kept on saying, "Make haste, be 

 quick." And those that were alive and remained on the 

 work spoke amongst themselves and said, "Surely the 

 king is mad; let us not be mad also. If we go to the for- 

 est to carry wood to make the throne we shall surely 

 die before we can return, for the forest is now distant 

 many days. Behold! here is much wood underneath the 

 building, and the beams are very strong; let us not go 

 then to the forest, but let us take just a little bit of wood 

 here and there underneath, for no man will see us." And 

 they all agreed that this would be a very good way. And 

 they consented among themselves to keep their plan 

 secret. 



After many days they arose very early before it was 

 light, and took the wood which they had cut from un- 

 derneath the foundations of the palace, and carried it 

 out a little way. And when the king, as was his custom, 

 came to see the work and to enquire if his throne was 



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