Part 28 (1/2)

”How did you get it?” said they

”I got it for a piece of advice,” said Babo

For a piece of advice! No, no--the king's officers knew butter fro It was just the sa in the world so cheap as advice

Whoever heard of anybody giving a pot of gold and silver money for it?

Without another word they

”Coet the pot of ot it for a piece of advice,” said he

”Really and truly?” said the king

”Yes,” said Babo; ”really and truly”

”Hu ”I should like to have advice that is worth as much as that No much will you sell your advice to ive?” said Babo

”Well,” said the king, ”let me have it for a day on trial, and at the end of that time I will pay you what it is worth”

”Very well,” said Babo, ”that is a bargain;” and so he lent the king his piece of advice for one day on trial

Now the chief councillor and so's life, and thatit had been settled that when the barber shaved him he was to cut his throat with a razor So after the barber had lathered his face he began to whet the razor, and to whet the razor

Just at thatremembered Babo's piece of advice ”Think well!” said he; ”think well! Before you do what you are about to do, think well!”

When the barber heard the words that the king said, he thought that all had been discovered Down he fell upon his knees, and confessed everything

That is how Babo's advice saved the king's life--you can guess whether the king thought it orth ave him ten chests full of money, and that made the simpleton richer than anybody in all that land

He built hihter of the new councillor that came after the other one's head had been chopped off for conspiring against the king's life Besides that, he ca's castle as he pleased, and the king lad to stop and chat awhile with hi Babo looked out of the , and who should he see coricola himself, and he was just as poor and dusty and travel-stained as ever

”Couess how the wisein such a fine way But he opened his eyes wider than ever when he heard that all these good things caiven Babo that day they had parted at the cross roads

”Aye, aye!” said he, ”the luck is with you for sure and certain But if you will paybetter than a piece of advice I will teach you all the ic that is to be learned from the books”

”No,” said Babo, ”I aricola, ”Born a fool, live a fool, die a fool';” and off he went in a huff

That is all of this tale except the tip end of it, and that I will give you now

I have heard tell that one day the king dropped in the street the piece of advice that he had bought froain it had been trampled into the mud and dirt I cannot say for certain that this is the truth, but it must have been spoiled in some way or other, for I have never heard of anybody in these days ould give even so much as a bad penny for it; and yet it is worth just as