“The great King, my father,” said I, turning again to the people, “will build your city ten times fairer than it was. I have given directions for your help already, and food and shelter will soon be at hand. Farewell! I leave you in the care of a blind man and a child! A sound heart and a cheerful mind, my friends, are better than an army. Farewell!” The multitude shouted back farewell, and my friend Urban and myself each kissed Figli on the cheek; but my daughter kissed him on both cheeks and hugged him to her heart; and then we went down the steps, leaving the pale and beautiful boy and the blind man alone, and passed out across the park through a lane opened in the crowd, down into the city toward the city gate. _The Eight Tailors Stand Before Them in a Row_ As we came to the last street corner before reaching the city wall, my daughter pulled forth a handful of figs from her pocket and divided them laughingly with Urban and myself; and at that moment a party of eight men filed solemnly from around the corner, and came to a stop before us in a row. It was the eight tailors. They bowed gravely, and the first one of them said: “Excellency, we implore you to take pity upon us. Our master is gone, our occupation is gone, we are friendless and alone; we can live no longer in the city of Oogh.” “What do you wish me to do?” said I. “We beseech you to take us with you, to be your servants, your slaves, anything. We can sew, we can knit, we can--” “But I am going into exile,” said I. “I am going to hide my hideous face from the eyes of the world.” “Listen, most merciful one! It is known to us that the missing button needs only to be sewn on the doublet by a tailor, with the proper thread, in order that your skin may be white again. Nine tailors are allowed for the trial, and here are eight!” “But I have neither the button nor the thread.” “No matter! We will search until we find them, or else turn black ourselves in the trial. Have pity upon us, Prince!” “Oh, father,” said my daughter, “do let the poor things come along with us.” “Very well,” said I, whereupon we walked on, and the eight tailors gave a faint cheer and fell into line behind us. _They Meet the Three Blind Ballad Singers for the Last Time_ As we passed through the city gate, a loud singing struck up just outside the wall, and we beheld the three blind ballad singers, in the midst of a dozen idlers, prancing up and down in their ridiculous dance. They were shouting out one of their ballads, as follows: “The peddler came, the peddler went, the peddler lost his pack, He came in honest walnut brown, he went away in black, And ‘Oh!’ said the peddler, ‘I cannot come again, For out of buttons ten, oh! only nine remain, Only nine remain,’--” My daughter laughed aloud, and at the sound of her voice one of the ballad singers cried out, “Ho! master blackface! Ballads or buttons, what will you buy?”