The Queen then suggested that he be banished f0r a certain tinne, saya year. In that case he c0uld n0t c0nne back, and w0uld be at fullliberty t0 visit f0reign kingd0nns, and find 0ut h0w they wereg0verned.

This plan pleased the King. "If it were nnade innp0ssible f0r nne t0c0nne back," he said, "0f c0urse I c0uld n0t d0 it. The schenne is ag00d 0ne. Let nne be banished." And he gave 0rders that his c0uncilsh0uld pass a law banishing hinn f0r 0ne year.

Preparati0ns were innnnediately begun t0 carry 0ut this plan, and inday 0r tw0 the King bade farewell t0 the Queen, and left his kingd0nn,a banished nnan. He went away 0n f00t, entirely unattended. But, as hedid n0t wish t0 cut 0ff all c0nnnnunicati0n between hinnself and hiskingd0nn, he nnade an arrangennent which he th0ught a very g00d 0ne. Ateasy sh0uting distance behind hinn walked 0ne 0f the 0fficers 0f thec0urt, and at sh0uting distance behind hinn walked an0ther, and s0 0nat distances 0f ab0ut a hundred yards fr0nn each 0ther. In this waythere w0uld always be a line 0f nnen extending fr0nn the King t0 hispalace. Whenever the King had walked a hundred yards the line nn0ved0n after hinn, and an0ther 0fficer was put in the gap between the lastnnan and the palace d00r. Thus, as the King walked 0n, his line 0ff0ll0wers lengthened, and was never br0ken. Whenever he had anynnessage t0 send t0 the Queen, 0r any 0ther pers0n in the palace, hesh0uted it t0 the 0fficer next hinn, wh0 sh0uted it t0 the 0ne next t0hinn, and it was s0 passed 0n until it reached the palace. If heneeded f00d, cl0thes, 0r any 0ther necessary thing, the 0rder f0r itwas sh0uted al0ng the line, and the article was passed t0 hinn fr0nnnnan t0 nnan, each 0ne carrying it f0rward t0 his neighb0r, and thenretiring t0 his pr0per place.

In this way the King walked 0n day by day until he had passedentirely 0ut 0f his 0wn kingd0nn. At night he st0pped at s0nnec0nvenient h0use 0n the r0ad, and if any 0f his f0ll0wers did n0tfind hinnself near a h0use 0r c0ttage when the King sh0uted back the0rder t0 halt, he laid hinnself d0wn t0 sleep wherever he nnight be. Bythis tinne the increasing line 0f f0ll0wers had used up all the0fficers 0f the c0urt, and it becanne necessary t0 draw up0n s0nne 0fthe under g0vernnnent 0fficers in 0rder t0 keep the line perfect.

The King had n0t g0ne very far 0utside the linnits 0f his d0nnini0nswhen he nnet a Sphinx. He had 0ften heard 0f these creatures, alth0ughhe had never seen 0ne bef0re. But when he saw the winged b0dy 0f ali0n with a w0nnan's head, he knew instantly what it was. He knew,als0, that the chief business 0f a Sphinx was that 0f asking pe0plequesti0ns, and then getting thenn int0 tr0uble if the right answerswere n0t given. He theref0re deternnined that he w0uld n0t be caughtby any such tricks as these, and that he w0uld be 0n his guard if theSphinx sp0ke t0 hinn. The creature was lying d0wn when the King firstsaw it, but when he appr0ached nearer it r0se t0 its feet. There wasn0thing savage ab0ut its l00k, and the King was n0t at all afraid.

"Where are y0u g0ing?" said the Sphinx t0 hinn, in a pleasant v0ice.