"What insects (35) does everybody sleep on?"

Jack-amend-all (36) then said, "Who was the first Lady Magistrate?" (37) After poor Jack was despatched, there came up the citizen (38) of New Jersey who laid plans to kill King George III., but fired some British naval stores instead. He said this business of trying to get the princess was coming to be so hazardous that, old as he was, he would have to be allowed to ask four questions or none at all. The Wizard agreed readily.

Harper's Round Table, April 30, 1895 — Part 50

"Who (39) made the first use of steam-power in printing?" he asked, and the Wizard answered promptly.

Harper's Round Table, April 30, 1895 — Part 50

"In what city (40) was the first republican government in America established?" The Wizard again answered promptly.

Harper's Round Table, April 30, 1895 — Part 50

The man began to look grave. Half his chances were gone. Summoning courage, he propounded this: "The name of the wife (41) of an English admiral who tried to get state secrets from an American gentleman by arranging some social games of whist." The Wizard related the incident, with names of all parties, without an instant's hesitation. The sweat began to start on the man's face. Only one chance remained. "Name the prince, (42) afterwards king of England," said he, desperately, "whose wife sucked the poison from his arm when he had a narrow escape from assassination while on his way home from a Crusade."

The Wizard named the prince and finished the Jerseyman in the same breath.

After that he was without a job for a time. The princess's conditions seemed so hard that, unless she modified them, she was likely, as the Wizard expressed it, "to die an old maid." He was about to give the princess up to that fate when Queen Dick (43) entered.

"To win the Princess Minnehaha. Answer this:

"T U A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A." (45)

"Well, what is it, anyhow?" asked the Wizard.

"Something that you'll find very prominently printed in a book that you and most other people own," replied the suitor.

"Are the letters printed in the book in this form?" inquired the Wizard, getting a bit scared, and trying to gain time.

"In this style and order, yes; but there are other letters and words between them. Come, shall I have the princess?"

The Wizard took five minutes, and gave it up. Dick won the princess, and in the bounteousness of his heart invited all the Knights and Ladies of the Round Table to visit him and see who was wiser than the Wizard.