Contents:

Page No 1

Page No 2

Page No 3

Page No 4

The Uncrowned King ..........................................................................................................................................1

Harold Bell Wright..................................................................................................................................1

For many, many, weary months the Pilgrim journeyed in the wide and pathless Desert of Facts. So many

indeed were the months that the wayworn Pilgrim, himself, came at last to forget their number.

And always, for the Pilgrim, the sky by day was a sky of brass, softened not by so much as a wreath of cloud

mist. Always, for him, the hot air was stirred not by so much as the lift of a wild bird's wing. Never, for him,

was the awful stillness of the night broken by voice of his kind, by footfall of beast, or by rustle of creeping

thing. For the toiling Pilgrim in the vast and pathless Desert of Facts there was no kindly face, no friendly

Day after day, as the Pilgrim labored onward, through the torturing heat, under the sky of brass, he saw on

either hand lakes of living waters and groves of many palms. And the waters called him to their healing

coolness: the palms beckoned him to their restful shade and shelter. Night after night, in the dreadful solitude,

frightful Shapes came on silent feet out of the silent darkness to stare at him with doubtful, questioning,

threatening eyes; drawing back at last, if he stood still, as silently as they had come, or, if he advanced,

But the Pilgrim knew that the enchanting scenes that lured him by day were but pictures in the heated air. He

knew that the fearful Shapes that haunted him by night were but creatures of his own overwrought fancy. And

so he journeyed on and ever on, in the staggering heat, under the sky of brass, in the awful stillness of the

night: on and ever on, through the wide and pathless waste, until he came at last to the

OuterEdgeOfThingscame to the place that is between the Desert of Facts and the Beautiful Sea, even

The tired feet of the Traveler left now the rough, hot floor of the desert for a soft, cool carpet of velvet grass

all inwrought with blossoms that filled the air with fragrance. Over his head, tall trees gently shook their

glistening, shadowy leaves, while sweet voiced birds of rare and wondrous plumage flitted from bough to

bough. Across a sky of deepest blue, fleets of fairy cloud ships, light as feathery down,

floatedfloateddrifting lazily, as though, piloted only by the wind, their pilot slept. All about him, as he

walked, multitudes of sunlight and shadow fairies danced gaily hand in hand. And over the shimmering

surface of the Sea a thousand thousand fairy waves ran joyously, one after the other, from the sky line to the

pebbly beach, making liquid music clearer and softer than the softest of clear toned bells.

And there it was, in that wondrously beautiful place, the OuterEdgeOfThings, that the Pilgrim found,

fashioned of sheerest white, with lofty dome, towering spires, and piercing minarets lifting out of the living

At last, with earnest step, the worshiper approached the holy edifice. But when he would have passed through

the high arched door, his way was barred by one whose garments were white even as the whiteness of the

Temple, whose eyes were clear even as the skies, and whose face shone even as the shining Beautiful Sea.

The other answered in a voice that was even as the soft wind that stirred the leaves of the forest: "I am

"I am the appointed Keeper of the Temple of Truth; save by my permission none may enter here."

Cried the Pilgrim eagerly: "But I? I may enter? Surely I have fulfilled The Law! Surely I have paid The

"What law have you fulfilled? What price have you paid?" gently asked he in the garments of white.

Proudly now the other answered: "I have accomplished alone the long journey through the Desert of Facts.

Alone I have endured the days under the sky of brass; alone I have borne the awful solitude of the nights. I

was not drawn aside by the lovely scenes that tempted me. I was not turned back by the dreadful Shapes that

"You have indeed fulfilled The, Law" said he of the shining face. "And The Price?"

The Pilgrim answered sadly: "I left behind all things dearest to the heart of manWealth of Traditions

inherited from the Long Ago, Holy Prejudices painfully gathered through the ages of the past, Sacred

Opinions, Customs, Favors and Honors of the World that is, in the times that are."

"You have indeed paid The Price," said the soft voice of the other," but still, still there is one thing more."

"And the one thing more?" asked the Pilgrim," I knew not that there could be one thing more."

The Keeper of the Temple was silent for a little, then said very gently: "Is there nothing, O Hadji, that you

Then all at once the Pilgrim understood. Said he slowly: "There is still one thing more. Tell me, tell

meWhy? Why The Law of the Pilgrimage? Why the journey so long? Why the way so hard? Why is the

And Thyself answered clearly: "He who lives always within Things can never worship in Truth. Eyes blinded

by the fog of Things cannot see Truth. Ears deafened by the din of Things cannot hear Truth. Brains

bewildered by the whirl of Things cannot think Truth. Hearts deadened by the weight of Things cannot feel

Truth. Throats choked by the dust of Things cannot speak Truth. Therefore, O Hadji, is the Temple of Truth

Thyself answered: "Found you no bones in the Desert? Found you no graves by the way?"

The other replied: "I saw the Desert white with bonesI found the way set among many graves."

"And the hands of the dead?"asked Thyself, in that voice so like the wind that stirred the leaves of the

forest "And the hands of the dead?" And the Pilgrim answered now with understanding: "The hands of the

dead held fast to their treasuresheld fast to their Wealth of Traditions, to their Holy Prejudices, to the

Then Thyself, the appointed Keeper of the Temple of Truth, went quietly aside from the path. With slow and

reverent step, with bowed uncovered head, the Pilgrim crossed the threshold and through the high arched

But within the Temple, before approaching the altar with his offering, the Pilgrim was constrained to retire to

The Quiet Room, there to spend the hours until a new day in prayerful meditation. It was there that this Tale

of The Uncrowned King came to himcame to him at the end of his long pilgrimage across the Desert of

Factscame to him after he had paid The Price, after he had fulfilled The Law, after he had asked of

There, in The Quiet Room in the Temple of Truth on the OuterEdgeOfThings, the Voices to the Pilgrim

IT was nearing the fall of day when first the Pilgrim laid himself to meditate upon his couch in the Quiet

Without the Temple, the tall trees rustled softly their glossy leaves and over the flowerfigured carpet of

green the sunlight and shadow fairies danced along the lanes of gold. High in the blue above, the fairy

cloudfleets were driftingdriftingidly floating. Over the Beautiful Sea, the glad wave fairies ran one

In The Quiet Room where the Pilgrim lay, it was very, very, still. Only the liquid music of the waves came

through the open windowcame to the Pilgrim clearer and sweeter than the sweetest notes from clear toned

Said the Voice: "To thee, O Hadji, I come from the Beautiful Sea; the interminable, unfathomable sea, that

begins at the OuterEdgeOfThings and stretches away into Neverness. I speak from out the Deeps

Beneath. I tell of the Great That Is. I am a Voice of Life, O Hadji, and mine it is to begin for you The Tale of

Very great and very wonderful, O Hadji, is the Land of Allthetime. Very great and very wonderful is the

Royal City Daybyday. Beautiful in Allthetime are the lakes and rivers, the mountains, plains and streams.

Beautiful in Daybyday are the groves and gardens, the drives and parks, the harbors and canals. Countless, in

this Royal City, are the palaces. Without number are the peoplewithout number and of many races,

But amid the countless palaces in this marvelous city Daybyday, there is one Temple onlyonly one. For the

numberless people of the many races, languages, and names, there is but one Godonly one. About this

Royal City there is no Wall. For the King of Allthetime, who dwells in Daybyday, there is no Crown.

But the days that were were not as the days that are, O Hadji, and therefore is this Tale.

In the long ago olden days, when King WhatSoeverYouthink ruled over the Land of Allthetime, there

were, in this Royal City Daybyday, religions manyas many quite as the races, languages and names of the

people. Many then were the temples built by the many followers of the many religions to their many gods.

For you must know that King WhatSoeverYouthink was, of all wise kings that ever were or will be, the

Always in the city streets there were vast throngs of people passing to and fro among the temples, bearing

offerings and singing praises to the gods of their choice; for the chiefest occupation of the dwellers in

Daybyday was then, as it is now, the old, old, occupation of worship. Some of the temples, it is true, were at

times quite deserted, while in others there was not room for the multitudes; but even in the nearly empty

temples the priests and beggars always remained, for, in that age, the people of Daybyday changed often their

And you must know, too, O Hadji, that in those long ago olden daysthe days of the reign of

WhatSoeverYouthink there was for the Ruler of Allthetime a Crown; and that of all the wonders in that

wonderful land this Crown was the most wonderful. More dear to the people of Daybyday than their city

itself, more precious than their splendid temples, more sacred even than their many gods, was thisthe

It was so, first, because the Crown was extremely old. From the beginning of the reign of the the Royal

Family Everyone, no one knows how many thousands of ages ago, it had passed from king to king, even until

It was so, second, because the Crown was exceedingly valuable. From the very beginning of the beginning

each ruler had in turn added a jewel to the golden, gem encrusted emblem of his rank.

It was so, third, because the Crown was a Magic Crown, though no one then knew its magicthey knew

Also, in those days, there was about this Royal City a Walla wall built, so they said, on the very

foundations of the world; so strong that no force could breach it, and so high that the clouds often hid its

towers and battlements. Only from the topmost cupola of the Royal Palace could one see over this mighty

And so the good people of Allthetime could all quite clearly see that in the Royal City Daybyday the precious

Magic Crown was as safe as ever crown could be. And it was so, O Hadjiit was so The Crown was as safe

And this too is truth, O Hadji; that in Daybyday, even now, you may find ruins of the many temples, and here

and there a little of the many gods. Even now you may see where the Great Wall was. But of the Crown, in

King WhatSoeverYouthink was the father of two sons; twins they were, and their namesReallyIs and

SeemstoBe. No one in all the kingdom could tell them one from the other, though the princes themselves

knew that ReallyIs was first born, and that when the wise king, their father, died, it would be for him to

One day when the young princes were playing in the palace yard they discovered, by chance, an old door that

led to the stairway in a tower. Of course they climbed up, up, up, until they stood at last in the cupola at the

very top. Far beneath their feet they saw the roofs of the Royal Palace, and the gardens, fields, and orchards,

like spots and splashes of color. The walks and courts appeared as lines and squares of white, while the

soldiers and servants moved about like tiny animated dots. Reaching away from the palace grounds on every

side was the wonderful city Daybyday, so far below that no sound could reach their ears. To their delight, the

princes found that they could even look down upon the Great Wall; and, because there were that day no

clouds to shut out the view, they could see far, far away over the Land of Allthetime."

Look, brother," cried SeemstoBe, catching ReallyIs by the arm in quick excitement, "Look! what is that

As he spoke, he pointed afar off to the land beyond the river that marks the end of Allthetime.

"I'm sure I cannot tell;" answered ReallyIs, shading his eyes with his open hand and gazing long and

earnestly in the direction his brother indicated; "It looksit looks like a city."

"It is, it is," cried SeemstoBe. "It is the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome. I remember hearing once

the Chief Gardener telling the Chief Coachman about it, and he said that the Chief Cook said that he heard

the Captain of the Guard say that it is far more wonderful than our own city Daybyday; and it must be so,

ReallyIs, for see, brother, how the walls shine like polished silver, and look! Is not that a palace or a temple

Often after that did the twin princes, ReallyIs and SeemstoBe, climb the winding stairs in the palace tower

and look away over the Great Wall of Daybyday to the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome. Many were

the hours they spent talking of the marvelous place that so filled the distance with dazzling splendor. And at

last, when the princes were quite grown, they went before their royal father and asked permission to visit the

Now King WhatSoeverYouthink was very sad when his sons made their request, but nevertheless, because

he was a wise king, he gave his royal consent, and, that the brothers might make their journey in comfort,

presented to each a priceless horse from the palace stables. To ReallyIs he, Reality; to SeemstoBe he gave

gave Appearance; and both were steeds of noble breeding, swift and strong, beautiful and proudas like

So it came that the two princes bade farewell to their father, the King, and rode bravely out of the city

Daybyday, through the Land of Allthetime, and along the way that leads to the City Sometime in the Land of

"And this, O Hadji," said the Voice of the Waves, "is all of The Tale of The Uncrowned King that is given

The liquid music of the waves came no longer through the open windowthe voice that was in the music

came no more to the Pilgrim in The Quiet Room. Without the Temple the tall trees were stillstill and silent

were the sweetvoiced birds. The sunlight and shadow fairies had danced to the ends of the lanes of

golddanced to the very ends and were gone. The feathery cloud ships in the blue above seemed to lie at

anchor, and over the surface of the Beautiful Sea no laughing ripples ran to play on the pebbly beach.

The Pilgrim arose from his couch, and, going to the open window, looked, and there, in the still, fathomless,

depth of the clear water, he saw as in a crystal glass the wonderful city Daybyday with its canals and harbors,

Then, even as the Pilgrim looked, quickly the Evening Wind sprang up. Again the tall trees rustled their

leaves, the cloud ships lifted their anchors, the waves of the Beautiful Sea ran joyously; the Vision in the

IT was early twilight when the Pilgrim in the Quiet Room returned to his couch and to his meditations.

Without the Temple, the last of the day was stealing over the rim of the world into the mysterious realm of

the yesterdays. The feathery cloud ships no longer floated white in the depth of blue, but with wide flung sails

of rose and crimson swept over an ocean of amethyst and gold. The ripples that ran on the Beautiful Sea were

edged with yellow and scarlet flame, while leaf, and blade, and flower, and bird, and all of their kind and kin,

were singing their evensong. Sweetly, softly, the choral anthem stole through the open window into The

And after a little the Pilgrim heard, whispering low, in the twilight hymn, the Voice of the Evening Wind.

Said the Voice: "To thee, O Hadji, I come from the Boundless Ocean Above that begins wherever you are

and extends farther away than the farthest point your thought can reach. I speak from out the Deeps Beyond. I

tell of the Great That May Be. I too am a Voice of Life and mine it is to continue for you The Tale of The

And this is the part of the Tale that was told by the Voice of the Evening Wind.

The twin princes ReallyIs and SeemstoBe, on their good horses Reality and Appearance, journeyed very

pleasantly through the Land of Allthetime toward the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome. Ever as they

went the Royal travelers saw before them the walls of the city gleaming like polished silver in the sun, and

high above the shining walls the great palace or temple that flamed like a ruby flame. Always as they rode the

two talked gaily, in glad anticipation of the marvels they would certainly see, of the pleasures they would

surely find, and of the delightful adventures that without doubt awaited them. So at last they arrived at the

Fairer than the dreams of angels, O Hadji, is the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome. Of such radiant

splendors, such dazzling brilliancy, such transcending glory there are yet no words fashioned to tell. It is a

city, in the form and manner of its building, of exquisite loveliness, of fairy grace, of towering grandeur. It is

a city in the beauty and richness of its color, all emerald, rose, and purple, all ruby, crimson and gold.

As the twin princes of Allthetime rode slowly through the wide jeweled gate and along the noble streets and

stately avenues, they exclaimed aloud with delight and wonder at the enchanting beauty of the scene. More

than they had heard at home was true. The poorest of the buildings in Sometime far exceeded in splendor the

richest of the palaces in Daybyday; while before the palaces of Sometime, ReallyIs and SeemstoBe stood

speechless and amazed. They were fairly drunken with the flashing, flaming, blazing, blinding glory of the

The people of Sometime, too, were exceeding fair and very charming in their manner, and they welcomed the

princes from Daybyday with a joyous welcome, answering their questions gladly and escorting them to the

palace of their king. For you must know, O Hadji, that the City Sometime, too, is a Royal City, the home of

Lookingahead, who rules over the Land of Yettocome. And King Lookingahead received his noble visitors

with gladness and had great pleasure, he said, in presenting them to his two daughters, the princesses of

Yettocome, Fancy and Imagination, who were fairer than any women the princes of Daybyday had ever seen,

For a long happy, happy time ReallyIs and SeemstoBe remained in the City Sometime. Every day, and

every day, with the royal princesses Fancy and Imagination for their guides, they rode or drove through the

wide streets and broad avenues, walked in the beautiful gardens, explored the shadowy groves or visited the

many palaces. And in this way it was that the charming princesses showed to their noble guests all the

wonders of the Royal City of the Realm of Yettocome, pointing out for them every day new beauties, finding

for them always new pleasures, leading them ever to fresh scenes of enchanting loveliness. And in turn the

princes told their fair guides many things of their own city, Daybyday, in the Land of Allthetime; of the

people with their many temples and their many gods; of their father WhatSoeverYouthink and his wise

reign. But most of all did they tell of the wonderful Crown, so very old, so very valuable, and how it was a

Magic Crown, though no one then knew its magic, but knew only that its magic was.

Thus ReallyIs and SeemstoBe learned that the dwellers in Sometime were unlike the people of Daybyday

in many ways, but in no way more than this, that they worshiped one god only, only one. The temple sacred

to this god stood in the very heart of the city, which is the very heart of the land, and it was this temple,

blazing like a ruby flame high above the shining city walls, the princes had seen from the tower of their

Often, very often did the four young people visit this shrine in Sometime with rich offerings to the god,

But there came a time at last when, returning from a long ramble through the city, ReallyIs and SeemstoBe

were met at the palace door by a royal messenger from home with the word that King

WhatSoeverYouthink was dead, and that the princes must hasten back to Daybyday, where ReallyIs

All was hurry and confusion in the palace of Lookingahead as the guests made swift preparations for their

journey. Quickly the word went throughout the city and many charming people came to express regret, to

sympathize and to bid the young men goodspeed and safe going on their homeward way. The princesses,

Fancy and Imagination, were very sad at losing their pleasant companions; and the Chief High Priest of the

"And this, O Hadji," whispered the Voice of the Evening Wind, "is all of The Tale of The Uncrowned King

The evening song of leaf and blade, and flower and bird, and all their kind and kin, ceased to come through

the open window into The Quiet Room. The low Voice of the Evening Wind no longer whispered to the

Pilgrim as he lay upon his couch. Without the Temple the eventide was passing from over the silent land and

For a little the Pilgrim waited; then rising from his couch, again he went to the open window, and lo! in the

evening sky he saw the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome. All the wondrous castles and palaces were

there, marvelous in their beauty, glorious in their splendor, dazzling in their colors of emerald, rose and

purple, of ruby, crimson and gold. From spire and dome, cupola and turret, tower and battlement the lights

flashed and gleamed, while the Pilgrim looked in wonder and in awe. And high above the city walls, that

shone as burnished silver in the sun, rose the temple flaming like a ruby flamethe temple sacred to the god

Slowly, slowly, the last of the twilight passed. Slowly, the graceful lines, the proud forms, the majestic piles

of the city meltedmelted, blurred and were lost even as are lost the form and loveliness of a snow flake on

the sleeve. Slowly, slowly, the glorious colors faded as fade the flowers at the touch of frost. The lights went

Without the Temple it was very stilldark and still. Very still was it within The Quiet Room, and the

darkness that came stealing through the open window was a thick and heavy darkness. The Pilgrim lay upon

his couch staring with blank, unseeing eyes into a blackness wherein there was not even a spot of gray to

And after a little there came out of the heavy darkness the sad, sad Voice of the Night.

Said the Voice: "To thee, O Hadji, I come from the Limitless Realm of the Past that begins this moment and

reaches back even beyond the day of all beginnings. I speak from the Deeps Above. I tell of the Great That

Was. I also am a Voice of Life, and mine it is to tell you yet more of The Tale of The Uncrowned King."

Now it happened, as things sometime so happen, that ReallyIs lingered over long, saying goodbye to his

friends in the City Sometime in the Land of Yettocome; and that when he had lingered long with his friends

So it was that, while the prince was promising many promises and receiving in turn promises as many, his

brother, SeemstoBe, mounted and was well started on his journey before the heir to the throne of Allthetime

was in the saddle. With the last goodbye spoken to his royal friends, the last promise promised to the fair

princess, and the last farewell waved to the charming people, ReallyIs urged his horse fast and faster,

thinking thus to overtake his brother. But very soon ReallyIs found that, fast as he rode his good horse

Reality, SeemstoBe on Appearance rode faster. Greater and greater grew the distance between the two

princesfarther and farther ahead rode SeemstoBe; until at last, when the distance between them was such

that he could no longer see his brother, ReallyIs, the rightful heir to the throne of Allthetime, understood

"For you must not forget, O Hadji," said the sad Voice of the Night," that no one in Daybyday could tell the

twins, ReallyIs and SeemstoBe, one from the other, and therefore, you see, the prince who first reached the

Hard and fast, fast and hard, rode the two who raced for the Crown of Allthetime. But always Appearance the

horse of SeemstoBe, proved faster than Reality, the horse of ReallyIs, and so the prince who was first born

Now just this side of the river that marks the end of the Land of Allthetime the road divides, the way to the

left leading to the Brazen Gate called Chance, and the other, to the right, going straight to the Golden Gate,

Opportunity. And just here it is, at the parting of the ways, that Wisdom lives in his little house beside the

When ReallyIs in turn arrived at this place, he dismounted from his tired horse, and approaching the little

"Aye, that I have," replied Wisdom with a smile, "that I have, young sir, and many would say that it was

"It was my brother, good sir," replied the prince." May I ask which way he went and how far he rides ahead?"

The old man, pointing, answered: "He took the road to the left there and he rides so far ahead that you cannot

"At least I must try to overtake him," answered the prince, and, thanking the old man, he turned quickly to

But Wisdom cried, "Why so fast? Why so fast? Is not your brother's name SeemstoBe? And are not you,

"It is indeed so, sir," replied the young man sadly. "I am ReallyIs. I was born before my brother,

SeemstoBe, and am, therefore, the rightful heir to the Crown. Our father, King WhatSoeverYouthink, is

dead, and I must hasten or my brother will be crowned king, for as you see, the people cannot tell us one from

Then said Wisdom: "But you will gain nothing by haste, oh ReallyIs,nothing but time, and there is much

of greater value than time to a King of Allthetime. Even now is SeemstoBe entering the city. Even now is he

by the people being hailed King. Therefore, tarry a while before you act and listen to my words."

So it was that ReallyIs paused on his journey to sit awhile with Wisdom in the little house by the side of the

Then did Wisdom take from his shelves many a ponderous, time worn volume and read to the prince History,

Prophecy and Law, revealing to him thus the Secret of the Magic of the Crown of Allthetime.

And from the last volume, that which Wisdom read to ReallyIs was this: "Be it known, O whosoever

readeth, that if any prince of the royal family Everyone enter the city Daybyday through the Brazen Gate

called Chance, he shall be forever held unworthy of the throne and crown. In the sacred Law of All the Ages

it is written that a King of Allthetime may enter the Royal City only through the Golden Gate Opportunity."

Then ReallyIs answered royally. "This you have taught me, O Wisdomthis is my mind: The Crown is not

Then did Wisdom with bowed head salute the True King. "And your will, Sire; may I know your Majesty's

King ReallyIs replied: "My will is this: that I myself obey the sacred Law of The Ages."

"I will pity SeemstoBe," replied The King in sorrow, "I will have much pity for that poor, foolish one."

"And peace will dwell in thy heart, O King of Allthetime," said Wisdom, "true peace and understanding."

And SeemstoBe, who rode so fast and so far ahead of ReallyIs, and who paused not at the house of

Wisdom, entered the city Daybyday through the Brazen Gate called Chance, and was received by the people

With great tumult and shouting, with grand processions and ceremonies, the false prince ascended the throne

of Allthetime and was crowned with the Magic Crownthe Crown of which no one then knew its magic, but

Then began such times as were never before nor since seen in Daybyday; with holiday after holiday for the

people, with festivals and parades, with carnivals and games, with feasting and dancing; until the chief

occupation of the people was forgottenuntil their many temples were empty, their many gods neglected;

until with a fete extraordinary, SeemstoBe decreed that there should be from henceforth and forever, in

Daybyday, one temple onlyone temple sacred to one god, the god Things AreGoodEnough.

"And this, O Hadji," said the sad Voice of the Night, "is all The Tale of The Uncrowned King that is given

me to tell." The Voice in the darkness ceased. The Pilgrim, rising, groped his way to the window.

Without, all was dark with a thick darknessall was still with a heavy stillness. Only the stars were in the

Deeps Above. The stars so old, so ever newonly the stars. Lifting his face, the Pilgrim looked at the stars,

and lo! as he looked, those whirling worlds of light shaped themselves into mighty letters, and the letters

shaped themselves into words, until in the heavens the Pilgrim read the truth that Wisdom had given to

ReallyIs in the little house beside the road. "The Crown is not the kingdom, nor is one King because he

Then even as he stood the Pilgrim saw the sad Night preparing to depart. Far away beyond the stars the first

faint light of the morning touched the sky. Slowly the world began to awake. Slowly the message in the stars

IT was gray dawn when the Pilgrim turned once more to his couch in The Quiet Room.

Without the Temple, tree and bush and plant and grass were beginning to stir with fresh and joyous strength,

while the clean air was rich with the smell of the earth life and filled with murmuring, twittering, whispering,

morning calls. Through the open window, into The Quiet Room where the Pilgrim lay, the Bright Morning

Said this Voice to the Pilgrim: "To thee, O Hadji, I come from the Infinite Future. The interminable, eternal

times that are to come, that begin but never end. I cry from the Deeps Within. I call from the Great That Will

Be. I, too, am a Voice of Life, and mine it is to complete for you The Tale of The Uncrowned King."

ReallyIs, the true King of Allthetime, after leaving Wisdom in his little house beside the road, journeyed

slowly and thoughtfully toward the Royal City Daybyday, along the way that leads to the Golden Gate

Opportunity. And while the pretender, SeemstoBe, was delighting the people with great feasts, and amusing

them with all manner of festivals, parades and games, ReallyIs, very quietlyso quietly that his brother did

not knowentered the city and took up his abode in a tiny house under the walls of a deserted temple once

And so it was that when SeemstoBe went forth from the royal palace to ride in grand procession, clothed in

regal splendors, with the Crown upon his head, and surrounded by gorgeous soldiers of rank and pompous

officials of state, with the royal trumpeters proclaiming his greatness and power and the multitude shouting

loud expressions of their loyalty, ReallyIs, the King, stood still beside the way, smiling, smiling sadly at the

And never did ReallyIs neglect to make his offering every morning in the temple sacred to the god

ThingsThatOughtToBe; though in secret he worshiped there because of the decree of SeemstoBe. And

no one told the false ruler that his commandment was broken, nor spoke to him the name of his brother

But after a while, as time passed by, things went not so gaily with the imposter on the throne of Allthetime.

The Court Fool noticed it first and made a jest about it, and SeemstoBe laughed royally long and loud, and

all the Court laughed with him, for the fool, ThinksHeIs, is a most famous fool, the greatest that has ever

Next, the Lord Chief High Chamberlain noticed, and the Lord Chief High Chamberlain whispered to

SeemstoBe a most portentous whisper. And the portentous whisper of the Lord Chief High Chamberlain

reached the ears of the Chief First Officer of State; then passed from Officer of State to Officer of State until

it reached the Chief Captain of the Guard, and soon the soldiers of the royal army and even the royal servants

Then it was that SeemstoBe sent throughout the kingdom, commanding in haste to the palace the most

expert workers in gems and the most cunning workers in gold to be found in the Land of Allthetime.

It was true. The priceless jewels of the Magic Crown were losing their brilliancy. The precious gold of the

Crown was becoming dull. Nor could all the skill of the workers in gems, all the craft of the workers in gold

And so the whispers grew louder and louder until the people began to talk in low tones among themselves,

questioning, questioning one another of the meaning of this thing. And at last the Royal Officers of State

began to look with distrust and fear upon their ruler, who tried so hard to wear bravely his crown of tarnished

gold and lusterless gems; and the soldiers came to look with doubt and fear upon the officers, who whispered

so among themselves; and the people looked with suspicion and fear upon them all.

Without understanding, filled with dread and apprehension, worn with wracking worry, poor SeemstoBe

sought with honors, decorations, and distinguishing titles to hold the fastfailing confidence of his court and

army, and with holidays more frequent, festivals more gay, games more interesting, and parades more

Now all this time, while the poor foolish pretender, SeemstoBe, was losing his power even as the beauty of

the Magic Crown was fading, King ReallyIs lived very quietly in his little house under the walls of the

abandoned temple, and never did he fail to make his daily offering to his god, the god

ThingsThatOughtToBe. And always when his brother SeemstoBe with the fading Crown upon his

head, passed in gorgeous procession of state, surrounded by his distrustful officers, doubting soldiers and

suspicious people, ReallyIs smiled sadly and whispered to himself: "Poor SeemstoBe, poor foolish one!"

So it was, that in all the Royal City Daybyday, in the Land of Allthetime, peace and understanding dwelt only

And the people more and more came to love ReallyIs, even as they more and more turned from

SeemstoBe, notwithstanding the holidays, feasts and parades. Little by little, they learned to watch daily for

their King, and with the children would run to greet him. More and more the multitude pressed about

ReallyIs when he stood quietly in the street, watching SeemstoBe pass by in the splendid chariot of state.

More and more the people went daily with ReallyIs to worship in the temple sacred to the god

So the time came at last when the Magic Crown, tarnished and dull, seemed but a mockery, fit only for the

rubbish heap; when the Officers of State spoke aloud their doubts and fears and the soldiers were openly

disobedient; when the people, as the pretender passed through the city streets, no longer shouted aloud

expressions of their loyalty, but, with dark looks of doubt and anger, stood silent, or laughed in mocking glee.

Then in secret the false price went alone to the house of his brother the King and prostrated himself humbly.

"What is your wish, my brother?" asked ReallyIs, kindly, "make known to me your request."

And SeemstoBe taking heart at the gentleness of ReallyIs answered: "This is my wish, O Kingmy

brother, this is my request; that you come to dwell with me in the royal palace, that you share with me the

throne. Twins we are, sons of our royal father, of the royal family Everyone. Therefore let us rule together the

Answered ReallyIs." By your coming to me, SeemstoBe, I know that you, too, at last have learned the

And the pretender replied: "No one can tell us one from the other. You only shall wear the Crown; then for us

But King ReallyIs answered sadly: "O my brother, that which you ask cannot be. In the Law of the Ages it

is written that a King of Allthetime cannot, if he would, share his throne and power with one who is false,

else would he himself be held unworthy I have seen your wretchedness, my brother; I have seen and I have

Then SeemstoBe went sadly out from the presence of his brother, the King, and the next morning they

found him dead on the steps of the temple sacred to the god ThingsAreGoodEnough.

And now with great tumult and shouting the people gathered to do homage to ReallyIs. And never was there

seen in Daybyday such a multitude. From the uttermost parts of Allthetime they came, for the word of his life

And it happened, when all was ready for ReallyIs to ascend the throne, and the royal trumpeters had lifted

their trumpets ready to proclaim him King of Allthetime, with the vast multitude breathless, ready at the

signal of the trumpets to break forth in a great, glad shout, "Long live the king," and the Lord Chief High

ThingsThatOughtToBe, that even as he turned the Crown vanished, and lo! there was in the hands of

In consternation the Lord Chief High Chamberlain whispered to the royal high officials about him, asking

what should be done. In consternation, the royal high officials whispered among themselves. In consternation

ReallyIs, when he was asked what should be done, answered with a smile: "The Crown is not the kingdom,

And the people, when the trumpets made it known that there was no crown and declared the word of

ReallyIs, with one voice cried loudly: "ReallyIs is King! ReallyIs needs no Crown! Long live ReallyIs,

Thus the True King ascended the throne of Allthetime, and the trumpeters trumpeted loudly many times:

"Long live the king who needs no crown!" and with a great shout the people answered again many times:

"And this, O Hadji," said the glad Voice of the New Day, "is how it came to be that in the days that now are,

there is, in this Royal City Daybyday, in the wonderful Land of Allthetime, no crown.

And this also you must know, that in the reign of ReallyIs the people of Daybyday have more and more

turned from their many gods to worship only the god of their King, until there is left now of the many

deserted temples only ruins, and of the many gods of the many people of many races, languages and names

only one, the god of ReallyIs, ThingsThatOughtToBe. The mighty Wall that was built, they thought,

on the foundations of the world, when there was no longer a crown to keep, of its own great weight fell. And

the Royal City Daybyday, in the reign of ReallyIs, is extending its borders more and more, until there are

those who think that with the City Sometime it will soon be one, and then they say that the promises made by

ReallyIs and the Princess of Yettocome will be fulfilled and that the glory and splendor of their reign will

"But of that, O Hadji," said the glad Voice of the New Day, "I cannot tell you now. I have finished The Tale

The Voice that was in the Morning ceased. The Quiet Room was filled with light. Quickly the Pilgrim arose

Every leaf of the tall trees, every blade and every inwoven flower in the velvet carpet of green, wore beads of

shining crystal that sparkled and glittered in radiant splendor. Every tiny ripple that ran on the Beautiful Sea

was a line of silver flame. And in the overhead ocean of pearly light, floated glowing banks of orange, and

scarlet and gold, while, to the Pilgrim, bird and tree and plant and flower and wave and cloud seemed to join

in one glad triumphant shout: "Long live ReallyIs! Long live The Uncrowned King!"

Then the Pilgrim who had paid The Price, who had fulfilled The Law of the Pilgrimage, who had asked of

Thyself, the Keeper of the Temple of Truth, "Why," went to lay his offering on the altar to the god