"
"I forgive you," replied her sister, in kindly tones.
Then the little maid who had met with defeat gave a sob and turned
away weeping, for she had expected anything but forgiveness.
And now the Ki-Ki came forward and, bowing their handsome blond heads
before the High Ki, demanded: "Are we forgiven also?"
"Yes," said the girl, "but you are no longer fit to be rulers of my
people. Therefore, you are henceforth deprived of your honorable
offices of Ki-Ki, which I shall now bestow upon these good captains
here," and she indicated the good-natured officers who had first
captured the prince and Nerle.
The people of Twi eagerly applauded this act, for the captains were
more popular with them than the former Ki-Ki; but the blond ones both
flushed with humiliation and anger, and said:
"The captains fought against you, even as we did."
"Yet the captains only obeyed your orders," returned the High Ki. "So
I hold them blameless."
"And what is to become of us now?" asked the former Ki-Ki.
"You will belong to the common people, and earn your living playing
tunes for them to dance by," answered the High Ki. And at this retort
every one laughed, so that the handsome youths turned away with twin
scowls upon their faces and departed amidst the jeers of the crowd.
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