Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno Concluded.djvu/210

172 "They were strange people in that little planet!" I said.

"They were indeed! Perhaps their method of government was the strangest of all. In this planet, I am told, a Nation consists of a number of Subjects, and one King: but, in the little planet I speak of, it consisted of a number of Kings, and one Subject!"

"You say you are 'told' what happens in this planet," I said. "May I venture to guess that you yourself are a visitor from some other planet?"

Bruno clapped his hands in his excitement. "Is oo the Man-in-the-Moon?" he cried.

Mein Herr looked uneasy. "I am not in the Moon, my child," he said evasively. "To return to what I was saying. I think that method of government ought to answer well. You see, the Kings would be sure to make Laws contradicting each other: so the Subject could never be punished, because, whatever he did, he'd be obeying some Law."

"And, whatever he did, he'd be disobeying some Law!" cried Bruno. "So he'd always be punished!"