Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/377

Rh greater was his wonder at the marvels of nature. Everything was in such good order and so well kept; there was not even a blade of grass that did not show evidence of having been watered. And the strangest thing about it was that he had seen no one to care for all of this. But the garden was so perfect and so admirably kept that it was impossible there should be no master gardener to keep this domain in such wonderful order.

So great became his admiration for this man, whoever he might be, that it became his greatest desire to know him, and to thank him for all the pleasure he had received from just being there, and for the opportunity allowed him to study the marvels that were all about him.

But there is an end to all things, and the course which each of these young men was pursuing was changed when an order from their king called upon them to return and render an account of their doings. So they set out for the gate by which they had entered, and as soon as they had passed through this the first of the three—he who had