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none appearing, he sent his own warriors to attack the villages.
They soon reached the first village, which they began to plunder.
The fools of both sexes looked calmly on, offering not the least
resistance when their cattle and provisions were being taken from them.
On the contrary, they invited the soldiers to come and live with them,
saying: "If you, dear friends, find it is difficult to earn a living in
your own land, come and live with us, where everything is plentiful."
The soldiers decided to remain, finding the people happy and prosperous,
with enough surplus food to supply many of their neighbors. They were
surprised at the cordial greetings which they everywhere received, and,
returning to the ruler of Tarakania, they said: "We cannot fight with
these people--take us to another place. We would much prefer the dangers
of actual warfare to this unsoldierly method of subduing the village."
The Tarakanian ruler, becoming enraged, ordered the soldiers to destroy
the whole kingdom, plunder the villages, burn the houses and provisions,
and slaughter the cattle.
"
Should you disobey my orders," said he, "I will have every one of you
executed."
The soldiers, becoming frightened, started to do as they were ordered,
but the fools wept bitterly, offering no resistance, men, women, and
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