It occurred to Bink that Justin might actually be better off as a tree than he had been as a man. He liked people, but it was said that in his human form he had not been handsome. As a tree he was quite stately, and no threat to anyone.

       They veered to approach Justin. Suddenly a voice spoke directly in front of them: "Do not approach, friends; ruffians are lurking."

       Bink and Sabrina drew up short. "Is that you, Justin?'' she asked. "Who is lurking?"

       But the tree could not hear as well as it could speak, and did not answer. Wood did not seem to make the best ears.

       Bink, angry, took a step toward it. "Justin is public scenery," he muttered. "Nobody has a right to-"

       "Please, Bink!" Sabrina urged, pulling back on arm. "We don't want any trouble."

       No, she never wanted any trouble. He would not go so far as to call this a fault in her, but at times it became annoyingly inconvenient Bink himself never let trouble bar him from a matter of principle. Still, Sabrina was beautiful, and he had caused her trouble enough already tonight. He turned to accompany her away from the tree.

       "Hey, no fair!" a voice exclaimed. "They're going away."

       "Justin must've tattled," another cried.

       "Then let's chop down Justin."

       Bink halted again. "They wouldn't!" he said.

       "Of course they wouldn't," Sabrina agreed. "Justin is a village monument. Ignore them."

       But the voice of the tree came again, a bit misplaced in relation to Bink and Sabrina-evidence of poor concentration. "Friends, please fetch the King quickly. These ruffians have an axe or something, and they've been eating locoberries."

       "An axe!" Sabrina exclaimed in sheer horror.

       "The King is out of town," Bink muttered. "Anyway, he's senile."