Chapter III

1 _Concerning Ronda_. 6 _Concerning Yapp_. 7 _Concerning Smuts_. 9 _Concerning Barnz_. 16 _Concerning Rep_.

Now he that was chosen for to keep the food of the people, and to be the chief larderer in the land, his name, it was Ronda.

2 And the path of this man, it was beset with obstacles; and it did lie between the devil, _that was_ the sellers of victuals, and the deep sea, _that was_ the people.

3 And he did have dominion over the birds _of the_ air, and over the beasts _of the_ field, and over the fishes that were in the sea.

4 And at a _word_ from his mouth, all the rabbits that were in the land, they did vanish out of sight; neither were they seen any _more_ of man.

5 Nevertheless, though some did curse him openly, yet did he do that _which_ was appointed unto him.

6 ¶ Now he that was an help unto Ronda, his name, it was Yapp. And he was a man that did buy him pig in small _pieces_; neither did he get him the half of a swine, save only _over_ a long time and in fragments.

7 ¶ Now there was a certain great captain, and his name, it was Smuts. And he did come _from_ afar off for to counsel the fighters of En.

8 And notwithstanding that his name, it was _what_ it was, nevertheless he was a power in the land; and his words, they were sold for _the price_ of four farthings.

9 ¶ Now, there was another man, _also_, and his name, it was Barnz. And notwithstanding that _he was_ a man of labour, nevertheless, his seat was amongst the rulers of the land.

10 And he spake unto the people _in_ a speech, and he said unto them, Who is Winston and who _is_ he? Verily, he is _that_ man who hath butted him in, and he hath wrought mischief throughout all the land, because of _what_ he hath done.

11 And after he had finished speaking, behold, a clamour arose amongst all the people, and they cried out against Winston, _because_ he had butted him in.

12 And when Barnz saw how _it was_ with the people, and that Winston, also, he was swollen up with the anger _that was_ in him, then did he speak unto the people again, fearing _lest_ they had not heard him aright.

13 And he spake unto them in these words, saying, What I _did_ mean or what I did ought to have meant, it _was_ another thing.

14 Wherefore, understand ye all that Winston, he did not butt _him_ in alone. For I, even I, that be Barnz, the man of labour, I also did butt me in _with_ him. Also, _and_ moreover, we did butt us in together.

15 And at that time, there was no butter, save _only_ these, in all the land of En.

16 ¶ Now there was a certain man, and his name, it was Rep: and his pen, it was mightier _than_ his sword.

17 And he did remove himself from the camp of the Amalekites and did pitch his tent _amongst_ the children of Moab.

18 And when he was arrived in the land of Moab, he straightway sat _himself_ down on a seat, and he did spread him _out_ for to write.

19 Yea, he did write even such things _and_ such things; and things also in likewise, these _did_ he write him as well.

20 And he did rend the Amalekites _with_ words, and the rulers of the land did he chastise most hotly; with the quill of a goose did he smite them, nor spared he any one _of them_ at all.

21 Wherefore all _those_ that heeded him, they did tear their clothes in the violence of their perturbation. And they did put on sackcloth and ashes, and their faces they did smear _with_ mud, crying out in a loud voice, _and_ saying,

22 Now is the end of all things, and _now_ the end of En. Verily, we are thrown in the dust at the feet of our enemies, for the rulers are turned _against_ us.

23 And they do conspire with the Amalekites for to bring about our undoing. Yea, the end of all things, it is _close_ at hand.

24 And because they were amongst the false prophets, therefore was _it_ not so. And, notwithstanding that Rep, he did write him _thus_ darkly, nevertheless the people, they did get them _on_ with the war.

25 But Rep, because he did write _concerning_ secret matters, he paid for his temerity in an hundred pieces of gold, all good money _and_ very precious.