,
to the council chamber.

"'The important juncture had now arrived when the fat had to be
cut up into little square pieces, and browned on silver spits. The
ladies-in-waiting retired, because the queen, from motives of love and
duty to her royal consort, thought it proper to perform this important
task in solitude. But when the fat began to brown, a delicate little
whispering voice made itself audible, saying, "Give me some of that,
sister! I want some of it, too; I am a queen as well as yourself; give
me some."

"'The queen knew well who was speaking. It was Dame Mouseyrinks, who
had been established in the palace for many years. She claimed
relationship to the royal family, and she was queen of the realm of
Mousolia herself, and lived with a considerable retinue of her own
under the kitchen hearth. The queen was a kind-hearted, benevolent
woman; and, although she didn't exactly care to recognize Dame
Mouseyrinks as a sister and a queen, she was willing, at this festive
season, to spare her the tit-bits she had a mind to. So she said, "Come
out, then, Dame Mouseyrinks; of course you shall taste my browned fat."

"'So Dame Mouseyrinks came running out as fast as she could, held up
her pretty little paws, and took morsel after morsel of the browned fat
as the queen held them out to her. But then all Dame Mouseyrink's
uncles, and her cousins, and her aunts, came jumping out too; and her
seven sons (who were terrible ne'er-do-weels) into the bargain; and
they all set-to at the browned fat, and the queen was too frightened to
keep them at bay. Most fortunately the mistress of the robes came in,
and drove these importunate visitors away, so that a little of the
browned fat was left; and this, when the court mathematician (an
ex-senior wrangler of his university) was called in (which he had to
be, on purpose), it was found possible, by means of skilfully devised
apparatus provided with special micrometer screws, and so forth, to
apportion and distribute amongst the whole of the sausages, &c., under
construction.

"'The kettledrums and the trumpets summoned all the great princes and
potentates to the feast. They assembled in their robes of state; some
of them on white palfreys, some in crystal coaches. The king received
them with much gracious ceremony, and took his seat at the head of the
table, with his crown on, and his sceptre in his hand. Even during the
serving of the white pudding course, it was observed that he t