od thing," he said; "really, a very good thing, in
bringing us these specimens of the human family. But for his cleverness,
I might have died without ever dreaming that men were gifted with
tails." [Kings never get hold of the truth at the right end.] "I wonder
if the queen knew it. Pray, did you know, my Augusta, that men had
tails?"

"Our exemption from state affairs gives us females better opportunities
than your majesty enjoys, to study these matters," returned his royal
consort, by the mouth of her lady of the bed-chamber.

"I dare say I'm very silly--but our cousin, here, thinks it might be
well to do something for these good people, for it may encourage their
king himself to visit us some day."

An exclamation of pleasure escaped the ladies; who declared, one and
all, it would be delightful to see a real human king--it would be so
funny!

"Well, well," added the good-natured monarch, "Heaven knows what
may happen, for I have seen stranger things. Really, we ought to do
something for these good people; for, although we owe the pleasure of
their visit, in a great degree, to the cleverness of Reasono--who,
by the way, I'm glad to hear is declared an H. O. A. X.--yet he very
handsomely admits, that but for their exertions--none of our seamikins
being within reach--it would have been quite impossible to get through
the ice. I wish I knew, now, which was the cleverest and the most useful
of their party."

Here the queen, always thinking and speaking by proxy, suggested the
propriety of leaving the point to Prince Bob.

"It would be no more than is due to his rank; for though they are men, I
dare say they have feelings like ourselves."

The question was now submitted to Bob, who sat in judgment on us all,
with as much gravity as if accustomed to such duties from infancy. It is
said that men soon get to be familiar with elevation, and that, while
he who has fallen never fails to look backwards, he who has risen
invariably limits his vision to the present horizon. Such proved to be
the case with the princely Bob.

"This person," observed the jackanapes, pointing to me, "is a very good
sort of person, it is true, but he is hardly the sort of person your
majesty wants just now. There is the lord high admiral, too--but--"
(Bob's but was envenomed by a thousand kicks!)--"but--you wish, sire,
to know which of my father's subjects was the most useful in getting the
ship to Leaphigh?"

"That is precisely the fact I d