ugh they have
written volumes about it.

"Why, it may be the sun next!" exclaimed his Majesty. "Anything may
happen. The very laws of gravitation themselves may go askew!"

At this moment the butler, William, who had been in the queen's family
when she was a girl, entered, and announced:

"Some of the royal tradesmen, by appointment, to see your Majesty."

So the king, who had scarcely eaten any breakfast, much to the annoyance
of the queen, who was not agitated by eclipses, went out and joined the
tailors and the rest of them.

CHAPTER III.
The Adventure of the Shopkeepers.

{Man with sword: p48.jpg}

Dick went on with his breakfast. He ate cold pastry, and poached eggs,
and ham, and rolls, and raspberry jam, and hot cakes; and he drank two
cups of coffee. Meanwhile the king had joined the tradesmen who attended
by his orders. They were all met in the royal study, where the king made
them a most splendid bow, and requested them to be seated. But they
declined to sit in his sacred presence, and the king observed that, in
that case he must stand up.

"I have invited you here, gentlemen," he said, "on a matter of merely
private importance, but I must request that you will be entirely silent
as to the nature of your duties. It is difficult, I know, not to talk
about one's work, but in this instance I am sure you will oblige me."

"Your Majesty has only to command," said Herr Schnipp. "There have been
monarchs, in neighbouring kingdoms, who would have cut off all our heads
after we had done a bit of secret business; but the merest word of your
Majesty is law to your loving subjects."

The other merchants murmured assent, for King Prigio was really liked by
his people. He was always good-tempered and polite. He never went to
war with anybody. He spent most of the royal income on public objects,
and of course there were scarcely any taxes to speak of. Moreover, he
had abolished what is called compulsory education, or making everybody go
to school whether he likes it or not; a most mischievous and tyrannical
measure! "A fellow who can't teach himself to read," said the king, "is
not worth teaching."

For all these reasons, and because they were so fond of the queen, his
subjects were ready to do anything in reason for King Prigio.

Only one tradesman, bowing very deep and blushing very much, said:

"Your Majesty, will you hear me for one moment?"

"For an hour, with pleasure, Herr Schmidt,