“Of course it is,” the princess responded. “We are roasting young chickens for dinner today.”
The youth cleared his throat. “Ahem!” There he stood like an idiot. He was not prepared for such remarks from the princess. How nice it would be to make a witty response! But he could think of nothing appropriate, and all he did was to clear his throat again. “Ahem!”
“It doesn’t matter,” the princess said. “Take him out.” And out he had to go.
Now the other brother entered. “How hot it is here!” he said.
The princess looked as if she thought him tiresome as she responded: “Of course. We are roasting young chickens today.”
“Where do you—um?” the youth stammered, and the reporters wrote down, “Where do you—um?”
“It doesn’t matter,” the princess said. “Take him out.”
After a while Blockhead Hans had his turn. He rode his goat right into the room and exclaimed, “Dear me, how awfully hot it is here!”
The princess looked at him and his goat with more interest than she showed in most of her suitors and said: “Of course! We are roasting young chickens today.”
“That’s good,” Blockhead Hans commented; “and will you let me roast a crow with them?”