"Surely," laughed the little Prince, "if so many people are occupied in being serious there is no need for me to bother about it!"
"You cannot even read," said the King, frowning.
"No; but my Professor can," said Prince Charming. "He can read the longest words in the dictionary without taking breath. When any one in the kingdom can read so beautifully as that, it would surely be impolite to try to imitate him!"
"The poorest children in the kingdom know far more than you do," said the King, who was rapidly losing patience.
"Then there are plenty of people to tell me everything I want to know," smiled the Prince. "What is the use of knowing just as much as everybody else? There would be nothing left to talk about."
The King looked at the Queen in despair.
"It is not the boy's fault," said the Queen soothingly; "you see, the fairies did not come to his christening."
"And the wymps did," sighed the King. "I suppose that is why we have a stupid son without an idea in his head."
Prince Charming took off his crown and felt his head very carefully.
"What is an idea?" he asked. "And why have I no idea in my head? Have you got one in your head, father?"