‘Perhaps you would like to take him there yourself,’ she said.
But the doctor said:
‘Good gracious! no. I think he’s perfectly capable of taking himself without any assistance. D’you know, your Majesty, I’ve got a very pressing case outside; and if you will excuse me I will retire.’
And he retired so quickly that he left his umbrella behind him—for you see he was very frightened of the Owl.
Acting on his advice the Princess went to bed, and dismissed her ladies-in-waiting and told them not to come to the room again until she called for them.
And then she lay with her hand under her head thinking of nothing in particular, and the Owl sat on the top of the canopy over her bed.
Suddenly she heaved a deep sigh.
‘I wish I knew what had become of him,’ she thought to herself.
‘You wouldn’t like it if you did know,’ said a strange cracked voice that seemed to come from nowhere in particular. She started up and looked all round the room, but there was no one to be seen; so she thought it was all imagination, and lay down again. And again she thought to herself, ‘How I should like to be with him.’