‘It’s quite clear you were listening. I’ll excuse you this time, but if I catch you eavesdropping again I’ll make the Owl take you up into the sky and drop you—that may be a drop too much for you. You can go now, but don’t do so any more.’
But the Prince had still hold of him.
‘By the bye,’ he said, ‘there’s a horsepond near here; I think I’ll just take you there and throw you in, as I said I would if I caught you again.’
But the Princess said:
‘Oh, let him go, Prince,’ and the doctor hurried off at a great rate.
‘I don’t think he’ll come back again in a hurry,’ said the Prince; ‘meanwhile, what about the Knight of London?’
‘I must get rid of him as soon as I can, and I want you to help me.’
‘I, your Majesty—but how?’
‘The Council have decided that last tournament was not fair, because the Knight came in fresh and you were already tired out, so they have decided to have it over again, and you are requested to come and fight—for me.’
‘But what is the use of that? he’ll knock me over just as he did before.’