‘Don’t be rude, or you shan’t succeed,’ said the voice.
‘If I don’t succeed the Princess will never become Queen of the kingdom.’
‘How can she become Queen of the kingdom?—it would have to be a queendom. And I don’t see, if you do succeed, how she is to become Queen!’
‘As I’ve said before,’ said the Prince, ‘you’re excessively dull if you don’t see.’
‘I shall tell her what you said.’
‘Oh, do anything you like, only leave me alone, do,’ said the Prince, who by this time was quite in a temper.
So she let him alone, and made no answer when he wanted her to talk again. However, in a few minutes Ablot came into the square, followed by a large number of men, whom she heard him command to surround the Palace, which they accordingly did; and then, choosing five men, he and the Prince entered the Palace, Ernalie following them, for she didn’t know exactly what else to do. The first of the Palace guards they came to was fast asleep, and they did not molest him; but the second one was awake, and so was the third one. These two made some resistance, but they were soon knocked down and bound; but that was not much good, for they made such a noise that they would soon have brought the household about their ears, only it happened to be Saturday and all the servants were having a half holiday, and the only effect of the shouting was to bring King Mumkie out on to the landing. He had been sitting up to let the servants in when they came home, and he was in rather a bad temper.
‘What the deuce are you making such a noise for?’ he shouted to the guards.
But as the guards had been gagged by this time, they could only gurgle hopelessly.