But the ploughman answered, "No, hardly ever any one, because the seas run so swiftly through the straights that no boat can live in them—so people would have to come a long way round by land. Besides, they've got everything that we've got, so what could they want here?" the ploughman said, and added slily, "all except one thing, that is."
"Why, what is that?" the Queen asked.
And the ploughman answered, "Why, the Queen, of course; because we have got her."
But the little old woman held her hand to shield her eyes from the fire's blaze, and looked across at the Queen.
"I shouldn't think it was a very nice country to live in," she said.
The Queen asked, "Why?"
"Well, one evening when we were down by the sea, we saw the whole sky lit up over there, and, later, we heard from a traveller, that the people had set fire to the town when they were fighting about who was to be Regent."
"Yes, I'm afraid they are rather fond of doing that; but I didn't know anything about it."
"How was that?" the ploughman said.
And in reply, the Queen told them her story, to which they listened very attentively, and hardly interrupted at all to ask questions.