“Here you are, then,” he called out cheerfully; “how are you all?”
“Very well indeed, thank you,” shouted Girlie, who was very glad to see him.
They had some difficulty in securing the balloon, but, at last, they succeeded in catching the anchor under a great rock partly buried in the sand, and the Royal Microscopist quickly threw out a rope ladder and descended to the ground.
“THE CROW SAID HE WOULD FLY UP AND SEE WHO IT WAS.”
After kindly shaking hands with everybody, he turned to the Wallypug and said, “Things are really reaching such a pitch at Why, that I couldn’t stand it any longer, so set out to try to find you. Everything is completely topsyturvy. The Cockatoo, who has had herself proclaimed Protectress, has established herself in the Royal Palace, and has turned out your two sisters, who have had to go to the Crocodile’s to lodge. She has made the Doctor-in-law Chancellor of the Exchequer with full powers to make what taxes he likes, so long as he gives her half, so he simply taxes us for everything. It costs three half-pence to sneeze at Why now, a halfpenny to sit down and a penny to stand up, fourpence halfpenny a day to talk out loud, and twopence three farthings to whisper, and I’m really afraid that we shall have to pay for breathing, next. The Husher has been imprisoned for calling the Cockatoo names, and all the King’s Minstrel’s compositions have been publicly burned, and he has been fined forty-six pounds seven shillings and ninepence three farthings ‘for writing rubbish’; so that, altogether, things are in a very uncomfortable state.”
“I can’t think,” said Girlie, who had been listening in great surprise, “how all this could have possibly happened in so short a time; why, it was only this morning that we started for the Excursion.”
“Oh, you know how queerly time goes at Why,” replied the Royal Microscopist. “We’ve had a whole month there since you’ve been away.”
“What’s the date there now, your Majesty?” asked the Wallypug.”
“The onety-twoth of Octobruary, I think; isn’t it, Crow?” said the Royal Microscopist.