“Shall I be asked to sing or play?” asked Tono.
“I should say not,” replied the Captain, “for the King always travels with his own musicians, and if he wants any music he has only to say so.”
“And how shall we address him?” asked Slumber.
“As ‘Noble King,’ ‘Your Majesty,’ or ‘Your Royal Highness’,” said the Captain.
“If there is any doubt as to which he prefers, couldn’t we address him as ‘Your Royal Majesty’s Noble Highness’?” asked Touchstone.
“Silence!” commanded Captain Featherweight. “This is no time for jesting, and if any elf from this time forward be found guilty of jesting about the King, he shall forthwith be sent to Doomdell. This time I spare you, Touchstone.”
“Shall I touch stone next time, noble Captain?” asked Touchstone.
But as soon as he saw that the Captain was really angry that he should joke in this way about the prison walls of Doomdell, he immediately got down on bended knee and begged the Captain’s pardon. And Captain Featherweight, who was anxious that they should all live in harmony, graciously granted it.
“And Owly,” continued the Captain, “I warn you not to be too clever. I should think Prince Prigio would be a warning to you. Don’t you remember how everybody hated him because he was so very clever and let everybody know it? And that it was only when he concealed the fact and seemed no cleverer than other people that they began to love him?”
“I’ll do my best,” said Owly, “but if I am as clever as you say, it is my nature to be so and I cannot help it.”