But Master Gracington, with downcast eyes, knelt before the throne and spoke in this wise:
"This is my riddle, oh, King:
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses
And all the King's men
Cannot put Humpty together again!"
"Read me that, sire, an' you will!"
The King thought earnestly for a long time, and he slapped his head and rubbed his ears and walked the floor in great strides; but guess the riddle he could not.
"You are a humbug, sir!" he cried out at last; "there is no answer to such a riddle."
"You are wrong, sire," answered the young man; "Humpty Dumpty was an egg."
"Why did I not think of that before!" exclaimed the King; but he gave the Princess to the young man to be his bride, and they lived happily together.
And thus did Humpty Dumpty, even in his death, repay the kindness of the fair girl who had shown him such sights as an egg seldom sees.