"I could hardly feed myself in that awkward cottage of yours!" retorted Queen Grumpy.
"Oh, my poor bird!" exclaimed the old woman. "Here, hurry and give me back my own dress that I may loop it above my red flannel petticoat and be comfortable once more. I suppose you took the bread out of the oven in time—did you?"
"I forgot it, and it burned," sulkily replied Queen Grumpy, buttoning herself into her trailing velvet robes.
"Oh, what stupid folk are kings and queens!" cried the old woman in a passion. "Come along, husband," she called, and down the hill they went.
"And what stupid folk are cottagers!" called King Crosspatch after them. "Come along, wife," said he, and up the hill they went.
And so these four old folk again went on their separate ways. All four were sure that they were walking on the road to happiness at last, and so all were very jolly and smiling in consequence.
"Oh, there's no place like home!
Oh, there's no place like home!"
sang the old man and his old wife, as they went trudging down to the little cottage so snug.
"Oh, there's no place like home!
Oh, there's no place like home!"
sang Queen Grumpy and King Crosspatch, as they went climbing to their splendid palace on the top of a high hill; and there we will bid them all adieu!