"Tla-la-la … tla-la-la …"
He perceived the children standing in a row, gazing at him. He stopped short. His song ended. He stood there smiling.
"Good morning!" said Everychild. He added in a voice which faltered just enough to make his question seem in good taste, "Have you got your lamp?"
Aladdin moved a little, so that they might all see his lamp. He held it aloft and looked at it, and then at Everychild.
"And so you haven't been able to think of the best thing of all?" asked Everychild.
"Alas, no," replied Aladdin, his eyes suddenly becoming somber.
Everychild thought again, as he had done before, how strange it was that Aladdin should wish to be rid of his lamp. But he thought it best to speak cheerfully. "We were just wishing for breakfast," he said. "But of course it didn't do any good, because we hadn't any lamp."
Aladdin's eyes began to twinkle again. "What did you wish for breakfast?" he asked.
Hansel made haste to say, "Sausages—and plenty of them!"
Grettel reflected and said: "Eggs. Some nice poached eggs."