"What can ail the nurses?" they whispered in terrified tones. They could not go near enough to the basket to see what the trouble was, and still it seemed very necessary that they should.
"I wish I had a telescope," said the lady with the hair-brush.
But there was none in the room, and it was contrary to the rules of etiquette for any person to leave it until the Princess was taken from the basket.
There seemed to be no proper way out of the difficulty. Finally the first fiddler stood up with an air of resolution, and began unwinding the green silk sash from his waist. It was eleven yards long. He doubled it, and launched it at the basket, like a lasso.
"There is nothing in the code of etiquette to prevent the Princess approaching us before she is taken from her basket," he said bravely. All the ladies applauded.
He threw the lasso very successfully. It went quite around the basket. Then he drew it gently over the five yards. They all crowded around, and looked into it.
The Princess was not in the basket!
THE PRINCESS WAS NOT IN THE BASKET.