"And don't make them too large," went on the Queen; "I am very particular about the fit."
"I'd like to be a queen and wear a crown," said Nellie, after a pause.
Her Majesty smiled. "Indeed! And pray, what would you do if you were?"
"I'd buy a lamb for all the children at Miss Primmer's. Oh, and chocs.--such lots of chocs. And I'd put on my best frock every day, and have cake every time I wanted it, and I'd have as many sixpences as I liked, and----"
"Stop, that will do," said the Queen; "if you always wore your best frock you'd soon want a new one, and then where would all your sixpences be? And as for the cake, I always keep my cupboards locked, so that no one can take a piece without asking for it; and the honey cupboard. I am very fond of honey."
"Yes, I know, we sing about it in school," said Nellie.
"Oh, indeed? you do, do you? That's very nice. But what do you sing about me?"
"Oh, we sing:--
"'Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baking in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Was not that a dainty dish to set before a king?
The king was in his counting house, counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey,
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
There came a little blackbird and snapped off her nose.'"
"That's very pretty," said her Majesty; "I wish I could write poetry like that."