They had inspected the Keramids and all sorts of stuffed animals, and were on their way out, and Platoff thinks to himself: "Now, glory to God, all is well—the Emperor admires nothing!"
But no sooner had they reached the very last room, when lo! there stood workmen in their every-day waistcoats and aprons, holding a salver on which there was nothing at all. And the Emperor began to wonder what they were giving him on the empty salver.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asks.
And the English artisans reply: "This is a respectful gift from us to Your Majesty."
"But what is it?"
"Here," they say, "please to observe this tiny speck."
The Emperor looked and saw that the tiniest sort of a speck really was lying upon the salver.
The workmen say: "Please spit on your finger, and take it in your palm."
"But what am I to do with this speck?"