“Vell,” said the German Brownie, “if I see somedings in dot blace shining like blitzen I bulls him oudt alretty yed und say noddings!” They were then hustled off to their new tasks.
With the mine-sprites and Brownies the king started to dig away, and he tried not to shirk, but to do his stint with the rest of them. The sight of royalty reduced to hard labor affected all his subjects greatly, though they had little opportunity for sympathy so severely did their taskmasters press them.
The heaps of precious stones piled up higher and higher, and their eyes fairly blinked at the sight of them.
“I never saw so many jewels before in all my life,” declared His Majesty, wincing as he felt a sudden crick in his back. “Whenever I look at them I feel just as though I were going to break out with carbuncles.”
“I wonder when they’ll bring us something to eat,” said Florimel, who was beginning to grow hungry.
He was very much relieved when some time later Boundingbore appeared with a cauldron of lukewarm soup, which was served in skimpy little plates.
“Here, take mine back,” complained King Stanislaus. “Look what’s in it! Just imagine what would have happened to me if I had swallowed it.”
As he spoke he held up a pin which he had found in his soup.
“It wouldn’t have hurt you, Your Majesty,” said the Policeman. “It’s a safety pin.”