"Most absurd! Why, the children in the schools could have told us that, eh?" added the King, glancing at the Royal Professor of Geography, who sat on his right hand.
"No doubt; no doubt. Though it does not belong to my branch of learning," said the latter, looking cheerfully at the Royal Professor of History, who was trying, for his part, not to look at anybody at all.
"Then if you know such a lot about us, how was it you didn't ask us to the banquet, eh?" shouted the little Wymp in a most disagreeable manner.
"Dear me!" said the Queen. "Is it possible you never had the letter?"
"I have no doubt," added the King, "that it was never posted."
"Or perhaps it was not properly addressed," suggested Lady Daffany, politely.
The Wymp looked from one to the other and winked; then he stood on his head and burst into a fit of laughter.
"It is no use, dearest," said the Prince, gloomily. "We have never heard of the Wymps, and we had better own it at once. I suppose that means another bad gift, and I had quite enough of that at my christening. It is enough to set one against banquets altogether. There's always some one left out. First, it's Fairies, then it's Wymps. Now, then, Mr. Wymp, just tells us where you came from, and why you are here, and get it over, will you?"
"Now that's sensible. I think I'll shake hands with you," said the Wymp, coming down on his feet again, and standing on tiptoe to grasp the Prince's hand. The Prince felt it was like shaking hands with a very damp sponge.
"Now I'll tell you what it is," continued the Wymp, climbing up a decanter, and standing with one foot on the stopper and the other tucked up like a stork's; "the Wymps have been left out of this banquet altogether, and Wymps are not people to be trifled with. Why people make such a fuss about Fairies I never can make out. Now if you'd left some of them out, it wouldn't have made any difference. They just overcrowd everything, and it's not fair."