The Fairies fluttered their wings indignantly at this, but the Fairy Queen reminded them that it was not polite to make a quarrel in somebody else's house, and the Wymp went on undisturbed.
"So I have come down from the land of the Wymps, which is at the back of the sun, just to remind you that you mustn't leave us out again. However, I see I am spoiling the fun, so I will be off again. But I may as well mention"—here he looked straight at the Prince and burst out laughing again—"that in future you will always tell people what you think of them. Ha! ha! ha! that is the Wymps' gift to you. Good-by!"
And away he sped up the sunbeam again, and the curtain fell away from the sun, and the people in the street went on cheering just where they had left off, and the conversation broke out again at the very place it had been interrupted, and no one would have thought that anything had happened at all. But the Prince heard nothing but the Wymp's mocking laughter, and he sat silent for the rest of the day.
"Are you ill, dear Prince?" asked the Queen.
"Of course not! You are a tiresome old fidget," said the Prince, crossly. Now the Prince was noted for his excellent manners; he was even known to speak politely to his horse and his spaniel; so when the courtiers heard his reply to the Queen, they began to whisper among themselves, and the guests made ready to depart.
"It is the heat; you must really excuse him," said the King, getting up from the table with a sigh.
"What nonsense!" said the Prince. "It is not hot at all. It is your fault for having such a stupid long banquet."
"We have enjoyed ourselves so much," said the guests, as they filed past him.
"Oh no, you haven't," retorted the Prince; "you have been thoroughly bored the whole time, and so have I."
"It is the Wymps' gift," whispered the courtiers.