Prince Ricardo of Pantouflia

re of the S

offee. Meanwhile the king had joined the tradesmen who attended by his orders. They were all met in the royal study, where the king made them a most sp

I must request that you will be entirely silent as to the nature of your duties. It is diffi

neighbouring kingdoms, who would have cut off all our heads after we had done a bit o

of the royal income on public objects, and of course there were scarcely any taxes to speak of. Moreover, he had abolished what is called compulsory education, or making ev

so fond of the queen, his subjects were rea

wing very deep and blu

ill you hear me

leasure, Herr Schmid

my heart's blood, I am ready to shed it, not to speak of anything in the line of my business-namely

nt down on his

if it is to be called a weakness, I never heard. Sir, you have been true to your honour and your prince, in face of what few men c

epers could scarcely

" they exclaimed, and vowed that

swordmaker, "all the re

e of sons and subjects worthy to succeed to such fathers. And now, if Herr Schmidt will kindly find his way to the

ction of miscellaneous things: an old cap or two, a pair of boots of a sort long out of fashion, an old broadsword, a shabby old Persian rug, an ivory spy-glass, and other articles. These were

the Sword of Sharpness. The ivory glass showed you anyone you wanted to see, however far off. The boots were the Seven-league Boots, which Hop-o'-my-Thumb stole from

ch I must ask you to excuse me for keeping to myself, I wish you to provide me

objects, each choosing that

de. By a lucky accident, I happen to have one at home in a small collection of anc

for it, as I wish no one of you to leave the palace, if

your Majesty,"

, "I have a Persian one quite identical w

ke Herr Schnitzler,

wo old caps just like these, part

fortunate," s

unimportant, at least for the present. Perh

tician, "if your Majesty will a

" said the king; "but that, too, is

and paper for them to write their orders on. But no one was within

is Majesty; "and, it seems a strange thing to ask, but may I ad

own on it, and wish he was somewhere else, and

William on the stairs; but when he came back, th

n that part of the castle. He shouted for them, and looked everywhere; but

ndow over the gate, and s

he c

turned round, look

n anyone go o

e," answered

ss what had happened, hurr

tradesmen with parc

ajesty, severely. "For what reason did y

wn, humbly implor

getting his politeness. "Get up, and tell

came forwar

eve me; indeed, I can sc

brought the articles. All orders executed with punctuality and disp

ibited the Andrea Ferrara blade, which

there was a Persian rug, which no on

nce saw that it was his Wishing Cap, and understood all about the affair. The hatter, in his absence, had tried on the Wishing Cap, and had wished that he himself and his friends were all at home and back again

luding the shoemaker, back in the town at their shops, and also wish

ad a kind of idea that they had dreamed something odd; but, as it went no f

fairy things which would not work. It would have saved a great deal of trouble; but I am so much out

xcept the Seven-league Boots, to his own room, where he locked them up, leaving in their place the sham Wishing

they did not act. Then he would be left to his own cleverness and courage to get him out of the scrape. That would teac

agine, with all the powers at his command, the king fancied he could easily rescue Ricardo from any very serious danger at the hands of giants