The Light Princess and Other Fairy Stories

r instance, after breakfast, the king went int

on gave him

gold sovereigns weighs a quarter of an ounce, and my re

hey lay with a broad smile of self-sat

ld not swallow it. The king heard her sobbing. Glad of anybody, but especially of his queen, to quarrel with,

" exclaimed he. "What ar

the queen, looking ru

ou've just eaten your breakfast-tw

obbed her Majesty. "It

d? She's neither up the chimney nor dow

p a sigh, which he tried t

light-hearted, I am sure,

d," answered the queen, looking with

to be light-hande

be light-fingered,"

to be light-foote

gan the queen; but the

he has had only imaginary opponents, and in which, therefore, he has come

be light-minded," retorted the queen,

heel, and betook himself to his counting-house again. But he was

" screamed she, determined to have more l

hair that arrested him; it was the double use of the word light. For the king hated all witticisms, and punning especially. And besides, he c

ooked angry still, because she knew that she was guilt

nable between married people of any rank, not to say kings and queens; a

jest, but I broke it in the making. I am

e king took her in his arms;

ar this?" s

't," said

to be done?"

said the queen. "But migh

I suppose you mea

said th

't mind," sa

ss declared, with a grave face, that she knew nothing at all about it. Her eyes, however, shone pink, which was a sign that she was happy

able to suggest something herself. She will know

?" exclaimed the king, in sud

ere to have children! In the course of a hundred years the air

e queen. "Besides, by that time they will

the king's

physicians; but he was afraid th