Prince Ricardo of Pantouflia | Page 7

never
thought there was much in physical science of any sort; most dreary
stuff. Why, they say the earth goes round the sun, whereas any fool can
see it is just the other way on."
King Prigio was struck aghast by these sentiments in the mouth of his
son and heir, the hope of Pantouflia. But what was the king to say in
reply? The astronomers of Pantouflia, who conceived that they knew a
great deal, had certainly been taken by surprise this time. Indeed, they
have not yet satisfactorily explained this eclipse of the moon, though
they have written volumes about it.
"Why, it may be the sun next!" exclaimed his Majesty. "Anything may
happen. The very laws of gravitation themselves may go askew!"
At this moment the butler, William, who had been in the queen's family
when she was a girl, entered, and announced:
"Some of the royal tradesmen, by appointment, to see your Majesty."
So the king, who had scarcely eaten any breakfast, much to the
annoyance of the queen, who was not agitated by eclipses, went out and
joined the tailors and the rest of them.
CHAPTER III.
The Adventure of the Shopkeepers.

{Man with sword: p48.jpg}
Dick went on with his breakfast. He ate cold pastry, and poached eggs,
and ham, and rolls, and raspberry jam, and hot cakes; and he drank two
cups of coffee. 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 splendid bow, and requested them to be seated.
But they declined to sit in his sacred presence, and the king observed
that, in that case he must stand up.
"I have invited you here, gentlemen," he said, "on a matter of merely
private importance, but I must request that you will be entirely silent as
to the nature of your duties. It is difficult, I know, not to talk about
one's work, but in this instance I am sure you will oblige me."
"Your Majesty has only to command," said Herr Schnipp. "There have
been monarchs, in neighbouring kingdoms, who would have cut off all
our heads after we had done a bit of secret business; but the merest
word of your Majesty is law to your loving subjects."
The other merchants murmured assent, for King Prigio was really liked
by his people. He was always good-tempered and polite. He never went
to war with anybody. He spent most 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 everybody go to school whether he likes it or not; a most
mischievous and tyrannical measure! "A fellow who can't teach himself
to read," said the king, "is not worth teaching."
For all these reasons, and because they were so fond of the queen, his
subjects were ready to do anything in reason for King Prigio.
Only one tradesman, bowing very deep and blushing very much, said:
"Your Majesty, will you hear me for one moment?"
"For an hour, with pleasure, Herr Schmidt," said the monarch.

"It is an untradesman-like and an unusual thing to decline an order; and
if your Majesty asked for my heart's blood, I am ready to shed it, not to
speak of anything in the line of my business--namely, boot and shoe
making. But keep a secret from my wife, I fairly own to your Majesty
that I can not."
Herr Schmidt went down on his knees and wept.
{Herr Schmidt went down on his knees: p52.jpg}
"Rise, Herr Schmidt," said the king, taking him by the hand. "A more
honourable and chivalrous confession of an amiable weakness, 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 can bear, the chance
of ridicule. There is no one here, I hope, but respects and will keep the
secret of Herr Schmidt's confession?"
The assembled shopkeepers could scarcely refrain from tears.
"Long live King Prigio the Good!" they exclaimed, and vowed that
everything should be kept dark.
"Indeed, sire," said the swordmaker, "all the rest of us are bachelors."
"That is none the worse for my purpose gentlemen," said his Majesty;
"but I trust that you will not long deprive me of sons and subjects
worthy to succeed to such fathers. And now, if Herr Schmidt will
kindly find his way to the buttery, where refreshments are ready, I shall
have the pleasure of conducting you to the scene of your labours."
Thus speaking, the king, with another magnificent bow, led the way
upstairs to a little turret-room, in a deserted part of the