The Missing Prince

“Yes, there is; in fact, there are four morals to it,” said the Lord High Fiddle-de-dee. “Aren’t there?” he asked, appealing to the others, who nodded.

“What are they then?” said the Busybody Extraordinary.

“Don’t always wear your Sunday clothes,
Or it will make you vain.

“That’s one,” replied the Advertiser General.

“Don’t balance birds upon your nose,
Or you’ll be thought insane.

“That’s another,” said the Lord High Fiddle-de-dee.

“If any one sings out of tune,
It’s not much use to scold.

“That’s the third,” chimed in the First Lord of the Cash Box.

“And if your voice is very harsh,
Don’t sing unless you’re told.

“And that’s the fourth,” added the Lord High Adjudicator.

“More,” shouted the King, clapping his hands, and the Kitchen Poker in Waiting got up and said, —

“I know a short one, Your Majesty.”

“Go on,” replied the little King.

“Hey diddle diddle the cat couldn’t fiddle,
The cow turned her back on the moon,
The little dog said, ‘This is very poor sport,’
And the dish had a row with the spoon,”

repeated the Kitchen Poker in Waiting.

“Is that all?” asked the King. “Doesn’t any one else know another?”

“I think,” said Boy, “that I could repeat ‘Simple Simon.’”

“That’s right,” cried His Majesty; “try.”

So Boy began:

“Simple Simon went a-skating
On a pond in June.
‘Dear me,’ he cried, ‘this water’s wet,
I fear I’ve come too soon.’

“Simple Simon saw a sparrow
Flying through the air.
‘Why shouldn’t I have wings?’ he cried;
‘I’m sure it isn’t fair.’

“So simple Simon bought some feathers,
Made a pair of wings;
And now he’s broken both his legs
He calls them ‘foolish things.’

His Majesty seemed very pleased with this rhyme, and Boy had to say it over again. Then the King proposed a game of blind man’s buff, and they had a fine time in the old Hall, till tea was ready, when they all went out on to the Terrace again and had it served at little tables.

They had the bread and jam cut rather thick because they were all very hungry after their exertions, and as His Majesty drank milk and water, the others were obliged to do the same. Boy could see the Lord High Adjudicator and the Lord High Fiddle-de-dee making very wry faces over it; but it would not have been considered etiquette for them to have tea while the King drank milk and water.

Soon after Tea His Majesty went back to the Palace after telling them all that he had enjoyed himself very much indeed and hoped to see them all the next day.

“That’s all very well,” said the Lord High Adjudicator, when His Majesty and the Royal Nurse had gone, “but I don’t see how the Public affairs can be attended to while this sort of thing goes on. I can quite see that having a King so young as His Majesty may cause us considerable difficulty in the future.”

“That is very easily remedied, gentlemen,” said a voice from the other end of the Hall, and turning around they beheld an extraordinary-looking old man, in a long, flowing red gown and a high conical hat. His beard, which was very long, was perfectly white, while bushy black eyebrows shaded a pair of very bright, piercing eyes; his hat and gown were both embroidered with a number of mysterious-looking figures and signs. How he had entered the Hall was a mystery, for no one saw him come in, and there was no door near where he was standing.

“That’s very easily remedied, gentlemen,” he repeated, glancing rapidly from one to the other from under his shaggy eyebrows. “I can very soon help you out of the difficulty if you wish, for I am ‘Ohah,’ the Magician. You may have heard of me before.”

CHAPTER VIII. – OH AH, THE MAGICIAN

THE greatest consternation followed this announcement, and the Lord High Adjudicator in particular looked greatly alarmed.

“Wh – wh – what do you want?” he stammered nervously.

“I think I have the pleasure of addressing His Importance the Lord High Adjudicator, have I not?” replied Ohah. “I scarcely recognised you in that – ahem – that costume,” he added, smiling sarcastically.

“Oh, I wear it for the sake of coolness,” said the Lord High Adjudicator, hastily his bib, which was somewhat disordered, been having very warm weather lately.

“Oh! really!” said Ohah. “And I suppose you play leapfrog and blind man’s buff for the sake of coolness too, eh? I should have thought that at your time of life you had given up such frivolities.”

“It was His Majesty’s fault,” said the Lord High Adjudicator sheepishly; “he would have a parliament of children, and so we were obliged to dress like this and play games, or we should have lost our positions.”

“H’m! doesn’t it strike you as being rather foolish to have a King so young as your present one?” inquired Ohah.

“Well, it certainly has its disadvantages,” admitted the Lord High Adjudicator; “but what are we to do? He is the lawful successor to the throne, you know.”

“Well, I could soon help you out of that difficulty if you wished,” said the Magician, a cunning look creeping over his face.

“What do you mean?” asked the Lord High Adjudicator.

“I could make him invisible, you know, like the Prince and Princess, and then you could govern the country yourselves,” suggested Ohah.

“Oh, but that wouldn’t be right, surely,” said the Lord High Adjudicator.

“Oh, I don’t know,” chimed in the Busybody Extraordinary; “we sha’n’t be able to manage very well with a King like this, and if there was no legal successor to the throne we could have a general election, you know, and choose a King for ourselves.”