The Missing Prince

It’s seldom that you find a King
So handy about everything,
And yet so regal too.

“When in my Royal Robes I’m drest,
I’ll be most gracious to each guest,
Attending your ‘At Home.’
And when they’ve gone I will not scorn
To mend your children’s clothes, if torn,
Or hair to brush and comb.

“You give a Dinner – just so – look —
I’ll help the Footman – Butler – Cook,
Before the guests arrive.
In fact, I humbly claim to be,
Without the slightest question, the
Most useful King alive.”

“Can you suggest any improvement?” he asked when Boy had finished reading the Prospectus.

“No,” replied he, “I think it reads very well indeed, and I hope that you will soon get an engagement.”

“I intend going into trade,” remarked the late Advertiser General from the throne at the other end of the room. “So many of the nobility now open shops that I don’t see why Kings should not do so too. I intend to establish some Stores at Zum, and call it the ‘Royal Service Supply Association for providing Kings and Queens and other members of Royal families with the necessaries of life!’ You see something of the kind must be done or we shall all starve.”

“Yes, I think that is a capital idea,” said Boy. “I will ask King Smith I. to deal with you when I get back to the Palace; but I must be going now. Good-afternoon, Your Majesties,” and Boy bowed politely, and was just going out of the door when he heard both of the Kings hurriedly scrambling down from their thrones. He waited to see what they wanted, and when they reached him, each King caught hold of one of his arms, and whispered in his ear, —

“Would you mind inviting me home to tea?”

“Oh! certainly, come by all means, if you like,” said Boy, remembering that there were lots of things left in the larder.

“Thank you awfully,” said the Advertiser King.

“Much obliged,” echoed the other, and hurrying down the stairs and out into the street the three Kings went arm-in-arm to the Palace.

CHAPTER XI. – WHAT HAPPENED IN THE GRIM FOREST

THEY entered the Palace gardens by the private gate, the key of which King Smith I. had given to Boy before he started, and were walking towards Boy’s apartments when they met His Majesty, the late footman, hurrying along one of the corridors. He bowed rather distantly to the other two Kings, and said to Boy, in an excited tone of voice, —

“I’ve found the Portmanteau!”

“Never!” cried Boy.

“Yes,” replied King Smith I., “I was sitting having my tea, when suddenly it dropped down from somewhere on to the tea-table. I can’t think where it came from. Come and see it;” and he led the way to his apartments, where, sure enough, there was the Portmanteau, about which such a fuss had been made. It was quite an ordinary-looking one, but there could be no mistake as to whom it belonged, for there were the words, written on it, and below in smaller letters —

“H.M. the King of Limesia

His Bag”

written on it, and below in smaller letters —

“Steal not this bag for fear of shame,
For on it is the owner’s name.”

“Where can it have come from?” asked Boy, gazing at it curiously.

“I can’t think,” replied King Smith I., “unless Ohah had something to do with it. I shouldn’t be at all surprised if he had a finger in the pie.”

“Perhaps,” suggested Boy, “he made it invisible like the Prince and Princess, and now that he is a Kottle his charms have lost their power.”

“Very likely,” agreed the others. And then the question arose, “What should be done with it?”

Boy thought it ought to be sent back to the King of Limesia, but the others said “No! let him send for it, or come for it himself if he wants it;” and King Smith I. thought that an advertisement ought to be sent to the papers, worded something like this

FOUND A RATHER SHABBY PORTMANTEAU, Belonging to some king or another. If not claimed within the next ten days, will be sold to defray expenses. The finder expects to be handsomely; rewarded

They could not come to any definite arrangements about it, though, and it was placed in the corner of the room while they had their tea.

During this meal Boy was rather silent, for he was hatching in his own mind a little plot, in which the Portmanteau was to play an important part.

“How far is Limesia from here?” he asked casually, while tea was going on.

“Oh! not far,” was the reply; “it is the adjoining kingdom, just through the Grim Forest, you know.”

Boy knew where the Grim Forest was, for it had been pointed out to him from one of the Palace windows – a great dark-looking wood stretching away as far as the eye could see.

“Is there no other way of getting there?” he asked anxiously.

“No,” was the reply, “that is the only way;” and Boy sat thinking and thinking till tea was over and the other Kings went home; then he suggested to King Smith I. that he should take charge of the Portmanteau till the King of Limesia sent for it, and this having been agreed to, he carried it up to his own apartments.

“If I can only get it to the King of Limesia,” he thought, “he would no doubt be very pleased, and perhaps would advise me what I ought to do about fetching the little King back again;” for you see Boy was greatly worried at the way in which things were going on at Zum; he felt that with so many Kings and Queens about there was a great danger of the country coming to grief.

So as soon as he could he manfully set out from the Palace quite alone to try and find his way through Grim Forest to Limesia. He had discarded his paper crown and sceptre and carried the precious Portmanteau – which fortunately was not very heavy – on his shoulder. He was rather alarmed at the prospect of his journey through the dark forest, but he was a brave, sturdy little fellow, and determined to make the best of it. He commenced whistling as he entered the wood, and had not gone far when he saw an old man gathering sticks.

“Can you please tell me, is it far to Limesia?” he asked.

“Eh?” said the man, putting his hand to his ear.

“Is it far to Limesia, please?” repeated Boy.

“Ay! that’s what I told her!” said the old man, shaking his head, “but she would put the onions into it. I told her the gentlefolks would be sure not to like’em.”

“You don’t understand me,” shouted Boy; “I want to know the way to Limesia.”

“I dare say they have, I dare say they have,” replied the old man; “use is no odds in these parts, sir.”

“Oh dear me!” thought Boy, “he’s dreadfully deaf; I shall never make him hear, I am afraid;” and he was just going to walk away when he saw an old woman in a red cloak hobbling towards them with the aid of a crooked stick.

“My husband is very deaf,” she said, “and cannot hear a word you say. Can I do anything for you, sir?”

“Oh, I was only asking the way to Limesia,” said Boy.