The Busybody Extraordinary, who had been exerting himself more than all the others in his efforts to please the King, immediately commenced to repeat the following:--=
“Aren’t you going to repeat the moral?” asked the Lord High Fiddle-de-dee when he had finished.
“There isn’t one,” said the Busybody Extraordinary.
“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,
“That’s one,” replied the Advertiser General.
“That’s another,” said the Lord High Fiddle-de-dee.
“That’s the third,” chimed in the First Lord of the Cash Box.
“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,--
``"Hey diddle diddle the cat couldn’t fiddle,
``The little dog said, ‘This is very poor sport,’
```And the dish had a row with the spoon,”
“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.”
``'Dear me,’ he cried, ‘this water’s wet,
``'Why shouldn’t I have wings?’ he cried;
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.”