confronted the Knight. —
The Knight made a pass at the Prince with his rapier, but the Prince caught the thrust on his shield, and the sword came to the same end as the spear. The Knight had still his heavy battle-axe, and he lifted it on high to swing it down on to the head of his opponent. The Prince made no movement to defend himself, and the axe came full on his crest — through the crest it hit its way, and through the steel helmet, but when it got past the steel it hit on a paper helm below, and the axe shivered at the touch as if it had been glass. Then the Prince caught the Knight by the wrist:
‘Keep still,’ he said, ‘or I run you to the heart with my paper dagger.’
‘You can’t,’ sneered the Knight.
‘Why not?’
‘Because I’m heartless; so you can’t hurt my heart.’
The Prince took no notice of what he said. He had turned to the Princess, who was clapping her hands for joy — which was rather an unprincess-like act; but she couldn’t help it.
‘What shall I do with him?’ he said.
‘Let him go, I suppose.’
And the Knight was beginning to walk off as fast as he could. But a loud and commanding voice came from behind the Princess, and she looked behind her suddenly, and she almost fainted, for a marvellous change had come over the Owl, and it was still changing. She rubbed her eyes in astonishment, and all the people who could see him did so too, and then a great shout went up from all of ‘God save the King!’ for it was no longer the Owl they saw — it was the old King.
‘Stop!’ he cried loudly to the Knight, who was slinking off—’you have not received your reward yet. Just wait a moment, and to prevent mistakes just take your ordinary form.’
And again every one present rubbed their eyes in astonishment — for the handsome calm face of the Knight was shrivelling up, and his raven hair had become an ugly gray, and the people recognised him too as an old acquaintance, for he was — who do you think now? Why, he was Merrymineral — it seemed as if that day gave two instances of old friends with new faces.
Although he didn’t at all seem to want to stay, he was obliged to stop at the King’s voice. So he stood in the middle of the lists looking very uncomfortable — for every one was looking at him. The King began:
‘Now let us see how many crimes you have committed. You have broken your oath — isn’t that right?’
‘Oh! quite correct, your Majesty.’
‘And you have rebelled against my daughter?’
‘Quite correct, your Majesty.’
‘And you have intended to murder her?’
‘Just so, your Majesty.’
‘And you tried to marry her?’
‘I should have been only too pleased, your Majesty.’
‘And you don’t repent, do you?’
‘Not at all, your Majesty.’
‘And the right punishment for each of your crimes is death?’
‘Just so, your Majesty.’
‘But I don’t care to sentence you to death — it’s not hard enough. I sentence you to live underground for ten thousand years.’
‘Ten thousand years, your Majesty!’
‘You can go at once, and if I catch you above ground — I shouldn’t like to be you.’
‘No, your Majesty. Good-day.’ And he kissed his hand to the Princess, and bowed gallantly to the Prince of India, and then the ground gave way under him — and he has never been heard of since. But the King turned to the Prince of India and said:
‘You may go now, Prince.’
The Prince looked astonished.
‘I do not quite understand, your Majesty,’ he said.
The King looked at him and said:
‘You seem to be uncommonly hard of understanding, cousin of India. I said, You can go.’
‘But I don’t want to go, your Majesty,’ the Prince answered, getting a little red.
‘Oh, don’t you?’ said the King; ‘from what I heard of a certain pleasant conversation in a certain summer-house you seemed to have important affairs of State that demanded instant attention.’
Here the doctor suddenly remarked:
‘If you
The Knight made a pass at the Prince with his rapier, but the Prince caught the thrust on his shield, and the sword came to the same end as the spear. The Knight had still his heavy battle-axe, and he lifted it on high to swing it down on to the head of his opponent. The Prince made no movement to defend himself, and the axe came full on his crest — through the crest it hit its way, and through the steel helmet, but when it got past the steel it hit on a paper helm below, and the axe shivered at the touch as if it had been glass. Then the Prince caught the Knight by the wrist:
‘Keep still,’ he said, ‘or I run you to the heart with my paper dagger.’
‘You can’t,’ sneered the Knight.
‘Why not?’
‘Because I’m heartless; so you can’t hurt my heart.’
The Prince took no notice of what he said. He had turned to the Princess, who was clapping her hands for joy — which was rather an unprincess-like act; but she couldn’t help it.
‘What shall I do with him?’ he said.
‘Let him go, I suppose.’
And the Knight was beginning to walk off as fast as he could. But a loud and commanding voice came from behind the Princess, and she looked behind her suddenly, and she almost fainted, for a marvellous change had come over the Owl, and it was still changing. She rubbed her eyes in astonishment, and all the people who could see him did so too, and then a great shout went up from all of ‘God save the King!’ for it was no longer the Owl they saw — it was the old King.
‘Stop!’ he cried loudly to the Knight, who was slinking off—’you have not received your reward yet. Just wait a moment, and to prevent mistakes just take your ordinary form.’
And again every one present rubbed their eyes in astonishment — for the handsome calm face of the Knight was shrivelling up, and his raven hair had become an ugly gray, and the people recognised him too as an old acquaintance, for he was — who do you think now? Why, he was Merrymineral — it seemed as if that day gave two instances of old friends with new faces.
Although he didn’t at all seem to want to stay, he was obliged to stop at the King’s voice. So he stood in the middle of the lists looking very uncomfortable — for every one was looking at him. The King began:
‘Now let us see how many crimes you have committed. You have broken your oath — isn’t that right?’
‘Oh! quite correct, your Majesty.’
‘And you have rebelled against my daughter?’
‘Quite correct, your Majesty.’
‘And you have intended to murder her?’
‘Just so, your Majesty.’
‘And you tried to marry her?’
‘I should have been only too pleased, your Majesty.’
‘And you don’t repent, do you?’
‘Not at all, your Majesty.’
‘And the right punishment for each of your crimes is death?’
‘Just so, your Majesty.’
‘But I don’t care to sentence you to death — it’s not hard enough. I sentence you to live underground for ten thousand years.’
‘Ten thousand years, your Majesty!’
‘You can go at once, and if I catch you above ground — I shouldn’t like to be you.’
‘No, your Majesty. Good-day.’ And he kissed his hand to the Princess, and bowed gallantly to the Prince of India, and then the ground gave way under him — and he has never been heard of since. But the King turned to the Prince of India and said:
‘You may go now, Prince.’
The Prince looked astonished.
‘I do not quite understand, your Majesty,’ he said.
The King looked at him and said:
‘You seem to be uncommonly hard of understanding, cousin of India. I said, You can go.’
‘But I don’t want to go, your Majesty,’ the Prince answered, getting a little red.
‘Oh, don’t you?’ said the King; ‘from what I heard of a certain pleasant conversation in a certain summer-house you seemed to have important affairs of State that demanded instant attention.’
Here the doctor suddenly remarked:
‘If you
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