30

‘god save the king!’

jack awoke to find a pretty tauri- hessian maid bringing him a most magnificent breakfast.

somebody had undressed him, put silk pyjamas on him and popped him into a luxurious bed. hewas amazed.

‘to think they did all that and i never woke up!’ he thought. ‘i must have been tired! gosh –what a breakfast! kiki, look here – the biggest, juiciest grapefruit i ever did see in my life – andtwo halves, not one. you can have one for yourself if you don’t make too much mess.’

kiki approved of the grapefruit. she settled down to it, and for once in a way didn’t say a word.

jack ate every scrap of the generous breakfast, and then lay back, thinking over the happenings ofthe night before.

‘i bet the count isn’t eating a breakfast like this,’ he told kiki. ‘what do you think?’

‘the doctor’s got a cold, fetch the king,’ said kiki, looking to see if jack had left any of hisgrapefruit. ‘one, two, how-do-you-do?’

‘buckle my shoe, you mean,’ said jack. ‘i say – look! do you suppose those princely clothesare for me to put on, kiki, old bird? goodness, the tauri-hessians won’t know if i’m the prince,or gussy.’

bill came in, looking much smartened up. ‘oh, you’re awake at last,’ he said. ‘my word, youdon’t mean to say you ate all that breakfast!’

‘kiki helped me,’ said jack, with a grin. ‘have the others been sent for yet, bill?’

‘yes. i’d like to see their faces when the king’s state car rolls up, complete with clothes forthem all,’ said bill. ‘the king’s a great sport. he’s asked pedro, toni, bingo and old ma too – andsent clothes for them all!’

‘goodness!’ said jack. ‘old ma! she’ll have the time of her life. but if it hadn’t been for herlooking after gussy he’d certainly have been caught. i say – this is going to be quite a party, isn’tit?’

‘oh, quite,’ said bill. ‘and your aunt is arriving today too!’

‘it’s just like a pantomime ending!’ said jack, delighted. ‘everyone on the stage at the end!’

‘you’d better get up,’ said bill. ‘the king is making his speech to the people at twelve o’clock,and it’s now eleven. after that there is to be a really splendid luncheon laid on – and you’ll besorry you ate so much breakfast, i can tell you!’

jack leapt out of bed. ‘is it really eleven o’clock? gosh, i’ll never be ready. i don’t know howto put all these clothes on – buckles – sashes – ruffles – good gracious, is it royal dress?’

‘no. ordinary tauri-hessian festival wear,’ said bill. ‘i don’t feel able to cope with it myself,nor does ronnie. we feel a bit more at ease in our own things, but you and the others will lookfine.’

jack was ready at a quarter to twelve. he looked at himself in the glass. ‘gracious – i’m like atheatrical prince. i really must have my photograph taken to show the boys at school – they’ll beamazed!’

there came the sound of cheering in the street below. jack opened his window and looked out.

a very grand state car was being driven slowly up the street, followed by yet another. the peoplewere cheering each one as it went by.

jack nearly fell out of the window, and kiki gave a loud screech. ‘look, kiki – do you seewho’s in the first car?’ cried jack. ‘lucy-ann, philip, gussy and dinah! did you ever see anyonelooking so grand? and look in the second car – pedro – ma – toni and bingo! they look as fineas if they were just going to perform in the circus ring!’

so they did. ma, especially, looked magnificent, and she had a sudden unexpected dignity thatmade pedro look at her with surprise and great pride. his mother! old ma, riding in a state car,wearing silk clothes right down to her skin! pedro couldn’t believe it.

he looked very grand himself, and enjoyed it. he knew that nothing like this would ever happento him again in his life and he meant to enjoy every moment of it.

toni and bingo looked grand but subdued. they were not in the least nervous when they wentinto the circus ring – but they couldn’t help feeling nervous now – all this cheering and shoutingwhen they weren’t even performing!

the cars turned in at the gates, and jack leaned out of the window and yelled, quite forgettingthat he was in a king’s palace.

‘lucy-ann! i’m up here!’

kiki squawked too. ‘hip-hip-hip-hip-hurrah! send for the doctor!’

twelve o’clock came. the king went out on the balcony of his palace to show himself to hispeople and to make a speech to explain all that had happened. there was dead silence as the loud-speakers relayed the simple, vigorous speech.

bill thought that tauri- hessia had a very fine king. he was glad that the count had notdethroned him and put gussy up as king himself. gussy was just a timid little boy at present – butperhaps, when he had learnt all that his good school had to teach him, at lessons and at games, hewould make as fine a king as his uncle.

gussy had a tremendous reception when his uncle called him to his side, and presented him tothe people. after all the scares of the last few days, they needed to see not only the king but thelittle prince too.

gussy looked every inch a prince, as he saluted stiffly, and then bowed in every direction. hewore magnificent clothes, and his cloak blew out in the wind, showing its scarlet lining. jackgrinned as he thought how gussy had looked when he had seen him last – dressed as a girl, withhis long hair tied up in bows. poor gussy! nobody must ever learn of that, or he would be teasedabout it for the rest of his life – and gussy did not like teasing.

the next thing was the luncheon. the children had all been put at a table together, with gussyand pedro as well. ma, toni and bingo were at a side table too, very conscious of their fineclothes. they used fine manners to match, and ate everything with knives, forks or spoons, insteadof using only their fingers half the time as they usually did.

the six children talked eagerly together, exchanging news. ‘fank is up and about again,’ saidphilip. ‘thank goodness he is, or i couldn’t have come. hallo, snoozy, do you want to join us atlast? he’s seen those almonds, dinah – do look at him, holding one and nibbling it!’

‘i don’t like him on the table,’ said dinah, but she was much too happy to make a fuss. she toldjack of the excitement when the message came that they were all to dress in state clothes and bedriven to the palace. ‘we just couldn’t believe it!’ she said. ‘tell us again about last night, jack,and how you rescued the king and caught the count.’

gussy was tremendously excited. his eyes sparkled, and he talked nineteen to the dozen. he feltin his element now – he was a prince, the heir to the throne, prince aloysius gramondie – not atimid little boy with a lot of long hair!

‘here’s aunt allie!’ cried lucy-ann, suddenly. she threw down her table-napkin and flewacross the luncheon room, thinking of nothing but welcoming the person she loved so much. ‘auntallie! you’ve come!’

mrs cunningham was being ushered into the great room by two servants, who called out hername. bill went to her at once, and dinah, philip and jack joined lucy-ann in her rush across theroom. this was all that was needed to make things perfect!

bill’s eyes were shining as he took his wife to introduce her to the king. a place had been leftfor her on his other side, for her aeroplane had been expected for the last half hour. she was quitebewildered by everything, for she knew only half the story, of course.

gussy waited till the others had made enough fuss of her and then went up himself. she held outher hand to him, and he bowed over it, and kissed it politely, just as his uncle had done. somehowit seemed right in tauri-hessia – quite a natural thing to do, and none of the children even thoughtof laughing.

after the grand lunch the children went to see over the palace. ‘my word – you’re lucky to beable to spend the rest of your hols here, gussy,’ said jack. ‘it’s a wonderful place. not that i’d liketo live here, of course – but to stay for a few weeks as you’ll be able to do – you’re jolly lucky!’

‘we shall miss you, gussy,’ said lucy-ann. ‘i suppose we’ll be leaving tomorrow, or sometimesoon. i’m quite sorry this adventure is over.’

‘but it isn’t,’ said gussy, his face beaming all over. ‘it isn’t! i have asked my uncle to let mehave you here as my guests. you will stay? or do you not like me well enough? you have so oftentizzed me – like when my finger blidded.’

‘oh, gussy – it doesn’t mean we don’t like people when we tease them!’ said lucy-ann. ‘doyou really mean that your uncle wants us to stay? all of us? i don’t want to stay without bill andaunt allie.’

‘all of you,’ said gussy, beaming again. ‘kiki and snoozy too. but not pedro and the othersbecause they must go with the circus, they say. then you will stay with me till we go back toschool togezzer?’

‘we’d love to,’ said jack. ‘i could do with a couple of weeks in a palace. i’ll take some picturesback to show the boys. they’ll think i’m telling them fairy-tales if i don’t!’

pedro, ma, toni and bingo said goodbye to the five children that evening. they were stillwearing their splendid clothes. ‘we’ve been told we can keep them,’ said pedro, grinning. ‘i shallfancy myself when i go into the ring to help toni and bingo set up their wires now – the great andonly pedro the magnificent.’

he bowed himself almost to the ground. ma gave him a resounding slap. ‘ha! you will peelpotatoes for your old ma tonight!’ she said, and laughed loudly. kiki imitated her and made herlaugh all the more.

the children were sorry when the circus folk had gone. they had been such good friends. ‘ihope we’ll see them sometime again,’ said lucy-ann. ‘i liked them all.’

‘you will now come to my uncle and tell him you will stay, plizz?’ begged gussy, who seemedto think they might change their minds. ‘and i have to ask him something. you must help me withit.’

he dragged them off to his uncle’s room. they all bowed politely. ‘well, aloysius,’ said theking, looking amused. ‘have you persuaded your friends to put up with you and stay for the restof the holidays?’

‘they will stay,’ said gussy. ‘and, sir, i have something else to beg of you – beg of you, sir.

these boys, they will tell you it is very, very important. you will grant it to me, sir?’

‘i might, as i feel quite pleased with you at the moment,’ said his uncle, smiling. ‘but tell mewhat it is first.’

‘it is my hair,’ said gussy. ‘i want it short – snip snip – like philip’s and jack’s. i will not looklike a girl, i will not .’

‘you’re not supposed to wear it short, aloysius,’ said his uncle, ‘but i know how you feel. i feltthe same when i was a prince and went to school in england. very well – you shall have it cutshort!’

gussy’s face was a study. nothing in the world could have pleased him more. ‘i go tomorrow,’

he said. ‘i go tomorrow at seven o’clock in the morning. ha – it will be so short that never will aribbon sit on it again!’

‘thank you for asking us to stay, your majesty,’ said jack, speaking for all the others. ‘weshall love it, and it’s nice of gussy to want us.’

‘fussy-gussy!’ cried kiki, saying quite the wrong thing.

‘fussy-gussy! your majesty! majesty, majesty! send for the doctor. blow your nose.’

‘kiki!’ said jack, shocked.

kiki looked at the king. she raised her crest to its fullest height, and gave a little bow. ‘yourmajesty!’ she said. ‘god save the king!’