the attendants of the Princess to lead her back to her apartments."
At these words Aleli threw up her arms and burst into tears. Then she fell sobbing at the King's feet. Shortly after, the two maids of honour appeared, still in peals of laughter.
"The two maids of honour."
"Silence, fools, silence!" shouted King Honeybee, indignant at this lack of respect. But the more the King shouted "Silence!" the more the two ladies laughed, regardless of all etiquette.
"Guards," said the King, beside himself with anger, "seize these insolent creatures, and off with their heads."
"Sire," cried Aleli, clasping her hands, "remember, you have made your reign illustrious by abolishing capital punishment."
"You are right, my daughter. We are civilized people. These women shall be spared; we will content ourselves by having them shut up in a dungeon, and they will then be sure to die a natural death, weary of hearing no other tongue but their own."
"Oh, my father!" sobbed poor Aleli.
"Mercy, sire! We will cease laughing," cried the two ladies, falling upon their knees. "We implore your Majesty to pardon us; we are the victims of a sorcerer who has bewitched us."
"A sorcerer in my kingdom," said the King; "that is impossible. How can there be any when I do not believe in them?"
"Sire," said one of the ladies, "is it natural for a bundle of wood, ridden by a woodcutter, to trot and prance like circus horse? We have just seen one do that on the palace square."
"A bundle of wood!" replied the King; "that certainly looks like sorcery. Guards, seize the man and his fagot, and burn both of them together. And then, I hope, I shall have a little peace."
"Burn my beloved!" cried the Princess. "Sire, that noble cavalier is to be my husband. If a hair of his head were touched, I should die."
"My house is possessed," said poor King Honeybee, in dismay. "What is the use of being King if I cannot even rest in peace? But what is the good of tormenting myself? Call Mistigris. Since I have a minister, the least he can do is to tell me what I think and what I wish to do."
Mistigris soon appeared. He was a little, fat, round man, who seemed to roll along like a ball rather than walk. He had eyes like a ferret's, a low forehead, a hooked nose, fat cheeks, and three chins; such is the portrait of the celebrated minister of King Honeybee. He appeared smiling and puffing, with mincing steps.
"Here you are at last," said the King.
"How is it that unheard-of things happen in my empire, and I, the King, am the last to hear of them?"
"Everything is in proper order," replied Mistigris. "I have here the police reports;
