"So haughty _and_ naughty, your Majesty, that they've absolutely
refused to eat their crusts. Did anybody, I ask your Majesty, ever
hear the likes of that?"
There was a moment's silence. The Queen shook her head. The children
tried to appear at their ease, but they were not. Ann looked
particularly uncomfortable. She was not fond of her crusts.
"Well, go on, Jinks, what else?" said the Queen.
"Well, your Majesty, this keeps the baker busy day and night baking
'em bread, not to speak of the cakes and pies, and he says he feels he
hadn't orter stand it any longer. He's going to strike. As for the
populace, your Majesty, they only get the stale loaves or none at
all, and they're wild, your Majesty, very wild indeed."
"I suppose they are, Jinks," sighed the Queen.
"And the worst of it is, your Majesty, we're very short of soldiers.
The Commander-in-Chief"--both Jinks and the sergeant drew themselves
up and saluted at the name--"has taken a whole company to the seaboard
for to repel the cat pirates, and very fierce them pirates are, I've
heard tell. We may have to send him reinforcements at any time."
"The Commander-in-Chief, Jinks," said the Queen haughtily, "is a great
general. He will manage the pirates and the baker, too, if you can't
do it. And if the worst should come to the worst before he gets back,
why I'll just abdicate, that's all, and the baker can be king and much
good may it do him.
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