But the owl never could find out whether these fables were wicked
fibs, or fairy tales, or only street talk.
Puck and the owl together arrived in London, at the palace, when the
King was at his dinner. The butlers and lackeys wanted to keep them
out, but the merry monarch gave orders to let them in at once. He made
the owl perch over the mantel piece, but told Puck to stand upon the
dinner table and walk over the tablecloth. The pepper box was put
away, so that he should not sneeze and the King carefully removed the
mustard pot, for fear the little fairy fellow might fall in it and be
drowned in the hot stuff.
His Majesty said that, for the time being, Puck should be the Prince
of Wales. Puck strutted about to the amusement of the King and all the
Court ladies, but he kept away from the pepper, which made his nose
tingle, and from the hot soup, for fear he might tumble into it and be
scalded. When the dessert came on, Puck hid himself under a walnut
shell, just for fun.
It would take too long to tell about all that was said, or the
questions, which the King asked about his Welsh subjects, and which
either the owl or the fairy man answered.
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