In the Queen’s ante-chamber the maids-of-honour and the ladies-in-waiting sat up and yawned and stretched themselves. Each one of them thought that she was the only one who had fallen asleep, and they all began to explain at the same time that they had only closed their eyes for forty seconds, “It was the heat,” they all said to each other. “The sun is very hot for this time of year.”
In the King’s council chamber the King and all his ministers woke up with a start. The ministers rubbed their eyes and looked very sheepish, for each of them thought that he was alone in being caught napping.
“Your Majesty was saying . . . ?” said the Prime Minister respectfully, leaning forward.
“I was saying . . .” said the King, “What was I saying?” And he stretched out his arms and yawned. “I crave your pardon, my lords. I do believe I’ve been asleep. Heigho! but my joints are stiff.”
“It was but an after-dinner nap,” said the Prime Minister. “Your Majesty is overspent with the hard hunting yesterday. Is it your Majesty’s will that we should proceed with our business, or shall the Council rise until to-morrow?”
“Go on, my lords, go on,” cried the King heartily. “My little nap has wonderfully refreshed me. What say you, shall we pass that bill we were discussing a few minutes ago?”
But at this moment a page came into the room with a message from the Queen, and as soon as he received it the King left his seat in the council chamber and went to her.
Alone, among all the people in the castle, the Queen had