pets, which they had never petted, indeed, but kept in their
boudoirs so they could abuse them whenever they felt especially
wicked or ill-natured. None of the snubnosed ones dared enter the
room where the girl was, but they called through a crack in the door
for Trot to come out instantly. Trot, pretending not to hear, paid
no attention to these demands.

Finding themselves helpless and balked of their revenge, the Six
Snubnosed Princesses finally recovered from their excitement and
settled down to a pleasant sisterly quarrel, as was their customary
amusement. Indigo wanted to have Trot patched, and Cerulia wanted
her beaten with knotted cords, and Cobalt wanted her locked up in a
dark room, and Sapphire wanted her fed on sand, and Turquoise wanted
her bound to a windmill, and so between these various desires, they
quarreled and argued until dinner time arrived.

Trot was occupying Indigo's room, so that Princess was obliged to
dress with Azure, not daring to enter her own chamber, and the two
sisters quarreled so enthusiastically that they almost came to blows
before they were ready for dinner.

Before the Six Snubnosed Princesses went to the Royal Banquet Hall,
Cobalt stuck her head through a crack of the door and said to Trot,
"If you want any dinner, you'll find it in the servants' hall. I
advise you to eat, for after our dinner we will decide upon a
fitting punishment for you, and then I'm sure you won't have much
appetite."

"Thank you," replied the girl. "I'm right hungry, jus' now." She
waited until the snubnosed sextette had pranced haughtily away, and