But he was not an ill-tempered king, and in any matter of less
moment would have let the queen have her own way with all his
heart. This, however, was an affair of state.

The queen smiled.

"You must have patience with a lady, you know, dear king," said
she.

She was, indeed, a very nice queen, and heartily sorry that she
could not oblige the king immediately.



2. Won't I, Just?


The king tried to have patience, but he succeeded very badly. It
was more than he deserved, therefore, when, at last, the queen gave
him a daughter--as lovely a little princess as ever cried.

The day drew near when the infant must be christened. The king
wrote all the invitations with his own hand. Of course somebody was
forgotten.
Now it does not generally matter if somebody is forgotten, only you
must mind who. Unfortunately, the king forgot without intending to
forget; and so the chance fell upon the Princess Makemnoit, which
was awkward. For the princess was the king's own sister; and he
ought not to have forgotten her. But she had made herself so