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Read Ebook: Ultima Thule; or A Summer in Iceland. vol. 1/2 by Burton Richard Francis Sir
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Ebook has 998 lines and 28381 words, and 20 pages
A Map of Euralia showing the Adjacent Country of Barodia and the far-distant Araby
He was a Man of Simple Tastes
"Most extraordinary," said the King
He found the King nursing a Bent Whisker and in the very Vilest of Tempers
"Try it on me," cried the Countess
Five Times he had come back to give her his Last Instructions
Armed to the Teeth, Amazon after Amazon marched by
When the Respective Armies returned to Camp they found Their Majesties asleep
The Rabbit was gone, and there was a Fairy in front of her
As Evening fell they came to a Woodman's Cottage at the Foot of a High Hill
"Coronel, here I am," said Udo pathetically, and he stepped out
Twenty-one Minutes later Henrietta Crossbuns was acknowledging a Bag of Gold
Princess Hyacinth gave a Shriek and faltered slowly backwards
"Now we can talk," said Hyacinth
He forgot his Manners, and made a Jump towards her
She glided gracefully behind the Sundial in a Pretty Affectation of Alarm
When anybody of Superior Station or Age came into the Room she rose and curtsied
And then she danced
"Good Morning," said Belvane
The Tent seemed to swim before his Eyes, and he knew no more
She turned round and went off daintily down the Hill
Let me present to you my friend the Duke Coronel
As the Towers of the Castle came in sight, Merriwig drew a Deep Breath of Happiness
Belvane leading the Way with her Finger to her Lips
Merriwig following with an Exaggerated Caution
He was a Pleasant-looking Person, with a Round Clean-shaven Face
Roger Scurvilegs
THE KING OF EURALIA HAS A VISITOR TO BREAKFAST
King Merriwig of Euralia sat at breakfast on his castle walls. He lifted the gold cover from the gold dish in front of him, selected a trout and conveyed it carefully to his gold plate. He was a man of simple tastes, but when you have an aunt with the newly acquired gift of turning anything she touches to gold, you must let her practise sometimes. In another age it might have been fretwork.
"Ah," said the King, "here you are, my dear." He searched for his napkin, but the Princess had already kissed him lightly on the top of the head, and was sitting in her place opposite to him.
"Good morning, Father," she said; "I'm a little late, aren't I? I've been riding in the forest."
"Any adventures?" asked the King casually.
"Nothing, except it's a beautiful morning."
"I wish I remembered my mother," said Hyacinth.
The King coughed and looked at her a little nervously.
"Seventeen years ago she died, Hyacinth, when you were only six months old. I have been wondering lately whether I haven't been a little remiss in leaving you motherless so long."
The Princess looked puzzled. "But it wasn't your fault, dear, that mother died."
"Oh, no, no, I'm not saying that. As you know, a dragon carried her off and--well, there it was. But supposing"--he looked at her shyly--"I had married again."
The Princess was startled.
"Who?" she asked.
The King gazed earnestly at the outside of his flagon.
"Why 'might have been?'" he said.
The Princess was still puzzled. "But I'm grown up," she said; "I don't want a mother so much now."
The King turned his flagon round and studied the other side of it.
It was all because of a birthday present to the King of Barodia, and the present was nothing less than a pair of seven-league boots. The King being a busy man, it was a week or more before he had an opportunity of trying those boots. Meanwhile he used to talk about them at meals, and he would polish them up every night before he went to bed. When the great day came for the first trial of them to be made, he took a patronising farewell of his wife and family, ignored the many eager noses pressed against the upper windows of the Palace, and sailed off. The motion, as perhaps you know, is a little disquieting at first, but one soon gets used to it. After that it is fascinating. He had gone some two thousand miles before he realised that there might be a difficulty about finding his way back. The difficulty proved at least as great as he had anticipated. For the rest of that day he toured backwards and forwards across the country; and it was by the merest accident that a very angry King shot in through an open pantry window in the early hours of the morning. He removed his boots and went softly to bed. . . .
It was, of course, a lesson to him. He decided that in the future he must proceed by a recognised route, sailing lightly from landmark to landmark. Such a route his Geographers prepared for him--an early morning constitutional, of three hundred miles or so, to be taken ten times before breakfast. He gave himself a week in which to recover his nerve and then started out on the first of them.
Now the Kingdom of Euralia adjoined that of Barodia, but whereas Barodia was a flat country, Euralia was a land of hills. It was natural then that the Court Geographers, in search of landmarks, should have looked towards Euralia; and over Euralia accordingly, about the time when cottage and castle alike were breakfasting, the King of Barodia soared and dipped and soared and dipped again.
"A mother's tender hand," said the King of Euralia, "is--er--never--good gracious! What's that?"
There was a sudden rush of air; something came for a moment between his Majesty and the sun; and then all was quiet again.
"What was it?" asked Hyacinth, slightly alarmed.
"Most extraordinary," said the King. "It left in my mind an impression of ginger whiskers and large boots. Do we know anybody like that?"
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