The Prince and the Pauper
tired tongue got a chance to rest, now; for the King's,
inspired by gnawing hunger and the fragrant smells that came from the
sputtering pots and pans, turned itself loose and delivered itself up to such
an eloquent dissertation upon certain toothsome dishes, that within three
minutes the woman said to herself, "Of a truth I was right—he hath holpen
in a kitchen!" Then he broadened his bill of fare, and discussed it
with such appreciation and animation, that the goodwife said to herself,
"Good lack! how can he know so many dishes, and so fine ones withal?
For these belong only upon the tables of the rich and great. Ah, now I
see! ragged outcast as he is, he must have served in the palace before his
reason went astray; yes, he must have helped in the very kitchen of the King
himself! I will test him."
Full of eagerness to prove her sagacity, she told the King
to mind the cooking a moment—hinting that he might manufacture and add a dish
or two, if he chose; then she went out of the room and gave her children a sign
to follow after. The King muttered—
"Another English king had a commission like to this, in
a bygone time—it is nothing against my dignity to undertake an office which the
great Alfred stooped to assume. But I will try to better serve my trust
than he; for he let the cakes burn."
The intent was good, but the performance was not answerable
to it, for this King, like the other one, soon fell into deep thinkings
concerning his vast affairs, and the same calamity resulted—the cookery got
burned. The woman returned in time to save the breakfast from entire
destruction; and she promptly brought the King out of his dreams with a brisk
and cordial tongue-lashing. Then, seeing how troubled he was over his violated
trust, she softened at once, and was all goodness and gentleness toward him.
The boy made a hearty and satisfying meal, and was greatly
refreshed and gladdened by it. It was a meal which was distinguished by
this curious feature, that rank was waived on both sides; yet neither recipient
of the favour was aware that it had been extended. The goodwife had
intended to feed this young tramp with broken victuals in a corner, like any
other tramp or like a dog; but she was so remorseful for the scolding she had
given him, that she did what she could to atone for it by allowing him to sit
at the family table and eat with his betters, on ostensible terms of equality
with them; and the King, on his side, was so remorseful for having broken his
trust, after the family had been so kind to him, that he forced himself to
atone for it by humbling himself to the family level, instead of requiring the
woman and her children to stand and wait upon him, while he occupied their
table in the solitary state due to his birth and dignity. It does us all
good to unbend sometimes. This good woman was made happy all the day long
by the applauses which she got out of herself for her magnanimous condescension
to a tramp; and the King was just as self-complacent over his gracious humility
toward a humble peasant woman.
When breakfast was over, the housewife told the King to wash
up the dishes. This command was a staggerer, for a moment, and the King
came near rebelling; but then he said to himself, "Alfred the Great
watched the cakes; doubtless he would have washed the dishes too—therefore will
I essay it."
He made a sufficiently poor job of it; and to his surprise
too, for the cleaning of wooden spoons and trenchers had seemed an easy thing
to do. It was a tedious and troublesome piece of work, but he finished it at
last. He was becoming impatient to get away on his journey now; however,
he was not to lose this thrifty dame's society so easily. She furnished
him some little odds and ends of employment, which he got through with after a
fair fashion and with some credit. Then she set him and the little girls
to paring some winter apples; but he was so awkward at this service that she
retired him from it and gave him a butcher knife to grind.
