Page:The Princess of Cozytown.pdf/36

 in his gold and green pajamas was snoring like an engine, which was lucky for him.

Next day when the Prince awakened, oh, my stars! There in bed alongside of him lay a rosy little boy. When the Prince rubbed his eyes and stared in astonishment, he cried, "Good-morning!" and, running round to the other side of the bed, slapped him roundly upon the back. Which so surprised the Prince that he stared more than ever. WHY, no one had ever dared do such a thing before!

"Get up, you lazy fellow! Get up and we'll have a game of ball!" laughed the boy, following up this remark with a pillow which bowled his Royal Highness off the bed. And before his Royal Highness knew what he was about, he had seized the pillow and flung it back, crying, "Hey!" in quite an everyday unroyalish fashion. He was not a good aim (never having indulged in pillow throwing before) and the pillow hit the green and gold attendant, bumping his head against the wall.

"Eh—ah—er—certainly, your excellency!" he stammered, sitting up in bed and bowing with his night cap askew. "Did you call?"

"No, dolt, I was talking to this boy!" The Prince had to chuckle in spite of himself, the green and gold one looked so comical.

"Boy!" gasped the attendant, rearing his head and staring around the room like a giraffe. "Boy? Boy?" Every time he said "boy" his voice got a little shriller. "A thousand pardons! Serene Highness, I do not see any boy!" he choked out finally.

At this both boys burst out laughing—and who would not have laughed, pray? "He says he does not see you!" spluttered the Prince, and the two nearly bent double—indeed, they laughed till the tears rolled down their cheeks, which was the best medicine for a cold in the heart that I know.