Category: Once on a Time

Once more it was early morning on the castle walls. The King sat at his breakfast table, a company of archers drawn up in front of him. “Now you all …

No doubt you have already guessed that it was the Countess Belvane who dictated the King of Euralia’s answer. Left to himself, Merriwig would have said, “Serve you jolly well …

It is now time to introduce Wiggs to you, and I find myself in a difficulty at once. What was Wiggs’s position in the Palace? This story is hard to …

In a glade in the forest the Countess Belvane was sitting: her throne, a fallen log, her courtiers, that imaginary audience which was always with her. For once in her …

Meanwhile “the King of Euralia was prosecuting the war with utmost vigour.” So says Roger in that famous chapter of his, and certainly Merriwig was very busy. On the declaration …

The Princess Hyacinth came in from her morning’s ride in a very bad temper. She went straight up to her favourite seat on the castle walls and sent for Wiggs. …

Everybody likes to make a good impression on his first visit, but there were moments just before his arrival in Euralia when Prince Udo doubted whether the affair would go …

This is a painful chapter for me to write. Mercifully it is to be a short one. Later on I shall become used to the situation; inclined, even, to dwell …

The Lady Belvane sits in her garden. She is very happy. An enormous quill-pen, taken from a former favourite goose and coloured red, is in her right hand. The hair …

Wiggs gave a parting pat to the tablecloth and stood looking at it with her head on one side. “Now, then,” she said, “have we got everything?” “What about sardines?” …

“Now, my dear Princess,” said Udo, as soon as they were alone. “Let me know in what way I can help you.” “Oh, Prince Udo,” said Hyacinth earnestly, “it is …

Udo awoke, slightly refreshed, and decided to take a firm line with the Countess at once. He had no difficulty about finding his way down to her. The Palace seemed …

Hyacinth was with Udo in the library. Udo spent much of his time in the library nowadays; for surely in one of those many books was to be found some …

So the next morning before breakfast Wiggs went up on to the castle walls and wished. She looked over the meadows, and across the peaceful stream that wandered through them, …

The entrance of an attendant into his room that morning to bring him his early bran-mash had awakened Udo. As soon as she was gone he jumped up, shook the …

King Merriwig sat in his tent, his head held well back, his eyes gazing upwards. His rubicund cheeks were for the moment a snowy white. A hind of the name …

Do you remember the day when the Princess Hyacinth and Wiggs sat upon the castle walls and talked of Udo’s coming? The Princess thought he would be dark, and Wiggs …

“And now,” said Coronel, “we’d better decide what to do.” “But I don’t mind what we do now,” said Hyacinth happily. “She may have the throne and Father and Udo, …

I quote (with slight alterations) from an epic by Charlotte Patacake, a contemporary poet of the country: King Merriwig the First rode back from war, As many other Kings had …

Belvane had now had twenty-four hours in which to think it over. Whatever her faults, she had a sense of humour. She could not help smiling to herself as she …

King Merriwig of Eastern 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 …