obability of his being the king. Presently they came upon the
hut. A number of pigs were feeding under the trees around it; the door
was open, and the shrill tones of a woman's voice raised in anger could
be heard as they approached.

"You are an idle loon, and I will no longer put up with your ways, and
you may seek another mistress. You are worse than useless here. I do
but ask you to watch these cakes while I go over to speak with my
neighbour, and inquire how she and the child born yestereven are
getting on, and you go to sleep by the fire and suffer the case to burn.

"You were not asleep, you say? then so much the worse. Where were your
eyes, then? And where was your nose? Why, I smelt the cakes a hundred
yards away, and you sitting over them, and as you say awake, neither
saw them burning nor smelt them! You are enough to break an honest
woman's heart with your mooning ways. You are ready enough to eat when
the meal-time comes, but are too lazy even to watch the food as it
cooks. I tell you I will have no more of you. I have put up with you
till I am verily ashamed of my own patience; but this is too much, and
you must go your way, for I will have no more of you."

At this moment Edmund and Egbert appeared at the door of the hut. As he
had expected from the nature of the colloquy Edmund saw King Alfred
standing contrite and ashamed before the angry dame.

"My beloved sovereign!" he cried, running in and falling on his knees.

"My trusted Edmund," Alfred exclaimed cordially, "right glad am I to
see you, and you too, my valiant Egbert; truly I feared that the good
ship Dragon had long since fallen into the hands of our enemy."

"The Dragon lies not many miles hence, your majesty, in the hole in
which she was built, by the river Parrot; she has done bravely and has
brought home a rich store of booty, a large share of which has been
hidden away for your majesty, and can be brought here in a few hours
should you wish it."

"Verily I am glad to hear it, Edmund, for I have long been penniless;
and I have great need of something at least to pay this good woman for
all the trouble she has been at with me, and for her food which my
carelessness has destroyed, as you may have heard but now."

Edmund and Egbert joined in the king's merry laugh. The dame looked a
picture of consternation and fell upon her knees.

"Pardon me, your majesty," she cried; "to think that I have ventured to
abuse our good King Alfred, and