h of Hogginarmo's behavior, his proposals to Rosalba, and his
offer to fight for the crown. Black as thunder looked King Padella at
this proud noble, as they sat in the front seats of the theatre waiting
to see the tragedy whereof poor Rosalba was to be the heroine.

At length that Princess was brought out in her nightgown, with all her
beautiful hair falling down her back, and looking so pretty that even
the beef-eaters and keepers of the wild animals wept plentifully at
seeing her. And she walked with her poor little feet (only luckily the
arena was covered with sawdust), and went and leaned up against a great
stone in the centre of the amphitheatre, round which the Court and the
people were seated in boxes, with bars before them, for fear of
the great, fierce, red-maned, black-throated, long-tailed, roaring,
bellowing, rushing lions.

And now the gates were opened, and with a "Wurrawarrurawarar!" two great
lean, hungry, roaring lions rushed out of their den, where they had been
kept for three weeks on nothing but a little toast-and-water, and dashed
straight up to the stone where poor Rosalba was waiting. Commend her to
your patron saints, all you kind people, for she is in a dreadful state!

There was a hum and a buzz all through the circus, and the fierce King
Padella even felt a little compassion. But Count Hogginarmo, seated by
his Majesty, roared out "Hurray! Now for it! Soo-soo-soo!" that nobleman
being uncommonly angry still at Rosalba's refusal of him.

But, O strange event! O remarkable circumstance! O extraordinary
coincidence, which I am sure none of you could BY ANY POSSIBILITY have
divined! When the lions came to Rosalba, instead of devouring her with
their great teeth, it was with kisses they gobbled her up! They licked
her pretty feet, they nuzzled their noses in her lap, they moo'd, they
seemed to say, "Dear, dear sister don't you recollect your brothers in
the forest?" And she put her pretty white arms round their tawny necks,
and kissed them.

King Padella was immensely astonished. The Count Hogginarmo was
extremely disgusted. "Pooh!" the Count cried. "Gammon!" exclaimed his
Lordship. "These lions are tame beasts come from Wombwell's or Astley's.
It is a shame to put people off in this way. I believe they are little
boys dressed up in door-mats. They are no lions at all."

"Ha!" said the King, "you dare to say 'Gammon!' to your Sovereign, do
you? These lions are no lions at all, aren't they? Ho