So he lost his
situation. There is a King in French history who was fond of machinery,
particularly clock-work, and he lost everything too, even his head. The
King in this story kept his head, however, and when he wasn't allowed to
make laws any more, he was quite contented to go on making machines. And
as his machines were a great deal better than his laws had ever been, he
soon got a nice little business together, and was able to buy a house in
another kingdom, and settle down comfortably with his wife and son. The
house was one of those delightful villas called after Queen Anne (the
one whose death is still so often mentioned and so justly deplored),
with stained glass to the front-door, and coloured tiles on the
front-garden path, and gables where there was never need of gables, and
nice geraniums and calceolarias in the front-garden, and pretty red
brick on the front of the house. The back of the house was yellow brick,
because that did not show so much.

Here the King and the Queen and the Prince lived very pleasantly. The
Queen snipped the dead geraniums off with a pair of gold scissors, and
did fancy-work for bazaars. The Prince went to the Red-Coat School, and
the King worked up his business. In due time the Prince was apprenticed
to his father's trade; and a very industrious apprentice he was, and
never had anything to do with the idle apprentices who play pitch and
toss on tombstones, as you see in Mr. Hogarth's picture.

When the Prince was twenty-one his mother called him to her. She put
down the blotting-book she was embroidering for the School Bazaar in
tasteful pattern of stocks and nasturtiums, and said:

'My dear son, you have had the usual coming-of-age presents--silver
cigar-case and match-box; a handsome set of brushes, with your initials
on the back; a Gladstone bag, also richly initialled; the complete works
of Dickens and Thackeray; a Swan fountain-pen mounted in gold; and the
heartfelt blessing of your father and mother. But there is still one
more present for you.'

'You are too good, mamma,' said the Prince, fingering the
nasturtium-coloured silks.

'Don't fidget,' said the Queen, 'and listen to me. When you were a baby
a fairy, who was your godmother, gave you a most valuable present--a
Charmed Life. As long as you keep it safely, nothing can harm you.'

'How delightful!' said the Prince. 'Why, mamma, you might have let me go
to sea when I wanted to. It would have been quite safe.'