nly too clearly all the unkind things he had said about
the corn-cob doll, and how very, very near he had come to roasting her
over the nursery fire! Whatever would happen, thought he, if any of
her subjects who seemed to stand in such awe of her, should find out
that attempt on their Queen's life? Captain Jinks would probably think
imprisonment on bread and water entirely too good for him, probably it
would be slow torture.

"Answer her majesty," muttered the captain in his ear, "or I'll have
your head cut off!"

Still Rudolf, blushing fiery red, and not knowing what to say,
continued to stare down at his toes. Peter put his thumb in his mouth,
Ann hung down her head; neither of them was any better off.

The little tin captain stepped eagerly forward. "Shall I give orders
to prepare for the execution, your Majesty?" he began, in a voice
full of pleased excitement. "These suspicious persons are already
under arrest. They would furnish very excellent targets for the
artillery practise? If it should please your Majesty to offer a prize
for the best shot? Or, if your Majesty is in a _hurry_, now, a nice
dip in boiling oil would finish them off very neatly!"

"Be quiet, Jinks," said the Queen frowning. "You talk so much I can't
think. If it wasn't for those tiresome revolutions in my capital city,
I believe I'd banish you. Let me see, how many of them have you
suppressed for me?"

"Exactly twelve, your Majesty," answered Jinks with a low bow, "and I
beg to announce that we are at this moment on the brink of the
thirteenth--baker's dozen, your Majesty."

"Oh, it's the baker this time, is it?" asked the Queen with a sigh.
"What's the matter with _him_, Jinks?"

"Same old trouble, your Majesty. Your court, those doll ladies in
particular, have become so haughty--"

"Naughty, you mean, Jinks," corrected the Queen.

"So haughty _and_ naughty, your Majesty, that they've absolutely
refused to eat their crusts. Did anybody, I ask your Majesty, ever
hear the likes of that?"

There was a moment's silence. The Queen shook her head. The children
tried to appear at their ease, but they were not. Ann looked
particularly uncomfortable. She was not fond of her crusts.

"Well, go on, Jinks, what else?" said the Queen.

"Well, your Majesty, this keeps the baker busy day and night baking
'em bread, not to speak of the cakes and pies, and he says he feels he
hadn't orter stand it any longer. He's going to strike. As for the
pop