“I have no doubt you are right,” said the King; “pray let them begin building at once;” and the Prime Minister went away delighted.
Scarcely had he gone when in came the Commander-in-Chief.
“Your Majesty,” said he, “I wish to lay before you the state of our army. Our soldiers have had a great deal of fighting to do lately, and are beginning to be discontented, but the late King, your uncle, would never attend to their wants.”
“Pray do what you like,” said King Aldebert.
“To satisfy them,” said the Commander-in-Chief, “I think that we should double their pay. This would keep them in a good humour, and all will go well.”
“By all means, that will certainly be the best way,” said Aldebert. “Let it be given to them at once;” and on hearing this, the Commander-in-Chief went away right merrily.
When he had gone, there came in the Chancellor with a long face.
“Your Majesty,” he said, “I have this morning been to the treasury, and I find that there is scarcely any money left. The late King, your uncle, spent so much in spite of all I could say, that now it is almost all gone. Your Majesty must now save all you can for the next year or two, and you ought also to lower the soldiers’ pay, and stop all public works.”
“I have no doubt you are quite right,” cried the King. “You know best, let it be done as you wish.”
But next morning in came the Prime Minister with a frowning face. “How is this, your Majesty?” cried he. “Just as we are beginning our buildings, the Chancellor comes and tells us that we are not to have any money to build with.” He had not done speaking when the Commander-in-Chief burst into the room unable to conceal his rage.
“Yesterday your Majesty told me that all the soldiers should have double pay, and this morning I hear, that instead of that, their wages are to be lowered!” Here he was interrupted by the Chancellor, who came running in looking much excited,
“Your Majesty,” he cried, “did you not yesterday say we were now to begin saving, and that I was not to allow any more money to be spent, and that the army must do with less pay?”
And then all three began to quarrel among themselves. When he saw how angry they were, King Aldebert took off his crown and said, “I am sure you are each of you quite right; but I think I am scarcely fit to be a King. Indeed I think you had better find my cousin Alderete, and let him be crowned, and I will seek my fortune elsewhere.” And he had slipped out of the room, and run downstairs and out of the palace, before they could stop him.
He went briskly down the highroad into the country, the same way that Aldovrand had gone.
After he had gone some way, he met a travelling tinker who sat by the roadside mending tin cans, with his little fire at his side.
Aldebert stood watching him, and at last said, “How cleverly you mend those holes! You must lead a pleasant life, going from house to house in the green lanes mending wares. Do you think I could learn how to do it if you would teach me?”
The tinker, who was an old man, looked at him and said,
“Well, I don’t mind giving you a trial if you like to come with me, for I want a strong young man sometimes to help me wheel my little cart, and I’ll teach you my trade, and we’ll see what you can make of it.”
So Aldebert was delighted, and went with the tinker.
When they knew he was really gone the Prime Minister and the Chancellor looked at each other in dismay.
“This will never do,” cried they; “we must go at once to Prince Alderete; and let us hope he may do better than his cousins.”
When Prince Alderete heard that it was his turn to reign he jumped for joy.
“Now,” cried he, “at last I will show what a king should really be like. My cousins were neither of them any good, but they shall now see how different I will be.”
So he was crowned, and again there were great rejoicings all over the country.
Next day he sat in state to receive the Chancellor and Prime Minister and hear what they had to say.
“My friends,” said he to them, “a good King ought to be like a father to his people, and this is what I mean to be. I mean to arrange everything for them myself, and if they will only obey me, and do as I direct, they are sure to be both prosperous and happy.”
On hearing this both Prime Minister and Chancellor looked anxious, and the Chancellor said,
“I fear, your Majesty, your people will not like to be too much meddled with.” At this the King was very angry, and bid them see about their own business, and not presume to teach him his.
When they had gone he went to take a drive in his city, that he might see it and know it well; but directly he returned to the palace he sent for the Prime Minister, and when he had arrived, said,
“I already see much to be altered in my kingdom. I do not like the houses in which many of the people dwell, nor indeed the dresses they wear; but what strikes me most of all is, that wherever I go I smell a strong smell of pea soup. Now, nothing is so unwholesome as pea soup, and therefore it would not be right in me to allow the people to go on eating it. I command, therefore, that no one shall again make, or eat pea soup, within my realm on pain of death.”
Again the Prime Minister looked very grave,
