Fortunately Felicity forgot to repeat the command , so Dan did stay in bed . Cecily carried his meals to him , and read a Henty book to him all her spare time . The Story Girl went up and told him wondrous tales ; and Sara Ray brought him a pudding she had made herself . Sara 's intentions were good , but the pudding -- well , Dan fed most of it to Paddy , who had curled himself up at the foot of the bed , giving the world assurance of a cat by his mellifluous purring . `` Ai n't he just a great old fellow ? '' said Dan . `` He knows I 'm kind of sick , just as well as a human . He never pays no attention to me when I 'm well . '' Felix and Peter and I were required to help Uncle Roger in some carpentering work that day , and Felicity indulged in one of the house-cleaning orgies so dear to her soul ; so that it was evening before we were all free to meet in the orchard and loll on the grasses of Uncle Stephen 's Walk . In August it was a place of shady sweetness , fragrant with the odour of ripening apples , full of dear , delicate shadows . Through its openings we looked afar to the blue rims of the hills and over green , old , tranquil fields , lying the sunset glow . Overhead the lacing leaves made a green , murmurous roof . There was no such thing as hurry in the world , while we lingered there and talked of `` cabbages and kings . '' A tale of the Story Girl 's , wherein princes were thicker than blackberries , and queens as common as buttercups , led to our discussion of kings . We wondered what it would be like to be a king . Peter thought it would be fine , only kind of inconvenient , wearing a crown all the time . `` Oh , but they do n't , '' said the Story Girl . `` Maybe they used to once , but now they wear hats . The crowns are just for special occasions . They look very much like other people , if you can go by their photographs . ''
`` I do n't believe it would be much fun as a steady thing , '' said XXXXX .
Cecily Dan Felix Peter Ray buttercups day lacing odour pudding