This was the most eloquent speech the King had been known to make , and when everybody had done admiring it the Prime Minister made answer : ` Sire , we are all very sorry to see you so sorry . We would give everything we value in the world to take away the cause of your sorrow , but this seems to be another of the tricks of the Fairy Carabosse . The Princess 's twenty unlucky years were not quite over , and really , if the truth must be told , I noticed that Fanfaronade and the Princess appeared to admire one another greatly . Perhaps this may give some clue to the mystery of their disappearance . ' Here the Queen interrupted him , saying , ` Take care what you say , sir . Believe me , the Princess Mayblossom was far too well brought up to think of falling in love with an Ambassador . ' At this the nurse came forward , and , falling on her knees , confessed how they had made the little needle-hole in the tower , and how the Princess had declared when she saw the Ambassador that she would marry him and nobody else . Then the Queen was very angry , and gave the nurse , and the cradle-rocker , and the nursery-maid such a scolding that they shook in their shoes . But the Admiral Cocked-Hat interrupted her , crying : ` Let us be off after this good-for-nothing Fanfaronade , for with out a doubt he has run away with our Princess . ' Then there was a great clapping of hands , and everybody shouted , ` By all means let us be after him . ' So while some embarked upon the sea , the others ran from kingdom to kingdom beating drums and blowing trumpets , and wherever a crowd collected they cried : ` Whoever wants a beautiful doll , sweetmeats of all kinds , a little pair of scissors , a golden robe , and a satin cap has only to say where Fanfaronade has hidden the Princess Mayblossom . ' But the answer everywhere was , ` You must go farther , we have not seen them . ' However , those who went by sea were more fortunate , for after sailing about for some time they noticed a light before them which burned at night like a great fire . At first they dared not go near it , not knowing what it might be , but by-and-by it remained stationary over Squirrel Island , for , as you have guessed already , the light was the glowing of the carbuncle . The Princess and Fanfaronade on landing upon the island had given the boatman a hundred gold pieces , and made him promise solemnly to tell no one where he had taken them ; but the first thing that happened was that , as he rowed away , he got into the midst of the fleet , and before he could escape the Admiral had seen him and sent a boat after him . When he was searched they found the gold pieces in his pocket , and as they were quite new coins , struck in honour of the Princess 's wedding , the Admiral felt certain that the boatman must have been paid by the Princess to aid her in her flight . But he would not answer any questions , and pretended to be deaf and dumb . Then the Admiral said : ` Oh ! deaf and dumb is he ? Lash him to the mast and give him a taste of the cat-o ' - nine-tails .
I do n't know anything better than that XXXXX curing the deaf and dumb ! '
At after by for if in near that to while