He argued with his father that he did not see why there should be kings who were rich , while beggars were poor ; and why the king -- who was a little greedy -- should have poached eggs and plum-cake at afternoon tea , while many other persons went without dinner . The king was so surprised and hurt at these remarks that he boxed the prince 's ears , saying , `` I 'll teach you to be too clever , my lad . '' Then he remembered the awful curse of the oldest fairy , and was sorry for the rudeness of the queen . And when the prince , after having his ears boxed , said that `` force was no argument , '' the king went away in a rage . Indeed , I can not tell you how the prince was hated by all ! He would go down into the kitchen , and show the cook how to make soup . He would visit the poor people 's cottage , and teach them how to make the beds , and how to make plum pudding out of turnip-tops , and venison cutlets out of rusty bacon . He showed the fencing-master how to fence , and the professional cricketer how to bowl , and instructed the rat-catcher in breeding terriers . He set sums to the Chancellor of the Exchequer , and assured the Astronomer Royal that the sun does not go round the earth -- which , for my part , I believe it does . The young ladies of the court disliked dancing with him , in spite of his good looks , because he was always asking , `` Have you read this ? '' and `` Have you read that ? '' -- and when they said they had n't , he sneered ; and when they said they had , he found them out . He found out all his tutors and masters in the same horrid way ; correcting the accent of his French teacher , and trying to get his German tutor not to eat peas with his knife . He also endeavoured to teach the queen-dowager , his grandmother , an art with which she had long been perfectly familiar ! In fact , he knew everything better than anybody else ; and the worst of it was that he did : and he never was in the wrong , and he always said , `` Did n't I tell you so ? '' And , what was more , he had ! -LSB- Illustration : page 12 -RSB- As time went on , Prince Prigio had two younger brothers , whom everybody liked : They were not a bit clever , but jolly . Prince Alphonso , the third son , was round , fat , good-humoured , and as brave as a lion . Prince Enrico , the second , was tall , thin , and a `` little sad , but never too clever . '' Both were in love with two of their own cousins -LRB- with the approval of their dear parents -RRB- ; and all the world said , `` What nice , unaffected princes they are ! ''
But Prigio nearly got the country into several wars XXXXX being too clever for the foreign ambassadors .
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