she had ever met. “It’s because he is an ordinary sort of person—like me,” she decided.
And indeed a more ordinary person than the man-of-all-work you could not wish to see. His velvet doublet was stained with moss and rather tom where he had caught it on a branch while climbing an oak tree to pick acorns. His hair was very ruffled and full of bits of bark, and he had a smudge on his nose. As he strung the acorn cups on the grass stem, he whistled softly to himself ...
“Lavender’s blue,
”Rosemary’s green,
“When I am King
”You shall be Queen.“
“There!” he said, finishing the necklace and dropping it into the Ordinary Princess’s lap. “Be careful of it or it will break.”
“It’s simply lovely,” said the Ordinary Princess, “and I shall keep it for ever and ever!”
“I don’t expect it will last that long,” laughed the man-of-all-work. He lay back against the green moss and the twisty tree roots and gazed up happily at the crisscrossy pattern of branches over his head.
They had had a beautiful afternoon. The Ordinary Princess had managed to get away early from the castle, and as soon as she came within sight of the three silver birches on the edge of the forest, she saw that the nice young man was already there, waiting for her. He told her that he had been able to get the afternoon off without too much trouble, and he had brought a basket full of cakes, sandwiches, and apples.
He made friends at once with Mr. Pemberthy and Peter Aurelious, and after hiding the basket under a wild rose bush at the foot of an old oak tree, they had all gone off into the forest to explore. Later they had climbed trees and played at ninepins with fir cones and crabapples. The young man had also shown the Ordinary Princess how to lie flat on the bank of a stream with her arm in the water and flip the little silvery, slippery trout out from under the stones and onto the grass.
Together they had caught five, and though they had thrown them all back at once, they had both got very wet, moss-stained, and excited and had enjoyed themselves enormously.
Mr. Pemberthy had visited his friends among the treetops, and Peter Aurelious had hopped and pecked and flown around among the bushes.
When teatime came round, they picnicked under the biggest oak tree they could find and laughed and talked together as if they had known each other for always.
“Kitchen maid,” said the nice young man suddenly, flipping an acorn at the Ordinary Princess, “what is your name?”
“Amy,” said the Ordinary Princess, catching the acorn neatly and handing it to Mr. Pemberthy.
“Nice name. It suits you,” said the nice young man, adding in tones of immense scorn, “Persephone, indeed!”
“Who?” said the Ordinary Princess, rather startled.
The young man looked a little confused.
“I was only thinking,” he said, “what silly names some people have. Why, I should like to know,” inquired the young man hotly, “can’t more people have nice, sensible, pretty names like Amy?”
“I suppose you mean the Princess Persephone,” said the Ordinary Princess. “I don’t know why it is, but princesses always do seem to have rather fussy names. You couldn’t imagine a princess called Amy, now could you?”
“I don’t see why not,” said the nice young man. “Perfectly good name for anyone. I know we haven’t been properly introduced, but I shall call you Princess Amy.”
The Ordinary Princess smiled to herself.
“And what shall I call you?” she asked.
“My friends call me Peregrine,” said the nice young man.
“Well, I’m your friend, aren’t I?” said the Ordinary Princess, and she stood up and held out her hand to him.
“Of course,” said Peregrine the man-of-all-work, jumping up and taking it.
So they shook hands and laughed at each other.
“Peter Aurelious and Mr. Pemberthy,” said the Ordinary Princess, “permit me to introduce you to a friend of mine—Peregrine.”
“Qwa!”
And indeed a more ordinary person than the man-of-all-work you could not wish to see. His velvet doublet was stained with moss and rather tom where he had caught it on a branch while climbing an oak tree to pick acorns. His hair was very ruffled and full of bits of bark, and he had a smudge on his nose. As he strung the acorn cups on the grass stem, he whistled softly to himself ...
“Lavender’s blue,
”Rosemary’s green,
“When I am King
”You shall be Queen.“
“There!” he said, finishing the necklace and dropping it into the Ordinary Princess’s lap. “Be careful of it or it will break.”
“It’s simply lovely,” said the Ordinary Princess, “and I shall keep it for ever and ever!”
“I don’t expect it will last that long,” laughed the man-of-all-work. He lay back against the green moss and the twisty tree roots and gazed up happily at the crisscrossy pattern of branches over his head.
They had had a beautiful afternoon. The Ordinary Princess had managed to get away early from the castle, and as soon as she came within sight of the three silver birches on the edge of the forest, she saw that the nice young man was already there, waiting for her. He told her that he had been able to get the afternoon off without too much trouble, and he had brought a basket full of cakes, sandwiches, and apples.
He made friends at once with Mr. Pemberthy and Peter Aurelious, and after hiding the basket under a wild rose bush at the foot of an old oak tree, they had all gone off into the forest to explore. Later they had climbed trees and played at ninepins with fir cones and crabapples. The young man had also shown the Ordinary Princess how to lie flat on the bank of a stream with her arm in the water and flip the little silvery, slippery trout out from under the stones and onto the grass.
Together they had caught five, and though they had thrown them all back at once, they had both got very wet, moss-stained, and excited and had enjoyed themselves enormously.
Mr. Pemberthy had visited his friends among the treetops, and Peter Aurelious had hopped and pecked and flown around among the bushes.
When teatime came round, they picnicked under the biggest oak tree they could find and laughed and talked together as if they had known each other for always.
“Kitchen maid,” said the nice young man suddenly, flipping an acorn at the Ordinary Princess, “what is your name?”
“Amy,” said the Ordinary Princess, catching the acorn neatly and handing it to Mr. Pemberthy.
“Nice name. It suits you,” said the nice young man, adding in tones of immense scorn, “Persephone, indeed!”
“Who?” said the Ordinary Princess, rather startled.
The young man looked a little confused.
“I was only thinking,” he said, “what silly names some people have. Why, I should like to know,” inquired the young man hotly, “can’t more people have nice, sensible, pretty names like Amy?”
“I suppose you mean the Princess Persephone,” said the Ordinary Princess. “I don’t know why it is, but princesses always do seem to have rather fussy names. You couldn’t imagine a princess called Amy, now could you?”
“I don’t see why not,” said the nice young man. “Perfectly good name for anyone. I know we haven’t been properly introduced, but I shall call you Princess Amy.”
The Ordinary Princess smiled to herself.
“And what shall I call you?” she asked.
“My friends call me Peregrine,” said the nice young man.
“Well, I’m your friend, aren’t I?” said the Ordinary Princess, and she stood up and held out her hand to him.
“Of course,” said Peregrine the man-of-all-work, jumping up and taking it.
So they shook hands and laughed at each other.
“Peter Aurelious and Mr. Pemberthy,” said the Ordinary Princess, “permit me to introduce you to a friend of mine—Peregrine.”
“Qwa!”
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