Queen Honey Dew. 



167 



pets sounded for an attack, and as Honey 

 Dew heard the harsh notes ring out above 

 the noise of the battle her heart sank, for 

 she knew that those inside had already all 

 they could do to keep the enemy at bay, 

 and that further exertion would be impos- 

 sible. 



But in the midst of the confusion a sud- 

 den lull in the tempest outside gave her a 

 little courage. In another moment a mes- 

 senger entered with the announcement that 

 the absent subjects had returned from the 

 field. The tide turned instantly; the rob- 

 bers outside the palace had now all they 

 could do to defend themselves from the 

 fresh troops, while those inside, knowing 

 that they could no longer look for rein- 

 forcements from without, ceased their mad 

 struggle to reach the queen, and thought 

 only of retreating. A few moments later 

 the fate of the battle was decided; the 

 enemy had been utterly routed, and retired 

 in the utmost confusion, not even lingering 

 to care for the wounded and dying. 



The dead had nearly all disappeared be- 

 fore the battle ended, having been carried 

 off by a regiment of giants who lived not 

 far away, and whose custom it was to fre- 

 quent such scenes of bloodshed, and secure 

 the slain for their ghastly feasts. 



Within the palace the scene was inde- 

 scribable. The dead and dying lay in 

 heaps along the corridors, and the piles of 

 legs and heads scattered everywhere around 

 showed how deadly the carnage had been. 

 Not an enemy remained alive in the palace 

 an hour after the battle, for the wounded 

 had been speedily dispatched, and not one 

 who entered succeeded in escaping. 



After the strife was over the palace was 

 quickly cleared of all signs of the conflict, 

 the dead bodies being carried off to a dis- 

 tance from the royal domain where they 

 were decently buried. 



The victors then returned to the palace, 

 and all set about repairing the damage 

 that had been inflicted. The shattered 



walls and battlements were repaired, the 

 gates strengthened by additional masonry, 

 and the defaced corridors restored to their 

 original order. 



When all was finished the officers of the 

 realm waited upon Honey Dew and ten- 

 dered their congratulations upon the suc- 

 cess of her troops, and she in return deliv- 

 ered a long oration in which she bestowed 

 great praise upon the generals and soldiers 

 who had fought so bravely in her defense. 



And then, being of such a practical turn 

 that they could not bear to have their usual 

 work longer interrupted, most of the sur- 

 vivors returned to the fields, and spent the 

 remaining two hours of daylight in making 

 up for lost time. 



And when the shades of evening gathered 

 around the castle, the groups of veterans 

 drawn together at the gates, discussing the 

 exciting day, were the only signs of the late 

 battle. 



The veterans shook their heads and 

 talked over the event in loud tones, prais- 

 ing the young troops for their fortitude, 

 and the older ones for their discipline, and 

 all agreeing that it was they themselves 

 that had decided the victory. And no one 

 contradicted this, for no one was there to 

 do it, and the veterans chuckled joyfully 

 over their great deeds without one dissent- 

 ing voice. 



But Honey Dew did not get over the ter- 

 rors of that day for a long time, for it had 

 given a great shock to her trusting dis- 

 position to find such treachery among her 

 relations. However, as time passed on, 

 and she grew more accustomed to the vicis- 

 situdes of life, she was able to take a little 

 pride in the event which was long cele- 

 brated in the annals of Beedom, and it was 

 said that if she had any favorites at court 

 they were sure to be found among the num- 

 ber that had fought so bravely for her in 

 the first year of her reign. 



But although this toleration for war be- 

 came possible, it was well known among all 



