King Of Tumble=Dee

Northern Advocate, 3 January 1939, Page 2

King Of Tumble=Dee

(Sent in by Jean Erceg, Mata). iking Tumble-Oh of Tumble-dee was unlike any other king that you or I halm ever heard of before. True, he wore a crown and purple robes trimmed with the most expensive orininie fur, and it is true also that he sat at the head of the Wise Council at its evenv meeting; out that is where his kingship ceased, Tumble-Oh took great delight in spilling his porridge all oyer the Queen’s best damask each morning, and nothing pleased him morel than cutting out jig-saw puzzles from ’the most important state documents!. causing the Cabinet ministers and others concerned, very great trouble indeed. They would chew their cigar-bnds and sometimes their thumb nails in their distress. But as Tnmbledee isn’t marked in the standard atlas, it isn’t of very groat importance, and therefore what King Tumble-Oh did in the way of tearing state documents, didn’t disturb anybody or anything outside of Tumble-dee. For instance, nothing like the League of Nations was ever summoned to discuss the situation.

Nevertheless, it’s always * interesting to hear something that has never been heard before, and here is the episode that caused all the Cabinet Ministers in Tumble-dee to chew up all the cigarends in the Parliament buildings as well as in the royal palace. It was something quite extraordinary. From the Lord. High Chamberlain right down to the tiniest page boy, the whole, palace staff quivered and shook. That morning the king had refused to eat his breakfast —refused to look at it or even to be spoken to about it. Didn’t care if the queen put on -her best damask clpth or if the porridge was the best kind of porridge there is to spill. At length it was realised that his majesty was ill. Now Tumble-Oh had been ill on previous occasions, especially at such times as when he was supposed to give a speech somewhere, and then, of course, somebody else had to do it for him. But this certain time King Tumble-Oh was very much worse than he had ever been before. The First Court Physician was summoned. He told Tuhible-Oh to put his tongue out, which Tumble-Oh did very well. After looking at the king’s tongue and feeling the king’s pulse, he shook his head vaguely and said just as vaguely—- “ Overweight." What that is, nobody dared to explain, nor could the First Court Physician do do properly, so King Tumble-Oh ordered him away and summoned the Second Court Physician. The Second Court Physician asked the king to hold his? tongue out. He looked at it, felt the king’s pulse, asked the king to say “99,” and then declared he thought it was the ’flu. The Second Court Physician’s opinion differed greatly from that of the First Court Physician, that the king gave them both a week’s notice and then summoned the Third Court Physician. The Third Court Physician could say nothing definite, nor could the Fourth or Fifth, or Sixth or Seventh Court

Physicians. Everybody was at a loss to know what to do next. At length the queen struck upon a S bright idea: for the king, was never expected to. The queen declared that everybody in the palace, from the Lord High Chamberlain to the tinies| page boy was to examine the king, and perhaps after everybody had had a guess, somebody might guess correctly. So the Lord High Chamberlain set to work and did exactly what he saw the Court Physicians do. When the time came for him to say what he thought it was, he crossed his fingers as if deep in thought and said gravely; ‘•Maybe his majesty has indulged in. too much exorcise.” But the queen know, ns did everybody else present, that that was hoi the case, although they didn’t say so just then. After the Lord High Chafti- ‘ box-lain came all the other wise heads of the palace, including the Cabinet Ministers, and one by one everybody who belonged to the palace came forward and went away, until at last tiniest page boy’s turn came. Twinkle felt very weak in the knees as he stepped beside the king’s bed.- This was certainly the greatest task that anyone had ever set him; and as; be looked aroupd at all those 'people, each and evex-yone of whom was of higher official standing than he, he felt extremely miserable and wondered what exactly would happen if he failed to find out what ailed his majesty. Everyone had said what they thought, but the king was not satisfied. The case had reached a most distressing! stage and the king lay back moaning and groaning. The Lord High Chartt-

berlain and the others twistedhands and made tragic faces sorrow and remorse not *>becatt*e Tumble-Oh was so 111, but mainly because they might be charged; With treason if his majesty died. Cabinet Ministers finished chewing iuj. the cigar-ends and started off on «*s*} thumb-nails, and Twinkle came ■ Iwg ward to examine the king. He l ooked the king all over and as he did *O. there dawned upon him the fadt Tumble-Oh had had a most over-sized dinner the previous evening. Twinkte; tried hard to remember what Tumb%Oh had. There was a whole roast hMBm key, six bowls of tomato soup, . vegetables, three plates of green f|W..three fat ducks, three pounds of miltton chops, three large fruit plates of jelly, three plates of Saiidwiches and sixteen cups of teaf- I'iTo person, thought Twinkle, could ;9P much and then feel fit and well enough to do his daily dozen, so he twisted his comical little mouth gravely, buttoned up his twinkling eyes, and said sagely: “Payninthetummi,” The king popped his eyes open and looked at Twinkle bleakly. The Lord High Chamberlain and the opened their mouths, screwed up then* great eyes and murmured “AHr “Hm.” The Cabinet Ministers ; ,'bSgW put their thumbs behind and nodded, “Quite so” “Pray,” said the queen to ;laWgi“could you give his majesty Twinkle buttoned up his said:'“Yes, ma’am.” The whole room became a moment, and everybody waUedjjPM breathless suspense *to hear wMF;: Twinkle had to say. “The cure for his majesty,” declared Twinkle, “is that he should fiaVe Mlh | ing whatever tc> eat for three whole days at the end of which I guarantee; he will be as fit as a fiddle.” cIMm King Tumble-Oh scowled fiercely and was about to say “Away with hints' when he remembered that there; was nobody else to examine him; so he let the queen tuck him up in bed and told the Lord High Chamberlain to make Twinkle the First Court Physici&fiBut Twinkle explained to the Lord High Chamberlain. that he had never studied medicine and that it would.be safer for everybody in the palaCe; if he continued serving at the kitiigS table. The Lord High Chamberlainip turn explained tills to Tumble-Oh who said, “Very well, very well,” and went off to sleep. At the end of three days, the king bounced out of bed, took his skipping rope and started skipping up and down the palace in his nightshirt; but as everybody was so pleased to see his majesty bright and happy again, nobody seemed to mind. The king viSited the dining rootn and ordered that Twinkle should always have the nicest of everything. So iiv the end everything turned out to be as fine as could be. The Cabinet Ministers ordered a new supply of cjgar°nds. but it is to be hoped that they will hot have to use thefh for a .’lppe timp to come. -jOtismi 4 ■ -v