We have hundreds more books for your enjoyment. Read them all!
|
|
From the bag which I had brought the Doctor took a large bottle
of embrocation and began rubbing the sprain. Next he took all
the bandages he had in the bag and fastened them end to end. But
even like that, they were not long enough to go more than halfway
round the enormous tail. The Doctor insisted that he must get the
swelling strapped tight somehow. So he sent me off to the palace
once more to get all the sheets from the Royal Linen-closet.
These Polynesia and I tore into bandages for him. And at last,
after terrific exertions, we got the sprain strapped to his
satisfaction.
The snail really seemed to be quite pleased with the attention he
had received; and he stretched himself in lazy comfort when the
Doctor was done. In this position, when the shell on his back
was empty, you could look right through it and see the palm-trees
on the other side.
"I think one of us had better sit up with him all night," said
the Doctor. "We might put Bumpo on that duty; he's been napping
all day, I know--in the summer-house. It's a pretty bad sprain,
that; and if the snail shouldn't be able to sleep, he'll be
happier with some one with him for company. He'll get all right
though--in a few days I should judge. If I wasn't so confoundedly
busy I'd sit up with him myself. I wish I could, because I still
have a lot of things to talk over with him."
"But Doctor," said Polynesia as we prepared to go back to the
town, "you ought to take a holiday. All Kings take holidays once
in the while--every one of them. King Charles, for instance-- of
course Charles was before your time--but he!--why, he was ALWAYS
holiday-making. Not that he was ever what you would call a model
king. But just the same, he was frightfully popular. Everybody
liked him-- even the golden-carp in the fish-pond at Hampton
Court. As a king, the only thing I had against him was his
inventing those stupid, little, snappy dogs they call King
Charles Spaniels. There are lots of stories told about poor
Charles; but that, in my opinion, is the worst thing he did.
However, all this is beside the point. As I was saying, kings
have to take holidays the same as anybody else. And you haven't
taken one since you were crowned, have you now?"
|