But it was of no use to argue such a thing with a being unacquainted with the first rules of logic, and the princess went on with tears and sobs to beg me to fetch her the sun. I tried my best to explain to her the absurdity of the request, but she would not listen; and, weeping bitterly, she cried-- “O Mulligan, you do not love me! Is this your gratitude for bestowing my affection upon you?” I felt very miserable, and began to look upon myself as the most ungrateful wretch, and to appease her I promised that I would try to do all I could. At this moment a blast of trumpets and the tinkling of bells announced the arrival of the king. He was accompanied by the queen and her suite, and with them came all the nobility, the ministers, officers, and also the whole of the medical faculty, together with the head executioner and his assistants. The queen was a little fat woman, and rather homely. Upon her head shone a great emerald, throwing a soft green light around her. She was accompanied by her maids of honour, all of whom appeared in a green colour. I made my bow to the queen, who, after looking at me through the spiritoscope, turned to the king and said-- “Is this the green hobgoblin who has the impudence of claiming that he is a man-spirit?” “Yes,” answered the king; “only, as you will observe, he is not green, but red.” “Your majesty is pleased to jest,” replied the queen. “Everybody sees that he is green.” “He is red,” said the king sternly, being evidently annoyed by her contradiction. “Let him be red then, if you must have it so,” answered the queen, while her voice indicated vexation; “but he is green for all that.” “Well, I declare!” exclaimed Bimbam I., growing still more red. “I never saw a woman in my life that did not love to contradict. I say he is red, and I will leave it to Cravatu to decide.” Cravatu stepped forward, letting his yellow light fall directly upon me, and after scanning me very carefully, he said: “I beg pardon, your majesties, but the hobgoblin is of a bright yellow colour.” “Are you all making sport of me?” cried the king in a rage; and turning to the princess, he asked: “What does Adalga say?” “He appears to me in a silvery light shaded with blue,” answered the princess; “but according to his own statement he does not shine at all.” The gnomes looked at each other in amazement, and Cravatu said-- “He is a wizard who appears to everyone in another light.” But the princess continued-- “Although he does not shine, he has a much greater light than we all, for it shines upon everything. He calls it a sun, and he has promised to fetch it to me.”