The two little maids pulled open the doors, and Margaret and Frances walking through, found themselves looking down upon a beautiful lawn with lots of little marble-topped tables scattered about it, at which sat numbers of bright-colored little people, drinking tea and eating ice-cream and lady-fingers. Across the middle of the lawn ran a white pathway, at the far end of which was a steep, green bank, forming a sort of raised platform. On this platform, with two little page-boys behind him holding up his scarlet cloak, was a fat little, red-cheeked gentleman with a spiky gold crown on his head, walking to and fro, and every now and then stopping to scoop up bubbles with a silver milk-strainer from a fountain of aëro-plane water. "The King," whispered the Admiral; and then, putting his hands to his mouth, he shouted: "King's Guests!" At this, all the ladies and gentlemen jumped out of their chairs, and turning to Margaret and Frances made a low bow, while the King, himself, thrusting his milk-strainer into his pocket, ran and leaped from the green bank, the two little boys who had hold of his cloak flying out behind like the tail of a kite. Up the garden ran the King, the two pages still flying out behind, until he had come to where the children stood, when he stopped, straightened his crown, and after casting a glance over his shoulder to see if the pages had recovered their feet, he advanced with both hands stretched out to welcome his guests. "Delighted to see you, Ladies," said he, shaking hands with both of them at once. "Most kind of you to come. What can I offer you by way of refreshment? Here is everything you can think of; and if there's anything you can't think of, you have only to express a wish for it and I'll order it at once." "Thank you very much," replied Margaret, "but we've had refreshment already." "And we're much obliged for the wreaths and slippers," added Frances. "Not at all," responded the King. "Most condescending of you to wear them. Do the slippers fit?" "Perfectly, thank you." "All right, then," unhooking his scarlet cloak and dropping it upon the ground. "Come on, if you're ready. Race you to the other end!" Away went the fat little King as hard as he could run, all down the center pathway, and having such a good start he would certainly have won had it not been for the aëro-plane bubbles the children had swallowed. As it was, they took such immense steps that they caught the King just as he reached the platform, on top of which they all jumped in a row and flung themselves down on a three-seated throne, like a high-backed church pew, except that it was decorated with gold knobs and had a crown over the middle seat. "Good!" cried the King, clapping his hands. "Everybody won! Distribute the prizes!"