BLUE PRINCE. Not too happy. Too weak. Help you eat. (He breaks off a piece and holds it to her mouth. With a great effort the QUEEN disposes of it.) Good! . . . Again! (She does it again.) Now! (She swallows another piece.) Last piece! (She takes it in. He pats her kindly on the back, and she nearly chokes.) Good. . . . Better now? QUEEN (weakly). Much. BLUE PRINCE. Good day. QUEEN (with an effort). Good day, kind gentleman. [He goes out. (The KING is just coming from the cottage, when he returns suddenly. The KING slips back again.) BLUE PRINCE. Small piece left over. (He gives it to her. She looks hopelessly at him.) Good-bye. [He goes. QUEEN (throwing the piece down violently). Ugh! What a man! KING (coming out). Well, well, my dear, we have discovered the winner. QUEEN (from the heart). Detestable person! KING. The rest of the competition is of course more in the nature of a formality-- QUEEN. Thank goodness. KING. However, I think that it will prevent unnecessary discussion afterwards if we--Take care, here is another one. (He hurries back.) _Enter the RED PRINCE_. QUEEN (with not nearly so much conviction). Could you spare a crust of bread, sir, for a poor hungry old woman? RED PRINCE. A crust of bread, madam? Certainly. As luck will have it, I have a crust on me. My last one, but--your need is greater than mine. Eat, I pray. QUEEN. Th-thank you, sir. RED PRINCE. Not at all. Come, eat. Let me have the pleasure of seeing you eating. QUEEN. M-might I take it home with me, pretty gentleman? RED PRINCE (firmly). No, no. I must see you eating. Come! I will take no denial. QUEEN. Th-thank you, sir. (Hopefully) Won't you share it with me? RED PRINCE. No, I insist on your having it all. I am in the mood to be generous. Oblige me by eating it now for I am in a hurry; yet I will not go until you have eaten. (She does her best.) You eat but slowly. (Sternly) Did you deceive me when you said you were hungry? QUEEN. N-no. I'm very hungry. (She eats) RED PRINCE. That's better. Now understand--however poor I am, I can always find a crust of bread for an old woman. Always! Remember this when next you are hungry. . . . You spoke? (She shakes her head and goes on eating.) Finished? QUEEN (with great difficulty). Yes, thank you, pretty gentleman. RED PRINCE. There's a piece on the ground there that you dropped. (She eats it in dumb agony) Finished? QUEEN (huskily). Yes, thank you, pretty gentleman. RED PRINCE. Then I will leave you, madam. Good morning. [He goes out. (The QUEEN rises in fury. The KING is about to come out of the cottage, when the YELLOW PRINCE enters. The QUEEN sits down again and mumbles something. It is certainly not an appeal for bread, but the YELLOW PRINCE is not to be denied.)