But as soon as he saw that the Captain was really angry that he should joke in this way about the prison walls of Doomdell, he immediately got down on bended knee and begged the Captain’s pardon. And Captain Featherweight, who was anxious that they should all live in harmony, graciously granted it. “And Owly,” continued the Captain, “I warn _you_ not to be too clever. I should think Prince Prigio would be a warning to you. Don’t you remember how everybody hated him because he was so very clever and let everybody know it? And that it was only when he concealed the fact and _seemed_ no cleverer than other people that they began to love him?” “I’ll do my best,” said Owly, “but if I am as clever as you say, it is my nature to be so and I cannot help it.” “You can be clever and tactful, too,” said the Captain. “Take Rainbow for your model, and learn of him. “And if you ask a question of the King, you must say: ‘Your Royal Highness, may I be permitted to ask----’ and so forth. “But you must _not_ say: ‘May I ask--your Royal Highness?’ ‘Your Royal Highness’ or ‘Your Majesty’ must always come before ‘I’ or ‘me’ when you are addressing the King.” “Rainbow, as usual, I put you in charge of the whole affair. You must instruct the others in the proper etiquette for the occasion.” “Shall I gather countless fireflies for the illumination?” asked Lightning. “Not fireflies, but glowworms,” said the Captain. “They are rarer and will therefore do the King more honor. “And we’ll send to the Dwarfs of Cavedale, and have them make a thousand silver filigree lanterns to hold the glowworms, and hang from the ceilings of Mount Fern, and from the branches of trees near our dwelling. “And the floors shall be carpeted with the petals of roses; and the walls hung with star-flower and forget-me-not. “And the sweetest and freshest of honeydew must be collected, with the ripest and most luscious of the fruits, and the most perfect of the nuts. “And now I think this is all I need tell you, for, as I said before, the King will manage his own entertainment. “Right! Left! Shoulder arms!” At this command every elf went to work. The flower-elf ran off to the mulberry tree in search of Colonel Claw. He found him perching on one of the lower branches, so up he flew and sat beside him. And he told him all about the expected visit of the King. “There is nothing the King so much dislikes as an ill-kept garden,” said the flower-elf. “And so I have come to ask your kind assistance in a battle against the canker-worms, grubs, beetles, ants and other insects that eat out the life of the flowers.” “I’ll do my best,” said Colonel Claw. “I’ll get all the birds in the neighborhood to wage incessant warfare against all the enemies of the flowers! And I’ll begin this very hour.” “A thousand thanks,” said Iris-Wing, “you have my undying gratitude, and if I can ever help you, be sure I will.” Then the flower-elf bade adieu to Colonel Claw and went in search of Slumber.