"Well, what of that?" rejoined the queen. "Just think! If she were to have children! In the course of a hundred years the air might be as full of floating children as of gossamers in autumn." "That is no business of ours," replied the queen. "Besides, by that time they will have learned to take care of themselves." A sigh was the king's only answer. He would have consulted the court physicians; but he was afraid they would try experiments upon her. VI. SHE LAUGHS TOO MUCH. Meantime, notwithstanding awkward occurrences, and griefs that she brought upon her parents, the little princess laughed and grew--not fat, but plump and tall. She reached the age of seventeen, without having fallen into any worse scrape than a chimney; by rescuing her from which, a little bird-nesting urchin got fame and a black face. Nor, thoughtless as she was, had she committed anything worse than laughter at everybody and everything that came in her way. When she was told, for the sake of experiment, that General Clanrunfort was cut to pieces with all his troops, she laughed; when she heard that the enemy was on his way to besiege her papa's capital, she laughed hugely; but when she was told that the city would certainly be abandoned to the mercy of the enemy's soldiery--why, then she laughed immoderately. She never could be brought to see the serious side of anything. When her mother cried, she said,-- "What queer faces mamma makes! And she squeezes water out of her cheeks? Funny mamma!" And when her papa stormed at her, she laughed, and danced round and round him, clapping her hands, and crying,-- "Do it again, papa. Do it again! It's such fun! Dear, funny papa!" And if he tried to catch her, she glided from him in an instant, not in the least afraid of him, but thinking it part of the game not to be caught. With one push of her foot, she would be floating in the air above his head; or she would go dancing backwards and forwards and sideways, like a great butterfly. It happened several times, when her father and mother were holding a consultation about her in private, that they were interrupted by vainly repressed outbursts of laughter over their heads; and looking up with indignation, saw her floating at full length in the air above them, whence she regarded them with the most comical appreciation of the position.