'
Robert was beginning to unroll the carpet, but the others stopped
him, imploring him not to waste a wish.
'We asked the carpet to take us where we could get Indian things
for bazaars,' said Anthea, 'and it will.'
Her faith was justified.
Just as she finished speaking a very brown gentleman in a turban
came up to them and bowed deeply. He spoke, and they thrilled to
the sound of English words.
'My ranee, she think you very nice childs. She asks do you lose
yourselves, and do you desire to sell carpet? She see you from her
palkee. You come see her--yes?'
They followed the stranger, who seemed to have a great many more
teeth in his smile than are usual, and he led them through crooked
streets to the ranee's palace. I am not going to describe the
ranee's palace, because I really have never seen the palace of a
ranee, and Mr Kipling has. So you can read about it in his books.
But I know exactly what happened there.
The old ranee sat on a low-cushioned seat, and there were a lot of
other ladies with her--all in trousers and veils, and sparkling
with tinsel and gold and jewels. And the brown, turbaned gentleman
stood behind a sort of carved screen, and interpreted what the
children said and what the queen said. And when the queen asked to
buy the carpet, the children said 'No.
Pages:
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101