DON’T- to the princess, let her alight, and then strode up

KNOW to the gates.
The porter said: ‘Your name, sir?’
‘Don’t know.’
Then the porter, who had quite lost his head at
all the magnificence, said to the first footman—
“His Serene Highness Don’t-know.’
And the first footman shouted to the second—
“Is ’Iness Don’t-know.’
And the second shouted to the third, with great
emphasis—
‘His Haugust ’igh and Mightiness Don’t-know.’
And so the announcement ran up the stairs, but
with a few strides the new-comer reached the top
of the grand state stairs, and the princess with
him, and they walked into the banqueting-hall—
and lo! every one stood up and cheered, for they
recognised the conqueror in that day’s battle.
Then Prince Dan, for it was he, bowed his knee to
the king, and said : ‘Sire and father-in-law, I am the
youth who has for all this while answered to every
question asked me, Don’t know. Now I am re-
leased by my little horse from the necessity of
making this answer. Why imposed on me, good-
ness only knows, but I made the promise, and a
promise, sire and father-in-law, is, Ineed hardly say,
a promise and must be kept. Iam of royal blood,
being the son of the very puissant King of Cloud-
land. Icame here, and here your youngest daughter
chose me to be her husband. Your two other
princes, sons-in-law, are humbugs. Here are their
rings that I took from them. If you will lift up
their hair you will seethem branded with their own
signets. If you will strip their coats off their
backs, you will find them marked with a pair of
gallows between their shoulder-blades. If you
have the least doubt, sire and father-in-law, that it
is I who assisted in this glorious day, here is your
own pert panderebict which you gaveme. In

14.