. In happy far-away land . felt sure thatthe boy must have stolen theprecious paper. You may imagine howsurprised Tommy was whenthe footman, finding himsinging again in the street,tapped him on the shoulderand bade him follow to thepalace at once, and you canimagine, too, with what in-dignation Tommy heard thefootman say, when he hadbrought the little musi-cian into the audience-chamber again : Your Majesty, this isthe boy who was here yes-terday. I am sure he hastaken the paper, for I saw that he had something under his coat as he went away. Nonsense, said King Cole. That boy is as honest as
. In happy far-away land . felt sure thatthe boy must have stolen theprecious paper. You may imagine howsurprised Tommy was whenthe footman, finding himsinging again in the street,tapped him on the shoulderand bade him follow to thepalace at once, and you canimagine, too, with what in-dignation Tommy heard thefootman say, when he hadbrought the little musi-cian into the audience-chamber again : Your Majesty, this isthe boy who was here yes-terday. I am sure he hastaken the paper, for I saw that he had something under his coat as he went away. Nonsense, said King Cole. That boy is as honest as the clay is wager my crown he did not touch the paper. But most of the councillors believed what the footman said, and insistedthat Tommy must be made to tell what he had done with the paper, and thathe must be soundly punished for laying hands on what was not his to take. I have seen no state papers, Your Majesty, said Tommy stoutly, andas for what I had under my coat, it was merely my music roll, and here it 96 LITTLE TOMMY TUCKER As Tommy drew forth the roll, Tray jumped up and began to bark, forhe could not guess how the roll he had taken such good care of came to bethere in Tommys Tommy stood still for a moment, and then as helooked at the rolls of state papers lying on the council table, and saw howdistressed Tray was, a sudden idea flashed into his mind. Tray! Tray! he said, shaking the music roll in the clogs face, Fetch it. Fetch the other roll. Tray hesitated. / His ears dropped, and then, the most sheepish andashamed dog in all Far Away Land, he walked slowly to the Queens divanand brought forth the missing roll. A shout of laughter went up from all the anxious councillors, butTommy would have none of them laugh at poor Tray, and, swinging hisguitar before him, began to play a merry tune, at which Tray danced sogaily that he soon forgot his chagrin. And when Tommy left the palace his pockets were heavy with silverand gold. With this he began his
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