The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Author:Kate DiCamillo
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
ISBN: 9780763649432
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2003-10-27T10:00:00+00:00

MIGGERY SOW’S LUCK CONTINUED. On her first day on the job as a castle servant, she was sent to deliver a spool of red thread to the princess.

“Mind,” said the head of the serving staff, a dour woman named Louise, “she is royalty, so you must make sure you curtsy.”

“How’s that?” shouted Mig.

“You must curtsy!” shouted Louise.

“Gor,” said Mig, “yes’m.”

She took the spool of thread from Louise and made her way up the golden stairs to the princess’s room, talking to herself as she went.

“Here I am, off to see the princess. Me, Miggery Sow, seeing the princess up close and personal-like. And first off, I must cursy because she is the royalty.”

At the door to the princess’s room, Mig had a sudden crisis of confidence. She stood a moment, clutching the spool of thread and muttering to herself.

“Now, how did that go?” she said. “Give the princess the thread and then give her a cursy? No, no, first the cursy and then the thread. That’s it. Gor, that’s right, that’s the order. Start with the cursy and finish with the thread.”

She knocked at the princess’s door.

“Enter,” said the Pea.

Mig, hearing nothing, knocked again.

“Enter,” said the Pea.

And Mig, still hearing nothing, knocked yet again. “Maybe,” she said to herself, “the princess ain’t to home.”

But then the door was flung wide and there was the princess herself, staring right at Miggery Sow.

“Gor,” said Mig, her mouth hanging open.

“Hello,” said the Pea. “Are you the new serving maid? Have you brought me my thread?”

“Cursy I must!” shouted Mig.

She gathered her skirts, dropped the spool of thread, stuck a foot out, and stepped on the spool, rocked back and forth for what seemed like quite a long time (both to the watching princess and the rocking Mig), and finally fell to the floor with a Miggish thud.

“Whoopsie,” said Miggery Sow.

The Pea could not help it — she laughed. “That’s all right,” she said to Mig, shaking her head. “It’s the spirit of the thing that counts.”

“How’s that?” shouted Mig.

“It’s the spirit of the thing that counts!” shouted Pea.

“Thank you, miss,” said Mig. She got slowly to her feet. She looked at the princess. She looked down at the floor. “First the cursy and then the thread,” Mig muttered.

“Pardon?” said the Pea.

“Gor!” said Mig. “The thread!” She dropped to her hands and knees to locate the spool of thread; when she found it, she stood back up and offered it to Pea. “I brought you yer thread, didn’t I?”

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