“Open the gate!”
The soldier that had thrown Tom away gave him a box on the ear[6] that sent him to the road.
The crowd laughed. The prince rose out of the mud and shouted—
“I am the Prince of Wales, my person is sacred!” The soldier said mockingly—
“I salute your Highness.” Then angrily—“Be off, you crazy rubbish!”
Here the laughing crowd pushed him down the road, shouting—
“Way for his Royal Highness! Way for the Prince of Wales!”
The prince looked about him. He was in London—that was all he knew. He walked around, and in a little while there were less houses and people around him. He bathed his bleeding feet in the brook, rested a few moments, then continued walking, and presently came upon a great space with only a few scattered houses in it, and a church. He recognised this church. There was scaffolding everywhere, and a lot of workmen; the church was undergoing repairs. The prince felt that this was the end of his troubles. He said to himself, “It is the ancient Grey Friars’ Church, which my father, the king, turned into a home for poor and forsaken children. Gladly will they serve the son of the one that has was so generous to them.”
He was soon found himself in the midst of a crowd of boys who were running, jumping, playing with ball, and right noisily, too. They were all dressed alike.
The boys stopped their play and surrounded about the prince, who said with dignity—
“Good lads, say to your master that Edward Prince of Wales wants to speak with him.”
They all talked at once, and then one of them said—
“Are you his messenger, beggar?”
The prince’s face flushed with anger, and his hand flew to his hip, but there was nothing there. There was a storm of laughter, and one boy said—
“Did you see that? He thought he had a sword—like he is the prince himself.”
This brought more laughter. Poor Edward proudly said—
“I am the prince.”
More laughter again. The boy who had first spoken, shouted to his friends—
“Well, where are your manners? Down on your knees, everyone!”
Laughing, they dropped upon their knees and did mock homage to him. The prince kicked the nearest boy with his foot, and said—
“Take that! Unless you want to hang tomorrow!”
And now this was going beyond fun. The laughter stopped, and fury took its place. A dozen shouted—