'But the Pickled Heifer is our ship!' insisted Captain Bill.
'Hmmmmmmmmmmmm,' replied Queen Phoebe thoughtfully, 'I think you'll find that it was your ship, only now it's ours and we've got a receipt and a big dungeon to prove it.'
Captain Bill and Norma and Bertha all looked very upset.
'But it wasn't supposed to be sold,' said Norma, 'it was a bit of a misunderstanding and we really would like to have it back.'
'That's as may be,' replied Queen Phoebe, 'but One can't go announcing prizes for competitions on a Monday and then withdrawing them on a Tuesday. It's that sort of thing that allows the papers to tuck you up a right treat. One hates to think what sort of trouble it would cause for His Little Crownness... and I do so love 'im so.'
Captain Bill and Norma and Betha all agreed that nobody could love anybody more than Queen Phoebe loved King Otto and that they wouldn't want to cause either of them any undue problems.
'Still,' continued Queen Phoebe, 'as I've said, there haint nothing to stop you entering the Regatta. You could easily form a team... although you might want to leave out the mad one... and the poet... and you may want to give the fat one a miss as well.'
'It's all muscle!' called out Cyril but everyone ignored him.
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