The Kings Breakfast

Alan Alexander Milne

The King’s Breakfast

The King asked

The Queen, and

The Queen asked

The Dairymaid:

Could we have some butter for

The Royal slice of bread?

The Queen asked the Dairymaid,

The Dairymaid

Said, Certainly,

I’ll go and tell the cow

Now

Before she goes to bed.

The Dairymaid

She curtsied,

And went and told

The Alderney:

Don’t forget the butter for

The Royal slice of bread.

The Alderney

Said sleepily:

You’d better tell

His Majesty

That many people nowadays

Like marmalade

Instead.

The Dairymaid

Said, Fancy!

And went to

Her Majesty.

She curtsied to the Queen, and

She turned a little red:

Excuse me,

Your Majesty,

For taking of

The liberty,

But marmalade is tasty, if

It’s very

Thickly

Spread.

The Queen said

Oh!:

And went to

His Majesty:

Talking of the butter for

The royal slice of bread,

Many people

Think that

Marmalade

Is nicer.

Would you like to try a little

Marmalade

Instead?

The King said,

Bother!

And then he said,

Oh, deary me!

The King sobbed, Oh, deary me!

And went back to bed.

Nobody,

He whimpered,

Could call me

A fussy man;

I only want

A little bit

Of butter for

My bread!

The Queen said,

There, there!

And went to

The Dairymaid.

The Dairymaid

Said, There, there!

And went to the shed.

The cow said,

There, there!

I didn’t really

Mean it;

Here’s milk for his porringer,

And butter for his bread.

The Queen took

The butter

And brought it to

His Majesty;

The King said,

Butter, eh?

And bounced out of bed.

Nobody, he said,

As he kissed her

Tenderly,

Nobody, he said,

As he slid down the banisters,

Nobody,

My darling,

Could call me

A fussy man –

BUT

I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!”