Just then a rabbit band of nearly fifty pieces marched in, playing upon golden instruments and dressed in neat uniforms. Following the band came the nobility of Bunnybury, all richly dressed and hopping¹ along on their rear legs. Both the ladies and the gentlemen wore white gloves upon their paws, with their rings on the outside of the gloves, as this seemed to be the fashion here. Some of the lady rabbits carried lorgnettes, while many of the gentlemen rabbits wore monocles in their left eyes.

 

The courtiers and their ladies paraded past the King, who introduced Princess Dorothy to each couple in a very graceful² manner. Then the company seated themselves in chairs and on sofas and looked expectantly at their monarch³.

 

"It is our royal duty, as well as our royal pleasure," he said, "to provide fitting entertainment for our distinguished⁴ guest. We will now present the Royal Band of Whiskered Friskers."

 

As he spoke⁵ the musicians, who had arranged themselves in a corner, struck up a dance melody while into the room pranced⁶ the Whiskered Friskers. They were eight pretty rabbits dressed only in gauzy purple skirts fastened around their waists with diamond bands. Their whiskers were colored a rich purple, but otherwise they were pure white.

 

After bowing before the King and Dorothy the Friskers began their pranks⁷, and these were so comical that Dorothy laughed with real enjoyment⁸. They not only danced together, whirling and gyrating around the room, but they leaped over one another, stood upon their heads and hopped⁹ and skipped here and there so nimbly that it was hard work to keep track of them. Finally, they all made double somersaults and turned handsprings out of the room.

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