The Queen replied that the
Prince had gone to bed, but that he should see him on a future occasion."
The General then gave his songs, dances, and imitations; and after an
hour's talk with Prince Albert and the rest, departed as coolly as he had
come, but not as leisurely, as the long backing-out process being too
tedious, he varied it with little runs, which drew from the Queen,
Prince, and Court peels of laughter, and roused the ire of the Queen's
poodle, who attacked the small Yankee stranger. The General defended
himself with his little cane, as valiantly as the original Tom Thumb with
his mother's darning-needle. On the next visit, he was introduced to the
Prince of Wales, whom he addressed with a startling, "How are you,
Prince?" He then received a costly souvenir from the Queen, and, each
time he performed, generous pay in gold. The Queen Dowager was also much
taken with him, and presented him with a beautiful little watch. She
called him "dear little General," and took him on her lap. The time came
(when this "full-grown" dwarf was fuller-grown) that the most powerful
Queen Dowager would have found it difficult to dandle him, Charles
Stratton, Esq., a husband and father, on her knee: The fact is the
General was a bit of a humbug, being considerably younger than he was
given out to be.
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