QUOTE : Tis a good thing to be light-handed,” said the king. <br /><br />“‘Tis a bad thing to be light-fingered,” answered the queen.<br /><br /> “‘Tis a good thing to be light-footed,” said the king. <br /><br />“‘Tis a bad thing–“ began the queen; but the king interrupted her.<br /><br />“In fact,” said he, with the tone of one who concludes an argument in which he has had only imaginary opponents, and in which, therefore, he has come off triumphant–“in fact, it is a good thing altogether to be light-bodied.” <br /><br />“But it is a bad thing altogether to be light-minded,” retorted the queen, who was beginning to lose her temper. <br /><br />This last answer quite discomfited his Majesty, who turned on his heel, and betook himself to his counting-house again. But he was not half-way towards it, when the voice of his queen overtook him. <br /><br />“And it’s a bad thing to be light-haired,” screamed she, determined to have more last words, now that her spirit was roused. <br /><br />The queen’s hair was black as night; and the king’s had been, and his daughter’s was, golden as morning. But it was not this reflection on his hair that arrested him; it was the double use of the word light. For the king hated all witticisms, and punning especially. And besides, he could not tell whether the queen meant light-haired or light-heired; for why might she not aspirate her vowels when she was ex-asperated herself?