This chapter's epigraph comes from the famous nursery rhyme "Adelinquent." It's a rhyming soliloquy about the power of the king. It begins with the sound of a creak and ends with a groan. The creak is a warning that something is wrong with the king's back. The groan is followed by a gasp and a squelch. The squelch is a sign that something bad is about to happen to the king, and the gasp is a signal that the king is going to get his revenge. The clacking of the pant leg and the groan are signs that something's up. The pant leg is getting bigger and bigger, and it's getting even bigger when the king tries to get it out of the back of the beast. The king knows that this is painful for him, and he's going to do his best to make sure it doesn't happen to him.