OnsomegrandstateoccasionIforgotwhatthekingdeterminedtohaveamasquerade，andwheneveramasqueradeoranythingofthatkind，occurredatourcourt，thenthetalents，bothofHop-FrogandTrippettaweresuretobecalledintoplay。Hop-Frog，inespecial，wassoinventiveinthewayofgettinguppageants，suggestingnovelcharacters，andarrangingcostumes，formaskedballs，thatnothingcouldbedone，itseems，withouthisassistance。
Thenightappointedforthefetehadarrived。Agorgeoushallhadbeenfittedup，underTrippetta’seye，witheverykindofdevicewhichcouldpossiblygiveeclattoamasquerade。Thewholecourtwasinafeverofexpectation。Asforcostumesandcharacters，itmightwellbesupposedthateverybodyhadcometoadecisiononsuchpoints。Manyhadmadeuptheirmindsastowhatrolestheyshouldassumeaweek，orevenamonth，inadvance；and，infact，therewasnotaparticleofindecisionanywhereexceptinthecaseofthekingandhissevenminsters。WhytheyhesitatedInevercouldtell，unlesstheydiditbywayofajoke。Moreprobably，theyfounditdifficult，onaccountofbeingsofat，tomakeuptheirminds。Atallevents，timeflew；and，asalastresorttheysentforTrippettaandHop-Frog。
Whenthetwolittlefriendsobeyedthesummonsofthekingtheyfoundhimsittingathiswinewiththesevenmembersofhiscabinetcouncil；butthemonarchappearedtobeinaveryillhumor。HeknewthatHop-Frogwasnotfondofwine，foritexcitedthepoorcripplealmosttomadness；andmadnessisnocomfortablefeeling。Butthekinglovedhispracticaljokes，andtookpleasureinforcingHop-Frogtodrinkandasthekingcalledit
’tobemerry。’
“Comehere，Hop-Frog。”saidhe，asthejesterandhisfriendenteredtheroom；“swallowthisbumpertothehealthofyourabsentfriends，[hereHop-Frogsighed，]andthenletushavethebenefitofyourinvention。Wewantcharacterscharacters，mansomethingnoveloutoftheway。