English
AftertheKinghadmadegoodhisescapeFilessaidtothedragon,inasadvoice:
“Alas!Whydidyounotcomebefore?Becauseyouweresleepinginsteadofconquering,thelovelyRosePrincesshasbecomeafiddlewithoutabow,whilepoorShaggysitsthereacooingdove!”
“Don’tworry,”repliedQuox.“Tititi-Hoochooknowshisbusiness,andIhavemyordersfromtheGreatJinjinhimself.Bringthefiddlehereandtouchitlightlytomypinkribbon.”
FilesobeyedandatthemomentofcontactwiththeribbontheNomeKing’scharmwasbrokenandtheRosePrincessherselfstoodbeforethemassweetandsmilingasever.
Thedove,perchedonthebackofthethrone,hadseenandheardallthis,sowithoutbeingtoldwhattodoitflewstraighttothedragonandalightedontheribbon.
NextinstantShaggywashimselfagainandQuoxsaidtohimgrumblingly:
“Pleasegetoffmylefttoe,ShaggyMan,andbemoreparticularwhereyoustep.”
“Ibegyourpardon!”repliedShaggy,verygladtoresumehisnaturalform.ThenherantolifttheheavydiamondoffTik-Tok’schestandtoassisttheClockworkMantohisfeet.
“Ma-nythanks!”saidTik-Tok.“WhereisthewickedKingwhowant-edtomeltmeinacru-ci-ble?”
“Hehasgone,andgoneforgood,”answeredPolychrome,whohadmanagedtosqueezeintotheroombesidethedragonandhadwitnessedtheoccurrenceswithmuchinterest.
“ButIwonderwhereBetsyBobbinandHankcanbe,andifanyharmhasbefallenthem.”
“Wemustsearchthecavernuntilwefindthem,”declaredShaggy;butwhenhewenttothedoorleadingtotheothercavernshefounditshutandbarred.
“I’veaprettystrongpushinmyforehead,”saidQuox,“andIbelieveIcanbreakdownthatdoor,eventhoughit’smadeofsolidgold.”
“Butyouareaprisoner,andthechainsthatholdyouarefastenedinsomeotherroom,sothatwecannotreleaseyou,”Filessaidanxiously.
“Oh,nevermindthat,”returnedthedragon.
“IhaveremainedaprisoneronlybecauseIwishedtobeone,”andwiththishesteppedforwardandburstthestoutchainsaseasilyasiftheyhadbeenthreads.
Butwhenhetriedtopushintheheavymetaldoor,evenhismightystrengthfailed,andafterseveralattemptshegaveitupandsquattedhimselfinacornertothinkofabetterway.
“I’llo-penthedoor,”assertedTik-Tok,andgoingtotheKing’sbiggonghepoundeduponituntilthenoisewasalmostdeafening.
Kaliko,inthenextcavern,waswonderingwhathadhappenedtoRuggedoandifhehadescapedtheeggsandoutwittedthedragon.
Butwhenheheardthesoundofthegong,whichhadsooftencalledhimintotheKing’spresence,hedecidedthatRuggedohadbeenvictorious;sohetookawaythebar,threwopenthedoorandenteredtheroyalcavern.
GreatwashisastonishmenttofindtheKinggoneandtheenchantmentsremovedfromthePrincessandShaggy.
ButtheeggswerealsogoneandsoKalikoadvancedtothedragon,whomheknewtobeTititi-Hoochoo’smessenger,andbowedhumblybeforethebeast.
“Whatisyourwill?”heinquired.
“WhereisBetsy?”demandedthedragon.
“Safeinmyownprivateroom,”saidKaliko.
“Goandgether!”commandedQuox.
SoKalikowenttoBetsy’sroomandgavethreerapsuponthedoor.Thelittlegirlhadbeenasleep,butsheheardtherapsandopenedthedoor.
“Youmaycomeoutnow,”saidKaliko.“TheKinghasfledindisgraceandyourfriendsareaskingforyou.”
SoBetsyandHankreturnedwiththeRoyalChamberlaintothethronecavern,whereshewasreceivedwithgreatjoybyherfriends.
TheytoldherwhathadhappenedtoRuggedoandshetoldthemhowkindKalikohadbeentoher.
Quoxdidnothavemuchtosayuntiltheconversationwasended,butthenheturnedtoKalikoandasked:
“DoyousupposeyoucouldruleyournomesbetterthanRuggedohasdone?”
“Me?”stammeredtheChamberlain,greatlysurprisedbythequestion.“Well,Icouldn’tbeaworseKing,I’msure.”
“Wouldthenomesobeyyou?”inquiredthedragon.
“Ofcourse,”saidKaliko.“TheylikemebetterthanevertheydidRuggedo.”
“ThenhereafteryoushallbetheMetalMonarch,KingoftheNomes,andTititi-HoochooexpectsyoutoruleyourKingdomwiselyandwell,”saidQuox.
“Hooray!”criedBetsy;“I’mgladofthat.KingKaliko,IsaluteYourMajestyandwishyoujoyinyourgloomyoldKingdom!”
“Weallwishhimjoy,”saidPolychrome;andthentheothersmadehastetocongratulatethenewKing.
“Willyoureleasemydearbrother?”askedShaggy.
“TheUglyOne?Verywillingly,”repliedKaliko.“IbeggedRuggedolongagotosendhimaway,buthewouldnotdoso.Ialsoofferedtohelpyourbrothertoescape,buthewouldnotgo.”
“He’ssoconscientious!”saidShaggy,highlypleased.“Allofourfamilyhavenoblenatures.Butismydearbrotherwell?”headdedanxiously.
“Heeatsandsleepsverysteadily,”repliedthenewKing.
“Ihopehedoesn’tworktoohard,”saidShaggy.
“Hedoesn’tworkatall.Infact,thereisnothinghecandointhesedominionsaswellasournomes,whosenumbersaresogreatthatitworriesustokeepthemallbusy.
Soyourbrotherhasonlytoamusehimself.”
“Why,it’smorelikevisiting,thanbeingaprisoner,”assertedBetsy.
“Notexactly,”returnedKaliko.“Aprisonercannotgowhereorwhenhepleases,andisnothisownmaster.”
“Whereismybrothernow?”inquiredShaggy.
“IntheMetalForest.”
“Whereisthat?”
“TheMetalForestisintheGreatDomedCavern,thelargestinallourdominions,”repliedKaliko.
“Itisalmostlikebeingoutofdoors,itissobig,andRuggedomadethewonderfulforesttoamusehimself,aswellastotireouthishard-workingnomes.
Allthetreesaregoldandsilverandthegroundisstrewnwithpreciousstones,soitisasortoftreasury.”
“Letusgothereatonceandrescuemydearbrother,”pleadedShaggyearnestly.
Kalikohesitated.
“Idon’tbelieveIcanfindtheway,”saidhe.
“RuggedomadethreesecretpassagestotheMetalForest,buthechangesthelocationofthesepassageseveryweek,sothatnoonecangettotheMetalForestwithouthispermission.
However,ifwelooksharp,wemaybeabletodiscoveroneofthesesecretways.”
“ThatremindsmetoaskwhathasbecomeofQueenAnnandtheOfficersofOogaboo,”saidFiles.
“I’msureIcan’tsay,”repliedKaliko.
“DoyousupposeRuggedodestroyedthem?”
“Oh,no;I’mquitesurehedidn’t.Theyfellintothebigpitinthepassage,andweputthecoverontokeepthemthere;butwhentheexecutionerswenttolookforthemtheyhadalldisappearedfromthepitandwecouldfindnotraceofthem.”
“That’sfunny,”remarkedBetsythoughtfully.“Idon’tbelieveAnnknewanymagic,orshe’dhaveworkeditbefore.Buttodisappearlikethatseemslikemagic;now,doesn’tit?”
Theyagreedthatitdid,butnoonecouldexplainthemystery.
“However,”saidShaggy,“theyaregone,thatiscertain,sowecannothelpthemorbehelpedbythem.Andtheimportantthingjustnowistorescuemydearbrotherfromcaptivity.”
“WhydotheycallhimtheUglyOne?”askedBetsy.
“Idonotknow,”confessedShaggy.“Icannotrememberhislooksverywell,itissolongsinceIhaveseenhim;butallofourfamilyarenotedfortheirhandsomefaces.”
BetsylaughedandShaggyseemedratherhurt;butPolychromerelievedhisembarrassmentbysayingsoftly:“Onecanbeuglyinlooks,butlovelyindisposition.”
“Ourfirsttask,”saidShaggy,alittlecomfortedbythisremark,“istofindoneofthosesecretpassagestotheMetalForest.”
“True,”agreedKaliko.“SoIthinkIwillassemblethechiefnomesofmykingdominthisthroneroomandtellthemthatIamtheirnewKing.
ThenIcanaskthemtoassistusinsearchingforthesecretpassages.
“That’sagoodidea,”saidthedragon,whoseemedtobegettingsleepyagain.
KalikowenttothebiggongandpoundedonitjustasRuggedousedtodo;butnooneansweredthesummons.
“Ofcoursenot,”saidhe,jumpingupfromthethrone,wherehehadseatedhimself.“Thatismycall,andIamstilltheRoyalChamberlain,andwillbeuntilIappointanotherinmyplace.”
SoheranoutoftheroomandfoundGuphandtoldhimtoanswerthesummonsoftheKing’sgong.
Havingreturnedtotheroyalcavern,Kalikofirstpoundedthegongandthensatinthethrone,wearingRuggedo’sdiscardedrubycrownandholdinginhishandthesceptrewhichRuggedohadsooftenthrownathishead.
WhenGuphenteredhewasamazed.
“BettergetoutofthatthronebeforeoldRuggedocomesback,”hesaidwarningly.
“Heisn’tcomingback,andIamnowtheKingoftheNomes,inhisstead,”announcedKaliko.
“Allofwhichisquitetrue,”assertedthedragon,andallofthosewhostoodaroundthethronebowedrespectfullytothenewKing.
Seeingthis,Guphalsobowed,forhewasgladtoberidofsuchahardmasterasRuggedo.
ThenKaliko,inquiteakinglyway,informedGuphthathewasappointedtheRoyalChamberlain,andpromisednottothrowthesceptreathisheadunlesshedeservedit.
Allthisbeingpleasantlyarranged,thenewChamberlainwentawaytotellthenewstoallthenomesoftheundergroundKingdom,everyoneofwhomwouldbedelightedwiththechangeinKings.
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