“Why do you run away?” Bud asked the boy.
“Well, if any one whipped me, I’d run away, too,” he said at last. “And if the boy isn’t whipped or abused he ought to stay at home and be good. But it’s none of my business, anyhow.”
“Oh, your Majesty!” cried the chief counselor, “it really must be your business. You’re the king, you know; and everybody’s business is the king’s.”
“That isn’t fair,” said Bud, sulkily. “I’ve got my own business to attend to, and I want to go upstairs and play.”
But now Princess Fluff leaned toward the young king and whispered something in his ear which made his face brighten.
“See here!” exclaimed Bud, “the first time this man whips the boy again, or the first time the boy runs away, I order my lord high executioner to give them both a good switching. Now let them go home and try to behave themselves.”
[Illustration: “NEXT CAME TWO OLD WOMEN, AND BETWEEN THEM THEY LED A COW.”]
Every one applauded his decision, and Bud also thought with satisfaction that he had hit upon a good way out of the difficulty.
Next came two old women, one very fat and the other very thin; and between them they led a cow, the fat woman having a rope around one horn and the thin woman a rope around the other horn. Each woman claimed she owned the cow, and they quarreled so loudly and so long that the lord high executioner had to tie a bandage over their mouths. When peace was thus restored the high counselor said:
“Now, your Majesty, please decide which of these two women owns the cow.”
“Oh, your Majesty, but you must!” cried all the five high counselors.
Then Meg whispered to the king again, and the boy nodded. The children had always lived in a little village where there were plenty of cows, and the girl thought she knew a way to decide which of the claimants owned this animal.
“Send one of the women away,” said Bud. So they led the lean woman to a little room near by and locked her in.
“Bring a pail and a milking-stool,” ordered the king.
When they were brought, Bud turned to the fat woman and ordered the bandage taken from her mouth.
“The cow’s mine! It’s my cow! I own it!” she screamed, the moment she could speak.
“Hold!” said the king. “If the cow belongs to you, let me see you milk her.”