[Illustration: “JIKKI WAS SCRATCHING THE BACK OF ANOTHER ROLY-ROGUE.”]
The ruler of the Roly-Rogues was suffering from a toothache, so he had rolled himself into a ball and made old Tullydub, the lord high counselor, rock him gently as he lay upon his back, just as one would rock a baby’s cradle.
[Illustration: “THE LORD HIGH PURSE-BEARER WAS WAVING A FAN.”]
Jikki was scratching the back of another Roly-Rogue with a sharp garden-rake, while Jikki’s six servants stood in a solemn row at his back. They would do anything for Jikki, but they would not lift a finger to serve any one else; so the old valet had to do the scratching unaided.
These six young men had proved a great puzzle to the Roly-Rogues, for they found it impossible to touch them or injure them in any way; so, after several vain attempts to conquer them, they decided to leave Jikki’s servants alone.
The lord high purse-bearer was waving a fan to keep the flies off two of the slumbering monsters; and the lord high executioner was feeding another Roly-Rogue with soup from a great ladle, the creature finding much amusement in being fed in this manner.
King Bud, feeling sure of making all his enemies disappear with a wish, found rare sport in watching his periwigged counselors thus serving their captors; so he laughed and made fun of them until the Roly-Rogue ruler stuck his head out and commanded the boy to run away.
“Why, you ugly rascal, I’m the King of Noland,” replied Bud; “so you’d better show me proper respect.”
With that he picked up a good-sized pebble and threw it at the ruler. It struck him just over his aching tooth, and with a roar of anger the Roly-Rogue bounded toward Bud and his party.
The assault was so sudden that they had much ado to scramble out of the way; and as soon as Bud could escape the rush of the huge ball, he turned squarely around and shouted:
“I wish every one of the Roly-Rogues dead and buried!”
[Illustration: “THE LORD HIGH EXECUTIONER WAS FEEDING ANOTHER ROLY-ROGUE WITH SOUP FROM A GREAT LADLE.”]
Hearing this and seeing that the king wore the magic cloak, all the high counselors at once raised a joyful shout, and Fluff and Bud gazed upon the Roly-Rogues expectantly, thinking that of course they would disappear.