He
considered Pon to be to blame for all his trouble with
Princess Gloria, who since her heart had been frozen had
escaped to some unknown place, instead of returning to
the castle to wed Goqgly-Goo, as she had been expected to
do. So the King bared his teeth angrily as he demanded:
"What have you done with Princess Gloria?"
"Nothing, your Majesty! I have done nothing at all,"
answered Pon in a faltering voice. "She does not love me
any more and even refuses to speak to me."
"Then why are you here, you rascal?" roared the King.
Pon looked first one way and then another, but saw no
means of escape; so he plucked up courage.
"I am here to summon your Majesty to surrender."
"What!" shouted the King. "Surrender? Surrender to
whom?"
Pon's heart sank to his boots.
"To the Scarecrow," he replied.
Some of the courtiers began to titter, but King Krewl
was greatly annoyed. He sprang up and began to beat poor
Pon with the golden staff he carried. Pon howled lustily
and would have run away had not two of the soldiers held
him until his Majesty was exhausted with punishing the
boy.
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