Bud threw the cloak over his shoulders. “What shall I wish?” he asked. “Let me see,” answered Tallydab. “What we want is to get rid of these invaders. Wish them all in the kingdom of Ix.” “Oh, no!” cried Fluff; “it would be wicked to injure Queen Zixi and her people. Let us wish the Roly-Rogues back where they came from.” “That would be folly!” said the dog Ruffles, with an accent of scorn. “For they could easily return again to our city of Nole, having once learned the way there.” “That is true,” agreed Aunt Rivette. “The safest thing to do is to wish them all dead.” “But it would be an awful job to bury so many great balls,” objected Bud. “It would keep all our people busy for a month, at least.” “Why not wish them dead and buried?” asked Ruffles. “Then they would be out of the way for good and all.” “A capital idea!” responded Tallydab. “But I haven’t seen these curious creatures yet,” said Bud; “and if I now wish them all dead and buried, I shall never get a glimpse of one of them. So let’s walk boldly into the city, and when they appear to interfere with us I’ll make the wish and the Roly-Rogues will instantly disappear.” So the entire party returned to the city of Nole; Bud and Fluff riding their ponies, Aunt Rivette fluttering along beside them, and the lord high steward walking behind with his dog. The Roly-Rogues were so much surprised to see this little party boldly entering the streets of the city, and showing no particle of fear of them, that they at first made no offer to molest them. Even when Bud roared with laughter at their queer appearance, and called them “mud-turtles” and “foot-balls,” they did not resent the insults; for they had never heard of either a turtle or a foot-ball before. [Illustration: “HE MADE OLD TULLYDUB, THE LORD COUNSELOR, ROCK HIM GENTLY AS HE LAY UPON HIS BACK.”] When the party had reached the palace and the children had dismounted, Bud laughed yet louder; for the gigantic General Tollydob came to the kitchen door, wearing an apron while he polished a big dish-pan, the Roly-Rogues having made him a scullion. [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.