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. But Zixi’s cloak had no magic powers whatever; and now dozens of the Roly-Rogues, aroused to anger, bounded toward Bud’s little party. [Illustration: “THE LORD HIGH STEWARD AND HIS DOG WENT DOWN BEFORE THE RUSH.”] I am sure the result would have been terrible had not Aunt Rivette suddenly come to the children’s rescue. She threw one lean arm around Bud and the other around Fluff, and then, quickly fluttering her wings, she flew with them to the roof of the palace, which they reached in safety. The lord high steward and his dog went down before the rush, and the next moment old Tallydab was crying loudly for mercy, while Ruffles limped away to a safe spot beneath a bench under an apple-tree, howling at every step and shouting angry epithets at the Roly-Rogues. “I wonder what’s the matter with the cloak,” gasped Bud. “The old thing’s a fraud; it didn’t work.” “Something went wrong, that’s certain,” replied Fluff. “You’re sure you hadn’t wished before, aren’t you?” “Yes, I’m sure,” said Bud. “Perhaps,” said Aunt Rivette, “the fairies have no power over these horrible creatures.” “That must be it, of course,” said the princess. “But what shall we do now? Our country is entirely conquered by these monsters; so it isn’t a safe place for us to stay in.” “I believe I can carry you anywhere you’d like to go,” said Aunt Rivette. “You’re not so very heavy.” [Illustration: “‘I’LL SOON CARRY YOU OVER THE MOUNTAIN AND THE RIVER INTO THE KINGDOM OF IX.’”] “Suppose we go to Queen Zixi, and ask her to protect us?” the princess suggested.