THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MONSTERS.
It was Tuesday when the army of Ix started upon its second march into
Noland. With it were the witch-queen, King Bud, Princess Fluff, and Aunt
Rivette. At evening they encamped on the bank of the river, and on
Wednesday the army was ferried across, and marched up the side of the
mountain that separated them from the valley of Noland. By night they
had reached the summit of the mountain; but they did not mount upon the
ridge, for fear they might be seen by the Roly-Rogues.
Zixi commanded them all to remain quietly behind the ridge, and they
lighted no fires and spoke only in whispers.
And, although so many thousands of men lay close to the valley of
Noland, not a sound came from them to warn the monsters that an enemy
was near.
Thursday morning dawned bright and pleasant, and as soon as the sun was
up the Roly-Rogues came crowding around the palace kitchen, demanding
that old Tollydob hurry the preparation of their soup.
This the general did, trembling in spite of his ten feet of stature; for
if they were kept waiting the monsters were liable to prod his flesh
with their thorns.
But Tollydob did not forget to empty the contents of the Silver Vial
into the soup, as the dog Ruffles had told him to do; and soon it was
being ladled out to the Roly-Rogues by Jikki, the four high counselors,
and a dozen other enslaved officers of King Bud.
And the dog Ruffles ran through the city, crying to every Roly-Rogue he
met: “Hurry and get your soup before it is gone. It is especially good
this morning!”
So every Roly-Rogue in the valley hurried to the palace kitchen for
soup; and there were so many that it was noon before the last were
served, while these became so impatient that they abused their slaves in
a sad manner.
Yet, even while the last were eating, those who had earlier partaken of
the soup lay around the palace sound asleep and snoring loudly; for the
contents of the Silver Vial had the effect of sending all of them to
sleep within an hour, and rendering them wholly unconscious for a period
of ten hours.
[Illustration: “AND THE DOG RUFFLES RAN THROUGH THE CITY, CRYING TO
EVERY ROLY-ROGUE HE MET: ‘HURRY AND GET YOUR SOUP.’”]
All through the city the Roly-Rogues lay asleep; and, as they always
withdrew their heads and limbs into their bodies when they slumbered,
they presented a spectacle of thousands of huge balls lying motionless.
[Illustration: “ALL THROUGH THE CITY THE ROLY-ROGUES LAY ASLEEP.”]
When the big kettle was finally empty and the lord high general paused
to wipe the perspiration from his brow, the last of the Roly-Rogues were
rolling over on their backs from the effects of the potion which the
witch-queen brewed and placed in the Silver Vial.
Aunt Rivette had been flying over the city since early morning; and
although the Roly-Rogues had been too intent upon their breakfast to
notice her, the old woman’s sharp eyes had watched everything that took
place below.
Now, when all the monsters had succumbed to the witch-potion, Aunt
Rivette flew back to the mountain where the army of Ix was hidden, and
carried the news to the witch-queen.
Zixi at once ordered her generals to advance, and the entire army
quickly mounted the summit of the ridge and ran down the side of the
mountain to the gates of the city.
The people, who saw that something unusual was taking place, greeted Bud
and Fluff and the witch-queen with shouts of gladness; and even Aunt
Rivette, when she flew down among them, was given three hearty cheers.
But there was no time for joyous demonstrations while the streets and
public squares were cluttered with the sleeping bodies of the terrible
Roly-Rogues. The army of Ix lost no time in carrying out their queen’s
instructions; and as soon as they entered the city they took the long
ropes they carried and wound them fast about the round bodies of the
monsters, securely fastening their heads and limbs into their forms so
that they could not stick them out again.
Their enemies being thus rendered helpless, the people renewed their
shouts of joy and gratitude, and eagerly assisted the soldiers of Ix in
rolling all the Roly-Rogues outside the gates and to a wide ledge of the
mountain.
The lord high general and all the other counselors threw away their
aprons and tools of servitude and dressed themselves in their official
robes. The soldiers of Tollydob’s army ran for their swords and pikes,
and the women unlocked their doors and trooped into the streets of Nole
for the first time since the descent of the monsters.
[Illustration: “ALL THE ROLY-ROGUES WERE THUS ROLLED INTO THE RIVER,
WHERE THEY BOBBED UP AND DOWN IN THE WATER.”]
But the task of liberation was not yet accomplished. All the Roly-Rogues
had to be rolled up the side of the mountain to the topmost ridge, and
so great was the bulk of their bodies that it took five or six men to
roll each one to the mountain-top; and even then they were obliged to
stop frequently to rest.
But as soon as they got a Roly-Rogue to the ridge they gave it a push
and sent it bounding down the other side of the mountain until it fell
into the big river flowing swiftly below.
During the afternoon all the Roly-Rogues were thus dumped into the
river, where they bobbed up and down in the water, spinning around and
bumping against one another until the current carried them out of sight
on their journey to the sea. It was rumored later that they had reached
an uninhabited island where they harm no one except themselves.
“I’m glad they floated,” said Zixi, as she stood upon the mountain ridge
and watched the last of the monsters float out of sight; “for if they
had sunk they would have filled up the river, there were so many of
them.”
It was evening when Noland at last became free from her terrible
tyrants; and the citizens illuminated the entire city that they might
spend the night in feasting and rejoicing over their freedom. The
soldiers of Ix were embraced and made much of; and at all the feasts
they were the honored guests, while the people of Noland pledged them
their sincere friendship forever.
King Bud took possession of the royal palace again, and Jikki bustled
about and prepared a grand banquet for the king’s guests,—although the
old valet grumbled a great deal because his six solemn servants would
not assist in waiting upon any one but himself.
The Roly-Rogues had destroyed many things, but the servants of the
palace managed to quickly clear away the rubbish and to decorate the
banquet-hall handsomely.
Bud placed the beautiful witch-queen upon his right hand and showed her
great honor, for he was really very grateful for her assistance in
rescuing his country from the invaders.
The feasting and dancing lasted far into the night; but when at last the
people sought their beds they knew they might rest peacefully and free
from care, for the Roly-Rogues had gone forever.