Charter VIII.
The Royal Reception.
As for the king and Princess Fluff, they returned to the palace and dressed themselves in some of their prettiest garments, telling Jikki to have two ponies saddled and ready for them to ride upon.
“We really must have some toys,” said Meg, with decision; “and now that we are rich, there is no reason why we can’t buy what we want.”
“That ’s true,” answered Bud. “The old king had n’t anything to play with. Poor old man! I wonder what he did to amuse himself.”
“‘Why, Aunt Rivette, I do believe you must be the only person in all the world who can fly!’”
They mounted their ponies, and, followed by the chief counselor and the lord high purse-bearer in one of the state carriages, and a guard of soldiers for escort, they rode down the streets of the city on a pleasure-jaunt, amid the shouts of the loyal populace.
By and by Bud saw a toy-shop in one of the streets, and he and Fluff slipped down from their ponies and went inside to examine the toys. It was a well-stocked shop, and there were rows upon rows of beautiful dolls on the shelves, which attracted Margaret’s attention at once.
“Oh, Bud,” she exclaimed, “I must have one of these dollies!”
“Take your choice,” said her brother, calmly, although his own heart was beating with delight at the sight of all the toys arranged before him.
“I don't know which to choose,” sighed the little princess, looking from one doll to another with longing and indecision.
“We ‘ll take ’em all,” declared Bud.
“All! What—all these rows of dollies?” she gasped.
“Why not?” asked the king. Then he turned to the men who kept the shop and said:
“Call in that old fellow who carries the money.”
When the lord high purse-bearer appeared, Bud said to him:
“Pay the man for all these dolls; and for this—and this—and this—and this!” and he began picking out the prettiest toys in all the shop, in the most reckless way you can imagine.
