“I don’t know which to choose,” sighed the little princess, looking from one doll to another with longing and indecision.
“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.
[Illustration: “‘WE’LL TAKE ’EM ALL,’ DECLARED BUD.”]
The soldiers loaded the carriage down with Meg’s dolls, and a big cart was filled with Bud’s toys. Then the purse-bearer paid the bill, although he sighed deeply several times while counting out the money. But the new king paid no attention to old Tillydib; and when the treasures were all secured the children mounted their ponies and rode joyfully back to the palace, followed in a procession by the carriage filled with dolls, and the cart loaded with toys, while Tullydub and Tillydib, being unable to ride in the carriage, trotted along at the rear on foot.
Bud had the toys and dolls all carried upstairs into a big room, and then he ordered everybody to keep out while he and Fluff arranged their playthings around the room and upon the tables and chairs, besides littering the floor so that they could hardly find a clear place large enough for some of their romping games.
“After all,” he said to his sister, “it’s a good thing to be a king!”
“Or even a princess,” added Meg, busily dressing and arranging her dolls.
They made Jikki bring their dinner to them in the “play-room,” as Bud called it; but neither of the children could spare much time to eat, their treasures being all so new and delightful.
Soon after dusk, while Jikki was lighting the candles, the chief counselor came to the door to say that the king must be ready to attend the royal reception in five minutes.
“But you _must_, your Majesty!” declared old Tullydub.
“Am I not the king?” demanded Bud, looking up from where he was arranging an army of wooden soldiers.
“Certainly, your Majesty,” was the reply.
“And isn’t the king’s will the law?” continued Bud.