“Have we any cows in the royal stables?” asked Bud, turning to Tullydub.
“Certainly, your Majesty; there are several,” answered the chief counselor.
“Then,” said Bud, “give one of them to the fat woman and send her home. I’ve done all the judging I am going to do to-day, and now I’ll take my sister upstairs to play.”
“Hold on! Hold on!” cried a shrill voice. “I demand justice! Justice of the king! Justice of the law! Justice to the king’s aunt.”
Bud looked down the room and saw Aunt Rivette struggling with some of the guards. Then she broke away from them and rushed to the throne, crying again:
“Matter? Everything’s the matter with me. Aren’t you the new king?”
“Am I not your aunt? Am I not your aunt?”
“Well, why am I left to live in a hut and dress in rags? Doesn’t the law say that every blood relation of the king shall live in a royal palace?”
“Does it?” asked Bud, turning to Tullydub.
“And must I have that old crosspatch around me all the time?” wailed the new king.
“Crosspatch yourself!” screamed Aunt Rivette, shaking her fist at Bud. “I’ll teach you to crosspatch me when I get you alone!”
Bud shuddered. Then he turned again to Tullydub.
“The king can do what he likes, can’t he?” the boy asked.
“Then let the lord high executioner step forward!”
[Illustration: “‘THEN LET THE LORD HIGH EXECUTIONER STEP FORWARD!’”]
“Oh, Bud! What are you going to do?” said Fluff, seizing him tightly by the arm.
“You let me alone!” answered Bud. “I’m not going to be a king for nothing. And Aunt Rivette whipped me once—sixteen hard switches! I counted ’em.”
The executioner was now bowing before him.
The executioner brought a long, slender birch bough.
“Now,” said Bud, “you give Aunt Rivette sixteen good switches.”
Aunt Rivette fell on her knees, pale and trembling. In agony she raised her hands.
“I’ll never do it again! Let me off, your Majesty!” she screamed. “Let me off this once! I’ll never do it again! Never! Never!”
“All right,” said Bud, with a cheery smile. “I’ll let you off this time. But if you don’t behave, or if you interfere with me or Fluff, I’ll have the lord high executioner take charge of you. Just remember I’m the king, and then we’ll get along all right. Now you may go upstairs if you wish to and pick out a room on the top story. Fluff and I are going to play.”