t very bold when he entered the
castle and passed through to the enclosed court where the King was just
then seated, with his favorite courtiers around him. None prevented
Pon's entrance, because he was known to be the gardener's boy, but when
the King saw him he began to frown fiercely. He considered Pon to be to
blame for all his trouble with Princess Gloria, who since her heart had
been frozen had escaped to some unknown place, instead of returning to
the castle to wed Googly-Goo, as she had been expected to do. So the
King bared his teeth angrily as he demanded:

"What have you done with Princess Gloria?"

"Nothing, your Majesty! I have done nothing at all," answered Pon in a
faltering voice. "She does not love me any more and even refuses to
speak to me."

"Then why are you here, you rascal?" roared the King.

Pon looked first one way and then another, but saw no means of escape;
so he plucked up courage.

"I am here to summon your Majesty to surrender."

"What!" shouted the King. "Surrender? Surrender to whom?"

Pon's heart sank to his boots.

"To the Scarecrow," he replied.

Some of the courtiers began to titter, but King Krewl was greatly
annoyed. He sprang up and began to beat poor Pon with the golden staff
he carried. Pon howled lustily and would have run away had not two of
the soldiers held him until his Majesty was exhausted with punishing
the boy. Then they let him go and he left the castle and returned along
the road, sobbing at every step because his body was so sore and aching.

"Well," said the Scarecrow, "did the King surrender?"

"No; but he gave me a good drubbing!" sobbed poor Pon.

Trot was very sorry for Pon, but Gloria did not seem affected in any
way by her lover's anguish. The grasshopper leaped to the Scarecrow's
shoulder and asked him what he was going to do next.

"Conquer," was the reply. "But I will go alone, this time, for beatings
cannot hurt me at all; nor can lance thrusts--or sword cuts--or arrow
pricks."

"Why is that?" inquired Trot.

"Because I have no nerves, such as you meat people possess. Even
grasshoppers have nerves, but straw doesn't; so whatever they
do--except just one thing--they cannot injure me. Therefore I expect to
conquer King Krewl with ease."

"What is that one thing you excepted?" asked Trot.

"They will never think of it, so never mind. And now, if you will
kindly excuse me for a time, I'll go over to the castle and do my
conquering."

"