"I guess this
will win their love, Princess. Here--take it in
your hand and let the roses see it."
Princess Ozga took the Magnet and held it
poised before the eyes of her subjects; but the
Roses regarded it with calm disdain.
"Why, what's the matter?" demanded Shaggy in
surprise. "The Magnet never failed to work
before!"
"I know," said Betsy, nodding her head wisely.
"These Roses have no hearts."
"That's it," agreed the Gardener. "They're
pretty, and sweet, and alive; but still they are
Roses. Their stems have thorns, but no hearts."
The Princess sighed and handed the Magnet
to the Shaggy Man.
"What shall I do?" she asked sorrowfully.
"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!"
commanded the Roses. "We will have no Ruler until
a man-rose--a King--is ripe enough to pick."
"Very well," said the Gardener meekly. "You must
excuse me, my dear Shaggy, for opposing your
wishes, but you and the others, including Ozga,
must get out of Rose Kingdom immediately, if not
before."
"Don't you love me, Gardy?" asked Shaggy,
carelessly displaying the Magnet.
"I do. I dote on thee!" answered the Gardener
earnestly; "but no true man will neglect his duty
for the sake of love. My duty is to drive you out,
so--out you go!"
With this he seized a garden fork and began
jabbing it at the strangers, in order to force them
to leave. Hank the mule was not afraid of the
fork and when he got his heels near to the
Gardener the man fell back to avoid a kick.
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