He took the child's hand in
his own and pressed it gratefully.
"Look here, Kaliko," said Betsy, addressing the
new King, "what's the use of being hard on
Ruggedo? All his magic power is gone, so he can't
do any more harm, and I'm sure he's sorry he acted
so badly to everybody."
"Are you?" asked Kaliko, looking down at his
former master.
"I am," said Ruggedo. "The girl speaks truly.
I'm sorry and I'm harmless. I don't want to wander
through the wide world, on top of the ground, for
I'm a nome. No nome can ever be happy any place
but underground."
"That being the case," said Kaliko, "I will let
you stay here as long as you behave yourself;
but, if you try to act badly again, I shall drive
you out, as Tititi-Hoochoo has commanded, and
you'll have to wander."
"Never fear. I'll behave," promised Ruggedo. "It
is hard work being a King, and harder still to be
a good King. But now that I am a common nome I am
sure I can lead a blameless life."
They were all pleased to hear this and to know
that Ruggedo had really reformed.
"I hope he'll keep his word," whispered Betsy to
Shaggy; "but if he gets bad again we will be far
away from the Nome Kingdom and Kaliko will have to
'tend to the old nome himself."
Polychrome had been a little restless during the
last hour or two. The lovely Daughter of the Rainbow
knew that she had now done all in her power to
assist her earth friends, and so she began to long
for her sky home.
"I think," she said, after listening intently,
"that it is beginning to rain.
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