a King once, but now, you're just a plain gnome and nothing else, and if you go and sit quietly in your plain rocking chair I'll bring you a cup of plain mud."
With a chuckle, the rabbit retired, and Ruggedo, spluttering with fury, flounced into a doll's broken rocker that was set in the exact center of the cave.
"Here I give that rabbit everything I steal and he won't even allow me the little luxury of calling him an idiot or of pulling his ears. How can I pretend to be a King without an ear to pull?" grumbled the gnome.
"What are you grinning at?" Bouncing out of his chair, Ruggedo flew at a merry-faced wooden doll who sat propped up against the wall and shook her till her head turned round backwards and her arms and legs flew every which way. Then he hurled her violently into a corner. Quite out of breath he sank back in his chair and stared angrily about.
When Wag returned the gnome snatched the tin cup of melted mud and tossed it down with one gulp. Then, flinging the cup at the doll, he went back to work.
The rabbit shook his head mournfully and, picking up the wooden doll, straightened her out and placed her on a cushion. Then, yawning again, he lit a candle and started for the passage at the back of the cave.
"How are you getting on?" he asked, pausing to
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