Part 4 (1/2)
The Red King looked at him sideways. ”I had forgotten Sunday,” he said.
”I have mislaid my calendar. Now, you remind me,--no, I suppose not. No, I do not fight on Sundays.”
”I thought not!” said Harold, relieved. ”It would not be quite knightly, would it? I will return to-morrow afternoon, as soon as I have had my dinner; and then we will go on with the story of the Dragon of Hushby.
Good day, Your Majesty!”
”Good day!” growled Red Rex, watching him march away between the files of soldiers. ”Youngster!” he called after the boy, ”be sure you bring back the right volume.”
Harold waved his hand in a.s.sent.
Now, when Harold told the Librarian and the other Leading Citizens what he had done, they were greatly pleased; for they saw that their city was safe for at least eighteen hours, while their mounted messenger went speeding to King Victor. Harold's chums Robert and Richard were so excited they could not sleep that night. Harold's mother was as proud as a peac.o.c.k when he told the story to her; though it was with some dread that she looked forward to his return on the morrow into the camp of the fierce besieger. But Harold said:--
”I shall be quite safe, Mother. Never fear! Red Rex is too much interested in my story to hurt me. When he forgets war he is a different man. He is almost pleasant, Mother!”
”What a stupid King he must be to choose war for his pleasure!” said the mother. ”But suppose he cannot wait for to-morrow afternoon? Suppose he should decide to take the city and win the library for himself, so that he can read all the books at his leisure. What then?
”Mother,” said Harold, ”I believe Red Rex has no joy in reading for himself; no more than you have,--though he may not have your excuse.”
”La la!” cried the mother. ”What a King is that who has no key to the treasury of books! You are richer than he, my son. With all his armies, you are more powerful than he, my dear son!”
On the Sunday, after dinner, Harold's friends escorted him to the gate; and as before he went to the Red King under the flag of truce. In his hand he bore the second volume of red-and-gold. Red Rex received him sulkily, yet with a certain eagerness.
”Well, boy, have you brought the book?” he asked. ”I have been thinking of that tale all the night long, all this morning long. Come, let us hear what happened next to Arthur and the Dragon.” Then Harold began the second part of the tale. Red Rex kept him at it, and would not let him rest until he had quite finished both the second and the third parts of the story; though Harold had meant to gain time by reading only the former on that occasion.
But when he had quite finished, Red Rex sat up, rubbing his hands together. ”It is a good story!” he declared. ”That Arthur was a brave fellow. I am glad I did not destroy your library until I had heard about him. But now I can return to the siege without delay. I give you warning, my boy! Do not go back to that doomed town. Desert those peace-lovers and come with me to be a fighter, like Arthur.”
”Arthur fought wicked Dragons, not men,” said Harold. ”I would not desert if I could. I, too, am a peace-lover, and there is too much in Kisington from which I could not part. Besides, I must return this book safe and sound to the library, even if it is to be destroyed soon after, or I shall be fined. My poor mother can ill afford to pay fines for me!”
”But there will be no one left to fine you,” retorted the Red King. ”The whole city will be destroyed,--the library, the Librarian, the Lord Mayor, and all! What a ruination it will be!” He rubbed his hands gleefully.
Harold shuddered, but he was firm. ”What a pity!” he said. ”You really should know our Librarian. And there are still many fine books which Your Majesty ought to hear. You will never know them if they be destroyed now; their duplicates exist nowhere.”
”There are none so good as the tale you have just finished, I warrant!”
cried Red Rex.
”Oh, many far better than that, Your Majesty!” said Harold. ”Indeed, that is one of the least important.--Did you ever hear of the Wonder-Garden, Your Majesty?”
”The Wonder-Garden!” echoed the Red King; ”no, that I never did. What means a 'wonder-garden,' boy?”
”Ah, that you will never know, for it is another of the secret tales of Kisington,” said Harold. ”It is all about a Mermaid, and a Lord Mayor's son, and a fair stranger maiden, who--now I bethink me--might be from your own land across the border. The Wonder-Garden was hers.”
”A maid from my land, with a wonder-garden!” mused Red Rex. ”I would fain learn of her. I dare say there is good fighting in this tale also.
Come, boy; will you read me that tale to-morrow?”
”Yes, Your Majesty; if you will give your kingly word that the truce shall last until the story be finished,” replied Harold.
”Ho-hum!” the Red King hesitated. He mumbled and he grumbled; he winked and he blinked. But at last he said grudgingly, ”Well, I promise. No soldier shall advance, no weapon shall be discharged until I have heard the tale of your Wonder-Garden.”
With this promise, Harold joyfully hastened back to the beleaguered city. Kisington was safe for another day! The Lord Mayor and the Librarian shook hands and went to congratulate Harold's mother.