The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People | Page 3

It is always difficult to kill Dragons. They are by nature thick-skinned
and tough, as doubtless every one has heard. Besides, you must not
forget that this was a Purple Dragon, and all scientists who have
studied deeply the character of Dragons say those of a purple color at
the most disagreeable to fight with. So all the King's cutting and
slashing had no effect upon the monster other than to make him angry.
Forgetful of the respect due to a crowned King, the wicked Dragon
presently opening wide its jaws and bit his Majesty's head clean off his
body. Then he swallowed it.
Of course the King realized it was useless to continue to fight after that,
for he could not see where the Dragon was. So he turned and tried to
find his way back to his people. But at every other step he would bump
into a tree, which made the naughty Dragon laugh at him. Furthermore,
he could not tell in which direction he was going, which is an
unpleasant feeling under any circumstances.
At last some of the people came to see if the King had succeeded in
destroying the Dragon, and found their monarch running around in a
circle, bumping into trees and rocks, but not getting a step nearer home.
SO they took his hand and led him back to the palace, where every one
was filled with sorrow at the sad sight of the headless King. Indeed, his
devoted subjects, for the first time in their lives, came as near to
weeping as an inhabitant of the Valley of Mo can.
"Never mind," said the King, cheerfully; "I can get along very well
without a head; and, as a matter of fact, the loss has its advantages. I
shall not be obliged to brush my hair, or clean my teeth, or wash my
ears. So do not grieve, I beg of you, but be happy and joyful as you
were before." Which showed the King had a good heart; and, after all, a
good heart is better than a head, any say.
The people, hearing him speak out of his neck (for he had no mouth),
immediately began to laugh, which in a short time led to their being as

happy as ever.
But the Queen was not contented.
"My love," she said to him, "I can not kiss you any more, and that will
break my heart."
Thereupon the King sent word throughout the Valley that any one who
could procure for him a new head should wed one of the princesses.
The princesses were all exceedingly pretty girls, and so it was not long
before one man made a very nice head out of candy and brought it to
the King. It did not look exactly like the old head, but the efface was
very sweet, nevertheless; so the King put it on and the Queen kissed it
at once with much satisfaction.
The young man had put a pair of glass eyes in the head, with which the
King could see very well after he got used to them.
According to the royal promise, the young man was now called into the
palace and asked to take his pick of the princesses. There were all so
sweet and lady-like that he had some trouble in making a choice; but at
last he took the biggest, thinking that he would thus secure the greatest
reward, and they were married amid great rejoicing.
But, a few days afterward, the King was caught out in a rainstorm, and
before he could get home his new head had melted in the great shower
of lemonade that fell. Only the glass eyes were left, and these he put in
his pocket and went sorrowfully to tell the Queen of his new
misfortune.
Then another young man who wanted to marry a princess made the
King a head out of dough, sticking in it the glass eyes; and the King
tried it on and found that it fitted very well. So the young man was
given the next biggest princess.
But the following day the sun chance to shine extremely hot, and when
the King walked out it baked his dough head into bread, at which the

monarch felt very light-headed. And when the birds saw the bread they
flew down from the trees, perched upon the King's shoulder and
quickly ate up his new head. All but the glass eyes.
Again the good King was forced to go home to the Queen without a
head, and the lady firmly declared that this time her husband must have
a head warranted to last at least as long as the honeymoon of the young
man who made it; which was not at all unreasonable under the
circumstances.
So