After that it wasn’t long before the Grumbletown King and his two hundred hardy rascals had travelled through the secret passage of the hills and were in the quiet, deserted streets of Toyville.
When the company came near the Castle and could hear the sweet strains of music and the sound of happy laughter, King Red Beard sent Long Jim on ahead to spy how the land lay.
Presently, Long Jim returned. He had taken a peek here and there, and told Red Beard that there was only one soldier standing guard at the front gate. “And your Majesty,” said he, “I think the soldier is that stupid clown, Rolie Polie, now dressed in the uniform of the King’s Guard.”
Red Beard gave a wild laugh when he heard what Long Jim had to say. “Forward, march!” he cried; “we can easily fool that simpleton.” Then away they all went, and in two jiffies Red Beard was tapping at the front gate and parleying courteously through the wicket with Rolie Polie.
Now, the kernel to the nut Red Beard tried to crack on Rolie Polie’s skull, was just this: he wanted to have the gates opened so he and his two hundred tatterdemalion followers could enter the gardens and capture all the people.
Red Beard was good at arguing and gave all manner of reasons, but none of these availed him in the least, for {132} Rolie Polie, now very proud of being a King’s Guard, would never think of doing anything untrue to his trust.
At the last, when Red Beard was about ready to give up trying trickery and guile, and almost on the point of ordering his men to make an assault, a brilliant idea came jumping into the brain of Rolie Polie. “Oh, ho,” thought he, “I know King Tommy would like to have me capture this old Red Beard, and here, the very first thing, is my chance. I will just open the gate and let them inside the walls, then I will jump outside, close and lock the gate, and there I shall have the whole company safe and sound where they can’t get away.”
No sooner did this clever idea enter the brain of Rolie Polie, than the little guard was unlocking the gate and throwing it wide open. Then step, step, step, every man going softly on tiptoe, through the gate went Red Beard followed by his two hundred ragamuffin ruffians.
“Ha, ha, ha,” laughed Rolie Polie, as he turned the key in the lock, “that is the time I was too clever for Red Beard!”
“Ha, ha, ha,” laughed Red Beard, “did anyone ever see a body so stupid as that Rolie Polie? Here I have King Tommy and Queen Helen, and all the Lords and Ladies at my mercy. It is a fine company of captives I will get to put in chains and march as slaves to Grumbletown.”