TROT REGULATES THE PINKIES
CHAPTER 29.
The Pinkies were rejoiced to find themselves again in their beloved landof sunrises and sunsets. They sang and shouted with glee and the Banduncovered its pink instruments and played the National Pink Anthem,while the parrot flew from Trot's shoulder to Cap'n Bill's shoulder andback again, screaming ecstatically:
"Hooray! we're through the wetful fogs Where the elephant scared the fretful frogs!"
There was a magnificent sunset in the sky just then and it cheered thePinkies and gave them renewed strength. Away they hastened across thepink fields to the Pink City, where all the Pink people who had beenleft behind ran out to welcome them home again.
Trot and Button-Bright, with Cap'n Bill and Rosalie the Witch, went tothe humble palace, where they had a simple supper of coarse food andslept upon hard beds. In the houses of the City, however, there was muchfeasting and merrymaking, and it seemed to Trot that the laws of thecountry which forbade the Queen from enjoying all the good things thepeople did were decidedly wrong and needed changing.
The next morning Rosalie said to the little girl:
"Will you make Tourmaline the Queen again, when you go away?"
"I'll send for her and see about it," replied Trot.
But when Tourmaline arrived at the palace, dressed all in lovely fluffyrobes and with a dainty pink plume in her pink hair, she begged mostearnestly not to be made the Queen again.
"I'm having a good time, just now, after years of worry anduncomfortable living in this uncomfortable old hut of a palace," saidthe poor girl, "so it would be cruel for you to make me the servant ofthe people again and condemn me to want and misery."
"That seems reason'ble," replied Trot, thoughtfully.
"Rosalie's skin is just as light a pink as my own," continuedTourmaline. "Why don't you make her the Queen?"
"I hadn't thought of that," said Trot. Then she turned to Rosalie andasked: "How would you like to rule the Pinkies?"
"I wouldn't like it," replied the Witch, with a smile. "The Queen is thepoorest and most miserable creature in all the kingdom and I'm sure Idon't deserve such a fate. I've always tried to be a good witch and todo my duty."
Trot thought this over quite seriously for a time. Then one of herquaint ideas came to her--so quaint that it was entirely sensible.
"I'm the Queen of the Pinkies just now, am I not?" she asked.
"Of course," answered Rosalie; "none can dispute that."
"Then I've the right to make new laws, haven't I?"
"I believe so."
"In that case," said the girl, "I'm goin' to make a law that the Queenshall have the same food an' the same dresses an' the same good timesthat her people have; and she shall live in a house jus' as good as thehouses of any of her people, an' have as much money to spend as anybody.But no more. The Queen can have her share of ever'thing, 'cordin' to thenew law, but if she tries to get more than her share I'll have the lawsay she shall be taken to the edge an' pushed off. What do you think of_that_ law, Rosalie?"
"It's a good law, and a just one," replied the Witch approvingly.
So Trot sent for the Royal Scribbler, who was a very fat Pinky withlarge pink eyes and curly pink hair, and had him carefully write the newlaw in the Great Book of Laws. The Royal Scribbler wrote it very nicelyin pink ink, with a big capital letter at the beginning and a fineflourish at the end. After Trot had signed her name to it as Queen shecalled all of the important people of the land to assemble in the Courtof the Statues and ordered the Royal Declaimer to read to them the newlaw. The Pinkies seemed to think it was a just law and much better thanthe old one, and Rosalie said:
"Now no one can object to becoming the Queen, since the Ruler of thePinkies will no longer be obliged to endure suffering and hardships."
"All right," said Trot. "In that case I'll make you the Queen, Rosalie,for you've got more sense than Tourmaline has and your powers as a witchwill help you to protect the people."
At once she made the announcement, telling the assembled Pinkies that byvirtue of her high office as Queen of Sky Island she would leave Rosaliethe Witch to rule over the Pink Country while she returned to the Earthwith her friends. As Rosalie was greatly loved and respected, the peoplejoyfully accepted her as their Queen, and Trot ordered them to tear downthe old hut and build a new palace for Rosalie--one which would be justas good as any other house in the City, but no better. She furtherordered a pink statue of Tourmaline to be set up in the Court, and alsoa pink statue of herself, so that the record of all the rulers of thePinkies should be complete.
The people agreed to do all this as soon as possible, and some of theleaders whispered together and then asked Coralie to be their spokesmanin replying to Queen Trot's speech.
Coralie stood on a chair and made a bow, after which she thanked Trot inthe name of the Pinkies for leading them safely into the Blue Countryand out again, and for giving them so good a Queen as Rosalie. ThePinkies would be sorry to have their new friends, the Earth people,leave them, but asked the Queen of Sky Island to carry with her theroyal band of pink gold which she now wore upon her brow, together withthe glistening pink jewel set in its center. It would remind her,Coralie declared, of the Beautiful Land of Sunset and Sunrise and of thefact that the Pinkies would always be glad to welcome her back.
Trot knew she would never return to Sky Island, but she did not tellthem that. She merely thanked Coralie and the Pinkies and said theymight all come to the Court after dinner and see her and her comradesfly away through the sky.