But the little stolen Princess and the King's son, the
little Prince, could not pop corn, for they were only babies.
When the people across the river had been popping corn for about a
month, the Pop-corn man went to the King of Romalia's palace, and
sought an audience. He told him how he had discovered his daughter in
the palace of the King across the river.
The King of Romalia clasped his hands in despair. "I must make war,"
said he, "but my army is nothing to his."
However, he at once went about making war. He ordered the swords to be
cleaned with sand-paper until they shone, and new bullets to be cast.
The Bee Guards were drilled every day, and the people could not sleep
for the drums and the fifes.
[Illustration: BOTH THE KING AND QUEEN WERE OBLIGED TO POP.]
When everything was ready the King of Romalia and his army crossed
the river and laid siege to the city. They had expected to have the
passage of the river opposed, but not a foeman was stationed on the
opposite bank. All the spears they could see were the waving green
ones of pop-corn fields. They marched straight up to the city walls
and laid siege. The inhabitants fought on the walls and in the
gate-towers, but not very many could fight at a time, because they
would have to stop and pop corn and eat.
The defenders grew fewer and fewer, some were killed, and all of them
were growing too tired and weak to fight.
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