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           "I’llhaveyouknowallmyeggsarewarrantedstrictlyfreshanduptodate.Poison,indeed!"

           "Youdon’tunderstand,"retortedthelittlemonarch,nervously."Eggsbelongonlytotheoutsideworld--totheworldontheearth’ssurface,whereyoucamefrom.Here,inmyundergroundkingdom,theyarerankpoison,asIsaid,andweNomescan’tbearthemaround."

           "Well,you’llhavetobearthisonearound,"declaredBillina;"forI’velaidit."

           "Where?"askedtheKing.

           "Underyourthrone,"saidthehen.

           TheKingjumpedthreefeetintotheair,soanxiouswashetogetawayfromthethrone.

           "Takeitaway!Takeitawayatonce!"heshouted.

           "Ican’t,"saidBillina."Ihaven’tanyhands."

           "I’lltaketheegg,"saidtheScarecrow."I’mmakingacollectionofBillina’seggs.There’soneinmypocketnow,thatshelaidyesterday."

           Hearingthis,themonarchhastenedtoputagooddistancebetweenhimselfandtheScarecrow,whowasabouttoreachunderthethronefortheeggwhenthehensuddenlycried:

           "Stop!"

           "What’swrong?"askedtheScarecrow.

           "Don’ttaketheeggunlesstheKingwillallowmetoenterthepalaceandguessastheothershavedone,"saidBillina.

           "Pshaw!"returnedtheKing."You’reonlyahen.Howcouldyouguessmyenchantments?"

           "Icantry,Isuppose,"saidBillina."And,ifIfail,youwillhaveanotherornament."

           "Aprettyornamentyou’dmake,wouldn’tyou?"growledtheKing."Butyoushallhaveyourway.Itwillproperlypunishyoufordaringtolayanegginmypresence.AftertheScarecrowisenchantedyoushallfollowhimintothepalace.