"Villains!" howled the Boolooroo. "What does this mean?"
"Why, you said to fetch the first living creature we met, and that
was this billygoat," replied the Captain, panting hard as he held
fast to one of the goat's horns.
The Boolooroo stared a moment, and then he fell back to his throne,
laughing boisterously. The idea of patching Cap'n Bill to a goat was
vastly amusing to him, and the more he thought of it the more he
roared with laughter. Some of the soldiers laughed, too, being
tickled with the absurd notion, and the Six Snubnosed Princesses all
sat up straight and permitted themselves to smile contemptuously.
This would indeed be a severe punishment, therefore the Princesses
were pleased at the thought of Cap'n Bill's becoming half a
billygoat, and the billygoat's being half Cap'n Bill.
"They look something alike, you know," suggested the Captain of the
Guards, looking from one to the other doubtfully, "and they're
nearly the same size if you stand the goat on his hind legs. They've
both got the same style of whiskers, and they're both of 'em
obstinate and dangerous, so they ought to make a good patch."
"Splendid! Fine! Glorious!" cried the Boolooroo, wiping the tears of
merriment from his eyes. "We will proceed with the Ceremony of
Patching at once."
Cap'n Bill regarded the billygoat with distinct disfavor, and the
billygoat glared evilly upon Cap'n Bill.
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