The gluttons were having a wonderful time now.
"Ho-ho-ho!" they roared.
"Ha-ha-ha!"
"What a beautiful cake!
Just look at all the balloons!"
"They're gorgeous."
"Look at that ugly mug!"
"It's splendid!"
They came closer.
"I wonder what's inside this funny thing?" one of them said and gave the balloon man a sharp nick on the forehead.
"Probably candy."
"Or champagne."
"How interesting!
How very interesting!"
"Let's cut the head off first and see what's inside."
"Help!"
The poor balloon man could stand it no longer and croaked
"Help!" opening his eyes as he did.
Just then a child's voice was heard shouting:
"My doll!
My doll!"
Everyone stopped talking and listened.
The Three Fat Men and the State Councillor looked very worried.
The shouting changed to crying.
A boy who was very unhappy was crying somewhere in the large hall.
"Why, that's Tutti the Heir crying!" the First Fat Man said.
"It's Tutti the Heir crying!" the other two Fat Men repeated.
All three of them turned pale.
They were very frightened.
The State Councillor, several ministers and servants rushed towards one of the doors.
"What's the matter?
What's wrong?" people in the hall began to whisper.
A boy ran into the hall.
He pushed aside the ministers and the servants.
He ran up to the Three Fat Men. His curls shook and his patent-leather shoes shone.
He was sobbing. No one could understand what he was shouting through his sobs.
"The brat will notice me!" the balloon man thought and trembled. "This awful frosting which doesn't let me breathe properly or move a finger will certainly look tasty to him.
And they don't want him to cry, so they'll cut him a slice of cake together with my head."
But the boy didn't even look at the cake.
He didn't even look at the magnificent balloons that hung above the balloon man's round head.
He was crying bitterly.
"What's the matter?" the First Fat Man asked.
"Why is Tutti the Heir crying?" asked the Second.
The Third puffed out his cheeks.
Tutti the Heir was twelve years old.
He was being brought up in the Palace of the Three Fat Men.
He was treated like a little prince.
The Three Fat Men wanted an heir.
They had no children.
And so all their riches and the country they ruled were one day to be Tutti's.