Then they'll free me."
While Suok was sitting there on the barrel, three Guards galloped up to the Palace. They were the very same Guards we told you about in the previous chapter.
You know that the one with the blue eyes had a strange bundle. Two feet in pink slippers with rosebud buckles hung out of it.
When these three riders came to the bridge guarded by Palace sentries, they pulled the red ribbons off their hats.
They had to do this, for otherwise the sentries would not have let them pass.
They would have opened fire on the three Guards, for the red ribbons meant they had gone over to the side of the people.
They galloped past the sentries, nearly knocking over the Captain of the Guards.
"It must be a very important message," he said, picking his hat up from the ground and knocking the dust from his uniform.
Suok's hour of doom had struck.
The State Councillor entered the Guard Room.
The Guards all jumped to attention.
"Where's the girl?" the Councillor asked, raising his spectacles.
"Come here!" the head Guard cried.
Suok slid down from the barrel.
The Guard grabbed her roughly by the belt of her dress and lifted her into the air.
"The Three Fat Men are waiting in the Court Hall," the Councillor said, letting his spectacles drop back into place. "Take her in after me."
With these words he left the room.
The Guard marched after him, with Suok dangling from his outstretched hand.
Oh, beautiful gold rosebuds!
Oh, lovely pink silk!
All was crushed and broken in the cruel hand.
It was very uncomfortable and it hurt to hang there in mid-air, suspended over the Guard's horrible arm.
So Suok pinched him as hard as she could. It was a good pinch, even though the Guard had on a thick jacket.
"Damn!" the Guard said and dropped her.
"What?" the Councillor said arid turned around.
Just then the Councillor got an unexpected blow and toppled over.
The next moment he was joined on the floor by the Guard who had just been dangling Suok.
He had also been socked in the ear.
And what a blow it must have been to have knocked over such a huge, fierce Guard!
Before Suok had a chance to look around, someone had grabbed her up and carried her off.
These were also strong rough hands, but they seemed kinder, and Suok was not dangling in mid-air as before, when the Guard who now lay senseless on the polished floor had been carrying her.
"Don't be afraid!" someone whispered.
The Three Fat Men were waiting impatiently in the Court Hall.
They wanted to try the clever doll themselves.
The room was filled with court officials, councillors, judges and secretaries.
Their red, lilac, green, orange, white and golden wigs sparkled in the sunlight.
But even the merry sun spots could not brighten the scowling faces under the wigs.
The Three Fat Men were huffing and puffing from the heat.
Sweat trickled down their faces and fell on the table, ruining the papers that lay before them.
Secretaries kept changing the sheets of wet paper.
"The Councillor keeps us waiting," said the First Fat Man, twitching his fingers.
Finally the doors opened.
Three Guards entered the room.
One of them was holding the girl.
Oh, how sad she looked!
The pink dress, which only the day before had been so wonderful with all its sequins and lace, was now torn and tattered.
The golden rosebuds had withered, the sequins had fallen off, the silk was all crumpled and torn.
The girl's head hung limply on the Guard's shoulder.
She was deathly pale, and her mischievous grey eyes were lifeless.
The brightly-coloured crowd looked up.