"And that braying Mule I'll make into hoof-soup, and feed it to my nomes, that it may add to their strength." "Why not be good to the strangers and release your prisoner, the Shaggy Man's brother ?" suggested Kaliko.
"Never!" "It may save you a lot of annoyance.

And you don't want the Ugly One." "I don't want him; that's true.

But I won't allow anybody to order me around.

I'm King of the Nomes and I'm the Metal Monarch, and I shall do as I please and what I please and when I please!" With this speech Ruggedo threw his sceptre at Kaliko's head, aiming it so well that the Royal Chamberlain had to fall flat upon the floor in order to escape it.

But the Hearer did not see the sceptre coming and it swept past his head so closely that it broke off the tip of one of his long ears.