Free The Awfully Angry Ogre by Suzanne Williams Page B

and ran down his chin.
    â€œReally, James!” scolded Queen Charlotte. “Your table manners are atrocious!”
    â€œSorry, Mother,” James apologized. But as soon as she looked away, he grinned at Edward.
    Tansy glared at them. They —along with her other four brothers—might turn out to be a worse embarrassment than the castle!
    â€œAnything interesting in the news today, dear?” Queen Charlotte asked, sipping her tea.
    King Albert frowned. “There was a fire in the Three Foxes Tavern last night. And two sheep have gone missing from one of the villagers’ fields.”
    Edward stabbed at the air with his fork. “The ogre set that fire! And he’s responsible for the missing sheep, too. Everybody says so.”
    â€œThat’s right,” James mumbled through a mouthful of food.

    King Albert raised an eyebrow. “Just because everybody says something doesn’t make it true. There are other explanations for fires and missing sheep.”
    Queen Charlotte nodded. “Carelessmistakes and wolves, for example.” She rose from her chair. “Please excuse me,” she said. “I need to wake the other boys.”
    Tansy stayed at the table, listening eagerly. The ogre was camped halfway up Mount Majesta. He had first appeared in the kingdom eight years ago, when Tansy was only a baby.
    â€œSomeone saw the ogre set the fire,” Edward insisted. “Said he came down in the middle of the night and hurled a burning log through a window.”
    â€œPeople see all sorts of things when they want to,” King Albert replied. “Did anyone find the ogre’s footprints near the tavern?”
    Edward wiped his hand across his mouth. “Don’t know. I didn’t hear anything about that.”
    â€œMaybe he erased them,” said James.
    The King snorted. “Rumors,” he said. “Allrumors. Anything bad that happens, people blame it on the ogre—even failed crops and plagues. Yet there’s not a shred of proof he’s ventured into town even once.”
    â€œStill,” Edward said, “the kingdom would be a lot better off with the ogre gone.”
    Edward was right, thought Tansy. No matter what the ogre had or hadn’t done, people were frightened of him. And because of that, many townsfolk—including several of her family’s former servants—had moved away to other kingdoms. With fewer and fewer people to work and pay taxes, the kingdom had become poorer and poorer.
    â€œSo how would you get the ogre to leave?” King Albert asked with a sigh.
    Tansy thought that was a good question. Anyone who had ever tried to approach the ogre was turned into stone. This hadhappened to some hotheaded young man every year for the past eight years. Eight granite statues now circled the well in the meadow where the ogre lived.
    Edward stroked his straggly beard. “I’m not sure, but James and I will find a way to drive him off.” He made a tight fist. “And if the ogre refuses to go, we’ll kill him.”
    James grinned at his brother. “Yeah.”
    King Albert shook his head. “And what makes you think you wouldn’t end up as blocks of granite too?”
    â€œWe’re stronger and smarter than those other men,” said Edward, flexing his muscles. “Right, James?”
    â€œRight. And if we don’t succeed, you can always use us to mend the castle walls.”
    â€œNot funny,” King Albert said. “You’re talking foolishness. Leave the ogre alone, andhe’ll leave us alone.”
    â€œYou don’t know that,” argued Edward. “Even if the ogre didn’t do any of those things he’s been accused of, he could still strike at any time!”
    â€œI absolutely forbid the two of you to go anywhere near that ogre,” King Albert said firmly. “Understand?”
    Nodding sullenly, Edward stood to leave. James scrambled up from the