The boys to whom belonged the garden-plots on either side of him were careless and neglectful.

Their gardens received no attention; they were overgrown with weeds; their hedges were full of gaps and holes.
"I will take them," said Napoleon; "what one cannot care for, another must." So the boy went systematically to work to "annex" his neighbors' kingdoms, and make from the three plots one ample retreat for himself.
He cut down the separating borders; he trimmed and trained and filled in the stout outside hedge, until it completely surrounded his enlarged domain; and, in the centre of the paths and flower-beds and hedges, he put up a seat and a little summer-bower for his pleasure and protection.
It took some time to get this into shape, of course.

When he had completed it, and was beginning to enjoy it, the owners of the plots he had confiscated awoke to a sense of their loss and the excellent garden-spot this young Corsican had made for them.

"For of course," they said, "the garden-plots are ours.

Straw Nose has improved them at his own risk.