The Metal Monarch was surly and cross because mortals had dug so much treasure out of the earth and kept it above ground, where all the power of Ruggedo and his nomes was unable to recover it.

He hated not only the mortals but also the fairies who live upon the earth or above it, and instead of being content with the riches he still possessed he was unhappy because he did not own all the gold and jewels in the world.
Ruggedo had been nodding, half asleep, in his chair when suddenly he sat upright, uttered a roar of rage and began pounding upon a huge gong that stood beside him.
The sound filled the vast cavern and penetrated to many caverns beyond, where countless thousands of nomes were working at their unending tasks, hammering out gold and silver and other metals, or melting ores in great furnaces, or polishing glittering gems.

The nomes trembled at the sound of the King's gong and whispered fearfully to one another that something unpleasant was sure to happen; but none dared pause in his task.
The heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushed aside and Kaliko, the King's High Chamberlain, entered the royal presence.
"What's up, Your Majesty ?" he asked, with a wide yawn, for he had just wakened.
"Up ?" roared Ruggedo, stamping his foot viciously.

"Those foolish mortals are up, that's what! And they want to come down." "Down here ?" inquired Kaliko.
"Yes!" "How do you know ?" continued the Chamberlain, yawning again.
"I feel it in my bones," said Ruggedo.

"I can always feel it when those hateful earth-crawlers draw near to my Kingdom.