When he was high over their heads he exploded with a loud "pop" and his skin fell to the ground.
"I really believe," said the King, rolling his spotlike eyes in a frightened way, "that Panta was right in claiming these prisoners are dangerous.

Is the pump ready ?" Some of the Loons had wheeled a big machine in front of the throne and now took Panta's skin and began to pump air into it.

Slowly it swelled out until the King cried "Stop!" "No, no!" yelled Panta, "I'm not big enough yet." "You're as big as you're going to be," declared the King.

"Before you exploded you were bigger than the rest of us, and that caused you to be proud and overbearing.

Now you're a little smaller than the rest, and you will last longer and be more humble." "Pump me up--pump me up!" wailed Panta "If you don't you'll break my heart." "If we do we'll break your skin," replied the King.
So the Loons stopped pumping air into Panta, and pushed him away from the pump.