The Ickabog

By the end of the novel, the citizens of Cornucopia depose their king. They are soured on the concept of monarchy for good reason because they have been ruled by a vain fool who thinks more of his wardrobe than he does of the wellbeing of his subjects:

King Fred the Fearless came to the throne on a huge wave of popularity. He had lovely yellow curls, a fine sweeping moustache, and looked magnificent in the tight breeches, velvet doublets, and ruffled shirts that rich men wore at the time. Fred was said to be generous, smiled and waved whenever anyone caught sight of him, and looked awfully handsome in the portraits that were distributed throughout the kingdom, to be hung in town halls (9).

Superficially, King Fred looks the part of a king, which seems to carry great weight with his people. Because Cornucopia is a prosperous region, no test of leadership is required until a national crisis occurs. It is Fred’s desire to be seen as a great ruler that sends him to the Marshlands to confront the monster in the first place. The tragedy that ensues might be a good test of character for an able monarch, but Fred fails at every turn.