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+***The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Enchanted Island of Yew***
+#9 in our series by L. Frank Baum
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+The Enchanted Island of Yew
+
+by L. Frank Baum
+
+May, 1996 [Etext #518]
+
+
+**The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Enchanted Island of Yew***
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+
+
+The Enchanted Island of Yew
+
+Whereon Prince Marvel Encountered the High Ki
+of Twi and Other Surprising People
+
+By L. Frank Baum
+
+Author of "The Wizard of Oz,"
+"The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus,"
+"The Magical Monarch of Mo," Etc.
+
+
+
+Contents
+
+1.  Once On a Time
+2.  The Enchanted Isle
+3.  The Fairy Bower
+4.  Prince Marvel
+5.  The King of Thieves
+6.  The Troubles of Nerle
+7.  The Gray Men
+8.  The Fool-Killer
+9.  The Royal Dragon of Spor
+10.  Prince Marvel Wins His Fight
+11.  The Cunning of King Terribus
+12.  The Gift of Beauty
+13.  The Hidden Kingdom of Twi
+14.  The Ki and The Ki-Ki
+15.  The High Ki of Twi
+16.  The Rebellion of The High Ki
+17.  The Separation of The High Ki
+18.  The Rescue of The High Ki
+19.  The Reunion of The High Ki
+20.  Kwytoffle, the Tyrant
+21.  The Wonderful Book of Magic
+22.  The Queen of Plenta
+23.  The Red Rogue of Dawna
+24.  The Enchanted Mirrors
+25.  The Adventurers Separate
+26.  The End of the Year
+27.  A Hundred Years Afterward
+
+
+
+
+1.  "Once on a Time"
+
+
+I am going to tell a story, one of those tales of astonishing
+adventures that happened years and years and years ago.  Perhaps you
+wonder why it is that so many stories are told of "once on a time",
+and so few of these days in which we live; but that is easily explained.
+
+In the old days, when the world was young, there were no automobiles
+nor flying-machines to make one wonder; nor were there railway trains,
+nor telephones, nor mechanical inventions of any sort to keep people
+keyed up to a high pitch of excitement.  Men and women lived simply and
+quietly.  They were Nature's children, and breathed fresh air into
+their lungs instead of smoke and coal gas; and tramped through green
+meadows and deep forests instead of riding in street cars; and went to
+bed when it grew dark and rose with the sun--which is vastly different
+from the present custom.  Having no books to read they told their
+adventures to one another and to their little ones; and the stories
+were handed down from generation to generation and reverently believed.
+
+Those who peopled the world in the old days, having nothing but their
+hands to depend on, were to a certain extent helpless, and so the
+fairies were sorry for them and ministered to their wants patiently
+and frankly, often showing themselves to those they befriended.
+
+So people knew fairies in those days, my dear, and loved them,
+together with all the ryls and knooks and pixies and nymphs and other
+beings that belong to the hordes of immortals.  And a fairy tale was a
+thing to be wondered at and spoken of in awed whispers; for no one
+thought of doubting its truth.
+
+To-day the fairies are shy; for so many curious inventions of men have
+come into use that the wonders of Fairyland are somewhat tame beside
+them, and even the boys and girls can not be so easily interested or
+surprised as in the old days.  So the sweet and gentle little
+immortals perform their tasks unseen and unknown, and live mostly in
+their own beautiful realms, where they are almost unthought of by our
+busy, bustling world.
+
+Yet when we come to story-telling the marvels of our own age shrink
+into insignificance beside the brave deeds and absorbing experiences
+of the days when fairies were better known; and so we go back to "once
+on a time" for the tales that we most love--and that children have
+ever loved since mankind knew that fairies exist.
+
+
+
+2.  The Enchanted Isle
+
+
+Once there was an enchanted island in the middle of the sea.  It was
+called the Isle of Yew.  And in it were five important kingdoms ruled
+by men, and many woodland dells and forest glades and pleasant meadows
+and grim mountains inhabited by fairies.
+
+From the fairies some of the men had learned wonderful secrets, and
+had become magicians and sorcerers, with powers so great that the
+entire island was reputed to be one of enchantments.  Who these men
+were the common people did not always know; for while some were kings
+and rulers, others lived quietly hidden away in forests or mountains,
+and seldom or never showed themselves.  Indeed, there were not so many
+of these magicians as people thought, only it was so hard to tell them
+from common folk that every stranger was regarded with a certain
+amount of curiosity and fear.
+
+The island was round--like a mince pie.  And it was divided into four
+quarters--also like a pie--except that there was a big place in the
+center where the fifth kingdom, called Spor, lay in the midst of the
+mountains.  Spor was ruled by King Terribus, whom no one but his own
+subjects had ever seen--and not many of them.  For no one was allowed
+to enter the Kingdom of Spor, and its king never left his palace.  But
+the people of Spor had a bad habit of rushing down from their
+mountains and stealing the goods of the inhabitants of the other four
+kingdoms, and carrying them home with them, without offering any
+apologies whatever for such horrid conduct.  Sometimes those they
+robbed tried to fight them; but they were a terrible people,
+consisting of giants with huge clubs, and dwarfs who threw flaming
+darts, and the stern Gray Men of Spor, who were most frightful of all.
+So, as a rule, every one fled before them, and the people were
+thankful that the fierce warriors of Spor seldom came to rob them
+oftener than once a year.
+
+It was on this account that all who could afford the expense built
+castles to live in, with stone walls so thick that even the giants of
+Spor could not batter them down.  And the children were not allowed to
+stray far from home for fear some roving band of robbers might steal
+them and make their parents pay large sums for their safe return.
+
+Yet for all this the people of the Enchanted Isle of Yew were happy and
+prosperous.  No grass was greener, no forests more cool and delightful,
+no skies more sunny, no sea more blue and rippling than theirs.
+
+And the nations of the world envied them, but dared not attempt to
+conquer an island abounding in enchantments.
+
+
+
+3.  The Fairy Bower
+
+
+That part of the Enchanted Isle which was kissed by the rising sun was
+called Dawna; the kingdom that was tinted rose and purple by the
+setting sun was known as Auriel, and the southland, where fruits and
+flowers abounded, was the kingdom of Plenta.  Up at the north lay Heg,
+the home of the great barons who feared not even the men of Spor; and
+in the Kingdom of Heg our story opens.
+
+Upon a beautiful plain stood the castle of the great Baron
+Merd--renowned alike in war and peace, and second in importance only
+to the King of Heg.  It was a castle of vast extent, built with thick
+walls and protected by strong gates.  In front of it sloped a pretty
+stretch of land with the sea glistening far beyond; and back of it,
+but a short distance away, was the edge of the Forest of Lurla.
+
+One fair summer day the custodian of the castle gates opened a wicket
+and let down a draw-bridge, when out trooped three pretty girls with
+baskets dangling on their arms.  One of the maids walked in front of
+her companions, as became the only daughter of the mighty Baron Merd.
+She was named Seseley, and had yellow hair and red cheeks and big,
+blue eyes.  Behind her, merry and laughing, yet with a distinct
+deference to the high station of their young lady, walked Berna and
+Helda--dark brunettes with mischievous eyes and slender, lithe limbs.
+Berna was the daughter of the chief archer, and Helda the niece of the
+captain of the guard, and they were appointed play-fellows and
+comrades of the fair Seseley.
+
+Up the hill to the forest's edge ran the three, and then without
+hesitation plunged into the shade of the ancient trees.  There was no
+sunlight now, but the air was cool and fragrant of nuts and mosses,
+and the children skipped along the paths joyously and without fear.
+
+To be sure, the Forest of Lurla was well known as the home of fairies,
+but Seseley and her comrades feared nothing from such gentle creatures
+and only longed for an interview with the powerful immortals whom they
+had been taught to love as the tender guardians of mankind.  Nymphs
+there were in Lurla, as well, and crooked knooks, it was said; yet for
+many years past no person could boast the favor of meeting any one of
+the fairy creatures face to face.
+
+So, gathering a few nuts here and a sweet forest flower there, the
+three maidens walked farther and farther into the forest until they
+came upon a clearing--formed like a circle--with mosses and ferns for
+its carpet and great overhanging branches for its roof.
+
+"How pretty!" cried Seseley, gaily.  "Let us eat our luncheon in this
+lovely banquet-hall!"
+
+So Berna and Helda spread a cloth and brought from their baskets some
+golden platters and a store of food.  Yet there was little ceremony
+over the meal, you may be sure, and within a short space all the
+children had satisfied their appetites and were laughing and chatting
+as merrily as if they were at home in the great castle.  Indeed, it is
+certain they were happier in their forest glade than when facing grim
+walls of stone, and the three were in such gay spirits that whatever
+one chanced to say the others promptly joined in laughing over.
+
+Soon, however, they were startled to hear a silvery peal of laughter
+answering their own, and turning to see whence the sound proceeded,
+they found seated near them a creature so beautiful that at once the
+three pairs of eyes opened to their widest extent, and three hearts
+beat much faster than before.
+
+"Well, I must say you DO stare!" exclaimed the newcomer, who was clothed
+in soft floating robes of rose and pearl color, and whose eyes shone upon
+them like two stars.
+
+"Forgive our impertinence," answered the little Lady Seseley,
+trying to appear dignified and unmoved; "but you must acknowledge
+that you came among us uninvited, and--and you are certainly rather
+odd in appearance."
+
+Again the silvery laughter rang through the glade.
+
+"Uninvited!" echoed the creature, clapping her hands together
+delightedly; "uninvited to my own forest home!  Why, my dear girls,
+you are the uninvited ones--indeed you are--to thus come romping into
+our fairy bower."
+
+The children did not open their eyes any wider on hearing this speech,
+for they could not; but their faces expressed their amazement fully,
+while Helda gasped the words:
+
+"A fairy bower!  We are in a fairy bower!"
+
+"Most certainly," was the reply.  "And as for being odd in appearance,
+let me ask how you could reasonably expect a fairy to appear as mortal
+maidens do?"
+
+"A fairy!" exclaimed Seseley.  "Are you, then, a real fairy?"
+
+"I regret to say I am," returned the other, more soberly, as she
+patted a moss-bank with a silver-tipped wand.
+
+Then for a moment there was silence, while the three girls sat very
+still and stared at their immortal companion with evident curiosity.
+Finally Seseley asked:
+
+"Why do you regret being a fairy?  I have always thought them the
+happiest creatures in the world."
+
+"Perhaps we ought to be happy," answered the fairy, gravely, "for we
+have wonderful powers and do much to assist you helpless mortals.  And
+I suppose some of us really are happy.  But, for my part, I am so
+utterly tired of a fairy life that I would do anything to change it."
+
+"That is strange," declared Berna.  "You seem very young to be already
+discontented with your lot."
+
+Now at this the fairy burst into laughter again, and presently asked:
+
+"How old do you think me?"
+
+"About our own age," said Berna, after a glance at her and a
+moment's reflection.
+
+"Nonsense!" retorted the fairy, sharply.  "These trees are hundreds of
+years old, yet I remember when they were mere twigs.  And I remember
+when mortals first came to live upon this island, yes--and when this
+island was first created and rose from the sea after a great
+earthquake.  I remember for many, many centuries, my dears.  I have
+grown tired of remembering--and of being a fairy continually, without
+any change to brighten my life."
+
+"To be sure!" said Seseley, with sympathy.  "I never thought of fairy
+life in that way before.  It must get to be quite tiresome."
+
+"And think of the centuries I must yet live!" exclaimed the fairy in
+a dismal voice.  "Isn't it an awful thing to look forward to?"
+
+"It is, indeed," agreed Seseley.
+
+"I'd be glad to exchange lives with you," said Helda, looking at the
+fairy with intense admiration.
+
+"But you can't do that," answered the little creature quickly.
+"Mortals can't become fairies, you know--although I believe there was
+once a mortal who was made immortal."
+
+"But fairies can become anything they desire!" cried Berna.
+
+"Oh, no, they can't.  You are mistaken if you believe that," was the
+reply.  "I could change YOU into a fly, or a crocodile, or a bobolink,
+if I wanted to; but fairies can't change themselves into anything else."
+
+"How strange!" murmured Seseley, much impressed.
+
+"But YOU can," cried the fairy, jumping up and coming toward them.
+"You are mortals, and, by the laws that govern us, a mortal can change
+a fairy into anything she pleases."
+
+"Oh!" said Seseley, filled with amazement at the idea.
+
+The fairy fell on her knees before the baron's daughter.  "Please--please,
+dear Seseley," she pleaded, "change me into a mortal!"
+
+
+
+4.  Prince Marvel
+
+
+It is easy to imagine the astonishment of the three girls at
+hearing this strange request.  They gazed in a bewildered fashion
+upon the kneeling fairy, and were at first unable to answer one word.
+Then Seseley said--sadly, for she grieved to disappoint the
+pretty creature:
+
+"We are but mortal children, and have no powers of enchantment at all."
+
+"Ah, that is true, so far as concerns yourselves," replied the fairy,
+eagerly; "yet mortals may easily transform fairies into anything
+they wish."
+
+"If that is so, why have we never heard of this power before?"
+asked Seseley.
+
+"Because fairies, as a rule, are content with their lot, and do not
+wish to appear in any form but their own.  And, knowing that evil or
+mischievous mortals can transform them at will, the fairies take great
+care to remain invisible, so they can not be interfered with.  Have
+you ever," she asked, suddenly, "seen a fairy before?"
+
+"Never," replied Seseley.
+
+"Nor would you have seen me to-day, had I not known you were kind and
+pure-hearted, or had I not resolved to ask you to exercise your powers
+upon me."
+
+"I must say," remarked Helda, boldly, "that you are foolish to wish to
+become anything different from what you are."
+
+"For you are very beautiful NOW," added Berna, admiringly.
+
+"Beautiful!" retorted the fairy, with a little frown; "what does
+beauty amount to, if one is to remain invisible?"
+
+"Not much, that is true," agreed Berna, smoothing her own dark locks.
+
+"And as for being foolish," continued the fairy, "I ought to be
+allowed to act foolishly if I want to.  For centuries past I have not
+had a chance to do a single foolish thing."
+
+"Poor dear!" said Helda, softly.
+
+Seseley had listened silently to this conversation.  Now she inquired:
+
+"What do you wish to become?"
+
+"A mortal!" answered the fairy, promptly.
+
+"A girl, like ourselves?" questioned the baron's daughter.
+
+"Perhaps," said the fairy, as if undecided.
+
+"Then you would be likely to endure many privations," said Seseley,
+gently.  "For you would have neither father nor mother to befriend
+you, nor any house to live in."
+
+"And if you hired your services to some baron, you would be obliged to
+wash dishes all day, or mend clothing, or herd cattle," said Berna.
+
+"But I should travel all over the island," said the fairy, brightly,
+"and that is what I long to do.  I do not care to work."
+
+"I fear a girl would not be allowed to travel alone," Seseley
+remarked, after some further thought.  "At least," she added, "I have
+never heard of such a thing."
+
+"No," said the fairy, rather bitterly, "your men are the ones that
+roam abroad and have adventures of all kinds.  Your women are poor,
+weak creatures, I remember."
+
+There was no denying this, so the three girls sat silent until
+Seseley asked:
+
+"Why do you wish to become a mortal?"
+
+"To gain exciting experiences," answered the fairy.  I'm tired of being
+a humdrum fairy year in and year out.  Of course, I do not wish to
+become a mortal for all time, for that would get monotonous, too; but
+to live a short while as the earth people do would amuse me very much."
+
+"If you want variety, you should become a boy," said Helda, with a
+laugh, "The life of a boy is one round of excitement."
+
+"Then make me a boy!" exclaimed the fairy eagerly.
+
+"A boy!" they all cried in consternation.  And Seseley added:
+
+"Why--you're a GIRL fairy, aren't you?"
+
+"Well--yes; I suppose I am," answered the beautiful creature, smiling;
+"but as you are going to change me anyway, I may as well become a boy
+as a girl."
+
+"Better!" declared Helda, clapping her hands; "for then you can do as
+you please."
+
+"But would it be right?" asked Seseley, with hesitation.
+
+"Why not?" retorted the fairy.  "I can see nothing wrong in being a
+boy.  Make me a tall, slender youth, with waving brown hair and dark
+eyes.  Then I shall be as unlike my own self as possible, and the
+adventure will be all the more interesting.  Yes; I like the idea of
+being a boy very much indeed."
+
+"But I don't know how to transform you; some one will have to show me
+the way to do it," protested Seseley, who was getting worried over the
+task set her.
+
+"Oh, that will be easy enough," returned the little immortal.  "Have
+you a wand?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Then I'll loan you mine, for I shall not need it.  And you must wave
+it over my head three times and say: 'By my mortal powers I transform
+you into a boy for the space of one year'."
+
+"One year!  Isn't that too long?"
+
+"It's a very short time to one who has lived thousands of years
+as a fairy."
+
+"That is true," answered the baron's daughter.
+
+"Now, I'll begin by doing a little transforming myself," said the
+fairy, getting upon her feet again, "and you can watch and see how I
+do it."  She brushed a bit of moss from her gauzy skirts and continued:
+"If I'm to become a boy I shall need a horse, you know.  A handsome,
+prancing steed, very fleet of foot."
+
+A moment she stood motionless, as if listening.  Then she uttered a
+low but shrill whistle.
+
+The three girls, filled with eager interest, watched her intently.
+
+Presently a trampling of footsteps was heard through the brushwood,
+and a beautiful deer burst from the forest and fearlessly ran to the
+fairy.  Without hesitation she waved her wand above the deer's head
+and exclaimed:
+
+"By all my fairy powers I command you to become a war-horse for the
+period of one year."
+
+Instantly the deer disappeared, and in its place was a handsome charger,
+milk-white in color, with flowing mane and tail.  Upon its back was a
+saddle sparkling with brilliant gems sewn upon fine dressed leather.
+
+The girls uttered cries of astonishment and delight, and the fairy said:
+
+"You see, these transformations are not at all difficult.  I must now
+have a sword."
+
+She plucked a twig from a near-by tree and cast it upon the ground at
+her feet.  Again she waved her wand--and the twig turned to a gleaming
+sword, richly engraved, that seemed to the silent watchers to tremble
+slightly in its sheath, as if its heart of steel throbbed with hopes
+of battles to come.
+
+"And now I must have shield and armor, said the fairy, gaily.  "This
+will make a shield,"--and she stripped a sheet of loose bark from a
+tree-trunk,--"but for armor I must have something better.  Will you
+give me your cloak?"
+
+This appeal was made to Seseley, and the baron's daughter drew her
+white velvet cloak from her shoulders and handed it to the fairy.  A
+moment later it was transformed into a suit of glittering armor that
+seemed fashioned of pure silver inlaid with gold, while the sheet of
+bark at the same time became a handsome shield, with the figures of
+three girls graven upon it.  Seseley recognized the features as those of
+herself and her comrades, and noted also that they appeared sitting at
+the edge of a forest, the great trees showing plainly in the background.
+
+"I shall be your champion, you see," laughed the fairy, gleefully,
+"and maybe I shall be able to repay you for the loss of your cloak."
+
+"I do not mind the cloak," returned the child, who had been greatly
+interested in these strange transformations.  "But it seems impossible
+that a dainty little girl like you can ride this horse and carry these
+heavy arms."
+
+"I'll not be a girl much longer," said the little creature.  "Here,
+take my wand, and transform me into a noble youth!"
+
+Again the pretty fairy kneeled before Seseley, her dainty, rounded
+limbs of white and rose showing plainly through her gauzy attire.  And
+the baron's daughter was suddenly inspired to be brave, not wishing to
+disappoint the venturous immortal.  So she rose and took the magic
+wand in her hand, waving it three times above the head of the fairy.
+
+"By my powers as a mortal," she said, marveling even then at the
+strange speech, "I command you to become a brave and gallant
+youth--handsome, strong, fearless!  And such shall you remain for the
+space of one year.
+
+As she ceased speaking the fairy was gone, and a slender youth, dark-eyed
+and laughing, was holding her hand in his and kissing it gratefully.
+
+"I thank you, most lovely maiden," he said, in a pleasant voice, "for
+giving me a place in the world of mortals.  I shall ride at once in
+search of adventure, but my good sword is ever at your service."
+
+With this he gracefully arose and began to buckle on his magnificent
+armor and to fasten the sword to his belt.
+
+Seseley drew a long, sighing breath of amazement at her own powers,
+and turning to Berna and Helda she asked:
+
+"Do I see aright?  Is the little fairy really transformed to this youth?"
+
+"It certainly seems so," returned Helda, who, being unabashed by the
+marvels she had beheld, turned to gaze boldly upon the young knight.
+
+"Do you still remember that a moment ago you were a fairy?" she inquired.
+
+"Yes, indeed," said he, smiling; "and I am really a fairy now, being
+but changed in outward form.  But no one must know this save
+yourselves, until the year has expired and I resume my true station.
+Will you promise to guard my secret?"
+
+"Oh, yes!" they exclaimed, in chorus.  For they were delighted, as any
+children might well be, at having so remarkable a secret to keep and
+talk over among themselves.
+
+"I must ask one more favor," continued the youth: "that you give me a
+name; for in this island I believe all men bear names of some sort, to
+distinguish them one from another."
+
+"True," said Seseley, thoughtfully.  "What were you called as a fairy?"
+
+"That does not matter in the least," he answered, hastily.  "I must
+have an entirely new name."
+
+"Suppose we call him the Silver Knight," suggested Berna, as she eyed
+his glistening armor.
+
+"Oh, no!--that is no name at all!" declared Helda.  "We might better
+call him Baron Strongarm."
+
+"I do not like that, either," said the Lady Seseley, "for we do not
+know whether his arm is strong or not.  But he has been transformed in
+a most astonishing and bewildering manner before our very eyes, and I
+think the name of Prince Marvel would suit him very well."
+
+"Excellent!" cried the youth, picking up his richly graven
+shield.  "The name seems fitting in every way.  And for a year I shall
+be known to all this island as Prince Marvel!"
+
+
+
+5.  The King of Thieves
+
+
+Old Marshelm, the captain of the guard, was much surprised when he saw
+the baron's daughter and her playmates approach her father's castle
+escorted by a knight in glittering armor.
+
+To be sure it was a rather small knight, but the horse he led by the
+bridle was so stately and magnificent in appearance that old Marshelm,
+who was an excellent judge of horses, at once decided the stranger
+must be a personage of unusual importance.
+
+As they came nearer the captain of the guard also observed the beauty
+of the little knight's armor, and caught the glint of jewels set in
+the handle of his sword; so he called his men about him and prepared
+to receive the knight with the honors doubtless due his high rank.
+
+But to the captain's disappointment the stranger showed no intention
+of entering the castle.  On the contrary, he kissed the little Lady
+Seseley's hand respectfully, waved an adieu to the others, and then
+mounted his charger and galloped away over the plains.
+
+The drawbridge was let down to permit the three children to enter, and
+the great Baron Merd came himself to question his daughter.
+
+"Who was the little knight?" he asked.
+
+"His name is Prince Marvel," answered Seseley, demurely.
+
+"Prince Marvel?" exclaimed the Baron.  "I have never heard of him.
+Does he come from the Kingdom of Dawna, or that of Auriel, or Plenta?"
+
+"That I do not know," said Seseley, with truth.
+
+"Where did you meet him?" continued the baron.
+
+"In the forest, my father, and he kindly escorted us home."
+
+"Hm!" muttered the baron, thoughtfully.  "Did he say what adventure
+brought him to our Kingdom of Heg?"
+
+"No, father.  But he mentioned being in search of adventure."
+
+"Oh, he'll find enough to busy him in this wild island, where every
+man he meets would rather draw his sword than eat," returned the old
+warrior, smiling.  "How old may this Prince Marvel be?"
+
+"He looks not over fifteen years of age," said Seseley, uneasy at so
+much questioning, for she did not wish to be forced to tell an
+untruth.  "But it is possible he is much older," she added, beginning
+to get confused.
+
+"Well, well; I am sorry he did not pay my castle a visit," declared
+the baron.  "He is very small and slight to be traveling this dangerous
+country alone, and I might have advised him as to his welfare."
+
+Seseley thought that Prince Marvel would need no advice from any one
+as to his conduct; but she wisely refrained from speaking this
+thought, and the old baron walked away to glance through a slit in the
+stone wall at the figure of the now distant knight.
+
+Prince Marvel was riding swiftly toward the brow of the hill, and
+shortly his great war-horse mounted the ascent and disappeared on its
+farther slope.
+
+The youth's heart was merry and light, and he reflected joyously, as
+he rode along, that a whole year of freedom and fascinating adventure
+lay before him.
+
+The valley in which he now found himself was very beautiful, the soft
+grass beneath his horse's feet being sprinkled with bright flowers,
+while clumps of trees stood here and there to break the monotony of
+the landscape.
+
+For an hour the prince rode along, rejoicing in the free motion of his
+horse and breathing in the perfume-laden air.  Then he found he had
+crossed the valley and was approaching a series of hills.  These were
+broken by huge rocks, the ground being cluttered with boulders of
+rough stone.  His horse speedily found a pathway leading through these
+rocks, but was obliged to proceed at a walk, turning first one way and
+then another as the path zigzagged up the hill.
+
+Presently, being engaged in deep thought and little noting the way,
+Prince Marvel rode between two high walls of rock standing so close
+together that horse and rider could scarcely pass between the sides.
+Having traversed this narrow space some distance the wall opened
+suddenly upon a level plat of ground, where grass and trees grew.  It
+was not a very big place, but was surely the end of the path, as all
+around it stood bare walls so high and steep that neither horse nor
+man could climb them.  In the side of the rocky wall facing the
+entrance the traveler noticed a hollow, like the mouth of a cave,
+across which was placed an iron gate.  And above the gateway was
+painted in red letters on the gray stone the following words:
+
+
+            WUL-TAKIM
+         KING OF THIEVES
+              ------
+        HIS TREASURE HOUSE
+             KEEP OUT
+
+
+Prince Marvel laughed on reading this, and after getting down from his
+saddle he advanced to the iron gate and peered through its heavy bars.
+
+"I have no idea who this Wul-Takim is," he said, "for I know nothing
+at all of the ways of men outside the forest in which I have always
+dwelt.  But thieves are bad people, I am quite sure, and since
+Wul-Takim is the king of thieves he must be by far the worst man on
+this island."
+
+Then he saw, through the bars of the gate, that a great cavern lay
+beyond, in which were stacked treasures of all sorts: rich cloths,
+golden dishes and ornaments, gemmed coronets and bracelets, cleverly
+forged armor, shields and battle-axes.  Also there were casks and
+bales of merchandise of every sort.
+
+The gate appeared to have no lock, so Prince Marvel opened it and
+walked in.  Then he perceived, perched on the very top of a pyramid of
+casks, the form of a boy, who sat very still and watched him with a
+look of astonishment upon his face.
+
+"What are you doing up there?" asked the prince.
+
+"Nothing," said the boy.  "If I moved the least little bit this pile
+of casks would topple over, and I should be thrown to the ground."
+
+"Well," returned the prince, "what of it?"
+
+But just then he glanced at the ground and saw why the boy did not
+care to tumble down.  For in the earth were planted many swords, with
+their sharp blades pointing upward, and to fall upon these meant
+serious wounds and perhaps death.
+
+"Oh, ho!" cried Marvel; "I begin to understand.  You are a prisoner."
+
+"Yes; as you will also be shortly," answered the boy.  "And then you
+will understand another thing--that you were very reckless ever to
+enter this cave."
+
+"Why?" inquired the prince, who really knew little of the world, and
+was interested in everything he saw and heard.
+
+"Because it is the stronghold of the robber king, and when you opened
+that gate you caused a bell to ring far down on the hillside.  So the
+robbers are now warned that an enemy is in their cave, and they will
+soon arrive to make you a prisoner, even as I am."
+
+"Ah, I see!" said the prince, with a laugh, "It is a rather clever
+contrivance; but having been warned in time I should indeed be foolish
+to be caught in such a trap."
+
+With this he half drew his sword, but thinking that robbers were not
+worthy to be slain with its untarnished steel, he pushed it back into
+the jeweled scabbard and looked around for another weapon.  A stout
+oaken staff lay upon the ground, and this he caught up and ran with it
+from the cave, placing himself just beside the narrow opening that led
+into this rock-encompassed plain.  For he quickly saw that this was
+the only way any one could enter or leave the place, and therefore
+knew the robbers were coming up the narrow gorge even as he had
+himself done.
+
+Soon they were heard stumbling along at a rapid pace, crying to one
+another to make haste and catch the intruder.  The first that came
+through the opening received so sharp a blow upon the head from Prince
+Marvel's oak staff that he fell to the ground and lay still, while the
+next was treated in a like manner and fell beside his comrade.
+
+Perhaps the thieves had not expected so sturdy an enemy, for they
+continued to rush through the opening in the rocks and to fall beneath
+the steady blows of the prince's staff until every one of them lay
+senseless before the victor.  At first they had piled themselves upon
+one another very neatly; but the pile got so high at last that the
+prince was obliged to assist the last thieves to leap to the top of
+the heap before they completely lost their senses.
+
+I have no doubt our prince, feeling himself yet strange in the new
+form he had acquired, and freshly transported from the forest glades
+in which he had always lived, was fully as much astonished at his deed
+of valor as were the robbers themselves; and if he shuddered a little
+when looking upon the heap of senseless thieves you must forgive him
+this weakness.  For he straightway resolved to steel his heart to such
+sights and to be every bit as stern and severe as a mortal knight
+would have been.
+
+Throwing down his staff he ran to the cave again, and stepping between
+the sword points he approached the pile of casks and held out his arms
+to the boy who was perched upon the top.
+
+"The thieves are conquered," he cried.  "Jump down!"
+
+"I won't," said the boy.
+
+"Why not?" inquired the prince.
+
+"Can't you see I'm very miserable?" asked the boy, in return;
+"don't you understand that every minute I expect to fall upon
+those sword points?"
+
+"But I will catch you," cried the prince.
+
+"I don't want you to catch me," said the boy.  "I want to be miserable.
+It's the first chance I've ever had, and I'm enjoying my misery very much."
+
+This speech so astonished Prince Marvel that for a moment he stood
+motionless.  Then he retorted, angrily:
+
+"You're a fool!"
+
+"If I wasn't so miserable up here, I'd come down and thrash you for
+that," said the boy, with a sigh.
+
+This answer so greatly annoyed Prince Marvel that he gave the central
+cask of the pyramid a sudden push, and the next moment the casks were
+tumbling in every direction, while the boy fell headlong in their midst.
+
+But Marvel caught him deftly in his arms, and so saved him from the
+sword points.
+
+"There!" he said, standing the boy upon his feet; "now you are
+released from your misery."
+
+"And I should be glad to punish you for your interference," declared
+the boy, gloomily eying his preserver, "had you not saved my life by
+catching me.  According to the code of honor of knighthood I can not
+harm one who has saved my life until I have returned the obligation.
+Therefore, for the present I shall pardon your insulting speeches
+and actions."
+
+"But you have also saved my life," answered Prince Marvel; "for had you
+not warned me of the robbers' return they would surely have caught me."
+
+"True," said the boy, brightening up; "therefore our score is now
+even.  But take care not to affront me again, for hereafter I will
+show you no mercy!"
+
+Prince Marvel looked at the boy with wonder.  He was about his own
+size, yet strong and well formed, and he would have been handsome
+except for the expression of discontent upon his face.  Yet his manner
+and words were so absurd and unnatural that the prince was more amused
+than angered by his new acquaintance, and presently laughed in his face.
+
+"If all the people in this island are like you," he said, "I shall
+have lots of fun with them.  And you are only a boy, after all."
+
+"I'm bigger than you!" declared the other, glaring fiercely at the prince.
+
+"How much bigger?" asked Marvel, his eyes twinkling.
+
+"Oh, ever so much!"
+
+"Then fetch along that coil of rope, and follow me," said Prince Marvel.
+
+"Fetch the rope yourself!" retorted the boy, bluntly.  "I'm not your
+servant." Then he put his hands in his pockets and coolly walked out
+of the cave to look at the pile of senseless robbers.
+
+Prince Marvel made no reply, but taking the coil of rope on his
+shoulder he carried it to where the thieves lay and threw it down
+beside them.  Then he cut lengths from the coil with his sword and
+bound the limbs of each robber securely.  Within a half-hour he had
+laid out a row of thieves extending half way across the grassy plain,
+and on counting their number he found he had captured fifty-nine
+of them.
+
+This task being accomplished and the robbers rendered helpless, Prince
+Marvel turned to the boy who stood watching him.
+
+"Get a suit of armor from the cave, and a strong sword, and then
+return here," he said, in a stern voice.
+
+"Why should I do that?" asked the boy, rather impudently.
+
+"Because I am going to fight you for disobeying my orders; and if you
+do not protect yourself I shall probably kill you."
+
+"That sounds pleasant," said the boy.  "But if you should prove my
+superior in skill I beg you will not kill me at once, but let me die a
+lingering death."
+
+"Why?" asked the prince.
+
+"Because I shall suffer more, and that will be delightful."
+
+"I am not anxious to kill you, nor to make you suffer," said Marvel,
+"all that I ask is that you acknowledge me your master."
+
+"I won't!" answered the boy.  "I acknowledge no master in all the world!"
+
+"Then you must fight," declared the prince, gravely.  "If you win, I
+will promise to serve you faithfully; and if I conquer you, then you
+must acknowledge me your master, and obey my commands."
+
+"Agreed!" cried the boy, with sudden energy, and he rushed into the
+cave and soon returned clad in armor and bearing a sword and shield.
+On the shield was pictured a bolt of lightning.
+
+"Lightning will soon strike those three girls whose champion you seem
+to be," he said tauntingly.
+
+"The three girls defy your lightning!" returned the prince with a
+smile.  "I see you are brave enough."
+
+"Brave!  Why should I not be?" answered the boy proudly.  "I am the
+Lord Nerle, the son of Neggar, the chief baron of Heg!"
+
+The other bowed low.
+
+"I am pleased to know your station," he said.  "I am called Prince
+Marvel, and this is my first adventure."
+
+"And likely to be your last," exclaimed the boy, sneeringly.  "For I
+am stronger than you, and I have fought many times with full grown men."
+
+"Are you ready?" asked Prince Marvel, for answer.
+
+"Yes."
+
+Then the swords clashed and sparks flew from the blades.  But it was
+not for long.  Suddenly Nerle's sword went flying through the air and
+shattered its blade against a wall of rock.  He scowled at Prince
+Marvel a moment, who smiled back at him.  Then the boy rushed into the
+cave and returned with another sword.
+
+Scarcely had the weapons crossed again when with a sudden blow Prince
+Marvel snapped Nerle's blade in two, and followed this up with a sharp
+slap upon his ear with the flat of his own sword that fairly
+bewildered the boy, and made him sit down on the grass to think what
+had happened to him.
+
+Then Prince Marvel's merry laugh rang far across the hills, and so
+delighted was he at the astonished expression upon Nerle's face that
+it was many minutes before he could control his merriment and ask his
+foeman if he had had enough fight.
+
+"I suppose I have," replied the boy, rubbing his ear tenderly.  "That
+blow stings most deliciously.  But it is a hard thought that the son
+of Baron Neggar should serve Prince Marvel!"
+
+"Do not worry about that," said the prince; "for I assure you my rank
+is so far above your own that it is no degradation for the son of
+Neggar to serve me.  But come, we must dispose of these thieves.  What
+is the proper fate for such men?"
+
+"They are always hanged," answered Nerle, getting upon his feet.
+
+"Well, there are trees handy," remarked the prince, although his
+girlish heart insisted on making him shiver in spite of his resolve to
+be manly and stern.  "Let us get to work and hang them as soon as
+possible.  And then we can proceed upon our journey."
+
+Nerle now willingly lent his assistance to his new master, and soon
+they had placed a rope around the neck of each thief and were ready to
+dangle them all from the limbs of the trees.
+
+But at this juncture the thieves began to regain consciousness,
+and now Wul-Takim, the big, red-bearded king of the thieves, sat up
+and asked:
+
+"Who is our conqueror?"
+
+"Prince Marvel," answered Nerle.
+
+"And what army assisted him?" inquired Wul-Takim, curiously gazing
+upon the prince.
+
+"He conquered you alone and single-handed," said Nerle.
+
+Hearing this, the big king began to weep bitterly, and the tear-drops
+ran down his face in such a stream that Prince Marvel ordered Nerle to
+wipe them away with his handkerchief, as the thief's hands were tied
+behind his back.
+
+"To think!" sobbed Wul-Takim, miserably; "only to think, that after
+all my terrible deeds and untold wickedness, I have been captured by a
+mere boy!  Oh, boo-hoo! boo-hoo! boo-hoo!  It is a terrible disgrace!"
+
+"You will not have to bear it long," said the prince, soothingly.  "I
+am going to hang you in a few minutes."
+
+"Thanks!  Thank you very much!" answered the king, ceasing to weep.
+"I have always expected to be hanged some day, and I am glad no one
+but you two boys will witness me when my feet begin kicking about."
+
+"I shall not kick," declared another of the thieves, who had also
+regained his senses.  "I shall sing while I am being hanged."
+
+"But you can not, my good Gunder," protested the king; "for the rope
+will cut off your breath, and no man can sing without breath."
+
+"Then I shall whistle," said Gunder, composedly.
+
+The king cast at him a look of reproach, and turning to Prince Marvel
+he said:
+
+"It will be a great task to string up so many thieves.  You look
+tired.  Permit me to assist you to hang the others, and then I will
+climb into a tree and hang myself from a strong branch, with as little
+bother as possible."
+
+"Oh, I won't think of troubling you," exclaimed Marvel, with a laugh.
+"Having conquered you alone, I feel it my duty to hang you without
+assistance--save that of my esquire."
+
+"It's no trouble, I assure you; but suit your own convenience," said
+the thief, carelessly.  Then he cast his eye toward the cave and
+asked: "What will you do with all our treasure?"
+
+"Give it to the poor," said Prince Marvel, promptly.
+
+"What poor?"
+
+"Oh, the poorest people I can find."
+
+"Will you permit me to advise you in this matter?" asked the king of
+thieves, politely.
+
+"Yes, indeed; for I am a stranger in this land," returned the prince.
+
+"Well, I know a lot of people who are so poor that they have no
+possessions whatever, neither food to eat, houses to live in, nor any
+clothing but that which covers their bodies.  They can call no man
+friend, nor will any lift a hand to help them.  Indeed, good sir, I
+verily believe they will soon perish miserably unless you come to
+their assistance!"
+
+"Poor creatures!" exclaimed Prince Marvel, with ready sympathy;
+"tell me who they are, and I will divide amongst them all your
+ill-gotten gains."
+
+"They are ourselves," replied the king of thieves, with a sigh.
+
+Marvel looked at him in amazement, and then burst into joyous laughter.
+
+"Yourselves!" he cried, greatly amused.
+
+"Indeed, yes!" said Wul-Takim, sadly.  "There are no poorer people in
+all the world, for we have ropes about our necks and are soon to be
+hanged.  To-morrow we shall not have even our flesh left, for the
+crows will pick our bones."
+
+"That is true," remarked Marvel, thoughtfully.  "But, if I restore to
+you the treasure, how will it benefit you, since you are about to die?"
+
+"Must you really hang us?" asked the thief.
+
+"Yes; I have decreed it, and you deserve your fate."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Because you have wickedly taken from helpless people their property,
+and committed many other crimes besides."
+
+"But I have reformed!  We have all reformed--have we not, brothers?"
+
+"We have!" answered the other thieves, who, having regained their
+senses, were listening to this conversation with much interest.
+
+"And, if you will return to us our treasure, we will promise never to
+steal again, but to remain honest men and enjoy our wealth in peace,"
+promised the king.
+
+"Honest men could not enjoy treasures they have stolen,"
+said Prince Marvel.
+
+"True; but this treasure is now yours, having been won by you in fair
+battle.  And if you present it to us it will no longer be stolen
+treasure, but a generous gift from a mighty prince, which we may enjoy
+with clear consciences."
+
+"Yet there remains the fact that I have promised to hang you,"
+suggested Prince Marvel, with a smile, for the king amused him greatly.
+
+"Not at all!  Not at all!" cried Wul-Takim.  "You promised to hang
+fifty-nine thieves, and there is no doubt the fifty-nine thieves
+deserved to be hung.  But, consider!  We have all reformed our ways
+and become honest men; so it would be a sad and unkindly act to hang
+fifty-nine honest men!"
+
+"What think you, Nerle?" asked the Prince, turning to his esquire.
+
+"Why, the rogue seems to speak truth," said Nerle, scratching his head
+with a puzzled air, "yet, if he speaks truth, there is little
+difference between a rogue and an honest man.  Ask him, my master,
+what caused them all to reform so suddenly."
+
+"Because we were about to die, and we thought it a good way to save
+our lives," replied the robber king.
+
+"That's an honest answer, anyway," said Nerle.  "Perhaps, sir, they
+have really reformed."
+
+"And if so, I will not have the death of fifty-nine honest men on my
+conscience," declared the prince.  Then he turned to Wul-Takim and
+added: "I will release you and give you the treasure, as you request.
+But you owe me allegiance from this time forth, and if I ever hear of your
+becoming thieves again, I promise to return and hang every one of you."
+
+"Never fear!" answered Wul-Takim, joyfully.  "It is hard work to
+steal, and while we have so much treasure it is wholly unnecessary.
+Moreover, having accepted from you our lives and our fortunes, we
+shall hereafter be your devoted servants, and whenever you need our
+services you have but to call upon us, and we will support you loyally
+and gladly."
+
+"I accept your service," answered the prince, graciously.
+
+And then he unbound the fifty-nine honest men and took the ropes from
+their necks.  As nightfall was fast approaching the new servants set
+to work to prepare a great feast in honor of their master.  It was
+laid in the middle of the grassy clearing, that all might sit around
+and celebrate the joyous occasion.
+
+"Do you think you can trust these men?" asked Nerle, suspiciously.
+
+"Why not?" replied the prince.  "They have been exceedingly wicked, it
+is true; but they are now intent upon being exceedingly good.  Let us
+encourage them in this.  If we mistrusted all who have ever done an
+evil act there would be fewer honest people in the world.  And if it
+were as interesting to do a good act as an evil one there is no doubt
+every one would choose the good."
+
+
+
+6.  The Troubles of Nerle
+
+
+That night Prince Marvel slept within the cave, surrounded by the
+fifty-nine reformed thieves, and suffered no harm at their hands.  In
+the morning, accompanied by his esquire, Nerle, who was mounted upon a
+spirited horse brought him by Wul-Takim, he charged the honest men to
+remember their promises, bade them good by, and set out in search of
+further adventure.
+
+As they left the clearing by the narrow passage that led between the
+overhanging rocks, the prince looked back and saw that the sign above
+the gate of the cave, which had told of the thieves' treasure house,
+had been changed.  It now read as follows:
+
+
+            WUL-TAKIM
+        KING OF HONEST MEN
+             -------
+        HIS PLEASURE HOUSE
+             WALK IN
+
+
+"That is much better," laughed the prince.  "I accomplished some good
+by my adventure, anyway!"
+
+Nerle did not reply.  He seemed especially quiet and thoughtful as he
+rode by his master's side, and after they had traveled some distance
+in silence Prince Marvel said:
+
+"Tell me how you came to be in the cave of thieves, and perched upon
+the casks where I found you."
+
+"It is a sad story," returned Nerle, with a sigh; "but since you
+request me to tell it, the tale may serve to relieve the tedium of
+your journey.
+
+"My father is a mighty baron, very wealthy and with a heart so kind
+that he has ever taken pleasure in thrusting on me whatever gift he
+could think of.  I had not a single desire unsatisfied, for before I
+could wish for anything it was given me.
+
+"My mother was much like my father.  She and her women were always
+making jams, jellies, candies, cakes and the like for me to eat; so I
+never knew the pleasure of hunger.  My clothes were the gayest satins
+and velvets, richly made and sewn with gold and silver braid; so it
+was impossible to wish for more in the way of apparel.  They let me
+study my lessons whenever I felt like it and go fishing or hunting as
+I pleased; so I could not complain that I was unable to do just as I
+wanted to.  All the servants obeyed my slightest wish: if I wanted to
+sit up late at night no one objected; if I wished to lie in bed till
+noon they kept the house quiet so as not to disturb me.
+
+"This condition of affairs, as you may imagine, grew more and more
+tedious and exasperating the older I became.  Try as I might, I could
+find nothing to complain of.  I once saw the son of one of our
+servants receive a flogging; and my heart grew light.  I immediately
+begged my father to flog me, by way of variety; and he, who could
+refuse me nothing, at once consented.  For this reason there was less
+satisfaction in the operation than I had expected, although for the
+time being it was a distinct novelty.
+
+"Now, no one could expect a high-spirited boy to put up with such a
+life as mine.  With nothing to desire and no chance of doing anything
+that would annoy my parents, my days were dreary indeed."
+
+He paused to wipe the tears from his eyes, and the prince murmured,
+sympathetically: "Poor boy!  Poor boy!"
+
+"Ah, you may well say that!" continued Nerle.  "But one day a stranger
+came to my father's castle with tales of many troubles he had met
+with.  He had been lost in a forest and nearly starved to death.  He
+had been robbed and beaten and left wounded and sore by the wayside.
+He had begged from door to door and been refused food or assistance.
+In short, his story was so delightful that it made me envy him, and I
+yearned to suffer as he had done.  When I could speak with him alone I
+said: 'Pray tell me how I can manage to acquire the misfortunes you
+have undergone.  Here I have everything that I desire, and it makes me
+very unhappy.'
+
+"The stranger laughed at me, at first; and I found some pleasure in
+the humiliation I then felt.  But it did not last long, for presently
+he grew sober and advised me to run away from home and seek adventure.
+
+"'Once away from your father's castle,' said he, 'troubles will fall
+upon you thick enough to satisfy even your longings.'
+
+"'That is what I am afraid of!' I answered.  'I don't want to be
+satisfied, even with troubles.  What I seek is unsatisfied longings.'
+
+"'Nevertheless,' said he, 'I advise you to travel.  Everything will
+probably go wrong with you, and then you will be happy.'
+
+"I acted upon the stranger's advice and ran away from home the next
+day.  After journeying a long time I commenced to feel the pangs of
+hunger, and was just beginning to enjoy myself when a knight rode by
+and gave me a supply of food.  At this rebuff I could not restrain my
+tears, but while I wept my horse stumbled and threw me over his head.
+I hoped at first I had broken my neck, and was just congratulating
+myself upon the misfortune, when a witch-woman came along and rubbed
+some ointment upon my bruises, in spite of my protests.  To my great
+grief the pain left me, and I was soon well again.  But, as a slight
+compensation for my disappointment, my horse had run away; so I began
+my journey anew and on foot.
+
+"That afternoon I stepped into a nest of wasps, but the thoughtless
+creatures flew away without stinging me.  Then I met a fierce tiger,
+and my heart grew light and gay.  'Surely this will cause me suffering!'
+I cried, and advanced swiftly upon the brute.  But the cowardly tiger
+turned tail and ran to hide in the bushes, leaving me unhurt!
+
+"Of course, my many disappointments were some consolation; but not
+much.  That night I slept on the bare ground, and hoped I should catch
+a severe cold; but no such joy was to be mine.
+
+"Yet the next afternoon I experienced my first pleasure.  The thieves
+caught me, stripped off all my fine clothes and jewels and beat me
+well.  Then they carried me to their cave, dressed me in rags, and
+perched me on the top of the casks, where the slightest movement on my
+part would send me tumbling among the sword points.  This was really
+delightful, and I was quite happy until you came and released me.
+
+"I thought then that I might gain some pleasure by provoking you to
+anger; and our fight was the result.  That blow on the ear was
+exquisite, and by forcing me to become your servant you have made me,
+for the first time in my life, almost contented.  For I hope in your
+company to experience a great many griefs and disappointments."
+
+As Nerle concluded his story Prince Marvel turned to him and grasped
+his hand.
+
+"Accept my sympathy!" said he.  "I know exactly how you feel, for my
+own life during the past few centuries has not been much different."
+
+"The past few centuries!" gasped Nerle.  "What do you mean?"
+
+At this the prince blushed, seeing he had nearly disclosed his secret.
+But he said, quickly:
+
+"Does it not seem centuries when one is unhappy?"
+
+"It does, indeed!" responded Nerle, earnestly.  "But please tell me
+your story."
+
+"Not now," said Prince Marvel, with a smile.  "It will please you to
+desire in vain to hear a tale I will not tell.  Yet I promise that on
+the day we part company I shall inform you who I am."
+
+
+
+7.  The Gray Men
+
+
+The adventurers gave no heed to the path they followed after leaving
+the cave of the reformed thieves, but their horses accidentally took
+the direction of the foot-hills that led into the wild interior
+Kingdom of Spor.  Therefore the travelers, when they had finished
+their conversation and begun to look about them, found themselves in a
+rugged, mountainous country that was wholly unlike the green plains of
+Heg they had left behind.
+
+Now, as I have before said, the most curious and fearful of the island
+people dwelt in this Kingdom of Spor.  They held no friendly
+communication with their neighbors, and only left their own mountains
+to plunder and rob; and so sullen and fierce were they on these
+occasions that every one took good care to keep out of their way until
+they had gone back home again.
+
+There was much gossip about the unknown king of Spor, who had never
+yet been seen by any one except his subjects; and some thought he must
+be one of the huge giants of Spor; and others claimed he was a dwarf,
+like his tiny but ferocious dart-slingers; and still others imagined
+him one of the barbarian tribe, or a fellow to the terrible Gray Men.
+But, of course, no one knew positively, and all these guesses were
+very wide of the mark.  The only certainty about this king was that
+his giants, dwarfs, barbarians and Gray Men meekly acknowledged his
+rule and obeyed his slightest wish; for though they might be terrible
+to others, their king was still more terrible to them.
+
+Into this Kingdom of Spor Prince Marvel and Nerle had now penetrated
+and, neither knowing nor caring where they were, continued along the
+faintly defined paths the horses had found.  Presently, however, they
+were startled by a peal of shrill, elfish laughter, and raising their
+eyes they beheld a horrid-looking old man seated upon a high rock near by.
+
+"Why do you laugh?" asked Prince Marvel, stopping his horse.
+
+"Have you been invited?  Tell me--have you been invited?" demanded the
+old man, chuckling to himself as if much amused.
+
+"Invited where?" inquired the prince.
+
+"To Spor, stupid!  To the Kingdom of Spor!  To the land of King
+Terribus!" shrieked the old man, going into violent peals of laughter.
+
+"We go and come as we please," answered Prince Marvel, calmly.
+
+"Go--yes!  Go if you will.  But you'll never come back--never! never!
+never!" The little old man seemed to consider this such a good joke
+that he bent nearly double with laughing, and so lost his balance and
+toppled off the rock, disappearing from their view; but they could hear
+him laugh long after they had passed on and left him far behind them.
+
+"A strange creature!" exclaimed the prince thoughtfully.
+
+"But perhaps he speaks truth," answered Nerle, "if, in fact, we have
+been rash enough to enter the Kingdom of Spor.  Even my father, the
+bravest baron in Heg, has never dared venture within the borders of
+Spor.  For all men fear its mysterious king."
+
+"In that case," replied Prince Marvel, "it is time some one
+investigated this strange kingdom.  People have left King Terribus and
+his wild subjects too much to themselves; instead of stirring them up
+and making them behave themselves."
+
+Nerle smiled at this speech.
+
+"They are the fiercest people on the Enchanted Island," said he, "and
+there are thousands upon thousands who obey this unknown king.  But if
+you think we dare defy them I am willing to go on.  Perhaps our
+boldness will lead them into torturing me, or starving me to death;
+and at the very least I ought to find much trouble and privation in
+the Kingdom of Spor."
+
+"Time will determine that," said the prince, cheerfully.
+
+They had now ridden into a narrow defile of the mountains, the pathway
+being lined with great fragments of rock.  Happening to look over his
+shoulder Prince Marvel saw that as they passed these rocks a man
+stepped from behind each fragment and followed after them, their
+numbers thus constantly increasing until hundreds were silently
+treading in the wake of the travelers.
+
+These men were very peculiar in appearance, their skins being as gray
+as the rocks themselves, while their only clothing consisted of gray
+cloth tunics belted around the waists with bands of gray fox-hide.
+They bore no weapons except that each was armed with a fork, having
+three sharp tines six inches in length, which the Gray Men carried
+stuck through their fox-hide belts.
+
+Nerle also looked back and saw the silent throng following them, and
+the sight sent such a cold shiver creeping up his spine that he smiled
+with pleasure.  There was no way to avoid the Gray Men, for the path
+was so narrow that the horsemen could not turn aside; but Prince
+Marvel was not disturbed, and seemed not to mind being followed, so
+long as no one hindered his advance.
+
+He rode steadily on, Nerle following, and after climbing upward for a
+long way the path began to descend, presently leading them into a
+valley of wide extent, in the center of which stood an immense castle
+with tall domes that glittered as if covered with pure gold.  A broad
+roadway paved with white marble reached from the mountain pass to the
+entrance of this castle, and on each side of this roadway stood lines
+of monstrous giants, armed with huge axes thrust into their belts and
+thick oak clubs, studded with silver spikes, which were carried over
+their left shoulders.
+
+The assembled giants were as silent as the Gray Men, and stood
+motionless while Prince Marvel and Nerle rode slowly up the marble
+roadway.  But all their brows were scowling terribly and their eyes
+were red and glaring-- as if they were balls of fire.
+
+"I begin to feel very pleasant," said Nerle, "for surely we shall not
+get away from these folks without a vast deal of trouble.  They do not
+seem to oppose our advance, but it is plain they will not allow us any
+chance of retreat."
+
+"We do not wish to retreat," declared the prince.
+
+Nerle cast another glance behind, and saw that the Gray Men had halted
+at the edge of the valley, while the giants were closing up as soon as
+the horses passed them and now marched in close file in their rear.
+
+"It strikes me," he muttered, softly, "that this is like to prove our
+last adventure." But although Prince Marvel might have heard the words
+he made no reply, being evidently engaged in deep thought.
+
+As they drew nearer the castle it towered above them like a veritable
+mountain, so big and high was it; and the walls cast deep shadows far
+around, as if twilight had fallen.  They heard the loud blare of a
+trumpet sounding far up on the battlements; the portals of the castle
+suddenly opened wide, and they entered a vast courtyard paved with
+plates of gold.  Tiny dwarfs, so crooked that they resembled crabs,
+rushed forward and seized the bridles of the horses, while the
+strangers slowly dismounted and looked around them.
+
+While the steeds were being led to the stables an old man, clothed in
+a flowing robe as white in color as his beard, bowed before Prince
+Marvel and said in a soft voice:
+
+"Follow me!"
+
+The prince stretched his arms, yawned as if tired with his ride, and
+then glared upon the old man with an expression of haughty surprise.
+
+"I follow no one!" said he, proudly.  "I am Prince Marvel, sirrah, and
+if the owner of this castle wishes to see me I shall receive him here,
+as befits my rank and station."
+
+The man looked surprised, but only bowed lower than before.
+
+"It is the king's command," he answered.
+
+"The king?"
+
+"Yes; you are in the castle of King Terribus, the lord and ruler of Spor."
+
+"That is different," remarked the prince, lightly.  "Still, I will
+follow no man.  Point out the way and I will go to meet his Majesty."
+
+The old man extended a lean and trembling finger toward an archway.
+Prince Marvel strode forward, followed by Nerle, and passing under the
+arch he threw open a door at the far end and boldly entered the
+throne-room of King Terribus.
+
+
+
+8.  The Fool-Killer
+
+
+The room was round, with a dome at the top.  The bare walls were of
+gray stone, with square, open windows set full twenty feet from the
+floor.  Rough gray stone also composed the floor, and in the center of
+the room stood one great rock with a seat hollowed in its middle.
+This was the throne, and round about it stood a swarm of men and women
+dressed in rich satins, velvets and brocades, brilliantly ornamented
+with gold and precious stones.  The men were of many shapes and
+sizes--giants and dwarfs being among them.  The women all seemed young
+and beautiful.
+
+Prince Marvel cast but a passing glance at this assemblage, for his
+eye quickly sought the rude throne on which was seated King Terribus.
+
+The personal appearance of this monster was doubtless the most hideous
+known in that age of the world.  His head was large and shaped like an
+egg; it was bright scarlet in color and no hair whatever grew upon it.
+It had three eyes--one in the center of his face, one on the top of
+his head and one in the back.  Thus he was always able to see in every
+direction at the same time.  His nose was shaped like an elephant's
+trunk, and swayed constantly from side to side.  His mouth was very
+wide and had no lips at all, two rows of sharp and white teeth being
+always plainly visible beneath the swaying nose.
+
+King Terribus, although surrounded by so splendid a court, wore a
+simple robe of gray cloth, with no ornament or other finery, and his
+strange and fearful appearance was strongly contrasted with the glittering
+raiment of his courtiers and the beauty of his ladies in waiting.
+
+When Prince Marvel, with Nerle marching close behind, entered the
+great room, Terribus looked at him sharply a moment, and then bowed.
+And when he bowed the eye upon the top of his head also looked sharply
+at the intruders.
+
+Then the king spoke, his voice sounding so sweet and agreeable that it
+almost shocked Nerle, who had expected to hear a roar like that from a
+wild beast.
+
+"Why are you here?" asked Terribus.
+
+"Partly by chance and partly from curiosity," answered Prince Marvel.
+"No one in this island, except your own people, had ever seen the king
+of Spor; so, finding myself in your country, I decided to come here
+and have a look at you."
+
+The faces of the people who stood about the throne wore frightened
+looks at the unheard of boldness of this speech to their terrible
+monarch.  But the king merely nodded and inquired:
+
+"Since you have seen me, what do you think of me?"
+
+"I am sorry you asked that question," returned the prince; "for I must
+confess you are a very frightful-looking creature, and not at all
+agreeable to gaze upon."
+
+"Ha! you are honest, as well as frank," exclaimed the king.  "But
+that is the reason I do not leave my kingdom, as you will readily
+understand.  And that is the reason I never permit strangers to come
+here, under penalty of death.  So long as no one knows the King of
+Spor is a monster people will not gossip about my looks, and I am very
+sensitive regarding my personal appearance.  You will perhaps
+understand that if I could have chosen I should have been born
+beautiful instead of ugly."
+
+"I certainly understand that.  And permit me to say I wish you
+were beautiful.  I shall probably dream of you for many nights,"
+added the prince.
+
+"Not for many," said King Terribus, quietly.  "By coming here you have
+chosen death, and the dead do not dream."
+
+"Why should I die?" inquired Prince Marvel, curiously.
+
+"Because you have seen me.  Should I allow you to go away you would
+tell the world about my ugly face.  I do not like to kill you, believe
+me; but you must pay the penalty of your rashness--you and the man
+behind you."
+
+Nerle smiled at this; but whether from pride at being called a man or in
+pleasurable anticipation of the sufferings to come I leave you to guess.
+
+"Will you allow me to object to being killed?" asked the prince.
+
+"Certainly," answered the king, courteously.  "I expect you to object.
+It is natural.  But it will do you no good."
+
+Then Terribus turned to an attendant and commanded:
+
+"Send hither the Fool-Killer."
+
+At this Prince Marvel laughed outright.
+
+"The Fool-Killer!" he cried; "surely your Majesty does me little
+credit.  Am I, then, a fool?"
+
+"You entered my kingdom uninvited," retorted the king, "and you tell
+me to my face I am ugly.  Moreover, you laugh when I condemn you to
+death.  From this I conclude the Fool-Killer is the proper one to
+execute you.  Behold!"
+
+Marvel turned quickly, to find a tall, stalwart man standing behind
+him.  His features were strong but very grave, and the prince caught a
+look of compassion in his eye as their gaze met.  His skin was fair
+and without blemish, a robe of silver cloth fell from his shoulders,
+and in his right hand he bore a gleaming sword.
+
+"Well met!" cried Marvel, heartily, as he bowed to the Fool-Killer.
+"I have often heard your name mentioned, but 'tis said in the world
+that you are a laggard in your duty."
+
+"Had I my way," answered the Fool-Killer, "my blade would always drip.
+It is my master, yonder, who thwarts my duty."  And he nodded toward
+King Terribus.
+
+"Then you should exercise your right on him, and cleave the ugly head
+from his shoulders," declared the prince.
+
+"Nay, unless I interfered with the Fool-Killer," said the king, "I
+should soon have no subjects left to rule; for at one time or another
+they all deserve the blade."
+
+"Why, that may be true enough," replied Prince Marvel.  "But I think,
+under such circumstances, your Fool-Killer is a needless servant.  So
+I will rid you of him in a few moments."
+
+With that he whipped out his sword and stood calmly confronting the
+Fool-Killer, whose grave face never changed in expression as he
+advanced menacingly upon his intended victim.  The blades clashed
+together, and that of the Fool-Killer broke short off at the hilt.  He
+took a step backward, stumbled and fell prone upon the rocky floor,
+while Prince Marvel sprang forward and pressed the point of his sword
+against his opponent's breast.
+
+"Hold!" cried the king, starting to his feet.  "Would you slay my
+Fool-Killer?  Think of the harm you would do the world!"
+
+"But he is laggard and unfaithful to his calling!" answered the
+prince, sternly.
+
+"Nevertheless, if he remove but one fool a year he is a benefit to
+mankind," declared the king.  "Release him, I pray you!"
+
+Then the victor withdrew his sword and stood aside, while the
+Fool-Killer slowly got upon his feet and bowed humbly before the king.
+
+"Go!" shouted Terribus, his eye flashing angrily.  "You have
+humiliated me before my enemy.  As an atonement see that you kill me a
+fool a day for sixty days."
+
+Hearing this command, many of the people about the throne began to
+tremble; but the king paid no attention to their fears, and the
+Fool-Killer bowed again before his master and withdrew from the chamber.
+
+
+
+9.  The Royal Dragon of Spor
+
+
+"Now," said Terribus, regarding the prince gloomily, "I must dispose
+of you in another way."
+
+For a moment he dropped his scarlet head in thought.  Then he turned
+fiercely upon his attendants.
+
+"Let the Wrestler come forward!" he shouted, as loudly as his mild
+voice would carry.
+
+Instantly a tall blackamoor advanced from the throng and cast off his
+flowing robe, showing a strong figure clad only in a silver loincloth.
+
+"Crack me this fellow's bones!" commanded Terribus.
+
+"I beg your Majesty will not compel me to touch him," said Prince
+Marvel, with a slight shudder; "for his skin is greasy, and will soil
+my hands.  Here, Nerle!" he continued, turning to his esquire,
+"dispose of this black man, and save me the trouble."
+
+Nerle laughed pleasantly.  The black was a powerfully built man, and
+compared with Nerle and the prince, who had but the stature of boys,
+he towered like a very giant in size.  Nevertheless, Nerle did not
+hesitate to spring upon the Wrestler, who with a quick movement sent
+the boy crashing against the stone pavement.
+
+Nerle was much bruised by the fall, and as he painfully raised himself
+to his feet a great lump was swelling behind his left ear, where his
+head had struck the floor, and he was so dizzy that the room seemed
+swimming around him in a circle.  But he gave a happy little laugh,
+and said to the prince, gratefully:
+
+"Thank you very much, my master!  The fall is hurting me delightfully.
+I almost feel as if I could cry, and that would be joy indeed!"
+
+"Well," answered the prince, with a sigh, "I see I must get my hands
+greased after all"--for the black's body had really been greased to
+enable him to elude the grasp of his opponents.
+
+But Marvel made a quick leap and seized the Wrestler firmly around the
+waist.  The next moment, to the astonishment of all, the black man
+flew swiftly into the air, plunged through one of the open windows
+high up in the wall, and disappeared from view.  When the king and his
+people again turned their wondering eyes upon the prince he was wiping
+his hands carefully upon a silk handkerchief.
+
+At this sight a pretty young girl, who stood near the throne, laughed
+aloud, and the sound of her laughter made King Terribus very angry.
+
+"Come here!" he commanded, sternly.  The girl stepped forward, her
+face now pale and frightened, while tear-drops trembled upon the
+lashes that fringed her downcast eyes.  "You have dared to laugh at
+the humiliation of your king," said Terribus, his horrid face more
+crimson than ever, "and as atonement I command that you drink of the
+poisoned cup."
+
+Instantly a dwarf came near, bearing a beautiful golden goblet in his
+crooked hands.
+
+"Drink!" he said, an evil leer upon his face.
+
+The girl well knew this goblet contained a vile poison, one drop of
+which on her tongue would cause death; so she hesitated, trembling and
+shrinking from the ordeal.
+
+Prince Marvel looked into her sweet face with pitying eyes, and
+stepping quickly to her side, took her hand in his.
+
+"Now drink!" he said, smiling upon her; "the poison will not hurt you."
+
+She drank obediently, while the dwarf chuckled with awful glee and the
+king looked on eagerly, expecting her to fall dead at his feet.  But
+instead the girl stood upright and pressed Marvel's hand, looking
+gratefully into his face.
+
+"You are a fairy!" she whispered, so low that no one else heard her
+voice.  "I knew that you would save me."
+
+"Keep my secret," whispered the prince in return, and still holding
+her hand he led her back to her former place.
+
+King Terribus was almost wild with rage and disappointment, and his
+elephant nose twisted and squirmed horribly.
+
+"So you dare to thwart my commands, do you!" he cried, excitedly.
+"Well, we shall soon see which of us is the more powerful.  I have
+decreed your death--and die you shall!"
+
+For a moment his eye roved around the chamber uncertainly.  Then he
+shouted, suddenly:
+
+"Ho, there!  Keepers of the royal menagerie--appear!"
+
+Three men entered the room and bowed before the king.  They were of
+the Gray Men of the mountains, who had followed Prince Marvel and
+Nerle through the rocky passes.
+
+"Bring hither the Royal Dragon," cried the king, "and let him consume
+these strangers before my very eyes!"
+
+The men withdrew, and presently was heard a distant shouting, followed
+by a low rumbling sound, with groans, snorts, roars and a hissing like
+steam from the spout of a teakettle.
+
+The noise and shouting drew nearer, while the people huddled together
+like frightened sheep; and then suddenly the doors flew open and the
+Royal Dragon advanced to the center of the room.
+
+This creature was at once the pride and terror of the Kingdom of Spor.
+It was more than thirty feet in length and covered everywhere with
+large green scales set with diamonds, making the dragon, when it
+moved, a very glittering spectacle.  Its eyes were as big as
+pie-plates, and its mouth--when wide opened--fully as large as a
+bath-tub.  Its tail was very long and ended in a golden ball, such as
+you see on the top of flagstaffs.  Its legs, which were as thick as
+those of an elephant, had scales which were set with rubies and
+emeralds.  It had two monstrous, big ears and two horns of carved
+ivory, and its teeth were also carved into various fantastic
+shapes--such as castles, horses' heads, chinamen and griffins--so that
+if any of them broke it would make an excellent umbrella handle.
+
+The Royal Dragon of Spor came crawling into the throne-room rather
+clumsily, groaning and moaning with every step and waving its ears
+like two blankets flying from a clothesline.
+
+The king looked on it and frowned.
+
+"Why are you not breathing fire and brimstone?" he demanded, angrily.
+
+"Why, I was caught out in a gale the other night," returned the
+Dragon, rubbing the back of its ear with its left front paw, as it
+paused and looked at the king, "and the wind put out my fire."
+
+"Then why didn't you light it again?" asked Terribus, turning on
+the keepers.
+
+"We--we were out of matches, your Majesty!" stammered the trembling
+Gray Men.
+
+"So--ho!" yelled the king, and was about to order the keepers
+beheaded; but just then Nerle pulled out his match-box, lit one of the
+matches, and held it in front of the Dragon's mouth.  Instantly the
+creature's breath caught fire; and it began to breathe flames a yard
+in length.
+
+"That's better," sighed the Dragon, contentedly.  "I hope your Majesty
+is now satisfied."
+
+"No,--I am not satisfied!" declared King Terribus.  "Why do you not
+lash your tail?"
+
+"Ah, I can't do that!" replied the Dragon.  "It's all stiffened up
+with rheumatism from the dampness of my cave.  It hurts too much to
+lash it."
+
+"Well, then, gnash your teeth!" commanded the king.
+
+"Tut--tut!" answered the Dragon, mildly; "I can't do that, either; for
+since you had them so beautifully carved it makes my teeth ache to
+gnash them."
+
+"Well, then, what are you good for?" cried the king, in a fury.
+
+"Don't I look awful?  Am I not terrible to gaze on?" inquired the
+Dragon, proudly, as it breathed out red and yellow flames and made
+them curl in circles around its horns.  "I guess there's no need for
+me to suggest terror to any one that happens to see me," it added,
+winking one of the pie-plate eyes at King Terribus.
+
+The king looked at the monster critically, and it really seemed to him
+that it was a frightful thing to behold.  So he curbed his anger and
+said, in his ordinary sweet voice:
+
+"I have called you here to destroy these two strangers."
+
+"How?" asked the Dragon, looking upon Prince Marvel and Nerle
+with interest.
+
+"I am not particular," answered the king.  "You may consume them with
+your fiery breath, or smash them with your tail, or grind them to
+atoms between your teeth, or tear them to pieces with your claws.
+Only, do hurry up and get it over with!"
+
+"Hm-m-m!" said the Dragon, thoughtfully, as if it didn't relish the
+job; "this one isn't Saint George, is it?"
+
+"No, no!" exclaimed the king, irritably; "it's Prince Marvel.  Do get
+to work as soon as possible."
+
+"Prince Marvel--Prince Marvel," repeated the Dragon.  "Why, there
+isn't a prince in the whole world named Marvel!  I'm pretty well
+posted on the history of royal families, you know.  I'm afraid he's
+Saint George in disguise."
+
+"Isn't your name Prince Marvel?" inquired the king, turning to the
+boyish-looking stranger.
+
+"It is," answered Marvel.
+
+"Well, it's mighty strange I've never heard of you," persisted the
+Dragon.  "But tell me, please, how would you prefer to be killed?"
+
+"Oh, I'm not going to be killed at all," replied the prince, laughing.
+
+"Do you hear that, Terribus?" asked the Dragon, turning to the king;
+"he says he isn't going to be killed."
+
+"But I say he is!" cried Terribus.  "I have decreed his death."
+
+"But do you suppose I'm going to kill a man against his will?"
+inquired the Dragon, in a reproachful voice; "and such a small man,
+too!  Do you take me for a common assassin--or a murderer?"
+
+"Do you intend to obey my orders?" roared the king.
+
+"No, I don't; and that's flat!" returned the Dragon, sharply.  "It's
+time for me to take my cough medicine; so if you've nothing more to
+say I'll go back to my cave."
+
+"Go, go, go!" shrieked the king, stamping his foot in passion.
+"You've outlived your usefulness!  You're a coward!  You're a traitor!
+You're a--a--a--"
+
+"I'm a dragon and a gentleman!" answered the monster, proudly, as the
+king paused for lack of a word; "and I believe I know what's proper
+for dragons to do and what isn't.  I've learned wisdom from my father,
+who got into trouble with Saint George, and if I fought with this
+person who calls himself Prince Marvel, I'd deserve to be a victim of
+your Fool-Killer.  Oh, I know my business, King Terribus; and if you
+knew yours, you'd get rid of this pretended prince as soon as possible!"
+
+With this speech he winked at Prince Marvel, turned soberly around and
+crawled from the room.  One of the keepers got too near and the
+Dragon's breath set fire to his robe, the flames being with difficulty
+extinguished; and the gold ball on the end of the Dragon's tail struck
+a giant upon his shins and made him dance and howl in pain.
+
+But, aside from these slight accidents, the monster managed to leave
+the throne-room without undue confusion, and every one, including the
+king, seemed glad to be rid of him.
+
+
+
+10.  Prince Marvel Wins His Fight
+
+
+When the door had closed on the Royal Dragon, King Terribus turned
+again to Prince Marvel, while his crimson face glowed with
+embarrassment, and his front eye rolled with baffled rage as he
+thought how vain had been all his efforts to kill this impudent
+invader of his domains.
+
+But his powers were by no means exhausted.  He was a mighty king--the
+mightiest of all in the Enchanted Island, he believed--and ways to
+destroy his enemies were numerous.
+
+"Send for a hundred of my Gray Men!" he suddenly cried; and a courtier
+ran at once to summon them.  The Gray Men would obey his orders
+without question, he well knew.  They were silent, stubborn, quick,
+and faithful to their king.  Terribus had but to command and his will
+would be obeyed.
+
+They entered the room so quietly that Nerle never knew they were there
+until he turned and found the hundred gray ones standing close
+together in the center of the hall.  Then Prince Marvel came to
+Nerle's side and whispered something in his ear.
+
+"Will you obey my orders?" they heard the king ask.  And the Gray Men,
+with their eyes fixed upon their master, nodded all their hundred
+heads and put their hands upon the dangerous three-tined forks that
+were stuck in every one of the hundred belts.
+
+Prince Marvel handed one end of a coiled rope to Nerle, and then they
+both sprang forward and ran around the spot where the hundred Gray Men
+stood huddled together.  Then they were pulled closer together than
+before--closer, and still closer--for the prince and Nerle had
+surrounded them with the rope and were tying the two ends together in
+a tight knot.  The rope cut into the waists of those on the outside,
+and they pressed inward against their fellows until there was scarcely
+space to stick a knife-blade between any two of them.  When the prince
+had tied the rope firmly King Terribus, who had been looking on
+amazed, saw that his hundred Gray Men were fastened together like a
+bundle of kindling-wood, and were unable to stir hand or foot.
+
+And, while he still gazed open-mouthed at the strange sight, Prince
+Marvel tilted the bundle of men up on its edge and rolled it out of
+the door.  It went rolling swiftly through the courtyard and bounded
+down the castle steps, where the rope broke and the men fell sprawling
+in all directions on the marble walk.
+
+King Terribus sighed, for such treatment of his Gray Men, whom he
+dearly loved, made him very unhappy.
+
+But more than ever was he resolved to kill these impudent strangers,
+who, in the very heart of his kingdom where thousands bowed to his
+will, dared openly defy his power.  So, after a moment's thought,
+Terribus beckoned to a dwarf who, robed in gay and glittering apparel,
+stood near his throne.
+
+"Summon the royal Dart Slingers!" he said, with a scowl.
+
+The little man bowed and hastened away, to return presently with
+twenty curiously crooked dwarfs, each armed with a sling and a quiver
+full of slender, sharp-pointed darts.
+
+"Slay me these strangers!" exclaimed the king, in his gruffest voice.
+
+Now Nerle, when he beheld these terrible Dart Slingers, of whom he had
+heard many tales in his boyhood, began to shiver and shake with
+fright, so that his teeth rattled one upon another.  And he reflected:
+"Soon shall I be content, for these darts will doubtless pierce every
+part of my body."
+
+The dwarfs formed a line at one side of the gloomy throne-room, and
+Prince Marvel, who had been earnestly regarding them, caught Nerle by
+the arm and led him to the opposite wall.
+
+"Stand close behind me and you will be safe," he whispered to his esquire.
+
+Then each dwarf fixed a dart in his sling, and at a word from their
+chief they all drew back their arms and launched a shower of the sharp
+missiles at the strangers.
+
+Swift and true they sped, each dart intended to pierce the body of the
+youthful knight who stood so calm before them.  Prince Marvel had
+raised his right arm, and in his hand was a small leather sack, with a
+wide mouth.  As the darts flew near him a strange thing happened: they
+each and all swerved from their true course and fell rattling into the
+leathern sack, to the wonder of the royal slingers and the dismay of
+King Terribus himself.
+
+"Again!" screamed the king, his usually mild voice hoarse with anger.
+
+So again the dwarfs cast their darts, and again the leathern sack
+caught them every one.  Another flight followed, and yet another, till
+the magic sack was packed full of the darts and not a dwarf had one
+remaining in his quiver.
+
+Amid the awed silence of the beholders of this feat the merry laughter
+of Prince Marvel rang loud and clear; for the sight of the puzzled and
+terrified faces about him was very comical.  Plucking a dart from the
+sack he raised his arm and cried:
+
+"Now it is my turn.  You shall have back your darts!"
+
+"Hold!" shouted the king, in great fear.  "Do not, I beg you, slay my
+faithful servants."  And with a wave of his hand he dismissed the
+dwarfs, who were glad to rush from the room and escape.
+
+Nerle wiped the tears from his eyes, for he was sorely disappointed at
+having again escaped all pain and discomfort; but Prince Marvel seated
+himself quietly upon a stool and looked at the scowling face of King
+Terribus with real amusement.
+
+The monarch of Spor had never before been so foiled and scorned by any
+living creature.  Defeated and humbled before his own people, he bowed
+his crimson head on his hands and sullenly regarded his foe with his
+top eye.  Then it was that the idea came to him that no ordinary
+mortal could have thwarted him so easily, and he began to fear he was
+dealing--perhaps unawares--with some great magician or sorcerer.  That
+a fairy should have assumed a mortal form he never once considered,
+for such a thing was until then unheard of in the Enchanted Island of
+Yew.  But with the knowledge that he had met his master, whoever he
+might prove to be, and that further attempts upon the stranger's life
+might lead to his own undoing, King Terribus decided to adopt a new
+line of conduct, hoping to accomplish by stratagem what he could not
+do by force.  To be sure, there remained his regiment of Giants, the
+pride of his kingdom; but Terribus dreaded to meet with another
+defeat; and he was not at all sure, after what had happened, that the
+giants would succeed in conquering or destroying the strangers.
+
+"After all," he thought, "my only object in killing them was to
+prevent their carrying news of my monstrous appearance to the outside
+world; so if I can but manage to keep them forever in my kingdom it
+will answer my purpose equally well."
+
+As the result of this thought he presently raised his head and spoke
+to Prince Marvel in a quiet and even cheerful voice.
+
+"Enough of these rude and boisterous games," said he, with a smile
+that showed his white teeth in a repulsive manner.  "They may have
+seemed to my people an ill welcome to my good friend, Prince Marvel;
+yet they were only designed to show the powers of the mighty magician
+who has become my guest.  Nay, do not deny it, Prince; from the first
+I guessed your secret, and to prove myself right I called my servants
+to oppose you, being sure they could not do you an injury.  But no
+more of such fooling,--and pray forgive my merry game at your expense.
+Henceforth we shall be friends, and you are heartily welcome to the
+best my kingdom affords."
+
+With this speech Terribus stepped down from his throne and approached
+Prince Marvel with outstretched hand.  The prince was not at all
+deceived, but he was pleased to see how cunningly the king excused his
+attempts to kill him.  So he laughed and touched the hand Terribus
+extended, for this fairy prince seemed to have no anger against any
+mortal who ventured to oppose him.
+
+The strangers were now conducted, with every mark of respect, to a
+beautiful suite of apartments in the castle, wherein were soft beds
+with velvet spreads, marble baths with perfumed waters, and a variety
+of silken and brocaded costumes from which they might select a change
+of raiment.
+
+No sooner had they bathed and adorned themselves fittingly than they
+were summoned to the king's banquet hall, being escorted thither by
+twelve young maidens bearing torches with lavender-colored flames.
+
+The night had fallen upon the mountains outside, but the great banquet
+hall was brilliant with the glow of a thousand candles, and seated at
+the head of the long table was King Terribus.
+
+Yet here, as in the throne-room, the ruler of Spor was dressed in
+simplest garments, and his seat was a rough block of stone.  All about
+him were lords and ladies in gorgeous array; the walls were hung with
+rare embroideries; the table was weighted with gold platters and
+richly carved goblets filled with sweet nectars.  But the king
+himself, with his horrid, ugly head, was like a great blot on a fair
+parchment, and even Prince Marvel could not repress a shudder as he
+gazed upon him.
+
+Terribus placed his guest upon his right hand and loaded him with
+honors.  Nerle stood behind the prince's chair and served him
+faithfully, as an esquire should.  But the other servants treated
+Nerle with much deference, noting in him an air of breeding that
+marked him the unusual servant of an unusual master.
+
+Indeed, most curious were the looks cast on these marvelous men who
+had calmly walked into the castle of mighty Terribus and successfully
+defied his anger; for in spite of his youthful appearance and smiling
+face every attendant at the banquet feared Prince Marvel even more
+than they feared their own fierce king.
+
+
+
+11.  The Cunning of King Terribus
+
+
+The days that followed were pleasant ones for Prince Marvel and Nerle,
+who were treated as honored guests by both the king and his courtiers.
+But the prince seemed to be the favorite, for at all games of skill
+and trials at arms he was invariably the victor, while in the evenings,
+when the grand ball-room was lighted up and the musicians played sweet
+music, none was so graceful in the dance as the fairy prince.
+
+Nerle soon tired of the games and dancing, for he had been accustomed
+to them at his father's castle; and moreover he was shy in the society
+of ladies; so before many weeks had passed he began to mope and show a
+discontented face.
+
+One day the prince noticed his esquire's dismal expression of
+countenance, and asked the cause of it.
+
+"Why," said Nerle, "here I have left my home to seek worries and
+troubles, and have found but the same humdrum life that existed at my
+father's castle.  Here our days are made smooth and pleasant, and
+there is no excitement or grief, whatever.  You have become a
+carpet-knight, Prince Marvel, and think more of bright eyes than of
+daring deeds.  So, if you will release me from your service I will
+seek further adventures."
+
+"Nay," returned the prince, "we will go together; for I, too, am tired
+of this life of pleasure."
+
+So next morning Marvel sought the presence of King Terribus and said:
+
+"I have come to bid your Majesty adieu, for my esquire and I are about
+to leave your dominions."
+
+At first the king laughed, and his long nose began to sway from side
+to side.  Then, seeing the prince was in earnest, his Majesty frowned
+and grew disturbed.  Finally he said:
+
+"I must implore you to remain my guests a short time longer.  No one
+has ever before visited me in my mountain home, and I do not wish to
+lose the pleasure of your society so soon."
+
+"Nevertheless, we must go," answered the prince, briefly.
+
+"Are you not contented?" asked Terribus.  "Ask whatever you may
+desire, and it shall be granted you."
+
+"We desire adventures amid new scenes," said Marvel, "and these you
+can not give us except by permission to depart."
+
+Seeing his guest was obstinate the king ceased further argument and said:
+
+"Very well; go if you wish.  But I shall hope to see you return to us
+this evening."
+
+The prince paid no heed to this peculiar speech, but left the hall and
+hurried to the courtyard of the castle, where Nerle was holding the
+horses in readiness for their journey.
+
+Standing around were many rows and files of the Gray Men, and when
+they reached the marble roadway they found it lined with motionless
+forms of the huge giants.  But no one interfered with them in any way,
+although both Prince Marvel and Nerle knew that every eye followed
+them as they rode forward.
+
+Curiously enough, they had both forgotten from what direction they had
+approached the castle; for, whereas they had at that time noticed but
+one marble roadway leading to the entrance, they now saw that there were
+several of these, each one connecting with a path through the mountains.
+
+"It really doesn't matter which way we go, so long as we get away from
+the Kingdom of Spor," said Prince Marvel; so he selected a path by
+chance, and soon they were riding through a mountain pass.
+
+The pleased, expectant look on Nerle's face had gradually turned to
+one of gloom.
+
+"I hoped we should have a fight to get away," he said, sadly; "and in
+that case I might have suffered considerable injury and pain.  But no
+one has injured us in any way, and perhaps King Terribus is really
+glad to be rid of us."
+
+"With good reason, too, if such is the case," laughed Marvel; "for,
+mark you, Nerle, the king has discovered we are more powerful than he
+is, and had he continued to oppose us, we might have destroyed his
+entire army."
+
+On they rode through the rough hill paths, winding this way and that,
+until they lost all sense of the direction in which they were going.
+
+"Never mind," said the prince; "so long as we get farther and farther
+away from the ugly Terribus I shall be satisfied."
+
+"Perhaps we are getting into more serious danger than ever," answered
+Nerle, brightening; "one of the giants told me the other day that near
+the foot of these mountains is the Kingdom of the High Ki of Twi."
+
+"Who is the High Ki of Twi?" asked Prince Marvel.
+
+"No one knows," answered Nerle.
+
+"And what is the Kingdom of Twi like?"
+
+"No one knows that," answered Nerle.
+
+"Then," returned the prince, with a smile, "if by chance we visit the
+place we shall know more than any one else."
+
+At noon they ate luncheon by the wayside, Nerle having filled his
+pouch by stealth at the breakfast table.  There were great fragments
+of rock lying all about them, and the sun beat down so fiercely that
+the heat reflected from the rocks was hard to bear.  So the travelers
+did not linger over their meal, but remounted and rode away as soon as
+possible.  When the sun began to get lower in the sky the rocks beside
+the path threw the riders into shadow, so that their journey became
+more pleasant.  They rode along, paying little attention to the way,
+but talking and laughing merrily together, until it began to grow dark.
+
+"Does this path never end?" asked Prince Marvel, suddenly.  "We ought
+to reach some place where men dwell before long, else we shall be
+obliged to spend the night among these rocks."
+
+"And then perhaps the wolves will attack us," said Nerle, cheerfully,
+"and tear us into pieces with their sharp teeth and claws."
+
+But even as he spoke they rode around a turn in the path and saw a
+sight that made them pause in astonishment.  For just before them rose
+the castle of King Terribus, and along both sides of the marble walk
+leading up to it were ranged the lines of giants, exactly as they had
+stood in the morning.
+
+Nerle turned around in his saddle.  Sure enough, there were the Gray
+Men in the rear--stepping from behind every boulder and completely
+filling the rocky pathway.
+
+"Well, what shall we do?" asked the esquire; "fight?"
+
+"No, indeed!" returned Prince Marvel, laughing at his friend's eager
+face.  "It appears the path we chose winds around in a circle, and so
+has brought us back to our starting-point.  So we must make the best of a
+bad blunder and spend another night with our ugly friend King Terribus."
+
+They rode forward through the rows of giants to the castle, where the
+ever-courteous servants took their horses and escorted them to their
+former handsome apartments with every mark of respect.
+
+No one seemed in the least surprised at their speedy return, and this
+fact at first puzzled Nerle, and then made him suspicious.
+
+After bathing and dusting their clothing they descended to the banquet
+hall, where King Terribus sat upon his gray stone throne and welcomed
+them with quiet courtesy.
+
+The sight of the king's crimson skin and deformed face sent a thrill
+of repugnance through Prince Marvel, and under the impulse of a sudden
+thought he extended his hand toward Terribus and whispered a magic
+word which was unheard by any around him.
+
+Nerle did not notice the prince's swift gesture nor the whispered
+word; but he was staring straight at Terribus at the time, and he saw
+with surprise the eye on the top of the king's head move down toward
+his forehead, and the eye in the center of his forehead slide slightly
+toward the left, and the elephant-like nose shrink and shorten at the
+same time.  Also it seemed to him that the king's skin was not so
+crimson in color as before, and that a thin growth of hair had covered
+his head.
+
+However, no one else appeared to notice any change--least of all
+Terribus--so Nerle seated himself at the table and began to eat.
+
+"It was very kind of you to return so soon to my poor castle," said
+the king to Prince Marvel, in his sweet voice.
+
+"We could not help it," laughed the prince, in reply; "for the road
+wound right and left until we knew not which way we traveled; and then
+it finally circled around again to your castle.  But to-morrow we
+shall seek a new path and bid you farewell forever."
+
+"Still," remarked the king, gravely, "should you again miss your way,
+I shall be glad to welcome your return."
+
+The prince bowed politely by way of reply, and turned to address the
+little maiden he had once saved from death by poison.  And so in
+feasting, dancing and laughter the evening passed pleasantly enough to
+the prince, and it was late when he called Nerle to attend him to
+their apartment.
+
+
+
+12.  The Gift of Beauty
+
+
+The following morning Marvel and Nerle once more set out to leave the
+Kingdom of Spor and its ugly king.  They selected another pathway
+leading from the castle and traveled all day, coming at nightfall into
+view of the place whence they had started, with its solemn rows of
+giants and Gray Men standing ready to receive them.
+
+This repetition of their former experience somewhat annoyed the
+prince, while Nerle's usually despondent face wore a smile.
+
+"I see trouble ahead," murmured the esquire, almost cheerfully.
+"Since the king can not conquer us by force he intends to do it
+by sorcery."
+
+Marvel did not reply, but greeted the king quietly, while Terribus
+welcomed their return as calmly as if he well knew they could not
+escape him.
+
+That evening the prince made another pass toward the king with his
+hand and muttered again the magic word.  Nerle was watching, and saw
+the upper eye of Terribus glide still farther down his forehead and
+the other eye move again toward the left.  The swaying nose shrank to
+a few inches in length, and the skin that had once been so brilliantly
+crimson turned to a dull red color.  This time the courtiers and
+ladies in waiting also noticed the change in the king's features, but
+were afraid to speak of it, as any reference to their monarch's
+personal appearance was by law punishable by death.  Terribus saw the
+startled looks directed upon him, and raised his hand to feel of his
+nose and eyes; but thinking that if any change in his appearance had
+taken place, he must be uglier than before, he only frowned and turned
+away his head.
+
+The next day the king's guests made a third attempt to leave his dominions,
+but met with no better success than before, for a long and tedious ride
+only brought them back to their starting-place in the evening.
+
+This time Prince Marvel was really angry, and striding into the king's
+presence he reproached him bitterly, saying:
+
+"Why do you prevent us from leaving your kingdom?  We have not injured
+you in any way."
+
+"You have seen ME, returned Terribus, calmly, "and I do not intend you
+shall go back to the world and tell people how ugly I am."
+
+The prince looked at him, and could not repress a smile.  The two eyes
+of the king, having been twice removed from their first position, were
+now both in his forehead, instead of below it, and one was much higher
+than the other.  And the nose, although small when compared to what it
+had been, still resembled an elephant's trunk.  Other changes had been
+made for the better, but Terribus was still exceedingly repulsive to
+look upon.
+
+Seeing the prince look at him and smile, the king flew into a fury of
+anger and declared that the strangers should never, while they lived,
+be permitted to leave his castle again.  Prince Marvel became
+thoughtful at this, reflecting that the king's enmity all arose from
+his sensitiveness about his ugly appearance, and this filled the
+youthful knight with pity rather than resentment.
+
+When they had all assembled at the evening banquet the prince, for a
+third time, made a mystic pass at the king and whispered a magic word.
+And behold! this time the charm was complete.  For the two front eyes
+of Terribus fell into their proper places, his nose became straight
+and well formed, and his skin took on a natural, healthy color.
+Moreover, he now had a fine head of soft brown hair, with eyebrows and
+eyelashes to match, and his head was shapely and in proportion to his
+body.  As for the eye that had formerly been in the back of his head,
+it had disappeared completely.
+
+So amazed were the subjects of the transformed king--who was now quite
+handsome to look upon--that they began to murmur together excitedly,
+and something in the new sensations he experienced gave to the king's
+face likewise an expression of surprise.  Knowing from their pleased
+looks that he must have improved in appearance, he found courage to
+raise his hand to his nose, and found it well formed.  Then he touched
+his eyes, and realized they were looking straight out from his face,
+like those of other people.
+
+For some moments after making these discoveries the king remained
+motionless, a smile of joy gradually spreading over his features.
+Then he said, aloud:
+
+"What has happened?  Why do you all look so startled?"
+
+"Your Majesty is no longer ugly," replied Marvel, laughingly; "so that
+when Nerle and I leave your kingdom we can proclaim nothing less than
+praise of your dignified and handsome appearance."
+
+"Is my face indeed pleasing?" demanded the king, eagerly.
+
+"It is!" cried the assembled courtiers and ladies, as with one voice.
+
+"Bring me a mirror!" said the king.  "I shall look at my reflection
+for the first time in many years."
+
+The mirror being brought King Terribus regarded himself for a long
+time with pleased astonishment; and then, his sensitive nature being
+overcome by the shock of his good fortune, he burst into a flood of
+tears and rushed from the room.
+
+The courtiers and ladies now bestowed many grateful thanks upon Prince
+Marvel for his kind deed; for they realized that thereafter their
+lives would be safer from the king's anger and much pleasanter in
+every way.
+
+"Terribus is not bad by nature," said one; "but he brooded upon his
+ugliness so much that the least thing served to throw him into a violent
+passion, and our lives were never safe from one day to another."
+
+By and by two giants entered the hall and carried away the throne of
+gray stone where Terribus had been accustomed to sit; and other slaves
+brought a gorgeous throne of gold, studded with precious jewels, which
+they put in its place.  And after a time the king himself returned to
+the room, his simple gray gown replaced by flowing robes of purple,
+with rich embroideries, such as he had not worn for many years.
+
+"My people," said he, addressing those present with kindness and
+dignity, "it seems to me fitting that a handsome king should be
+handsomely attired, and an ugly one clothed simply.  For years I have
+been so terrible in feature that I dared not even look at my own image
+in a mirror.  But now, thanks to the gracious magic of my guest, I
+have become like other men, and hereafter you will find my rule as
+kind as it was formerly cruel.  To-night, in honor of this joyous
+occasion, we shall feast and make merry, and it is my royal command
+that you all do honor and reverence to the illustrious Prince Marvel!"
+
+A loud shout of approval greeted this speech, and the evening was
+merry indeed.  Terribus joined freely in the revelry, laughing as
+gaily as the lightest-hearted damsel present.
+
+It was nearly morning before they all retired, and as they sought
+their beds Nerle asked the prince in a voice that sounded like an
+ill-natured growl:
+
+"Why did you give the king beauty, after his treatment of us?"
+
+Marvel looked at the reproachful face of his esquire and smiled.
+"When you are older," said he, "you will find that often there are
+many ways to accomplish a single purpose.  The king's ugliness was the
+bar to our leaving his country, for he feared our gossip.  So the
+easiest way for us to compass our escape was to take away his reason
+for detaining us.  Thus I conquered the king in my own way, and at the
+same time gained his gratitude and friendship."
+
+"Will he allow us to depart in the morning?" inquired Nerle.
+
+"I think so," said Marvel.
+
+It was late when they rose from their slumbers; but, having
+breakfasted, the prince's first act was to seek the king.
+
+"We wish to leave your kingdom," said he.  "Will you let us go?"
+
+Terribus grasped the hand of his guest and pressed it with fervor,
+while tears of gratitude stood in his eyes.
+
+"I should prefer that you remain with me always, and be my friend," he
+answered.  "But if you choose to leave me I shall not interfere in any
+way with your wishes."
+
+Prince Marvel looked at him thoughtfully, and then said: "My time on
+this island is short.  In a few months Prince Marvel will have passed
+out of the knowledge of men, and his name will be forgotten.  Before
+then I hope to visit the Kingdoms of Dawna and Auriel and Plenta; so I
+must not delay, but beg you will permit me to depart at once."
+
+"Very well," answered Terribus.  "Come with me, and I shall show you
+the way."
+
+He led the prince and Nerle to a high wall of rock, and placing his
+hand upon its rough surface, touched a hidden spring.  Instantly an
+immense block of stone began to swing backward, disclosing a passage
+large enough for a man on horseback to ride through.
+
+"This is the one road that leads out of my kingdom," said Terribus.
+"The others all begin and end at the castle.  So that unless you know
+the secret of this passage you could never escape from Spor."
+
+"But where does this road lead?" asked Marvel.
+
+"To the Kingdom of Auriel, which you desire to visit.  It is not a
+straight road, for it winds around the Land of Twi, so it will carry
+you a little out of your way."
+
+"What is the Land of Twi?" inquired the prince.
+
+"A small country hidden from the view of all travelers," said
+Terribus.  "No one has ever yet found a way to enter the land of Twi;
+yet there is a rumor that it is ruled by a mighty personage called the
+High Ki."
+
+"And does the rumor state what the High Ki of Twi is like?"
+
+"No, indeed," returned the king, smiling, "so it will do you no good
+to be curious.  And now farewell, and may good luck attend you.  Yet
+bear in mind the fact that King Terribus of Spor owes you a mighty
+debt of gratitude; and if you ever need my services, you have but to
+call on me, and I shall gladly come to your assistance."
+
+"I thank you," said Marvel, "but there is small chance of my needing
+help.  Farewell, and may your future life be pleasant and happy!"
+
+With this he sprang to the saddle of his prancing charger and,
+followed by Nerle, rode slowly through the stone arch.  The courtiers
+and ladies had flocked from the palace to witness their departure, and
+the giants and dwarfs and Gray Men were drawn up in long lines to
+speed the king's guests.  So it was a brilliant sight that Marvel and
+Nerle looked back on; but once they were clear of the arch, the great
+stone rolled back into its place, shutting them out completely from
+the Kingdom of Spor, with its turreted castle and transformed king.
+
+
+
+13.  The Hidden Kingdom of Twi
+
+
+Knowing that at last they were free to roam according to their desire,
+the travelers rode gaily along the paths, taking but scant heed of
+their way.
+
+"Our faces are set toward new adventures," remarked the prince.  "Let
+us hope they will prove more pleasant than the last."
+
+"To be sure!" responded Nerle.  "Let us hope, at any rate, that we
+shall suffer more privations and encounter more trouble than we did in
+that mountainous Kingdom of Spor."  Then he added: "For one reason, I
+regret you are my master."
+
+"What is that reason?" asked the prince, turning to smile upon his esquire.
+
+"You have a way of overcoming all difficulties without any trouble
+whatsoever, and that deprives me of any chance of coming to harm while
+in your company."
+
+"Cheer up, my boy!" cried Marvel.  "Did I not say there are new
+adventures before us?  We may not come through them so easily as we
+came through the others."
+
+"That is true," replied Nerle; "it is always best to hope." And then
+he inquired: "Why do you stop here, in the middle of the path?"
+
+"Because the path has ended rather suddenly," answered Marvel.  "Here
+is a thick hedge of prickly briers barring our way."
+
+Nerle looked over his master's shoulder and saw that a great hedge,
+high and exceedingly thick, cut off all prospect of their advancing.
+
+"This is pleasant," said he; "but I might try to force our way through
+the hedge.  The briers would probably prick me severely, and that
+would be delightful."
+
+"Try it!" the prince returned, with twinkling eyes.
+
+Nerle sprang from his horse to obey, but at the first contact with the
+briers he uttered a howl of pain and held up his hands, which were
+bleeding in a dozen places from the wounds of the thorns.
+
+"Ah, that will content you for a time, I trust," said Marvel.  "Now
+follow me, and we will ride along beside the hedge until we find an
+opening.  For either it will come to an end or there will prove to be
+a way through it to the other side."
+
+So they rode alongside the hedge for hour after hour; yet it did not
+end, nor could they espy any way to get through the thickly matted
+briers.  By and by night fell, and they tethered their horses to some
+shrubs, where there were a few scanty blades of grass for them to
+crop, and then laid themselves down upon the ground, with bare rocks
+for pillows, where they managed to sleep soundly until morning.
+
+They had brought a supply of food in their pouches, and on this they
+breakfasted, afterward continuing their journey beside the hedge.
+
+At noon Prince Marvel uttered an exclamation of surprise and stopped
+his horse.
+
+"What is it?" asked Nerle.
+
+"I have found the handkerchief with which you wiped the blood from
+your hands yesterday morning, and then carelessly dropped," replied
+the prince.  "This proves that we have made a complete circle around
+this hedge without finding a way to pass through it."
+
+"In that case," said Nerle, "we had better leave the hedge and go in
+another direction."
+
+"Not so," declared Marvel.  "The hedge incloses some unknown country,
+and I am curious to find out what it is."
+
+"But there is no opening," remonstrated Nerle.
+
+"Then we must make one.  Wouldn't you like to enjoy a little more pain?"
+
+"Thank you," answered Nerle, "my hands are still smarting very
+comfortably from the pricks of yesterday."
+
+"Therefore I must make the attempt myself," said the prince, and
+drawing his sword he whispered a queer word to it, and straightway
+began slashing at the hedge.
+
+The brambles fell fast before his blade, and when he had cut a big
+heap of branches from the hedge Nerle dragged them to one side, and
+the prince began again.
+
+It was marvelous how thick the hedge proved.  Only a magic sword could
+have done this work and remained sharp, and only a fairy arm could
+have proved strong enough to hew through the tough wood.  But the
+magic sword and fairy arm were at work, and naught could resist them.
+
+After a time the last branches were severed and dragged from the path,
+and then the travelers rode their horses through the gap into the
+unknown country beyond.
+
+They saw at first glance that it was a land of great beauty; but after
+that one look both Prince Marvel and Nerle paused and rubbed their
+eyes, to assure themselves that their vision was not blurred.
+
+Before them were two trees, exactly alike.  And underneath the trees
+two cows were grazing--each a perfect likeness of the other.  At
+their left were two cottages, with every door and window and chimney
+the exact counterpart of another.  Before these houses two little boys
+were playing, evidently twins, for they not only looked alike and
+dressed alike, but every motion one made was also made by the other at
+the same time and in precisely the same way.  When one laughed the
+other laughed, and when one stubbed his toe and fell down, the other did
+likewise, and then they both sat up and cried lustily at the same time.
+
+At this two women--it was impossible to tell one from the
+other--rushed out of the two houses, caught up the two boys, shook and
+dusted them in precisely the same way, and led them by their ears back
+into the houses.
+
+Again the astonished travelers rubbed their eyes, and then Prince
+Marvel looked at Nerle and said:
+
+"I thought at first that I saw everything double, but there seems to
+be only one of YOU."
+
+"And of you," answered the boy.  "But see! there are two hills ahead
+of us, and two paths lead from the houses over the hills!  How strange
+it all is!"
+
+Just then two birds flew by, close together and perfect mates; and the
+cows raised their heads and "mooed" at the same time; and two
+men--also twins--came over the two hills along the two paths with two
+dinner-pails in their hands and entered the two houses.  They were met
+at the doors by the two women, who kissed them exactly at the same
+time and helped them off with their coats with the same motions, and
+closed the two doors with two slams at the same instant.
+
+Nerle laughed.  "What sort of country have we got into?" he asked.
+
+"Let us find out," replied the prince, and riding up to one of the
+houses he knocked on the door with the hilt of his sword.
+
+Instantly the doors of both houses flew open, and both men appeared in
+the doorways.  Both started back in amazement at sight of the
+strangers, and both women shrieked and both little boys began to cry.
+Both mothers boxed the children's ears, and both men gasped out:
+
+"Who--who are you?"
+
+Their voices were exactly alike, and their words were spoken in
+unison.  Prince Marvel replied, courteously:
+
+"We are two strangers who have strayed into your country.  But I do
+not understand why our appearance should so terrify you."
+
+"Why--you are singular!  There is only half of each of you!" exclaimed
+the two men, together.
+
+"Not so," said the prince, trying hard not to laugh in their faces.
+"We may be single, while you appear to be double; but each of us is
+perfect, nevertheless."
+
+"Perfect!  And only half of you!" cried the men.  And again the two
+women, who were looking over their husbands' shoulders, screamed at
+sight of the strangers; and again the two boys, who were clinging to
+their mothers' dresses in the same positions, began to cry.
+
+"We did not know such strange people existed!" said the two men, both
+staring at the strangers and then wiping the beads of perspiration
+from their two brows with two faded yellow handkerchiefs.
+
+"Nor did we!" retorted the prince.  "I assure you we are as much
+surprised as you are."
+
+Nerle laughed again at this, and to hear only one of the strangers
+speak and the other only laugh seemed to terrify the double people
+anew.  So Prince Marvel quickly asked:
+
+"Please tell us what country this is?"
+
+"The Land of Twi," answered both men, together.
+
+"Oh! the Land of Twi.  And why is the light here so dim?"
+continued the prince.
+
+"Dim?" repeated the men, as if surprised; "why, this is twilight,
+of course."
+
+"Of course," said Nerle.  "I hadn't thought of that.  We are in the
+long hidden Land of Twi, which all men have heard of, but no man has
+found before."
+
+"And who may you be?" questioned the prince, looking from one man
+to the other, curiously.
+
+"We are Twis," they answered.
+
+"Twice?"
+
+"Twis--inhabitants of Twi."
+
+"It's the same thing," laughed Nerle.  "You see everything twice in
+this land."
+
+"Are none of your people single?" asked Prince Marvel.
+
+"Single," returned the men, as if perplexed.  "We don't understand."
+
+"Are you all double?--or are some of you just one?" said the prince,
+who found it difficult to put his question plainly.
+
+"What does 'one' mean?" asked the men.  "There is no such word as
+'one' in our language."
+
+"They have no need of such a word," declared Nerle.
+
+"We are only poor laborers," explained the men.  "But over the hills
+lie the cities of Twi, where the Ki and the Ki-Ki dwell, and also the
+High Ki."
+
+"Ah!" said Marvel, "I've heard of your High Ki.  Who is he?"
+
+The men shook their heads, together and with the same motion.
+
+"We have never seen the glorious High Ki," they answered.  "The sight
+of their faces is forbidden.  None but the Ki and the Ki-Ki has seen
+the Supreme Rulers and High Ki."
+
+"I'm getting mixed," said Nerle.  "All this about the Ki and the Ki-Ki
+and the High Ki makes me dizzy.  Let's go on to the city and explore it."
+
+"That is a good suggestion," replied the prince.  "Good by, my
+friends," he added, addressing the men.
+
+They both bowed, and although they still seemed somewhat frightened
+they answered him civilly and in the same words, and closed their
+doors at the same time.
+
+So Prince Marvel and Nerle rode up the double path to the hills, and
+the two cows became frightened and ran away with the same swinging
+step, keeping an exact space apart.  And when they were a safe
+distance they both stopped, looked over their right shoulders, and
+"mooed" at the same instant.
+
+
+
+14.  The Ki and the Ki-Ki
+
+
+From the tops of the hills the travelers caught their first glimpse of
+the wonderful cities of Twi.  Two walls surrounded the cities, and in
+the walls were two gates just alike.  Within the inclosures stood many
+houses, but all were built in pairs, from the poorest huts to the most
+splendid palaces.  Every street was double, the pavements running side
+by side.  There were two lamp-posts on every corner, and in the dim
+twilight that existed these lamp-posts were quite necessary.  If there
+were trees or bushes anywhere, they invariably grew in pairs, and if a
+branch was broken on one it was sure to be broken on the other, and
+dead leaves fell from both trees at identically the same moment.
+
+Much of this Marvel and Nerle learned after they had entered the
+cities, but the view from the hills showed plainly enough that the
+"double" plan existed everywhere and in every way in this strange land.
+
+They followed the paths down to the gates of the walls, where two
+pairs of soldiers rushed out and seized their horses by the bridles.
+These soldiers all seemed to be twins, or at least mates, and each one
+of each pair was as like the other as are two peas growing in the same
+pod.  If one had a red nose the other's was red in the same degree,
+and the soldiers that held the bridles of Nerle's horse both had their
+left eyes bruised and blackened, as from a blow of the same force.
+
+These soldiers, as they looked upon Nerle and the prince, seemed fully
+as much astonished and certainly more frightened than their prisoners.
+They were dressed in bright yellow uniforms with green buttons,
+and the soldiers who had arrested the prince had both torn their
+left coat-sleeves and had patches of the same shape upon the seats
+of their trousers.
+
+"How dare you stop us, fellows?" asked the prince, sternly.
+
+The soldiers holding his horse both turned and looked inquiringly at
+the soldiers holding Nerle's horse; and these turned to look at a double
+captain who came out of two doors in the wall and walked up to them.
+
+"Such things were never before heard of!" said the two captains,
+their startled eyes fixed upon the prisoners.  "We must take them
+to the Ki and the Ki-Ki."
+
+"Why so?" asked Prince Marvel.
+
+"Because," replied the officers, "they are our rulers, under grace
+of the High Ki, and all unusual happenings must be brought to their
+notice.  It is our law, you know--the law of the Kingdom of Twi."
+
+"Very well," said Marvel, quietly; "take us where you will; but if
+any harm is intended us you will be made to regret it."
+
+"The Ki and the Ki-Ki will decide," returned the captains gravely,
+their words sounding at the same instant.
+
+And then the two pairs of soldiers led the horses through the double
+streets, the captains marching ahead with drawn swords, and crowds
+of twin men and twin women coming from the double doors of the
+double houses to gaze upon the strange sight of men and horses who
+were not double.
+
+Presently they came upon a twin palace with twin turrets rising high
+into the air; and before the twin doors the prisoners dismounted.
+Marvel was escorted through one door and Nerle through another, and
+then they saw each other going down a double hallway to a room with a
+double entrance.
+
+Passing through this they found themselves in a large hall with two
+domes set side by side in the roof.  The domes were formed of stained
+glass, and the walls of the hall were ornamented by pictures in pairs,
+each pair showing identically the same scenes.  This, was, of course,
+reasonable enough in such a land, where two people would always look
+at two pictures at the same time and admire them in the same way with
+the same thoughts.
+
+Beneath one of the domes stood a double throne, on which sat the Ki of
+Twi--a pair of gray-bearded and bald-headed men who were lean and lank
+and stoop-shouldered.  They had small eyes, black and flashing, long
+hooked noses, great pointed ears, and they were smoking two pipes from
+which the smoke curled in exactly the same circles and clouds.
+
+Beneath the other dome sat the Ki-Ki of Twi, also on double thrones,
+similar to those of the Ki.  The Ki-Ki were two young men, and had
+golden hair combed over their brows and "banged" straight across; and
+their eyes were blue and mild in expression, and their cheeks pink and
+soft.  The Ki-Ki were playing softly upon a pair of musical
+instruments that resembled mandolins, and they were evidently trying
+to learn a new piece of music, for when one Ki-Ki struck a false note
+the other Ki-Ki struck the same false note at the same time, and the
+same expression of annoyance came over the two faces at the same moment.
+
+When the prisoners entered, the pairs of captains and soldiers bowed
+low to the two pairs of rulers, and the Ki exclaimed--both in the same
+voice of surprise:
+
+"Great Kika-koo! what have we here?"
+
+"Most wonderful prisoners, your Highnesses," answered the captains.
+"We found them at your cities' gates and brought them to you at once.
+They are, as your Highnesses will see, each singular, and but half of
+what he should be."
+
+"'Tis so!" cried the double Ki, in loud voices, and slapping their
+right thighs with their right palms at the same time.  "Most
+remarkable!  Most remarkable!"
+
+"I don't see anything remarkable about it," returned Prince Marvel,
+calmly.  "It is you, who are not singular, but double, that seem
+strange and outlandish."
+
+"Perhaps--perhaps!" said the two old men, thoughtfully.  "It is what
+we are not accustomed to that seems to us remarkable.  Eh, Ki-Ki?"
+they added, turning to the other rulers.
+
+The Ki-Ki, who had not spoken a word but continued to play softly,
+simply nodded their blond heads carelessly; so the Ki looked again at
+the prisoners and asked:
+
+"How did you get here?"
+
+"We cut a hole through the prickly hedge," replied Prince Marvel.
+
+"A hole through the hedge!  Great Kika-koo!" cried the gray-bearded Ki;
+"is there, then, anything or any place on the other side of the hedge?"
+
+"Why, of course!  The world is there," returned the prince, laughing.
+
+The old men looked puzzled, and glanced sharply from their little
+black eyes at their prisoners.
+
+"We thought nothing existed outside the hedge of Twi," they answered,
+simply.  "But your presence here proves we were wrong.  Eh! Ki-Ki?"
+
+This last was again directed toward the pair of musicians, who
+continued to play and only nodded quietly, as before.
+
+"Now that you are here," said the twin Ki, stroking their two gray
+beards with their two left hands in a nervous way, "it must be evident
+to you that you do not belong here.  Therefore you must go back
+through the hedge again and stay on the other side.  Eh, Ki-Ki?"
+
+The Ki-Ki still continued playing, but now spoke the first words the
+prisoners had heard from them.
+
+"They must die," said the Ki-Ki, in soft and agreeable voices.
+
+"Die!" echoed the twin Ki, "die?  Great Kika-koo!  And why so?"
+
+"Because, if there is a world on the other side of the hedge, they
+would tell on their return all about the Land of Twi, and others of
+their kind would come through the hedge from curiosity and annoy us.
+We can not be annoyed.  We are busy."
+
+Having delivered this speech both the Ki-Ki went on playing the new
+tune, as if the matter was settled.
+
+"Nonsense!" retorted the old Ki, angrily.  "You are getting more and
+more bloodthirsty every day, our sweet and gentle Ki-Ki!  But we are
+the Ki--and we say the prisoners shall not die!"
+
+"We say they shall!" answered the youthful Ki-Ki, nodding their two
+heads at the same time, with a positive motion.  "You may be the Ki,
+but we are the Ki-Ki, and your superior."
+
+"Not in this case," declared the old men.  "Where life and death are
+concerned we have equal powers with you."
+
+"And if we disagree?" asked the players, gently.
+
+"Great Kika-koo!  If we disagree the High Ki must judge between us!"
+roared the twin Ki, excitedly.
+
+"Quite so," answered the Ki-Ki.  "The strangers shall die."
+
+"They shall not die!" stormed the old men, with fierce gestures toward
+the others, while both pairs of black eyes flashed angrily.
+
+"Then we disagree, and they must be taken to the High Ki," returned
+the blond musicians, beginning to play another tune.
+
+The two Ki rose from their thrones, paced two steps to the right and
+three steps to the left, and then sat down again.
+
+"Very well!" they said to the captains, who had listened unmoved to
+the quarrel of the rulers; "keep these half-men safe prisoners until
+to-morrow morning, and then the Ki-Ki and we ourselves will conduct
+them to the mighty High Ki."
+
+At this command the twin captains bowed again to both pairs of
+rulers and led Prince Marvel and Nerle from the room.  Then they
+were escorted along the streets to the twin houses of the captains,
+and here the officers paused and scratched their left ears with
+uncertain gestures.
+
+"There being only half of each of you," they said, "we do not know how
+to lock each of you in double rooms."
+
+"Oh, let us both occupy the same room," said Prince Marvel.  "We
+prefer it."
+
+"Very well," answered the captains; "we must transgress our usual
+customs in any event, so you may as well be lodged as you wish."
+
+So Nerle and the prince were thrust into a large and pleasant room of
+one of the twin houses, the double doors were locked upon them by twin
+soldiers, and they were left to their own thoughts.
+
+
+
+15.  The High Ki of Twi
+
+
+"Tell me, Prince, are we awake or asleep?" asked Nerle, as soon as
+they were alone.
+
+"There is no question of our being awake," replied the prince, with
+a laugh.  "But what a curious country it is--and what a funny people!"
+
+"We can't call them odd or singular," said the esquire, "for
+everything is even in numbers and double in appearance.  It makes me
+giddy to look at them, and I keep feeling of myself to make sure there
+is still only one of me."
+
+"You are but half a boy!" laughed the prince--"at least so long as
+you remain in the Land of Twi."
+
+"I'd like to get out of it in double-quick time," answered Nerle;
+"and we should even now be on the other side of the hedge were it
+not for that wicked pair of Ki-Ki, who are determined to kill us."
+
+"It is strange," said the prince, thoughtfully, "that the
+fierce-looking old Ki should be our friends and the gentle Ki-Ki our
+enemies.  How little one can tell from appearances what sort of heart
+beats in a person's body!"
+
+Before Nerle could answer the two doors opened and two pairs of
+soldiers entered.  They drew two small tables before the prince and
+two before Nerle, and then other pairs of twin soldiers came and
+spread cloths on the tables and set twin platters of meat and bread
+and fruit on each of the tables.  When the meal had been arranged the
+prisoners saw that there was enough for four people instead of two;
+and the soldiers realized this also, for they turned puzzled looks
+first on the tables and then on the prisoners.  Then they shook all their
+twin heads gravely and went away, locking the twin doors behind them.
+
+"We have one advantage in being singular," said Nerle, cheerfully;
+"and that is we are not likely to starve to death.  For we can eat the
+portions of our missing twins as well as our own."
+
+"I should think you would enjoy starving," remarked the prince.
+
+"No; I believe I have more exquisite suffering in store for me, since
+I have met that gentle pair of Ki-Ki," said Nerle.
+
+While they were eating the two captains came in and sat down in two
+chairs.  These captains seemed friendly fellows, and after watching
+the strangers for a while they remarked:
+
+"We are glad to see you able to eat so heartily; for to-morrow you
+will probably die."
+
+"That is by no means certain," replied Marvel, cutting a piece from
+one of the twin birds on a platter before him--to the extreme surprise
+of the captains, who had always before seen both birds carved alike at
+the same time.  "Your gray-bearded old Ki say we shall not die."
+
+"True," answered the captains.  "But the Ki-Ki have declared you shall."
+
+"Their powers seem to be equal," said Nerle, "and we are to be taken
+before the High Ki for judgment."
+
+"Therein lies your danger," returned the captains, speaking in the
+same tones and with the same accents on their words.  "For it is well
+known the Ki-Ki has more influence with the High Ki than the Ki has."
+
+"Hold on!" cried Nerle; "you are making me dizzy again.  I can't keep
+track of all these Kis."
+
+"What is the High Ki like?" asked Prince Marvel, who was much interested
+in the conversation of the captains.  But this question the officers
+seemed unable to answer.  They shook their heads slowly and said:
+
+"The High Ki are not visible to the people of Twi.  Only in cases of
+the greatest importance are the High Ki ever bothered or even
+approached by the Ki and the Ki-Ki, who are supposed to rule the land
+according to their own judgment.  But if they chance to disagree, then
+the matter is carried before the High Ki, who live in a palace
+surrounded by high walls, in which there are no gates.  Only these
+rulers have ever seen the other side of the walls, or know what the
+High Ki are like."
+
+"That is strange," said the prince.  "But we, ourselves, it seems, are
+to see the High Ki to-morrow, and whoever they may chance to be, we
+hope to remain alive after the interview."
+
+"That is a vain hope," answered the captains, "for it is well known
+that the High Ki usually decide in favor of the Ki-Ki, and against the
+wishes of the old Ki."
+
+"That is certainly encouraging," said Nerle.
+
+When the captains had gone and left them to themselves, the esquire
+confided to his master his expectations in the following speech:
+
+"This High Ki sounds something terrible and fierce in my ears, and as
+they are doubtless a pair, they will be twice terrible and fierce.
+Perhaps his royal doublets will torture me most exquisitely before
+putting me to death, and then I shall feel that I have not lived
+in vain."
+
+They slept in comfortable beds that night, although an empty twin bed
+stood beside each one they occupied.  And in the morning they were
+served another excellent meal, after which the captains escorted them
+again to the twin palaces of the Ki and the Ki-Ki.
+
+There the two pairs of rulers met them and headed the long procession
+of soldiers toward the palace of the High Ki.  First came a band of
+music, in which many queer sorts of instruments were played in pairs
+by twin musicians; and it was amusing to Nerle to see the twin
+drummers roll their twin drums exactly at the same time and the twin
+trumpets peal out twin notes.  After the band marched the double Ki-Ki
+and the double Ki, their four bodies side by side in a straight line.
+The Ki-Ki had left their musical instruments in the palace, and now
+wore yellow gloves with green stitching down the backs and swung
+gold-headed canes jauntily as they walked.  The Ki stooped their aged
+shoulders and shuffled along with their hands in their pockets, and
+only once did they speak, and that was to roar "Great Kika-koo!" when
+the Ki-Ki jabbed their canes down on the Ki's toes.
+
+Following the Ki-Ki and the Ki came the prince and Nerle, escorted by
+the twin captains, and then there were files of twin soldiers bringing
+up the rear.
+
+Crowds of twin people, with many twin children amongst them, turned
+out to watch the unusual display, and many pairs of twin dogs barked
+together in unison and snapped at the heels of the marching twin soldiers.
+
+By and by they reached the great wall surrounding the High Ki's
+palace, and, sure enough, there was never a gate in the wall by which
+any might enter.  But when the Ki and the Ki-Ki had blown a shrill
+signal upon two pairs of whistles, they all beheld two flights of
+silver steps begin to descend from the top of the wall, and these came
+nearer and nearer the ground until at last they rested at the feet of
+the Ki.  Then the old men began ascending the steps carefully and
+slowly, and the captains motioned to the prisoners to follow.  So
+Prince Marvel followed one of the Ki up the steps and Nerle the other
+Ki, while the two Ki-Ki came behind them so they could not escape.
+
+So to the top of the wall they climbed, where a pair of twin servants
+in yellow and green--which seemed to be the royal colors--welcomed
+them and drew up the pair of silver steps, afterward letting them down
+on the other side of the wall, side by side.
+
+They descended in the same order as they had mounted to the top of the
+wall, and now Prince Marvel and Nerle found themselves in a most
+beautiful garden, filled with twin beds of twin flowers, with many
+pairs of rare shrubs.  Also, there were several double statuettes on
+pedestals, and double fountains sending exactly the same sprays of
+water the same distance into the air.
+
+Double walks ran in every direction through the garden, and in the
+center of the inclosure stood a magnificent twin palace, built of
+blocks of white marble exquisitely carved.
+
+The Ki and the Ki-Ki at once led their prisoners toward the palace and
+entered at its large arched double doors, where several pairs of
+servants met them.  These servants, they found, were all dumb, so that
+should they escape from the palace walls they could tell no tales of
+the High Ki.
+
+The prisoners now proceeded through several pairs of halls, winding
+this way and that, and at last came to a pair of golden double doors
+leading into the throne-room of the mighty High Ki.  Here they all
+paused, and the Ki-Ki both turned to the prince and Nerle and said:
+
+"You are the only persons, excepting ourselves and the palace
+servants, who have ever been permitted to see the High Ki of Twi.  As
+you are about to die, that does not matter; but should you by any
+chance be permitted to live, you must never breathe a word of what you
+are about to see, under penalty of a sure and horrible death."
+
+The prisoners made no reply to this speech, and, after the two Ki-Ki had
+given them another mild look from their gentle blue eyes, these officials
+clapped their twin hands together and the doors of gold flew open.
+
+A perfect silence greeted them, during which the double Ki and the
+double Ki-Ki bent their four bodies low and advanced into the
+throne-room, followed by Prince Marvel and Nerle.
+
+In the center of the room stood two thrones of dainty filigree work in
+solid gold, and over them were canopies of yellow velvet, the folds of
+which were caught up and draped with bands of green ribbon.  And on
+the thrones were seated two of the sweetest and fairest little maidens
+that mortal man had ever beheld.  Their lovely hair was fine as a
+spider's web; their eyes were kind and smiling, their cheeks soft and
+dimpled, their mouths shapely as a cupid's bow and tinted like the
+petals of a rose.  Upon their heads were set two crowns of fine spun
+gold, worked into fantastic shapes and set with glittering gems.
+Their robes were soft silks of pale yellow, with strings of sparkling
+emeralds for ornament.
+
+Anything so lovely and fascinating as these little maids, who were
+precisely alike in every particular, neither Prince Marvel nor Nerle
+had ever dreamed could exist.  They stood for a time spellbound and
+filled with admiration, while the two pairs of rulers bowed again and
+again before the dainty and lovable persons of their High Ki.
+
+But it was hard for Nerle to keep quiet for long, and presently he
+exclaimed, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all present:
+
+"By the Great Kika-koo of our friends the Ki, these darling High Ki of
+Twi are sweet enough to be kissed!"
+
+
+
+16.  The Rebellion of the High Ki
+
+
+The bold speech of Nerle's made the two damsels laugh at the same
+time, and their sweet laughter sounded like rippling strains of
+harmonious music.  But the two Ki-Ki frowned angrily, and the two Ki
+looked at the boy in surprise, as if wondering at his temerity.
+
+"Who are these strangers?" asked the pretty High Ki, speaking together
+as all the twins of Twi did; "and why are they not mates, but only
+half of each other?"
+
+"These questions, your Supreme Highnesses," said the blond-haired pair
+of Ki-Ki, "we are unable to answer."
+
+"Perhaps, then, the strangers can answer themselves," said the little
+maids, smiling first upon the Ki-Ki and then upon the prisoners.
+
+Prince Marvel bowed.
+
+"I am from the great outside world," said he, "and my name is Prince
+Marvel.  Until now I have never seen people that live in pairs, and
+speak in unison, and act in the same way and think the same thoughts.
+My world is much bigger than your world, and in it every person is
+proud to think and act for himself.  You say I am only a 'half,' but
+that is not so.  I am perfect, without a counterpart; my friend Nerle
+is perfect without a counterpart, and it is yourselves who are halved.
+For in the Land of Twi no person is complete or perfect without its
+other half, and it seems to take two of you to make one man--or one maid."
+
+The sweet faces of the twin High Ki grew thoughtful at this speech,
+and they said:
+
+"Indeed, it may be you are right.  But it is our custom in Twi to do
+everything double and to live double." Then, turning to the Ki, they
+asked: "Why have you brought these strangers here?"
+
+"To ask your Supreme Highnesses to permit them to return again to the
+world from whence they came," answered the Ki, both of them regarding
+their supreme rulers earnestly.
+
+But here the Ki-Ki spoke up quickly in their mild voices, saying:
+
+"That is not our idea, your Highnesses.  We, the Ki-Ki of Twi, think
+it best the strangers should be put to death.  And we pray your
+Supreme Highnesses to favor our wish."
+
+The two little maids looked from the Ki to the Ki-Ki, and frowned and
+pouted their rosy lips in evident perplexity.
+
+But Nerle whispered to Prince Marvel:
+
+"It's all up with us!  I know very well why her royal doublets always
+favors the Ki-Ki.  It's because they are young and handsome, while the
+Ki are old and ugly.  Both of her will condemn us to death--you see if
+she don't!"
+
+This seemed somewhat mixed, but Nerle was in earnest, and Prince
+Marvel, who had not forgotten his fairy lore, began to weave a silent
+spell over the head of the nearest twin High Ki.  But just as it was
+completed, and before he had time to work the spell on the other twin,
+the Ki-Ki grew impatient, and exclaimed:
+
+"We beg your Highnesses not to keep us waiting.  Let us have your
+decision at once!"
+
+And the twin maidens raised their fair heads and replied.  But the
+reply was of such a nature that both the old Ki and both the young Ki-Ki
+staggered backward in amazement.  For one of the twin High Ki said:
+
+"They shall die!"
+
+And the other twin High Ki said at the same instant:
+
+"They shall NOT die!"
+
+Had twin thunderbolts fallen through the twin roofs of the twin
+palaces and struck the twin Ki and the twin Ki-Ki upon their twin
+heads it would have created no more stupendous a sensation than did
+this remark.  Never before had any two halves of a twin of the Land of
+Twi thought differently or spoken differently.  Indeed, it startled
+the two maidens themselves as much as it did their hearers, for each
+one turned her head toward the other and, for the first time in her
+life, looked into the other's face!
+
+This act was fully as strange as their speech, and a sudden horrible
+thought came into the startled heads of the twin Ki and the twin
+Ki-Ki: THE HIGH KI OF TWI WAS NO LONGER ONE, BUT TWO.  AND THESE TWO
+WERE THINKING AND ACTING EACH INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER!
+
+It is no wonder the shock rendered them speechless for a time, and
+they stood swaying their four bodies, with their eight eyes bulging
+out like those of fishes and their four mouths wide open, as if the
+two pairs had become one quartet.
+
+The faces of the two maids flushed as they gazed upon each other.
+
+"How DARE you contradict me?" asked one.
+
+"How dare you contradict ME?" demanded the other, and not only were these
+questions asked separately, but the accent on the words was different.
+And their twin minds seemed to get farther apart every moment.
+
+"I'm the High Ki of Twi!" said one.
+
+"You're not!  I'M the High Ki!" retorted the other.
+
+"The strangers shall die!" snapped one.
+
+"They shall live!" cried the other.  "My will is supreme."
+
+"It's not!  MY will is supreme," returned the other twin.
+
+The bald heads of the ancient Ki were bobbing in amazement, first to
+one maid and then toward the other.  The blond hairs of the two Ki-Ki
+were standing almost on end, and their eyes stared straight before
+them as if stupefied with astonishment.  Nerle was bellowing with rude
+laughter and holding his sides to keep from getting a stitch in them,
+while Prince Marvel stood quietly attentive and smiling with genuine
+amusement.  For he alone understood what had happened to separate the
+twin High Ki.
+
+The girls did not seem to know how to act under their altered
+conditions.  After a time one of them said:
+
+"We will leave our dispute to be settled by the Ki and the Ki-Ki."
+
+"Very well," agreed the other.
+
+"Then I say your half is right," declared the Ki-Ki, both their right
+forefingers pointing to the maiden who had condemned the strangers
+to death.
+
+"And I decide that your half is right," exclaimed the Ki, both their
+trembling forefingers pointing to the maiden who had said the
+strangers should live.
+
+"Well?" said one girl.
+
+"Well?" said the other.
+
+"The powers of the Ki and the Ki-Ki are equal," said the first.  "We
+are no nearer a settlement of our dispute than we were before."
+
+"My dear young ladies," said Prince Marvel, politely, "I beg you will
+take time to think the matter over, and see if you can not come to an
+agreement.  We are in no hurry."
+
+"Very well," decided the twins, speaking both together this time.  "We
+command you all to remain in the palace until we have settled our own
+strange dispute.  The servants will care for you, and when we are
+ready to announce our decision we shall again send for you."
+
+Every one bowed at this command and retired from the room; but Nerle
+looked over his shoulder as he went through the doorway, and saw that
+the two High Ki had turned in their seats and were facing each other,
+and that both their faces wore angry and determined expressions.
+
+
+17.  The Separation of the High Ki
+
+
+For nearly a week Prince Marvel and Nerle remained confined to the
+palace and gardens of the High Ki.  Together with the twin Ki, who
+seemed to be friendly to them, they occupied one of the twin palaces,
+while the Ki-Ki secluded themselves in the other.
+
+The pretty High Ki maidens they did not see at all, nor did they know
+what part of the palaces they occupied, not being permitted to wander
+away from the rooms allotted to them, except to walk in the garden.
+There was no way for them to escape, had they felt inclined to, for
+the silver steps had disappeared.
+
+From the garden walks they sometimes caught sight of the solemn heads
+of the handsome Ki-Ki looking at them through the twin windows of the
+other palace, and although the expression of their faces was always
+mild and gentle, Nerle and Marvel well knew the Ki-Ki were only
+waiting in the hope of having them killed.
+
+"Are you nervous about the decision of the pretty High Ki?" asked
+Nerle one day.
+
+"No, indeed," said the prince, laughing; "for I do not expect them to
+kill me, in any event."
+
+"If I felt as sure of my safety," returned the boy, "it would destroy
+all my pleasure.  These are really happy days for me.  Every moment I
+expect to see the executioner arrive with his ax."
+
+"The executioner is double," said the two old Ki, breaking into the
+conversation.  "You should say you expect to see the executioners
+arrive with their axes."
+
+"Then how will they cut off my head with two axes?  For I suppose they
+will both chop at the same time, and I have but one neck."
+
+"Wait and see," answered the two Ki, sighing deeply and rubbing their
+red noses thoughtfully.
+
+"Oh, I'll wait," answered the boy; "but as for seeing them cut off my
+head, I refuse; for I intend to shut my eyes."
+
+So they sat in their rooms or walked in the gardens, yawning and
+waiting, until one day, just as the two clocks on the wall were
+striking twenty-four o'clock, the door opened and to their surprise
+one of the High Ki twins walked in upon them.
+
+She was as sweet and fair to look upon as when she occupied one of the
+beautiful thrones, but at first no one could tell which of the High Ki
+she was--their friend or their enemy.  Even the Ki were puzzled and
+anxious, until the girl said:
+
+"My other half and I have completely separated, for we have agreed to
+disagree for all time.  And she has gone to ask the Ki-Ki to assist
+her, for war is declared between us.  And hereafter her color is to be
+the green and mine the yellow, and we intend to fight until one of us
+conquers and overthrows the other."
+
+This announcement was interesting to Marvel and Nerle, but greatly
+shocked the aged Ki, who asked:
+
+"What is to become of our kingdom?  Half of a High Ki can not rule it.
+It is against the law."
+
+"I will make my own laws when I have won the fight," returned the
+girl, with a lovely smile; "so do not let that bother you.  And now
+tell me, will you help me to fight my battles?"
+
+"Willingly!" exclaimed Nerle and Prince Marvel, almost as if they had
+been twins of Twi.  And the Ki rubbed their bald heads a moment, and
+then sneezed together and wiped their eyes on faded yellow
+handkerchiefs, and finally declared they would "stick to her Supreme
+Highness through thick and thin!"
+
+"Then go over the wall to the cities, at once, and get together all
+the soldiers to fight for me and my cause," commanded the girl.
+
+The twin Ki at once left the room, and the High Ki sat down and began
+to ask questions of Prince Marvel and Nerle about the big outside
+world from whence they came.  Nerle was rather shy and bashful before
+the dainty little maiden, whose yellow robe contrasted delightfully
+with her pink cheeks and blue eyes and brown flowing locks; but Prince
+Marvel did not mind girls at all, so he talked with her freely, and
+she in return allowed him to examine the pretty gold crown she wore
+upon her brow.
+
+By and by the Ki came back with both faces sad and gloomy.
+
+"Your Highness," they announced, "we have bad news for you.  The other
+High Ki, who is wearing a green gown, has been more prompt in action
+than yourself.  She and the Ki-Ki have secured the silver steps and
+will allow no others to use them; and already they have sent for the
+soldiers of the royal armies to come and aid them.  So we are unable
+to leave the garden, and presently the army will be here to destroy us."
+
+Then the girl showed her good courage; for she laughed and said:
+
+"Then we must remain here and fight to the last; and if I am unable to
+save you, who are my friends, it will be because I can not save myself."
+
+This speech pleased Prince Marvel greatly.  He kissed the little
+maid's hand respectfully and said:
+
+"Fear nothing, your Highness.  My friend and I are not so helpless as
+you think.  We consider it our privilege to protect and save you,
+instead of your saving us; and we are really able to do this in spite
+of the other High Ki and her entire army."
+
+So they remained quietly in the palace the rest of that day, and no
+one molested them in the least.  In the evening the girl played and
+sang for them, and the ancient pair of Ki danced a double-shuffle for
+their amusement that nearly convulsed them with laughter.  For one
+danced exactly like the other, and the old men's legs were still very
+nimble, although their wrinkled faces remained anxiously grave
+throughout their antics.  Nerle also sang a song about the King of
+Thieves whom Prince Marvel had conquered, and another about the Red
+Rogue of Dawna, so that altogether the evening passed pleasantly enough,
+and they managed to forget all their uneasy doubts of the morrow.
+
+When at last they separated for the night, Prince Marvel alone did not
+seek his bed; there was still some business he wished to transact.  So
+he shut himself up in his room and summoned before him, by means of
+his fairy knowledge, the Prince of the Knooks, the King of the Ryls
+and the Governor of the Goblins.  These were all three his especial
+friends, and he soon told them the story of the quarrel and separation
+of the twin High Ki, and claimed their assistance.  Then he told them
+how they might aid him, and afterward dismissed them.  Having thus
+accomplished his task, the fairy prince went to bed and slept
+peacefully the remainder of the night.
+
+The next morning the blond Ki-Ki and all the army of Twi, which had
+been won to their cause, came climbing up the silver steps and over
+the wall to the palace of the green High Ki; but what was their
+amazement to find the twin palaces separated by a wall so high that no
+ladders nor steps they possessed could reach to the top!  It had been
+built in a single night, and only Prince Marvel and his fairy friends
+knew how the work had been done so quickly.
+
+The yellow High Ki, coming downstairs to breakfast with her friends,
+found herself securely shut in from her enemies, and the bald-headed
+old Ki were so pleased to escape that they danced another jig from
+pure joy.
+
+Over the wall could be heard the shouts and threats of the army of
+Twi, who were seeking a way to get at the fugitives; but for the
+present our friends knew themselves to be perfectly safe, and they
+could afford to laugh at the fury of the entire population of Twi.
+
+
+
+18.  The Rescue of the High Ki
+
+
+After several days of siege Prince Marvel began to feel less confident
+of the safety of his little party.  The frantic Ki-Ki had built double
+battering-rams and were trying to batter down the high wall; and they
+had built several pairs of long ladders with which to climb over the
+wall; and their soldiers were digging two tunnels in the ground in
+order to crawl under the wall.
+
+Not at once could they succeed, for the wall was strong and it would
+take long to batter it down; and Nerle stood on top of the wall and
+kicked over the ladders as fast as the soldiers of Twi set them up;
+and the gray-bearded Ki stood in the garden holding two big flat boards
+with which to whack the heads of any who might come through the tunnels.
+
+But Prince Marvel realized that the perseverance of his foes might win
+in the end, unless he took measures to defeat them effectually.  So he
+summoned swift messengers from among the Sound Elves, who are
+accustomed to travel quickly, and they carried messages from him to
+Wul-Takim, the King of the Reformed Thieves, and to King Terribus of
+Spor, who had both promised him their assistance in case he needed it.
+The prince did not tell his friends of this action, but after the
+messengers had been dispatched he felt easier in his mind.
+
+The little High Ki remained as sweet and brave and lovable as ever,
+striving constantly to cheer and encourage her little band of
+defenders.  But none of them was very much worried, and Nerle confided
+to the maiden in yellow the fact that he expected to suffer quite
+agreeably when the Ki-Ki at last got him in their clutches.
+
+Finally a day came when two big holes were battered through the wall,
+and then the twin soldiers of Twi poured through the holes and began
+to pound on the doors of the palace itself, in which Prince Marvel and
+Nerle, the Ki and the yellow High Ki had locked themselves as securely
+as possible.
+
+The prince now decided it was high time for his friends to come to
+their rescue; but they did not appear, and before long the doors of
+the palace gave way and the soldiers rushed upon them in a vast throng.
+
+Nerle wanted to fight, and to slay as many of the Twi people as
+possible; but the prince would not let him.
+
+"These poor soldiers are but doing what they consider their duty," he
+said, "and it would be cruel to cut them down with our swords.  Have
+patience, I pray you.  Our triumph will come in good time."
+
+The Ki-Ki, who came into the palace accompanied by the green High Ki,
+ordered the twin soldiers to bind all the prisoners with cords.  So
+one pair of soldiers bound the Ki and another pair Nerle and the
+prince, using exactly the same motions in the operation.  But when it
+came to binding the yellow High Ki the scene was very funny.  For twin
+soldiers tried to do the binding, and there was only one to bind; so
+that one soldier went through the same motions as his twin on empty
+air, and when his other half had firmly bound the girl, his own rope
+fell harmless to the ground.  But it seemed impossible for one of the
+twins to do anything different from the other, so that was the only
+way the act could be accomplished.
+
+Then the green-robed High Ki walked up to the one in yellow and
+laughed in her face, saying:
+
+"You now see which of us is the most powerful, and therefore the most
+worthy to rule.  Had you remained faithful to our handsome Ki-Ki, as I
+did, you would not now be defeated and disgraced."
+
+"There is no disgrace in losing one battle," returned the other girl,
+proudly.  "You are mistaken if you think you have conquered me, and
+you are wrong to insult one who is, for the time being, your captive."
+
+The maiden in green looked for an instant confused and ashamed; then
+she tossed her pretty head and walked away.
+
+They led all the prisoners out into the garden and then through the
+broken wall, and up and down the silver steps, into the great square
+of the cities of Twi.  And here all the population crowded around
+them, for this was the first time any of them had seen their High Ki,
+or even known that they were girls; and the news of their quarrel and
+separation had aroused a great deal of excitement.
+
+"Let the executioners come forward!" cried the Ki-Ki, gleefully,
+and in answer to the command the twin executioners stepped up to
+the prisoners.
+
+They were big men, these executioners, each having a squint in one eye
+and a scar on the left cheek.  They polished their axes a moment on
+their coat-sleeves, and then said to Prince Marvel and Nerle, who were
+to be the first victims:
+
+"Don't dodge, please, or our axes may not strike the right place.  And
+do not be afraid, for the blows will only hurt you an instant.  In the
+Land of Twi it is usually considered a pleasure to be executed by us,
+we are so exceedingly skillful."
+
+"I can well believe that," replied Nerle, although his teeth
+were chattering.
+
+But at this instant a loud shout was heard, and the twin people of Twi
+all turned their heads to find themselves surrounded by throngs of
+fierce enemies.
+
+Prince Marvel smiled, for he saw among the new-comers the giants and
+dwarfs and the stern Gray Men of King Terribus, with their monarch
+calmly directing their movements; and on the other side of the circle
+were the jolly faces and bushy whiskers of the fifty-nine reformed
+thieves, with burly Wul-Takim at their head.
+
+
+
+19.  The Reunion of the High Ki
+
+
+The twins of Twi were too startled and amazed to offer to fight with
+the odd people surrounding them.  Even the executioners allowed their
+axes to fall harmlessly to the ground, and the double people, soldiers
+and citizens alike, turned to stare at the strangers in wonder.
+
+"We're here, Prince!" yelled Wul-Takim, his bristly beard showing over
+the heads of those who stood between.
+
+"Thank you," answered Prince Marvel.
+
+"And the men of Spor are here!" added King Terribus, who was mounted
+on a fine milk-white charger, richly caparisoned.
+
+"I thank the men of Spor," returned Prince Marvel, graciously.
+
+"Shall we cut your foes into small pieces, or would you prefer to hang
+them?" questioned the King of the Reformed Thieves, loudly enough to
+set most of his hearers shivering.
+
+But now the little maid in yellow stepped up to Prince Marvel and,
+regarding the youthful knight with considerable awe, said sweetly:
+
+"I beg you will pardon my people and spare them.  They are usually
+good and loyal subjects, and if they fought against me--their lawful
+High Ki--it was only because they were misled by my separation from my
+other half."
+
+"That is true," replied the prince; "and as you are still the lawful
+High Ki of Twi, I will leave you to deal with your own people as you
+see fit.  For those who have conquered your people are but your own
+allies, and are still under your orders, as I am myself."
+
+Hearing this, the green High Ki walked up to her twin High Ki and
+said, boldly:
+
+"I am your prisoner.  It is now your turn.  Do with me as you will."
+
+"I forgive you," replied her sister, in kindly tones.
+
+Then the little maid who had met with defeat gave a sob and turned
+away weeping, for she had expected anything but forgiveness.
+
+And now the Ki-Ki came forward and, bowing their handsome blond heads
+before the High Ki, demanded: "Are we forgiven also?"
+
+"Yes," said the girl, "but you are no longer fit to be rulers of my
+people.  Therefore, you are henceforth deprived of your honorable
+offices of Ki-Ki, which I shall now bestow upon these good captains
+here," and she indicated the good-natured officers who had first
+captured the prince and Nerle.
+
+The people of Twi eagerly applauded this act, for the captains were
+more popular with them than the former Ki-Ki; but the blond ones both
+flushed with humiliation and anger, and said:
+
+"The captains fought against you, even as we did."
+
+"Yet the captains only obeyed your orders," returned the High Ki.  "So
+I hold them blameless."
+
+"And what is to become of us now?" asked the former Ki-Ki.
+
+"You will belong to the common people, and earn your living playing
+tunes for them to dance by," answered the High Ki.  And at this retort
+every one laughed, so that the handsome youths turned away with twin
+scowls upon their faces and departed amidst the jeers of the crowd.
+
+"Better hang 'em to a tree, little one," shouted Wul-Takim, in his big
+voice; "they won't enjoy life much, anyhow."
+
+But the maid shook her pretty head and turned to the prince.
+
+"Will you stay here and help me to rule my kingdom?" she asked.
+
+"I can not do that," replied Prince Marvel, "for I am but a wandering
+adventurer and must soon continue my travels.  But I believe you will
+be able to rule your people without my help."
+
+"It is not so easy a task," she answered, sighing.  "For I am singular
+and my people are all double."
+
+"Well, let us hold a meeting in your palace," said the prince,
+"and then we can decide what is best to be done."
+
+So they dismissed the people, who cheered their High Ki enthusiastically,
+returning quietly to their daily tasks and the gossip that was sure to
+follow such important events as they had witnessed.
+
+The army of King Terribus and the fifty-nine reformed thieves went to
+the twin palaces of the Ki and the Ki-Ki and made merry with feasting
+and songs to celebrate their conquest.  And the High Ki, followed by
+the prince, Nerle, King Terribus and Wul-Takim, as well as by the Ki
+and the newly-appointed Ki-Ki, mounted the silver steps and passed
+over the wall to the royal palaces.  The green High Ki followed them,
+still weeping disconsolately.
+
+When they had all reached the throne-room, the High Ki seated herself
+on one of the beautiful thrones and said:
+
+"By some strange chance, which I am unable to explain, my twin and I
+have become separated; so that instead of thinking and acting alike,
+we are now individuals--as are all the strange men who have passed
+through the hole in the hedge.  And, being individuals, we can no
+longer agree, nor can one of us lawfully rule over the Kingdom of Twi,
+where all the subjects are twins, thinking and acting in unison."
+
+Said Prince Marvel:
+
+"Your Highness, I alone can explain why you became separated from your
+twin.  By means of a fairy enchantment, which I learned years ago, I
+worked upon you a spell, which compelled your brain to work
+independent of your sister's brain.  It seems to me that it is better
+each person should think her own thoughts and live her own life,
+rather than be yoked to another person and obliged to think and act as
+a twin, or one-half of a complete whole.  And since you are now the
+one High Ki, and the acknowledged ruler of this country, I will agree
+to work the same fairy spell on all your people, so that no longer
+will there be twin minds in all this Land of Twi."
+
+"But all the cows and dogs and horses and other animals are double, as
+well as the people," suggested the old Ki, blinking their little eyes
+in amazement at the thought of being forever separated from each other.
+
+"I can also work the spell upon all the twin animals," said the
+prince, after a moment's hesitation.
+
+"And all our houses are built double, with twin doors and windows and
+chimneys, to accommodate our twin people," continued the High Ki.
+"And the trees and flowers--and even the blades of grass--are all
+double.  And our roads are double, and--and everything else is double.
+I alone, the ruler of this land, am singular!"
+
+Prince Marvel became thoughtful now, for he did not know how to
+separate trees and flowers, and it would be a tedious task to separate
+the twin houses.
+
+"Why not leave the country as it is?" asked King Terribus of Spor.
+"The High Ki is welcome to come to my castle to live, and then she
+need no longer bother about the Land of Twi, which seems to me a poor
+place, after all."
+
+"And your sister may come with me to my cave, and be the queen of the
+reformed thieves, which is a much more important office than being
+High Ki of Twi," added big Wul-Takim, who had placed the maiden in
+green upon a cushion at his feet, and was striving to comfort her by
+gently stroking her silken hair with his rough hand.
+
+"But I love my country, and do not wish to leave it," answered the
+yellow High Ki.  "And I love my twin sister, and regret that our minds
+have become separated," she continued, sadly.
+
+"I have it!" exclaimed Nerle.  "Let the prince reunite you, making you
+regular twins of Twi again, and then you can continue to rule the
+country as the double High Ki, and everything will be as it was before."
+
+The yellow High Ki clapped her pink hands with delight and looked
+eagerly at the prince.
+
+"Will you?" she asked.  "Will you please reunite us?  And then all our
+troubles will be ended!"
+
+This really seemed to Marvel the best thing to be done.  So he led the
+maid in green to the other throne, where she had once sat, and after
+replacing the golden crown upon her brow he whispered a fairy spell of
+much mystical power.
+
+Then the prince stepped back and regarded the maidens earnestly,
+and after a moment both the High Ki smiled upon him in unison
+and said--speaking the same words in the same voices and with
+the same accents:
+
+"Thank you very much!"
+
+
+
+20.  Kwytoffle, the Tyrant
+
+
+Having restored the High Ki to their former condition, to the great
+joy of the ancient Ki, Prince Marvel led his friends back to the
+palaces where his men were waiting.
+
+They were just in time to prevent serious trouble, for the fifty-eight
+reformed thieves had been boasting of their prowess to the huge giants
+and tiny dwarfs of King Terribus, and this had resulted in a quarrel
+as to which were the best fighters.  Had not their masters arrived at
+the right moment there would certainly have been a fierce battle and
+much bloodshed,--and all over something of no importance.
+
+Terribus and Wul-Takim soon restored order, and then they accompanied
+the Ki and the Ki-Ki to the public square, where the people were
+informed that their Supreme Highnesses, the High Ki, had been reunited
+and would thereafter rule them with twin minds as well as twin
+bodies.  There was great rejoicing at this news, for every twin in Twi
+was glad to have his troubles ended so easily and satisfactorily.
+
+That night the ryls and knooks and other invisible friends of Prince
+Marvel came and removed the dividing wall between the twin palaces of
+the High Ki, repairing speedily all the damage that had been done.
+And when our friends called upon the High Ki the next morning they
+found the two maids again dressed exactly alike in yellow robes, with
+strings of sparkling emeralds for ornament.  And not even Prince
+Marvel could now tell one of the High Ki from the other.
+
+As for the maids themselves, it seemed difficult to imagine they had
+ever existed apart for a single moment.
+
+They were very pleasant and agreeable to their new friends, and when
+they heard that Prince Marvel was about to leave them to seek new
+adventures they said:
+
+"Please take us with you!  It seems to us that we ought to know something
+of the big outside world from whence you came.  If we see other kingdoms
+and people we shall be better able to rule our own wisely."
+
+"That seems reasonable," answered Marvel, "and I shall be very glad to
+have you accompany me.  But who will rule the Land of Twi in your absence?"
+
+"The Ki-Ki shall be the rulers," answered the High Ki, "and we will
+take the Ki with us."
+
+"Then I will delay my departure until to-morrow morning," said the
+prince, "in order that your Highnesses may have time to prepare for
+the journey."
+
+And then he went back to the palaces of the other rulers, where the Ki
+expressed themselves greatly pleased at the idea of traveling, and the
+new Ki-Ki were proud to learn they should rule for some time the Land
+of Twi.
+
+Wul-Takim also begged to join the party, and so also did King
+Terribus, who had never before been outside of his own Kingdom of
+Spor; so Prince Marvel willingly consented.
+
+The fifty-eight reformed thieves, led by Gunder, returned to their
+cave, where they were living comfortably on the treasure Prince Marvel
+had given them; and the Gray Men and giants and dwarfs of Spor
+departed for their own country.
+
+In the morning Prince Marvel led his own gay cavalcade through the
+hole in the hedge, and they rode merrily away in search of adventure.
+
+By his side were the High Ki, mounted upon twin chestnut ponies that
+had remarkably slender limbs and graceful, arched necks.  The ponies
+moved with exactly the same steps, and shook their manes and swished
+their tails at exactly the same time.  Behind the prince and the High
+Ki were King Terribus, riding his great white charger, and Wul-Takim
+on a stout horse of jet-black color.  The two ancient Ki and Nerle,
+being of lesser rank than the others, brought up the rear.
+
+"When we return to our Land of Twi," said the High Ki, "we shall close
+up for all time the hole you made in the hedge; for, if we are different
+from the rest of the world, it is better that we remain in seclusion."
+
+"I think it is right you should do that," replied Prince Marvel.  "Yet
+I do not regret that I cut a hole in your hedge."
+
+"It was the hedge that delayed us in coming more promptly to your
+assistance," said Terribus; "for we had hard work to find the hole you
+had made, and so lost much valuable time."
+
+"All is well that ends well!" laughed the prince.  "You certainly came
+in good time to rescue us from our difficulties."
+
+They turned into a path that led to Auriel, which Nerle had heard
+spoken of as "the Kingdom of the Setting Sun."
+
+Soon the landscape grew very pleasant to look upon, the meadows being
+broad and green, with groups of handsome trees standing about.  The
+twilight of the Land of Twi was now replaced by bright sunshine, and
+in the air was the freshness of the near-by sea.
+
+At evening they came to a large farmhouse, where the owner welcomed
+them hospitably and gave them the best his house afforded.
+
+In answer to their questions about the Kingdom of Auriel, he shook his
+head sadly and replied:
+
+"It is a rich and beautiful country, but has fallen under great
+misfortunes.  For when the good king died, about two years ago, the
+kingdom was seized by a fierce and cruel sorcerer, named Kwytoffle,
+who rules the people with great severity, and makes them bring him all
+their money and valuable possessions.  So every one is now very poor
+and unhappy, and that is a great pity in a country so fair and fertile."
+
+"But why do not the people rebel?" asked Nerle.
+
+"They dare not rebel," answered the farmer, "because they fear the
+sorcery of Kwytoffle.  If they do not obey him he threatens to change
+them into grasshoppers and June-bugs."
+
+"Has he ever changed any one into a grasshopper or a June-bug?" asked
+Prince Marvel.
+
+"No; but the people are too frightened to oppose him, and so he does
+not get the opportunity.  And he has an army of fierce soldiers, who
+are accustomed to beat the people terribly if they do not carry every
+bit of their wealth to the sorcerer.  So there is no choice but to
+obey him."
+
+"We certainly ought to hang this wicked creature!" exclaimed Wul-Takim.
+
+"I wish I had brought my Fool-Killer with me," sighed King Terribus;
+"for I could have kept him quite busy in this kingdom."
+
+"Can not something be done to rescue these poor people from their sad
+fate?" asked the lovely High Ki, anxiously.
+
+"We will make a call upon this Kwytoffle to-morrow," answered Prince
+Marvel, "and see what the fellow is like."
+
+"Alas!  Alas!" wailed the good farmer, "you will all become
+grasshoppers and June-bugs--every one of you!"
+
+But none of the party seemed to fear that, and having passed the night
+comfortably with the farmer they left his house and journeyed on into
+the Kingdom of Auriel.
+
+Before noon they came upon the edge of a forest, where a poor man was
+chopping logs into firewood.  Seeing Prince Marvel's party approach,
+this man ran toward them waving his hands and shouting excitedly:
+
+"Take the other path!  Take the other path!"
+
+"And why should we take the other path?" inquired the prince, reining
+in his steed.
+
+"Because this one leads to the castle of the great sorcerer,
+Kwytoffle," answered the man.
+
+"But there is where we wish to go," said Marvel.
+
+"What!  You wish to go there?" cried the man.  "Then you will be
+robbed and enslaved!"
+
+"Not as long as we are able to fight," laughed the big Wul-Takim.
+
+"If you resist the sorcerer, you will be turned into grasshoppers and
+June-bugs," declared the man, staring at them in wonder.
+
+"How do you know that?" asked Marvel.
+
+"Kwytoffle says so.  He promises to enchant every one who dares defy
+his power."
+
+"Has any one ever yet dared defy him?" asked Nerle.
+
+"Certainly not!" said the man.  "No one wishes to become a June-bug or
+a grasshopper.  No one dares defy him.".
+
+"I am anxious to see this sorcerer," exclaimed King Terribus.  "He
+ought to prove an interesting person, for he is able to accomplish his
+purposes by threats alone."
+
+"Then let us ride on," said Marvel.
+
+"Dear us!  Dear us!" remonstrated the bald-headed Ki; "are we to
+become grasshoppers, then?"
+
+"We shall see," returned the prince, briefly.
+
+"With your long legs," added the pretty pair of High Ki, laughingly,
+"you ought to be able to jump farther than any other grasshopper in
+the kingdom."
+
+"Great Kika-koo!" cried the Ki, nervously, "what a fate! what a
+terrible fate!  And your Highnesses, I suppose, will become June-bugs,
+and flutter your wings with noises like buzz-saws!"
+
+
+
+21.  The Wonderful Book of Magic
+
+
+Whatever their fears might be, none of Prince Marvel's party hesitated
+to follow him along the path through the forest in search of the
+sorcerer, and by and by they came upon a large clearing.  In the
+middle of this open space was a big building in such bad repair that
+its walls were tumbling down in several places, and all around it the
+ground was uncared for and littered with rubbish.  A man was walking
+up and down in front of this building, with his head bowed low; but
+when he heard the sound of approaching horses' hoofs he looked up and
+stared for a moment in amazement.  Then, with a shout of rage, he
+rushed toward them and caught Prince Marvel's horse by the bridle.
+
+"How dare you!" he cried; "how dare you enter my forest?"
+
+Marvel jerked his bridle from the man's grasp and said in return:
+
+"Who are you?"
+
+"Me!  Who am I?  Why, I am the great and powerful Kwytoffle!  So
+beware!  Beware my sorcery!"
+
+They all looked at the man curiously.  He was short and very fat, and
+had a face like a puff-ball, with little red eyes and scarcely any
+nose at all.  He wore a black gown with scarlet grasshoppers and
+june-bugs embroidered upon the cloth; and his hat was high and peaked,
+with an imitation grasshopper of extraordinary size perched upon its
+point.  In his right hand he carried a small black wand, and around
+his neck hung a silver whistle on a silver cord.
+
+Seeing that the strangers were gazing on him so earnestly, Kwytoffle
+thought they were frightened; so he said again, in a big voice:
+
+"Beware my vengeance!"
+
+"Beware yourself!" retorted the prince.  "For if you do not treat us
+more respectfully, I shall have you flogged."
+
+"What!  Flog me!" shouted Kwytoffle, furiously.  "For this I will turn
+every one of you into grasshoppers--unless you at once give me all the
+wealth you possess!"
+
+"Poor man!" exclaimed Nerle; "I can see you are longing for that
+flogging.  Will you have it now?" and he raised his riding-whip above
+his head.
+
+Kwytoffle stumbled backward a few paces and blew shrilly upon his
+silver whistle.  Instantly a number of soldiers came running from the
+building, others following quickly after them until fully a hundred
+rough-looking warriors, armed with swords and axes, had formed in
+battle array, facing the little party of Prince Marvel.
+
+"Arrest these strangers!" commanded Kwytoffle, in a voice like a roar.
+"Capture them and bind them securely, and then I will change them all
+into grasshoppers!"
+
+"All right," answered the captain of the soldiers; and then he turned
+to his men and shouted: "Forward--double-quick--march!"
+
+They came on with drawn swords; at first running, and then gradually
+dropping into a walk, as they beheld Nerle, Wul-Takim, King Terribus
+and Marvel standing quietly waiting to receive them, weapons in hand
+and ready for battle.  A few paces off the soldiers hesitated and
+stopped altogether, and Kwytoffle yelled at the captain:
+
+"Why don't you go on?  Why don't you capture them?  Why don't you
+fight them?"
+
+"Why, they have drawn their swords!" responded the captain, reproachfully.
+
+"Who cares?" roared the sorcerer.
+
+"We care," said the captain, giving a shudder, as he looked upon the
+strangers.  "Their swords are sharp, and some of us would get hurt."
+
+"You're cowards!" shrieked the enraged Kwytoffle.  "I'll turn you all
+into June-bugs!"
+
+At this threat the soldiers dropped their swords and axes, and all
+fell upon their knees, trembling visibly and imploring their cruel
+master not to change them into june-bugs.
+
+"Bah!" cried Nerle, scornfully; "why don't you fight?  If we kill you,
+then you will escape being June-bugs."
+
+"The fact is," said the captain, woefully, "we simply can't fight.
+For our swords are only tin, and our axes are made of wood, with
+silver-paper pasted over them."
+
+"But why is that?" asked Wul-Takim, while all the party showed
+their surprise.
+
+"Why, until now we have never had any need to fight," said the
+captain, "for every one has quickly surrendered to us or run away the
+moment we came near.  But you people do not appear to be properly
+frightened, and now, alas! since you have drawn upon us the great
+sorcerer's anger, we shall all be transformed into June-bugs."
+
+"Yes!" roared Kwytoffle, hopping up and down with anger, "you shall
+all be June-bugs, and these strangers I will transform into grasshoppers!"
+
+"Very well," said Prince Marvel, quietly; "you can do it now."
+
+"I will!  I will!" cried the sorcerer.
+
+"Then why don't you begin?" inquired the prince.
+
+"Why don't I begin?  Why, I haven't got the enchantments with me,
+that's why.  Do you suppose we great magicians carry around
+enchantments in our pockets?" returned the other, in a milder tone.
+
+"Where do you keep your enchantments?" asked the prince.
+
+"They're in my dwelling," snapped Kwytoffle, taking off his hat and
+fanning his fat face with the brim.
+
+"Then go and get them," said Marvel.
+
+"Nonsense!  If I went to get the enchantments you would all run away!"
+retorted the sorcerer.
+
+"Not so!" protested Nerle, who was beginning to be amused.  "My
+greatest longing in life is to become a grasshopper."
+
+"Oh, yes!  PLEASE let us be grasshoppers!" exclaimed the High Ki
+maids in the same breath.
+
+"We want to hop!  We want to hop!  Please--PLEASE let us hop!"
+implored the bald-headed Ki, winking their left eyes at Wul-Takim.
+
+"By all means let us become grasshoppers," said King Terribus,
+smiling; and Wul-Takim added:
+
+"I'm sure your soldiers would enjoy being June-bugs, for then they
+wouldn't have to work.  Isn't that so, boys?"
+
+The bewildered soldiers looked at one another in perplexity, and the
+still more bewildered sorcerer gazed on the speakers with staring eyes
+and wide-open mouth.
+
+"I insist," said Prince Marvel, "upon your turning us into
+grasshoppers and your soldiers into June-bugs, as you promised.  If
+you do not, then I will flog you--as I promised."
+
+"Very well," returned the sorcerer, with a desperate look upon his
+face; "I'll go and find the enchantment."
+
+"And we'll go with you," remarked the prince, pleasantly.
+
+So the entire party accompanied Kwytoffle into the house, where they
+entered a large room that was in a state of much disorder.
+
+"Let me see," said the sorcerer, rubbing his ears, as if trying to
+think; "I wonder if I put them in this cupboard.  You see," he
+explained, "no one has ever before dared me to transform him into a
+June-bug or grasshopper, so I have almost forgotten where I keep my
+book of enchantments.  No, it's not in the cupboard," he continued,
+looking there; "but it surely must be in this chest."
+
+It was not in the chest, either, and so the sorcerer continued to look
+in all sorts of queer places for his book of enchantments, without finding
+it.  Whenever he paused in his search Prince Marvel would say, sternly:
+
+"Go on!  Find the book!  Hunt it up.  We are all anxious to become
+grasshoppers."  And then Kwytoffle would set to work again, although
+big drops of perspiration were now streaming down his face.
+
+Finally he pulled an old book from underneath the pillow of his bed,
+and crying, "Here it is!" carried it to the window.
+
+He turned a few leaves of the book and then said:
+
+"How unfortunate!  The compound I require to change you into
+grasshoppers must be mixed on the first day of September; and as this
+is now the eighth day of September I must wait nearly a year before I
+can work the enchantment."
+
+"How about the June-bugs?" asked Nerle.
+
+"Oh!  Ah!.  The June-bug mixture can only be made at the dark o' the
+moon," said the sorcerer, pretending to read, "and that is three weeks
+from now."
+
+"Let me read it," said Prince Marvel, suddenly snatching the book from
+Kwytoffle's hands.  Then he turned to the title-page and read:
+
+"'Lives of Famous Thieves and Impostors.'  Why, this is not a book
+of enchantments."
+
+"That is what I suspected," said Terribus.
+
+"No one but a sorcerer can read the enchantments in this book,"
+declared Kwytoffle; but he hung his head with a sheepish look, for he
+knew his deception had been well understood.
+
+"Is your own history written in this volume?" inquired Marvel.
+
+"No," answered the sorcerer.
+
+"Then it ought to be," said the prince, "for you are no sorcerer at
+all, but merely a thief and an impostor!"
+
+
+
+22.  The Queen of Plenta
+
+
+The soldiers of Kwytoffle wanted to hang their old master at once, for
+he had won their enmity by abusing them in many ways; but Prince
+Marvel would not let them do this.  However, they tied the false
+sorcerer to a post, and the captain gave him a good whipping--one lash
+for each letter in the words "grasshopper" and "June-bug."  Kwytoffle
+howled loudly for mercy, but no one was at all sorry for him.
+
+Wul-Takim tied a rope around the impostor's neck, and when the party
+left the castle they journeyed all through the kingdom of Auriel, and
+at every town or city they came to the reformed thief would cry out to
+the populace:
+
+"Here is the terrible sorcerer Kwytoffle, who threatened to change you
+into grasshoppers and june-bugs.  But you may see that he is a very
+common man, with no powers of sorcery whatever!"
+
+And then the people would laugh and pelt mud at their former tyrant,
+and thank Prince Marvel for haying exposed the false and wicked creature.
+
+And they called the son of their old king back to his lawful throne,
+where he ruled wisely and well; and the hoarded wealth of Kwytoffle
+was divided among the people again, and soon the country became
+prosperous once more.
+
+This adventure was very amusing to the pretty High Ki of Twi.  It
+afforded them laughter for many days, and none of the party ever saw a
+grasshopper or a june-bug afterward without thinking of the terrible
+sorcerer Kwytoffle.
+
+They left that disgraced person grooming horses for his board in the
+stables of the new king, and proceeded upon their journey.
+
+Without further event they reached the splendid southern Kingdom of
+Plenta, which was the most delightfully situated of any dominion in
+the Enchanted Island of Yew.  It was ruled by a good and generous
+queen, who welcomed the strangers to her palace and gave a series of
+gay entertainments in their honor.
+
+King Terribus was especially an object of interest, for every one had
+heard his name and feared him and his fierce people.  But when they
+beheld his pleasant countenance and listened to his gentle voice they
+began to regard him with much love and respect; and really Terribus
+was worthy of their friendship since he had changed from a deformed
+monster into an ordinary man, and had forbidden his people ever again
+to rob and plunder their weaker neighbors.
+
+But the most popular personages visiting at the court of the Queen of
+Plenta were the lovely High Ki of Twi.  Although beautiful girls
+abounded in this kingdom, none could compare with the royal twins, and
+their peculiar condition only served to render them the more interesting.
+
+Two youths would approach the High Ki at the same time and invite them
+to dance, and in united voices they would accept the invitation and go
+whirling around the room with exactly the same steps, laughing at the
+same instant and enjoying the dance equally.  But if one youth asked
+his partner a question, both the twins would make answer, and that was
+sure to confuse and embarrass the youth.  Still, the maids managed
+very well to adapt themselves to the ways of people who were singular,
+although they sometimes became a little homesick for Twi, where they
+were like all the other people.
+
+The bald-headed Ki kept watchful eyes on their youthful rulers, and
+served them very cheerfully.  But with all their travels and
+experiences, the old men could never be convinced it was better to be
+singular than double.
+
+Prince Marvel was the real hero of the party, and Nerle received much
+attention on account of his master's popularity.  He did not seem as
+unhappy as usual, and when the prince inquired the reason, his esquire
+answered that he believed the excitement of their adventures was fast
+curing him of his longing for something he could not have.  As for the
+pleasure of suffering, he had had some experience of that, too, and it
+was not nearly so delightful as he had expected.
+
+Wul-Takim was not a society man, so he stayed around the royal stables
+and made friends with the grooms, and traded his big black horse for
+two bay ones and a gold neck-chain, and was fairly content with his lot.
+
+And so the party enjoyed several happy weeks at the court of the good
+Queen of Plenta, until one day the terrible news arrived that carried
+them once more into exciting adventures.
+
+
+
+23.  The Red Rogue of Dawna
+
+
+One morning, while they were all standing in the courtyard waiting for
+their horses, as they were about to go for a ride, a courier came
+galloping swiftly up to the palace and cried:
+
+"Does any one know where Prince Marvel can be found?"
+
+"I am Prince Marvel," replied the young knight, stepping out from
+among the others.
+
+"Then have I reached my journey's end!" said the courier, whose horse
+was nearly exhausted from long and hard riding.  "The Lady Seseley is
+in great danger, and sends for you to come and rescue her.  The great
+Baron Merd, her father, has been killed and his castle destroyed, and
+all his people are either captives or have been slain outright."
+
+"And who has done this evil thing?" asked Prince Marvel, looking very
+stern and grave.
+
+"The Red Rogue of Dawna," answered the messenger.  "He quarreled with
+the Baron Merd and sent his savage hordes to tear down his castle and
+slay him.  I myself barely escaped with my life, and the Lady Seseley
+had but time to say, before she was carried off, that if I could find
+Prince Marvel he would surely rescue her."
+
+"And so I will!" declared the prince, "if she be still alive."
+
+"Who is this Lady Seseley?" asked Nerle, who had come to his master's side.
+
+"She is my first friend, to whom I owe my very existence.  It is her
+image, together with those of her two friends, which is graven on my
+shield," answered Prince Marvel, thoughtfully.
+
+"And what will you do?" inquired the esquire.
+
+"I must go to her at once."
+
+When they heard of his mission all the party insisted on accompanying
+him.  Even the dainty High Ki could not be deterred by any thoughts of
+dangers they might encounter; and after some discussion Prince Marvel
+allowed them to join him.
+
+So Wul-Takim sharpened his big broadsword, and Nerle carefully
+prepared his master's horse, so that before an hour had passed they
+were galloping toward the province of the Red Rogue of Dawna.
+
+Prince Marvel knew little concerning this personage, but Nerle had
+much to tell of him.  The Red Rogue had once been page to a wise
+scholar and magician, who lived in a fine old castle in Dawna and
+ruled over a large territory.  The boy was very small and weak--smaller
+even than the average dwarf--and his master did not think it
+worth while to watch him.  But one evening, while the magician was
+standing upon the top of the highest tower of his castle, the boy gave
+him a push from behind, and he met death on the sharp rocks below.
+Then the boy took his master's book of magic and found a recipe to
+make one grow.  He made the mixture and swallowed it, and straightway
+began to grow big and tall.  This greatly delighted him, until he
+found he was getting much bigger than the average man and rapidly
+becoming a giant.  So he sought for a way to arrest the action of the
+magical draft; but before he could find it he had grown to enormous
+proportions, and was bigger than the biggest giant.  There was nothing
+in the book of magic to make one grow smaller, so he was obliged to
+remain as he was--the largest man in the Enchanted Island.
+
+All this had happened in a single night.  The morning after his
+master's murder the page announced himself lord of the castle; and,
+seeing his enormous size, none dared deny his right to rule.  On
+account of his bushy hair, which was fiery red in color, and the bushy
+red beard that covered his face when he became older, people came to
+call him the Red One.  And after his evil deeds and quarrelsome temper
+had made him infamous throughout the island, people began to call him
+the Red Rogue of Dawna.
+
+He had gathered around him a number of savage barbarians, as wicked
+and quarrelsome as himself, and so none dared to interfere with him,
+or even to meet him, if it were possible to avoid it.
+
+This same Red Rogue it was who had drawn the good Baron Merd into a
+quarrel and afterward slain the old knight and his followers,
+destroyed his castle, and carried his little daughter Seseley and her
+girl friends, Berna and Helda, into captivity, shutting them up in his
+own gloomy castle.
+
+The Red Rogue thought he had done a very clever thing, and had no fear
+of the consequences until one of his men came running up to the castle
+to announce that Prince Marvel and his companions were approaching to
+rescue the Lady Seseley.
+
+"How many of them are there?" demanded the Red Rogue.
+
+"There are eight, altogether," answered the man, "but two of them
+are girls."
+
+"And they expect to force me to give up my captives?" asked the Red
+One, laughing with a noise like the roar of a waterfall.  "Why, I
+shall make prisoners of every one of them!"
+
+The man looked at his master fearfully, and replied:
+
+"This Prince Marvel is very famous, and all people speak of his
+bravery and power.  It was he who conquered King Terribus of Spor,
+and that mighty ruler is now his friend, and is one of the eight
+who approach."
+
+The Red Rogue stopped laughing, for the fame of Spor's terrible king
+had long ago reached him.  And he reflected that any one who could
+conquer the army of giants and dwarfs and Gray Men that served
+Terribus must surely be one to be regarded seriously.  Moreover--and
+this was a secret--the Red Rogue had never been able to gain the
+strength to correspond with his gigantic size, but had ever remained
+as weak as when he was a puny boy.  So he was accustomed to rely on
+his cunning and on the terror his very presence usually excited to
+triumph over his enemies.  And he began to be afraid of this prince.
+
+"You say two of the party are girls?" he asked.
+
+"Yes," said the man, "but also among them are King Terribus himself,
+and the renowned Wul-Takim, formerly king of thieves, who was
+conquered by the prince, although accounted a hard fighter, and is now
+his devoted servant.  And there are two old men who are just alike and
+have a very fierce look about them.  They are said to come from the
+hidden Kingdom of Twi."
+
+By this time the Red Rogue was thoroughly frightened, but he did not
+yet despair of defeating his enemies.  He knew better than to attempt
+to oppose Prince Marvel by force, but he still hoped to conquer him by
+trickery and deceit.
+
+Among the wonderful things that the Red Rogue's former master, the
+wise scholar and magician, had made were two large enchanted mirrors,
+which were set on each side of the great hallway of the castle.  Heavy
+curtains were drawn over the surfaces of these mirrors, because they
+both possessed a dreadful magical power.  For whenever any one looked
+into one of them his reflection was instantly caught and imprisoned in
+the mirror, and his body at the same time became invisible to all
+earthly eyes, only the mirror retaining his form.
+
+While considering a way to prevent the prince from freeing the Lady
+Seseley, the Red Rogue happened to think of these mirrors, which had
+never yet been used.  So he went stealthily into the great hall and
+drew aside the covering from one of the mirrors.  He did not dare look
+into the mirror himself, but hurried away to another room, and then
+sent a page up a back stairway to summon the Lady Seseley and her two
+maids into his presence.
+
+The girls at once obeyed, for they greatly feared the Red Rogue; and
+of course they descended the front stairway and walked through the
+great hall.  At once the large mirror that had been exposed to view
+caught the eye of Seseley, and she paused to regard her reflection in
+the glass.  Her two companions did likewise, and instantly all three
+girls became invisible, while the mirror held their reflections fast
+in its magic surface.
+
+The Red Rogue was watching them through a crack in the door, and
+seeing the girls disappear he gave a joyful laugh and exclaimed:
+
+"Now let Prince Marvel find them if he can!"
+
+The three girls began to wander aimlessly through the castle; for not
+only were they invisible to others, but also to themselves and to one
+another, and they knew not what to do nor which way to turn.
+
+
+
+24.  The Enchanted Mirrors
+
+
+Presently Prince Marvel and his party arrived and paused before the
+doors of the castle, where the Red Rogue stood bowing to them with
+mock politeness and with an evil grin showing on his red face.
+
+"I come to demand the release of the Lady Seseley and her companions!"
+Prince Marvel announced, in a bold voice.  "And I also intend to call
+you to account for the murder of Baron Merd."
+
+"You must be at the wrong castle," answered the Red One, "for I have
+murdered no baron, nor have I any Lady Seseley as prisoner."
+
+"Are you not the Red Rogue of Dawna?" demanded the prince.
+
+"Men call me by that name," acknowledged the other.
+
+"Then you are deceiving me," said the prince.
+
+"No, indeed!" answered the Red Rogue, mockingly.  "I wouldn't deceive
+any one for the world.  But, if you don't believe me, you are welcome
+to search my castle."
+
+"That I shall do," returned the prince, sternly, "whether I have your
+permission or not," and he began to dismount.  But Nerle restrained
+him, saying:
+
+"Master, I beg you will allow me to search the castle.  For this Red
+Rogue is playing some trick upon us, I am sure, and if anything
+happened to you there would be no one to protect the little High Ki
+and our other friends."
+
+"But suppose something should happen to you?" inquired the
+prince, anxiously.
+
+"In that case," said Nerle, "you can avenge me."
+
+The advice was so reasonable, under the circumstances, that the prince
+decided to act upon it.
+
+"Very well," said he, "go and search the castle, and I will remain
+with our friends.  But if anything happens to you, I shall call the
+Red Rogue to account."
+
+So Nerle entered the castle, passing by the huge form of its owner,
+who only nodded to the boy and grinned with delight.
+
+The esquire found himself in the great hall and began to look around
+him, but without seeing any one.  Then he advanced a few steps and, to
+his surprise, discovered a large mirror, in which were reflected the
+faces and forms of three girls, as well as his own.
+
+"Why, here they are!" he attempted to say; but he could not hear his
+own voice.  He glanced down at himself but could see nothing at all--for
+his body had become invisible.  His reflection was still in the glass,
+and he knew that his body existed the same as before; but although he
+yet saw plainly the hall and all that it contained, he could see
+neither himself nor any other person of flesh.
+
+After waiting a considerable time for his esquire to reappear Prince
+Marvel became impatient.
+
+"What have you done with Nerle?" he asked of the Red Rogue.
+
+"Nothing," was the reply.  "I have been here, plainly within your
+sight, every moment."
+
+"Let me go and find him!" exclaimed King Terribus, and rushed into the
+castle before the prince could reply.  But Terribus also encountered
+the enchanted mirror, and the prince waited in vain for his return.
+
+Then Wul-Takim volunteered to go in search of the others, and drew his
+big, sharp sword before entering the hall.  But an hour passed by and
+he did not return.
+
+The Red Rogue was overjoyed at the success of his stratagem, and could
+scarce refrain from laughing outright at the prince's anxiety.
+
+Marvel was really perplexed.  He knew some treachery was afoot, but
+could not imagine what it was.  And when the pretty High Ki declared
+their intention of entering the castle, he used every endeavor to
+dissuade them.  But the twin girls would not be denied, so great was
+their curiosity.  So the prince said:
+
+"Well, we will all go together, so that the Ki and I may be able to
+protect you."
+
+The Red Rogue gladly granted them admittance, and they passed him and
+entered the great hall.
+
+The place appeared to them to be completely empty, so they walked
+along and came opposite the mirror.  Here all stopped at once, and the
+twin High Ki uttered exclamations of surprise, and the twin Ki
+shouted, "Great Kika-koo!"
+
+For there in the glass were the reflections of the three girls and
+Nerle and King Terribus and Wul-Takim.  And there were also the
+reflections of the twin High Ki and the twin Ki. Only Prince Marvel's
+reflection was missing, and this was because of his fairy origin.  For
+the glass could reflect and hold only the forms of mortals.
+
+But the prince saw the reflections of all the others, and then made
+the discovery that the forms of the Ki and the High Ki had become
+invisible.  No one except himself appeared to be standing in the great
+hall of the Red Rogue's castle!  Yet grouped within the glass were the
+likenesses of all his friends, as well as those of Lady Seseley and
+her companions; and all were staring back at him earnestly, as if
+imploring him to save them.
+
+The mystery was now explained, and Prince Marvel rushed from the hall
+to find the treacherous Red Rogue.  But that clever trickster had
+hidden himself in an upper room, and for the present was safely concealed.
+
+For a time Prince Marvel could not think what to do.  Such magic was
+all unknown to him, and how to free the imprisoned forms of his
+friends was a real problem.  He walked around the castle, but no one
+was in sight, the Rogue having given orders to all his people to keep
+away.  Only the tethered horses did he see, and these raised their
+heads and whinnied as if in sympathy with his perplexity.
+
+Then he went back into the hall and searched all the rooms of the
+castle without finding a single person.  On his return he stopped in
+front of the mirror and sorrowfully regarded the faces of his friends,
+who again seemed to plead for relief.
+
+And while he looked a sudden fit of anger came over him at being
+outwitted by this Red Rogue of Dawna.  Scarcely knowing what he did,
+he seized his sword by the blade and struck the mirror a powerful blow
+with the heavy hilt.  It shattered into a thousand fragments, which
+fell clattering upon the stone floor in every direction.  And at once
+the charm was broken; each of his friends now became visible.  They
+appeared running toward him from all parts of the castle, where they
+had been wandering in their invisible forms.
+
+They called out joyful greetings to one another, and then all of them
+surrounded the prince and thanked him earnestly for releasing them.
+
+The little Lady Seseley and her friends, Berna and Helda, were a bit
+shy in the presence of so many strangers; but they alone knew the
+prince's secret, and that he was a fairy transformed for a year; so
+they regarded him as an old and intimate acquaintance, and after being
+introduced by him to the others of his party they became more at ease.
+
+The sweet little High Ki maids at once attracted Seseley, and she
+loved them almost at first sight.  But it was Nerle who became the
+little lady's staunchest friend; for there was something rather
+mystical and unnatural to him about the High Ki, who seemed almost
+like fairies, while in Seseley he recognized a hearty, substantial
+girl of his own rank in life.
+
+While they stood talking and congratulating one another outside of the
+castle, the Red Rogue of Dawna appeared among them.  He had heard the
+noise of the smashing of his great mirror, and had come running
+downstairs from his hiding-place to find his cunning had all been for
+naught and his captives were free.
+
+A furious anger then took possession of the Rogue, and forgetting his
+personal weakness he caught up a huge battle-ax and rushed out to hurl
+himself upon Prince Marvel, intending to do him serious injury.
+
+But the prince was not taken unawares.  He saw the Red Rogue coming
+and met him with drawn sword, striking quickly at the arm that wielded
+the big ax.  The stroke was as sure as it was quick, and piercing the
+arm of the giant caused him to drop the ax with a howl of pain.
+
+Then Prince Marvel seized the Red Rogue by the ear--which he was just
+tall enough to reach--and dragged him up the steps and into the
+castle, the big fellow crying for mercy at every step and trembling
+like a leaf through cowardice.
+
+But down the hall Marvel marched him, seeking some room where the
+Rogue might be safely locked in.  The great curtain that covered the
+second enchanted mirror now caught Prince Marvel's eye, and, still
+holding his prisoner by the ear, he reached out his left hand and
+pulled aside the drapery.
+
+The Red Rogue looked to see what his captor was doing, and beheld his
+own reflection in the magic mirror.  Instantly he gave a wild cry and
+disappeared, his body becoming absolutely invisible, while his coarse
+red countenance stared back from the mirror.
+
+And then Prince Marvel gave a sigh of relief and dropped the curtain
+over the surface of the mirror.  For he realized that the Red Rogue of
+Dawna had at last met with just punishment and was safely imprisoned
+for all time.
+
+
+
+25.  The Adventurers Separate
+
+
+When Prince Marvel and his friends had ridden away from the castle the
+savage followers of the Red One came creeping up to listen for their
+master's voice.  But silence reigned in every part of the castle, and
+after stealing fearfully through the rooms without seeing any one the
+fellows became filled with terror and fled from the place, never to return.
+
+And afterward the neighbors whispered that the castle was haunted by
+the spirit of the terrible Red Rogue, and travelers dared not stop in
+the neighborhood, but passed by quickly and with averted faces.
+
+The prince and his party rode gaily along toward the Kingdom of Heg,
+for Nerle had invited them all to visit his father's castle.  They
+were very happy over their escape, and only the little Lady Seseley
+became sad at times, when she thought of her father's sad fate.
+
+The Baron Neggar, who was Nerle's father, was not only a wealthy
+nobleman, but exceedingly kind and courteous; so that every member of
+Prince Marvel's party was welcomed to the big castle in a very
+hospitable manner.
+
+Nerle was eagerly embraced by both his father and mother,
+who were overjoyed to see him return safe and sound after
+his wanderings and adventures.
+
+"And have you been cured of your longing for something that you can
+not have?" asked the baron, anxiously.
+
+"Not quite," said Nerle, laughing; "but I am more reconciled to my
+lot.  For I find wherever I go people are longing for just the things
+they can not get, and probably would not want if they had them.  So,
+as it seems to be the fate of most mortals to live unsatisfied, I
+shall try hereafter to be more contented."
+
+These words delighted the good baron, and he gave a rich and
+magnificent feast in honor of his son's return.
+
+The High Ki of Twi, after passing several pleasant days at Nerle's
+home, now decided that they had seen enough of the world and would be
+glad to return to their own kingdom, where all was peaceful and
+uneventful, and rule it to the end of their days.  So the baron
+furnished them an escort of twenty men-at-arms, and these conducted
+the High Ki and the aged Ki safely back to the hole in the hedge.
+
+And after they had entered the Land of Twi, the first act of the High
+Ki was to order the hedge repaired and the hole blocked up; and I have
+never heard that any one, from that time forth, ever succeeded in
+gaining admittance to the hidden kingdom.  So its subsequent history
+is unknown.
+
+King Terribus also bade the prince an affectionate farewell and rode
+back to his own kingdom; and burly Wul-Takim accompanied him as far as
+the cave, where the fifty-eight reformed thieves awaited him.
+
+Nerle's mother gladly adopted the Lady Seseley and her two companions,
+and thereafter they made their home at the baron's castle.  And years
+afterward, when they had grown to be women, Seseley was married to
+Nerle and became the lady of the castle herself.
+
+Prince Marvel enjoyed the feasting and dancing at the castle very
+much, but after the party began to break up, and the High Ki and the
+Ki had left him, as well as King Terribus and honest Wul-Takim, the
+young knight grew thoughtful and sometimes uneasy, and his happy laugh
+was less frequently heard.  Nerle often regarded his young master with
+a feeling of awe, for there occasionally came a look into Marvel's
+eyes that reminded him more of the immortals than of any human being.
+But the prince treated him with rare kindness and always pressed
+Nerle's hand affectionately when he bade him good night, for he had
+grown fond of his esquire.  Also they had long conversations together,
+during which Nerle gleaned a great deal of knowledge and received some
+advice that was of much use to him in his later life.
+
+One day Prince Marvel sought out Lady Seseley and said:
+
+"Will you ride with me to the Forest of Lurla?"
+
+"Willingly," she answered; and calling Berna and Helda to attend them,
+they mounted their horses and rode swiftly away, for it was a long
+distance to Lurla.
+
+By noon the party entered the forest, and although the path they
+traversed was unknown to the girls, who had usually entered the forest
+from its other side, near to where the Baron Merd's castle had stood,
+the prince seemed to have no difficulty in finding his way.
+
+He guided them carefully along the paths, his handsome war-charger stepping
+with much grace and dignity, until at length they came to a clearing.
+
+Here the prince paused abruptly, and Seseley looked around her and at
+once recognized the place.
+
+"Why," she exclaimed, in surprise, "it is the Fairy Bower!"
+
+And then she turned to Prince Marvel and asked in a soft voice:
+
+"Is the year ended, Prince?"
+
+His smile was a bit sad as he answered, slowly:
+
+"The year will be ended in five minutes!"
+
+
+
+26.  The End of the Year
+
+
+The girls sat upon the green moss and waited.  Prince Marvel stood
+silent beside his horse.  The silver armor was as bright as the day he
+donned it, nor was there a dent in his untarnished shield.  The sword
+that had done such good service he held lightly in his hand, and the
+horse now and then neighed softly and turned to look at him with
+affectionate eyes.
+
+Seseley began to tremble with excitement, and Berna and Helda stared
+at the prince with big round eyes.
+
+But, after all, they saw nothing so remarkable as they expected.  For
+presently--and it all happened in a flash--Prince Marvel was gone from
+their midst, and a handsome, slender-limbed deer darted from the bower
+and was quickly lost in the thick forest.  On the ground lay a sheet
+of bark and a twig from a tree, and beside them was Lady Seseley's
+white velvet cloak.
+
+Then the three girls each drew a long breath and looked into one
+another's eyes, and, while thus engaged, a peal of silvery laughter
+sounded in their ears and made them spring quickly to their feet.
+
+Before them stood a tiny and very beautiful fairy, clothed in floating
+gossamer robes of rose and pearl color, and with eyes sparkling like
+twin stars.
+
+"Prince Marvel!" exclaimed the three, together.
+
+"No, indeed!" cried the fairy, with a pretty little pout.  "I am no
+one but myself; and, really, I believe I shall now be content to exist
+for a few hundred years in my natural form.  I have quite enjoyed my
+year as a mortal; but after all there are, I find, some advantages in
+being a fairy.  Good by, my dears!"
+
+And with another ripple of laughter the pretty creature vanished, and
+the girls were left alone.
+
+
+
+27.  A Hundred Years Afterward
+
+
+About a hundred years after Prince Marvel enjoyed his strange
+adventures in the Enchanted Island of Yew an odd thing happened.
+
+A hidden mirror in a crumbling old castle of Dawna broke loose from
+its fastenings and fell crashing on the stone pavement of the deserted
+hall.  And from amid the ruins rose the gigantic form of a man.  His
+hair and beard were a fiery red, and he gazed at the desolation around
+him in absolute amazement.
+
+It was the Red Rogue of Dawna, set free from his imprisonment.
+
+He wandered out and found strange scenes confronting him, for during
+the hundred years a great change had taken place in the Enchanted
+Island.  Great cities had been built and great kingdoms established.
+Civilization had won the people, and they no longer robbed or fought
+or indulged in magical arts, but were busily employed and leading
+respectable lives.
+
+When the Red Rogue tried to tell folks who he was, they but laughed at
+him, thinking the fellow crazy.  He tried to get together a band of
+thieves, as Wul-Takim had done in the old days, but none would join him.
+
+And so, forced to be honest against his will, the Rogue was driven to
+earn a living by digging in the garden of a wealthy noble, of whom he
+had never before heard.
+
+But often he would pause in his labors and lean on his spade, while
+thoughts of the old days of wild adventure passed through his mind in
+rapid succession; and then the big man would shake his red head with a
+puzzled air and mutter:
+
+"I wonder who that Prince Marvel could have been!  And I wonder what
+ever became of him!"
+
+
+
+
+
+The End of the Project Gutenberg Edition of Enchanted Island of Yew
+
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+<pre>
+
+***The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Enchanted Island of Yew*** 
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+#9 in our series by L. Frank Baum
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+The Enchanted Island of Yew
+by L. Frank Baum
+
+May, 1996 [Etext #518]
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+**The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Enchanted Island of Yew***
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+</pre>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h1>The Enchanted Island of Yew</h1>
+
+<h2>Whereon Prince Marvel Encountered the High Ki of Twi
+and Other Surprising People</h2>
+
+<h3>BY</h3>
+
+<h2>L. Frank Baum</h2>
+
+<h4>AUTHOR OF</h4>
+
+<h4>&quot;The Wizard of Oz,&quot; &quot;The Life and Adventures of
+Santa Claus,&quot; &quot;The Magical Monarch of Mo,&quot; Etc.</h4>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</a></h2>
+
+<div class="ctr">
+	<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+		<tr><td>CHAPTER</td><td></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">1&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#I"> Once On a Time</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">2&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#II"> The Enchanted Isle</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">3&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#III"> The Fairy Bower</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">4&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#IV"> Prince Marvel</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">5&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#V"> The King of Thieves</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">6&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#VI"> The Troubles of Nerle</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">7&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#VII"> The Gray Men</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">8&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#VIII"> The Fool-Killer</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">9&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#IX"> The Royal Dragon of Spor</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">10&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#X"> Prince Marvel Wins His Fight</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">11&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XI"> The Cunning of King Terribus</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">12&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XII"> The Gift of Beauty</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">13&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XIII"> The Hidden Kingdom of Twi</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">14&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XIV"> The Ki and The Ki-Ki</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">15&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XV"> The High Ki of Twi</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">16&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#VI"> The Rebellion of The High Ki</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">17&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XVII"> The Separation of The High Ki</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">18&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XVIII"> The Rescue of The High Ki</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">19&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#IX"> The Reunion of The High Ki</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">20&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XX"> Kwytoffle, the Tyrant</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">21&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XXI"> The Wonderful Book of Magic</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">22&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XXII"> The Queen of Plenta</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">23&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XXIII"> The Red Rogue of Dawna</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">24&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XXIV"> The Enchanted Mirrors</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">25&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XXV"> The Adventurers Separate</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">26&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XXVI"> The End of the Year</a></td></tr>
+		<tr><td align="right">27&nbsp;</td><td> <a href="#XXVII"> A Hundred Years Afterward</a></td></tr>
+	</table>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="I" id="I">Chapter 1.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>"Once on a Time"</h3>
+
+<p>I am going to tell a story, one of those tales of astonishing
+adventures that happened years and years and years ago. Perhaps
+you wonder why it is that so many stories are told of "once on a
+time", and so few of these days in which we live; but that is
+easily explained.</p>
+
+<p>In the old days, when the world was young, there were no
+automobiles nor flying-machines to make one wonder; nor were
+there railway trains, nor telephones, nor mechanical inventions
+of any sort to keep people keyed up to a high pitch of
+excitement. Men and women lived simply and quietly. They were
+Nature's children, and breathed fresh air into their lungs
+instead of smoke and coal gas; and tramped through green meadows
+and deep forests instead of riding in street cars; and went to
+bed when it grew dark and rose with the sun--which is vastly
+different from the present custom. Having no books to read they
+told their adventures to one another and to their little ones;
+and the stories were handed down from generation to generation
+and reverently believed.</p>
+
+<p>Those who peopled the world in the old days, having nothing but
+their hands to depend on, were to a certain extent helpless, and
+so the fairies were sorry for them and ministered to their wants
+patiently and frankly, often showing themselves to those they
+befriended.</p>
+
+<p>So people knew fairies in those days, my dear, and loved them,
+together with all the ryls and knooks and pixies and nymphs and
+other beings that belong to the hordes of immortals. And a fairy
+tale was a thing to be wondered at and spoken of in awed
+whispers; for no one thought of doubting its truth.</p>
+
+<p>To-day the fairies are shy; for so many curious inventions of men
+have come into use that the wonders of Fairyland are somewhat
+tame beside them, and even the boys and girls can not be so
+easily interested or surprised as in the old days. So the sweet
+and gentle little immortals perform their tasks unseen and
+unknown, and live mostly in their own beautiful realms, where
+they are almost unthought of by our busy, bustling world. </p>
+
+<p>Yet when we come to story-telling the marvels of our own age
+shrink into insignificance beside the brave deeds and absorbing
+experiences of the days when fairies were better known; and so we
+go back to "once on a time" for the tales that we most love--and
+that children have ever loved since mankind knew that fairies
+exist.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="II" id="II">Chapter 2.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Enchanted Isle</h3>
+
+<p>Once there was an enchanted island in the middle of the sea. It
+was called the Isle of Yew. And in it were five important
+kingdoms ruled by men, and many woodland dells and forest glades
+and pleasant meadows and grim mountains inhabited by fairies.</p>
+
+<p>From the fairies some of the men had learned wonderful
+secrets, and had become magicians and sorcerers, with powers so
+great that the entire island was reputed to be one of
+enchantments. Who these men were the common people did not always
+know; for while some were kings and rulers, others lived quietly
+hidden away in forests or mountains, and seldom or never showed
+themselves. Indeed, there were not so many of these magicians as
+people thought, only it was so hard to tell them from common folk
+that every stranger was regarded with a certain amount of
+curiosity and fear.</p>
+
+<p>The island was round--like a mince pie. And it was divided into
+four quarters--also like a pie--except that there was a big place
+in the center where the fifth kingdom, called Spor, lay in the
+midst of the mountains. Spor was ruled by King Terribus, whom no
+one but his own subjects had ever seen--and not many of them. For
+no one was allowed to enter the Kingdom of Spor, and its king
+never left his palace. But the people of Spor had a bad habit of
+rushing down from their mountains and stealing the goods of the
+inhabitants of the other four kingdoms, and carrying them home
+with them, without offering any apologies whatever for such
+horrid conduct. Sometimes those they robbed tried to fight them;
+but they were a terrible people, consisting of giants with huge
+clubs, and dwarfs who threw flaming darts, and the stern Gray Men
+of Spor, who were most frightful of all. So, as a rule, every one
+fled before them, and the people were thankful that the fierce
+warriors of Spor seldom came to rob them oftener than once a
+year.</p>
+
+<p>It was on this account that all who could afford the expense
+built castles to live in, with stone walls so thick that even the
+giants of Spor could not batter them down. And the children were
+not allowed to stray far from home for fear some roving band of
+robbers might steal them and make their parents pay large sums
+for their safe return.</p>
+
+<p>Yet for all this the people of the Enchanted Isle of Yew were
+happy and prosperous. No grass was greener, no forests more cool
+and delightful, no skies more sunny, no sea more blue and
+rippling than theirs.</p>
+
+<p>And the nations of the world envied them, but dared not
+attempt to conquer an island abounding in enchantments.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="III" id="III">Chapter 3.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Fairy Bower</h3>
+
+<p>That part of the Enchanted Isle which was kissed by the rising
+sun was called Dawna; the kingdom that was tinted rose and purple
+by the setting sun was known as Auriel, and the southland, where
+fruits and flowers abounded, was the kingdom of Plenta. Up at the
+north lay Heg, the home of the great barons who feared not even
+the men of Spor; and in the Kingdom of Heg our story opens.</p>
+
+<p>Upon a beautiful plain stood the castle of the great Baron
+Merd--renowned alike in war and peace, and second in importance
+only to the King of Heg. It was a castle of vast extent, built
+with thick walls and protected by strong gates. In front of it
+sloped a pretty stretch of land with the sea glistening far
+beyond; and back of it, but a short distance away, was the edge
+of the Forest of Lurla.</p>
+
+<p>One fair summer day the custodian of the castle gates opened a
+wicket and let down a draw-bridge, when out trooped three pretty
+girls with baskets dangling on their arms. One of the maids
+walked in front of her companions, as became the only daughter of
+the mighty Baron Merd. She was named Seseley, and had yellow hair
+and red cheeks and big, blue eyes. Behind her, merry and
+laughing, yet with a distinct deference to the high station of
+their young lady, walked Berna and Helda--dark brunettes with
+mischievous eyes and slender, lithe limbs. Berna was the daughter
+of the chief archer, and Helda the niece of the captain of the
+guard, and they were appointed play-fellows and comrades of the
+fair Seseley.</p>
+
+<p>Up the hill to the forest's edge ran the three, and then
+without hesitation plunged into the shade of the ancient trees.
+There was no sunlight now, but the air was cool and fragrant of
+nuts and mosses, and the children skipped along the paths
+joyously and without fear.</p>
+
+<p>To be sure, the Forest of Lurla was well known as the home of
+fairies, but Seseley and her comrades feared nothing from such
+gentle creatures and only longed for an interview with the
+powerful immortals whom they had been taught to love as the
+tender guardians of mankind. Nymphs there were in Lurla, as well,
+and crooked knooks, it was said; yet for many years past no
+person could boast the favor of meeting any one of the fairy
+creatures face to face.</p>
+
+<p>So, gathering a few nuts here and a sweet forest flower there,
+the three maidens walked farther and farther into the forest
+until they came upon a clearing--formed like a circle--with
+mosses and ferns for its carpet and great overhanging branches
+for its roof.</p>
+
+<p>"How pretty!" cried Seseley, gaily. "Let us eat our luncheon in
+this lovely banquet-hall!"</p>
+
+<p>So Berna and Helda spread a cloth and brought from their
+baskets some golden platters and a store of food. Yet there was
+little ceremony over the meal, you may be sure, and within a
+short space all the children had satisfied their appetites and
+were laughing and chatting as merrily as if they were at home in
+the great castle. Indeed, it is certain they were happier in
+their forest glade than when facing grim walls of stone, and the
+three were in such gay spirits that whatever one chanced to say
+the others promptly joined in laughing over.</p>
+
+<p>Soon, however, they were startled to hear a silvery peal of
+laughter answering their own, and turning to see whence the sound
+proceeded, they found seated near them a creature so beautiful
+that at once the three pairs of eyes opened to their widest
+extent, and three hearts beat much faster than before.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, I must say you DO stare!" exclaimed the newcomer, who
+was clothed in soft floating robes of rose and pearl color, and
+whose eyes shone upon them like two stars.</p>
+
+<p>"Forgive our impertinence," answered the little Lady Seseley,
+trying to appear dignified and unmoved; "but you must acknowledge
+that you came among us uninvited, and--and you are certainly
+rather odd in appearance."</p>
+
+<p>Again the silvery laughter rang through the glade.</p>
+
+<p>"Uninvited!" echoed the creature, clapping her hands together
+delightedly; "uninvited to my own forest home! Why, my dear
+girls, you are the uninvited ones--indeed you are--to thus come
+romping into our fairy bower."</p>
+
+<p>The children did not open their eyes any wider on hearing this
+speech, for they could not; but their faces expressed their
+amazement fully, while Helda gasped the words:</p>
+
+<p>"A fairy bower! We are in a fairy bower!"</p>
+
+<p>"Most certainly," was the reply. "And as for being odd in
+appearance, let me ask how you could reasonably expect a fairy to
+appear as mortal maidens do?"</p>
+
+<p>"A fairy!" exclaimed Seseley. "Are you, then, a real fairy?"</p>
+
+<p>"I regret to say I am," returned the other, more soberly, as
+she patted a moss-bank with a silver-tipped wand.</p>
+
+<p>Then for a moment there was silence, while the three girls sat
+very still and stared at their immortal companion with evident
+curiosity. Finally Seseley asked:</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you regret being a fairy? I have always thought them
+the happiest creatures in the world."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps we ought to be happy," answered the fairy, gravely, "for
+we have wonderful powers and do much to assist you helpless
+mortals. And I suppose some of us really are happy. But, for my
+part, I am so utterly tired of a fairy life that I would do
+anything to change it."</p>
+
+<p>"That is strange," declared Berna. "You seem very young to be
+already discontented with your lot."</p>
+
+<p>Now at this the fairy burst into laughter again, and presently
+asked:</p>
+
+<p>"How old do you think me?"</p>
+
+<p>"About our own age," said Berna, after a glance at her and a
+moment's reflection.</p>
+
+<p>"Nonsense!" retorted the fairy, sharply. "These trees are
+hundreds of years old, yet I remember when they were mere twigs.
+And I remember when mortals first came to live upon this island,
+yes--and when this island was first created and rose from the sea
+after a great earthquake. I remember for many, many centuries, my
+dears. I have grown tired of remembering--and of being a fairy
+continually, without any change to brighten my life."</p>
+
+<p>"To be sure!" said Seseley, with sympathy. "I never thought of
+fairy life in that way before. It must get to be quite tiresome."</p>
+
+<p>"And think of the centuries I must yet live!" exclaimed the
+fairy in a dismal voice. "Isn't it an awful thing to look forward
+to?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is, indeed," agreed Seseley.</p>
+
+<p>"I'd be glad to exchange lives with you," said Helda, looking
+at the fairy with intense admiration.</p>
+
+<p>"But you can't do that," answered the little creature quickly.
+"Mortals can't become fairies, you know--although I believe there
+was once a mortal who was made immortal."</p>
+
+<p>"But fairies can become anything they desire!" cried
+Berna.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, no, they can't. You are mistaken if you believe that," was
+the reply. "I could change YOU into a fly, or a crocodile, or a
+bobolink, if I wanted to; but fairies can't change themselves
+into anything else."</p>
+
+<p>"How strange!" murmured Seseley, much impressed.</p>
+
+<p>"But YOU can," cried the fairy, jumping up and coming toward
+them. "You are mortals, and, by the laws that govern us, a mortal
+can change a fairy into anything she pleases."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh!" said Seseley, filled with amazement at the idea.</p>
+
+<p>The fairy fell on her knees before the baron's daughter.
+"Please--please, dear Seseley," she pleaded, "change me into a
+mortal!"</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="IV" id="IV">Chapter 4.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>Prince Marvel</h3>
+
+<p>It is easy to imagine the astonishment of the three girls at
+hearing this strange request. They gazed in a bewildered fashion
+upon the kneeling fairy, and were at first unable to answer one
+word. Then Seseley said--sadly, for she grieved to disappoint the
+pretty creature:</p>
+
+<p>"We are but mortal children, and have no powers of enchantment at
+all."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah, that is true, so far as concerns yourselves," replied the
+fairy, eagerly; "yet mortals may easily transform fairies into
+anything they wish."</p>
+
+<p>"If that is so, why have we never heard of this power before?"
+asked Seseley.</p>
+
+<p>"Because fairies, as a rule, are content with their lot, and
+do not wish to appear in any form but their own. And, knowing
+that evil or mischievous mortals can transform them at will, the
+fairies take great care to remain invisible, so they can not be
+interfered with. Have you ever," she asked, suddenly, "seen a
+fairy before?"</p>
+
+<p>"Never," replied Seseley.</p>
+
+<p>"Nor would you have seen me to-day, had I not known you were
+kind and pure-hearted, or had I not resolved to ask you to
+exercise your powers upon me."</p>
+
+<p>"I must say," remarked Helda, boldly, "that you are foolish to
+wish to become anything different from what you are."</p>
+
+<p>"For you are very beautiful NOW," added Berna, admiringly.</p>
+
+<p>"Beautiful!" retorted the fairy, with a little frown; "what does
+beauty amount to, if one is to remain invisible?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not much, that is true," agreed Berna, smoothing her own dark
+locks.</p>
+
+<p>"And as for being foolish," continued the fairy, "I ought to be
+allowed to act foolishly if I want to. For centuries past I have
+not had a chance to do a single foolish thing."</p>
+
+<p>"Poor dear!" said Helda, softly.</p>
+
+<p>Seseley had listened silently to this conversation. Now she
+inquired:</p>
+
+<p>"What do you wish to become?"</p>
+
+<p>"A mortal!" answered the fairy, promptly.</p>
+
+<p>"A girl, like ourselves?" questioned the baron's daughter.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps," said the fairy, as if undecided.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you would be likely to endure many privations," said
+Seseley, gently. "For you would have neither father nor mother to
+befriend you, nor any house to live in."</p>
+
+<p>"And if you hired your services to some baron, you would be
+obliged to wash dishes all day, or mend clothing, or herd
+cattle," said Berna.</p>
+
+<p>"But I should travel all over the island," said the fairy,
+brightly, "and that is what I long to do. I do not care to
+work."</p>
+
+<p>"I fear a girl would not be allowed to travel alone," Seseley
+remarked, after some further thought. "At least," she added, "I
+have never heard of such a thing."</p>
+
+<p>"No," said the fairy, rather bitterly, "your men are the ones
+that roam abroad and have adventures of all kinds. Your women are
+poor, weak creatures, I remember."</p>
+
+<p>There was no denying this, so the three girls sat silent until
+Seseley asked:</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you wish to become a mortal?"</p>
+
+<p>"To gain exciting experiences," answered the fairy. I'm tired of
+being a humdrum fairy year in and year out. Of course, I do not
+wish to become a mortal for all time, for that would get
+monotonous, too; but to live a short while as the earth people do
+would amuse me very much."</p>
+
+<p>"If you want variety, you should become a boy," said Helda,
+with a laugh, "The life of a boy is one round of excitement."</p>
+
+<p>"Then make me a boy!" exclaimed the fairy eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>"A boy!" they all cried in consternation. And Seseley
+added:</p>
+
+<p>"Why--you're a GIRL fairy, aren't you?"</p>
+
+<p>"Well--yes; I suppose I am," answered the beautiful creature,
+smiling; "but as you are going to change me anyway, I may as well
+become a boy as a girl."</p>
+
+<p>"Better!" declared Helda, clapping her hands; "for then you can
+do as you please."</p>
+
+<p>"But would it be right?" asked Seseley, with hesitation.</p>
+
+<p>"Why not?" retorted the fairy. "I can see nothing wrong in being
+a boy. Make me a tall, slender youth, with waving brown hair and
+dark eyes. Then I shall be as unlike my own self as possible, and
+the adventure will be all the more interesting. Yes; I like the
+idea of being a boy very much indeed."</p>
+
+<p>"But I don't know how to transform you; some one will have to
+show me the way to do it," protested Seseley, who was getting
+worried over the task set her.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, that will be easy enough," returned the little immortal.
+"Have you a wand?"</p>
+
+<p>"No."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I'll loan you mine, for I shall not need it. And you must
+wave it over my head three times and say: 'By my mortal powers I
+transform you into a boy for the space of one year'."</p>
+
+<p>"One year! Isn't that too long?"</p>
+
+<p>"It's a very short time to one who has lived thousands of years
+as a fairy."</p>
+
+<p>"That is true," answered the baron's daughter.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, I'll begin by doing a little transforming myself," said the
+fairy, getting upon her feet again, "and you can watch and see
+how I do it." She brushed a bit of moss from her gauzy skirts and
+continued: "If I'm to become a boy I shall need a horse, you
+know. A handsome, prancing steed, very fleet of foot."</p>
+
+<p>A moment she stood motionless, as if listening. Then she
+uttered a low but shrill whistle.</p>
+
+<p>The three girls, filled with eager interest, watched her
+intently.</p>
+
+<p>Presently a trampling of footsteps was heard through the
+brushwood, and a beautiful deer burst from the forest and
+fearlessly ran to the fairy. Without hesitation she waved her
+wand above the deer's head and exclaimed:</p>
+
+<p>"By all my fairy powers I command you to become a war-horse for
+the period of one year."</p>
+
+<p>Instantly the deer disappeared, and in its place was a
+handsome charger, milk-white in color, with flowing mane and
+tail. Upon its back was a saddle sparkling with brilliant gems
+sewn upon fine dressed leather.</p>
+
+<p>The girls uttered cries of astonishment and delight, and the
+fairy said:</p>
+
+<p>"You see, these transformations are not at all difficult. I
+must now have a sword."</p>
+
+<p>She plucked a twig from a near-by tree and cast it upon the
+ground at her feet. Again she waved her wand--and the twig turned
+to a gleaming sword, richly engraved, that seemed to the silent
+watchers to tremble slightly in its sheath, as if its heart of
+steel throbbed with hopes of battles to come.</p>
+
+<p>"And now I must have shield and armor, said the fairy, gaily.
+"This will make a shield,"--and she stripped a sheet of loose
+bark from a tree-trunk,--"but for armor I must have something
+better. Will you give me your cloak?"</p>
+
+<p>This appeal was made to Seseley, and the baron's daughter drew
+her white velvet cloak from her shoulders and handed it to the
+fairy. A moment later it was transformed into a suit of
+glittering armor that seemed fashioned of pure silver inlaid with
+gold, while the sheet of bark at the same time became a handsome
+shield, with the figures of three girls graven upon it. Seseley
+recognized the features as those of herself and her comrades, and
+noted also that they appeared sitting at the edge of a forest,
+the great trees showing plainly in the background.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall be your champion, you see," laughed the fairy,
+gleefully, "and maybe I shall be able to repay you for the loss
+of your cloak."</p>
+
+<p>"I do not mind the cloak," returned the child, who had been
+greatly interested in these strange transformations. "But it
+seems impossible that a dainty little girl like you can ride this
+horse and carry these heavy arms."</p>
+
+<p>"I'll not be a girl much longer," said the little creature.
+"Here, take my wand, and transform me into a noble youth!"</p>
+
+<p>Again the pretty fairy kneeled before Seseley, her dainty,
+rounded limbs of white and rose showing plainly through her gauzy
+attire. And the baron's daughter was suddenly inspired to be
+brave, not wishing to disappoint the venturous immortal. So she
+rose and took the magic wand in her hand, waving it three times
+above the head of the fairy.</p>
+
+<p>"By my powers as a mortal," she said, marveling even then at
+the strange speech, "I command you to become a brave and gallant
+youth--handsome, strong, fearless! And such shall you remain for
+the space of one year.</p>
+
+<p>As she ceased speaking the fairy was gone, and a slender youth,
+dark-eyed and laughing, was holding her hand in his and kissing
+it gratefully.</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you, most lovely maiden," he said, in a pleasant
+voice, "for giving me a place in the world of mortals. I shall
+ride at once in search of adventure, but my good sword is ever at
+your service."</p>
+
+<p>With this he gracefully arose and began to buckle on his
+magnificent armor and to fasten the sword to his belt.</p>
+
+<p>Seseley drew a long, sighing breath of amazement at her own
+powers, and turning to Berna and Helda she asked:</p>
+
+<p>"Do I see aright? Is the little fairy really transformed to this
+youth?"</p>
+
+<p>"It certainly seems so," returned Helda, who, being unabashed
+by the marvels she had beheld, turned to gaze boldly upon the
+young knight.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you still remember that a moment ago you were a fairy?" she
+inquired.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, indeed," said he, smiling; "and I am really a fairy now,
+being but changed in outward form. But no one must know this save
+yourselves, until the year has expired and I resume my true
+station. Will you promise to guard my secret?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, yes!" they exclaimed, in chorus. For they were delighted, as
+any children might well be, at having so remarkable a secret to
+keep and talk over among themselves.</p>
+
+<p>"I must ask one more favor," continued the youth: "that you
+give me a name; for in this island I believe all men bear names
+of some sort, to distinguish them one from another."</p>
+
+<p>"True," said Seseley, thoughtfully. "What were you called as a
+fairy?"</p>
+
+<p>"That does not matter in the least," he answered, hastily. "I
+must have an entirely new name."</p>
+
+<p>"Suppose we call him the Silver Knight," suggested Berna, as she
+eyed his glistening armor.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, no!--that is no name at all!" declared Helda. "We might
+better call him Baron Strongarm."</p>
+
+<p>"I do not like that, either," said the Lady Seseley, "for we do
+not know whether his arm is strong or not. But he has been
+transformed in a most astonishing and bewildering manner before
+our very eyes, and I think the name of Prince Marvel would suit
+him very well."</p>
+
+<p>"Excellent!" cried the youth, picking up his richly graven
+shield. "The name seems fitting in every way. And for a year I
+shall be known to all this island as Prince Marvel!"</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="V" id="V">Chapter 5.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The King of Thieves</h3>
+
+<p>Old Marshelm, the captain of the guard, was much surprised when
+he saw the baron's daughter and her playmates approach her
+father's castle escorted by a knight in glittering armor.</p>
+
+<p>To be sure it was a rather small knight, but the horse he led
+by the bridle was so stately and magnificent in appearance that
+old Marshelm, who was an excellent judge of horses, at once
+decided the stranger must be a personage of unusual
+importance.</p>
+
+<p>As they came nearer the captain of the guard also observed the
+beauty of the little knight's armor, and caught the glint of
+jewels set in the handle of his sword; so he called his men about
+him and prepared to receive the knight with the honors doubtless
+due his high rank.</p>
+
+<p>But to the captain's disappointment the stranger showed no
+intention of entering the castle. On the contrary, he kissed the
+little Lady Seseley's hand respectfully, waved an adieu to the
+others, and then mounted his charger and galloped away over the
+plains.</p>
+
+<p>The drawbridge was let down to permit the three children to
+enter, and the great Baron Merd came himself to question his
+daughter.</p>
+
+<p>"Who was the little knight?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"His name is Prince Marvel," answered Seseley, demurely.</p>
+
+<p>"Prince Marvel?" exclaimed the Baron. "I have never heard of
+him. Does he come from the Kingdom of Dawna, or that of Auriel,
+or Plenta?"</p>
+
+<p>"That I do not know," said Seseley, with truth.</p>
+
+<p>"Where did you meet him?" continued the baron.</p>
+
+<p>"In the forest, my father, and he kindly escorted us home."</p>
+
+<p>"Hm!" muttered the baron, thoughtfully. "Did he say what
+adventure brought him to our Kingdom of Heg?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, father. But he mentioned being in search of adventure."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, he'll find enough to busy him in this wild island, where
+every man he meets would rather draw his sword than eat,"
+returned the old warrior, smiling. "How old may this Prince
+Marvel be?"</p>
+
+<p>"He looks not over fifteen years of age," said Seseley, uneasy at
+so much questioning, for she did not wish to be forced to tell an
+untruth. "But it is possible he is much older," she added,
+beginning to get confused.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, well; I am sorry he did not pay my castle a visit,"
+declared the baron. "He is very small and slight to be traveling
+this dangerous country alone, and I might have advised him as to
+his welfare."</p>
+
+<p>Seseley thought that Prince Marvel would need no advice from any
+one as to his conduct; but she wisely refrained from speaking
+this thought, and the old baron walked away to glance through a
+slit in the stone wall at the figure of the now distant knight.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel was riding swiftly toward the brow of the hill,
+and shortly his great war-horse mounted the ascent and
+disappeared on its farther slope.</p>
+
+<p>The youth's heart was merry and light, and he reflected joyously,
+as he rode along, that a whole year of freedom and fascinating
+adventure lay before him.</p>
+
+<p>The valley in which he now found himself was very beautiful,
+the soft grass beneath his horse's feet being sprinkled with
+bright flowers, while clumps of trees stood here and there to
+break the monotony of the landscape.</p>
+
+<p>For an hour the prince rode along, rejoicing in the free motion
+of his horse and breathing in the perfume-laden air. Then he
+found he had crossed the valley and was approaching a series of
+hills. These were broken by huge rocks, the ground being
+cluttered with boulders of rough stone. His horse speedily found
+a pathway leading through these rocks, but was obliged to proceed
+at a walk, turning first one way and then another as the path
+zigzagged up the hill.</p>
+
+<p>Presently, being engaged in deep thought and little noting the
+way, Prince Marvel rode between two high walls of rock standing
+so close together that horse and rider could scarcely pass
+between the sides. Having traversed this narrow space some
+distance the wall opened suddenly upon a level plat of ground,
+where grass and trees grew. It was not a very big place, but was
+surely the end of the path, as all around it stood bare walls so
+high and steep that neither horse nor man could climb them. In
+the side of the rocky wall facing the entrance the traveler
+noticed a hollow, like the mouth of a cave, across which was
+placed an iron gate. And above the gateway was painted in red
+letters on the gray stone the following words:</p>
+
+<p>WUL-TAKIM KING OF THIEVES ----- HIS TREASURE HOUSE KEEP OUT</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel laughed on reading this, and after getting down
+from his saddle he advanced to the iron gate and peered through
+its heavy bars.</p>
+
+<p>"I have no idea who this Wul-Takim is," he said, "for I know
+nothing at all of the ways of men outside the forest in which I
+have always dwelt. But thieves are bad people, I am quite sure,
+and since Wul-Takim is the king of thieves he must be by far the
+worst man on this island."</p>
+
+<p>Then he saw, through the bars of the gate, that a great cavern
+lay beyond, in which were stacked treasures of all sorts: rich
+cloths, golden dishes and ornaments, gemmed coronets and
+bracelets, cleverly forged armor, shields and battle-axes. Also
+there were casks and bales of merchandise of every sort.</p>
+
+<p>The gate appeared to have no lock, so Prince Marvel opened it and
+walked in. Then he perceived, perched on the very top of a
+pyramid of casks, the form of a boy, who sat very still and
+watched him with a look of astonishment upon his face.</p>
+
+<p>"What are you doing up there?" asked the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing," said the boy. "If I moved the least little bit this
+pile of casks would topple over, and I should be thrown to the
+ground."</p>
+
+<p>"Well," returned the prince, "what of it?"</p>
+
+<p>But just then he glanced at the ground and saw why the boy did
+not care to tumble down. For in the earth were planted many
+swords, with their sharp blades pointing upward, and to fall upon
+these meant serious wounds and perhaps death.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, ho!" cried Marvel; "I begin to understand. You are a
+prisoner."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes; as you will also be shortly," answered the boy. "And then
+you will understand another thing--that you were very reckless
+ever to enter this cave."</p>
+
+<p>"Why?" inquired the prince, who really knew little of the
+world, and was interested in everything he saw and heard.</p>
+
+<p>"Because it is the stronghold of the robber king, and when you
+opened that gate you caused a bell to ring far down on the
+hillside. So the robbers are now warned that an enemy is in their
+cave, and they will soon arrive to make you a prisoner, even as I
+am."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah, I see!" said the prince, with a laugh, "It is a rather
+clever contrivance; but having been warned in time I should
+indeed be foolish to be caught in such a trap."</p>
+
+<p>With this he half drew his sword, but thinking that robbers were
+not worthy to be slain with its untarnished steel, he pushed it
+back into the jeweled scabbard and looked around for another
+weapon. A stout oaken staff lay upon the ground, and this he
+caught up and ran with it from the cave, placing himself just
+beside the narrow opening that led into this rock-encompassed
+plain. For he quickly saw that this was the only way any one
+could enter or leave the place, and therefore knew the robbers
+were coming up the narrow gorge even as he had himself done.</p>
+
+<p>Soon they were heard stumbling along at a rapid pace, crying
+to one another to make haste and catch the intruder. The first
+that came through the opening received so sharp a blow upon the
+head from Prince Marvel's oak staff that he fell to the ground
+and lay still, while the next was treated in a like manner and
+fell beside his comrade.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps the thieves had not expected so sturdy an enemy, for they
+continued to rush through the opening in the rocks and to fall
+beneath the steady blows of the prince's staff until every one of
+them lay senseless before the victor. At first they had piled
+themselves upon one another very neatly; but the pile got so high
+at last that the prince was obliged to assist the last thieves to
+leap to the top of the heap before they completely lost their
+senses.</p>
+
+<p>I have no doubt our prince, feeling himself yet strange in the
+new form he had acquired, and freshly transported from the forest
+glades in which he had always lived, was fully as much astonished
+at his deed of valor as were the robbers themselves; and if he
+shuddered a little when looking upon the heap of senseless
+thieves you must forgive him this weakness. For he straightway
+resolved to steel his heart to such sights and to be every bit as
+stern and severe as a mortal knight would have been.</p>
+
+<p>Throwing down his staff he ran to the cave again, and stepping
+between the sword points he approached the pile of casks and held
+out his arms to the boy who was perched upon the top.</p>
+
+<p>"The thieves are conquered," he cried. "Jump down!"</p>
+
+<p>"I won't," said the boy.</p>
+
+<p>"Why not?" inquired the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Can't you see I'm very miserable?" asked the boy, in return;
+"don't you understand that every minute I expect to fall upon
+those sword points?"</p>
+
+<p>"But I will catch you," cried the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't want you to catch me," said the boy. "I want to be
+miserable. It's the first chance I've ever had, and I'm enjoying
+my misery very much."</p>
+
+<p>This speech so astonished Prince Marvel that for a moment he
+stood motionless. Then he retorted, angrily:</p>
+
+<p>"You're a fool!"</p>
+
+<p>"If I wasn't so miserable up here, I'd come down and thrash
+you for that," said the boy, with a sigh.</p>
+
+<p>This answer so greatly annoyed Prince Marvel that he gave the
+central cask of the pyramid a sudden push, and the next moment
+the casks were tumbling in every direction, while the boy fell
+headlong in their midst.</p>
+
+<p>But Marvel caught him deftly in his arms, and so saved him
+from the sword points.</p>
+
+<p>"There!" he said, standing the boy upon his feet; "now you are
+released from your misery."</p>
+
+<p>"And I should be glad to punish you for your interference,"
+declared the boy, gloomily eying his preserver, "had you not
+saved my life by catching me. According to the code of honor of
+knighthood I can not harm one who has saved my life until I have
+returned the obligation. Therefore, for the present I shall
+pardon your insulting speeches and actions."</p>
+
+<p>"But you have also saved my life," answered Prince Marvel; "for
+had you not warned me of the robbers' return they would surely
+have caught me."</p>
+
+<p>"True," said the boy, brightening up; "therefore our score is
+now even. But take care not to affront me again, for hereafter I
+will show you no mercy!"</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel looked at the boy with wonder. He was about his own
+size, yet strong and well formed, and he would have been handsome
+except for the expression of discontent upon his face. Yet his
+manner and words were so absurd and unnatural that the prince was
+more amused than angered by his new acquaintance, and presently
+laughed in his face.</p>
+
+<p>"If all the people in this island are like you," he said, "I
+shall have lots of fun with them. And you are only a boy, after
+all."</p>
+
+<p>"I'm bigger than you!" declared the other, glaring fiercely at
+the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"How much bigger?" asked Marvel, his eyes twinkling.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, ever so much!"</p>
+
+<p>"Then fetch along that coil of rope, and follow me," said
+Prince Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"Fetch the rope yourself!" retorted the boy, bluntly. "I'm not
+your servant." Then he put his hands in his pockets and coolly
+walked out of the cave to look at the pile of senseless robbers.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel made no reply, but taking the coil of rope on
+his shoulder he carried it to where the thieves lay and threw it
+down beside them. Then he cut lengths from the coil with his
+sword and bound the limbs of each robber securely. Within a
+half-hour he had laid out a row of thieves extending half way
+across the grassy plain, and on counting their number he found he
+had captured fifty-nine of them.</p>
+
+<p>This task being accomplished and the robbers rendered helpless,
+Prince Marvel turned to the boy who stood watching him.</p>
+
+<p>"Get a suit of armor from the cave, and a strong sword, and
+then return here," he said, in a stern voice.</p>
+
+<p>"Why should I do that?" asked the boy, rather impudently.</p>
+
+<p>"Because I am going to fight you for disobeying my orders; and
+if you do not protect yourself I shall probably kill you."</p>
+
+<p>"That sounds pleasant," said the boy. "But if you should prove my
+superior in skill I beg you will not kill me at once, but let me
+die a lingering death."</p>
+
+<p>"Why?" asked the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Because I shall suffer more, and that will be delightful."</p>
+
+<p>"I am not anxious to kill you, nor to make you suffer," said
+Marvel, "all that I ask is that you acknowledge me your
+master."</p>
+
+<p>"I won't!" answered the boy. "I acknowledge no master in all the
+world!"</p>
+
+<p>"Then you must fight," declared the prince, gravely. "If you
+win, I will promise to serve you faithfully; and if I conquer
+you, then you must acknowledge me your master, and obey my
+commands."</p>
+
+<p>"Agreed!" cried the boy, with sudden energy, and he rushed into
+the cave and soon returned clad in armor and bearing a sword and
+shield. On the shield was pictured a bolt of lightning.</p>
+
+<p>"Lightning will soon strike those three girls whose champion
+you seem to be," he said tauntingly.</p>
+
+<p>"The three girls defy your lightning!" returned the prince with a
+smile. "I see you are brave enough."</p>
+
+<p>"Brave! Why should I not be?" answered the boy proudly. "I am
+the Lord Nerle, the son of Neggar, the chief baron of Heg!"</p>
+
+<p>The other bowed low.</p>
+
+<p>"I am pleased to know your station," he said. "I am called
+Prince Marvel, and this is my first adventure."</p>
+
+<p>"And likely to be your last," exclaimed the boy, sneeringly. "For
+I am stronger than you, and I have fought many times with full
+grown men."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you ready?" asked Prince Marvel, for answer.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes."</p>
+
+<p>Then the swords clashed and sparks flew from the blades. But
+it was not for long. Suddenly Nerle's sword went flying through
+the air and shattered its blade against a wall of rock. He
+scowled at Prince Marvel a moment, who smiled back at him. Then
+the boy rushed into the cave and returned with another sword.</p>
+
+<p>Scarcely had the weapons crossed again when with a sudden blow
+Prince Marvel snapped Nerle's blade in two, and followed this up
+with a sharp slap upon his ear with the flat of his own sword
+that fairly bewildered the boy, and made him sit down on the
+grass to think what had happened to him.</p>
+
+<p>Then Prince Marvel's merry laugh rang far across the hills,
+and so delighted was he at the astonished expression upon Nerle's
+face that it was many minutes before he could control his
+merriment and ask his foeman if he had had enough fight.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose I have," replied the boy, rubbing his ear tenderly.
+"That blow stings most deliciously. But it is a hard thought that
+the son of Baron Neggar should serve Prince Marvel!"</p>
+
+<p>"Do not worry about that," said the prince; "for I assure you
+my rank is so far above your own that it is no degradation for
+the son of Neggar to serve me. But come, we must dispose of these
+thieves. What is the proper fate for such men?"</p>
+
+<p>"They are always hanged," answered Nerle, getting upon his feet.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, there are trees handy," remarked the prince, although
+his girlish heart insisted on making him shiver in spite of his
+resolve to be manly and stern. "Let us get to work and hang them
+as soon as possible. And then we can proceed upon our
+journey."</p>
+
+<p>Nerle now willingly lent his assistance to his new master, and
+soon they had placed a rope around the neck of each thief and
+were ready to dangle them all from the limbs of the trees.</p>
+
+<p>But at this juncture the thieves began to regain
+consciousness, and now Wul-Takim, the big, red-bearded king of
+the thieves, sat up and asked:</p>
+
+<p>"Who is our conqueror?"</p>
+
+<p>"Prince Marvel," answered Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"And what army assisted him?" inquired Wul-Takim, curiously
+gazing upon the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"He conquered you alone and single-handed," said Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>Hearing this, the big king began to weep bitterly, and the
+tear-drops ran down his face in such a stream that Prince Marvel
+ordered Nerle to wipe them away with his handkerchief, as the
+thief's hands were tied behind his back.</p>
+
+<p>"To think!" sobbed Wul-Takim, miserably; "only to think, that
+after all my terrible deeds and untold wickedness, I have been
+captured by a mere boy! Oh, boo-hoo! boo-hoo! boo-hoo! It is a
+terrible disgrace!"</p>
+
+<p>"You will not have to bear it long," said the prince, soothingly.
+"I am going to hang you in a few minutes."</p>
+
+<p>"Thanks! Thank you very much!" answered the king, ceasing to
+weep. "I have always expected to be hanged some day, and I am
+glad no one but you two boys will witness me when my feet begin
+kicking about."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall not kick," declared another of the thieves, who had also
+regained his senses. "I shall sing while I am being hanged."</p>
+
+<p>"But you can not, my good Gunder," protested the king; "for
+the rope will cut off your breath, and no man can sing without
+breath."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I shall whistle," said Gunder, composedly.</p>
+
+<p>The king cast at him a look of reproach, and turning to Prince
+Marvel he said:</p>
+
+<p>"It will be a great task to string up so many thieves. You look
+tired. Permit me to assist you to hang the others, and then I
+will climb into a tree and hang myself from a strong branch, with
+as little bother as possible."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, I won't think of troubling you," exclaimed Marvel, with a
+laugh. "Having conquered you alone, I feel it my duty to hang you
+without assistance--save that of my esquire."</p>
+
+<p>"It's no trouble, I assure you; but suit your own convenience,"
+said the thief, carelessly. Then he cast his eye toward the cave
+and asked: "What will you do with all our treasure?"</p>
+
+<p>"Give it to the poor," said Prince Marvel, promptly.</p>
+
+<p>"What poor?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, the poorest people I can find."</p>
+
+<p>"Will you permit me to advise you in this matter?" asked the king
+of thieves, politely.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, indeed; for I am a stranger in this land," returned the
+prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, I know a lot of people who are so poor that they have no
+possessions whatever, neither food to eat, houses to live in, nor
+any clothing but that which covers their bodies. They can call no
+man friend, nor will any lift a hand to help them. Indeed, good
+sir, I verily believe they will soon perish miserably unless you
+come to their assistance!"</p>
+
+<p>"Poor creatures!" exclaimed Prince Marvel, with ready
+sympathy; "tell me who they are, and I will divide amongst them
+all your ill-gotten gains."</p>
+
+<p>"They are ourselves," replied the king of thieves, with a sigh.</p>
+
+<p>Marvel looked at him in amazement, and then burst into joyous
+laughter.</p>
+
+<p>"Yourselves!" he cried, greatly amused.</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed, yes!" said Wul-Takim, sadly. "There are no poorer
+people in all the world, for we have ropes about our necks and
+are soon to be hanged. To-morrow we shall not have even our flesh
+left, for the crows will pick our bones."</p>
+
+<p>"That is true," remarked Marvel, thoughtfully. "But, if I restore
+to you the treasure, how will it benefit you, since you are about
+to die?"</p>
+
+<p>"Must you really hang us?" asked the thief.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes; I have decreed it, and you deserve your fate."</p>
+
+<p>"Why?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because you have wickedly taken from helpless people their
+property, and committed many other crimes besides."</p>
+
+<p>"But I have reformed! We have all reformed--have we not,
+brothers?"</p>
+
+<p>"We have!" answered the other thieves, who, having regained their
+senses, were listening to this conversation with much interest.</p>
+
+<p>"And, if you will return to us our treasure, we will promise
+never to steal again, but to remain honest men and enjoy our
+wealth in peace," promised the king.</p>
+
+<p>"Honest men could not enjoy treasures they have stolen," said
+Prince Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"True; but this treasure is now yours, having been won by you
+in fair battle. And if you present it to us it will no longer be
+stolen treasure, but a generous gift from a mighty prince, which
+we may enjoy with clear consciences."</p>
+
+<p>"Yet there remains the fact that I have promised to hang you,"
+suggested Prince Marvel, with a smile, for the king amused him
+greatly.</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all! Not at all!" cried Wul-Takim. "You promised to
+hang fifty-nine thieves, and there is no doubt the fifty-nine
+thieves deserved to be hung. But, consider! We have all reformed
+our ways and become honest men; so it would be a sad and unkindly
+act to hang fifty-nine honest men!"</p>
+
+<p>"What think you, Nerle?" asked the Prince, turning to his
+esquire.</p>
+
+<p>"Why, the rogue seems to speak truth," said Nerle, scratching
+his head with a puzzled air, "yet, if he speaks truth, there is
+little difference between a rogue and an honest man. Ask him, my
+master, what caused them all to reform so suddenly."</p>
+
+<p>"Because we were about to die, and we thought it a good way to
+save our lives," replied the robber king.</p>
+
+<p>"That's an honest answer, anyway," said Nerle. "Perhaps, sir,
+they have really reformed."</p>
+
+<p>"And if so, I will not have the death of fifty-nine honest men on
+my conscience," declared the prince. Then he turned to Wul-Takim
+and added: "I will release you and give you the treasure, as you
+request. But you owe me allegiance from this time forth, and if I
+ever hear of your becoming thieves again, I promise to return and
+hang every one of you."</p>
+
+<p>"Never fear!" answered Wul-Takim, joyfully. "It is hard work
+to steal, and while we have so much treasure it is wholly
+unnecessary. Moreover, having accepted from you our lives and our
+fortunes, we shall hereafter be your devoted servants, and
+whenever you need our services you have but to call upon us, and
+we will support you loyally and gladly."</p>
+
+<p>"I accept your service," answered the prince, graciously.</p>
+
+<p>And then he unbound the fifty-nine honest men and took the
+ropes from their necks. As nightfall was fast approaching the new
+servants set to work to prepare a great feast in honor of their
+master. It was laid in the middle of the grassy clearing, that
+all might sit around and celebrate the joyous occasion.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think you can trust these men?" asked Nerle,
+suspiciously.</p>
+
+<p>"Why not?" replied the prince. "They have been exceedingly
+wicked, it is true; but they are now intent upon being
+exceedingly good. Let us encourage them in this. If we mistrusted
+all who have ever done an evil act there would be fewer honest
+people in the world. And if it were as interesting to do a good
+act as an evil one there is no doubt every one would choose the
+good."</p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="VI" id="VI">Chapter 6.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Troubles of Nerle</h3>
+
+
+<p>That night Prince Marvel slept within the cave, surrounded by the
+fifty-nine reformed thieves, and suffered no harm at their hands.
+In the morning, accompanied by his esquire, Nerle, who was
+mounted upon a spirited horse brought him by Wul-Takim, he
+charged the honest men to remember their promises, bade them good
+by, and set out in search of further adventure.</p>
+
+<p>As they left the clearing by the narrow passage that led
+between the overhanging rocks, the prince looked back and saw
+that the sign above the gate of the cave, which had told of the
+thieves' treasure house, had been changed. It now read as
+follows:</p>
+
+<p>WUL-TAKIM KING OF HONEST MEN ------ HIS PLEASURE HOUSE WALK IN</p>
+
+<p>"That is much better," laughed the prince. "I accomplished
+some good by my adventure, anyway!"</p>
+
+<p>Nerle did not reply. He seemed especially quiet and thoughtful as
+he rode by his master's side, and after they had traveled some
+distance in silence Prince Marvel said:</p>
+
+<p>"Tell me how you came to be in the cave of thieves, and
+perched upon the casks where I found you."</p>
+
+<p>"It is a sad story," returned Nerle, with a sigh; "but since you
+request me to tell it, the tale may serve to relieve the tedium
+of your journey.</p>
+
+<p>"My father is a mighty baron, very wealthy and with a heart so
+kind that he has ever taken pleasure in thrusting on me whatever
+gift he could think of. I had not a single desire unsatisfied,
+for before I could wish for anything it was given me.</p>
+
+<p>"My mother was much like my father. She and her women were always
+making jams, jellies, candies, cakes and the like for me to eat;
+so I never knew the pleasure of hunger. My clothes were the
+gayest satins and velvets, richly made and sewn with gold and
+silver braid; so it was impossible to wish for more in the way of
+apparel. They let me study my lessons whenever I felt like it and
+go fishing or hunting as I pleased; so I could not complain that
+I was unable to do just as I wanted to. All the servants obeyed
+my slightest wish: if I wanted to sit up late at night no one
+objected; if I wished to lie in bed till noon they kept the house
+quiet so as not to disturb me.</p>
+
+<p>"This condition of affairs, as you may imagine, grew more and
+more tedious and exasperating the older I became. Try as I might,
+I could find nothing to complain of. I once saw the son of one of
+our servants receive a flogging; and my heart grew light. I
+immediately begged my father to flog me, by way of variety; and
+he, who could refuse me nothing, at once consented. For this
+reason there was less satisfaction in the operation than I had
+expected, although for the time being it was a distinct
+novelty.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, no one could expect a high-spirited boy to put up with such
+a life as mine. With nothing to desire and no chance of doing
+anything that would annoy my parents, my days were dreary
+indeed."</p>
+
+<p>He paused to wipe the tears from his eyes, and the prince
+murmured, sympathetically: "Poor boy! Poor boy!"</p>
+
+<p>"Ah, you may well say that!" continued Nerle. "But one day a
+stranger came to my father's castle with tales of many troubles
+he had met with. He had been lost in a forest and nearly starved
+to death. He had been robbed and beaten and left wounded and sore
+by the wayside. He had begged from door to door and been refused
+food or assistance. In short, his story was so delightful that it
+made me envy him, and I yearned to suffer as he had done. When I
+could speak with him alone I said: 'Pray tell me how I can manage
+to acquire the misfortunes you have undergone. Here I have
+everything that I desire, and it makes me very unhappy.'</p>
+
+<p>"The stranger laughed at me, at first; and I found some
+pleasure in the humiliation I then felt. But it did not last
+long, for presently he grew sober and advised me to run away from
+home and seek adventure.</p>
+
+<p>"'Once away from your father's castle,' said he, 'troubles will
+fall upon you thick enough to satisfy even your longings.'</p>
+
+<p>"'That is what I am afraid of!' I answered. 'I don't want to
+be satisfied, even with troubles. What I seek is unsatisfied
+longings.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Nevertheless,' said he, 'I advise you to travel. Everything
+will probably go wrong with you, and then you will be happy.'</p>
+
+<p>"I acted upon the stranger's advice and ran away from home the
+next day. After journeying a long time I commenced to feel the
+pangs of hunger, and was just beginning to enjoy myself when a
+knight rode by and gave me a supply of food. At this rebuff I
+could not restrain my tears, but while I wept my horse stumbled
+and threw me over his head. I hoped at first I had broken my
+neck, and was just congratulating myself upon the misfortune,
+when a witch-woman came along and rubbed some ointment upon my
+bruises, in spite of my protests. To my great grief the pain left
+me, and I was soon well again. But, as a slight compensation for
+my disappointment, my horse had run away; so I began my journey
+anew and on foot.</p>
+
+<p>"That afternoon I stepped into a nest of wasps, but the
+thoughtless creatures flew away without stinging me. Then I met a
+fierce tiger, and my heart grew light and gay. 'Surely this will
+cause me suffering!' I cried, and advanced swiftly upon the
+brute. But the cowardly tiger turned tail and ran to hide in the
+bushes, leaving me unhurt!</p>
+
+<p>"Of course, my many disappointments were some consolation; but
+not much. That night I slept on the bare ground, and hoped I
+should catch a severe cold; but no such joy was to be mine.</p>
+
+<p>"Yet the next afternoon I experienced my first pleasure. The
+thieves caught me, stripped off all my fine clothes and jewels
+and beat me well. Then they carried me to their cave, dressed me
+in rags, and perched me on the top of the casks, where the
+slightest movement on my part would send me tumbling among the
+sword points. This was really delightful, and I was quite happy
+until you came and released me.</p>
+
+<p>"I thought then that I might gain some pleasure by provoking
+you to anger; and our fight was the result. That blow on the ear
+was exquisite, and by forcing me to become your servant you have
+made me, for the first time in my life, almost contented. For I
+hope in your company to experience a great many griefs and
+disappointments."</p>
+
+<p>As Nerle concluded his story Prince Marvel turned to him and
+grasped his hand.</p>
+
+<p>"Accept my sympathy!" said he. "I know exactly how you feel,
+for my own life during the past few centuries has not been much
+different."</p>
+
+<p>"The past few centuries!" gasped Nerle. "What do you mean?"</p>
+
+<p>At this the prince blushed, seeing he had nearly disclosed his
+secret. But he said, quickly:</p>
+
+<p>"Does it not seem centuries when one is unhappy?"</p>
+
+<p>"It does, indeed!" responded Nerle, earnestly. "But please
+tell me your story."</p>
+
+<p>"Not now," said Prince Marvel, with a smile. "It will please you
+to desire in vain to hear a tale I will not tell. Yet I promise
+that on the day we part company I shall inform you who I am."</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="VII" id="VII">Chapter 7.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Gray Men</h3>
+
+<p>The adventurers gave no heed to the path they followed after
+leaving the cave of the reformed thieves, but their horses
+accidentally took the direction of the foot-hills that led into
+the wild interior Kingdom of Spor. Therefore the travelers, when
+they had finished their conversation and begun to look about
+them, found themselves in a rugged, mountainous country that was
+wholly unlike the green plains of Heg they had left behind.</p>
+
+<p>Now, as I have before said, the most curious and fearful of the
+island people dwelt in this Kingdom of Spor. They held no
+friendly communication with their neighbors, and only left their
+own mountains to plunder and rob; and so sullen and fierce were
+they on these occasions that every one took good care to keep out
+of their way until they had gone back home again.</p>
+
+<p>There was much gossip about the unknown king of Spor, who had
+never yet been seen by any one except his subjects; and some
+thought he must be one of the huge giants of Spor; and others
+claimed he was a dwarf, like his tiny but ferocious
+dart-slingers; and still others imagined him one of the barbarian
+tribe, or a fellow to the terrible Gray Men. But, of course, no
+one knew positively, and all these guesses were very wide of the
+mark. The only certainty about this king was that his giants,
+dwarfs, barbarians and Gray Men meekly acknowledged his rule and
+obeyed his slightest wish; for though they might be terrible to
+others, their king was still more terrible to them.</p>
+
+<p>Into this Kingdom of Spor Prince Marvel and Nerle had now
+penetrated and, neither knowing nor caring where they were,
+continued along the faintly defined paths the horses had found.
+Presently, however, they were startled by a peal of shrill,
+elfish laughter, and raising their eyes they beheld a
+horrid-looking old man seated upon a high rock near by.</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you laugh?" asked Prince Marvel, stopping his
+horse.</p>
+
+<p>"Have you been invited? Tell me--have you been invited?" demanded
+the old man, chuckling to himself as if much amused.</p>
+
+<p>"Invited where?" inquired the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"To Spor, stupid! To the Kingdom of Spor! To the land of King
+Terribus!" shrieked the old man, going into violent peals of
+laughter.</p>
+
+<p>"We go and come as we please," answered Prince Marvel,
+calmly.</p>
+
+<p>"Go--yes! Go if you will. But you'll never come back--never!
+never! never!" The little old man seemed to consider this such a
+good joke that he bent nearly double with laughing, and so lost
+his balance and toppled off the rock, disappearing from their
+view; but they could hear him laugh long after they had passed on
+and left him far behind them.</p>
+
+<p>"A strange creature!" exclaimed the prince thoughtfully.</p>
+
+<p>"But perhaps he speaks truth," answered Nerle, "if, in fact, we
+have been rash enough to enter the Kingdom of Spor. Even my
+father, the bravest baron in Heg, has never dared venture within
+the borders of Spor. For all men fear its mysterious king."</p>
+
+<p>"In that case," replied Prince Marvel, "it is time some one
+investigated this strange kingdom. People have left King Terribus
+and his wild subjects too much to themselves; instead of stirring
+them up and making them behave themselves."</p>
+
+<p>Nerle smiled at this speech.</p>
+
+<p>"They are the fiercest people on the Enchanted Island," said
+he, "and there are thousands upon thousands who obey this unknown
+king. But if you think we dare defy them I am willing to go on.
+Perhaps our boldness will lead them into torturing me, or
+starving me to death; and at the very least I ought to find much
+trouble and privation in the Kingdom of Spor."</p>
+
+<p>"Time will determine that," said the prince, cheerfully.</p>
+
+<p>They had now ridden into a narrow defile of the mountains, the
+pathway being lined with great fragments of rock. Happening to
+look over his shoulder Prince Marvel saw that as they passed
+these rocks a man stepped from behind each fragment and followed
+after them, their numbers thus constantly increasing until
+hundreds were silently treading in the wake of the travelers.</p>
+
+<p>These men were very peculiar in appearance, their skins being as
+gray as the rocks themselves, while their only clothing consisted
+of gray cloth tunics belted around the waists with bands of gray
+fox-hide. They bore no weapons except that each was armed with a
+fork, having three sharp tines six inches in length, which the
+Gray Men carried stuck through their fox-hide belts.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle also looked back and saw the silent throng following
+them, and the sight sent such a cold shiver creeping up his spine
+that he smiled with pleasure. There was no way to avoid the Gray
+Men, for the path was so narrow that the horsemen could not turn
+aside; but Prince Marvel was not disturbed, and seemed not to
+mind being followed, so long as no one hindered his advance.</p>
+
+<p>He rode steadily on, Nerle following, and after climbing upward
+for a long way the path began to descend, presently leading them
+into a valley of wide extent, in the center of which stood an
+immense castle with tall domes that glittered as if covered with
+pure gold. A broad roadway paved with white marble reached from
+the mountain pass to the entrance of this castle, and on each
+side of this roadway stood lines of monstrous giants, armed with
+huge axes thrust into their belts and thick oak clubs, studded
+with silver spikes, which were carried over their left shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>The assembled giants were as silent as the Gray Men, and stood
+motionless while Prince Marvel and Nerle rode slowly up the
+marble roadway. But all their brows were scowling terribly and
+their eyes were red and glaring-- as if they were balls of
+fire.</p>
+
+<p>"I begin to feel very pleasant," said Nerle, "for surely we shall
+not get away from these folks without a vast deal of trouble.
+They do not seem to oppose our advance, but it is plain they will
+not allow us any chance of retreat."</p>
+
+<p>"We do not wish to retreat," declared the prince.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle cast another glance behind, and saw that the Gray Men had
+halted at the edge of the valley, while the giants were closing
+up as soon as the horses passed them and now marched in close
+file in their rear.</p>
+
+<p>"It strikes me," he muttered, softly, "that this is like to
+prove our last adventure." But although Prince Marvel might have
+heard the words he made no reply, being evidently engaged in deep
+thought.</p>
+
+<p>As they drew nearer the castle it towered above them like a
+veritable mountain, so big and high was it; and the walls cast
+deep shadows far around, as if twilight had fallen. They heard
+the loud blare of a trumpet sounding far up on the battlements;
+the portals of the castle suddenly opened wide, and they entered
+a vast courtyard paved with plates of gold. Tiny dwarfs, so
+crooked that they resembled crabs, rushed forward and seized the
+bridles of the horses, while the strangers slowly dismounted and
+looked around them.</p>
+
+<p>While the steeds were being led to the stables an old man,
+clothed in a flowing robe as white in color as his beard, bowed
+before Prince Marvel and said in a soft voice:</p>
+
+<p>"Follow me!"</p>
+
+<p>The prince stretched his arms, yawned as if tired with his
+ride, and then glared upon the old man with an expression of
+haughty surprise.</p>
+
+<p>"I follow no one!" said he, proudly. "I am Prince Marvel, sirrah,
+and if the owner of this castle wishes to see me I shall receive
+him here, as befits my rank and station."</p>
+
+<p>The man looked surprised, but only bowed lower than
+before.</p>
+
+<p>"It is the king's command," he answered.</p>
+
+<p>"The king?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes; you are in the castle of King Terribus, the lord and ruler
+of Spor."</p>
+
+<p>"That is different," remarked the prince, lightly. "Still, I
+will follow no man. Point out the way and I will go to meet his
+Majesty."</p>
+
+<p>The old man extended a lean and trembling finger toward an
+archway. Prince Marvel strode forward, followed by Nerle, and
+passing under the arch he threw open a door at the far end and
+boldly entered the throne-room of King Terribus.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="IIX" id="IIX">Chapter 8.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Fool-Killer</h3>
+
+<p>The room was round, with a dome at the top. The bare walls
+were of gray stone, with square, open windows set full twenty
+feet from the floor. Rough gray stone also composed the floor,
+and in the center of the room stood one great rock with a seat
+hollowed in its middle. This was the throne, and round about it
+stood a swarm of men and women dressed in rich satins, velvets
+and brocades, brilliantly ornamented with gold and precious
+stones. The men were of many shapes and sizes--giants and dwarfs
+being among them. The women all seemed young and beautiful.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel cast but a passing glance at this assemblage, for
+his eye quickly sought the rude throne on which was seated King
+Terribus.</p>
+
+<p>The personal appearance of this monster was doubtless the most
+hideous known in that age of the world. His head was large and
+shaped like an egg; it was bright scarlet in color and no hair
+whatever grew upon it. It had three eyes--one in the center of
+his face, one on the top of his head and one in the back. Thus he
+was always able to see in every direction at the same time. His
+nose was shaped like an elephant's trunk, and swayed constantly
+from side to side. His mouth was very wide and had no lips at
+all, two rows of sharp and white teeth being always plainly
+visible beneath the swaying nose.</p>
+
+<p>King Terribus, although surrounded by so splendid a court, wore a
+simple robe of gray cloth, with no ornament or other finery, and
+his strange and fearful appearance was strongly contrasted with
+the glittering raiment of his courtiers and the beauty of his
+ladies in waiting.</p>
+
+<p>When Prince Marvel, with Nerle marching close behind, entered
+the great room, Terribus looked at him sharply a moment, and then
+bowed. And when he bowed the eye upon the top of his head also
+looked sharply at the intruders.</p>
+
+<p>Then the king spoke, his voice sounding so sweet and agreeable
+that it almost shocked Nerle, who had expected to hear a roar
+like that from a wild beast.</p>
+
+<p>"Why are you here?" asked Terribus.</p>
+
+<p>"Partly by chance and partly from curiosity," answered Prince
+Marvel. "No one in this island, except your own people, had ever
+seen the king of Spor; so, finding myself in your country, I
+decided to come here and have a look at you."</p>
+
+<p>The faces of the people who stood about the throne wore
+frightened looks at the unheard of boldness of this speech to
+their terrible monarch. But the king merely nodded and
+inquired:</p>
+
+<p>"Since you have seen me, what do you think of me?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am sorry you asked that question," returned the prince;
+"for I must confess you are a very frightful-looking creature,
+and not at all agreeable to gaze upon."</p>
+
+<p>"Ha! you are honest, as well as frank," exclaimed the king. "But
+that is the reason I do not leave my kingdom, as you will readily
+understand. And that is the reason I never permit strangers to
+come here, under penalty of death. So long as no one knows the
+King of Spor is a monster people will not gossip about my looks,
+and I am very sensitive regarding my personal appearance. You
+will perhaps understand that if I could have chosen I should have
+been born beautiful instead of ugly."</p>
+
+<p>"I certainly understand that. And permit me to say I wish you
+were beautiful. I shall probably dream of you for many nights,"
+added the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Not for many," said King Terribus, quietly. "By coming here you
+have chosen death, and the dead do not dream."</p>
+
+<p>"Why should I die?" inquired Prince Marvel, curiously.</p>
+
+<p>"Because you have seen me. Should I allow you to go away you
+would tell the world about my ugly face. I do not like to kill
+you, believe me; but you must pay the penalty of your
+rashness--you and the man behind you."</p>
+
+<p>Nerle smiled at this; but whether from pride at being called a
+man or in pleasurable anticipation of the sufferings to come I
+leave you to guess.</p>
+
+<p>"Will you allow me to object to being killed?" asked the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly," answered the king, courteously. "I expect you to
+object. It is natural. But it will do you no good."</p>
+
+<p>Then Terribus turned to an attendant and commanded:</p>
+
+<p>"Send hither the Fool-Killer."</p>
+
+<p>At this Prince Marvel laughed outright.</p>
+
+<p>"The Fool-Killer!" he cried; "surely your Majesty does me
+little credit. Am I, then, a fool?"</p>
+
+<p>"You entered my kingdom uninvited," retorted the king, "and you
+tell me to my face I am ugly. Moreover, you laugh when I condemn
+you to death. From this I conclude the Fool-Killer is the proper
+one to execute you. Behold!"</p>
+
+<p>Marvel turned quickly, to find a tall, stalwart man standing
+behind him. His features were strong but very grave, and the
+prince caught a look of compassion in his eye as their gaze met.
+His skin was fair and without blemish, a robe of silver cloth
+fell from his shoulders, and in his right hand he bore a gleaming
+sword.</p>
+
+<p>"Well met!" cried Marvel, heartily, as he bowed to the
+Fool-Killer. "I have often heard your name mentioned, but 'tis
+said in the world that you are a laggard in your duty."</p>
+
+<p>"Had I my way," answered the Fool-Killer, "my blade would
+always drip. It is my master, yonder, who thwarts my duty." And
+he nodded toward King Terribus.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you should exercise your right on him, and cleave the ugly
+head from his shoulders," declared the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Nay, unless I interfered with the Fool-Killer," said the
+king, "I should soon have no subjects left to rule; for at one
+time or another they all deserve the blade."</p>
+
+<p>"Why, that may be true enough," replied Prince Marvel. "But I
+think, under such circumstances, your Fool-Killer is a needless
+servant. So I will rid you of him in a few moments."</p>
+
+<p>With that he whipped out his sword and stood calmly
+confronting the Fool-Killer, whose grave face never changed in
+expression as he advanced menacingly upon his intended victim.
+The blades clashed together, and that of the Fool-Killer broke
+short off at the hilt. He took a step backward, stumbled and fell
+prone upon the rocky floor, while Prince Marvel sprang forward
+and pressed the point of his sword against his opponent's
+breast.</p>
+
+<p>"Hold!" cried the king, starting to his feet. "Would you slay my
+Fool-Killer? Think of the harm you would do the world!"</p>
+
+<p>"But he is laggard and unfaithful to his calling!" answered
+the prince, sternly.</p>
+
+<p>"Nevertheless, if he remove but one fool a year he is a benefit
+to mankind," declared the king. "Release him, I pray you!"</p>
+
+<p>Then the victor withdrew his sword and stood aside, while the
+Fool-Killer slowly got upon his feet and bowed humbly before the
+king.</p>
+
+<p>"Go!" shouted Terribus, his eye flashing angrily. "You have
+humiliated me before my enemy. As an atonement see that you kill
+me a fool a day for sixty days."</p>
+
+<p>Hearing this command, many of the people about the throne
+began to tremble; but the king paid no attention to their fears,
+and the Fool-Killer bowed again before his master and withdrew
+from the chamber.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="IX" id="IX">Chapter 9.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Royal Dragon of Spor</h3>
+
+<p>"Now," said Terribus, regarding the prince gloomily, "I must
+dispose of you in another way."</p>
+
+<p>For a moment he dropped his scarlet head in thought. Then he
+turned fiercely upon his attendants.</p>
+
+<p>"Let the Wrestler come forward!" he shouted, as loudly as his
+mild voice would carry.</p>
+
+<p>Instantly a tall blackamoor advanced from the throng and cast
+off his flowing robe, showing a strong figure clad only in a
+silver loincloth.</p>
+
+<p>"Crack me this fellow's bones!" commanded Terribus.</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your Majesty will not compel me to touch him," said
+Prince Marvel, with a slight shudder; "for his skin is greasy,
+and will soil my hands. Here, Nerle!" he continued, turning to
+his esquire, "dispose of this black man, and save me the
+trouble."</p>
+
+<p>Nerle laughed pleasantly. The black was a powerfully built man,
+and compared with Nerle and the prince, who had but the stature
+of boys, he towered like a very giant in size. Nevertheless,
+Nerle did not hesitate to spring upon the Wrestler, who with a
+quick movement sent the boy crashing against the stone pavement.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle was much bruised by the fall, and as he painfully raised
+himself to his feet a great lump was swelling behind his left
+ear, where his head had struck the floor, and he was so dizzy
+that the room seemed swimming around him in a circle. But he gave
+a happy little laugh, and said to the prince, gratefully:</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you very much, my master! The fall is hurting me
+delightfully. I almost feel as if I could cry, and that would be
+joy indeed!"</p>
+
+<p>"Well," answered the prince, with a sigh, "I see I must get my
+hands greased after all"--for the black's body had really been
+greased to enable him to elude the grasp of his opponents.</p>
+
+<p>But Marvel made a quick leap and seized the Wrestler firmly
+around the waist. The next moment, to the astonishment of all,
+the black man flew swiftly into the air, plunged through one of
+the open windows high up in the wall, and disappeared from view.
+When the king and his people again turned their wondering eyes
+upon the prince he was wiping his hands carefully upon a silk
+handkerchief.</p>
+
+<p>At this sight a pretty young girl, who stood near the throne,
+laughed aloud, and the sound of her laughter made King Terribus
+very angry.</p>
+
+<p>"Come here!" he commanded, sternly. The girl stepped forward, her
+face now pale and frightened, while tear-drops trembled upon the
+lashes that fringed her downcast eyes. "You have dared to laugh
+at the humiliation of your king," said Terribus, his horrid face
+more crimson than ever, "and as atonement I command that you
+drink of the poisoned cup."</p>
+
+<p>Instantly a dwarf came near, bearing a beautiful golden goblet
+in his crooked hands.</p>
+
+<p>"Drink!" he said, an evil leer upon his face.</p>
+
+<p>The girl well knew this goblet contained a vile poison, one
+drop of which on her tongue would cause death; so she hesitated,
+trembling and shrinking from the ordeal.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel looked into her sweet face with pitying eyes, and
+stepping quickly to her side, took her hand in his.</p>
+
+<p>"Now drink!" he said, smiling upon her; "the poison will not
+hurt you."</p>
+
+<p>She drank obediently, while the dwarf chuckled with awful glee
+and the king looked on eagerly, expecting her to fall dead at his
+feet. But instead the girl stood upright and pressed Marvel's
+hand, looking gratefully into his face.</p>
+
+<p>"You are a fairy!" she whispered, so low that no one else
+heard her voice. "I knew that you would save me."</p>
+
+<p>"Keep my secret," whispered the prince in return, and still
+holding her hand he led her back to her former place.</p>
+
+<p>King Terribus was almost wild with rage and disappointment,
+and his elephant nose twisted and squirmed horribly.</p>
+
+<p>"So you dare to thwart my commands, do you!" he cried, excitedly.
+"Well, we shall soon see which of us is the more powerful. I have
+decreed your death--and die you shall!"</p>
+
+<p>For a moment his eye roved around the chamber uncertainly.
+Then he shouted, suddenly:</p>
+
+<p>"Ho, there! Keepers of the royal menagerie--appear!"</p>
+
+<p>Three men entered the room and bowed before the king. They
+were of the Gray Men of the mountains, who had followed Prince
+Marvel and Nerle through the rocky passes.</p>
+
+<p>"Bring hither the Royal Dragon," cried the king, "and let him
+consume these strangers before my very eyes!"</p>
+
+<p>The men withdrew, and presently was heard a distant shouting,
+followed by a low rumbling sound, with groans, snorts, roars and
+a hissing like steam from the spout of a teakettle.</p>
+
+<p>The noise and shouting drew nearer, while the people huddled
+together like frightened sheep; and then suddenly the doors flew
+open and the Royal Dragon advanced to the center of the room.</p>
+
+<p>This creature was at once the pride and terror of the Kingdom
+of Spor. It was more than thirty feet in length and covered
+everywhere with large green scales set with diamonds, making the
+dragon, when it moved, a very glittering spectacle. Its eyes were
+as big as pie-plates, and its mouth--when wide opened--fully as
+large as a bath-tub. Its tail was very long and ended in a golden
+ball, such as you see on the top of flagstaffs. Its legs, which
+were as thick as those of an elephant, had scales which were set
+with rubies and emeralds. It had two monstrous, big ears and two
+horns of carved ivory, and its teeth were also carved into
+various fantastic shapes--such as castles, horses' heads,
+chinamen and griffins--so that if any of them broke it would make
+an excellent umbrella handle.</p>
+
+<p>The Royal Dragon of Spor came crawling into the throne-room
+rather clumsily, groaning and moaning with every step and waving
+its ears like two blankets flying from a clothesline.</p>
+
+<p>The king looked on it and frowned.</p>
+
+<p>"Why are you not breathing fire and brimstone?" he demanded,
+angrily.</p>
+
+<p>"Why, I was caught out in a gale the other night," returned
+the Dragon, rubbing the back of its ear with its left front paw,
+as it paused and looked at the king, "and the wind put out my
+fire."</p>
+
+<p>"Then why didn't you light it again?" asked Terribus, turning on
+the keepers.</p>
+
+<p>"We--we were out of matches, your Majesty!" stammered the
+trembling Gray Men.</p>
+
+<p>"So--ho!" yelled the king, and was about to order the keepers
+beheaded; but just then Nerle pulled out his match-box, lit one
+of the matches, and held it in front of the Dragon's mouth.
+Instantly the creature's breath caught fire; and it began to
+breathe flames a yard in length.</p>
+
+<p>"That's better," sighed the Dragon, contentedly. "I hope your
+Majesty is now satisfied."</p>
+
+<p>"No,--I am not satisfied!" declared King Terribus. "Why do you
+not lash your tail?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ah, I can't do that!" replied the Dragon. "It's all stiffened
+up with rheumatism from the dampness of my cave. It hurts too
+much to lash it."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, then, gnash your teeth!" commanded the king.</p>
+
+<p>"Tut--tut!" answered the Dragon, mildly; "I can't do that,
+either; for since you had them so beautifully carved it makes my
+teeth ache to gnash them."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, then, what are you good for?" cried the king, in a fury.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't I look awful? Am I not terrible to gaze on?" inquired
+the Dragon, proudly, as it breathed out red and yellow flames and
+made them curl in circles around its horns. "I guess there's no
+need for me to suggest terror to any one that happens to see me,"
+it added, winking one of the pie-plate eyes at King Terribus.</p>
+
+<p>The king looked at the monster critically, and it really seemed
+to him that it was a frightful thing to behold. So he curbed his
+anger and said, in his ordinary sweet voice:</p>
+
+<p>"I have called you here to destroy these two strangers."</p>
+
+<p>"How?" asked the Dragon, looking upon Prince Marvel and Nerle
+with interest.</p>
+
+<p>"I am not particular," answered the king. "You may consume
+them with your fiery breath, or smash them with your tail, or
+grind them to atoms between your teeth, or tear them to pieces
+with your claws. Only, do hurry up and get it over with!"</p>
+
+<p>"Hm-m-m!" said the Dragon, thoughtfully, as if it didn't relish
+the job; "this one isn't Saint George, is it?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, no!" exclaimed the king, irritably; "it's Prince Marvel.
+Do get to work as soon as possible."</p>
+
+<p>"Prince Marvel--Prince Marvel," repeated the Dragon. "Why, there
+isn't a prince in the whole world named Marvel! I'm pretty well
+posted on the history of royal families, you know. I'm afraid
+he's Saint George in disguise."</p>
+
+<p>"Isn't your name Prince Marvel?" inquired the king, turning to
+the boyish-looking stranger.</p>
+
+<p>"It is," answered Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, it's mighty strange I've never heard of you," persisted
+the Dragon. "But tell me, please, how would you prefer to be
+killed?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, I'm not going to be killed at all," replied the prince,
+laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you hear that, Terribus?" asked the Dragon, turning to the
+king; "he says he isn't going to be killed."</p>
+
+<p>"But I say he is!" cried Terribus. "I have decreed his death."</p>
+
+<p>"But do you suppose I'm going to kill a man against his will?"
+inquired the Dragon, in a reproachful voice; "and such a small
+man, too! Do you take me for a common assassin--or a
+murderer?"</p>
+
+<p>"Do you intend to obey my orders?" roared the king.</p>
+
+<p>"No, I don't; and that's flat!" returned the Dragon, sharply.
+"It's time for me to take my cough medicine; so if you've nothing
+more to say I'll go back to my cave."</p>
+
+<p>"Go, go, go!" shrieked the king, stamping his foot in passion.
+"You've outlived your usefulness! You're a coward! You're a
+traitor! You're a--a--a--"</p>
+
+<p>"I'm a dragon and a gentleman!" answered the monster, proudly,
+as the king paused for lack of a word; "and I believe I know
+what's proper for dragons to do and what isn't. I've learned
+wisdom from my father, who got into trouble with Saint George,
+and if I fought with this person who calls himself Prince Marvel,
+I'd deserve to be a victim of your Fool-Killer. Oh, I know my
+business, King Terribus; and if you knew yours, you'd get rid of
+this pretended prince as soon as possible!"</p>
+
+<p>With this speech he winked at Prince Marvel, turned soberly
+around and crawled from the room. One of the keepers got too near
+and the Dragon's breath set fire to his robe, the flames being
+with difficulty extinguished; and the gold ball on the end of the
+Dragon's tail struck a giant upon his shins and made him dance
+and howl in pain.</p>
+
+<p>But, aside from these slight accidents, the monster managed to
+leave the throne-room without undue confusion, and every one,
+including the king, seemed glad to be rid of him.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="X" id="X">Chapter 10.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>Prince Marvel Wins His Fight</h3>
+
+<p>When the door had closed on the Royal Dragon, King Terribus
+turned again to Prince Marvel, while his crimson face glowed with
+embarrassment, and his front eye rolled with baffled rage as he
+thought how vain had been all his efforts to kill this impudent
+invader of his domains.</p>
+
+<p>But his powers were by no means exhausted. He was a mighty
+king--the mightiest of all in the Enchanted Island, he
+believed--and ways to destroy his enemies were numerous.</p>
+
+<p>"Send for a hundred of my Gray Men!" he suddenly cried; and a
+courtier ran at once to summon them. The Gray Men would obey his
+orders without question, he well knew. They were silent,
+stubborn, quick, and faithful to their king. Terribus had but to
+command and his will would be obeyed.</p>
+
+<p>They entered the room so quietly that Nerle never knew they
+were there until he turned and found the hundred gray ones
+standing close together in the center of the hall. Then Prince
+Marvel came to Nerle's side and whispered something in his
+ear.</p>
+
+<p>"Will you obey my orders?" they heard the king ask. And the Gray
+Men, with their eyes fixed upon their master, nodded all their
+hundred heads and put their hands upon the dangerous three-tined
+forks that were stuck in every one of the hundred belts.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel handed one end of a coiled rope to Nerle, and
+then they both sprang forward and ran around the spot where the
+hundred Gray Men stood huddled together. Then they were pulled
+closer together than before--closer, and still closer--for the
+prince and Nerle had surrounded them with the rope and were tying
+the two ends together in a tight knot. The rope cut into the
+waists of those on the outside, and they pressed inward against
+their fellows until there was scarcely space to stick a
+knife-blade between any two of them. When the prince had tied the
+rope firmly King Terribus, who had been looking on amazed, saw
+that his hundred Gray Men were fastened together like a bundle of
+kindling-wood, and were unable to stir hand or foot.</p>
+
+<p>And, while he still gazed open-mouthed at the strange sight,
+Prince Marvel tilted the bundle of men up on its edge and rolled
+it out of the door. It went rolling swiftly through the courtyard
+and bounded down the castle steps, where the rope broke and the
+men fell sprawling in all directions on the marble walk.</p>
+<p>King Terribus sighed, for such treatment of his Gray Men, whom
+he dearly loved, made him very unhappy.</p>
+
+<p>But more than ever was he resolved to kill these impudent
+strangers, who, in the very heart of his kingdom where thousands
+bowed to his will, dared openly defy his power. So, after a
+moment's thought, Terribus beckoned to a dwarf who, robed in gay
+and glittering apparel, stood near his throne.</p>
+
+<p>"Summon the royal Dart Slingers!" he said, with a scowl.</p>
+
+<p>The little man bowed and hastened away, to return presently with
+twenty curiously crooked dwarfs, each armed with a sling and a
+quiver full of slender, sharp-pointed darts.</p>
+
+<p>"Slay me these strangers!" exclaimed the king, in his gruffest
+voice.</p>
+
+<p>Now Nerle, when he beheld these terrible Dart Slingers, of whom
+he had heard many tales in his boyhood, began to shiver and shake
+with fright, so that his teeth rattled one upon another. And he
+reflected: "Soon shall I be content, for these darts will
+doubtless pierce every part of my body."</p>
+
+<p>The dwarfs formed a line at one side of the gloomy
+throne-room, and Prince Marvel, who had been earnestly regarding
+them, caught Nerle by the arm and led him to the opposite
+wall.</p>
+
+<p>"Stand close behind me and you will be safe," he whispered to his
+esquire.</p>
+
+<p>Then each dwarf fixed a dart in his sling, and at a word from
+their chief they all drew back their arms and launched a shower
+of the sharp missiles at the strangers.</p>
+
+<p>Swift and true they sped, each dart intended to pierce the body
+of the youthful knight who stood so calm before them. Prince
+Marvel had raised his right arm, and in his hand was a small
+leather sack, with a wide mouth. As the darts flew near him a
+strange thing happened: they each and all swerved from their true
+course and fell rattling into the leathern sack, to the wonder of
+the royal slingers and the dismay of King Terribus himself.</p>
+
+<p>"Again!" screamed the king, his usually mild voice hoarse with
+anger.</p>
+
+<p>So again the dwarfs cast their darts, and again the leathern sack
+caught them every one. Another flight followed, and yet another,
+till the magic sack was packed full of the darts and not a dwarf
+had one remaining in his quiver.</p>
+
+<p>Amid the awed silence of the beholders of this feat the merry
+laughter of Prince Marvel rang loud and clear; for the sight of
+the puzzled and terrified faces about him was very comical.
+Plucking a dart from the sack he raised his arm and cried:</p>
+
+<p>"Now it is my turn. You shall have back your darts!"</p>
+
+<p>"Hold!" shouted the king, in great fear. "Do not, I beg you,
+slay my faithful servants." And with a wave of his hand he
+dismissed the dwarfs, who were glad to rush from the room and
+escape.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle wiped the tears from his eyes, for he was sorely
+disappointed at having again escaped all pain and discomfort; but
+Prince Marvel seated himself quietly upon a stool and looked at
+the scowling face of King Terribus with real amusement.</p>
+
+<p>The monarch of Spor had never before been so foiled and
+scorned by any living creature. Defeated and humbled before his
+own people, he bowed his crimson head on his hands and sullenly
+regarded his foe with his top eye. Then it was that the idea came
+to him that no ordinary mortal could have thwarted him so easily,
+and he began to fear he was dealing--perhaps unawares--with some
+great magician or sorcerer. That a fairy should have assumed a
+mortal form he never once considered, for such a thing was until
+then unheard of in the Enchanted Island of Yew. But with the
+knowledge that he had met his master, whoever he might prove to
+be, and that further attempts upon the stranger's life might lead
+to his own undoing, King Terribus decided to adopt a new line of
+conduct, hoping to accomplish by stratagem what he could not do
+by force. To be sure, there remained his regiment of Giants, the
+pride of his kingdom; but Terribus dreaded to meet with another
+defeat; and he was not at all sure, after what had happened, that
+the giants would succeed in conquering or destroying the
+strangers.</p>
+
+<p>"After all," he thought, "my only object in killing them was to
+prevent their carrying news of my monstrous appearance to the
+outside world; so if I can but manage to keep them forever in my
+kingdom it will answer my purpose equally well."</p>
+<p>As the result of this thought he presently raised his head and
+spoke to Prince Marvel in a quiet and even cheerful voice.</p>
+
+<p>"Enough of these rude and boisterous games," said he, with a
+smile that showed his white teeth in a repulsive manner. "They
+may have seemed to my people an ill welcome to my good friend,
+Prince Marvel; yet they were only designed to show the powers of
+the mighty magician who has become my guest. Nay, do not deny it,
+Prince; from the first I guessed your secret, and to prove myself
+right I called my servants to oppose you, being sure they could
+not do you an injury. But no more of such fooling,--and pray
+forgive my merry game at your expense. Henceforth we shall be
+friends, and you are heartily welcome to the best my kingdom
+affords."</p>
+
+<p>With this speech Terribus stepped down from his throne and
+approached Prince Marvel with outstretched hand. The prince was
+not at all deceived, but he was pleased to see how cunningly the
+king excused his attempts to kill him. So he laughed and touched
+the hand Terribus extended, for this fairy prince seemed to have
+no anger against any mortal who ventured to oppose him.</p>
+
+<p>The strangers were now conducted, with every mark of respect, to
+a beautiful suite of apartments in the castle, wherein were soft
+beds with velvet spreads, marble baths with perfumed waters, and
+a variety of silken and brocaded costumes from which they might
+select a change of raiment.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had they bathed and adorned themselves fittingly
+than they were summoned to the king's banquet hall, being
+escorted thither by twelve young maidens bearing torches with
+lavender-colored flames.</p>
+
+<p>The night had fallen upon the mountains outside, but the great
+banquet hall was brilliant with the glow of a thousand candles,
+and seated at the head of the long table was King Terribus.</p>
+
+<p>Yet here, as in the throne-room, the ruler of Spor was dressed
+in simplest garments, and his seat was a rough block of stone.
+All about him were lords and ladies in gorgeous array; the walls
+were hung with rare embroideries; the table was weighted with
+gold platters and richly carved goblets filled with sweet
+nectars. But the king himself, with his horrid, ugly head, was
+like a great blot on a fair parchment, and even Prince Marvel
+could not repress a shudder as he gazed upon him.</p>
+
+<p>Terribus placed his guest upon his right hand and loaded him with
+honors. Nerle stood behind the prince's chair and served him
+faithfully, as an esquire should. But the other servants treated
+Nerle with much deference, noting in him an air of breeding that
+marked him the unusual servant of an unusual master.</p>
+
+<p>Indeed, most curious were the looks cast on these marvelous
+men who had calmly walked into the castle of mighty Terribus and
+successfully defied his anger; for in spite of his youthful
+appearance and smiling face every attendant at the banquet feared
+Prince Marvel even more than they feared their own fierce
+king.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XI" id="XI">Chapter 11.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Cunning of King Terribus</h3>
+
+<p>The days that followed were pleasant ones for Prince Marvel and
+Nerle, who were treated as honored guests by both the king and
+his courtiers. But the prince seemed to be the favorite, for at
+all games of skill and trials at arms he was invariably the
+victor, while in the evenings, when the grand ball-room was
+lighted up and the musicians played sweet music, none was so
+graceful in the dance as the fairy prince.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle soon tired of the games and dancing, for he had been
+accustomed to them at his father's castle; and moreover he was
+shy in the society of ladies; so before many weeks had passed he
+began to mope and show a discontented face.</p>
+
+<p>One day the prince noticed his esquire's dismal expression of
+countenance, and asked the cause of it.</p>
+
+<p>"Why," said Nerle, "here I have left my home to seek worries
+and troubles, and have found but the same humdrum life that
+existed at my father's castle. Here our days are made smooth and
+pleasant, and there is no excitement or grief, whatever. You have
+become a carpet-knight, Prince Marvel, and think more of bright
+eyes than of daring deeds. So, if you will release me from your
+service I will seek further adventures."</p>
+
+<p>"Nay," returned the prince, "we will go together; for I, too, am
+tired of this life of pleasure."</p>
+
+<p>So next morning Marvel sought the presence of King Terribus
+and said:</p>
+
+<p>"I have come to bid your Majesty adieu, for my esquire and I are
+about to leave your dominions."</p>
+
+<p>At first the king laughed, and his long nose began to sway
+from side to side. Then, seeing the prince was in earnest, his
+Majesty frowned and grew disturbed. Finally he said:</p>
+
+<p>"I must implore you to remain my guests a short time longer. No
+one has ever before visited me in my mountain home, and I do not
+wish to lose the pleasure of your society so soon."</p>
+
+<p>"Nevertheless, we must go," answered the prince, briefly.</p>
+
+<p>"Are you not contented?" asked Terribus. "Ask whatever you may
+desire, and it shall be granted you."</p>
+
+<p>"We desire adventures amid new scenes," said Marvel, "and
+these you can not give us except by permission to depart."</p>
+
+<p>Seeing his guest was obstinate the king ceased further argument
+and said:</p>
+
+<p>"Very well; go if you wish. But I shall hope to see you return
+to us this evening."</p>
+
+<p>The prince paid no heed to this peculiar speech, but left the
+hall and hurried to the courtyard of the castle, where Nerle was
+holding the horses in readiness for their journey.</p>
+
+<p>Standing around were many rows and files of the Gray Men, and
+when they reached the marble roadway they found it lined with
+motionless forms of the huge giants. But no one interfered with
+them in any way, although both Prince Marvel and Nerle knew that
+every eye followed them as they rode forward.</p>
+
+<p>Curiously enough, they had both forgotten from what direction
+they had approached the castle; for, whereas they had at that
+time noticed but one marble roadway leading to the entrance, they
+now saw that there were several of these, each one connecting
+with a path through the mountains.</p>
+
+<p>"It really doesn't matter which way we go, so long as we get
+away from the Kingdom of Spor," said Prince Marvel; so he
+selected a path by chance, and soon they were riding through a
+mountain pass.</p>
+
+<p>The pleased, expectant look on Nerle's face had gradually turned
+to one of gloom.</p>
+
+<p>"I hoped we should have a fight to get away," he said, sadly;
+"and in that case I might have suffered considerable injury and
+pain. But no one has injured us in any way, and perhaps King
+Terribus is really glad to be rid of us."</p>
+
+<p>"With good reason, too, if such is the case," laughed Marvel;
+"for, mark you, Nerle, the king has discovered we are more
+powerful than he is, and had he continued to oppose us, we might
+have destroyed his entire army."</p>
+
+<p>On they rode through the rough hill paths, winding this way
+and that, until they lost all sense of the direction in which
+they were going.</p>
+
+<p>"Never mind," said the prince; "so long as we get farther and
+farther away from the ugly Terribus I shall be satisfied."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps we are getting into more serious danger than ever,"
+answered Nerle, brightening; "one of the giants told me the other
+day that near the foot of these mountains is the Kingdom of the
+High Ki of Twi."</p>
+
+<p>"Who is the High Ki of Twi?" asked Prince Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"No one knows," answered Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"And what is the Kingdom of Twi like?"</p>
+
+<p>"No one knows that," answered Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"Then," returned the prince, with a smile, "if by chance we visit
+the place we shall know more than any one else."</p>
+
+<p>At noon they ate luncheon by the wayside, Nerle having filled
+his pouch by stealth at the breakfast table. There were great
+fragments of rock lying all about them, and the sun beat down so
+fiercely that the heat reflected from the rocks was hard to bear.
+So the travelers did not linger over their meal, but remounted
+and rode away as soon as possible. When the sun began to get
+lower in the sky the rocks beside the path threw the riders into
+shadow, so that their journey became more pleasant. They rode
+along, paying little attention to the way, but talking and
+laughing merrily together, until it began to grow dark.</p>
+
+<p>"Does this path never end?" asked Prince Marvel, suddenly. "We
+ought to reach some place where men dwell before long, else we
+shall be obliged to spend the night among these rocks."</p>
+
+<p>"And then perhaps the wolves will attack us," said Nerle,
+cheerfully, "and tear us into pieces with their sharp teeth and
+claws."</p>
+
+<p>But even as he spoke they rode around a turn in the path and saw
+a sight that made them pause in astonishment. For just before
+them rose the castle of King Terribus, and along both sides of
+the marble walk leading up to it were ranged the lines of giants,
+exactly as they had stood in the morning.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle turned around in his saddle. Sure enough, there were the
+Gray Men in the rear--stepping from behind every boulder and
+completely filling the rocky pathway.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, what shall we do?" asked the esquire; "fight?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, indeed!" returned Prince Marvel, laughing at his friend's
+eager face. "It appears the path we chose winds around in a
+circle, and so has brought us back to our starting-point. So we
+must make the best of a bad blunder and spend another night with
+our ugly friend King Terribus."</p>
+
+<p>They rode forward through the rows of giants to the castle, where
+the ever-courteous servants took their horses and escorted them
+to their former handsome apartments with every mark of respect.</p>
+
+<p>No one seemed in the least surprised at their speedy return,
+and this fact at first puzzled Nerle, and then made him
+suspicious.</p>
+
+<p>After bathing and dusting their clothing they descended to the
+banquet hall, where King Terribus sat upon his gray stone throne
+and welcomed them with quiet courtesy.</p>
+
+<p>The sight of the king's crimson skin and deformed face sent a
+thrill of repugnance through Prince Marvel, and under the impulse
+of a sudden thought he extended his hand toward Terribus and
+whispered a magic word which was unheard by any around him.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle did not notice the prince's swift gesture nor the whispered
+word; but he was staring straight at Terribus at the time, and he
+saw with surprise the eye on the top of the king's head move down
+toward his forehead, and the eye in the center of his forehead
+slide slightly toward the left, and the elephant-like nose shrink
+and shorten at the same time. Also it seemed to him that the
+king's skin was not so crimson in color as before, and that a
+thin growth of hair had covered his head.</p>
+
+<p>However, no one else appeared to notice any change--least of
+all Terribus--so Nerle seated himself at the table and began to
+eat.</p>
+
+<p>"It was very kind of you to return so soon to my poor castle,"
+said the king to Prince Marvel, in his sweet voice.</p>
+
+<p>"We could not help it," laughed the prince, in reply; "for the
+road wound right and left until we knew not which way we
+traveled; and then it finally circled around again to your
+castle. But to-morrow we shall seek a new path and bid you
+farewell forever."</p>
+
+<p>"Still," remarked the king, gravely, "should you again miss your
+way, I shall be glad to welcome your return."</p>
+
+<p>The prince bowed politely by way of reply, and turned to
+address the little maiden he had once saved from death by poison.
+And so in feasting, dancing and laughter the evening passed
+pleasantly enough to the prince, and it was late when he called
+Nerle to attend him to their apartment.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XII" id="XII">Chapter 12.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Gift of Beauty</h3>
+
+<p>The following morning Marvel and Nerle once more set out to leave
+the Kingdom of Spor and its ugly king. They selected another
+pathway leading from the castle and traveled all day, coming at
+nightfall into view of the place whence they had started, with
+its solemn rows of giants and Gray Men standing ready to receive
+them.</p>
+
+<p>This repetition of their former experience somewhat annoyed
+the prince, while Nerle's usually despondent face wore a
+smile.</p>
+
+<p>"I see trouble ahead," murmured the esquire, almost cheerfully.
+"Since the king can not conquer us by force he intends to do it
+by sorcery."</p>
+
+<p>Marvel did not reply, but greeted the king quietly, while
+Terribus welcomed their return as calmly as if he well knew they
+could not escape him.</p>
+
+<p>That evening the prince made another pass toward the king with
+his hand and muttered again the magic word. Nerle was watching,
+and saw the upper eye of Terribus glide still farther down his
+forehead and the other eye move again toward the left. The
+swaying nose shrank to a few inches in length, and the skin that
+had once been so brilliantly crimson turned to a dull red color.
+This time the courtiers and ladies in waiting also noticed the
+change in the king's features, but were afraid to speak of it, as
+any reference to their monarch's personal appearance was by law
+punishable by death. Terribus saw the startled looks directed
+upon him, and raised his hand to feel of his nose and eyes; but
+thinking that if any change in his appearance had taken place, he
+must be uglier than before, he only frowned and turned away his
+head.</p>
+
+<p>The next day the king's guests made a third attempt to leave
+his dominions, but met with no better success than before, for a
+long and tedious ride only brought them back to their
+starting-place in the evening.</p>
+
+<p>This time Prince Marvel was really angry, and striding into the
+king's presence he reproached him bitterly, saying:</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you prevent us from leaving your kingdom? We have not
+injured you in any way."</p>
+
+<p>"You have seen ME, returned Terribus, calmly, "and I do not
+intend you shall go back to the world and tell people how ugly I
+am."</p>
+
+<p>The prince looked at him, and could not repress a smile. The
+two eyes of the king, having been twice removed from their first
+position, were now both in his forehead, instead of below it, and
+one was much higher than the other. And the nose, although small
+when compared to what it had been, still resembled an elephant's
+trunk. Other changes had been made for the better, but Terribus
+was still exceedingly repulsive to look upon.</p>
+
+<p>Seeing the prince look at him and smile, the king flew into a
+fury of anger and declared that the strangers should never, while
+they lived, be permitted to leave his castle again. Prince Marvel
+became thoughtful at this, reflecting that the king's enmity all
+arose from his sensitiveness about his ugly appearance, and this
+filled the youthful knight with pity rather than resentment.</p>
+<p>When they had all assembled at the evening banquet the prince,
+for a third time, made a mystic pass at the king and whispered a
+magic word. And behold! this time the charm was complete. For the
+two front eyes of Terribus fell into their proper places, his
+nose became straight and well formed, and his skin took on a
+natural, healthy color. Moreover, he now had a fine head of soft
+brown hair, with eyebrows and eyelashes to match, and his head
+was shapely and in proportion to his body. As for the eye that
+had formerly been in the back of his head, it had disappeared
+completely.</p>
+
+<p>So amazed were the subjects of the transformed king--who was now
+quite handsome to look upon--that they began to murmur together
+excitedly, and something in the new sensations he experienced
+gave to the king's face likewise an expression of surprise.
+Knowing from their pleased looks that he must have improved in
+appearance, he found courage to raise his hand to his nose, and
+found it well formed. Then he touched his eyes, and realized they
+were looking straight out from his face, like those of other
+people.</p>
+
+<p>For some moments after making these discoveries the king
+remained motionless, a smile of joy gradually spreading over his
+features. Then he said, aloud:</p>
+
+<p>"What has happened? Why do you all look so startled?"</p>
+
+<p>"Your Majesty is no longer ugly," replied Marvel, laughingly;
+"so that when Nerle and I leave your kingdom we can proclaim
+nothing less than praise of your dignified and handsome
+appearance."</p>
+
+<p>"Is my face indeed pleasing?" demanded the king, eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>"It is!" cried the assembled courtiers and ladies, as with one
+voice.</p>
+
+<p>"Bring me a mirror!" said the king. "I shall look at my
+reflection for the first time in many years."</p>
+
+<p>The mirror being brought King Terribus regarded himself for a
+long time with pleased astonishment; and then, his sensitive
+nature being overcome by the shock of his good fortune, he burst
+into a flood of tears and rushed from the room.</p>
+
+<p>The courtiers and ladies now bestowed many grateful thanks upon
+Prince Marvel for his kind deed; for they realized that
+thereafter their lives would be safer from the king's anger and
+much pleasanter in every way.</p>
+
+<p>"Terribus is not bad by nature," said one; "but he brooded
+upon his ugliness so much that the least thing served to throw
+him into a violent passion, and our lives were never safe from
+one day to another."</p>
+
+<p>By and by two giants entered the hall and carried away the throne
+of gray stone where Terribus had been accustomed to sit; and
+other slaves brought a gorgeous throne of gold, studded with
+precious jewels, which they put in its place. And after a time
+the king himself returned to the room, his simple gray gown
+replaced by flowing robes of purple, with rich embroideries, such
+as he had not worn for many years.</p>
+
+<p>"My people," said he, addressing those present with kindness
+and dignity, "it seems to me fitting that a handsome king should
+be handsomely attired, and an ugly one clothed simply. For years
+I have been so terrible in feature that I dared not even look at
+my own image in a mirror. But now, thanks to the gracious magic
+of my guest, I have become like other men, and hereafter you will
+find my rule as kind as it was formerly cruel. To-night, in honor
+of this joyous occasion, we shall feast and make merry, and it is
+my royal command that you all do honor and reverence to the
+illustrious Prince Marvel!"</p>
+
+<p>A loud shout of approval greeted this speech, and the evening was
+merry indeed. Terribus joined freely in the revelry, laughing as
+gaily as the lightest-hearted damsel present.</p>
+
+<p>It was nearly morning before they all retired, and as they
+sought their beds Nerle asked the prince in a voice that sounded
+like an ill-natured growl:</p>
+
+<p>"Why did you give the king beauty, after his treatment of us?"</p>
+
+<p>Marvel looked at the reproachful face of his esquire and
+smiled. "When you are older," said he, "you will find that often
+there are many ways to accomplish a single purpose. The king's
+ugliness was the bar to our leaving his country, for he feared
+our gossip. So the easiest way for us to compass our escape was
+to take away his reason for detaining us. Thus I conquered the
+king in my own way, and at the same time gained his gratitude and
+friendship."</p>
+
+<p>"Will he allow us to depart in the morning?" inquired Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"I think so," said Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>It was late when they rose from their slumbers; but, having
+breakfasted, the prince's first act was to seek the king.</p>
+
+<p>"We wish to leave your kingdom," said he. "Will you let us
+go?"</p>
+
+<p>Terribus grasped the hand of his guest and pressed it with
+fervor, while tears of gratitude stood in his eyes.</p>
+
+<p>"I should prefer that you remain with me always, and be my
+friend," he answered. "But if you choose to leave me I shall not
+interfere in any way with your wishes."</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel looked at him thoughtfully, and then said: "My time
+on this island is short. In a few months Prince Marvel will have
+passed out of the knowledge of men, and his name will be
+forgotten. Before then I hope to visit the Kingdoms of Dawna and
+Auriel and Plenta; so I must not delay, but beg you will permit
+me to depart at once."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," answered Terribus. "Come with me, and I shall
+show you the way."</p>
+
+<p>He led the prince and Nerle to a high wall of rock, and placing
+his hand upon its rough surface, touched a hidden spring.
+Instantly an immense block of stone began to swing backward,
+disclosing a passage large enough for a man on horseback to ride
+through.</p>
+
+<p>"This is the one road that leads out of my kingdom," said
+Terribus. "The others all begin and end at the castle. So that
+unless you know the secret of this passage you could never escape
+from Spor."</p>
+
+<p>"But where does this road lead?" asked Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"To the Kingdom of Auriel, which you desire to visit. It is
+not a straight road, for it winds around the Land of Twi, so it
+will carry you a little out of your way."</p>
+
+<p>"What is the Land of Twi?" inquired the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"A small country hidden from the view of all travelers," said
+Terribus. "No one has ever yet found a way to enter the land of
+Twi; yet there is a rumor that it is ruled by a mighty personage
+called the High Ki."</p>
+
+<p>"And does the rumor state what the High Ki of Twi is like?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, indeed," returned the king, smiling, "so it will do you
+no good to be curious. And now farewell, and may good luck attend
+you. Yet bear in mind the fact that King Terribus of Spor owes
+you a mighty debt of gratitude; and if you ever need my services,
+you have but to call on me, and I shall gladly come to your
+assistance."</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you," said Marvel, "but there is small chance of my
+needing help. Farewell, and may your future life be pleasant and
+happy!"</p>
+
+<p>With this he sprang to the saddle of his prancing charger and,
+followed by Nerle, rode slowly through the stone arch. The
+courtiers and ladies had flocked from the palace to witness their
+departure, and the giants and dwarfs and Gray Men were drawn up
+in long lines to speed the king's guests. So it was a brilliant
+sight that Marvel and Nerle looked back on; but once they were
+clear of the arch, the great stone rolled back into its place,
+shutting them out completely from the Kingdom of Spor, with its
+turreted castle and transformed king.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XIII" id="XIII">Chapter 13.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Hidden Kingdom of Twi</h3>
+
+<p>Knowing that at last they were free to roam according to their
+desire, the travelers rode gaily along the paths, taking but
+scant heed of their way.</p>
+
+<p>"Our faces are set toward new adventures," remarked the
+prince. "Let us hope they will prove more pleasant than the
+last."</p>
+
+<p>"To be sure!" responded Nerle. "Let us hope, at any rate, that we
+shall suffer more privations and encounter more trouble than we
+did in that mountainous Kingdom of Spor." Then he added: "For one
+reason, I regret you are my master."</p>
+
+<p>"What is that reason?" asked the prince, turning to smile upon
+his esquire.</p>
+
+<p>"You have a way of overcoming all difficulties without any
+trouble whatsoever, and that deprives me of any chance of coming
+to harm while in your company."</p>
+
+<p>"Cheer up, my boy!" cried Marvel. "Did I not say there are new
+adventures before us? We may not come through them so easily as
+we came through the others."</p>
+
+<p>"That is true," replied Nerle; "it is always best to hope." And
+then he inquired: "Why do you stop here, in the middle of the
+path?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because the path has ended rather suddenly," answered Marvel.
+"Here is a thick hedge of prickly briers barring our way."</p>
+
+<p>Nerle looked over his master's shoulder and saw that a great
+hedge, high and exceedingly thick, cut off all prospect of their
+advancing.</p>
+
+<p>"This is pleasant," said he; "but I might try to force our way
+through the hedge. The briers would probably prick me severely,
+and that would be delightful."</p>
+
+<p>"Try it!" the prince returned, with twinkling eyes.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle sprang from his horse to obey, but at the first contact
+with the briers he uttered a howl of pain and held up his hands,
+which were bleeding in a dozen places from the wounds of the
+thorns.</p>
+
+<p>"Ah, that will content you for a time, I trust," said Marvel.
+"Now follow me, and we will ride along beside the hedge until we
+find an opening. For either it will come to an end or there will
+prove to be a way through it to the other side."</p>
+
+<p>So they rode alongside the hedge for hour after hour; yet it
+did not end, nor could they espy any way to get through the
+thickly matted briers. By and by night fell, and they tethered
+their horses to some shrubs, where there were a few scanty blades
+of grass for them to crop, and then laid themselves down upon the
+ground, with bare rocks for pillows, where they managed to sleep
+soundly until morning.</p>
+
+<p>They had brought a supply of food in their pouches, and on this
+they breakfasted, afterward continuing their journey beside the
+hedge.</p>
+
+<p>At noon Prince Marvel uttered an exclamation of surprise and
+stopped his horse.</p>
+
+<p>"What is it?" asked Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"I have found the handkerchief with which you wiped the blood
+from your hands yesterday morning, and then carelessly dropped,"
+replied the prince. "This proves that we have made a complete
+circle around this hedge without finding a way to pass through
+it."</p>
+
+<p>"In that case," said Nerle, "we had better leave the hedge and go
+in another direction."</p>
+
+<p>"Not so," declared Marvel. "The hedge incloses some unknown
+country, and I am curious to find out what it is."</p>
+
+<p>"But there is no opening," remonstrated Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"Then we must make one. Wouldn't you like to enjoy a little
+more pain?"</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you," answered Nerle, "my hands are still smarting very
+comfortably from the pricks of yesterday."</p>
+
+<p>"Therefore I must make the attempt myself," said the prince,
+and drawing his sword he whispered a queer word to it, and
+straightway began slashing at the hedge.</p>
+
+<p>The brambles fell fast before his blade, and when he had cut a
+big heap of branches from the hedge Nerle dragged them to one
+side, and the prince began again.</p>
+
+<p>It was marvelous how thick the hedge proved. Only a magic
+sword could have done this work and remained sharp, and only a
+fairy arm could have proved strong enough to hew through the
+tough wood. But the magic sword and fairy arm were at work, and
+naught could resist them.</p>
+
+<p>After a time the last branches were severed and dragged from the
+path, and then the travelers rode their horses through the gap
+into the unknown country beyond.</p>
+
+<p>They saw at first glance that it was a land of great beauty;
+but after that one look both Prince Marvel and Nerle paused and
+rubbed their eyes, to assure themselves that their vision was not
+blurred.</p>
+
+<p>Before them were two trees, exactly alike. And underneath the
+trees two cows were grazing--each a perfect likeness of the
+other. At their left were two cottages, with every door and
+window and chimney the exact counterpart of another. Before these
+houses two little boys were playing, evidently twins, for they
+not only looked alike and dressed alike, but every motion one
+made was also made by the other at the same time and in precisely
+the same way. When one laughed the other laughed, and when one
+stubbed his toe and fell down, the other did likewise, and then
+they both sat up and cried lustily at the same time.</p>
+
+<p>At this two women--it was impossible to tell one from the
+other--rushed out of the two houses, caught up the two boys,
+shook and dusted them in precisely the same way, and led them by
+their ears back into the houses.</p>
+
+<p>Again the astonished travelers rubbed their eyes, and then Prince
+Marvel looked at Nerle and said:</p>
+
+<p>"I thought at first that I saw everything double, but there
+seems to be only one of YOU."</p>
+
+<p>"And of you," answered the boy. "But see! there are two hills
+ahead of us, and two paths lead from the houses over the hills!
+How strange it all is!"</p>
+
+<p>Just then two birds flew by, close together and perfect mates;
+and the cows raised their heads and "mooed" at the same time; and
+two men--also twins--came over the two hills along the two paths
+with two dinner-pails in their hands and entered the two houses.
+They were met at the doors by the two women, who kissed them
+exactly at the same time and helped them off with their coats
+with the same motions, and closed the two doors with two slams at
+the same instant.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle laughed. "What sort of country have we got into?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Let us find out," replied the prince, and riding up to one of
+the houses he knocked on the door with the hilt of his sword.</p>
+
+<p>Instantly the doors of both houses flew open, and both men
+appeared in the doorways. Both started back in amazement at sight
+of the strangers, and both women shrieked and both little boys
+began to cry. Both mothers boxed the children's ears, and both
+men gasped out:</p>
+
+<p>"Who--who are you?"</p>
+
+<p>Their voices were exactly alike, and their words were spoken in
+unison. Prince Marvel replied, courteously:</p>
+
+<p>"We are two strangers who have strayed into your country. But
+I do not understand why our appearance should so terrify
+you."</p>
+
+<p>"Why--you are singular! There is only half of each of you!"
+exclaimed the two men, together.</p>
+
+<p>"Not so," said the prince, trying hard not to laugh in their
+faces. "We may be single, while you appear to be double; but each
+of us is perfect, nevertheless."</p>
+
+<p>"Perfect! And only half of you!" cried the men. And again the two
+women, who were looking over their husbands' shoulders, screamed
+at sight of the strangers; and again the two boys, who were
+clinging to their mothers' dresses in the same positions, began
+to cry.</p>
+
+<p>"We did not know such strange people existed!" said the two
+men, both staring at the strangers and then wiping the beads of
+perspiration from their two brows with two faded yellow
+handkerchiefs.</p>
+
+<p>"Nor did we!" retorted the prince. "I assure you we are as much
+surprised as you are."</p>
+
+<p>Nerle laughed again at this, and to hear only one of the
+strangers speak and the other only laugh seemed to terrify the
+double people anew. So Prince Marvel quickly asked:</p>
+
+<p>"Please tell us what country this is?"</p>
+
+<p>"The Land of Twi," answered both men, together.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! the Land of Twi. And why is the light here so dim?"
+continued the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Dim?" repeated the men, as if surprised; "why, this is
+twilight, of course."</p>
+
+<p>"Of course," said Nerle. "I hadn't thought of that. We are in the
+long hidden Land of Twi, which all men have heard of, but no man
+has found before."</p>
+
+<p>"And who may you be?" questioned the prince, looking from one
+man to the other, curiously.</p>
+
+<p>"We are Twis," they answered.</p>
+
+<p>"Twice?"</p>
+
+<p>"Twis--inhabitants of Twi."</p>
+
+<p>"It's the same thing," laughed Nerle. "You see everything
+twice in this land."</p>
+
+<p>"Are none of your people single?" asked Prince Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"Single," returned the men, as if perplexed. "We don't
+understand."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you all double?--or are some of you just one?" said the
+prince, who found it difficult to put his question plainly.</p>
+<p>"What does 'one' mean?" asked the men. "There is no such word
+as 'one' in our language."</p>
+
+<p>"They have no need of such a word," declared Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"We are only poor laborers," explained the men. "But over the
+hills lie the cities of Twi, where the Ki and the Ki-Ki dwell,
+and also the High Ki."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah!" said Marvel, "I've heard of your High Ki. Who is he?"</p>
+
+<p>The men shook their heads, together and with the same
+motion.</p>
+
+<p>"We have never seen the glorious High Ki," they answered. "The
+sight of their faces is forbidden. None but the Ki and the Ki-Ki
+has seen the Supreme Rulers and High Ki."</p>
+
+<p>"I'm getting mixed," said Nerle. "All this about the Ki and
+the Ki-Ki and the High Ki makes me dizzy. Let's go on to the city
+and explore it."</p>
+
+<p>"That is a good suggestion," replied the prince. "Good by, my
+friends," he added, addressing the men.</p>
+
+<p>They both bowed, and although they still seemed somewhat
+frightened they answered him civilly and in the same words, and
+closed their doors at the same time.</p>
+
+<p>So Prince Marvel and Nerle rode up the double path to the hills,
+and the two cows became frightened and ran away with the same
+swinging step, keeping an exact space apart. And when they were a
+safe distance they both stopped, looked over their right
+shoulders, and "mooed" at the same instant.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XIV" id="XIV">Chapter 14.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Ki and the Ki-Ki</h3>
+
+<p>From the tops of the hills the travelers caught their first
+glimpse of the wonderful cities of Twi. Two walls surrounded the
+cities, and in the walls were two gates just alike. Within the
+inclosures stood many houses, but all were built in pairs, from
+the poorest huts to the most splendid palaces. Every street was
+double, the pavements running side by side. There were two
+lamp-posts on every corner, and in the dim twilight that existed
+these lamp-posts were quite necessary. If there were trees or
+bushes anywhere, they invariably grew in pairs, and if a branch
+was broken on one it was sure to be broken on the other, and dead
+leaves fell from both trees at identically the same moment.</p>
+
+<p>Much of this Marvel and Nerle learned after they had entered the
+cities, but the view from the hills showed plainly enough that
+the "double" plan existed everywhere and in every way in this
+strange land.</p>
+
+<p>They followed the paths down to the gates of the walls, where
+two pairs of soldiers rushed out and seized their horses by the
+bridles. These soldiers all seemed to be twins, or at least
+mates, and each one of each pair was as like the other as are two
+peas growing in the same pod. If one had a red nose the other's
+was red in the same degree, and the soldiers that held the
+bridles of Nerle's horse both had their left eyes bruised and
+blackened, as from a blow of the same force.</p>
+
+<p>These soldiers, as they looked upon Nerle and the prince, seemed
+fully as much astonished and certainly more frightened than their
+prisoners. They were dressed in bright yellow uniforms with green
+buttons, and the soldiers who had arrested the prince had both
+torn their left coat-sleeves and had patches of the same shape
+upon the seats of their trousers.</p>
+
+<p>"How dare you stop us, fellows?" asked the prince,
+sternly.</p>
+
+<p>The soldiers holding his horse both turned and looked inquiringly
+at the soldiers holding Nerle's horse; and these turned to look
+at a double captain who came out of two doors in the wall and
+walked up to them.</p>
+
+<p>"Such things were never before heard of!" said the two
+captains, their startled eyes fixed upon the prisoners. "We must
+take them to the Ki and the Ki-Ki."</p>
+
+<p>"Why so?" asked Prince Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"Because," replied the officers, "they are our rulers, under
+grace of the High Ki, and all unusual happenings must be brought
+to their notice. It is our law, you know--the law of the Kingdom
+of Twi."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," said Marvel, quietly; "take us where you will; but
+if any harm is intended us you will be made to regret it."</p>
+
+<p>"The Ki and the Ki-Ki will decide," returned the captains
+gravely, their words sounding at the same instant.</p>
+
+<p>And then the two pairs of soldiers led the horses through the
+double streets, the captains marching ahead with drawn swords,
+and crowds of twin men and twin women coming from the double
+doors of the double houses to gaze upon the strange sight of men
+and horses who were not double.</p>
+
+<p>Presently they came upon a twin palace with twin turrets
+rising high into the air; and before the twin doors the prisoners
+dismounted. Marvel was escorted through one door and Nerle
+through another, and then they saw each other going down a double
+hallway to a room with a double entrance.</p>
+
+<p>Passing through this they found themselves in a large hall with
+two domes set side by side in the roof. The domes were formed of
+stained glass, and the walls of the hall were ornamented by
+pictures in pairs, each pair showing identically the same scenes.
+This, was, of course, reasonable enough in such a land, where two
+people would always look at two pictures at the same time and
+admire them in the same way with the same thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>Beneath one of the domes stood a double throne, on which sat
+the Ki of Twi--a pair of gray-bearded and bald-headed men who
+were lean and lank and stoop-shouldered. They had small eyes,
+black and flashing, long hooked noses, great pointed ears, and
+they were smoking two pipes from which the smoke curled in
+exactly the same circles and clouds.</p>
+
+<p>Beneath the other dome sat the Ki-Ki of Twi, also on double
+thrones, similar to those of the Ki. The Ki-Ki were two young
+men, and had golden hair combed over their brows and "banged"
+straight across; and their eyes were blue and mild in expression,
+and their cheeks pink and soft. The Ki-Ki were playing softly
+upon a pair of musical instruments that resembled mandolins, and
+they were evidently trying to learn a new piece of music, for
+when one Ki-Ki struck a false note the other Ki-Ki struck the
+same false note at the same time, and the same expression of
+annoyance came over the two faces at the same moment.</p>
+
+<p>When the prisoners entered, the pairs of captains and soldiers
+bowed low to the two pairs of rulers, and the Ki exclaimed--both
+in the same voice of surprise:</p>
+
+<p>"Great Kika-koo! what have we here?"</p>
+
+<p>"Most wonderful prisoners, your Highnesses," answered the
+captains. "We found them at your cities' gates and brought them
+to you at once. They are, as your Highnesses will see, each
+singular, and but half of what he should be."</p>
+
+<p>"'Tis so!" cried the double Ki, in loud voices, and slapping
+their right thighs with their right palms at the same time. "Most
+remarkable! Most remarkable!"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't see anything remarkable about it," returned Prince
+Marvel, calmly. "It is you, who are not singular, but double,
+that seem strange and outlandish."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps--perhaps!" said the two old men, thoughtfully. "It is
+what we are not accustomed to that seems to us remarkable. Eh,
+Ki-Ki?" they added, turning to the other rulers.</p>
+
+<p>The Ki-Ki, who had not spoken a word but continued to play
+softly, simply nodded their blond heads carelessly; so the Ki
+looked again at the prisoners and asked:</p>
+
+<p>"How did you get here?"</p>
+
+<p>"We cut a hole through the prickly hedge," replied Prince
+Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"A hole through the hedge! Great Kika-koo!" cried the
+gray-bearded Ki; "is there, then, anything or any place on the
+other side of the hedge?"</p>
+
+<p>"Why, of course! The world is there," returned the prince,
+laughing.</p>
+
+<p>The old men looked puzzled, and glanced sharply from their little
+black eyes at their prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>"We thought nothing existed outside the hedge of Twi," they
+answered, simply. "But your presence here proves we were wrong.
+Eh! Ki-Ki?"</p>
+
+<p>This last was again directed toward the pair of musicians, who
+continued to play and only nodded quietly, as before.</p>
+
+<p>"Now that you are here," said the twin Ki, stroking their two
+gray beards with their two left hands in a nervous way, "it must
+be evident to you that you do not belong here. Therefore you must
+go back through the hedge again and stay on the other side. Eh,
+Ki-Ki?"</p>
+
+<p>The Ki-Ki still continued playing, but now spoke the first words
+the prisoners had heard from them.</p>
+
+<p>"They must die," said the Ki-Ki, in soft and agreeable
+voices.</p>
+
+<p>"Die!" echoed the twin Ki, "die? Great Kika-koo! And why so?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because, if there is a world on the other side of the hedge,
+they would tell on their return all about the Land of Twi, and
+others of their kind would come through the hedge from curiosity
+and annoy us. We can not be annoyed. We are busy."</p>
+
+<p>Having delivered this speech both the Ki-Ki went on playing the
+new tune, as if the matter was settled.</p>
+
+<p>"Nonsense!" retorted the old Ki, angrily. "You are getting
+more and more bloodthirsty every day, our sweet and gentle Ki-Ki!
+But we are the Ki--and we say the prisoners shall not die!"</p>
+
+<p>"We say they shall!" answered the youthful Ki-Ki, nodding their
+two heads at the same time, with a positive motion. "You may be
+the Ki, but we are the Ki-Ki, and your superior."</p>
+
+<p>"Not in this case," declared the old men. "Where life and
+death are concerned we have equal powers with you."</p>
+
+<p>"And if we disagree?" asked the players, gently.</p>
+
+<p>"Great Kika-koo! If we disagree the High Ki must judge between
+us!" roared the twin Ki, excitedly.</p>
+
+<p>"Quite so," answered the Ki-Ki. "The strangers shall die."</p>
+
+<p>"They shall not die!" stormed the old men, with fierce
+gestures toward the others, while both pairs of black eyes
+flashed angrily.</p>
+
+<p>"Then we disagree, and they must be taken to the High Ki,"
+returned the blond musicians, beginning to play another tune.</p>
+
+<p>The two Ki rose from their thrones, paced two steps to the
+right and three steps to the left, and then sat down again.</p>
+
+<p>"Very well!" they said to the captains, who had listened unmoved
+to the quarrel of the rulers; "keep these half-men safe prisoners
+until to-morrow morning, and then the Ki-Ki and we ourselves will
+conduct them to the mighty High Ki."</p>
+
+<p>At this command the twin captains bowed again to both pairs of
+rulers and led Prince Marvel and Nerle from the room. Then they
+were escorted along the streets to the twin houses of the
+captains, and here the officers paused and scratched their left
+ears with uncertain gestures.</p>
+
+<p>"There being only half of each of you," they said, "we do not
+know how to lock each of you in double rooms."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, let us both occupy the same room," said Prince Marvel.
+"We prefer it."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," answered the captains; "we must transgress our usual
+customs in any event, so you may as well be lodged as you wish."</p>
+
+<p>So Nerle and the prince were thrust into a large and pleasant
+room of one of the twin houses, the double doors were locked upon
+them by twin soldiers, and they were left to their own
+thoughts.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XV" id="XV">Chapter 15.</a></h2>
+
+<h3> The High Ki of Twi</h3>
+
+<p>"Tell me, Prince, are we awake or asleep?" asked Nerle, as soon
+as they were alone.</p>
+
+<p>"There is no question of our being awake," replied the prince,
+with a laugh. "But what a curious country it is--and what a funny
+people!"</p>
+
+<p>"We can't call them odd or singular," said the esquire, "for
+everything is even in numbers and double in appearance. It makes
+me giddy to look at them, and I keep feeling of myself to make
+sure there is still only one of me."</p>
+
+<p>"You are but half a boy!" laughed the prince--"at least so
+long as you remain in the Land of Twi."</p>
+
+<p>"I'd like to get out of it in double-quick time," answered Nerle;
+"and we should even now be on the other side of the hedge were it
+not for that wicked pair of Ki-Ki, who are determined to kill
+us."</p>
+
+<p>"It is strange," said the prince, thoughtfully, "that the
+fierce-looking old Ki should be our friends and the gentle Ki-Ki
+our enemies. How little one can tell from appearances what sort
+of heart beats in a person's body!"</p>
+
+<p>Before Nerle could answer the two doors opened and two pairs of
+soldiers entered. They drew two small tables before the prince
+and two before Nerle, and then other pairs of twin soldiers came
+and spread cloths on the tables and set twin platters of meat and
+bread and fruit on each of the tables. When the meal had been
+arranged the prisoners saw that there was enough for four people
+instead of two; and the soldiers realized this also, for they
+turned puzzled looks first on the tables and then on the
+prisoners. Then they shook all their twin heads gravely and went
+away, locking the twin doors behind them.</p>
+
+<p>"We have one advantage in being singular," said Nerle,
+cheerfully; "and that is we are not likely to starve to death.
+For we can eat the portions of our missing twins as well as our
+own."</p>
+
+<p>"I should think you would enjoy starving," remarked the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"No; I believe I have more exquisite suffering in store for
+me, since I have met that gentle pair of Ki-Ki," said Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>While they were eating the two captains came in and sat down in
+two chairs. These captains seemed friendly fellows, and after
+watching the strangers for a while they remarked:</p>
+
+<p>"We are glad to see you able to eat so heartily; for to-morrow
+you will probably die."</p>
+
+<p>"That is by no means certain," replied Marvel, cutting a piece
+from one of the twin birds on a platter before him--to the
+extreme surprise of the captains, who had always before seen both
+birds carved alike at the same time. "Your gray-bearded old Ki
+say we shall not die."</p>
+
+<p>"True," answered the captains. "But the Ki-Ki have declared
+you shall."</p>
+
+<p>"Their powers seem to be equal," said Nerle, "and we are to be
+taken before the High Ki for judgment."</p>
+
+<p>"Therein lies your danger," returned the captains, speaking in
+the same tones and with the same accents on their words. "For it
+is well known the Ki-Ki has more influence with the High Ki than
+the Ki has."</p>
+
+<p>"Hold on!" cried Nerle; "you are making me dizzy again. I can't
+keep track of all these Kis."</p>
+
+<p>"What is the High Ki like?" asked Prince Marvel, who was much
+interested in the conversation of the captains. But this question
+the officers seemed unable to answer. They shook their heads
+slowly and said:</p>
+
+<p>"The High Ki are not visible to the people of Twi. Only in cases
+of the greatest importance are the High Ki ever bothered or even
+approached by the Ki and the Ki-Ki, who are supposed to rule the
+land according to their own judgment. But if they chance to
+disagree, then the matter is carried before the High Ki, who live
+in a palace surrounded by high walls, in which there are no
+gates. Only these rulers have ever seen the other side of the
+walls, or know what the High Ki are like."</p>
+
+<p>"That is strange," said the prince. "But we, ourselves, it
+seems, are to see the High Ki to-morrow, and whoever they may
+chance to be, we hope to remain alive after the interview."</p>
+
+<p>"That is a vain hope," answered the captains, "for it is well
+known that the High Ki usually decide in favor of the Ki-Ki, and
+against the wishes of the old Ki."</p>
+
+<p>"That is certainly encouraging," said Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>When the captains had gone and left them to themselves, the
+esquire confided to his master his expectations in the following
+speech:</p>
+
+<p>"This High Ki sounds something terrible and fierce in my ears,
+and as they are doubtless a pair, they will be twice terrible and
+fierce. Perhaps his royal doublets will torture me most
+exquisitely before putting me to death, and then I shall feel
+that I have not lived in vain."</p>
+
+<p>They slept in comfortable beds that night, although an empty twin
+bed stood beside each one they occupied. And in the morning they
+were served another excellent meal, after which the captains
+escorted them again to the twin palaces of the Ki and the Ki-Ki.</p>
+
+<p>There the two pairs of rulers met them and headed the long
+procession of soldiers toward the palace of the High Ki. First
+came a band of music, in which many queer sorts of instruments
+were played in pairs by twin musicians; and it was amusing to
+Nerle to see the twin drummers roll their twin drums exactly at
+the same time and the twin trumpets peal out twin notes. After
+the band marched the double Ki-Ki and the double Ki, their four
+bodies side by side in a straight line. The Ki-Ki had left their
+musical instruments in the palace, and now wore yellow gloves
+with green stitching down the backs and swung gold-headed canes
+jauntily as they walked. The Ki stooped their aged shoulders and
+shuffled along with their hands in their pockets, and only once
+did they speak, and that was to roar "Great Kika-koo!" when the
+Ki-Ki jabbed their canes down on the Ki's toes.</p>
+
+<p>Following the Ki-Ki and the Ki came the prince and Nerle,
+escorted by the twin captains, and then there were files of twin
+soldiers bringing up the rear.</p>
+
+<p>Crowds of twin people, with many twin children amongst them,
+turned out to watch the unusual display, and many pairs of twin
+dogs barked together in unison and snapped at the heels of the
+marching twin soldiers.</p>
+
+<p>By and by they reached the great wall surrounding the High Ki's
+palace, and, sure enough, there was never a gate in the wall by
+which any might enter. But when the Ki and the Ki-Ki had blown a
+shrill signal upon two pairs of whistles, they all beheld two
+flights of silver steps begin to descend from the top of the
+wall, and these came nearer and nearer the ground until at last
+they rested at the feet of the Ki. Then the old men began
+ascending the steps carefully and slowly, and the captains
+motioned to the prisoners to follow. So Prince Marvel followed
+one of the Ki up the steps and Nerle the other Ki, while the two
+Ki-Ki came behind them so they could not escape.</p>
+
+<p>So to the top of the wall they climbed, where a pair of twin
+servants in yellow and green--which seemed to be the royal
+colors--welcomed them and drew up the pair of silver steps,
+afterward letting them down on the other side of the wall, side
+by side.</p>
+
+<p>They descended in the same order as they had mounted to the top
+of the wall, and now Prince Marvel and Nerle found themselves in
+a most beautiful garden, filled with twin beds of twin flowers,
+with many pairs of rare shrubs. Also, there were several double
+statuettes on pedestals, and double fountains sending exactly the
+same sprays of water the same distance into the air.</p>
+
+<p>Double walks ran in every direction through the garden, and in
+the center of the inclosure stood a magnificent twin palace,
+built of blocks of white marble exquisitely carved.</p>
+
+<p>The Ki and the Ki-Ki at once led their prisoners toward the
+palace and entered at its large arched double doors, where
+several pairs of servants met them. These servants, they found,
+were all dumb, so that should they escape from the palace walls
+they could tell no tales of the High Ki.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoners now proceeded through several pairs of halls,
+winding this way and that, and at last came to a pair of golden
+double doors leading into the throne-room of the mighty High Ki.
+Here they all paused, and the Ki-Ki both turned to the prince and
+Nerle and said:</p>
+
+<p>"You are the only persons, excepting ourselves and the palace
+servants, who have ever been permitted to see the High Ki of Twi.
+As you are about to die, that does not matter; but should you by
+any chance be permitted to live, you must never breathe a word of
+what you are about to see, under penalty of a sure and horrible
+death."</p>
+
+<p>The prisoners made no reply to this speech, and, after the two
+Ki-Ki had given them another mild look from their gentle blue
+eyes, these officials clapped their twin hands together and the
+doors of gold flew open.</p>
+
+<p>A perfect silence greeted them, during which the double Ki and
+the double Ki-Ki bent their four bodies low and advanced into the
+throne-room, followed by Prince Marvel and Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>In the center of the room stood two thrones of dainty filigree
+work in solid gold, and over them were canopies of yellow velvet,
+the folds of which were caught up and draped with bands of green
+ribbon. And on the thrones were seated two of the sweetest and
+fairest little maidens that mortal man had ever beheld. Their
+lovely hair was fine as a spider's web; their eyes were kind and
+smiling, their cheeks soft and dimpled, their mouths shapely as a
+cupid's bow and tinted like the petals of a rose. Upon their
+heads were set two crowns of fine spun gold, worked into
+fantastic shapes and set with glittering gems. Their robes were
+soft silks of pale yellow, with strings of sparkling emeralds for
+ornament.</p>
+
+<p>Anything so lovely and fascinating as these little maids, who
+were precisely alike in every particular, neither Prince Marvel
+nor Nerle had ever dreamed could exist. They stood for a time
+spellbound and filled with admiration, while the two pairs of
+rulers bowed again and again before the dainty and lovable
+persons of their High Ki.</p>
+
+<p>But it was hard for Nerle to keep quiet for long, and
+presently he exclaimed, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all
+present:</p>
+
+<p>"By the Great Kika-koo of our friends the Ki, these darling High
+Ki of Twi are sweet enough to be kissed!"</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XVI" id="XVI">Chapter 16.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Rebellion of the High Ki</h3>
+
+<p>The bold speech of Nerle's made the two damsels laugh at the
+same time, and their sweet laughter sounded like rippling strains
+of harmonious music. But the two Ki-Ki frowned angrily, and the
+two Ki looked at the boy in surprise, as if wondering at his
+temerity.</p>
+
+<p>"Who are these strangers?" asked the pretty High Ki, speaking
+together as all the twins of Twi did; "and why are they not
+mates, but only half of each other?"</p>
+
+<p>"These questions, your Supreme Highnesses," said the
+blond-haired pair of Ki-Ki, "we are unable to answer."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps, then, the strangers can answer themselves," said the
+little maids, smiling first upon the Ki-Ki and then upon the
+prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel bowed.</p>
+
+<p>"I am from the great outside world," said he, "and my name is
+Prince Marvel. Until now I have never seen people that live in
+pairs, and speak in unison, and act in the same way and think the
+same thoughts. My world is much bigger than your world, and in it
+every person is proud to think and act for himself. You say I am
+only a 'half,' but that is not so. I am perfect, without a
+counterpart; my friend Nerle is perfect without a counterpart,
+and it is yourselves who are halved. For in the Land of Twi no
+person is complete or perfect without its other half, and it
+seems to take two of you to make one man--or one maid."</p>
+
+<p>The sweet faces of the twin High Ki grew thoughtful at this
+speech, and they said:</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed, it may be you are right. But it is our custom in Twi to
+do everything double and to live double." Then, turning to the
+Ki, they asked: "Why have you brought these strangers here?"</p>
+
+<p>"To ask your Supreme Highnesses to permit them to return again
+to the world from whence they came," answered the Ki, both of
+them regarding their supreme rulers earnestly.</p>
+
+<p>But here the Ki-Ki spoke up quickly in their mild voices, saying:</p>
+
+<p>"That is not our idea, your Highnesses. We, the Ki-Ki of Twi,
+think it best the strangers should be put to death. And we pray
+your Supreme Highnesses to favor our wish."</p>
+
+<p>The two little maids looked from the Ki to the Ki-Ki, and frowned
+and pouted their rosy lips in evident perplexity.</p>
+
+<p>But Nerle whispered to Prince Marvel:</p>
+
+<p>"It's all up with us! I know very well why her royal doublets
+always favors the Ki-Ki. It's because they are young and
+handsome, while the Ki are old and ugly. Both of her will condemn
+us to death--you see if she don't!"</p>
+
+<p>This seemed somewhat mixed, but Nerle was in earnest, and
+Prince Marvel, who had not forgotten his fairy lore, began to
+weave a silent spell over the head of the nearest twin High Ki.
+But just as it was completed, and before he had time to work the
+spell on the other twin, the Ki-Ki grew impatient, and
+exclaimed:</p>
+
+<p>"We beg your Highnesses not to keep us waiting. Let us have your
+decision at once!"</p>
+
+<p>And the twin maidens raised their fair heads and replied. But
+the reply was of such a nature that both the old Ki and both the
+young Ki-Ki staggered backward in amazement. For one of the twin
+High Ki said:</p>
+
+<p>"They shall die!"</p>
+
+<p>And the other twin High Ki said at the same instant:</p>
+
+<p>"They shall NOT die!"</p>
+
+<p>Had twin thunderbolts fallen through the twin roofs of the
+twin palaces and struck the twin Ki and the twin Ki-Ki upon their
+twin heads it would have created no more stupendous a sensation
+than did this remark. Never before had any two halves of a twin
+of the Land of Twi thought differently or spoken differently.
+Indeed, it startled the two maidens themselves as much as it did
+their hearers, for each one turned her head toward the other and,
+for the first time in her life, looked into the other's face!</p>
+
+<p>This act was fully as strange as their speech, and a sudden
+horrible thought came into the startled heads of the twin Ki and
+the twin Ki-Ki: THE HIGH KI OF TWI WAS NO LONGER ONE, BUT TWO.
+AND THESE TWO WERE THINKING AND ACTING EACH INDEPENDENT OF THE
+OTHER!</p>
+
+<p>It is no wonder the shock rendered them speechless for a time,
+and they stood swaying their four bodies, with their eight eyes
+bulging out like those of fishes and their four mouths wide open,
+as if the two pairs had become one quartet.</p>
+
+<p>The faces of the two maids flushed as they gazed upon each other.</p>
+
+<p>"How DARE you contradict me?" asked one.</p>
+
+<p>"How dare you contradict ME?" demanded the other, and not only
+were these questions asked separately, but the accent on the
+words was different. And their twin minds seemed to get farther
+apart every moment.</p>
+
+<p>"I'm the High Ki of Twi!" said one.</p>
+
+<p>"You're not! I'M the High Ki!" retorted the other.</p>
+
+<p>"The strangers shall die!" snapped one.</p>
+
+<p>"They shall live!" cried the other. "My will is supreme."</p>
+
+<p>"It's not! MY will is supreme," returned the other twin.</p>
+
+<p>The bald heads of the ancient Ki were bobbing in amazement, first
+to one maid and then toward the other. The blond hairs of the two
+Ki-Ki were standing almost on end, and their eyes stared straight
+before them as if stupefied with astonishment. Nerle was
+bellowing with rude laughter and holding his sides to keep from
+getting a stitch in them, while Prince Marvel stood quietly
+attentive and smiling with genuine amusement. For he alone
+understood what had happened to separate the twin High Ki.</p>
+
+<p>The girls did not seem to know how to act under their altered
+conditions. After a time one of them said:</p>
+
+<p>"We will leave our dispute to be settled by the Ki and the
+Ki-Ki."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," agreed the other.</p>
+
+<p>"Then I say your half is right," declared the Ki-Ki, both their
+right forefingers pointing to the maiden who had condemned the
+strangers to death.</p>
+
+<p>"And I decide that your half is right," exclaimed the Ki, both
+their trembling forefingers pointing to the maiden who had said
+the strangers should live.</p>
+
+<p>"Well?" said one girl.</p>
+
+<p>"Well?" said the other.</p>
+
+<p>"The powers of the Ki and the Ki-Ki are equal," said the first.
+"We are no nearer a settlement of our dispute than we were
+before."</p>
+
+<p>"My dear young ladies," said Prince Marvel, politely, "I beg
+you will take time to think the matter over, and see if you can
+not come to an agreement. We are in no hurry."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," decided the twins, speaking both together this time.
+"We command you all to remain in the palace until we have settled
+our own strange dispute. The servants will care for you, and when
+we are ready to announce our decision we shall again send for
+you."</p>
+
+<p>Every one bowed at this command and retired from the room; but
+Nerle looked over his shoulder as he went through the doorway,
+and saw that the two High Ki had turned in their seats and were
+facing each other, and that both their faces wore angry and
+determined expressions.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XVII" id="XVII">Chapter 17.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Separation of the High Ki</h3>
+
+<p>For nearly a week Prince Marvel and Nerle remained confined to
+the palace and gardens of the High Ki. Together with the twin Ki,
+who seemed to be friendly to them, they occupied one of the twin
+palaces, while the Ki-Ki secluded themselves in the other.</p>
+
+<p>The pretty High Ki maidens they did not see at all, nor did they
+know what part of the palaces they occupied, not being permitted
+to wander away from the rooms allotted to them, except to walk in
+the garden. There was no way for them to escape, had they felt
+inclined to, for the silver steps had disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>From the garden walks they sometimes caught sight of the
+solemn heads of the handsome Ki-Ki looking at them through the
+twin windows of the other palace, and although the expression of
+their faces was always mild and gentle, Nerle and Marvel well
+knew the Ki-Ki were only waiting in the hope of having them
+killed.</p>
+
+<p>"Are you nervous about the decision of the pretty High Ki?" asked
+Nerle one day.</p>
+
+<p>"No, indeed," said the prince, laughing; "for I do not expect
+them to kill me, in any event."</p>
+
+<p>"If I felt as sure of my safety," returned the boy, "it would
+destroy all my pleasure. These are really happy days for me.
+Every moment I expect to see the executioner arrive with his ax."</p>
+
+<p>"The executioner is double," said the two old Ki, breaking
+into the conversation. "You should say you expect to see the
+executioners arrive with their axes."</p>
+
+<p>"Then how will they cut off my head with two axes? For I suppose
+they will both chop at the same time, and I have but one neck."</p>
+
+<p>"Wait and see," answered the two Ki, sighing deeply and
+rubbing their red noses thoughtfully.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, I'll wait," answered the boy; "but as for seeing them cut
+off my head, I refuse; for I intend to shut my eyes."</p>
+
+<p>So they sat in their rooms or walked in the gardens, yawning
+and waiting, until one day, just as the two clocks on the wall
+were striking twenty-four o'clock, the door opened and to their
+surprise one of the High Ki twins walked in upon them.</p>
+
+<p>She was as sweet and fair to look upon as when she occupied one
+of the beautiful thrones, but at first no one could tell which of
+the High Ki she was--their friend or their enemy. Even the Ki
+were puzzled and anxious, until the girl said:</p>
+
+<p>"My other half and I have completely separated, for we have
+agreed to disagree for all time. And she has gone to ask the
+Ki-Ki to assist her, for war is declared between us. And
+hereafter her color is to be the green and mine the yellow, and
+we intend to fight until one of us conquers and overthrows the
+other."</p>
+
+<p>This announcement was interesting to Marvel and Nerle, but
+greatly shocked the aged Ki, who asked:</p>
+
+<p>"What is to become of our kingdom? Half of a High Ki can not
+rule it. It is against the law."</p>
+
+<p>"I will make my own laws when I have won the fight," returned the
+girl, with a lovely smile; "so do not let that bother you. And
+now tell me, will you help me to fight my battles?"</p>
+
+<p>"Willingly!" exclaimed Nerle and Prince Marvel, almost as if
+they had been twins of Twi. And the Ki rubbed their bald heads a
+moment, and then sneezed together and wiped their eyes on faded
+yellow handkerchiefs, and finally declared they would "stick to
+her Supreme Highness through thick and thin!"</p>
+
+<p>"Then go over the wall to the cities, at once, and get together
+all the soldiers to fight for me and my cause," commanded the
+girl.</p>
+
+<p>The twin Ki at once left the room, and the High Ki sat down
+and began to ask questions of Prince Marvel and Nerle about the
+big outside world from whence they came. Nerle was rather shy and
+bashful before the dainty little maiden, whose yellow robe
+contrasted delightfully with her pink cheeks and blue eyes and
+brown flowing locks; but Prince Marvel did not mind girls at all,
+so he talked with her freely, and she in return allowed him to
+examine the pretty gold crown she wore upon her brow.</p>
+
+<p>By and by the Ki came back with both faces sad and gloomy.</p>
+
+<p>"Your Highness," they announced, "we have bad news for you.
+The other High Ki, who is wearing a green gown, has been more
+prompt in action than yourself. She and the Ki-Ki have secured
+the silver steps and will allow no others to use them; and
+already they have sent for the soldiers of the royal armies to
+come and aid them. So we are unable to leave the garden, and
+presently the army will be here to destroy us."</p>
+
+<p>Then the girl showed her good courage; for she laughed and said:</p>
+
+<p>"Then we must remain here and fight to the last; and if I am
+unable to save you, who are my friends, it will be because I can
+not save myself."</p>
+
+<p>This speech pleased Prince Marvel greatly. He kissed the little
+maid's hand respectfully and said:</p>
+
+<p>"Fear nothing, your Highness. My friend and I are not so
+helpless as you think. We consider it our privilege to protect
+and save you, instead of your saving us; and we are really able
+to do this in spite of the other High Ki and her entire
+army."</p>
+
+<p>So they remained quietly in the palace the rest of that day, and
+no one molested them in the least. In the evening the girl played
+and sang for them, and the ancient pair of Ki danced a
+double-shuffle for their amusement that nearly convulsed them
+with laughter. For one danced exactly like the other, and the old
+men's legs were still very nimble, although their wrinkled faces
+remained anxiously grave throughout their antics. Nerle also sang
+a song about the King of Thieves whom Prince Marvel had
+conquered, and another about the Red Rogue of Dawna, so that
+altogether the evening passed pleasantly enough, and they managed
+to forget all their uneasy doubts of the morrow.</p>
+
+<p>When at last they separated for the night, Prince Marvel alone
+did not seek his bed; there was still some business he wished to
+transact. So he shut himself up in his room and summoned before
+him, by means of his fairy knowledge, the Prince of the Knooks,
+the King of the Ryls and the Governor of the Goblins. These were
+all three his especial friends, and he soon told them the story
+of the quarrel and separation of the twin High Ki, and claimed
+their assistance. Then he told them how they might aid him, and
+afterward dismissed them. Having thus accomplished his task, the
+fairy prince went to bed and slept peacefully the remainder of
+the night.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning the blond Ki-Ki and all the army of Twi, which
+had been won to their cause, came climbing up the silver steps
+and over the wall to the palace of the green High Ki; but what
+was their amazement to find the twin palaces separated by a wall
+so high that no ladders nor steps they possessed could reach to
+the top! It had been built in a single night, and only Prince
+Marvel and his fairy friends knew how the work had been done so
+quickly.</p>
+
+<p>The yellow High Ki, coming downstairs to breakfast with her
+friends, found herself securely shut in from her enemies, and the
+bald-headed old Ki were so pleased to escape that they danced
+another jig from pure joy.</p>
+
+<p>Over the wall could be heard the shouts and threats of the army
+of Twi, who were seeking a way to get at the fugitives; but for
+the present our friends knew themselves to be perfectly safe, and
+they could afford to laugh at the fury of the entire population
+of Twi.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XVIII" id="XVIII">Chapter 18.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Rescue of the High Ki</h3>
+
+<p>After several days of siege Prince Marvel began to feel less
+confident of the safety of his little party. The frantic Ki-Ki
+had built double battering-rams and were trying to batter down
+the high wall; and they had built several pairs of long ladders
+with which to climb over the wall; and their soldiers were
+digging two tunnels in the ground in order to crawl under the
+wall.</p>
+
+<p>Not at once could they succeed, for the wall was strong and it
+would take long to batter it down; and Nerle stood on top of the
+wall and kicked over the ladders as fast as the soldiers of Twi
+set them up; and the gray-bearded Ki stood in the garden holding
+two big flat boards with which to whack the heads of any who
+might come through the tunnels.</p>
+
+<p>But Prince Marvel realized that the perseverance of his foes
+might win in the end, unless he took measures to defeat them
+effectually. So he summoned swift messengers from among the Sound
+Elves, who are accustomed to travel quickly, and they carried
+messages from him to Wul-Takim, the King of the Reformed Thieves,
+and to King Terribus of Spor, who had both promised him their
+assistance in case he needed it. The prince did not tell his
+friends of this action, but after the messengers had been
+dispatched he felt easier in his mind.</p>
+
+<p>The little High Ki remained as sweet and brave and lovable as
+ever, striving constantly to cheer and encourage her little band
+of defenders. But none of them was very much worried, and Nerle
+confided to the maiden in yellow the fact that he expected to
+suffer quite agreeably when the Ki-Ki at last got him in their
+clutches.</p>
+
+<p>Finally a day came when two big holes were battered through
+the wall, and then the twin soldiers of Twi poured through the
+holes and began to pound on the doors of the palace itself, in
+which Prince Marvel and Nerle, the Ki and the yellow High Ki had
+locked themselves as securely as possible.</p>
+
+<p>The prince now decided it was high time for his friends to come
+to their rescue; but they did not appear, and before long the
+doors of the palace gave way and the soldiers rushed upon them in
+a vast throng.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle wanted to fight, and to slay as many of the Twi people
+as possible; but the prince would not let him.</p>
+
+<p>"These poor soldiers are but doing what they consider their
+duty," he said, "and it would be cruel to cut them down with our
+swords. Have patience, I pray you. Our triumph will come in good
+time."</p>
+
+<p>The Ki-Ki, who came into the palace accompanied by the green
+High Ki, ordered the twin soldiers to bind all the prisoners with
+cords. So one pair of soldiers bound the Ki and another pair
+Nerle and the prince, using exactly the same motions in the
+operation. But when it came to binding the yellow High Ki the
+scene was very funny. For twin soldiers tried to do the binding,
+and there was only one to bind; so that one soldier went through
+the same motions as his twin on empty air, and when his other
+half had firmly bound the girl, his own rope fell harmless to the
+ground. But it seemed impossible for one of the twins to do
+anything different from the other, so that was the only way the
+act could be accomplished.</p>
+
+<p>Then the green-robed High Ki walked up to the one in yellow and
+laughed in her face, saying:</p>
+
+<p>"You now see which of us is the most powerful, and therefore
+the most worthy to rule. Had you remained faithful to our
+handsome Ki-Ki, as I did, you would not now be defeated and
+disgraced."</p>
+
+<p>"There is no disgrace in losing one battle," returned the other
+girl, proudly. "You are mistaken if you think you have conquered
+me, and you are wrong to insult one who is, for the time being,
+your captive."</p>
+
+<p>The maiden in green looked for an instant confused and
+ashamed; then she tossed her pretty head and walked away.</p>
+
+<p>They led all the prisoners out into the garden and then through
+the broken wall, and up and down the silver steps, into the great
+square of the cities of Twi. And here all the population crowded
+around them, for this was the first time any of them had seen
+their High Ki, or even known that they were girls; and the news
+of their quarrel and separation had aroused a great deal of
+excitement.</p>
+
+<p>"Let the executioners come forward!" cried the Ki-Ki,
+gleefully, and in answer to the command the twin executioners
+stepped up to the prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>They were big men, these executioners, each having a squint in
+one eye and a scar on the left cheek. They polished their axes a
+moment on their coat-sleeves, and then said to Prince Marvel and
+Nerle, who were to be the first victims:</p>
+
+<p>"Don't dodge, please, or our axes may not strike the right
+place. And do not be afraid, for the blows will only hurt you an
+instant. In the Land of Twi it is usually considered a pleasure
+to be executed by us, we are so exceedingly skillful."</p>
+
+<p>"I can well believe that," replied Nerle, although his teeth were
+chattering.</p>
+
+<p>But at this instant a loud shout was heard, and the twin
+people of Twi all turned their heads to find themselves
+surrounded by throngs of fierce enemies.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel smiled, for he saw among the new-comers the giants
+and dwarfs and the stern Gray Men of King Terribus, with their
+monarch calmly directing their movements; and on the other side
+of the circle were the jolly faces and bushy whiskers of the
+fifty-nine reformed thieves, with burly Wul-Takim at their head.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XIX" id="XIX">Chapter 18.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Reunion of the High Ki</h3>
+
+<p>The twins of Twi were too startled and amazed to offer to
+fight with the odd people surrounding them. Even the executioners
+allowed their axes to fall harmlessly to the ground, and the
+double people, soldiers and citizens alike, turned to stare at
+the strangers in wonder.</p>
+
+<p>"We're here, Prince!" yelled Wul-Takim, his bristly beard showing
+over the heads of those who stood between.</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you," answered Prince Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"And the men of Spor are here!" added King Terribus, who was
+mounted on a fine milk-white charger, richly caparisoned.</p>
+
+<p>"I thank the men of Spor," returned Prince Marvel,
+graciously.</p>
+
+<p>"Shall we cut your foes into small pieces, or would you prefer to
+hang them?" questioned the King of the Reformed Thieves, loudly
+enough to set most of his hearers shivering.</p>
+
+<p>But now the little maid in yellow stepped up to Prince Marvel
+and, regarding the youthful knight with considerable awe, said
+sweetly:</p>
+
+<p>"I beg you will pardon my people and spare them. They are usually
+good and loyal subjects, and if they fought against me--their
+lawful High Ki--it was only because they were misled by my
+separation from my other half."</p>
+
+<p>"That is true," replied the prince; "and as you are still the
+lawful High Ki of Twi, I will leave you to deal with your own
+people as you see fit. For those who have conquered your people
+are but your own allies, and are still under your orders, as I am
+myself."</p>
+
+<p>Hearing this, the green High Ki walked up to her twin High Ki and
+said, boldly:</p>
+
+<p>"I am your prisoner. It is now your turn. Do with me as you
+will."</p>
+
+<p>"I forgive you," replied her sister, in kindly tones.</p>
+
+<p>Then the little maid who had met with defeat gave a sob and
+turned away weeping, for she had expected anything but
+forgiveness.</p>
+
+<p>And now the Ki-Ki came forward and, bowing their handsome blond
+heads before the High Ki, demanded: "Are we forgiven also?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes," said the girl, "but you are no longer fit to be rulers
+of my people. Therefore, you are henceforth deprived of your
+honorable offices of Ki-Ki, which I shall now bestow upon these
+good captains here," and she indicated the good-natured officers
+who had first captured the prince and Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>The people of Twi eagerly applauded this act, for the captains
+were more popular with them than the former Ki-Ki; but the blond
+ones both flushed with humiliation and anger, and said:</p>
+
+<p>"The captains fought against you, even as we did."</p>
+
+<p>"Yet the captains only obeyed your orders," returned the High Ki.
+"So I hold them blameless."</p>
+
+<p>"And what is to become of us now?" asked the former Ki-Ki.</p>
+
+<p>"You will belong to the common people, and earn your living
+playing tunes for them to dance by," answered the High Ki. And at
+this retort every one laughed, so that the handsome youths turned
+away with twin scowls upon their faces and departed amidst the
+jeers of the crowd.</p>
+
+<p>"Better hang 'em to a tree, little one," shouted Wul-Takim, in
+his big voice; "they won't enjoy life much, anyhow."</p>
+
+<p>But the maid shook her pretty head and turned to the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Will you stay here and help me to rule my kingdom?" she
+asked.</p>
+
+<p>"I can not do that," replied Prince Marvel, "for I am but a
+wandering adventurer and must soon continue my travels. But I
+believe you will be able to rule your people without my help."</p>
+
+<p>"It is not so easy a task," she answered, sighing. "For I am
+singular and my people are all double."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, let us hold a meeting in your palace," said the prince,
+"and then we can decide what is best to be done."</p>
+
+<p>So they dismissed the people, who cheered their High Ki
+enthusiastically, returning quietly to their daily tasks and the
+gossip that was sure to follow such important events as they had
+witnessed.</p>
+
+<p>The army of King Terribus and the fifty-nine reformed thieves
+went to the twin palaces of the Ki and the Ki-Ki and made merry
+with feasting and songs to celebrate their conquest. And the High
+Ki, followed by the prince, Nerle, King Terribus and Wul-Takim,
+as well as by the Ki and the newly-appointed Ki-Ki, mounted the
+silver steps and passed over the wall to the royal palaces. The
+green High Ki followed them, still weeping disconsolately.</p>
+
+<p>When they had all reached the throne-room, the High Ki seated
+herself on one of the beautiful thrones and said:</p>
+
+<p>"By some strange chance, which I am unable to explain, my twin
+and I have become separated; so that instead of thinking and
+acting alike, we are now individuals--as are all the strange men
+who have passed through the hole in the hedge. And, being
+individuals, we can no longer agree, nor can one of us lawfully
+rule over the Kingdom of Twi, where all the subjects are twins,
+thinking and acting in unison."</p>
+
+<p>Said Prince Marvel:</p>
+
+<p>"Your Highness, I alone can explain why you became separated from
+your twin. By means of a fairy enchantment, which I learned years
+ago, I worked upon you a spell, which compelled your brain to
+work independent of your sister's brain. It seems to me that it
+is better each person should think her own thoughts and live her
+own life, rather than be yoked to another person and obliged to
+think and act as a twin, or one-half of a complete whole. And
+since you are now the one High Ki, and the acknowledged ruler of
+this country, I will agree to work the same fairy spell on all
+your people, so that no longer will there be twin minds in all
+this Land of Twi."</p>
+
+<p>"But all the cows and dogs and horses and other animals are
+double, as well as the people," suggested the old Ki, blinking
+their little eyes in amazement at the thought of being forever
+separated from each other.</p>
+
+<p>"I can also work the spell upon all the twin animals," said the
+prince, after a moment's hesitation.</p>
+
+<p>"And all our houses are built double, with twin doors and
+windows and chimneys, to accommodate our twin people," continued
+the High Ki. "And the trees and flowers--and even the blades of
+grass--are all double. And our roads are double, and--and
+everything else is double. I alone, the ruler of this land, am
+singular!"</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel became thoughtful now, for he did not know how to
+separate trees and flowers, and it would be a tedious task to
+separate the twin houses.</p>
+
+<p>"Why not leave the country as it is?" asked King Terribus of
+Spor. "The High Ki is welcome to come to my castle to live, and
+then she need no longer bother about the Land of Twi, which seems
+to me a poor place, after all."</p>
+
+<p>"And your sister may come with me to my cave, and be the queen of
+the reformed thieves, which is a much more important office than
+being High Ki of Twi," added big Wul-Takim, who had placed the
+maiden in green upon a cushion at his feet, and was striving to
+comfort her by gently stroking her silken hair with his rough
+hand.</p>
+
+<p>"But I love my country, and do not wish to leave it," answered
+the yellow High Ki. "And I love my twin sister, and regret that
+our minds have become separated," she continued, sadly.</p>
+
+<p>"I have it!" exclaimed Nerle. "Let the prince reunite you, making
+you regular twins of Twi again, and then you can continue to rule
+the country as the double High Ki, and everything will be as it
+was before."</p>
+
+<p>The yellow High Ki clapped her pink hands with delight and
+looked eagerly at the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Will you?" she asked. "Will you please reunite us? And then all
+our troubles will be ended!"</p>
+
+<p>This really seemed to Marvel the best thing to be done. So he
+led the maid in green to the other throne, where she had once
+sat, and after replacing the golden crown upon her brow he
+whispered a fairy spell of much mystical power.</p>
+
+<p>Then the prince stepped back and regarded the maidens earnestly,
+and after a moment both the High Ki smiled upon him in unison and
+said--speaking the same words in the same voices and with the
+same accents:</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you very much!"</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XX" id="XX">Chapter 20.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>Kwytoffle, the Tyrant</h3>
+
+<p>Having restored the High Ki to their former condition, to the
+great joy of the ancient Ki, Prince Marvel led his friends back
+to the palaces where his men were waiting.</p>
+
+<p>They were just in time to prevent serious trouble, for the
+fifty-eight reformed thieves had been boasting of their prowess
+to the huge giants and tiny dwarfs of King Terribus, and this had
+resulted in a quarrel as to which were the best fighters. Had not
+their masters arrived at the right moment there would certainly
+have been a fierce battle and much bloodshed,--and all over
+something of no importance.</p>
+
+<p>Terribus and Wul-Takim soon restored order, and then they
+accompanied the Ki and the Ki-Ki to the public square, where the
+people were informed that their Supreme Highnesses, the High Ki,
+had been reunited and would thereafter rule them with twin minds
+as well as twin bodies. There was great rejoicing at this news,
+for every twin in Twi was glad to have his troubles ended so
+easily and satisfactorily.</p>
+
+<p>That night the ryls and knooks and other invisible friends of
+Prince Marvel came and removed the dividing wall between the twin
+palaces of the High Ki, repairing speedily all the damage that
+had been done. And when our friends called upon the High Ki the
+next morning they found the two maids again dressed exactly alike
+in yellow robes, with strings of sparkling emeralds for ornament.
+And not even Prince Marvel could now tell one of the High Ki from
+the other.</p>
+
+<p>As for the maids themselves, it seemed difficult to imagine they
+had ever existed apart for a single moment.</p>
+
+<p>They were very pleasant and agreeable to their new friends,
+and when they heard that Prince Marvel was about to leave them to
+seek new adventures they said:</p>
+
+<p>"Please take us with you! It seems to us that we ought to know
+something of the big outside world from whence you came. If we
+see other kingdoms and people we shall be better able to rule our
+own wisely."</p>
+
+<p>"That seems reasonable," answered Marvel, "and I shall be very
+glad to have you accompany me. But who will rule the Land of Twi
+in your absence?"</p>
+
+<p>"The Ki-Ki shall be the rulers," answered the High Ki, "and we
+will take the Ki with us."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I will delay my departure until to-morrow morning," said
+the prince, "in order that your Highnesses may have time to
+prepare for the journey."</p>
+
+<p>And then he went back to the palaces of the other rulers, where
+the Ki expressed themselves greatly pleased at the idea of
+traveling, and the new Ki-Ki were proud to learn they should rule
+for some time the Land of Twi.</p>
+
+<p>Wul-Takim also begged to join the party, and so also did King
+Terribus, who had never before been outside of his own Kingdom of
+Spor; so Prince Marvel willingly consented.</p>
+
+<p>The fifty-eight reformed thieves, led by Gunder, returned to
+their cave, where they were living comfortably on the treasure
+Prince Marvel had given them; and the Gray Men and giants and
+dwarfs of Spor departed for their own country.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning Prince Marvel led his own gay cavalcade through
+the hole in the hedge, and they rode merrily away in search of
+adventure.</p>
+
+<p>By his side were the High Ki, mounted upon twin chestnut ponies
+that had remarkably slender limbs and graceful, arched necks. The
+ponies moved with exactly the same steps, and shook their manes
+and swished their tails at exactly the same time. Behind the
+prince and the High Ki were King Terribus, riding his great white
+charger, and Wul-Takim on a stout horse of jet-black color. The
+two ancient Ki and Nerle, being of lesser rank than the others,
+brought up the rear.</p>
+
+<p>"When we return to our Land of Twi," said the High Ki, "we
+shall close up for all time the hole you made in the hedge; for,
+if we are different from the rest of the world, it is better that
+we remain in seclusion."</p>
+
+<p>"I think it is right you should do that," replied Prince Marvel.
+"Yet I do not regret that I cut a hole in your hedge."</p>
+
+<p>"It was the hedge that delayed us in coming more promptly to
+your assistance," said Terribus; "for we had hard work to find
+the hole you had made, and so lost much valuable time."</p>
+
+<p>"All is well that ends well!" laughed the prince. "You certainly
+came in good time to rescue us from our difficulties."</p>
+
+<p>They turned into a path that led to Auriel, which Nerle had
+heard spoken of as "the Kingdom of the Setting Sun."</p>
+
+<p>Soon the landscape grew very pleasant to look upon, the meadows
+being broad and green, with groups of handsome trees standing
+about. The twilight of the Land of Twi was now replaced by bright
+sunshine, and in the air was the freshness of the near-by sea.</p>
+
+<p>At evening they came to a large farmhouse, where the owner
+welcomed them hospitably and gave them the best his house
+afforded.</p>
+
+<p>In answer to their questions about the Kingdom of Auriel, he
+shook his head sadly and replied:</p>
+
+<p>"It is a rich and beautiful country, but has fallen under
+great misfortunes. For when the good king died, about two years
+ago, the kingdom was seized by a fierce and cruel sorcerer, named
+Kwytoffle, who rules the people with great severity, and makes
+them bring him all their money and valuable possessions. So every
+one is now very poor and unhappy, and that is a great pity in a
+country so fair and fertile."</p>
+
+<p>"But why do not the people rebel?" asked Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"They dare not rebel," answered the farmer, "because they fear
+the sorcery of Kwytoffle. If they do not obey him he threatens to
+change them into grasshoppers and June-bugs."</p>
+
+<p>"Has he ever changed any one into a grasshopper or a June-bug?"
+asked Prince Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"No; but the people are too frightened to oppose him, and so
+he does not get the opportunity. And he has an army of fierce
+soldiers, who are accustomed to beat the people terribly if they
+do not carry every bit of their wealth to the sorcerer. So there
+is no choice but to obey him."</p>
+
+<p>"We certainly ought to hang this wicked creature!" exclaimed
+Wul-Takim.</p>
+
+<p>"I wish I had brought my Fool-Killer with me," sighed King
+Terribus; "for I could have kept him quite busy in this
+kingdom."</p>
+
+<p>"Can not something be done to rescue these poor people from their
+sad fate?" asked the lovely High Ki, anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>"We will make a call upon this Kwytoffle to-morrow," answered
+Prince Marvel, "and see what the fellow is like."</p>
+
+<p>"Alas! Alas!" wailed the good farmer, "you will all become
+grasshoppers and June-bugs--every one of you!"</p>
+
+<p>But none of the party seemed to fear that, and having passed
+the night comfortably with the farmer they left his house and
+journeyed on into the Kingdom of Auriel.</p>
+
+<p>Before noon they came upon the edge of a forest, where a poor man
+was chopping logs into firewood. Seeing Prince Marvel's party
+approach, this man ran toward them waving his hands and shouting
+excitedly:</p>
+
+<p>"Take the other path! Take the other path!"</p>
+
+<p>"And why should we take the other path?" inquired the prince,
+reining in his steed.</p>
+
+<p>"Because this one leads to the castle of the great sorcerer,
+Kwytoffle," answered the man.</p>
+
+<p>"But there is where we wish to go," said Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"What! You wish to go there?" cried the man. "Then you will be
+robbed and enslaved!"</p>
+
+<p>"Not as long as we are able to fight," laughed the big Wul-Takim.</p>
+
+<p>"If you resist the sorcerer, you will be turned into
+grasshoppers and June-bugs," declared the man, staring at them in
+wonder.</p>
+
+<p>"How do you know that?" asked Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"Kwytoffle says so. He promises to enchant every one who dares
+defy his power."</p>
+
+<p>"Has any one ever yet dared defy him?" asked Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly not!" said the man. "No one wishes to become a
+June-bug or a grasshopper. No one dares defy him.".</p>
+
+<p>"I am anxious to see this sorcerer," exclaimed King Terribus. "He
+ought to prove an interesting person, for he is able to
+accomplish his purposes by threats alone."</p>
+
+<p>"Then let us ride on," said Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"Dear us! Dear us!" remonstrated the bald-headed Ki; "are we to
+become grasshoppers, then?"</p>
+
+<p>"We shall see," returned the prince, briefly.</p>
+
+<p>"With your long legs," added the pretty pair of High Ki,
+laughingly, "you ought to be able to jump farther than any other
+grasshopper in the kingdom."</p>
+
+<p>"Great Kika-koo!" cried the Ki, nervously, "what a fate! what
+a terrible fate! And your Highnesses, I suppose, will become
+June-bugs, and flutter your wings with noises like
+buzz-saws!"</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XXI" id="XXI">Chapter 21.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Wonderful Book of Magic</h3>
+
+<p>Whatever their fears might be, none of Prince Marvel's party
+hesitated to follow him along the path through the forest in
+search of the sorcerer, and by and by they came upon a large
+clearing. In the middle of this open space was a big building in
+such bad repair that its walls were tumbling down in several
+places, and all around it the ground was uncared for and littered
+with rubbish. A man was walking up and down in front of this
+building, with his head bowed low; but when he heard the sound of
+approaching horses' hoofs he looked up and stared for a moment in
+amazement. Then, with a shout of rage, he rushed toward them and
+caught Prince Marvel's horse by the bridle.</p>
+
+<p>"How dare you!" he cried; "how dare you enter my forest?"</p>
+
+<p>Marvel jerked his bridle from the man's grasp and said in return:</p>
+<p>"Who are you?"</p>
+
+<p>"Me! Who am I? Why, I am the great and powerful Kwytoffle! So
+beware! Beware my sorcery!"</p>
+
+<p>They all looked at the man curiously. He was short and very
+fat, and had a face like a puff-ball, with little red eyes and
+scarcely any nose at all. He wore a black gown with scarlet
+grasshoppers and june-bugs embroidered upon the cloth; and his
+hat was high and peaked, with an imitation grasshopper of
+extraordinary size perched upon its point. In his right hand he
+carried a small black wand, and around his neck hung a silver
+whistle on a silver cord.</p>
+
+<p>Seeing that the strangers were gazing on him so earnestly,
+Kwytoffle thought they were frightened; so he said again, in a
+big voice:</p>
+
+<p>"Beware my vengeance!"</p>
+
+<p>"Beware yourself!" retorted the prince. "For if you do not treat
+us more respectfully, I shall have you flogged."</p>
+
+<p>"What! Flog me!" shouted Kwytoffle, furiously. "For this I
+will turn every one of you into grasshoppers--unless you at once
+give me all the wealth you possess!"</p>
+
+<p>"Poor man!" exclaimed Nerle; "I can see you are longing for that
+flogging. Will you have it now?" and he raised his riding-whip
+above his head.</p>
+
+<p>Kwytoffle stumbled backward a few paces and blew shrilly upon
+his silver whistle. Instantly a number of soldiers came running
+from the building, others following quickly after them until
+fully a hundred rough-looking warriors, armed with swords and
+axes, had formed in battle array, facing the little party of
+Prince Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"Arrest these strangers!" commanded Kwytoffle, in a voice like a
+roar. "Capture them and bind them securely, and then I will
+change them all into grasshoppers!"</p>
+
+<p>"All right," answered the captain of the soldiers; and then he
+turned to his men and shouted:</p>
+
+<p>"Forward--double-quick--march!"</p>
+
+<p>They came on with drawn swords; at first running, and then
+gradually dropping into a walk, as they beheld Nerle, Wul-Takim,
+King Terribus and Marvel standing quietly waiting to receive
+them, weapons in hand and ready for battle. A few paces off the
+soldiers hesitated and stopped altogether, and Kwytoffle yelled
+at the captain:</p>
+
+<p>"Why don't you go on? Why don't you capture them? Why don't
+you fight them?"</p>
+
+<p>"Why, they have drawn their swords!" responded the captain,
+reproachfully.</p>
+
+<p>"Who cares?" roared the sorcerer.</p>
+
+<p>"We care," said the captain, giving a shudder, as he looked upon
+the strangers. "Their swords are sharp, and some of us would get
+hurt."</p>
+
+<p>"You're cowards!" shrieked the enraged Kwytoffle. "I'll turn
+you all into June-bugs!"</p>
+
+<p>At this threat the soldiers dropped their swords and axes, and
+all fell upon their knees, trembling visibly and imploring their
+cruel master not to change them into june-bugs.</p>
+
+<p>"Bah!" cried Nerle, scornfully; "why don't you fight? If we
+kill you, then you will escape being June-bugs."</p>
+
+<p>"The fact is," said the captain, woefully, "we simply can't
+fight. For our swords are only tin, and our axes are made of
+wood, with silver-paper pasted over them."</p>
+
+<p>"But why is that?" asked Wul-Takim, while all the party showed
+their surprise.</p>
+
+<p>"Why, until now we have never had any need to fight," said the
+captain, "for every one has quickly surrendered to us or run away
+the moment we came near. But you people do not appear to be
+properly frightened, and now, alas! since you have drawn upon us
+the great sorcerer's anger, we shall all be transformed into
+June-bugs."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes!" roared Kwytoffle, hopping up and down with anger, "you
+shall all be June-bugs, and these strangers I will transform into
+grasshoppers!"</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," said Prince Marvel, quietly; "you can do it now."</p>
+
+<p>"I will! I will!" cried the sorcerer.</p>
+
+<p>"Then why don't you begin?" inquired the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Why don't I begin? Why, I haven't got the enchantments with
+me, that's why. Do you suppose we great magicians carry around
+enchantments in our pockets?" returned the other, in a milder
+tone.</p>
+
+<p>"Where do you keep your enchantments?" asked the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"They're in my dwelling," snapped Kwytoffle, taking off his
+hat and fanning his fat face with the brim.</p>
+
+<p>"Then go and get them," said Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"Nonsense! If I went to get the enchantments you would all run
+away!" retorted the sorcerer.</p>
+
+<p>"Not so!" protested Nerle, who was beginning to be amused. "My
+greatest longing in life is to become a grasshopper."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, yes! PLEASE let us be grasshoppers!" exclaimed the High
+Ki maids in the same breath.</p>
+
+<p>"We want to hop! We want to hop! Please--PLEASE let us hop!"
+implored the bald-headed Ki, winking their left eyes at
+Wul-Takim.</p>
+
+<p>"By all means let us become grasshoppers," said King Terribus,
+smiling; and Wul-Takim added:</p>
+
+<p>"I'm sure your soldiers would enjoy being June-bugs, for then
+they wouldn't have to work. Isn't that so, boys?"</p>
+
+<p>The bewildered soldiers looked at one another in perplexity,
+and the still more bewildered sorcerer gazed on the speakers with
+staring eyes and wide-open mouth.</p>
+
+<p>"I insist," said Prince Marvel, "upon your turning us into
+grasshoppers and your soldiers into June-bugs, as you promised.
+If you do not, then I will flog you--as I promised."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," returned the sorcerer, with a desperate look upon
+his face; "I'll go and find the enchantment."</p>
+
+<p>"And we'll go with you," remarked the prince, pleasantly.</p>
+
+<p>So the entire party accompanied Kwytoffle into the house,
+where they entered a large room that was in a state of much
+disorder.</p>
+
+<p>"Let me see," said the sorcerer, rubbing his ears, as if trying
+to think; "I wonder if I put them in this cupboard. You see," he
+explained, "no one has ever before dared me to transform him into
+a June-bug or grasshopper, so I have almost forgotten where I
+keep my book of enchantments. No, it's not in the cupboard," he
+continued, looking there; "but it surely must be in this chest."</p>
+
+<p>It was not in the chest, either, and so the sorcerer continued
+to look in all sorts of queer places for his book of
+enchantments, without finding it. Whenever he paused in his
+search Prince Marvel would say, sternly:</p>
+
+<p>"Go on! Find the book! Hunt it up. We are all anxious to become
+grasshoppers." And then Kwytoffle would set to work again,
+although big drops of perspiration were now streaming down his
+face.</p>
+
+<p>Finally he pulled an old book from underneath the pillow of
+his bed, and crying, "Here it is!" carried it to the window.</p>
+
+<p>He turned a few leaves of the book and then said:</p>
+
+<p>"How unfortunate! The compound I require to change you into
+grasshoppers must be mixed on the first day of September; and as
+this is now the eighth day of September I must wait nearly a year
+before I can work the enchantment."</p>
+
+<p>"How about the June-bugs?" asked Nerle.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! Ah!. The June-bug mixture can only be made at the dark o'
+the moon," said the sorcerer, pretending to read, "and that is
+three weeks from now."</p>
+
+<p>"Let me read it," said Prince Marvel, suddenly snatching the book
+from Kwytoffle's hands. Then he turned to the title-page and
+read:</p>
+
+<p>"'Lives of Famous Thieves and Impostors.' Why, this is not a
+book of enchantments."</p>
+
+<p>"That is what I suspected," said Terribus.</p>
+
+<p>"No one but a sorcerer can read the enchantments in this
+book," declared Kwytoffle; but he hung his head with a sheepish
+look, for he knew his deception had been well understood.</p>
+
+<p>"Is your own history written in this volume?" inquired Marvel.</p>
+
+<p>"No," answered the sorcerer.</p>
+
+<p>"Then it ought to be," said the prince, "for you are no sorcerer
+at all, but merely a thief and an impostor!"</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XXII" id="XXII">Chapter 22.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Queen of Plenta</h3>
+
+<p>The soldiers of Kwytoffle wanted to hang their old master at
+once, for he had won their enmity by abusing them in many ways;
+but Prince Marvel would not let them do this. However, they tied
+the false sorcerer to a post, and the captain gave him a good
+whipping--one lash for each letter in the words "grasshopper" and
+"June-bug." Kwytoffle howled loudly for mercy, but no one was at
+all sorry for him.</p>
+
+<p>Wul-Takim tied a rope around the impostor's neck, and when the
+party left the castle they journeyed all through the kingdom of
+Auriel, and at every town or city they came to the reformed thief
+would cry out to the populace:</p>
+
+<p>"Here is the terrible sorcerer Kwytoffle, who threatened to
+change you into grasshoppers and june-bugs. But you may see that
+he is a very common man, with no powers of sorcery whatever!"</p>
+
+<p>And then the people would laugh and pelt mud at their former
+tyrant, and thank Prince Marvel for haying exposed the false and
+wicked creature.</p>
+
+<p>And they called the son of their old king back to his lawful
+throne, where he ruled wisely and well; and the hoarded wealth of
+Kwytoffle was divided among the people again, and soon the
+country became prosperous once more.</p>
+
+<p>This adventure was very amusing to the pretty High Ki of Twi. It
+afforded them laughter for many days, and none of the party ever
+saw a grasshopper or a june-bug afterward without thinking of the
+terrible sorcerer Kwytoffle.</p>
+
+<p>They left that disgraced person grooming horses for his board
+in the stables of the new king, and proceeded upon their
+journey.</p>
+
+<p>Without further event they reached the splendid southern Kingdom
+of Plenta, which was the most delightfully situated of any
+dominion in the Enchanted Island of Yew. It was ruled by a good
+and generous queen, who welcomed the strangers to her palace and
+gave a series of gay entertainments in their honor.</p>
+
+<p>King Terribus was especially an object of interest, for every
+one had heard his name and feared him and his fierce people. But
+when they beheld his pleasant countenance and listened to his
+gentle voice they began to regard him with much love and respect;
+and really Terribus was worthy of their friendship since he had
+changed from a deformed monster into an ordinary man, and had
+forbidden his people ever again to rob and plunder their weaker
+neighbors.</p>
+
+<p>But the most popular personages visiting at the court of the
+Queen of Plenta were the lovely High Ki of Twi. Although
+beautiful girls abounded in this kingdom, none could compare with
+the royal twins, and their peculiar condition only served to
+render them the more interesting.</p>
+
+<p>Two youths would approach the High Ki at the same time and
+invite them to dance, and in united voices they would accept the
+invitation and go whirling around the room with exactly the same
+steps, laughing at the same instant and enjoying the dance
+equally. But if one youth asked his partner a question, both the
+twins would make answer, and that was sure to confuse and
+embarrass the youth. Still, the maids managed very well to adapt
+themselves to the ways of people who were singular, although they
+sometimes became a little homesick for Twi, where they were like
+all the other people.</p>
+
+<p>The bald-headed Ki kept watchful eyes on their youthful rulers,
+and served them very cheerfully. But with all their travels and
+experiences, the old men could never be convinced it was better
+to be singular than double.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel was the real hero of the party, and Nerle
+received much attention on account of his master's popularity. He
+did not seem as unhappy as usual, and when the prince inquired
+the reason, his esquire answered that he believed the excitement
+of their adventures was fast curing him of his longing for
+something he could not have. As for the pleasure of suffering, he
+had had some experience of that, too, and it was not nearly so
+delightful as he had expected.</p>
+
+<p>Wul-Takim was not a society man, so he stayed around the royal
+stables and made friends with the grooms, and traded his big
+black horse for two bay ones and a gold neck-chain, and was
+fairly content with his lot.</p>
+
+<p>And so the party enjoyed several happy weeks at the court of
+the good Queen of Plenta, until one day the terrible news arrived
+that carried them once more into exciting adventures.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XXIII" id="XXIII">Chapter 23.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Red Rogue of Dawna</h3>
+
+<p>One morning, while they were all standing in the courtyard
+waiting for their horses, as they were about to go for a ride, a
+courier came galloping swiftly up to the palace and cried:</p>
+
+<p>"Does any one know where Prince Marvel can be found?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am Prince Marvel," replied the young knight, stepping out from
+among the others.</p>
+
+<p>"Then have I reached my journey's end!" said the courier,
+whose horse was nearly exhausted from long and hard riding. "The
+Lady Seseley is in great danger, and sends for you to come and
+rescue her. The great Baron Merd, her father, has been killed and
+his castle destroyed, and all his people are either captives or
+have been slain outright."</p>
+
+<p>"And who has done this evil thing?" asked Prince Marvel, looking
+very stern and grave.</p>
+
+<p>"The Red Rogue of Dawna," answered the messenger. "He
+quarreled with the Baron Merd and sent his savage hordes to tear
+down his castle and slay him. I myself barely escaped with my
+life, and the Lady Seseley had but time to say, before she was
+carried off, that if I could find Prince Marvel he would surely
+rescue her."</p>
+
+<p>"And so I will!" declared the prince, "if she be still alive."</p>
+
+<p>"Who is this Lady Seseley?" asked Nerle, who had come to his
+master's side.</p>
+
+<p>"She is my first friend, to whom I owe my very existence. It is
+her image, together with those of her two friends, which is
+graven on my shield," answered Prince Marvel, thoughtfully.</p>
+
+<p>"And what will you do?" inquired the esquire.</p>
+
+<p>"I must go to her at once."</p>
+
+<p>When they heard of his mission all the party insisted on
+accompanying him. Even the dainty High Ki could not be deterred
+by any thoughts of dangers they might encounter; and after some
+discussion Prince Marvel allowed them to join him.</p>
+
+<p>So Wul-Takim sharpened his big broadsword, and Nerle carefully
+prepared his master's horse, so that before an hour had passed
+they were galloping toward the province of the Red Rogue of
+Dawna.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel knew little concerning this personage, but Nerle
+had much to tell of him. The Red Rogue had once been page to a
+wise scholar and magician, who lived in a fine old castle in
+Dawna and ruled over a large territory. The boy was very small
+and weak--smaller even than the average dwarf--and his master did
+not think it worth while to watch him. But one evening, while the
+magician was standing upon the top of the highest tower of his
+castle, the boy gave him a push from behind, and he met death on
+the sharp rocks below. Then the boy took his master's book of
+magic and found a recipe to make one grow. He made the mixture
+and swallowed it, and straightway began to grow big and tall.
+This greatly delighted him, until he found he was getting much
+bigger than the average man and rapidly becoming a giant. So he
+sought for a way to arrest the action of the magical draft; but
+before he could find it he had grown to enormous proportions, and
+was bigger than the biggest giant. There was nothing in the book
+of magic to make one grow smaller, so he was obliged to remain as
+he was--the largest man in the Enchanted Island.</p>
+
+<p>All this had happened in a single night. The morning after his
+master's murder the page announced himself lord of the castle;
+and, seeing his enormous size, none dared deny his right to rule.
+On account of his bushy hair, which was fiery red in color, and
+the bushy red beard that covered his face when he became older,
+people came to call him the Red One. And after his evil deeds and
+quarrelsome temper had made him infamous throughout the island,
+people began to call him the Red Rogue of Dawna.</p>
+
+<p>He had gathered around him a number of savage barbarians, as
+wicked and quarrelsome as himself, and so none dared to interfere
+with him, or even to meet him, if it were possible to avoid
+it.</p>
+
+<p>This same Red Rogue it was who had drawn the good Baron Merd into
+a quarrel and afterward slain the old knight and his followers,
+destroyed his castle, and carried his little daughter Seseley and
+her girl friends, Berna and Helda, into captivity, shutting them
+up in his own gloomy castle.</p>
+
+<p>The Red Rogue thought he had done a very clever thing, and had
+no fear of the consequences until one of his men came running up
+to the castle to announce that Prince Marvel and his companions
+were approaching to rescue the Lady Seseley.</p>
+
+<p>"How many of them are there?" demanded the Red Rogue.</p>
+
+<p>"There are eight, altogether," answered the man, "but two of
+them are girls."</p>
+
+<p>"And they expect to force me to give up my captives?" asked the
+Red One, laughing with a noise like the roar of a waterfall.
+"Why, I shall make prisoners of every one of them!"</p>
+
+<p>The man looked at his master fearfully, and replied:</p>
+
+<p>"This Prince Marvel is very famous, and all people speak of his
+bravery and power. It was he who conquered King Terribus of Spor,
+and that mighty ruler is now his friend, and is one of the eight
+who approach."</p>
+
+<p>The Red Rogue stopped laughing, for the fame of Spor's
+terrible king had long ago reached him. And he reflected that any
+one who could conquer the army of giants and dwarfs and Gray Men
+that served Terribus must surely be one to be regarded seriously.
+Moreover--and this was a secret--the Red Rogue had never been
+able to gain the strength to correspond with his gigantic size,
+but had ever remained as weak as when he was a puny boy. So he
+was accustomed to rely on his cunning and on the terror his very
+presence usually excited to triumph over his enemies. And he
+began to be afraid of this prince.</p>
+
+<p>"You say two of the party are girls?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes," said the man, "but also among them are King Terribus
+himself, and the renowned Wul-Takim, formerly king of thieves,
+who was conquered by the prince, although accounted a hard
+fighter, and is now his devoted servant. And there are two old
+men who are just alike and have a very fierce look about them.
+They are said to come from the hidden Kingdom of Twi."</p>
+
+<p>By this time the Red Rogue was thoroughly frightened, but he did
+not yet despair of defeating his enemies. He knew better than to
+attempt to oppose Prince Marvel by force, but he still hoped to
+conquer him by trickery and deceit.</p>
+
+<p>Among the wonderful things that the Red Rogue's former master,
+the wise scholar and magician, had made were two large enchanted
+mirrors, which were set on each side of the great hallway of the
+castle. Heavy curtains were drawn over the surfaces of these
+mirrors, because they both possessed a dreadful magical power.
+For whenever any one looked into one of them his reflection was
+instantly caught and imprisoned in the mirror, and his body at
+the same time became invisible to all earthly eyes, only the
+mirror retaining his form.</p>
+
+<p>While considering a way to prevent the prince from freeing the
+Lady Seseley, the Red Rogue happened to think of these mirrors,
+which had never yet been used. So he went stealthily into the
+great hall and drew aside the covering from one of the mirrors.
+He did not dare look into the mirror himself, but hurried away to
+another room, and then sent a page up a back stairway to summon
+the Lady Seseley and her two maids into his presence.</p>
+<p>The girls at once obeyed, for they greatly feared the Red
+Rogue; and of course they descended the front stairway and walked
+through the great hall. At once the large mirror that had been
+exposed to view caught the eye of Seseley, and she paused to
+regard her reflection in the glass. Her two companions did
+likewise, and instantly all three girls became invisible, while
+the mirror held their reflections fast in its magic surface.</p>
+
+<p>The Red Rogue was watching them through a crack in the door, and
+seeing the girls disappear he gave a joyful laugh and exclaimed:</p>
+<p>"Now let Prince Marvel find them if he can!"</p>
+
+<p>The three girls began to wander aimlessly through the castle; for
+not only were they invisible to others, but also to themselves
+and to one another, and they knew not what to do nor which way to
+turn.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XXIV" id="XXIV">Chapter 24.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Enchanted Mirrors</h3>
+
+<p>Presently Prince Marvel and his party arrived and paused
+before the doors of the castle, where the Red Rogue stood bowing
+to them with mock politeness and with an evil grin showing on his
+red face.</p>
+
+<p>"I come to demand the release of the Lady Seseley and her
+companions!" Prince Marvel announced, in a bold voice. "And I
+also intend to call you to account for the murder of Baron Merd."</p>
+
+<p>"You must be at the wrong castle," answered the Red One, "for
+I have murdered no baron, nor have I any Lady Seseley as
+prisoner."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you not the Red Rogue of Dawna?" demanded the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"Men call me by that name," acknowledged the other.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you are deceiving me," said the prince.</p>
+
+<p>"No, indeed!" answered the Red Rogue, mockingly. "I wouldn't
+deceive any one for the world. But, if you don't believe me, you
+are welcome to search my castle."</p>
+
+<p>"That I shall do," returned the prince, sternly, "whether I have
+your permission or not," and he began to dismount. But Nerle
+restrained him, saying:</p>
+
+<p>"Master, I beg you will allow me to search the castle. For
+this Red Rogue is playing some trick upon us, I am sure, and if
+anything happened to you there would be no one to protect the
+little High Ki and our other friends."</p>
+
+<p>"But suppose something should happen to you?" inquired the
+prince, anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>"In that case," said Nerle, "you can avenge me."</p>
+
+<p>The advice was so reasonable, under the circumstances, that the
+prince decided to act upon it.</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," said he, "go and search the castle, and I will
+remain with our friends. But if anything happens to you, I shall
+call the Red Rogue to account."</p>
+
+<p>So Nerle entered the castle, passing by the huge form of its
+owner, who only nodded to the boy and grinned with delight.</p>
+
+<p>The esquire found himself in the great hall and began to look
+around him, but without seeing any one. Then he advanced a few
+steps and, to his surprise, discovered a large mirror, in which
+were reflected the faces and forms of three girls, as well as his
+own.</p>
+
+<p>"Why, here they are!" he attempted to say; but he could not hear
+his own voice. He glanced down at himself but could see nothing
+at all--for his body had become invisible. His reflection was
+still in the glass, and he knew that his body existed the same as
+before; but although he yet saw plainly the hall and all that it
+contained, he could see neither himself nor any other person of
+flesh.</p>
+
+<p>After waiting a considerable time for his esquire to reappear
+Prince Marvel became impatient.</p>
+
+<p>"What have you done with Nerle?" he asked of the Red Rogue.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing," was the reply. "I have been here, plainly within
+your sight, every moment."</p>
+
+<p>"Let me go and find him!" exclaimed King Terribus, and rushed
+into the castle before the prince could reply. But Terribus also
+encountered the enchanted mirror, and the prince waited in vain
+for his return.</p>
+
+<p>Then Wul-Takim volunteered to go in search of the others, and
+drew his big, sharp sword before entering the hall. But an hour
+passed by and he did not return.</p>
+
+<p>The Red Rogue was overjoyed at the success of his stratagem, and
+could scarce refrain from laughing outright at the prince's
+anxiety.</p>
+
+<p>Marvel was really perplexed. He knew some treachery was afoot,
+but could not imagine what it was. And when the pretty High Ki
+declared their intention of entering the castle, he used every
+endeavor to dissuade them. But the twin girls would not be
+denied, so great was their curiosity. So the prince said:</p>
+
+<p>"Well, we will all go together, so that the Ki and I may be able
+to protect you."</p>
+
+<p>The Red Rogue gladly granted them admittance, and they passed
+him and entered the great hall.</p>
+
+<p>The place appeared to them to be completely empty, so they walked
+along and came opposite the mirror. Here all stopped at once, and
+the twin High Ki uttered exclamations of surprise, and the twin
+Ki shouted, "Great Kika-koo!"</p>
+
+<p>For there in the glass were the reflections of the three girls
+and Nerle and King Terribus and Wul-Takim. And there were also
+the reflections of the twin High Ki and the twin Ki. Only Prince
+Marvel's reflection was missing, and this was because of his
+fairy origin. For the glass could reflect and hold only the forms
+of mortals.</p>
+
+<p>But the prince saw the reflections of all the others, and then
+made the discovery that the forms of the Ki and the High Ki had
+become invisible. No one except himself appeared to be standing
+in the great hall of the Red Rogue's castle! Yet grouped within
+the glass were the likenesses of all his friends, as well as
+those of Lady Seseley and her companions; and all were staring
+back at him earnestly, as if imploring him to save them.</p>
+
+<p>The mystery was now explained, and Prince Marvel rushed from
+the hall to find the treacherous Red Rogue. But that clever
+trickster had hidden himself in an upper room, and for the
+present was safely concealed.</p>
+
+<p>For a time Prince Marvel could not think what to do. Such magic
+was all unknown to him, and how to free the imprisoned forms of
+his friends was a real problem. He walked around the castle, but
+no one was in sight, the Rogue having given orders to all his
+people to keep away. Only the tethered horses did he see, and
+these raised their heads and whinnied as if in sympathy with his
+perplexity.</p>
+
+<p>Then he went back into the hall and searched all the rooms of
+the castle without finding a single person. On his return he
+stopped in front of the mirror and sorrowfully regarded the faces
+of his friends, who again seemed to plead for relief.</p>
+
+<p>And while he looked a sudden fit of anger came over him at being
+outwitted by this Red Rogue of Dawna. Scarcely knowing what he
+did, he seized his sword by the blade and struck the mirror a
+powerful blow with the heavy hilt. It shattered into a thousand
+fragments, which fell clattering upon the stone floor in every
+direction. And at once the charm was broken; each of his friends
+now became visible. They appeared running toward him from all
+parts of the castle, where they had been wandering in their
+invisible forms.</p>
+
+<p>They called out joyful greetings to one another, and then all
+of them surrounded the prince and thanked him earnestly for
+releasing them.</p>
+
+<p>The little Lady Seseley and her friends, Berna and Helda, were a
+bit shy in the presence of so many strangers; but they alone knew
+the prince's secret, and that he was a fairy transformed for a
+year; so they regarded him as an old and intimate acquaintance,
+and after being introduced by him to the others of his party they
+became more at ease.</p>
+
+<p>The sweet little High Ki maids at once attracted Seseley, and
+she loved them almost at first sight. But it was Nerle who became
+the little lady's staunchest friend; for there was something
+rather mystical and unnatural to him about the High Ki, who
+seemed almost like fairies, while in Seseley he recognized a
+hearty, substantial girl of his own rank in life.</p>
+
+<p>While they stood talking and congratulating one another outside
+of the castle, the Red Rogue of Dawna appeared among them. He had
+heard the noise of the smashing of his great mirror, and had come
+running downstairs from his hiding-place to find his cunning had
+all been for naught and his captives were free.</p>
+
+<p>A furious anger then took possession of the Rogue, and
+forgetting his personal weakness he caught up a huge battle-ax
+and rushed out to hurl himself upon Prince Marvel, intending to
+do him serious injury.</p>
+
+<p>But the prince was not taken unawares. He saw the Red Rogue
+coming and met him with drawn sword, striking quickly at the arm
+that wielded the big ax. The stroke was as sure as it was quick,
+and piercing the arm of the giant caused him to drop the ax with
+a howl of pain.</p>
+
+<p>Then Prince Marvel seized the Red Rogue by the ear--which he
+was just tall enough to reach--and dragged him up the steps and
+into the castle, the big fellow crying for mercy at every step
+and trembling like a leaf through cowardice.</p>
+
+<p>But down the hall Marvel marched him, seeking some room where the
+Rogue might be safely locked in. The great curtain that covered
+the second enchanted mirror now caught Prince Marvel's eye, and,
+still holding his prisoner by the ear, he reached out his left
+hand and pulled aside the drapery.</p>
+
+<p>The Red Rogue looked to see what his captor was doing, and
+beheld his own reflection in the magic mirror. Instantly he gave
+a wild cry and disappeared, his body becoming absolutely
+invisible, while his coarse red countenance stared back from the
+mirror.</p>
+
+<p>And then Prince Marvel gave a sigh of relief and dropped the
+curtain over the surface of the mirror. For he realized that the
+Red Rogue of Dawna had at last met with just punishment and was
+safely imprisoned for all time.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XXV" id="XXV">Chapter 25.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The Adventurers Separate</h3>
+
+<p>When Prince Marvel and his friends had ridden away from the
+castle the savage followers of the Red One came creeping up to
+listen for their master's voice. But silence reigned in every
+part of the castle, and after stealing fearfully through the
+rooms without seeing any one the fellows became filled with
+terror and fled from the place, never to return.</p>
+
+<p>And afterward the neighbors whispered that the castle was haunted
+by the spirit of the terrible Red Rogue, and travelers dared not
+stop in the neighborhood, but passed by quickly and with averted
+faces.</p>
+
+<p>The prince and his party rode gaily along toward the Kingdom
+of Heg, for Nerle had invited them all to visit his father's
+castle. They were very happy over their escape, and only the
+little Lady Seseley became sad at times, when she thought of her
+father's sad fate.</p>
+
+<p>The Baron Neggar, who was Nerle's father, was not only a wealthy
+nobleman, but exceedingly kind and courteous; so that every
+member of Prince Marvel's party was welcomed to the big castle in
+a very hospitable manner.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle was eagerly embraced by both his father and mother, who
+were overjoyed to see him return safe and sound after his
+wanderings and adventures.</p>
+
+<p>"And have you been cured of your longing for something that you
+can not have?" asked the baron, anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>"Not quite," said Nerle, laughing; "but I am more reconciled
+to my lot. For I find wherever I go people are longing for just
+the things they can not get, and probably would not want if they
+had them. So, as it seems to be the fate of most mortals to live
+unsatisfied, I shall try hereafter to be more contented."</p>
+
+<p>These words delighted the good baron, and he gave a rich and
+magnificent feast in honor of his son's return.</p>
+
+<p>The High Ki of Twi, after passing several pleasant days at
+Nerle's home, now decided that they had seen enough of the world
+and would be glad to return to their own kingdom, where all was
+peaceful and uneventful, and rule it to the end of their days. So
+the baron furnished them an escort of twenty men-at-arms, and
+these conducted the High Ki and the aged Ki safely back to the
+hole in the hedge.</p>
+
+<p>And after they had entered the Land of Twi, the first act of the
+High Ki was to order the hedge repaired and the hole blocked up;
+and I have never heard that any one, from that time forth, ever
+succeeded in gaining admittance to the hidden kingdom. So its
+subsequent history is unknown.</p>
+
+<p>King Terribus also bade the prince an affectionate farewell
+and rode back to his own kingdom; and burly Wul-Takim accompanied
+him as far as the cave, where the fifty-eight reformed thieves
+awaited him.</p>
+
+<p>Nerle's mother gladly adopted the Lady Seseley and her two
+companions, and thereafter they made their home at the baron's
+castle. And years afterward, when they had grown to be women,
+Seseley was married to Nerle and became the lady of the castle
+herself.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Marvel enjoyed the feasting and dancing at the castle
+very much, but after the party began to break up, and the High Ki
+and the Ki had left him, as well as King Terribus and honest
+Wul-Takim, the young knight grew thoughtful and sometimes uneasy,
+and his happy laugh was less frequently heard. Nerle often
+regarded his young master with a feeling of awe, for there
+occasionally came a look into Marvel's eyes that reminded him
+more of the immortals than of any human being. But the prince
+treated him with rare kindness and always pressed Nerle's hand
+affectionately when he bade him good night, for he had grown fond
+of his esquire. Also they had long conversations together, during
+which Nerle gleaned a great deal of knowledge and received some
+advice that was of much use to him in his later life.</p>
+
+<p>One day Prince Marvel sought out Lady Seseley and said:</p>
+
+<p>"Will you ride with me to the Forest of Lurla?"</p>
+
+<p>"Willingly," she answered; and calling Berna and Helda to attend
+them, they mounted their horses and rode swiftly away, for it was
+a long distance to Lurla.</p>
+
+<p>By noon the party entered the forest, and although the path
+they traversed was unknown to the girls, who had usually entered
+the forest from its other side, near to where the Baron Merd's
+castle had stood, the prince seemed to have no difficulty in
+finding his way.</p>
+
+<p>He guided them carefully along the paths, his handsome
+war-charger stepping with much grace and dignity, until at length
+they came to a clearing.</p>
+
+<p>Here the prince paused abruptly, and Seseley looked around her
+and at once recognized the place.</p>
+
+<p>"Why," she exclaimed, in surprise, "it is the Fairy Bower!"</p>
+
+<p>And then she turned to Prince Marvel and asked in a soft
+voice:</p>
+
+<p>"Is the year ended, Prince?"</p>
+
+<p>His smile was a bit sad as he answered, slowly:</p>
+
+<p>"The year will be ended in five minutes!"</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XXVI" id="XXVI">Chapter 26.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>The End of the Year</h3>
+
+<p>The girls sat upon the green moss and waited. Prince Marvel
+stood silent beside his horse. The silver armor was as bright as
+the day he donned it, nor was there a dent in his untarnished
+shield. The sword that had done such good service he held lightly
+in his hand, and the horse now and then neighed softly and turned
+to look at him with affectionate eyes.</p>
+
+<p>Seseley began to tremble with excitement, and Berna and Helda
+stared at the prince with big round eyes.</p>
+
+<p>But, after all, they saw nothing so remarkable as they
+expected. For presently--and it all happened in a flash--Prince
+Marvel was gone from their midst, and a handsome, slender-limbed
+deer darted from the bower and was quickly lost in the thick
+forest. On the ground lay a sheet of bark and a twig from a tree,
+and beside them was Lady Seseley's white velvet cloak.</p>
+
+<p>Then the three girls each drew a long breath and looked into one
+another's eyes, and, while thus engaged, a peal of silvery
+laughter sounded in their ears and made them spring quickly to
+their feet.</p>
+
+<p>Before them stood a tiny and very beautiful fairy, clothed in
+floating gossamer robes of rose and pearl color, and with eyes
+sparkling like twin stars.</p>
+
+<p>"Prince Marvel!" exclaimed the three, together.</p>
+
+<p>"No, indeed!" cried the fairy, with a pretty little pout. "I
+am no one but myself; and, really, I believe I shall now be
+content to exist for a few hundred years in my natural form. I
+have quite enjoyed my year as a mortal; but after all there are,
+I find, some advantages in being a fairy. Good by, my dears!"</p>
+
+<p>And with another ripple of laughter the pretty creature vanished,
+and the girls were left alone.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="XXVII" id="XXVII">Chapter 26.</a></h2>
+
+<h3>A Hundred Years Afterward</h3>
+
+<p>About a hundred years after Prince Marvel enjoyed his strange
+adventures in the Enchanted Island of Yew an odd thing
+happened.</p>
+
+<p>A hidden mirror in a crumbling old castle of Dawna broke loose
+from its fastenings and fell crashing on the stone pavement of
+the deserted hall. And from amid the ruins rose the gigantic form
+of a man. His hair and beard were a fiery red, and he gazed at
+the desolation around him in absolute amazement.</p>
+
+<p>It was the Red Rogue of Dawna, set free from his
+imprisonment.</p>
+
+<p>He wandered out and found strange scenes confronting him, for
+during the hundred years a great change had taken place in the
+Enchanted Island. Great cities had been built and great kingdoms
+established. Civilization had won the people, and they no longer
+robbed or fought or indulged in magical arts, but were busily
+employed and leading respectable lives.</p>
+
+<p>When the Red Rogue tried to tell folks who he was, they but
+laughed at him, thinking the fellow crazy. He tried to get
+together a band of thieves, as Wul-Takim had done in the old
+days, but none would join him.</p>
+
+<p>And so, forced to be honest against his will, the Rogue was
+driven to earn a living by digging in the garden of a wealthy
+noble, of whom he had never before heard.</p>
+
+<p>But often he would pause in his labors and lean on his spade,
+while thoughts of the old days of wild adventure passed through
+his mind in rapid succession; and then the big man would shake
+his red head with a puzzled air and mutter:</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder who that Prince Marvel could have been! And I wonder
+what ever became of him!"</p>
+
+<pre>
+
+*** End of Project Gutenberg's The Enchanted Island of Yew ***
+
+</pre>
+</body>
+</html>
+
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