The sociable Sand Witch (2024)

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE SOCIABLE SAND WITCH

Of all the witches that may be found in all the fairy tales ever toldthere is none more delightfully sociable than the Sand Witch. ThisWitch, who lives underneath the heaps of sand at the ocean's edge,where, in the summertime, you dig with your shovel, is not at all likeother witches. She never rides on a broomstick, and she never goes downchimneys. In the first place there are no broomsticks or chimneys onthe beach at the sea-shore, and in the second place she would not knowhow to ride on a broomstick or climb down a chimney, if there were. Allthe Sand Witch knows how to do is to sink into the sand when anythingscares her, and to come up through the sand when she sees a chance toget acquainted with a person she never was acquainted with before. Sonow you know what a Sand Witch is. And if Junior Jenks, seven yearsold, and dreadfully sunburnt, had known what you know, he would havebeen much better prepared to face the one that came up right under hisnose all of a sudden one hot July morning.

Junior was supposed to be in bathing. His mother, and his father, andhis sister were in among the breakers having a fine time, but Junior,although he was wearing a bathing suit just like they were, preferredthe good old sandy, sunny beach where foam-crested waves could nottumble you over and over, and fill your mouth with salt water whenyou yelled. He had tried bathing once, and no amount of coaxing couldinduce him to try it again, so his folks left him to play by himselfwhile they took their dip.

The first Junior knew about the Sand Witch was when the tip end of asteeple hat began to come up through the sand in front of him. Up, upit came until the whole hat was showing; then followed a long nose, twobig, black eyes, a big mouth, and a sharp pointed chin; after that therest of the Sand Witch followed very quickly, until at last she stoodbefore him as cool as a cucumber.

"Well," she said, not paying the slightest attention to the wayJunior's hair was standing up, "here I am. I've heard you digging forsome days. I suppose you thought you'd never find me."

"Find you?" said Junior, staring with all his might. "I wasn't tryingto find you. I never knew there was such a person. I wasn't trying tofind anything."

"You weren't?" said the Sand Witch. "Then what in the name of peacewere you digging for?"

"Why," said Junior, "I—I—I was just digging for fun."

"Well," said the Witch, "did you find any fun?"

"Find any fun? Of course not! You don't find fun, you—you just haveit."

The Sand Witch pushed her hat on one side and scratched her head inperplexity. "I don't think I understand. You said you were digging forfun, didn't you? And when I asked if you found any fun you say youdon't find fun, you just have it. Well, if you have it, what do youdig for? Tell me that?"

But though she waited very politely for Junior to tell her, he made noanswer. He just looked at her with his mouth open, and wiggled his baretoes deeper into the sand.

"My goodness," said the Witch, at last, "are you deaf? I asked you aquestion."

"I—I know," said the boy, "but—but I can't tell you. I—I don't knowhow."

"Suffering sea serpents!" exclaimed the newcomer. "You certainly arethe queerest I ever met!"

"No queerer than you are," responded Junior, indignantly. "You're thequeerest person I ever met! Coming up through the sand in such a way!"

"Humph!" retorted the Witch. "How else could I come up? There'snothing else here but sand to come up through. You can't blame thaton me."

"Oh, I'm not blaming you," said Junior. "I'm only telling you. I don'tsuppose it is your fault that all this sand is here. It only seemed sostrange for a person to be underneath it. You don't live there, do you?"

"I certainly do!" replied the other; "and all my family, too."

"Underneath the sand? Why, I never heard of such a thing! I—I can'tbelieve it!"

"Now look here," said the Sand Witch. "I won't let anybody talk thatway to me. If you don't believe I live underneath the sand come on downand see for yourself. Just hold your nose tight with the fingers ofyour right hand, put your left hand above your head, draw in adeep breath; and down you go, like this."

Thrusting a hand above her head, and grasping her nose, she took a deepbreath, and zip—she sank through the sand like a flash, just the wayJunior's father always sank into the ocean when he was bathing. Thenbing—the next moment she popped up again, smiling cheerfully. "See howeasy it is? Come on, now you try it!"

"No, thank you," said Junior. "I'd rather stay on top of the sand."

"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed the Sand Witch, "I never saw such a 'fraid cat!You're not only afraid to take a sea bath, but you don't even dare totake a sand bath. I'd be ashamed!"

"Well, be ashamed, if you want!" said Junior, hotly. "I don't care! Idon't like baths of any kind; in the ocean, or in the sand; or even inthe bathtub. What's the use of them, anyway?"

And with that he started digging again. And then it was that the SandWitch showed what a thoroughly sociable nature she had, for althoughthe boy had turned his back to her and was paying no attention, shewasn't in the least discouraged. "Did you ever see a crab wait on thetable?" she asked.

"Why, no," said Junior, whirling about and looking very muchinterested. "I thought all a crab could do was to pinch you."

"Not at all! They wait on the table fine if you let 'em. And I'vegot a shooting starfish, too, that can't be beat. You come on downunderneath the sand, and I'll show you. Oh, I've got dozens ofdelightful things down there. Why, the sand pies I make are the mostdelicious things you ever tasted. And I know you'll laugh when you seethe clams skip rope."

Well, you may be sure all this sounded very, very good to Junior. Hehad often heard of starfish, but never of shooting starfish. A crabwaiting on the table was bound to be interesting; and a clam skippingrope, even more so. As for sand pies, he had often made them himself,but never so they could be eaten. If there was a way to do the trick,he'd like to know it. In fact, it was like being promised a free ticketto the circus. So throwing his bucket and shovel aside he got to hisfeet without further parley.

"Very well," he said, "I'll go with you. But I've got to be back ina half hour. My father is going to take me sailing as soon as he isthrough with his bath."

"That's all right," said the Sand Witch. "When you're ready to goback, you just go back. And now do just as I do."

So Junior held his nose tight, put his other hand above his head, tooka deep breath, and then bing—he and the Sand Witch sank through thesand in a jiffy, and the next moment came out underneath it.

"Oh!" cried the boy.

All about was a beautiful, white, glistening, sandy city; houses,fences, streets, all of sand. The place where they were standing seemedto be a sort of park with cute, little, carved, sandy benches amid thesand grass, and several tall fountains spouting sand in a fine spray.

"Well, how do you like it?" asked the Witch.

"Fine!" said Junior; "but where are the clams and the—"

"My goodness," said the Witch, "but you are in a hurry. I've got tofind my children, first. You don't expect me to neglect my childrenthat way, do you?"

"Oh, no," replied the boy, "of course not. But—but I didn't comehere to see your children, you know. I can see children anywhere."

"Not children like mine," said the Sand Witch, proudly. "If there is amore beautiful child than little Lettuce Sand Witch I'd like to see it.And as for dear little Ham Sand Witch, he is the cutest thing."

"Ham Sand Witch! Lettuce Sand Witch!" exclaimed Junior. "Are those thenames of your children? Why—why, it sounds like things to eat!"

"Well," said Mrs. Sand Witch, "why not? Both of them are certainlysweet enough to eat."

With that she opened her mouth and gave a piercing yell. "Children!"she shrieked. "Come to mother, quick! I've got a little boy for you toplay with!"

And presently, racing across the park toward them came the two littleSand Witches, one a girl and the other a boy. But though their motherthought them sweet enough to eat, Junior did not. Both had long,pointed noses and chins; big, black eyes and dreadfully wide mouths,just like Mrs. Sand Witch. When they saw Junior they just stood andstared, and gnashed their teeth.

"Hello!" said Ham Sand Witch, after a moment. "Who are you?"

"Yes," said his sister, Lettuce Sand Witch, walking about and examiningJunior from all sides, "who are you, and where did you come from?"

"I'm Junior Jenks," replied Junior, "and I came from the beach up aboveto see the clams skip rope."

"Pooh!" said Ham Sand Witch. "That's no fun! We're not going to playwith them any more. They want you to turn the rope all the time. If youdon't, they nip you."

"Well," said Junior, "if I can't see the clams skip rope, let me seethe starfish shoot."

"All right," said Lettuce Sand Witch, "we don't mind. But you'll haveto pay his fare if you want to see him shoot."

"Pay his fare?" responded Junior. "I don't know what you mean."

"Ahem!" put in Mrs. Sand Witch. "Perhaps you thought he shot with agun. Well, he doesn't. He chutes with a chute! And you know as well asI do, you've got to pay your fare when you chute with a chute."

"Oh," cried Junior, in dismay, "I see. But—but I haven't any money."

"Then," said Mrs. Sand Witch, "if you want to see him chute, we'll haveto charge it to your father. How about it?"

"Well," said the boy, "I guess he won't mind, as long as I never saw afish chute before."

So Mrs. Sand Witch took the children to the chute the chutes on theother side of the park, and told the proprietor, a very shaky oldjellyfish, that Junior would pay the starfish's fare, and to kindlycoax him out of the ocean to take a ride.

So the jellyfish went to the ocean, which was just back of the chutethe chutes, and yelled for the starfish to hurry up if he wanted a freeride. And the starfish, highly flattered at the invitation, lost notime in making his appearance.

"I'm awfully obliged to you," he said to Junior, as he whirled about inthe sand to dry himself. "And to show I am I'll let you sit with me."

So Junior and the starfish, and Ham Sand Witch, and Lettuce Sand Witch,climbed into the car and went shooting around the chute the chutes.

"Isn't it great?" shrieked the starfish, as they scooted down theinclines. "It makes your insides turn somersaults! It beats swimmingall hollow, I think. If ever I get rich I'm going to build one ofthese things in the ocean."

And when at last the ride came to an end he insisted on Junior shakinghands with every one of his five points. "Any time you fall overboardwhen you're out sailing," he said, "stop in and see me. My place is thethird clump of coral just beyond the bathing grounds. Good-by!"

"Now," said Mrs. Sand Witch, who had waited while the children and thestarfish took their ride, "I've got to go home and get dinner. Youchildren amuse yourselves, and after dinner maybe I'll take you to seethe mermaids."

So Junior, and Ham Sand Witch, and Lettuce Sand Witch, wandered aboutthe park hand in hand. Although the little Sand Witches were so ugly,Junior was beginning to like them right well, now that he was gettingused to them; and they seemed to like him, too.

"Why don't you stay all summer?" said Ham Sand Witch. "We could havelots of fun."

"I'd like to," said Junior, "if my father and mother and sister werehere."

"Well, why not ask 'em to come down?" suggested Lettuce Sand Witch.

"Oh, they wouldn't do it," said the boy. "I know they wouldn't. Theylike it better on the boardwalk and at the hotel. And now let's see ifwe can't find those clams that skip rope."

"All right," said Ham Sand Witch, "but if we do, they'll make you turnfor 'em just so. They're awfully snappish."

And sure enough when presently they came upon the clams sitting on abench near one of the fountains, and Junior asked if they would skiprope for him, they said they would if he turned for them just so.

"I don't know what you mean by 'just so,'" said Junior, "but I'll do mybest."

And he certainly did do the best he could. While Ham Sand Witch heldone end of the rope he turned it very, very carefully as the two big,white clams solemnly skipped. They were slow enough until they gotwarmed up.

"Now give us butter and eggs," said one of the clams, suddenly.

"Butter and eggs?" said Junior. "You mean pepper and salt, don't you?"

"I certainly do not," said the clam who had spoken. "I meanbutter and eggs. Pepper and salt is fast, but butter and eggs islightning; and see that you do it right."

But though Junior turned the rope with all his might and main he simplycould not turn it fast enough to suit the clams. And presently with ascream of rage they rushed at him snapping their shells angrily.

"Run! Run!" shrieked Lettuce Sand Witch, "or they'll nip you!"

"Run! Run!" yelled Ham Sand Witch. "They pinch awful."

And maybe Junior did not run. And maybe the clams did not run afterhim. But luckily, just as they were about to grab him, one of themtripped and fell and cracked its shell, and wept so when it did, thatthe other clam stopped to help it. So Junior, and Ham Sand Witch, andLettuce Sand Witch finally reached Mrs. Sand Witch's house and weresoon safe indoors.

"Sakes alive!" exclaimed Mrs. Sand Witch, as the children stood beforeher, panting. "What has happened?"

And after they had told her she said they were never even to speakto those clams again. "I never did care for clams, anyhow," she said."They're always disagreeing with people."

Then she told them that dinner was almost ready and that she knew theywould enjoy it. "We've got the most delicious sandpaper garnished withseaweed," she added; "to say nothing of sand pies for dessert."

And when she said that both the little Sand Witches jumped up anddown with glee, and cheered and cheered. "Oh, goody!" they cried. AndJunior, being a very polite little boy, cheered also, although he feltquite sure that while he might like the sand pies, he never, neverwould care for sandpaper garnished with seaweed.

And then as he sat in the parlor waiting for dinner to be served, heheard a clatter of dishes in the next room, and peeping in, gave a gaspof astonishment, for there was a big, green-backed crab putting thedinner on the table, singing cheerfully to itself as it did so. Andthis is what it sang:

And as the crab sang a funny feeling came over Junior. Only a week orso before he had been out with his father in a boat, and his fatherhad caught a crab on his fishing line, and pulled it into the boat. AndJunior, being in his bare feet, had been awfully scared for fear thecrab would pinch him, and then, sure enough, before he could get hisfeet up on the seat, it did, right on the heel; and in trying to kickit loose, he kicked it overboard. He wondered if this could possibly bethe same crab.

So when they all went in to dinner he looked at the crab carefully tosee if he could recognize it, but as one crab looks like another,he couldn't be sure. But the minute the crab saw him, it was verydifferent.

"Oh!" gasped the creature he had been observing, staggering backwardand almost dropping the dish of sandpaper and seaweed it was carrying.Then, putting the dish carefully on the table, it bent over and lookedJunior in the face.

"'Tis he!" it shrieked, with a dramatic gesture. "'Tis he! my rescuer!"And if Junior had not leaped from his seat it would have thrown itsclaws about his neck.

"'Tis he?" exclaimed Mrs. Sand Witch, frowning at her amphibianservant. "What do you mean by ''tis he'? What are you talking about?This is a nice way to behave before company."

But after the creature had explained matters, Mrs. Sand Witch and thelittle Sand Witches were even more excited than the crab was.

"My, my, how romantic!" said Mrs. Sand Witch; "and how lucky it is,Bertha, that you're a lady crab. Now you can marry him!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Bertha, the crab, trembling violently. "I never thoughtof that! I'd just love to, if only to show my gratitude. But—but maybehe wouldn't care to marry me. Would you?" she asked, turning to Junior,who had once more resumed his seat.

"Marry you?" said the boy, wishing he hadn't sat down again. "Why—why,of course not. Why—why—I—I—why, I'm only a boy. I—I, my motherwouldn't let me get married. I know she wouldn't."

"Oh, bother your mother!" retorted the crab, crossly. "She'll neverknow anything about it. We'll get married and settle down here, andshe'll never know where you are. And now, when shall it be?"

"Never!" shouted Junior, springing up once more. "I'll never do it.Boys never marry crabs. Boys never marry anybody!"

"Never marry anybody?" put in Mrs. Sand Witch. "Dear me, then how dothey ever get married?"

"They don't get married," said Junior. "They—they just play."

"Well," responded the crab, "you can play. I won't mind. You needn'tstop playing just because you're married to me. No, sir-ee!"

But Junior shook his head. "I'm very sorry," he said, "but I can't doit." And though the crab kept on coaxing and coaxing, he wouldn't givein.

"Now look here," said Mrs. Sand Witch, "if we keep this up the dinnerwill be cold. So run along, Bertha, and maybe after Junior has had agood dinner he will change his mind."

"No, I won't," said Junior. "And what is more I want to go back to thebeach right off. I told you I was going sailing with my father in ahalf hour."

"But," replied Mrs. Sand Witch, as she smacked her lips over the lastof her sandpaper, "that was before you were engaged to be married."

"I'm not engaged to be married," stormed the boy; "and if I had knownyou were this kind of a person I'd never have come down here."

"Now, now," said Mrs. Sand Witch, "I'm every bit as old as yourmother, and I know what is best for you. You wouldn't like me to spankyou, would you?"

And when she said that, Junior decided he might as well give himself upfor lost. Soon as a person began to say she knew what was best for you,you might as well make up your mind, you are done for. "Good gracious!"he said to himself, "whatever shall I do?"

And when dinner was over, and he went into the park again with thelittle Sand Witches, he was so depressed he wouldn't play or doanything; and finally, Ham Sand Witch got tired trying to cheer him upand went off to play with some other sand witches, leaving Junior andLettuce Sand Witch sitting on a bench side by side.

Lettuce Sand Witch, swinging her legs violently, was looking at him.Then she slid along the bench and snuggled up close. "I'm awfullysorry," she said. "And I think it's dreadfully mean to make you marryBertha. She's not pretty like I am, is she? Wouldn't you rather marryme?"

And the minute she said that, Junior had a bright idea. He didn'twant to marry Lettuce Sand Witch any more than he wanted to marry thegrateful Bertha, one was as ugly as the other; but maybe if he let onhe wanted to, she might tell him how to get back to the beach. So hesnuggled up to her when she snuggled up to him.

"Maybe I would," he said, smiling at her. "But I couldn't possibly doit until I asked my mother. You tell me how to get back to the beach,and if my mother says I can marry you, I'll come right back and do it."

"Oh, will you, really?" cried Lettuce Sand Witch, springing to her feetand clapping her hands. "Then I'll tell you how to get to the beach,or at least the way my mother gets there. She stands up straight likethis; holds her nose with her left hand and puts her right handabove her head; then she blows out her breath instead of drawing itin; and up she goes. And now, you won't forget to come back?"

"No, indeed," said Junior, "I'll do just as I promised. If my mothertells me to come back and marry you, I'll do it. And now, good-by, andthank you very, very much."

The next instant he stood up as straight as he could, grasped his nosewith his left hand, put his right hand above his head, blew out hisbreath, and bing—he shot up through the sand, and found himself rightalongside of his bucket and shovel.

He looked about. Everything was just the same. The sun was shining,people were still in bathing, but nowhere among them could he see hisfather, or mother, or sister. And then, presently they came tearingover the sand toward him.

"You bad boy!" scolded Mrs. Jenks. "Where have you been? We've beenterribly worried! How dare you go off by yourself? Where were you, Isay?"

"Why—why—" began Junior.

Then he stopped. What was the use? He knew they wouldn't believe him.And if he asked his mother if he could go back and marry Lettuce SandWitch as he promised he would ask her, she would say he was sick orsomething, and make him go to bed. So he just dug his toes into thesand and said nothing.

And that is why poor little Lettuce Sand Witch is still waitingunderneath the sand for Junior Jenks to come marry her. And that is whyJunior Jenks keeps looking about so queerly when he plays on the beachby himself. He is taking no chances of another sociable sand witchpopping up in his neighborhood.

THE FOUNTAIN OF RICHES

No matter what other mistakes you may make in your lifetime, never makethe mistake of renting a cottage from an ogre. If you do, the chancesare you will bitterly regret it, as did Hak, the aged woodcutter.

Hak, was an old, old man who lived in a forest with his littlegrandson, Omo, whose father and mother were dead; and who earned hisliving by cutting down trees and chopping them into firewood. Thecottage that Hak and his grandson lived in belonged to an ogre, and therent the old man paid for it was not very much; and as long as he kepthis health and strength, he got along very nicely. But one day, whilecutting down a tree he tripped and fell, and before he could get out ofthe way the falling tree struck him and broke his leg. And after Omohad dragged him back into the cottage all he could do was to lie onhis bed and groan, and wait for the leg to get well.

"Goodness gracious!" he said to the boy, "What shall we do? I won'tbe able to work for days and days, and there will be the rent to pay,to say nothing of the doctor's bill."

"Well," said Omo, "the rent and the doctor's bill will have to wait. Sodon't worry."

"I have to worry," replied the old man. "The doctor may wait for hisbill, but the person who owns this cottage will not wait for his rent;no sir-ee."

Then he told Omo that the cottage belonged to an ogre. "He let me haveit very cheap, but only for a certain reason. What do you think thatreason was?"

"I don't know," replied Omo. "What was it?"

"That he should be allowed to make you into a dumpling for dessert if Idid not pay the rent every month without fail."

"Oh," said Omo, his eyes very big. "I don't wonder you are worried.It—it makes me feel worried, too! Why did you ever make such abargain?"

"Well," said his grandfather, groaning worse than ever, "I neverthought for a minute that I would ever have my leg broken, and I was sovery, very poor I simply had to have a cottage cheap. But now,I'll not only lose the cottage, but you also. I guess I might as welldie."

"Don't you do it!" responded Omo. "I haven't been made into a dumplingyet, and I'm not going to be, if I can help it. I'll go into the cityand get the doctor, and while I'm there I'll try to earn enough moneyto pay the rent."

But Omo's grandfather only shook his head. "You're a plucky boy, Omo,"he said, "but you'll never be able to do it. How can a boy of sevenearn anything?"

"Well, I can try, can't I?" said Omo. "You can't do anything if youdon't try."

So pulling his cap down over his curls, and tucking some bread andcheese into his pocket, he set off for town. But when he arrived atthe doctor's office he found that the waiting room was crowded withpeople, and that he would have to wait his turn.

"Oh, dear," he sighed, as he sat down next to a little old lady with afrilled bonnet on her head, "this is most unfortunate. My grandfatherought to be attended to right away."

"Well, he won't get attended to right away," said the old lady, "I cantell you that! This doctor charges by the length of time you wait inhis office, so he never hurries. I've been here three months."

"Three months!" cried the boy. "Oh, I couldn't possibly wait threemonths, or even three days. I'm in a hurry! I've got to earn enoughmoney to pay the rent of our cottage, or the ogre who owns it will turnme into a dumpling and eat me."

And when he said that everybody in the waiting room twisted about andlooked at him. "He seems to have a fever," they said.

"See here," said the old lady, "are you sure you're not sick instead ofyour grandfather?"

"I'm perfectly well!" exclaimed Omo, indignantly.

"Then you must be joking," responded the other.

"No, I'm not," said Omo. "I mean every word I said. I'm in greattrouble."

"H'm," said the old lady. She got to her feet. "Come on, let's gooutside! We'll save money by it anyway!"

Then as they walked along the street Omo told her all about hisgrandfather's accident, and how important it was that the rent shouldbe paid.

"Ha!" exclaimed the old lady. "I know that ogre! His name is Gub and helives on the hill on the other side of the city. I often used to helppeople out of his clutches. I'm a retired fairy godmother—haven't beenin business for years and years—but your story interests me. I've agood mind to help you!"

"Oh, if you only would!" said Omo, "I'd be awfully obliged. Yousee, it's not very pleasant to be made into a dumpling, and have mygrandfather put out of his cottage when he has a broken leg. Please,please, help me!"

"Well," said the old lady, as she led the way into a little house witha peaked roof, "I only help people who help themselves. Can you helpyourself?"

"Certainly!" said Omo. "Just offer me something and watch me helpmyself."

"Very well then, I will," responded the fairy godmother. Going to agolden desk in a corner she took from it a silver key. "This is the keythat turns on the Fountain of Riches in the City of Ootch. All you haveto do is to put the key in the keyhole at the base of the fountain,give three turns to the right, three turns to the left, and one turnin the middle, and instantly the fountain will commence to spout goldpieces enough to bury you. But you must promise me this, be sure andturn the fountain off as soon as you get enough gold pieces to fillyour cap; and be sure and bring the key back to me, for I wouldn't wantthat key to be left in Ootch, or that fountain to be left spouting,for anything."

"Why not?" asked Omo. "What's the use of a fountain if it doesn'tspout?"

"Well, you see I presented that fountain to the city of Ootch becausethey named the city after my great aunt's trained co*ckatoo, but afterthe fountain started spouting gold pieces everybody had so much moneythey all stopped working, and it almost ruined them. The butcherstopped selling meat, and the baker stopped baking bread, and thetailor stopped making clothes. Everybody stopped doing everything, andpretty soon, although everybody had plenty of money, you couldn't buyanything because nobody would take the trouble to keep store when theycould get money from the fountain. So I locked the fountain up and tookthe key with me. And after the people of Ootch had spent some of themoney they had, and lost the rest, and could not get any more withoutworking for it, everything got all right again. And that's the reasonI don't want the fountain to keep on spouting again, or want you toleave the key behind you."

"I should think not," said Omo. "It seems as bad to be too rich as itis to be too poor. I'll be very careful about shutting the fountainoff, and I won't forget to bring back the key. And now how do I get tothe city of Ootch?"

"Just open my back door," said the fairy godmother, handing him thekey, "step out on the step, and then step off. And I do hope you won'tfind it raining, for when it rains in Ootch, it rains cats and dogs."

So Omo opened the fairy godmother's back door and stepped out on thestep, and as he stood there all he saw before him was a pretty littlegarden. Then, he stepped off the step, and bing—he was in a queerlooking city, and the garden and the back step, and the cottage, andthe fairy godmother, had all disappeared. And in addition it wasraining cats and dogs; regular, real cats and dogs.

"Ouch!" cried Omo, as a fat maltese fell ker-plunk on his head, yowlinglike anything. "Whee!" he yelled, as a fox terrier dropped with athud on his shoulder and barked in his ear. And then, as black, white,brown, yellow cats of every color, and dogs, big, little and medium,began pouring on him and around him, all howling, and barking, andspitting at the same time, he made a rush for a small building, open atthe sides but with a dome like roof of metal, where a man was standing.

"Quite a shower, isn't it?" said the man, as Omo reached the shelter.

"A shower," gasped Omo, "why—why, I think it's much more than ashower. And—and look what's coming down—cats and dogs!"

"Well," said the other, "why not? That's what always comes down,isn't it? That is why we build these cat and dog proof pavilions foruse on rainy days. Now if it rained elephants, that would be aninconvenience."

"I should say so," replied the boy. "But does it always rain like this?"

"Oh, sometimes it's a great deal worse. I remember about two yearsago I was caught in a storm and eight cats, all in one lump, andfighting as hard as they could, fell right on top of me as I crossedthe street, and I assure you, sir, I almost lost my temper."

"Well," said Omo, "it's lucky they melt as soon as they reach theground or you'd have more cats and dogs than you knew what to do with."

"Quite true," responded the stranger, "and even as it is, it is quite anuisance when a storm comes up."

He was an odd looking fellow with a curly beard, a scimitar in hissash, and a spotted turban on his head. As he finished speaking hebegan twisting at his ear with his finger as though he were winding aclock.

"What's the matter," asked Omo, "is your ear sore?"

"Certainly not! You know as well as I do I'm only winding myself up soI can start home as soon as the storm passes."

"Oh," cried Omo, "is that it? Well, I don't have to wind myself upwhen I want to go anywhere. I'm always wound up."

"You are!" exclaimed the stranger. "Why, I can hardly believe it! Inever heard of anyone being that way! You can't have lived herevery long."

"Oh, no," said the boy, "I haven't lived here a half hour. I only justcame."

Then he asked his companion if this was the city of Ootch, where thefamous Fountain of Riches was located.

"Oh, yes," said the stranger, "this is the city of Ootch all right. Andthe Fountain of Riches is here, too, but it's turned off; been turnedoff for years. Gee whiz, don't I remember the good old days when it wasturned on. Everybody got so rich we nearly starved to death becausenobody would work to provide things for us to live on. And then allof a sudden the fountain stopped, and I had to go to work again. I'ma night watchman. Not that there is much use of watching the night,because no one ever tries to steal it, but that's the trade my fathertaught me, so I'm it. And now, maybe you'll tell me why you ask aboutthe Fountain of Riches?"

"Well," said Omo, cautiously, "I've heard so much about it I justthought I'd like to see it while I was here." He didn't think it wiseto tell anything about the fairy godmother giving him the key to thefountain for fear some one might try to take the key from him.

"Quite so," said the other, "then you'd better come with me. The showeris over now, and if you want to see the fountain you've got to get apermit from the Doodab."

"The Doodab! What's a Doodab?" asked Omo.

"A Doodab," exclaimed the Night Watchman, "is the next swellest personto a Gumshu. Ootch isn't important enough to be governed by a Gumshuso they put a Doodab over us, and he's a right decent chap, and veryfond of music. Why I've seen him sit by the hour and push a slatepencil across a slate and go into ecstasies because it made his bloodrun cold. You'll probably like him if you don't hate him. So come alongand see for yourself."

Now the Doodab of Ootch was a very, very fat, and a very, very lazygentleman. He hated to be bothered about anything at any time. He worerings on his fingers and bells on his toes, and he had a big hoop ofpearls through the end of his nose. And he especially hated to bebothered when he was singing, which is what he was doing as Omo and theNight Watchman entered his apartment. And this is what he was singingin a very quivery voice as he accompanied himself on a slate with anawfully squeaky slate pencil:

"Well," exclaimed the Doodab, fretfully, "what do you want? It seemsstrange I can't embark on a sea of melody without being dragged ashorelike this. What do you want?"

"This boy wants to get a permit to look at the Fountain of Riches,"said the Night Watchman.

"He wants—What does he want that for?"

"Oh, I just want to see what it looks like," said Omo. "I never saw aFountain of Riches before."

"Hum!" said the Doodab of Ootch. "That remark has a very jarring notein it. And what are you going to do after you've seen the Fountain ofRiches?"

"Why," said Omo, "just—just look at it, of—of course."

"And what are you going to do after that?"

"Why—why, just—just keep on looking at it, I guess," responded theboy, hardly knowing what to say.

"Nonsense!" said the Doodab, "it won't do any good to keep on lookingat it forever. And besides if you look at it too long the permit willrun out. It only lasts three minutes."

"Three minutes!" exclaimed Omo. "Oh, I couldn't turn the fountain onand off, and gather up the gold pieces in three minutes." And then heclapped his hand to his mouth in dismay when he realized what he hadsaid.

"Ah, ha!" said the Doodab of Ootch, rattling the bells on his toes. "Soyou're going to turn it on, eh?"

"Oh, ho!" said the Night Watchman. "And how in the world did you findout how to turn it on?"

"Oh, I found out!" replied the boy.

"Well," said the Doodab, "I'm mighty glad to hear it, for I'mdreadfully hard up. My purse is just about empty."

Then he clapped his hands and when his servants entered the room, hetold them to get several large sacks and some shovels, and follow him.Then having twisted his ear and wound himself up, while the NightWatchman did the same, he took Omo by one hand and the Night Watchmanby the other, and led the way to the Fountain of Riches.

"See here," said Omo, as they hurried through the streets, "you twoneedn't think you're going to have piles of gold pieces again, foryou're not. I'm only going to turn that fountain on long enough to getmy hat full; and then I'm going to turn it off."

"What!" shrieked the Doodab of Ootch, "you're going to turn it offbefore I get my sacks full?"

"Can I believe my ears?" said the Night Watchman. "You can't mean toturn it off before I get my pockets full? Why—why if it hadn't beenfor me you never would have seen the Doodab, or found out where thefountain was. You must be spoofing!"

"No, I'm not," said Omo. "I'm very sorry, but I promised to turn thefountain off the minute I got my hat full."

"The minute you get your hat full, eh?" said the Doodab, looking at Omoslyly. Then he whispered in the Night Watchman's ear, after which theyboth laughed merrily.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Omo.

"We're laughing," said the Night Watchman, "to think how you're goingto turn the fountain off after you get your hat full."

By this time they had reached the Fountain of Riches which was in thecenter of the public square of the city.

"Are you still determined to turn it off as soon as you get your hatfull?" asked the Night Watchman.

"I have to," said Omo. "I promised."

"Well," said the Doodab, snappishly, "if you want to shut it off you'vegot to turn it on first, haven't you? So go ahead!"

So Omo took out the silver key, fitted it into the keyhole at the baseof the fountain, and turned three times to the right, then three timesto the left, and then three times in the middle, and bing—with aclink and a chink, and a tinkle, the fountain of riches began to spout.And the minute it did that, the Night Watchman grabbed Omo's cap fromhis head, and the Doodab snatched the key from his hand.

"There," said the Doodab of Ootch, hurling the key as far as he could,"I guess you won't turn off the fountain until you find that key."

"Yes," said the Night Watchman, hurling Omo's cap as far as he could,"and I guess you won't fill your cap until you find your cap either.And by the time you do I'll have my pockets full of gold pieces."

"And," put in the Doodab, "I'll have my sacks full also."

Well, you may be sure Omo was very angry at the trick played on him,and started after the cap and key as quickly as he could. It did nottake him long to find his cap, but he simply could not find the key.

"See here," he cried, running back to where the Doodab was tying up thenecks of his sacks, which were now filled to bursting, "you've got tohelp me find that key. I promised to turn this fountain off and I'mgoing to do it."

"All right," said the Doodab, "I'll help you. I've got gold enough hereto last me the rest of my life so I don't care how soon you turn itoff."

"Nor I," said the Night Watchman. "I've got all my pockets full, and mystockings full besides, so stop the old thing whenever you want."

But Omo, and the Doodab, and the Night Watchman, although they searchedand searched, could not find the key anywhere, and all the while thefountain was spouting gold pieces in a stream a hundred feet high, andso thick it looked like smoke.

"My sakes!" said the Doodab of Ootch, "I don't know how you'll everstop it! I'm sorry I threw the key away now! But, anyhow, the worstthat can happen if the fountain keeps on spouting, is to give the towna spell of nervous prosperity."

But alas, the Doodab of Ootch did not know what he was talking about,for the fountain kept on spouting and spouting, faster and faster; andpresently the streets were knee deep in gold pieces. It was awful.

"Say," said the Night Watchman to Omo, "are you sure you turned thefountain on all right? It never spouted like this before. We've alwaysbeen able to pick up the gold pieces as fast as they came out."

"Of course I turned it on right," said the boy. "I turned the key threetimes to the right and three times to the left, and then once in themiddle."

"No such thing!" shrieked the Doodab. "No such thing! You turned itthree times in the middle! I watched you!"

"Oh," cried Omo, in a horrified tone, "did I? Then—then that's whythe gold is coming out so fast. And it's getting deeper all the time."

"It'll soon be up to our necks!" cried the Night Watchman.

"We are lost!" roared the Doodab. He glared at Omo angrily. "How daredyou turn it on wrong?"

"Well, what did you throw the key away for?" retorted the boy. "If youhadn't done that, I could turn it off."

And there they stood quarreling, and all the time the gold was gettingdeeper and deeper about them. And when at last they decided they hadbetter go back to the Doodab's palace before they were buried alive,they found it was too late. The gold pieces were so deep they could notwalk.

"Mercy me!" groaned Omo. "I'll never get back to my grandfather now. Iwish I had never come here!"

"So do I!" snapped the Doodab of Ootch. "Until you came I was perfectlypoor and happy, and now I'm horribly rich and wretched. Oh, whatshall we do?"

And then all of a sudden Omo remembered a whistle the fairy godmotherhad given him when she gave him the key. "If you really need me foranything," she had said, "just blow this whistle; but not unless youreally need me." So Omo put the whistle to his lips and blew ashard as he could, for he thought if he ever really needed a fairygodmother he needed one now.

And the minute he blew the whistle there was a flutter and a whirr, andthe fairy godmother, frilled bonnet and all, stood before them.

"Well," she said, "you are in a nice mess, aren't you?"

"It isn't my fault," said the boy. And then he told her how he hadtried to obey her instructions, but could not because the Doodab ofOotch had thrown the key away. "I did make a mistake turning thefountain on," he said, "but I could have turned it off all right if thekey had not been taken from me."

"I see!" said the fairy godmother.

Then she told Omo to fill his cap as well as his pockets with goldpieces. And after he had done it, she gave three clucks like a chickendoes, snapped her finger twice; and bing—all the gold pieces in thestreets of Ootch, all the gold in the Doodab's money bags, all thegold in the pockets and stockings of the Night Watchman; all the goldeverywhere except that which Omo had, disappeared, and the Fountain ofRiches also.

"There," she said, "that's the best way to settle the matter. And now,come on, Omo, and get the doctor for your grandfather and pay the ogrehis rent."

"But," howled the Doodab of Ootch and the Night Watchman, "what do wedo? We haven't a cent!"

"You don't deserve any," replied the fairy godmother, sternly. "And aslong as you're howling so about it, I'll just make you and the wholecity disappear as well."

And she did, with three clucks and a snap of her fingers; and the nextmoment Omo found himself in the fairy godmother's cottage.

Well, you can easily guess how after thanking his benefactress forwhat she had done, he hurried off to the doctor's office. And when thedoctor saw Omo's cap and pockets full of gold, he went with him atonce; and became so interested in Omo's grandfather's case he took tenyears to cure him.

But neither Omo nor his grandfather cared if he did, for they hadplenty of money. And when the ogre came stamping in to collect hisrent, thinking he would not get it and would then make Omo into adumpling, Omo just laughed and bought the place from him. And notonly that, but he added another wing to the cottage and laid out apretty garden as well, as much like the fairy godmother's as he couldmake it. And when he did that the fairy godmother was so pleased shecame and kept house for them.

And now if you want to see a really happy family, just stop andmake a visit at Omo's place in the middle of the forest where hisgrandfather used to cut down the trees to make a living, but which hedoes not have to do any more, thanks to the Fountain of Riches.

OBSTINATE TOWN

Of course you know what a postage stamp is: a little, square, gummedstamp with a picture of George Washington on it. But a magic postagestamp is a very different stamp indeed. The George Washington kind youcan buy in the drug stores, but the other sort you cannot buy. They aregiven to you free of charge, if you don't look out.

In the autumn, when the leaves are falling, the Poppykoks come to town.There may be a hundred leaves falling and not one leaf have a Poppykokon it, and then all of a sudden, another leaf falls on your shoulderand a Poppykok is sitting on it, and then—bing—the moment he lands onyour shoulder he jumps off the leaf and pastes a magic postage stampon your cheek, and then—off you start for Obstinate Town by specialdelivery, that is, you do if you happen to be a boy that always wantshis own way. But if you are not that kind of a boy, you need not worry.

However, the boy this story is about was one of the kind who wanted hisown way. No matter what he was told to do he wanted to do somethingelse. Otherwise, he was a very nice little chap, and his name wasPrince Zep, the only son of a wealthy and powerful king. Of coursebeing a prince he was allowed to have his own way much more than wasgood for him, and was so used to it, he never thought anything abouthow unpleasant it might make things for other people.

And so, it is not surprising that one afternoon late in the Fall he wascaught, and sent off to Obstinate Town by special delivery.

Now Zep never guessed, any more than you have, that there was such aplace as Obstinate Town, or such things as Poppykoks or magic postagestamps. And so, as he strolled through the Royal Park that afternoonscudding his feet through the dried leaves that covered the way, hehad not the slightest idea that anything was going to happen to him,until quite unexpectedly, a big, red maple leaf fell on his shoulder,and from it stepped a Poppykok in his bright scarlet coat and breeches,and with his magic postage stamp neatly curled up in a roll in hishand. And before Zep could even gasp, the Poppykok had pasted the stampon his cheek, leaped from his shoulder to the ground, and stood beforehim, smiling cheerfully.

"There you are," said the Poppykok, "a good job, well done. Bon voyage!"

"Bon what?" began Zep, "I—I—"

"That's all right," responded the Poppykok, "you don't know whereyou're going, but you're going. Good-by! I'll see you later!"

And then Zep felt himself leap into the air and start off with a whiz.And the more he whizzed, the more he whizzed, until it seemed as thoughhe would never stop whizzing.

"My gracious," he thought, as well as he could as he hurried along,"what on earth has happened to me, and where, oh where, am I going?This is really dreadful!"

And indeed it was for a little while. But presently he began to getused to the whizzing, and finally found himself descending in agraceful curve before a large and ornate building that looked very muchlike a palace. And sure enough that is exactly what it was, and sittingon the steps of the palace waiting for him was the very same Poppykokthat had started him off on his journey.

"Welcome!" said the Poppykok, rising and coming forward as the Princereached the ground with a bump, "you're right on time. I hope you had apleasant trip?"

"No," said Zep, crossly, "I certainly did not. I had a horrid trip. Howdare you treat me this way?"

"Pooh! Pooh!" responded the other, snapping his fingers, "everybodysays that when they first arrive. You'll be crazy about the place in alittle while. And now let's go inside and report to the Emperor."

Pushing open the front door of the palace the Poppykok led the way intothe grand entrance hall, and as he did so a short, fat man with acrown on his bald head, and bristling whiskers all about his face, cametumbling down the stairway head over heels, and landed in a heap attheir feet.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, sitting up and rubbing his nose. After whichhe rubbed his shins and said "ouch" once more; and "oh my" and "goodgracious." And after that he bawled up the stairs as loud as he could:"Don't try to tell me to be careful and not fall downstairs, for I'lldo as I want."

Then he swung himself about. "The idea," he said, glaring at thePrince and the Poppykok, "of any one trying to keep me from fallingdownstairs. Huh! Can't I fall down my own stairs? Can't I? Tell me!"

"Certainly you can, your majesty," responded the Poppykok. "You canfall up 'em, too, if you want."

"I should think so," retorted the Emperor, "and yet the Queen tells meto look out and not fall down 'em, because it worries her. Well, lether worry. I want her to worry."

But if the Queen was worried she did not act that way, for as shecame tripping down she was laughing so heartily that she nearly fellherself, and finally had to sit on the bottom step to get her breath.

"What—what—" spluttered the Emperor, "what do you mean by notworrying? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Look at my nose, to saynothing of the bump on my shins. My, oh, my, isn't anybody worriedabout me?"

"I am, your majesty," put in Zep, "and I think the Queen ought to be,too."

"She ought not," snapped the monarch, scrambling to his feet. "If Iwanted her to be glad she would be worried, but as I want her to beworried, she is not. You must be a stranger here."

"He is," said the Poppykok. "He just arrived. I only caught him alittle while ago."

Then he told the Emperor who Zep was. "This boy," he said, "is aPrince, and has his own way more than anybody else in his father'skingdom. In fact, he is one of the most delightfully stubborn youngpersons I have ever met, and never will do what any one wants him toif he can possibly help it."

"My," said the Emperor, grasping Zep's hand and shaking it warmly,"if that isn't the finest record I ever heard of. I couldn't be morepig-headed myself. How did you get so? Did you learn it at school orjust teach yourself?"

"Oh," said Zep, feeling rather proud, "I just picked it up, I guess."

"Well," said the monarch, "there is nothing like it to my mind.Perhaps you've read my famous poem on the subject? Have you?"

"No," said Zep, "I never heard of it."

"Humph!" said the Emperor, looking rather disappointed. "You're notvery literary, are you? However, there is no reason why you should nothear it now. Listen."

"You can see," said the Emperor, when he had finished, "what a splendidplace you have come to. And as the years pass, I hope you may find iteven more delightful."

"As the years pass," repeated Zep. "Why—why, I can't stay here foryears. What would my folks say?"

"If you ask me," put in the Poppykok, "I should say they'd say: 'thankgoodness, he's gone at last.'"

"Yes," said the Emperor, "it's only in Obstinate Town that people likeboys like you. Everywhere else they think you're a nuisance. Didn't youknow that?"

"Why—why, no," said Zep. "I—I thought everybody liked me."

"Ho, ho, ho!" roared the Poppykok, shaking with merriment.

"Hee, hee, hee!" cackled the Emperor, "my word, that's good! You oughtto send that to a comic paper. He thought everybody liked him."

"Well," said Zep, sulkily, "they always acted as though they did. I—Ilike people to like me. But as long as they don't I'll never go back."

"That's the stuff," said the Emperor. "Don't you do it. You stay herewith me and enjoy yourself. Do as you please. Be as cranky as you like.Why, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be a popular idol some day if yougo on the way you've begun."

So Zep settled down in Obstinate Town determined to enjoy himself withall his might. And because he was a prince, the Emperor let him live inthe palace and eat his meals at the royal table.

However, he did not care much for the meals. You never could get whatyou wanted. When you asked the royal butler for cold chicken, he wouldalways tell you he would rather you took cold ham. And if you wantedstewed kidneys, the butler right away said he preferred to give youbroiled oysters. No matter what you asked for, the stubborn old butleralways insisted on giving you something else, whether you liked it ornot. And such an arrangement made Zep awfully cross.

"I don't see why you have such a butler," he said to the Emperor. "WhenI ask our butler at home for anything, he gives it to me quick. Hewouldn't dare give me anything else. If he did my father would hanghim."

"Humph!" responded the Emperor, "it seems to me your father must be avery cruel person. The idea of hanging any one for wanting his own way."

"But," said Zep, "it's so—so inconvenient. If they have their own wayhow can you have yours?"

"Well," said the Emperor, "you can't, with a butler, unless you go tothe pantry and help yourself. And yet, why shouldn't he have his way aswell as you? Why shouldn't he?"

And the Prince did not know what to say to that. But nevertheless itwas tough to have every one else having their own way as well as you.When you got in a trolley car and told the conductor to let you off ata certain street, he would stop the car at another street, and unlessyou were stronger than he, would put you off there no matter how muchyou struggled and yelled. And one day, when the Emperor and Zep wereput off six blocks from their destination, the monarch was dreadfullyangry.

"I know I told you I thought other people ought to have their own waythe same as you and I," he said to Zep, "but when a conductor not onlyputs me off his car before I want to get off, but kicks me into thebargain, it's too much."

"That's what I think," said Zep, "and if I were you I'd issue a royaldecree saying that only the upper classes can have their own wayalways, and that the lower classes can only have their own way, whenit suits the upper classes."

"A good idea," said the Emperor, "I'll do it."

And despite the fact that it made the lower classes fairly purple withindignation, the decree was issued at once, and Zep, and the Emperor,and the rest of the upper classes, did as they liked whenever theywanted to, and had a fine time doing it.

"I tell you what," said the Emperor to the Prince one morning afterbreakfast as he finished reading the paper, "that was a grand idea ofyours, Zep, about letting the lower classes have their own way onlywhen it suited us. Life has been much sweeter ever since."

"I think so, too," said Zep, "except that if nobody else could havetheir own way, it would be sweeter still."

"Hum," said the monarch, "I never thought of that. And the more I thinkof it, the more I think you're right. I know what I'll do. I'll issueanother decree putting all the upper classes into the lower classes,except myself. Then I can do whatever I want, no matter what anybodysays."

"But," said Zep, "you wouldn't put me in the lower classes, would you?"

"Why not," replied the Emperor. "Suppose I wanted my own way aboutsomething at the same time that you wanted your own way about it, theonly way it could be managed without a fight, would be for you to be inthe lower classes where you couldn't have your own way unless it suitedme. See?"

"Yes," said Zep, sulkily, "I see, but I don't think it's fair. Why notput yourself in the lower classes and let me stay in the upper class?"

"Impossible," said the Emperor, "for if any one ever belonged to theupper classes an Emperor does."

"So does a prince," said Zep.

"Not necessarily," replied the monarch. "I had a dog named Prince once,but you never heard of a dog named Emperor, did you?"

And as Zep could think of nothing to say to that, the Emperor issuedhis decree, and Zep and all the rest of the upper classes were put inthe lower classes, and the monarch enjoyed himself more than ever.

But if the Emperor enjoyed himself, Zep and the rest of the upperclasses did not. For if they wanted to do something the Emperor alwayswanted them to do something different. And if he did not want that, hewanted them to do something nobody could do. And as Zep lived in thepalace he had it worse than anybody else.

He was told to hold his breath for an hour; to stand on his ear forhalf an hour, and not wink for fifteen minutes. And when he did not dowhat he was told because he could not, the Emperor stuck pins in himand dared him to yell.

"See here," said Zep to the monarch, "I used to like you but I don't abit any more. I'm going back home right off."

"Very well," said the Emperor, "go ahead. I'm tired of you anyway. Theidea of a strong, healthy boy not being able to stand on his ear, andmaking such a fuss, too, because a few pins are stuck in him. Go on,go back home."

"But," said Zep, "how will I get there? I—I don't know the way."

"Of course you don't," replied the monarch, "nobody does. There isn'tany way."

"Isn't any way?" repeated the Prince in a tone of horror. "Why—why,have I got to stay here with you always?"

The Emperor nodded. "Sure thing, unless a Kokkipop sends you back. ThePoppykoks bring you here and the Kokkipops send you back. But as no oneever wants to go back it's mighty hard to find a Kokkipop, so I guessI'll be sticking pins in you for some time yet. Ho, ho, ho!"

Well, you can be sure when the Emperor said that and laughed about it,too, Zep felt about as gloomy as he ever had in his life.

"Oh, dear," he said, "what on earth shall I do? If only I can get awayfrom this nasty old place I'll never want my own way again. I'll be adifferent boy. I never—"

"Here, here," put in the Emperor, sternly, "stop that talk. You mustn'tsay such things as that. No one ever talks about not wanting their ownway in Obstinate Town. It's downright treason. Do you want to go toprison? But anyhow, I don't suppose you meant it."

"Indeed, I did," said Zep, "I meant every word I said. I'm tired ofhaving my own way—it's silly. Look at the mess it's got me into. I'mgoing to be different—"

"Stop!" shrieked the Emperor, at the top of his lungs, "stop, I say!You'll have a Kokkipop here in another moment, and oh, how I hate 'em.I hate 'em worse than—than spiders. And—and, my goodness gracioussakes alive, you've brought one—you've brought one. Run, run, or theKokkipop will get you!"

And with that the Emperor dived under his throne, while the Prince,looking about with a startled air, did not know whether to flee ornot. And then, as he hesitated, a very brisk old gentleman, dressed inbright yellow, came into the room.

"Did you call?" he asked Zep.

"Call," said the boy, "why—why, no. What do you mean?"

"Did you call for a Kokkipop?" repeated the other testily. "And formercy's sake don't say you didn't, for I've been waiting for a call allmy life. I was a young man when I joined the Kokkipops, and in all thattime I have never been called until now. So I hope you did call. Didyou?"

"Well," said Zep, "I said I wanted to go home, if that's what you mean."

"And you said you didn't want your own way any more, didn't you?"inquired the Kokkipop, eagerly.

"Yes," replied the Prince, "I did. And I don't."

"He does, too," put in the Emperor, sticking his head out from underhis throne. "He doesn't mean what he says. He's just mad at me forsticking pins in him."

"I don't believe it," said the Kokkipop, scowling at the Emperor,"you're just trying to keep me out of a job." Then he turned to thePrince. "You did mean what you said, didn't you?"

"I certainly did," said Zep, "and—"

"Whoopee!" yelled the Kokkipop, joyfully, "then I have got a job atlast."

Whereupon he took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and began topaste magic postage stamps all over the Prince. "There," he said,standing off to admire his work, "I guess that will take you back allright."

"Take him back," sneered the Emperor, crawling from under his throne,"why it'll take him twice over. You've put excess postage on him. Showswhat a Kokkipop knows about his business."

"Is that so," retorted the Kokkipop, "well, I know enough to send thisboy where you won't stick pins in him any more, and where he won't wanthis own way any more." He turned to Zep. "Isn't that so?"

"Yes, indeed," said the Prince.

"Then," responded the Kokkipop, "here's to a quick and comfortabletrip. Good-by, I'll see you later."

"No—wait!" shouted the Emperor, running toward Zep, "don't go. I'llput you in the upper classes again. I'll—"

But it was no use. Once again Zep felt himself leap into the air, andwhiz, and whiz, and whiz, even faster than he had before. And then justas he was beginning to get used to the whizzing and rather enjoy it, hecommenced to descend in a graceful curve, and presently landed with abump in the gardens adjoining his father's palace. And there, sittingon the grass, was the Kokkipop waiting for him.

"Greeting," said the Kokkipop, "did you have a nice trip?"

"Fine," said Zep, "but of course I'm glad it's over and that I'm safehome again. And of course I'm awfully obliged to you for getting me outof such a scrape."

"Oh, that's all right," said the Kokkipop, as he peeled off the magicpostage stamps, "it's been a pleasure to help you. And who knows butyou may try to have your own way again and be taken back to ObstinateTown. And if you do, don't forget I'm always glad to get a job."

"All right," said Zep, "I won't, but I never expect to visit ObstinateTown again if I can help it."

And sure enough Zep never did. From that moment he was a changed boy,so much so that it really worried his father, the king.

"I don't understand it," said the King to his Prime Minister. "He doesjust what I tell him and never whines; and when he takes a walk hejumps about a foot if a leaf falls on him. I don't understand it."

But if the King did not, Zep did, and was determined no Poppykok shouldget another chance at him.

TOOBAD THE TAILOR

Once there lived in the city of Vex a tailor named Toobad, which wasa very good name for him, for he really was too bad for anything,in fact, he was downright wicked. And not only was he wicked but hewas also deceitful, because he was really not a tailor at all but anenchanter or conjuror, and only practiced a tailor's trade to fool thefathers, and grandfathers, and uncles, and big brothers of the littleboys of Vex, and make them pay him money. And this is the way he did it:

He put a sign in his window and offered to make clothes for gentlemenvery, very cheap out of the very, very best materials that would neverwear out, and of course when he offered to do that all the fathers,and grandfathers, and uncles, and big brothers went and ordered theirsuits from him as quick as they could. But after the clothes were madeand the fathers, and grandfathers, and uncles, and big brothers hadput them on, then they found out, when it was too late, what sort ofa person Toobad was, for they had to keep on paying, and paying, andpaying for the clothes forever and forever. If they did not the suitsthey were wearing got tighter and tighter until their breath was almostsqueezed out of them.

It was no use to try to get the clothes off because they simply wouldnot come off. So you can imagine how cross and miserable all thefathers, and grandfathers, and uncles, and big brothers in Vex were.

Now there were lots of little boys in Vex, but the most interesting onewas a bright little fellow named Winn, because in his family therehappened to be a father, and a grandfather, and an uncle, and abig brother all wearing suits made by Toobad the Tailor, whereas theother boys only had a father, or a grandfather, or an uncle, or abig brother. None of them had all four together, and therefore did nothave as much cause to dislike Toobad as Winn had.

Of course when Winn's father, and grandfather, and his uncle and hisbig brother, had paid for their suits once and Toobad had toldthem they must keep right on paying every week, they said they wouldnot. But after the suits had squeezed them once or twice, and afterthey had tried to get the clothes off and found they could not, theychanged their minds. And every Saturday night as soon as they got theirsalaries they rushed right down to Toobad's shop and paid him, so theywould have a comfortable Sunday, which did not please Winn's mother atall because it left very little to buy food with.

"Good gracious," she used to say to Winn's father, and grandfather, anduncle, and big brother, "if you keep on giving that tailor half yourmoney, I don't know how I'll get along."

"Indeed," said Winn's father, who was very fat, "and if I don't pay itI don't know how I'll get along. I've got to breathe, haven't I?"

"Yes," said Winn's grandfather, and his uncle, and his big brother, whowere all as fat as his father, "we would much rather breathe than eat."

"All right, then," said Winn's mother, "go ahead and breathe but don'tblame me if you starve also, for food is so high, I can buy very littlewith the money you give me."

And when she said that Winn's father, and his grandfather, and hisuncle, and his big brother would groan awfully, which made Winn and hismother as blue as indigo, for they knew if Toobad was not paid, theclothes Winn's father, and grandfather, and uncle and big brother worewould squeeze them tighter and tighter so they could not work at all,and yet if he was paid there would not be enough money left to keep thewolf from the door.

So finally Winn determined to go and see Toobad and try and coax himnot to be so hard on his folks. "Maybe if I offer to be his errandboy," he said, "he'll agree to let us stop paying for a while until wecatch up with our grocery bills."

But when he got to the tailor's shop he had a very hard time to coaxToobad into having an errand boy. "No, no," said the enchanter,testily, "I don't need an errand boy, and even if I did need one I needthe money your family pays me much more."

"But think how stylish it is for a tailor to have an errand boy," saidWinn. "All fashionable tailors send clothes home to their customers.They never ask customers to come after their clothes. I should thinkyou'd be ashamed not to have an errand boy."

So, finally, after talking and talking, Toobad agreed to hire Winn ashis errand boy, and instead of giving him wages to let his family stoppaying for their clothes for a few weeks.

"But remember this," said the tailor, "you are not to tell any oneabout the arrangement, because if you do all my customers will want tostop paying until they get caught up on their grocery bills."

So Winn promised to keep the matter secret and the next morning startedin on his duties.

Now it happened that one of the first persons he delivered clothesto was a second cousin of his mother's aunt. This second cousin hadnot heard of the trouble in Winn's family because Winn's father, andgrandfather, and uncle, and big brother had been afraid to tell anyone what Toobad had done to them for fear their clothes would squeezethem worse than ever. So when Winn delivered his mother's aunt's secondcousin's clothes he did not know whether to warn him about putting themon or not. And while he was trying to make up his mind about it, hismother's aunt's second cousin went into another room to get the moneyto pay for the clothes, and when he came out he had the clothes on.

"Gee whiz," he said proudly, "don't they fit me grand?"

"Maybe they do," said Winn, "but I was just going to tell you not toput them on, because now you can't get them off, and you've got to keepon paying for them forever and forever."

"What!" yelled his mother's aunt's second cousin.

And then with another yell he began tearing at the clothes with allhis might, trying to get them off, but of course it was no use foralthough he almost turned himself inside out, they stuck to him likesticking plaster.

"You're a nice one!" he shouted, shaking his finger under Winn's nose."You ought to be arrested. How dared you sit there and let me put theseawful things on? I just hope your father, and your grandfather, andyour uncle, and your big brother get stuck the same way. I certainlydo!"

"They are stuck," said Winn. "They've been stuck for some time. Thatis why I am working for Toobad. And I'm very sorry I did not warn youabout the clothes in time."

And then he told his mother's aunt's second cousin what a fix his folkswere in and how if you did not pay for the clothes every week theysqueezed you until you did.

"Sakes alive!" groaned his mother's aunt's second cousin, "isn't itdreadful the trouble some people have? Here I am all dressed up finebut I can't enjoy it a bit after what you've told me."

Then he escorted Winn to the door and said he never wanted to see hisface again. "I'm sorry to have to say it," he continued, "but untilyou came a little while ago my life was full of sunshine and now it isnothing but a mud puddle. But I forgive you. Good-by!"

Well, you may be sure Winn felt terribly gloomy as he went back toToobad's shop. When he hired out as the tailor's errand boy in order tohelp his family, he had not thought how he would be bringing distressinto other families by delivering Toobad's enchanted clothes. But hecould see now, after the scene with his mother's aunt's second cousin,how selfish and wicked it was for him to help Toobad get other peopleinto trouble in order to make things easier for his own folks. So hedetermined that he would give up his job right away.

"I've decided not to be your errand boy any longer," he said to theenchanter, as he handed him the money he had received from his mother'saunt's second cousin. "I find you are too wicked to work for."

"Humph!" said the tailor, "and why am I any wickeder now than I wasthis morning? You were glad to work for me then."

"I know," said Winn, "but I have just seen my mother's aunt's secondcousin turn from a carefree, happy person into a miserable wretch, andall because I delivered him one of your enchanted suits of clothes.And I cannot help you in your crimes any longer even if my family dosuffer. Good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon nothing!" shouted Toobad. "Come back here at once.Yesterday when I did not want an errand boy you talked me into havingone, and now that I've gotten used to having one you want me to dowithout one. Well, I shan't do it. You'll work for me whether you wantto or not."

And with that he stretched out his hand toward Winn and then drew itback and when he drew it back something mysterious drew Winn backalso, and though he tried to get to the door he could not move.

"Now," said Toobad, "will you work for me or not?"

"No," said Winn, firmly, "I will never work for you if I can help it."

"Very well, then," said the enchanter, "you shall work for me becauseyou cannot help it."

And with that he repeated the alphabet backward like lightning,wiggling his fingers at the same time, and in a flash Winn wastransformed into a tailor's dummy, after which Toobad placed him on thesidewalk outside his shop with one of the enchanted suits on him andwith a sign on his breast which read:

TAKE ME HOME FOR $3.75

so people could see what fine, cheap clothes were sold inside.

And maybe Winn did not feel bad as he stood there day after day noteven able to roll his eyes or move or speak. And on Saturday night hefelt particularly bad because his father, and his grandfather, and hisuncle, and his big brother came by the shop arm in arm, all whistlingmerrily because they did not have to pay Toobad any money that week andwere going to a movie instead.

"My, my!" they exclaimed, when they saw Winn by the door, "doesn't thatimage look exactly like our Winn, but of course it cannot be becauseit's made of wax." And then the next moment they went on their way ashappy as larks.

"Oh, dear!" said Winn to himself, miserably, "whatever am I going todo? How am I ever going to escape from this terrible tailor? If only Icould think of some way."

And later when Toobad had brought him indoors and shut the shop, andgone off to bed and left him standing in a dark corner, he thought andthought with all his might, for he felt if he did not find some wayto break the enchantment he might as well die.

And then as he was still puzzling over the problem he heard a stealthystep, and into the room came Toobad in his nightgown, holding alighted candle in his hand, and Winn saw that he was walking in hissleep. And not only was he walking in his sleep but he was talking inhis sleep also, and this is what he was saying:

And when Winn heard what he was saying he knew right away that if hecould only escape he could easily get his father, and grandfather, anduncle, and big brother out of the power of Toobad the tailor, for heonly had to tell them to pull down their vests and they would be ridforever of the hateful clothing they were wearing. But alas, it was onething to want to get home, and another to get there, for while he wastransformed into a tailor's dummy he was utterly helpless and couldonly stand and watch Toobad as he wandered about the shop with his eyesshut and the lighted candle in his hand.

And then all of a sudden something happened that transformed him froma tailor's dummy into a very real boy, for Toobad, not seeing wherehe was going, bumped right into him and the flame of the candle cameright against Winn's nose—only for a moment—but it was long enough toscorch it and to make Winn yell—ouch! at the top of his lungs, and tojoggle all the enchantment out of him. And if you did not believe anenchanted person can be cured by scorching his nose, just get yourselfenchanted and scorch your nose and see if it does not work.

Anyway, it cured Winn, and not only that but it woke Toobad up. Andwhen the tailor found himself in his shop with his nightgown on, andfound Winn changed from a dummy into a regular boy again, he wasfurious.

"Zounds!" he shrieked, dancing up and down, "how the—what the—wheredid I come from and how did you get all right again?"

And when Winn told him he was more furious than ever. "Well," he said,"I'll soon fix you anyway." And thereupon he began to say the alphabetbackward the same as he had done before, but by the time he had saidthree letters and before the enchantment had had time to work, Winnrushed at him and knocked the candle to the floor. And then while theshop was in darkness he unhooked the door and ran home as fast as hecould. When he got there it was past midnight and of course every onewas asleep, but by and by his mother heard him knocking and let him in.

And you may be sure it did not take his father, or his grandfather, orhis uncle, or his big brother long to hop out of bed where they hadbeen sleeping with their clothes on because they could not get themoff. And maybe they were not surprised when they learned that Winn hadreally been the tailor's dummy they had seen outside the shop. Andmaybe they were not delighted when they found that Winn knew of a wayfor them to get rid of the enchanted clothes. And maybe they did notpull down their vests in a hurry as soon as Winn had finished tellingthem about it.

"My gracious," said Winn's grandfather, as he peeled the last of thehated garments from him, "I feel twenty years younger. And I can hardlywait until morning to get my hands on that villainous tailor."

"Nor I," said Winn's father.

"Me, too," said Winn's uncle.

"I daren't tell you what I'll do to him," said Winn's big brother.

And the first thing after breakfast they all went around to Toobad'sshop dressed in their old clothes, and each one of them kept his wordso well that Toobad was laid up in the hospital for a week. And everytime he got well and came out again a fresh batch of victims waswaiting to send him back again, for Winn had gone all about the citytelling everybody who had bought the enchanted clothes, how to pulldown their vests and get rid of them. And, of course, one of the firstpersons he told after his immediate family was his mother's aunt'ssecond cousin. But as his mother's aunt's second cousin had forgottento put on his vest when he donned his enchanted suit, he could not pullhis vest down. And so the only thing to do was to give him chloroformand skin the clothes off him a little strip at a time. After which theysent him to the hospital also, where he lay in bed right alongside ofToobad the tailor.

And perhaps that is the reason Toobad is still in the hospital, forafter Winn's mother's aunt's second cousin got well, he refused togo home, but sat down on the hospital steps to wait for Toobad. Andneither Winn's father, nor his grandfather, nor his uncle, nor his bigbrother, were able to coax him away.

But as for Winn, he did not try to coax him, indeed he soon forgotall about his mother's aunt's second cousin, for all the persons inVex who had been wearing Toobad's enchanted clothes, began sendingWinn presents to show their gratitude, and when you have sixteen goldwatches, and a couple of ponies, and skates, and air guns, and prettymuch every sort of a thing that a boy likes, you cannot think of muchelse.

The best you can do is just to enjoy yourself, and if you think Winn isnot doing that, take a trip to Vex some day and you will soon find out.

THE SNOOPING-BUG

Once there was a Snooping Bug that lived in a glass jar on a shelfin the cottage of a Fairy Godmother. Now fairy godmothers are alwaysnice, but this Fairy Godmother was very nice, and the reason she keptthe Snooping Bug a prisoner in a jar on her shelf was because she wasafraid he would go about and get folks into trouble. And another thingthat showed she was unusually nice was that every week-end she alwaysinvited a little prince or princess to be her guest. And this storyopens just as Prince Pranc, the only son of the king of a nearby city,had arrived to spend several days with his Fairy Godmother.

"Now, Pranc," said the Fairy Godmother, "I want you to have thehappiest kind of a time, and you'll have it without doubt if you don'tget into mischief."

"Oh, that's all right," replied the Prince, as he watched the FairyGodmother unpack his trunk, "if I get into mischief you just send mehome again."

"Yes," said the Fairy Godmother, "but suppose you are not here tosend home again; suppose you have disappeared. Don't forget this isan enchanted house and that strange things can happen in an enchantedhouse."

"Phew!" said Pranc, "I almost wish I hadn't come."

"Not at all," replied the Fairy Godmother, "there is nothing to bealarmed about. You could sit on a keg of gunpowder and be perfectlysafe if you didn't explode the powder. But in case you should get intotrouble, put this ring on your finger and turn it around and aroundwhen danger threatens."

"Oh, thank you," said the Prince, slipping on the ring. "I don't feelso worried now."

Then the Fairy Godmother took him all over the cottage and showed himthe wonderful belongings she had, and last of all she took him intoher study and there Pranc saw the Snooping Bug in his jar on the shelf.

"What's that?" he asked.

And the Fairy Godmother told him it was a Snooping Bug. "And this one,"she continued, pointing to another jar on the shelf, "has a Sulking Bugin it; and this one—next to it, is a Crying Bug. If they got out ofthe jars they'd bite you, and you'd start in to snoop, or sulk, or cry."

"Whoever heard of such a thing," said the Prince. "It can't be."

"It can't, eh," said the Fairy Godmother. "Just put your finger on thetop of this bottle when I take the cork out."

And with that she took the magic stopper out of the Crying Bugbottle and Pranc stuck his finger in. And then—ping—the nextmoment something bit it, and the next moment he burst out crying,boo-hoo—boo-hoo, as loud as he could. And as he was a boy who hardlyever cried, he felt awfully ashamed of himself.

"Oh, dear," he sobbed, "I hate to cry this way, but—but—"

"Don't worry," said the Fairy Godmother, as she corked the bottleagain, "he only gave you a little bite. You'll be over it in a minute."

And presently the tears stopped rolling down Pranc's cheeks and he wasall right once more.

"My goodness," he said, as he wiped his eyes, "I wouldn't like that tohappen again."

"Then," said the Fairy Godmother, "see that you keep hands off thesebottles. As long as the bugs stay in the bottles everything will be allright, but if they once get out they'll bite every girl and boy theyfind. That is why I keep them prisoners. I don't care for snooping,sulking or crying children, nor does any one else."

Then she told Pranc that she would have to leave him for awhile. "Ihave been invited to the christening of a princess," she said.

So she put on her gossamer cloak and her diamond studded bonnet, kissedher hand to Pranc and went off to the christening. But so interestedwas Pranc in the bugs on the shelf he hardly noticed her going, forthe Sulking Bug looked so mad it almost startled him, and the CryingBug had cried so much his bottle was half full of tears and he lookedalmost as mad as the Sulking Bug. But when it came to the SnoopingBug, it was a very different affair altogether, for the Snooping Bug,although he had a sly sort of expression in his big, pop eyes, was realjolly looking as he slowly scratched his shoulder blade with his hindleg. And when he saw the Prince looking at him, he winked one eye andthen turned a couple of somersaults, which made the Prince laugh likeanything.

"Gee whiz," he exclaimed, "I like this bug."

And in order to get a better look at the creature he reached the jardown from the shelf and carried it over to the window, or at leasthe started to, but before he got there he stumbled—bing—the jarslipped from his hands, fell to the floor with a crash and broke into athousand pieces, leaving the Snooping Bug kicking in the midst of thefragments.

"Oh," cried the Prince, "I must get something to put him in or he'llget away."

"Nonsense," remarked the Snooping Bug. "I'm not going away. Youcouldn't drive me away. I'm going to stay with you. But do get me outof this mess, please."

So Pranc, not suspecting anything, stooped to pick the Snooping Bug upand then as he did so—zip, the Bug bit his finger and in about eightseconds he changed from a first class little boy who always minded hisown business and did not pry into things, into a sly, snooping fellowpeering into corners, and closets, and everything. And as he changed,the Snooping Bug changed also. It swelled, and swelled, and swelleduntil it was half as big as Pranc. After which it chuckled, wigglingthe two long, wavy horns that grew over its eyebrows, and took thePrince by the hand.

"Come on," it said, "let's start. My, but it feels good to get out ofthat jar."

"Start," said Pranc, "start where?"

"Why, to headquarters," replied the Snooping Bug, "where you can snoopall you want."

So off they went to the Fairy Godmother's preserve closet. "Open thedoor," said the Snooping Bug. And when the Prince had done so theSnooping Bug pushed Pranc inside and then followed, shutting the doorafter him.

"My, but it's dark," exclaimed the Prince. "What are we going to donow?"

"Just you wait," said the Snooping Bug. Then he called out: "Goingdown!" And all of a sudden a brilliantly lighted elevator came downright in front of them, the door slid open, Pranc and the Snooping Bugstepped inside, and then, ker-zip, ker-zip, ker-zip, the elevator beganto drop, and drop, and drop, with the most awful dips.

Goodness, how they did drop. The Prince thought they must have droppedabout nine hundred miles when at last the elevator stopped after givinga terrible bounce or two, and the Snooping Bug shouted: "Here we are!"

Pranc wondered where "here we are" was as he looked up and down thestreet in which he presently found himself standing, and was about toask the Snooping Bug, when all of a sudden somebody bumped into him andhe turned to see a tall, slim fellow in a pink uniform with his handsfull of letters which he had been reading as he walked along. Over oneshoulder hung a leather bag which was crammed with other letters stillin their envelopes, and on his head was a cap with a tassel and on thefront of the cap it said "postman."

"What do you mean," cried the stranger, sternly, "by interfering withthe mails? Can't you see I'm on government duty?"

"Oh, excuse me," said Pranc, "I didn't mean to bump you, and I wouldn'thave done it if you hadn't been reading those letters as you walkedalong."

"Indeed," said the postman, "well if I didn't read some of the lettersas I walked about delivering them I don't know what I would do. Ican't read all of 'em at night, you know."

"But," said the Prince, "they are not your letters, are they?"

"Of course not," said the postman, testily, "who would write meall this lot of letters? They belong to the different citizens ofSnoopania."

"Oh," said the Prince, "you don't read other people's letters, I hope."

"Well," retorted the postman, opening his eyes very wide, "I shouldhope I did. If I didn't I'd lose my job. Every letter must be torn openand read, and every postal card must not only be read but committed tomemory. I could shut my eyes right now and tell you what I've read ona million postal cards only I haven't the time. This is the way of it,you see:

As he finished he suddenly noticed the Snooping Bug. "For mercy'ssake," he exclaimed, "when did you get back? I thought the FairyGodmother had you bottled up."

"She did," said the Snooping Bug, "but thanks to this noble boy I'm outagain. Where can I find the First Lord of the Keyhole? I want to makearrangements for parliament to reward my rescuer."

"Well," said the postman, "I think he's at his office right now, if youhurry."

So, after bidding the postman good-by, the Snooping Bug hurried Prancoff to the office of the First Lord of the Keyhole.

Soon they reached Parliament House where the First Lord of the Keyholehad his office, but when they tried to open the office door it seemedto stick. So Pranc gave it a push, and then a harder one, and all atonce it opened wide and the Prince and the Snooping Bug staggering intothe room saw in the middle of the floor a white-haired old gentlemanlying on his back.

"Shut the door," commanded the old gentleman, scrambling to his feet."Now," he said, glaring at Pranc as he smoothed his clothing, "Isuppose you know what you've done."

"No," said the Prince, "what have I done?" He looked at the oldgentleman and then at the Snooping Bug. The old gentleman was very redin the face and the Snooping Bug seemed to be dreadfully worried. Hetook Pranc into a corner and whispered in his ear.

"Don't be frightened," he said, rather hoarsely, "but you upset a peerof the realm when you opened the door. He was peering through thekeyhole at you before he said 'Come in,' and you should have peeredthrough the keyhole at him before you did come in. I don't know whetherI can get you off or not. I ought to have warned you."

"You certainly ought," said the Prince. "How was I to know he was atthe keyhole? It seems a very queer thing for an old gentleman like thatto do."

"Not at all," put in the old gentleman. "Ain't I the First Lord ofthe Keyhole and head of the House of Peers? And don't all the Peers ofSnoopania peer through keyholes? Eh?"

"I don't know," said Pranc.

"Well, they do," continued the old gentleman, "the same as the membersof the House of Commons listen at keyholes. Where have you been allyour life, anyway?"

And then the Prince told him where his home was and how the SnoopingBug had brought him to Snoopania. "But," he added, "I think I'd like togo back, if you don't mind."

"Oh, come now," put in the Snooping Bug, "you've only just arrived." Heturned to the First Lord of the Keyhole. "I think he's worried for fearyou're going to have him punished for knocking you over. Are you?"

"Certainly," snapped the First Lord of the Keyhole. "The dignity of thepeerage must be maintained."

"Well, I don't think it's fair," said the Snooping Bug, hotly.

"Of course it isn't fair," retorted the old gentleman. "We never doanything fair in Snoopania. You know that. If we did we wouldn't snoop,would we?"

Then he clapped his hands and six very jolly looking gentlemen enteredin a single file. "This is the Committee on Extermination," said theFirst Lord of the Keyhole, turning to the Prince. "The Chairman willarrange the details of your execution."

"With pleasure," said the Chairman of the Exterminating Committee, whowas the jolliest looking man of them all. Then he patted Pranc on thehead and asked in a kindly tone when he would like to have his headcut off.

"What!" exclaimed the Prince, with a startled expression.

"When," repeated the Chairman, "would you like your head cut off?"

"Never," shouted Pranc, as loud as he could.

"Never," repeated the Chairman of the Exterminating Committee, lookingrather pained. "Oh, but I say that won't do at all. You must fix atime. We can't cut your head off unless you do. It wouldn't be legal."

"Indeed," said Pranc, with a sigh of relief. "Well, I'm very glad tohear it."

And though every member of the Committee on Extermination argued withhim, and the First Lord of the Keyhole shook his fist at him andsputtered like a fire-cracker, he simply would not say when he wouldlike his head cut off.

"Well," said the First Lord of the Keyhole to the Chairman of theExterminating Committee, "we'll have to appeal to the King about thematter. This boy doesn't know what he wants."

"Oh, yes, he does," said the Snooping Bug.

"He does not," thundered the First Lord of the Keyhole.

"He does, too," retorted the Snooping Bug, "and if you see the King,we'll see him, too."

So everybody started off for the palace and never stopped until theystood outside the monarch's sitting-room. "Wait a moment," said theChairman of the Exterminating Committee, "until I see whether heis busy." Whereupon he put his eye to the keyhole. "Yes," he said,straightening up again, "he is quite busy snooping under his bathroomdoor."

"But," said Pranc, "what's the use of that?"

"What's the use of anything?" snapped the First Lord of the Keyhole."Practice makes perfect, and the more you snoop the better you can doit. The King of Snoopania does not believe in wasting his time, sir."

And sure enough the monarch did not, for when they opened the door andwent in, he had his head in the fireplace.

"Oh, how do you do," he said, pulling it out again.

"Are you very much engaged?" inquired the Chairman of the ExterminatingCommittee.

"Well," said the King, "I only just got through with the bathroom andI did want to finish the chimney this morning, sure, but it doesn'tmatter. What is it?"

"This boy," said the Chairman of the Exterminating Committee, "is tohave his head cut off but he won't say when. He doesn't know what hewants, so we'd like to know if you know."

"Of course he doesn't know," put in Pranc, impatiently. "I'm the onlyone who knows. And besides what is the use of asking a king who spendshis time peeking up chimneys? I never heard of a king doing such athing."

Well, if the Prince had walked up to the monarch and boxed his earshe could not have astonished him or the rest of the party more. For amoment no one said anything, they just looked at each other in horror,and then the King turned red, white and blue in the face with rage.

"You—you—you—" he bawled, glaring at Pranc, "you're an imitationsnooper. You don't know the first principles of snooping. What are youdoing in Snoopania anyway?" Then he yelled for his soldiers to come andcut the Prince's head off at once—at once. He repeated it twice sothey would not misunderstand.

But the Prince did not wait to see whether they understood or not,no sir-ee. He was thoroughly disgusted with snooping, snoopers andSnoopania, and determined to get back to his Fairy Godmother's cottageat once if it could possibly be done. So when the King's soldiersentered the room to seize him he waited until they came very near,and then he twisted the ring the Fairy Godmother had given him, andbing—flat on their backs the soldiers fell, bumping their heads likeanything.

"Good-by," cried Pranc, waving his hand to the Snooping Bug, "I'm goinghome."

"Wait," shouted the Snooping Bug, "I'll go with you."

"No," replied the Prince, "I've had quite enough of snoopers andsnooping bugs. You stay where you are."

Then he jumped over the prostrate soldiers and out the door of thepalace. Up the street he ran until he met the postman. "Where's theelevator?" he panted.

"Straight ahead," replied the postman, "but if you'll wait a momentI'll tell you what was on some of those postal cards I spoke about."

"I can't," said Pranc, "the King's soldiers are after me. I'd like to,but—"

"Yah!" With a shout a whole regiment of the King's soldiers rushedaround the corner and made a grab at him, but quick as a wink Pranctwisted the Fairy Godmother's ring once more, and bing—over went thesoldiers on their backs and hit their heads bang, and by the time theywere able to sit up and rub the bumps, the Prince had reached theelevator. "Up," he shouted, and up the elevator went with a leap, and amoment later stopped inside the preserve closet.

"My!" said Pranc, as he opened the closet door and stood once more inthe Fairy Godmother's cottage, "my, but I'm glad to be back."

Then he went out on the front porch where the Fairy Godmother wassitting in a rocking chair knitting, and told her all that had happenedto him.

"I'm not surprised," said the Fairy Godmother. "When I got back fromthe christening and found that the Snooping Bug had disappeared and youalso, I knew you had done something you should not have, and that youwere probably having a time of it."

"Yes," said the Prince, "and if it had not been for your ring I wouldhave had a worse time. I'm awfully sorry I lost your Snooping Bug."

"Oh, that's all right," said the Fairy Godmother. "Any time you'd liketo borrow my Crying Bug or my Sulking Bug, just help yourself."

"No-thank-you," replied Prince. "NO-thank-you! No more bugs for me."

THE WRONG JACK

There are lots and lots of boys named Jack and some of them have beenquite celebrated, like the Jack who planted the famous beanstalk. Butthe Jack this story is about was just a bright, jolly little fellow wholived in a country home with his father and mother, and who had neverhad any adventures more exciting than catching minnows in the creek orgetting stung by a hornet in the garden.

And so you may be sure he was very much surprised to find himself in aterrific fix one summer morning as he was digging for worms back of thebarn where a wild grapevine grew. And this is how it happened.

Every time he wanted to go fishing he always dug for worms in the sameplace, and as a consequence he had made quite a deep hole, but ofcourse he never thought anything about that. Or at least he didnot until his spade struck something hard and a rumbling voice said:"Ouch!" And then the ground under his feet began to heave and heave,and before he could gather his wits and run away, out of the hole camea giant, head first and scowling like anything. And even then Jackdid not run—he was too frightened. He just stayed where he was andtrembled.

"So," said the giant, rubbing a lump over his left eyebrow, "you're thechap who thumped me, eh? What do you mean by such actions?"

"Noth—noth—nothing," stammered Jack. "I—I—I didn't know you were inthere. I—I—I was digging for worms."

"I don't believe it," growled the giant. "You were digging to find outif I was dead. Well, I'm not, even if my fall did drive me underground.And now I'll thank you to hand over my magic harp, and my money bags,and my hen that lays the golden eggs."

"I—I—I don't know what you're talking about," said Jack. "I haven'tgot your harp, or your hen, or your money bags. All I've got is a canof worms and a fishing line. You must have mistaken me for somebodyelse."

"Hum!" said the giant, looking at him sharply, "well, maybe I have.What is your name?"

"Jack," answered the boy.

"Jack," bellowed the giant. "Did you say Jack?"

"Why—why, yes," replied our hero. "What—what of it?"

"What of it?" repeated the monster, "why everything of it. You tellme your name is Jack and yet you say you don't know anything about myharp, or my hen, or my money bags. I suppose you'll say next you didn'tcut down the beanstalk and almost make me break my neck?"

"Never," shouted Jack, "I never did. I never had a beanstalk. It wasthat other Jack in the story. You needn't blame it on me."

And he said it so earnestly the giant hesitated. "Well," he grumbled,scratching his head and frowning at the boy, "I may be wrong but itseems very queer that your name should be Jack also. And it seems evenqueerer that you should be digging in the exact spot where I fell downthe beanstalk. Hang it all, I don't know what to think." Then suddenlyhe clapped his hands together like thunder. "I know what I'll do, I'lltake you back home and ask my wife. She has a wonderful memory forfaces and she can tell if any one can." And with that he caught up Jackand commenced to climb the grapevine.

"Oh," cried the boy, peering out of the pocket where the giant hadtucked him, "this isn't a beanstalk, this is a grapevine and it isn'tvery strong. You'll have another fall if you don't look out."

"I can't help it," said the giant, "I must find my wife."

And he went on climbing, and climbing, and climbing, which muchsurprised Jack for he had no idea the grapevine was so high, and hehad thought sure it would break when the giant got upon it. But itdid nothing of the sort, and at last they came to the end and foundthemselves standing before the giant's house.

"Now," said the giant, "we'll soon find out whether you're the wrongJack or not."

But when they reached the front door he gave a shout, for there he sawa sign which said:

TO LET

and found that all the shutters were shut and not a soul about.

"Zounds!" yelled the monster, "what is the matter, and where iseverybody? And what does 'to let' mean?"

"Why," said Jack, crawling out of the giant's pocket and sliding downhis leg to the ground, "I think it means that your house is for rent toanybody that wants it. Your wife must have moved away."

"What?" bawled the giant, "my wife gone and my house left for any onethat wants it? Oh, wait until I catch her!"

Then he stamped his feet and tore his beard, and carried on somethingdreadfully, until he had to sit down on the grass to get his breath.

"Well," he said, after a pause, "the only thing to do is to hunt untilwe find her, for I can't find out whether you're the wrong Jack untilshe sees you. So come along and we'll see if the neighbors can tell usanything."

Whereupon he set off across the country with Jack running by his sideuntil presently they came to a tumble-down cottage.

"Here is where Goog, the ogress lives," said the giant. "She belongedto the same sewing circle as my wife so maybe she knows where she is."And he knocked at the cottage door.

"Why, hello, Blunderbuss!" exclaimed the ogress, smiling a very bristlysort of a smile as she answered the summons. "Where did you come from?I thought you were dead."

"Indeed," said Blunderbuss, "and I suppose my wife thought the samething and that is the reason she has locked up my house and marked it'to let.'"

"Exactly," replied Goog. "She waited and waited after you fell down thebeanstalk and then decided you had broken your neck. So she closed thehouse, sold the family jewels to get spending money, and then startedout to enjoy herself for once in her life."

"Started out to enjoy herself," repeated the giant. "That's a nice wayfor a lady to act when she thinks her husband has broken his neck. Andwhere is she now, pray?"

"I couldn't say," replied the ogress. "Seeing as we belonged to thesame sewing circle I invited her here, but she just sniffed and saidshe had no use for the lower classes now, so I guess she is cutting uphigh jinks somewhere."

"Scandalous!" said the giant, "but I am not going to give up searchinguntil I find her, for I want to know whether this boy is the one whoplanted the beanstalk and took my things. He says his name is Jack, butbeyond that I can't be sure, but I think my wife could tell the momentshe saw him, she has such a fine memory. Good morning."

So they bade the ogress good-by and resumed their travels untilpresently, as they rounded a bend in the road, they saw before them atowering castle of brass, all gleaming in the sun.

"This," said Blunderbuss, "is the house of the Duke of Dishwater,and I'm going to see if my wife is here, for although he is very,very swell, he is also very, very poor, and it is quite possible thatMrs. Blunderbuss with all that spending money, has been able to breakthrough his reserve and get invited for the week end."

With that he struck the castle gate a blow with his fist and it swungopen admitting them to a huge courtyard where the Duke, an exceedinglyhaughty looking gentleman with a Roman nose and a ruff about his neck,stood waiting for them.

"How do you do?" cried the giant, "is my wife here? If she is I'll pullyour castle up by the roots and twirl it around my head. If she isn't,I'll have to hunt elsewhere. Hurry up, say what you've got to say. Ihave no time to lose."

"Why—why—well—well—" stammered the Duke, "I—I—I think under thecirc*mstances I had better say she is not here."

"All right," said the giant, "then I'll be trotting along, but I'llleave this boy with you. Put him in your safe deposit box, for when Ifind my wife I'll have need of him."

Then kicking the gate open again he strode through it and down the roadout of sight.

For a moment the Duke of Dishwater looked at Jack, and Jack looked atthe Duke of Dishwater. After which the nobleman took off his wig andmopped his head nervously with his handkerchief. "My, my," he said,fretfully, "whoever heard of pulling one's castle up by the roots.Wretched taste, I call it."

"But," said Jack, "he won't do it if Mrs. Blunderbuss isn't here."

"Quite so," said the Duke, "but Mrs. Blunderbuss is here. She hasbeen visiting us for a week."

"Then," said Jack, severely, "you told a fib."

"Not a regular fib, no sir-ee," replied the Duke, "I only said 'underthe circ*mstances' I had better say she wasn't here, so he wouldn'tpull my castle up. And now the next thing is to see she isn't here whenhe comes back. Excuse me."

With that he rushed indoors and yelled for his wife to tell thegiant's wife to pack up her things and go away right off.

But when the duch*ess told Mrs. Blunderbuss as politely as she couldthat it was time for her to go home, the giant's wife was perfectlyfurious.

"Never in all my life have I been so insulted," she cried. "The idea ofinviting a person to pay you a visit and then telling her to go home.Well, I'm not going to do it. I'll stay here whether you want me ornot."

"But," said the Duke of Dishwater, "you don't understand. Your husbandis hunting for you and if he finds you here he'll pull my castle up bythe roots."

"What do I care about your old castle," snapped Mrs. Blunderbuss. "Andanyway, he couldn't because he's deader than a doornail; so there."

"Oh, no, he isn't," put in Jack. "You may think he is, but he isn't.That fall down the beanstalk only stunned him."

And then he told the giant's wife how he had dug Blunderbuss out andhow the giant had brought him back because he thought that Jack wasthe boy who had run off with his property. "And," went on the boy, "hewon't believe I am the wrong Jack until you tell him so. And of courseyou can see I am the wrong Jack, can't you?"

"Maybe I can, and maybe I can't," said Mrs. Blunderbuss, crossly."Anyway it's your fault he has come back and that's enough for me toworry about without worrying to remember whether you're the wrong Jackor the right one, I reckon."

And having made that announcement she marched upstairs to her room withher nose in the air.

"My gracious," gasped Jack, "if that isn't the meanest thing I everheard of."

"Well," said the Duke, "you needn't scowl at me. 'Taint my fault!"

Then, taking out his snuff box, the Duke of Dishwater helped himself toa generous pinch and marched upstairs with his nose in the air.

Well, as you can see, this left Jack in a very unhappy frame of mind,for how in the world was he ever going to get back home unless he couldprove to Blunderbuss that he was not the Jack who had planted thebeanstalk? And the more he thought about the matter the more perplexingit seemed, so finally he decided to run away and try to find the placewhere the grapevine grew up to the giant's house, and then climb downit quickly before the giant came back.

So when the Duke called downstairs to tell him to hurry and get in thesafe deposit box, he said "all right," but instead of going upstairshe slipped out the front door into the courtyard. Then, while theman-at-arms on guard was busily talking to one of the scullery maids,he softly unbolted the gate and ran off as fast as he could. All thatday he traveled back over the road he had come with the giant, andthen when he reached the cottage of Goog, the ogress, although he knewit was very dangerous to do so, he could not resist peeking in at thewindow. And there she was, uglier than ever, stirring the big pot overthe fire and singing in a horrible cracked voice: and this is what shesang:

And then chuckling, she put on her bonnet, and took her stick andcame out of her cottage door, not noticing Jack peering around thecorner. And away she went over the hill to the giant's house. When shegot there she pulled open a shutter and climbed in, after which shescattered corn over the floor, and presently into the room scamperedthe magic hen and after it had eaten the corn it began to lay onegolden egg after the other until the ogress had her apron full.And Jack, watching through the shutter, was awfully astonished andunderstood what she meant by singing about chickens coming home toroost. Evidently the stolen hen had come back and no one knew it butGoog, and she was getting rich on the eggs it laid.

"My," said Jack to himself, "wouldn't the giant be mad if he knew?"

So when the ogress had gone back to her cottage to put away her goldeneggs, Jack pulled open the shutter and climbed into the room where themagic hen was going about clucking proudly because she had laid so manyeggs. And before the hen knew what was going to happen he grabbed her,tucked her under his arm, climbed out of the window again and ran offto see if he could find where the grapevine was.

"Gee whiz!" he chuckled, "if I can only get home with this hen we'll beso rich my father won't have to work again. We can have automobiles andsteam yachts and everything."

And then all of a sudden he remembered that the hen did not belong tohim and that if he took it he would be stealing, so after thinkingover the matter a moment he decided it would not do and turned back tothe giant's house to replace what he had taken. But before he had gonehalf way he heard a trampling sound and saw the giant coming toward himcarrying the Duke's castle in his hand with the roots of it dragging onthe ground, and with the Duke, and the duch*ess, and Mrs. Blunderbusshanging out of the windows, wailing and wringing their hands.

Quick as a wink Jack thrust the hen beneath his blouse, and presentlythe giant stood towering over him.

"So," shouted Blunderbuss, dropping the castle to the ground with abang, "you ran away, did you? Well, now, I think I'll give every oneof you to the ogress to put in her pot. And I think," he continued,looking at Jack more closely, "that you'll please her especially, foryou certainly are fatter than when I saw you last."

"All right," said Jack, feeling dreadfully frightened, but trying hisbest not to show it, "do as you like, but if you do you'll be sorry,for I know where your magic hen is and I shan't tell you if you give meto the ogress."

"Well," shouted the giant, "where is my hen?"

And then Jack told him how he had followed the ogress and watched hertake the golden eggs, and maybe the giant was not furious when he heardthat.

"Right in my own house," he bellowed. "Well, it won't take me long toget my hen now."

"Oh," said Jack, coolly, "your hen isn't there. I took her away and hidher, and when you let me go home, and when you forgive your wife, andwhen you replant the castle, I'll give her back, but not before."

And having said that, he remarked "ho, hum," whirled about on his heeland whistled carelessly as though he did not care whether the giantaccepted his offer or not, but of course he did care, and so did theDuke, and his wife, and Mrs. Blunderbuss, but when they saw Jack leton that he did not care, they let on, too, and said "ho, hum" andwhirled about and whistled, too.

And of course when the giant noticed that apparently nobody cared awhoop what he did or what he did not do, he did just what they wantedhim to do, and promised everything Jack asked, in order to get back hismagic hen.

"Very good," said Jack, "then here she is." And opening his blouse hepulled out the giant's property and handed it to him.

"Ho, ho," growled the giant, "so that's what made you so fat, eh? Well,I suppose there's nothing to do but to tell you where the grapevine is."

"All you have to do," he said, "is to climb straight down and you'll behome in ten minutes, but before you start I wish you would come withme to the ogress's cottage so I can have proof when I accuse her ofstealing the golden eggs my hen laid."

So Jack, and the Duke and the duch*ess, and Mr. and Mrs. Blunderbusshurried off to where Goog lived, and the giant, pointing to Jack, toldthe ogress what the boy had seen.

"And now," he bawled, angrily, "you'll just hand back those eggs andhand 'em back quick."

"Dear me," replied the ogress, "I'm awfully sorry, but they're all inthe pot boiling. Look in and you can see for yourself."

And when the giant bent over the sizzling pot she gave him a push andin he went head over heels. "Ouch!" he roared, trying to jump out ofthe scalding water.

"No, you don't," shrieked Goog.

But when she tried to push him back he grabbed her and bing—into thepot went the ogress also, and in about four minutes both the giant andthe ogress were stewing and steaming, and boiling, and that was the endof them.

And when Jack saw that, he thought it was time for him to leave, so hestole away to where the grapevine grew and climbed down it as quicklyas he could. And you may be sure when he got to the bottom he took theax and chopped down the grapevine just like the other Jack chopped downthe beanstalk.

THE SECOND STORY BROTHERS

No doubt you will think this story begins in a very strange place whenyou learn that it starts on board a Chinese junk or ship, as it sailedup a muddy Chinese river on its way to the city of Ki Yi.

Now most Chinese ships are dingy and dirty but this particular junkwas just the opposite. Its sails were new, its decks neat and clean,and all because it carried a mandarin of high rank on his way to awedding feast in the distant town. Very fat this mandarin was, andvery smiling, and the wedding presents he carried were enormouslyvaluable—gold and silver, and silks and jewels—packed away in hiscabin; and the sight of them made the mouths of the captain and crewwater. So finally the sailors and their commander determined to throwthe mandarin overboard and take the presents for themselves.

However, as Chinese people are always polite, no matter what thecirc*mstances, instead of going below and seizing him without anotherword, they sent the cabin boy, Dong, down with a note requesting thepleasure of the mandarin's presence on deck at once and expressingtheir deep regret that they would have to put an end to him.

"Ahem!" remarked the mandarin, as he finished reading the note, "howvery kind of them."

Then looking over his horn spectacles he examined Dong, the cabin boy,as he stood before him. "I'm awfully sorry," he said, "that a boy likeyou—you can't be more than seven—and such a nice looking boy, too,should join in such a wicked conspiracy. How would you like to bedrowned?"

Dong shook his head. "I wouldn't like it," he said.

"No more do I," replied the mandarin, "and yet, unless you save me, Ishall be."

"But," said Dong, "how can I save you? I would if I could, but I amonly a boy."

"That makes no difference," said the mandarin; "if you are a brave boy,you can do it."

Then he handed Dong a large fan and told him to go up on deck and fanthe captain and the crew with three big sweeps and they would dissolvelike mist. "I'd do it myself," he continued, "but I'm afraid they'dseize me before I could get a chance to do it and throw me overboard.But of course they will not suspect you."

So Dong, trembling with excitement, took the fan and climbed the ladderto the deck.

"Well," asked the captain of the junk, "is the mandarin coming?"

"No," replied Dong, opening the fan with a jerk, "he is not. Hedeclines your invitation and says he prefers to remain in his cabinwith the wedding presents."

"Oh, he does, does he!" bawled the captain. "That's what we get forbeing polite."

Then he shouted for the crew to follow him and started for themandarin's cabin, but Dong, all ready with the fan open, quicklystepped in front of him, gave three big sweeps, and pish! the captainand the entire crew of the junk disappeared completely.

"Gracious!" gasped the boy, closing the fan quickly for fear he mightfan himself, "wasn't that awful?" Then he ran down to the cabin andtold the mandarin what he had done.

"Ah," exclaimed the mandarin, in a tone of great satisfaction, rubbinghis hands together, "I'm very glad to hear it, and I'm sure they arebetter off where they are, wherever they are. And now let me have myfan back, please."

And then the moment he got his fan back he stood up very straight andrapped the palm of his right hand once with it, and to Dong's amazementthere appeared at his right side another man exactly like him. Then herapped the palm of his left hand twice and there appeared at his leftside another man exactly like him. Whereupon the three men bowed toeach other affably and then shook hands.

"Permit me," said the mandarin, "to introduce my two brothers, SinSum Tu and Sin Sum Wen. My name is Sin Sum. And while I am explainingthings to you let me say that I am not a mandarin; that I am noton my way to a wedding; and that the goods I have are not weddingpresents."

"What," exclaimed Dong, "not a mandarin and not going to a wedding?Then what are you?"

"I—that is, we," replied the supposed mandarin, "are the Second StoryBrothers, the cleverest porch climbers in China. In other words we arerobbers, and famous ones, too. Why we've even written a song aboutourselves. It goes like this." Throwing back his head he sang and hisbrothers joined in:

"Well," said Dong, when they had finished, "I think it was a very meantrick you played on me. See what I did to the captain and the crewbecause I thought you were a mandarin and they were going to rob you.And here you are, a robber yourself."

"Quite true," said Sin Sum, "I admit it was a mean trick, but no meanerthan the captain was going to play on me. And as for yourself you canhave a much better job with us than you had before."

And with that he told Dong that when the junk got to Ki Yi they weregoing to stay on it in the day time and at night they would rob thehouses of the wealthy people. "And all you will have to do," hecontinued, "is to remain in the cabin and sell the stolen property webring you, to the various customers that call. Now how does that strikeyou, my boy?"

"No, sir," replied Dong, "I shall not do it. I may be only a cabinboy, but I'm an honest one. I have no desire to become a robber."

"But listen," put in the other two Second Story Brothers, "think howfamous you may get to be. And if you should get caught and be beheaded,they'd put your picture on souvenir postals, perhaps."

"I don't care," said Dong, "I'd rather make my living some other way."

"Well, you're not going to do it," snapped Sin Sum, angrily. "You'regoing to make your living with us, and we're not going to coax you anylonger, either. And if you try to run away I'll fan you into nothinglike you did the captain and the crew."

So Dong had no choice but to join the robbers, and the next night afterthe vessel got to Ki Yi, Sin Sum made him go with him on a lootingexpedition.

"I just want to show you how it is done," he said, "in case one of usgets sick or something, so you can take his place."

Then he led the way ashore and presently Dong found himself standingbefore a handsome building surrounded by a high wall. "This is theViceroy's palace," said Sin Sum, "and I am going to steal the familyjewels."

"But how will you get over the wall?" inquired the boy.

"Oh, that's easy," replied Sin Sum. "All I have to do is to fan a holein it."

So taking out his fan he waved it three times and instantly part ofthe wall melted away. And then after they had passed through the gaphe fanned another hole in the front door, and in a jiffy they wereupstairs in the Viceroy's bedroom.

"Of course," said the robber, "when there is a porch I prefer to climbto the top of it as a second story man should, but when there is none Ijust fan my way in."

By this time he had fanned most of the bureau drawers open and in amoment more had found the family jewels. Then having found them, hefanned them also, and pish! they disappeared, case and all.

"Goodness," exclaimed Dong, "now you have done it. What did youdissolve them for?"

Sin Sum chuckled. "Wait till we get back to the boat and I'll show you."

As he spoke the Viceroy and his wife began to toss about in their bedand it was evident that the conversation was beginning to awaken them.

"Quick," said Dong, "let's get out or they'll catch us."

"Huh!" said Sin Sum, "they'd better not. If they wake up and make anyfuss, I'll give them a fanning they won't forget."

And no doubt he would have dissolved the regal couple without theslightest hesitation if Dong had not coaxed him out of the palace andback to the junk.

When they got there they found that Sin Sum's two brothers, who hadalso been out burglaring, had arrived before them.

"Now," said Sin Sum, "let's count up what we got to-night."

Taking a little book from beneath his sash he turned the pages."H—I—J—jewels," he said. "Let's see how many raps for jewels. Ah,here it is, seven raps for jewels."

Then he rapped the palm of his hand seven times with his fan and thenext moment he was holding the casket containing the Viceroy's preciousstones.

Then he turned to his brother Sin Sum Tu. "What did you get?" he asked.

"Gold, and lots of it," answered Sin Sum Tu.

So Sin Sum looked in the book and found that it took five raps toproduce gold, whereupon Sin Sum Tu rapped his hand with his fanfive times, and a big pile of gold poured into it and spilled over onthe floor of the cabin.

"Now, Sin Sum Wen," said Sin Sum, "it's your turn. What have you got?"

"Well," said Sin Sum Wen, "I hate to tell you but I got nothing butpies and cakes. I broke into a baker's shop thinking to rob his cashdrawer, but I guess business was bad, for the drawer was empty, butrather than come away without anything, I fanned all his pies andcakes, although you may not think it worth while to produce them."

"Oh, yes," said Sin Sum, "they are better than nothing. We can eat themfor supper."

Then he took his book and found that pies and cakes required elevenraps, and Sin Sum Wen rapped his hand eleven times with his fan andin about twenty seconds there were enough refreshments in the cabin tolast a week.

"Ah," said the Second Story Brothers, picking up the dainties andpiling them on the table, "now we will have a feast."

And with that they started in and ate, and ate, and ate; lemon pie,apple pie, cocoanut pie, cherry pie, chocolate cake, cinnamon bun,jelly cake; in fact every kind of pie and cake a baker makes, and inabout an hour each of them had about every kind of a stomach ache thatevery kind of a pie and cake makes, and were rolling around howlingwith pain.

Now Dong, while he had eaten some of the goodies had not eaten much,for not being very happy he was not very hungry, so he was not made illlike the others. And presently as he saw that they paid no attention tohim, he decided that here was his chance to run away. So he slippedout of the cabin and over the side of the boat, and made off into thecity as fast as he could to the police station, for he knew when theViceroy woke up and found his family jewels gone, there would be anawful row. And if he showed the police where to find them the Viceroycould not punish him for being with Sin Sum when he stole them.

When he got to the police station, however, the officer at the doortold him that Ho Hum, the Chief of Police, was taking a nap and couldnot be disturbed.

"But," cried Dong, "I can show you how to catch the Second StoryBrothers who have stolen the Viceroy's family jewels, if you will comewith me."

"What!" shouted the officer, "they stole the Viceroy's jewels?"

Then he ran off and wakened Ho Hum at once.

"Waugh!" yawned the Chief of Police, "what is this I hear? The SecondStory Brothers have stolen the Viceroy's jewels and you will show ushow to catch them?"

"Yes," said Dong, "but you'd better hurry up before they find out thatI have come to tell you about it."

So Ho Hum, the Chief of Police, and a number of his officers strappedon their roller skates and with Dong hurried off to the boat where theSecond Story Brothers were just recovering from the effects of thestolen pies and cakes. And very pale and miserable they looked sittingagainst the cabin wall when the police burst in and confronted them.

"Surrender!" shouted Ho Hum.

"Quick!" cried Dong, "take their fans from them or it will be the worsefor you."

Ho Hum, the Chief of Police, scowled. "See here, boy," he said, "areyou the Chief of Police or am I? The idea of telling me what to do!Why, I was arresting folks before you were born."

"But," began Dong, "won't you please listen, I—"

"No," bawled the Chief of Police.

"Good for you, old sleepy head," shouted the Second Story Brothers.

Then they leaped to their feet, gave three waves of their three fans,and pish!—Ho Hum and all of his officers disappeared.

"Now," said Sin Sum, grinning wickedly as he turned to Dong, "we'llattend to you, my son. We'll teach you how to go off and tell thepolice about us."

"Shall we fan him into nothing?" asked Sin Sum Tu and Sin Sum Wen.

"Not yet," replied Sin Sum, "not until I've laid him across my knee forabout five minutes and given him something to remember me by."

With that he made a rush for Dong, but Dong, half scared out of hiswits, dived under the table, then behind the chairs here and there likea squirrel, and Sin Sum, who was fat and short winded, could not catchhim. Then his two brothers joined in, but they were even fatter, andbesides the pies and cakes they had just stuffed had left them in nocondition to run a race, so do what they would they could not catchthe boy. And Dong, seeing that they could not, began to grow bolder,and presently, as Sin Sum made a violent grab at him he also made agrab at Sin Sum and snatched his fan and his book from his sash. Thenlike lightning he turned and whipped the fan open, gave three quicksweeps with it at the robbers, and pish!—they disappeared as neatly asthe police had, and Dong was left the sole occupant of the cabin.

"Gee whiz!" he exclaimed, all out of breath, but nevertheless highlypleased with himself, "I did for them that time."

Then he opened Sin Sum's producing book, found the page where it said"police" required four raps, and rapping the palm of his hand fourtimes, Ho Hum and his officers appeared once more, looking rather paleand nervous after their strange experience.

"Well," said Dong to the Chief, "I guess you wish you had done as Itold you and taken the fans away from those robbers."

Ho Hum rolled his eyes. "Don't say a word," he replied. "I feel likearresting myself, missing such a fine chance to capture the SecondStory Brothers. Dear me, I'm afraid I'll never catch them now."

"Oh, yes, you will," said Dong. "Just you watch."

With that he struck the palm of his right hand once with Sin Sum's fan,and instantly at his right hand stood Sin Sum Tu, and the moment heappeared Dong snatched his fan from him. Then he rapped his left handwith Sin Sum's fan twice and instantly at his left side stood Sin SumWen, and Dong quickly snatched his fan also.

"Now," he said to the robbers, "tell me how to produce Sin Sum or I'llfan you both into nothing again."

So the robbers told Dong to rap his forehead once with the fan and SinSum would appear. And sure enough, the moment Dong rapped his forehead,there before him stood Sin Sum. And the next moment Ho Hum and hisofficers pounced on the Second Story Brothers and tied them securely.

Then everybody set off for the Viceroy's palace, Dong carefullycarrying the stolen jewels. By the time they got there it was morningand the Viceroy and his wife having just come down to breakfast, werelistening to the butler tell them how the front door had a hole in itand that he guessed some one had been in the house the night before.But not until Dong and the police and the Second Story Brothers enteredthe dining room and Dong had handed over the jewels, did they know theyhad been stolen.

"Suffering chopsticks!" shouted the Viceroy; "to think of my housebeing robbed. Some one shall suffer for this!"

And as he said that he looked straight at the Second Story Brothers,which made their knees knock together very much for they knew of coursehe was talking about them, and they did not like the way he pronouncedthe word "suffer" at all. Then having put the captured robbers in afirst class uncomfortable frame of mind, the Viceroy turned to Ho Hum,grasped him by the hand and called him a hero.

"Stop!" interrupted the Chief of Police, "I cannot let you say that.No one enjoys being a hero more than I, but the blood of my truthfulancestors compels me to state that the boy who stands before you is theonly hero in this affair. If it had not been for him the whole policeforce would be nowhere."

Whereupon he told the Viceroy how Dong had brought them back after therobbers had made them disappear, and also brought the robbers back sothey could be arrested.

"Well, well," exclaimed the Viceroy, giving Dong a most admiringglance, "if that isn't just like something you read about. If we onlyhad more boys like you in China, China might amount to something. Hum!How would you like to be adopted?"

"I shouldn't mind," replied Dong.

So right then and there the Viceroy of Ki Yi adopted Dong into hisfamily, and told him if he minded his P's and Q's—particularly hisQ's—he might be Viceroy himself some day.

And the chances are if you visit China in the years to come you mayfind that Dong has become Viceroy, for you must admit that if he wassmart enough to put an end to the career of the Second Story Brothers,he was certainly smart enough to become a Viceroy or even somethingbetter.

THE IMAGINARY ISLAND

One morning the Emperor Fuss of Fizz sat on the front porch of hispalace rocking impatiently back and forth. Evidently he was waiting forsomebody. By and by when he had rocked so many times his rocking chairwas beginning to squeak, the royal necromancer, Wist the Wise, an agedgentleman wearing a gorgeous gown of office, came hurrying up the royalavenue.

"Ha!" exclaimed the Emperor, "so you've come at last, have you? It'slucky for you that I'm a good natured monarch."

"I'm awfully sorry to have kept you waiting, your majesty," replied thenecromancer, bowing low, "but the commander-in-chief of your army had atoothache, and I had to wish the tooth out for him and believe me, itwas some job."

"Well," said the Emperor, "you have a harder job than that before you.My son, Prince Frip, has been reading about desert islands and insistson having one at once to discover. So get to work, for as you knowwhatever Frip wants he wants with all his might."

Alas, Wist the Wise knew it only too well. A good part of his time hewas kept busy exercising his magic arts to provide amusem*nt for PrinceFrip, who was a very lively young person, and who got tired of a thingalmost as soon as he got it. As a consequence the wizard had oftenwished he might get rid of the boy forever, for he was afraid that someday Frip would ask for something he would be unable to give him, foreven a magician has his limits. So this time the royal necromancer wasdetermined to fix the Prince so he would not bother him any more.

"Did you say an island, your majesty?" he inquired of the Emperor.

"I did," replied the monarch, "and a desert island, too, with plenty ofstrange and wonderful things on it to interest a boy. I want to keepFrip busy this time."

"So do I," said the wizard, grimly. "But as you know, your majesty, thekingdom of Fizz is far inland, and desert islands are only found inthe sea. If you want desert islands, you must go where desert islandsbloom."

"Oh, I must, must I?" retorted the Emperor, angrily. "Whom do you thinkyou're talking to? You have that desert island ready for Frip to playwith to-morrow morning, or I'll have you made into an Irish stew."

The royal necromancer shuddered. "Well," he said, "I'll do my best, butwhether you stew me or not, I simply cannot provide an out and out,really true island. At the best it will only be an imaginary one. Willthat do?"

"I don't care what it is," said the monarch, "so long as the Prince canlose himself on it for a while and not bother me."

So the next morning when Prince Frip commenced to ask when he was goingto get the desert island he had been wishing for, the Emperor wasable to tell him he would have it that very day. And when the royalnecromancer made his appearance a short time afterward, the predictioncame true. Leading the Prince out upon the palace lawn, the wizardplaced him with his face towards the east. Then Wist the Wise rolledup the right sleeve of his gown and began whirling his arm around andaround as though he was going to throw something. After he had donethis about a hundred times he stopped all of a sudden with his fingerpointing straight ahead of him, and told the Prince to look and tellhim what he saw.

But Prince Frip did not trouble to tell the royal necromancer anything.He just gave one joyful yell and set off toward the pebbly beach thathad appeared in front of him. A beach flooded with sunshine and witha shimmering sea beyond—blue in some spots and green in others—andwith a most delightfully mysterious looking island showing on thehorizon. Drawn up on the beach was a jaunty little sail boat. Witha vigorous push the Prince had the boat into deep water. Into thecraft he tumbled. Puff, puff, came a stiff and salty breeze. Thesail flattened, the boat heeled over, and in a moment was cutting itsway through the dancing waves with the Prince sitting at the rudder,smiling as he had not smiled for many a day.

But had he known what the royal necromancer had done, he would havebeen frowning instead of smiling, for Wist the Wise when he told theEmperor that he could not provide a real island, had not spoken thetruth. If he had conjured up a real island only certain thingscould have happened on it. But on the imaginary island which he hadprovided, anything could happen. And when anything can happen thereare bound to be some very strange adventures. And so the wizard feltpretty sure that Frip would have a tough time before he got back again.

However, the Prince, suspecting nothing, sat in the little sail boatas it went on and on, coming nearer and nearer to the island all thewhile, until finally he cast anchor in the prettiest little cove youever saw, and taking off his shoes and stockings, waded ashore.

"My," he exclaimed, as he looked about, "isn't this splendid!"

To the right and left of him the beach stretched away in a glitteringcurve. It looked as though it might be made of gold dust instead ofsand, and the reason it looked that way was because it was made ofgold dust. Tons and tons of gold dust were there, enough to buy out thegreatest millionaire in the world. But the Prince did not know it, andif he had known it he would not have cared, he was too busy watchinga short, squatty looking man with a dark brown complexion, driving astake into the beach a short distance away, on which was a sign:

REAL ESTATE
LOTS FOR SALE

When the man had made the sign secure he turned about and saw Frip."Hello," he cried, coming toward him, "when did you arrive?"

"Just now," said Frip. "There's my boat."

"Oh," said the man, "so you came in a boat, eh? Verycommonplace—very. I came on a Christmas tree."

Now you may think it was decidedly queer for a person to say such athing as that, but the Prince did not, because when he was close to thestranger he saw he was nothing more or less than a Gingerbread Man,although unusually large for his species.

"Yes," went on the Gingerbread Man, "I came on a Christmas tree, and Itell you it was rather exciting."

"I should think so," remarked Frip.

"Of course it was a mistake that I got overboard," said the GingerbreadMan. "All they meant to do was to throw the Christmas tree overboardafter the celebration on the ocean liner. But I was fastened to the topand they forgot to take me off. Well, I floated for days and days andhad about decided to try and lose my reason to keep from going insane,when, without the slightest warning, up out of the sea, right under mynose, popped this island."

"What do you mean 'popped this island'?" asked the Prince. "It didn'treally pop out of the ocean, did it?"

"It certainly did," replied the Gingerbread Man. "One moment I wasstraining my eyes looking for an island, and the next moment there itwas."

"Then," cried Frip, excitedly, "it must have been just when the royalnecromancer created the island for me to play with."

And with that he told the Gingerbread Man how Wist the Wise had madethe island by magic at the command of the Emperor. "And," he went on,"it was mighty lucky for you that I happened to ask my father for adesert island, otherwise you might be floating about the sea yet."

"Yes," said the Gingerbread Man, "it certainly was and I cannot thankyou enough, for it not only saved my life, but it has given me a chanceto go into business for myself." He pointed to the real estate sign."It seemed a shame for all this land to go to waste so I've marked itout into building lots, and as the different people are shipwreckedhere, as of course they will be, I'll sell them the lots. See?"

"Yes," said Frip, "I see. But suppose they won't buy the lots?"

"Then," said the Gingerbread Man, firmly, "they've got to get off theisland. Business is business. I found the place first and it belongs tome."

"Belongs to you," cried the Prince. "Well, I guess not. Why, it was'made' for me. Didn't I just tell you it was made for me?"

"Oh, yes," said the Gingerbread Man, "you told me, but that doesn'tmake it so, does it? And I did get here first, you can't deny that.And findings are keepings, you can't deny that, either. And whoeverwants to stay here has got to buy a lot." And having made thatannouncement, he turned on his heel and walked away, frowning likeanything.

"I suppose," said the Prince to himself, "he's mad at me now. But Idon't care if he is, the island is mine and whoever gets shipwreckedhere can stay if they want to, lots or no lots."

Then he turned on his heel and walked away in the oppositedirection to that taken by the Gingerbread Man.

Now as you know an island is an island—it may be a round island, oran oblong island, or a square island—but if it is an island and youstart at a certain place on the seacoast and walk long enough, you arebound to come back to the very place where you started. And that isexactly what happened to Frip. After he left the Gingerbread Man hewent on walking, and walking, and walking, until after a bit he came toa place that looked very familiar and he saw by the real estate signthat it was the same spot he had started from, except that somethinghad happened to it, which was that a bonfire was burning there and thatrunning round and around the fire was the Gingerbread Man. And my, howfine he did smell for the fire had warmed him enough to freshen him up.

"Hello," said Frip, sniffing hungrily, "what's the matter with you? My,you do smell nice!"

"Oh, I do, do I?" said the Gingerbread Man, keeping on running, "then Isuppose you'll join the cannibals and help eat me."

"Cannibals!" exclaimed the Prince, "what cannibals? I don't see anycannibals."

"Perhaps not," replied the Gingerbread Man, "but you can easily seetheir footprints on the beach, can't you?"

And sure enough there were the prints of bare feet all about thebonfire, and now that Frip had noticed them he saw to his surprise thatfresh footprints were being made all the time.

"Why—why—" he began, very much startled, "why—hey, is anybody here?"

And the minute he said that there was a blood-curdling yell and uponhis vision burst a band of coal-black savages with waving plumes ontheir heads and spears in their hands.

"Oh," he gasped, "goodness gracious!" Then turning about he startedto run away as fast as he could, but when you are surrounded bysavages it is not so easy to run away, and presently Frip found himselfrunning around and around the bonfire in the opposite direction to thattaken by the Gingerbread Man, each one of them pursued by a toweringcannibal. And no one knows how long they might have kept it up if atlast the Gingerbread Man had not bumped into him, cracking himselfbadly and almost knocking the Prince down. And at this the cannibalshowled with glee.

"Now," said the Cannibal Chief, as he watched Frip trying to get hisbreath, "perhaps you'll tell me why you ran so. Was it because weshocked you? I was afraid we would."

"Well," said Frip, "you certainly did sort of shock me. And then—"

"I knew it," said the other. "That's the reason we make ourselvesinvisible when strangers are about. We hate to shock folks. Listen."

"That," said the Cannibal Chief, "covers the case completely. In otherwords, we're the most refined savages you ever met."

"Then," said Frip, "if you're so refined, what do you want to becannibals for? And why do you wish to eat that poor Gingerbread Man?That's not very refined."

"Not very refined—I admit it," responded the Cannibal Chief, "but verynecessary, for meals come before manners. And speaking of meals, I wasthinking of asking you to join us at dinner. We'll have the GingerbreadMan for dessert."

"Oh," cried Frip, "I couldn't think of eating the Gingerbread Man,though I must say he smells awfully good when he's warmed up."

"That's all right," said the Cannibal Chief, "you won't have to eat theGingerbread Man, in fact, you won't be here to do it. We're going toeat you first."

Now if Frip had chanced to sit down on a hornet and the hornet had gotmad about it, it would certainly have made him jump, but nothing towhat the remarks of the Cannibal Chief did. Indeed they almost frozehim stiff and his eyes fairly popped out of his head.

"Eh?" he gasped—"why—what—say—why you—you don't mean to eat—eatme?"

"If you will join us at dinner—yes," said the Cannibal Chief,politely. "But of course if you have another dinner engagement—"

"I have," put in Frip, hastily, "I have a whole lot of 'em. And—andI'm not a bit hungry, so I simply could not join you at dinner."

"Well, supper then, or breakfast," responded the Cannibal Chief."We'll call it whatever you want. We'll even call it a little sidesnack, if you wish. You surely can't have engagements for every one ofthose things."

"Yes, I have," said the Prince, desperately, edging away. "I haveengagements for everything, day and night. I haven't a second to spare.And besides, my father, the Emperor of Fizz, is waiting for me to takea walk and if you stop me he'll—he'll put you in prison."

"Pooh," put in the Gingerbread Man, suddenly, "his father isn't here."

"I didn't say he was," replied Frip, "but he's waiting for me at home."

"Oh, at home, eh?" said the Cannibal Chief. "Well, that's quite anothermatter. Lots of things are waiting at home. No doubt a taxicab iswaiting for your father outside his palace. And I dare say there's awoodpile in your backyard waiting for you to do some chopping. Andyour mother, no doubt, is waiting for you to come back. And the hiredgirl is probably waiting on the table. But here, nothing waits. Soyou and your friend, the Gingerbread Man, kindly back up against thatreal estate sign and let the fire grill you a little. We don't care forcold meals."

Well, you can easily imagine in what frame of mind the Prince was whenhe heard that. Here was a fine ending to his adventure. When he hadasked for a desert island he had expected to have an exciting time ofit but not this sort.

"My, oh my!" he groaned. "I wish I had stayed at home and played withmy regular play-things and not asked for a desert island. This is whatcomes of wanting something that isn't meant for boys."

"Yes," said the Gingerbread Man, "and this is what comes of landing onsomething that isn't meant for gingerbread men. I wish now I had stayedon that Christmas tree."

"Well," said Frip, as the cannibals pushed him back to back with theGingerbread Man, "I'm sorry we quarreled over those building lots."

"Don't mention it," said the Gingerbread Man, "and I'm sorry you aregoing to be eaten ahead of me."

Then they shook hands solemnly, and the Gingerbread Man's hand wasso soft and sticky that one of the fingers came off in Frip's clasp.And just for a moment Frip thought of eating it, for he had had nobreakfast that morning, and then shocked that he should think of such athing, he tossed it away.

The next instant one of the cannibals picked it up. "Yum, yum," heexclaimed as he took a bite. Then he passed the morsel on to anotherof the band, and before the finger had gone half around, the wholegroup of cannibals were simply wild over the delicious flavor of theGingerbread Man.

"Ow! Yow!" they shrieked. "Gibblety! Goody!"

Then with another shriek they all rushed at the poor Gingerbread Manand tearing him away from the horror stricken Prince, commenced togobble him up as fast as they could. And because there was so little ofhim and so many of them, each one of the cannibals fell to fightingthe other in order to get his share of the tempting meal. And longafter the last crumb of the Gingerbread Man had disappeared, they werestill fighting furiously, until, as cannibals when they start to fightnever know how to stop, they killed each other, and Frip was the onlyperson left alive on the beach of the desert island.

And when that happened you may be sure it did not take him long to wadeout to his boat and set sail for home, for he had had quite enough ofthat place.

"Hello," said the royal necromancer, feeling very much annoyed as thePrince landed on the imaginary shore in front of his father's palace,"how on earth did you get back so soon? You should have stayed longer.You've missed seeing a lot of things."

"I don't care if I did," said Frip, "for what I did see was quiteenough." And when he said that it seemed to him he could still hear thewhoops of the invisible cannibals as they scrambled for the crumbs ofthe Gingerbread Man.

"Oh, ho," said Wist the Wise, smiling cheerily, "then you don't carefor imaginary islands, eh?"

"No," said Frip, "I don't. That is, I don't except in story books."

THE DANCING PEARL

The Dancing Pearl was the name of a beautiful lady, and she dancedevery evening and Saturday afternoons in the palace of the Viceroy ofChow Chow. That is, she did until the Hermit of Hong carried her off bystealth one night to his cave in the mountains.

Now the Hermit of Hong hated crowds and conversation, but he adoredmusic and dancing, and after he had stolen the Dancing Pearl he justused to sit and bang the cymbals while he smoked his water pipe andwatched the Dancing Pearl dance until it made his eyes swim. And henever gave a thought to the way the Viceroy must feel at being deprivedof his dancing girl. But if the Hermit did not dwell upon the matter,the Viceroy did, and the minute he found the Dancing Pearl was gone,he went to see the celebrated Mongolian wizard, Hoo Hoo, who had hisoffice on the main street of Chow Chow.

But when he entered the wizard's office he was much disappointed tofind that the wizard had just gotten married and that his wife wouldnot let him take any case which had a lady in it.

"I'm awfully sorry," said the wizard to the Viceroy, "but as you are amarried man yourself, you can easily understand my position."

"Of course, of course," replied the Viceroy, impatiently, "but thatdoes not get me back my dancing girl, and I must have her back. Thereis no one like her. She is the poetry of motion and the soul ofecstasy. I'll give half my fortune to get her back."

"Well, in that case," said Hoo Hoo, "I'll have to take the job, forthe half of your fortune added to mine will make me a very rich man.But I can only do the work by proxy—that is, my apprentice will haveto do it under my direction—for I positively will not hurt my wife'sfeelings, not even for the half of your fortune."

Then he struck a gong and into the room walked a bright looking boyabout eight years old with his pigtail neatly curled about his head.

"This," said the wizard, "is my apprentice, Floo. I'll put him on thecase."

"Not much," exclaimed the Viceroy. "Why, he is only a boy. You seem tothink this affair of mine is mere child's play."

"Oh, no, I don't," said the wizard, "and if you think Floo is a child,you are very much mistaken. He has been taught his trade very, verycarefully. Why, he can even tell how many hairs there are in yourpigtail. Tell him, Floo."

And Floo, after examining the Viceroy's pigtail for a few moments, toldhim there were 3,672,491 hairs in it.

"There," said the wizard, proudly, "what do you think of that?"

"But," said the Viceroy, "how do I know he's right?"

"Well," responded the wizard, "how do you know he's wrong? Have youever counted the hairs in your pigtail, eh?"

"N—o," said the Viceroy, slowly, "but—"

"Then," said the wizard, "the less said the better."

So Floo was picked out to solve the mystery of the disappearance ofthe Dancing Pearl, and the first thing the wizard did was to give hima list of people in Chow Chow that might have carried off the dancinggirl.

"To save time," he said, "you'd better turn 'em all into turnips atonce, and then tell 'em you'll turn 'em back again if they'll confesstheir crime."

But after Floo had turned all the people into turnips and told themhe would turn them back if they confessed, he found that every one ofthem confessed without a moment's hesitation, which made things veryconfusing, for when you transform a thousand persons and each one sayshe stole a dancing girl when only one dancing girl was stolen, you donot know what to think. So the wizard told Floo he had better give upthat line of investigation.

"Now," continued the wizard, "the next thing is to know what to do?What do you think?"

"Well," said Floo, "I believe it would be a good plan to pick out theperson you think would never do such a thing as steal a dancing girland go after him. And after you find him you'll probably find he didit. That is the way it always happens in the story books I've read."

"All right," said Hoo Hoo, "suppose we try it. But it's going to be atough job, I'm afraid."

And indeed it was, for Floo and the wizard thought and thought untiltheir heads ached trying to recall a person in Chow Chow who would notcare to steal the Viceroy's dancing girl, but at last Floo gave a shout.

"I have it," he cried. "I know of one person nobody would ever suspect,and that is the Hermit of Hong. He hates everybody—ladies most ofall—and the only thing he enjoys is being by himself. So if the storybooks are right he must be the one who carried off the Dancing Pearl.I think I'll go to see him."

"Go ahead, then," said the wizard. Then he handed Floo a book bound inleather. "Here," he said, "are a few simple instructions how to turnthings into other things. I would suggest that you turn the Hermit intoa lemon if you find it necessary. Good-by and good luck!"

So Floo set off for the Hermit's cave and when he got there he found,as you already know, that the Hermit of Hong had stolen the DancingPearl, and was enjoying himself immensely as he watched her whirl about.

"Sir," demanded Floo, sternly, "what do you mean by such behavior? Ithought you were a hermit. And besides, don't you know that the DancingPearl belongs to the Viceroy of Chow Chow?"

The Hermit of Hong laughed scornfully as he put down his cymbals andlaid aside his pipe. "Belongs to the Viceroy of Chow Chow? You mean,did belong to the Viceroy of Chow Chow. She belongs to me now. Andas for you, whoever you are, get out of my cave before I throw a toadat you." Then he clashed his cymbals again and the Dancing Pearl wenton with her dancing.

Now you may think that Floo would have been discouraged to meet withsuch a reception, but such was not the case, for he had not beentrained by the celebrated Mongolian wizard for nothing. No sir-ee, ittook much more than that to discourage him. So all he did was to takeout his book of instructions and look it over. Then he put some figuresdown on a piece of paper, after which he wiggled his fingers a momentand stamped his foot, and the Hermit of Hong was transformed into alarge and very yellow looking lemon. And the moment that happened theDancing Pearl stopped dancing and rushed up to Floo with a cry of joy.

"Oh," she panted, all out of breath from her late exertions. "I'm soglad you came. I'm completely worn out."

"I should think so," said Floo. "Have you been dancing ever since thatold thing carried you off?"

"Yes," said the Dancing Pearl; "not even stopping for meals."

"Well," said Floo, "just you rest yourself and then we'll start back tothe Viceroy's palace."

Then he told the Dancing Pearl who he was and why Hoo Hoo had sent him."Of course," he continued, "the wizard will make much more money thanI will out of this job, but I think I'll get my salary raised anyhow.And if I keep on being successful as I have been this time, I shouldn'tbe surprised if I made a big enough salary after awhile to get married.And if I ever get married I know who I'd like to marry."

And when he said that the Dancing Pearl hung her head and turned verypink. "Oh," she murmured, "I'm much too old for you. I'm almost twelve."

"What of it?" cried Floo, "I'm going on nine."

So the Dancing Pearl and the wizard's apprentice decided to get marriedas soon as Floo made enough money to support them, and they were sotaken up with their planning that they quite forgot the Hermit ofHong who had been turned into a lemon. But if they had forgotten aboutthe Hermit, the Hermit had not forgotten about himself, and the minuteFloo turned him into a lemon he began to turn himself into somethingelse. Of course what he would have liked to do best would have been toturn himself back into a hermit, but when you have been transformedinto something, you cannot turn yourself back into what you were firstunless you have attended a college of magic. And as luck would have it,the Hermit of Hong had never been to college, and what little magic heknew he had picked up himself. Therefore, the only thing he could dowas to turn himself into something worse than what he was. And as longas he could not be the Hermit of Hong and have the Dancing Pearl dancefor him, he decided he might as well get even by being transformedinto something that would stand in the way of Floo having the DancingPearl, so he turned himself into a monstrous Grammarsaurus or ancientIff, for he knew if anything could stand in the way of a person doingsomething he wanted to, an Iff could, because an Iff not only stood inthe way but it had the most disconcerting eyes. Yes, indeed, its eyesmade you so dizzy after you had gazed into them a moment you fell downin a heap, whereupon the Grammarsaurus devoured you eagerly. But ifyou did not look into the creature's eyes you were all right, for theGrammarsaurus could not eat anything unless it was perfectly still.You see he had to keep his eyes shut while he was eating, because ifhe looked at what he was eating it went around and around, and it isawfully hard to make a meal of anything that is going around and around.

But of course Floo and the Dancing Pearl knew nothing about ancientIffs and their habits. All they knew was that they adored each otherand wanted to get married, and when the Hermit turned himself from alemon into an immense creature that half filled the cavern, you may besure they were very much startled.

"Oh," cried the Dancing Pearl, as the Grammarsaurus gave a snort thatmade the cave tremble, "what's that?"

"What's what?" asked Floo, turning about. And then when he saw theancient Iff you can well believe he said "oh" also.

"My gracious," he gasped, "how did that thing get in here? And—andwhere is the lemon I made out of the Hermit?"

"That," said the Grammarsaurus, icily, "is a mystery that I can easilysolve. I am the hermit, likewise the lemon, and also something elsebeside as you may observe."

"I should say you were," said the Dancing Pearl. "I never saw such amonster."

And then as she looked into the creature's eyes she felt a slightdizziness coming over her and found herself swaying, but as she was adancer and accustomed to whirling about, the feeling passed off in amoment and she was as well as ever.

"Huh!" said the ancient Iff disgustedly, "why don't you turn giddy andfall down in a heap so I can eat you? Everybody does that when theylook into my eyes."

"Maybe they do," replied the Dancing Pearl, "but I don't. I'm tooaccustomed to whirling about to get dizzy so easy, so you'll have tomake a meal of something else."

"All right," growled the monster, glaring at Floo, "then I'll eat yourgentleman friend."

"Well, I guess not," said Floo. "I don't intend to look into yourugly old eyes, no sir-ee."

"Oh, don't you?" said the ancient Iff. "Indeed!" And with that he beganto sing in a voice like a dozen bass drums:

As the Grammarsaurus sang the last verse, Floo, to his horror, foundhimself looking into the monster's glaring eyes, and the minute he didthat he began to feel giddier and giddier.

"Phew!" he cried, "I—I—I feel so wobbly I can hardly keep my feet."

"Ha, ha," chuckled the ancient Iff, "of course you do. And presentlyyou'll feel even more wobbly, and then—"

He turned to the Dancing Pearl. "Here," he remarked, "is where I eatyour gentleman friend as I said I would. I guess you wish now he hadn'ttried to take you from me when I was a hermit, don't you?"

"Indeed I do not," retorted the Dancing Pearl, "for I am not goingto let you eat my gentleman friend. Your eyes may make him dizzy butunless he falls in a heap you cannot eat him. And as I never get giddyI shall hold him up."

And with that she put her arm about Floo's neck and drew his arm abouther waist, and though his legs were very, very unsteady she managed tokeep him from falling while the Grammarsaurus walked about smacking hislips enviously.

"Now look here," he said to the Dancing Pearl, "you seem to forget thisis a private matter between your gentleman friend and myself, and Icannot see why you mix in it, I really cannot."

"Well, maybe you can't," replied the Dancing Pearl, "but I can. So youmight as well shoo yourself away."

Then because the ancient Iff's song had so enchanted Floo he could noteven close his eyes but simply had to keep on looking at the monster,she threw her beautiful hand-embroidered handkerchief over his face,and presently the effect of the Grammarsaurus's stare passed away andFloo felt much better.

"Now," said the Dancing Pearl, "if I were you I'd look in my bookof instructions and turn this nasty old thing into something lessdangerous."

Floo groaned. "I can't," he replied. "This book only tells how totransform a person or a thing once. You see, Hoo Hoo did not think Iwould have to do it more than once."

"But," said the Dancing Pearl, "I don't see why you cannot transformthis Grammarsaurus. You never transformed him before."

"Yes, I did," responded Floo. "I turned the Hermit into a lemon, andthis monster is only a continuation of the lemon. In other words, theHermit was first a lemon and now he's a Grammarsaurus, and the bookdoesn't tell how to transform him again."

Well, you may be sure this tickled the ancient Iff very much. As Flooand the Dancing Pearl conversed he had been listening with all hismight, and when he heard Floo confess that he did not know how totransform the monster into anything else the ancient Iff gave a loudcheer and capered about gleefully.

"My, my," he exclaimed, "but I have got you two in a fix. I may not beable to make you so dizzy you'll fall down and I can eat you, but thatis no reason why I cannot scrouge you so I'll be able to gobble you upafter a while."

And with that he began to crowd them against the walls of the cavesomething awful. It was just like having a house trying to walk overyou, and Floo and the Dancing Pearl had to step lively to keep out ofthe monster's way.

"If we can only get outside," panted Floo, "I believe I can fix him,for I've thought of a plan."

"All right," said the Dancing Pearl, "I'll run to the back of the caveand when he comes after me you run outside and before he can squash meI'll join you."

"But," said Floo, "are you quite sure you can do it?"

"Yes, indeed," replied the girl. "I'm as light as a feather on myfeet. I haven't been a dancer for nothing."

And sure enough, when the Grammarsaurus, puffing and snorting, triedto scrouge her to nothing at the rear of the cave, she sprang swiftlyaside, and in a moment was beside Floo outside the entrance. And then,just as the furious creature was galloping toward the door of thecavern to try to crush them outside, Floo, looking in his book, wiggledhis fingers and repeated hastily:

Then he stamped his foot, and bing—instead of a rocky cave there stoodbefore them a fine, big, iron cage, strong enough to hold anything, andinside of it was the Grammarsaurus.

"Oh," cried the Dancing Pearl, "what a delightful idea!"

"Yes," said Floo, "I just happened to think that even if I couldn'ttransform the Grammarsaurus there was no reason why I could nottransform the cave. So I did."

"Yes," put in the Grammarsaurus, "I see you did." And after that hewould not say another word, but sat and sat, and chewed his tail invexation.

"Now," said Floo, "let's start for the Viceroy's palace."

So off they went, and when they got there the Viceroy of Chow Chow wasbeside himself with joy.

"Welcome, poetry of motion and soul of ecstasy!" he cried, swinging theDancing Pearl high in the air.

And then when he learned how Floo had rescued her and how he wanted tomarry her, the Viceroy said he had no objection whatever, provided Floowould let his wife dance at the palace whenever the Viceroy wanted herto. And as for the Grammarsaurus, he would be glad to buy the creature,cage and all, to put in the private zoo he had.

So the Grammarsaurus was brought to Chow Chow and placed onexhibition, and Floo and the Dancing Pearl lived happily everafterwards on the generous sum that the Viceroy paid for him.

THE INHERITED PRINCESS

Once there was a little boy named Ting who, as this story opens, wasjust celebrating his eighth birthday. And you may be sure it was apretty fine birthday celebration because Ting was the Crown Prince ofPouf and heir to the throne.

"Now, Ting," said his father the King, as they stood at the palacewindow watching the magnificent parade given in the Prince's honor,"I have another surprise for you. I am going to give you a chance toprove your princely courage by rescuing the Inherited Princess from theenchanted castle."

Then he told Ting that hundreds and hundreds of years ago, thisPrincess, who was just about Ting's age and quite beautiful, hadbeen carried off by her uncle, a celebrated scoundrel with a magicaleducation, and shut up in an enchanted castle with a twenty-headedGallopus to guard her.

"My," said the Prince, "she must be quite an old lady by this time."

"No, indeed," said the King, "she is just as young as ever. One nevergrows old in an enchanted castle. But if she didn't grow old thewicked uncle did, so much so that he finally died of it. Then as noone had ever found a way to rescue the Princess, and as her unclehad stated in his will that she was not to be set free until shewas rescued, the heirs of the wicked uncle had to let things go onas they were, so the Princess still remains in the castle with thetwenty-headed Gallopus on guard."

"But," said Ting, "doesn't a Gallopus ever grow old?"

"Not that I ever heard of," replied the King, "or at least this onedoes not, for he still sits in the same spot in the castle yard as hedid before I was born."

"Phew!" exclaimed Ting, "he must be a terrible creature."

"Well," said the monarch, "he isn't a thing to be trifled with. Andthat is the reason I think it would be fine for you to celebrate yourbirthday by fighting him and setting the Princess free. Don't you?"

"H'mm," murmured the Prince, "I don't know. I can think of other thingsI would much rather do."

"Why, I am surprised," said the King. "I should think you'd be gladof the chance. I only wish some one had suggested the idea on myeighth birthday. Just think how famous you'll be if you conquer thetwenty-headed Gallopus."

"Yes," said Ting, "but just think how I'll be if I don't."

"Pooh! Pooh!" remarked the Prime Minister, who sat on the other sideof Ting, "that's no way for a prince to talk, especially as we'veannounced to the public that you are about to rescue the InheritedPrincess from the enchanted castle."

"Yes," said the King, "and every one is talking about it, so you can'tback out unless you wish to disgrace me."

And of course, as Ting had no desire to bring disgrace upon his family,he saw he would have to fight the twenty-headed Gallopus whether heliked it or not, though how he was ever going to do it, he could notimagine. However, as the longer he thought about the matter the morediscouraged he became, he finally decided to go and have a look at themonster and see what his chances were. So the minute the parade wasover, he started off.

Now a twenty-headed Gallopus is shaped like a star with twenty points,and on each point is a head. And each head has two pop eyes, two bigears, a wide mouth with a complete collection of long, sharp teeth, anda turned up nose. And when a twenty-headed Gallopus wishes to show aperson that he does not care for his society, he turns slowly aboutand stares at him fixedly with his forty eyes, which makes a personfeel very uncomfortable. So you can easily imagine how Ting feltwhen he reached the enchanted castle and confronted the twenty-headedGallopus in the courtyard.

"Well," cried the twenty-headed Gallopus, speaking with about ten ofhis heads and making a fearful racket, "what do you want around here?"

Whereupon the Prince told him how he was expected to rescue theInherited Princess, and had come to see what the Gallopus looked likebefore he started to work.

"Oh, you did, did you?" roared the monster. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think," said Ting, "that you're the most awful thing I ever saw.You're enough to guard a dozen princesses and it isn't fair to ask alittle boy of eight to fight you."

"It's not only not fair," said the Gallopus, "but it's downright mean,not to say ridiculous." Then he laughed with all his heads at onceuntil the ground actually trembled. "Don't you know," he went on, "thatI'd have to lose every one of my heads before the Princess could befreed? Even if you chopped off one or two it would be no use. I mustlose all of them before the spell is broken."

And with that he burst into a rollicking ditty—

"Well," said the twenty-headed Gallopus, when he had finished, "can youtell me who would dare?"

"No," said Ting, "I can't. I thought maybe I would, but I've changedmy mind."

"And quite right, too," said the monster, "you show good sense, for itis certainly foolish to attempt what is impossible. And besides, thePrincess is very happy in the castle anyway."

"How do you know?" asked the Prince.

"Well," said the Gallopus, "she has never complained, and even if shedid I would be too bashful to listen to her. I don't know what it is,but it makes me dreadfully nervous to talk to girls. I get so confusedand everything. Do you?"

"Oh, no," said Ting, "I like to talk to girls."

The twenty-headed Gallopus looked at him admiringly. "Hum," he said,"you're much braver than I thought you were. No wonder you thought youcould fight me. And now I think you had better run along back home forI want to take a little nap."

But Ting had no intention of running back home just then, no indeed,for chancing to look up at the castle windows he had seen the Princesspeeping out at him. And one sight of her was enough to make him want tostay there forever. So he told the twenty-headed Gallopus not to mindhim but to go ahead and take his nap.

"I won't disturb you," he said. "I'll be just as quiet as a mouse."

"Very well," replied the Gallopus, "if you'll promise solemnly not tomake any noise or chop off any of my heads, I'll do it, for I need thesleep. One of my heads had a headache last night and it kept all theothers awake."

And with that he wobbled into his cave and began to snore like twentylocomotives all starting from the station at once.

"My gracious!" gasped the Prince, "he needn't worry about the noise Imake."

Then he hurried across the courtyard until he came to the window wherethe Princess was sitting.

"Hello," he shouted at the top of his lungs. "How do you do?"

"Very well, thank you," screamed the Princess, leaning out of thewindow. "Isn't it dreadful the noise that old Gallopus makes?"

"Terrible," yelled Ting, thinking how lovely she was, all pink in theface from shouting so. "I've come to rescue you."

"Oh, isn't that splendid!" shrieked the Princess, smiling at him. "Doyou think you can do it?"

"Sure," bawled Ting, "I'll find out some way. I didn't think I could atfirst, but since I've seen you, I've simply got to."

And when he said that the Inherited Princess grew pinker than ever anddid not seem to know what to say. But even if she had known what tosay she probably would not have said it for all of a sudden the snoringstopped and the twenty-headed Gallopus came hurrying out of his cave asmad as could be.

"Didn't you tell me you wouldn't make any noise?" he demanded of Ting,angrily. "You said if I took a nap you'd be as quiet as a mouse, andyet you've made such a rumpus it woke me up. Such a hooting and tootingI never heard."

"That wasn't me," said Ting. "That was you—snoring."

"I—snoring?" howled the monster, furiously. "Oh, that's—that's theworst insult yet. I never snore, sir, never. I—I wouldn't know a snoreif I heard one. And even if I did snore it would sound like a harp orsomething like that, and not like a roll of musketry. The idea, tellingme I snore!"

Thereupon, with every one of his twenty heads snarling, and his bodywhirling about like a pin-wheel, the Gallopus started for the Prince.And the minute he started the Prince started also, in the oppositedirection.

"Oh," shrieked the Princess, "he'll eat you."

"He'd—he'd better not," cried Ting, running around and around thecourtyard as fast as he could.

"Bah!" shouted the Gallopus, "don't tell me what I'd better not do.And stop running so. How am I ever going to catch you if you run aroundso?"

All of which showed what a silly old thing the twenty-headed Gallopuswas, for he might have known that Ting would not stop running around.Indeed, he ran so fast that the monster finally stopped and stoodpanting with his forty cheeks all puffed out. And then it was that thePrincess leaned out of the window, extended her hand, and Ting, givinga leap, seized it and jumped in at the casem*nt where she sat.

"Now," he jeered at the monster, "catch me if you can."

"I don't need to catch you," replied the twenty-headed Gallopus,calmly, "the enchanted castle has caught you and that's enough, asyou'll soon find out."

"Why, what do you mean?" asked the Prince, in a tone of alarm.

"Oh, nothing much," chuckled the monster, "only that in an hour youwill begin to turn into a spider, that's all, but it's enough, I guess.Hee, hee!"

With another shriek the Princess fainted away, and as for Ting, healmost fainted too, at the thought of turning into anything so horrid.

"I don't believe it," he said, glaring at the Gallopus.

"Just as you please," answered the monster, "but when you're a spideryou'll believe it. That castle was built to hold the Princess andnobody else. If anybody else goes in they turn into a spider unlessthey come out in an hour."

Well, you can imagine how Ting felt, and you can also imagine how thePrincess felt when she came out of her swoon.

"I like you awfully, Ting," she said, "but really I'm afraid I couldnot like you as a spider."

"I should say not," replied the boy. "I couldn't like myself that way."

Then he pulled out his watch, looked at it and shuddered. "Only threequarters of an hour left," he groaned.

And there they sat at the window worrying and worrying and worrying,and wondering what to do. And underneath the window sat thetwenty-headed Gallopus gloating and gloating and gloating over the waythey were worrying. And finally the three-quarters of an hour passedand they knew if Ting stayed in the castle another minute he would turninto a spider.

"Oh, dear," said the boy, "I guess I'll have to go out and be eaten.It's bad enough but I think I'd rather be eaten than be a spider."

"Yes," said the Princess, "and I think I should, too, only I wouldlike to disappoint that Gallopus. I know he'd much rather eat you thanhave you turn into a spider."

"Oh, do you think so?" said Ting.

"I'm sure of it," responded the Princess.

"Then," said the boy, "maybe I can make a bargain with him."

So he leaned out of the window and called to the monster: "you might aswell go away now. I've decided to become a spider."

"What!" shouted the twenty-headed Gallopus, "why, you must be crazy.Why—why, it's an awful feeling to be a spider. It's much nicer to beeaten. Come on out and I'll swallow you whole and it won't hurt a bit."

"No," said Ting, "I think I prefer to be a spider."

"Oh, go on," said the Gallopus, looking awfully disappointed, "youcan't mean it."

"Yes, I do," said the Prince, "although I might change my mind if youlet the Princess go free."

"Never," cried the monster, gnashing his teeth.

"Very well, then," said Ting, "you'll not eat me." And he started todraw in his head.

"Wait, wait," shouted the Gallopus, "wait a moment. Let me think."Then after a moment he groaned. "All right, I'll do it, though I oughtto be ashamed of myself. But it has been so many years since I tasted aboy I simply cannot resist the temptation. So come out and be eaten andthe moment I gulp you down I'll go off to my cave and shut my eyes, andthe Princess can come out of the castle."

And the instant the monster said that the Prince jumped out of thewindow, because he knew if he hesitated the Princess, who had beenlistening in horrified silence, would never let him be eaten to set herfree.

"Ah, ha!" cried the Gallopus, smacking his twenty pairs of lips, whenhe saw Ting standing before him, "now I have got you." Then he burstinto a roar of laughter. "I knew that story about the spider wouldfetch you. That's the reason I made it up."

"You made it up?" cried Ting. "Do you mean to say it wasn't true?"

With another laugh the Gallopus shook every one of his heads merrily."Of course it wasn't true, and only a ninny like you would havebelieved it."

"Is that so!" cried the Princess.

And as she spoke she jumped out of the window and marched right upto the monster. "You wicked, wicked creature," she said, her cheeksflaming and her eyes sparkling like diamonds.

And as she stood there right in front of the Gallopus she looked solovely Ting felt he would be willing to be eaten a dozen times for hersake. And as for the twenty-headed Gallopus, he blushed scarlet withconfusion. Of course he had often seen the Princess at her window,but never before in the sunshine outside the castle where she was ahundred times as beautiful. So he just stared and stared with allhis mouths open, and shuffled his hundred and twenty feet uneasily.And then all of a sudden his heads began to get dizzy, and he felt asthough he would sink through the ground with bashfulness. And then—asthe Princess, growing more dazzling every minute, advanced stillcloser—bing—he lost his twenty heads entirely. Bing, bing, bing—eachone went off like a balloon when it bursts, and nothing remained of thedreadful Gallopus to worry about.

"Hurrah! Hurrah!" cried the Princess, clapping her hands. "Theenchantment is broken. I am free again and you will not be eaten afterall, Ting. I wonder what ever made him lose his heads that way?"

"Why," said Ting, taking her hand and liking her more than ever, "don'tyou know? Because if you don't, just come to the palace and look in amirror and you will soon find out."

And when he said that the Princess tucked her arm in his and marchedhim off to the palace as quick as she could.

"Well, well, well," cried the King, jumping off his throne inexcitement when he saw them coming in, "if this isn't the greatsurprise of my life."

Then he patted Ting on the back and called him the bravest boy in theland. "To think of conquering the twenty-headed Gallopus and rescuingthe Inherited Princess on your eighth birthday," he said. "I never,never thought you would do it."

"I didn't do it," said Ting. "The Princess did it all herself."

And after the King had learned all that had happened he patted thePrincess on the back also, and then he pinched her cheek.

"I don't wonder, my dear," he said, "that the Gallopus lost his heads.And I guess I'll announce that you and Ting did it between you, forit's all in the family, anyway."