The Dragon was engaged in loud roaring as usual, but his voice washoarse and weary. Instead of sitting up straight upon his front feet, heleaned over against the side of the rock-wall in a very sad sort of way.
"Oh, dear!" said the Dragon to himself--so loudly that they heard hiswords distinctly--"this is indeed terrible to have to go through lifewith but one leg in front. Some say that as a Dragon has a dozen legs,and a tail as well, he should not miss a leg here or there, but I amsure those who say this do not know the real truth. If only I could getback my leg, I would ask no questions, I am sure."
At this Zuzu felt the Enchanted Banjo nudge him in the side, andguessing what it meant, he stepped forward boldly.
"Good Dragon Jankow," he said, "here then is your leg, as good as new.Let us pass, and we shall put back the leg, so that you can sit up againand see all that is going on; but we claim your promise, and you mustask no questions."
The Dragon turned upon him one of its large eyes in which at firstchiefly anger showed; but when its eye fell upon the wooden leg theDragon's mouth opened in a wide smile of joy.
"Is it a bargain?" asked Zuzu.
The Dragon nodded three times, which meant that it was a bargain; soZuzu leaned the shadow of the King against a tree not far away, and,handing Lulu the Enchanted Banjo, he began at once to screw back inplace the wooden leg of the Dragon.
When he had completed this act the Dragon wriggled all over with joy,sat up straight in front again, and gave a loud roar of pleasure.
"Now," it said, "I am something like a Dragon once more; and let allpersons beware of my might. Arrngh! Arrngh! Arrngh!"
"I am sure, my good friends," he explained to them, "you can notunderstand how much I have missed that leg. Many persons will tell youthat a wooden leg is a very poor one, but I can assure you that when youhave been used to a wooden leg for several hundred years it is a verygood leg indeed to have, and one that you miss very much when it isgone. As you go on toward the palace, my dear friends, I wish you wouldinform the King that his faithful Army is again quite ready forbusiness, and will defend the Island against all intruders."
Zuzu and Lulu now ran forward through the wood quite rapidly for a way,but as they approached the palace their steps began to lag. "Supposemamma should want to punish us," said Zuzu. This caused Lulu to thinkvery hard for a moment.
"It may be that she will," said she finally, "but perhaps, on the otherhand, she too will be glad to have us back and no questions asked. Itseems to me that the best thing we can do is to have the Banjo play forus. Perhaps they will forgive us without our asking it, but we wouldbetter ask the Banjo how we can tell about that."
So again they placed the Banjo in position and once more it began toplay; and it told how one can always tell whether or not one's motherwants one.
THE WISE DANDELIONS
When dandelions have grown white Then they are wise as wise can be; Their fluff, all feathery and light, Holds messages for you and me. We ask: "Does mamma want me now?" Then puff our cheeks and blow and blow And when the fluff flies off, somehow, It means that homeward we must go.
It's always true, no matter where You are, if you will try the spell And puff the fluff into the air, If mamma wants you, it will tell. But still, it's strange--you wonder why, And more and more your wonder grows When you see right before your eye How well the dandelion knows.
Whene'er you take the ball of fluff And whisper to it soft and low And hold your breath, and then go "Puff!" Away the fluff is sure to go. And then if homeward you make speed You'll find the message was quite true For if you ask mamma, indeed, She'll say: "What? Want you? Yes, I do!"
Lulu picked up a big, white, fluffy dandelion, and blew and blew at thetop until all the fluff was gone.
"Ah," said she, "it is plain that mamma will be glad to see us backagain."
CHAPTER XXXIII
THE HAPPY ENDING OF THE STORY
Now at the royal palace of the King of Gee-Whiz all was gloom andsadness, as may readily be supposed. The Widow Pickle had lost more thanthirty pounds in weight from weeping so incessantly; the PrivateSecretary was also worn almost to a shadow, while the Court Physician,the Court Detective, and the Court Lawyer all confessed themselves onthe verge of despair and in fear of their lives; as by this time theyhad been obliged to admit their entire inability to solve the mysteryregarding the disappearance of the Twins, of the Enchanted Banjo, ofthe shadow of the King, and of the Dragon's wooden leg. The King himselfwas by this time very thin and weary-looking, and took no delight evenin Waffles, while the mere thought of syrup caused him to shudder. "Mylife is ruined," said he, "and I shall never again be happy." This herepeated over and over again.
"Without a shadow I no longer desire to be King," said he at length tothe Private Secretary. "Elect a Council, if you like, and have them makethe laws and do the ruling as they please. I am going to cease beingKing, because I am not happy and contented."
It was just at this time that there was heard, far off in the forest,the sound of the Enchanted Banjo, playing the air which has beenmentioned. At this sound the King sat up very straight on his throne andbegan to listen. At that moment there rushed toward him the CourtDetective, who exclaimed, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I have the honorto report that I have discovered the Enchanted Banjo!"
"Where?" asked the King.
The Court Detective pointed toward the sound, and answered, "There!"
"Ah," said the King, "I had discovered that much myself."
At that moment the Court Physician hastened up and exclaimed, "YourMajesty! Your Majesty! I have the honor to report that you are going tobe much better very soon!"
"Ah!" said the King, "I knew that much myself;" and he settled his royalwaistcoat in front and began to look interested.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" cried the Court Lawyer, excitedly runningup at this moment, "I have the honor to report that it will not benecessary to behead the Court Detective! I have rendered my opinion."
"Indeed?" said the King. "I have just rendered that opinion for myself."
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" cried the Widow Pickle, also appearing atthis moment, quite out of breath, "I am sure my Twins are coming home."
"Indeed?" said the King. "I was of that belief myself before you spoke.I beg you all to observe that I am King on this Island, and I proposenow to resume my reigning for a time, to show that I am King. Yet what,I should like to ask, do all these matters benefit me, who am asshadowless as before?"
There was no time to answer him, for at that moment, to their greatsurprise, there emerged from the edge of the forest the Twins, carryingthe Enchanted Banjo between them and carrying also their lunch basketand the shadow of the King. They walked at once directly in front of thethrone and as soon as their mother had kissed them again and again, theysignaled that they would like the attention of those present.
"Listen!" cried the King of Gee-Whiz, "the Royal Hereditary Twins of theIsland of Gee-Whiz will now be heard!"
The King's voice was weak because of his longing for his shadow. He didnot suspect it, although it was a fact, that Zuzu was holding his shadowbefore him in plain view. It was so new and handsome a shadow that theKing did not recognize it as his own.
"O King!" said Zuzu, approaching and kneeling before the throne. AndLulu also came and knelt saying "O King!" They held the Royal WishingWands high above them.
"We come as messengers from the good Queen Zulena, Ruler of theFairies," said Zuzu; "and we bring a wish to you from her, which shewished us to wish on our Royal Wishing Wands."
"Zulena!" gasped the King, falling back upon the drapery of his thronewith his hand at his throat. "Zulena!--is it possible that she--"
The bad Fairy begged for mercy _Page 187_]
"O King!" said the Twins together, both rubbing hard at their WishingWands, "this wish has been kept a secret for many years in the heart ofthe Queen of the Fairies.
This is the wish: That you be restored to yourformer self again; that you cease to value gold as the greatest of allthings; that you remember the friendships of your earlier days; and thatfor ever you may be happy and contented!"
Then to their great surprise a strange and wonderful thing occurred,directly before their eyes. The form of the King of Gee-Whizstraightened up. The tired look faded away from his face. His hairbecame long and glossy and dark. His eyes became bright and merry. Hisgarb grew yet more shining and splendid; and at once his bearing wasthat of a young and handsome man, as indeed he now was. With his hand atthe hilt of his sword, he stepped down from the first step of histhrone, and with a truly royal air raised his hand and exclaimed: "Longlive the Queen Zulena, the Sovereign to whom I send my homage!"
As he said these words all bowed down before him as though a strong windhad swept them forward. The King spoke again.
"My shadow, please!" he said. Without further speech Zuzu handed him hisshadow, recently twisted and distorted, but now new and handsome as theKing himself. To their great surprise it fitted the King perfectly inevery way.
The face of the King was stern and commanding now, though very handsomeand very glad. "My Royal Cricket now, good Princess," said he to Lulu;"for now we shall send word of our own to our ruler, the good Queen whohas set us free from all Wicked Fairies."
Lulu bowed low before the King, and presented to him the White Cricket;which at once took its place under the shadow of the King. In a momentit had found a floating film of gossamer, the web of the Fairy spiders,and the King inclined his ear as he heard a voice far off chirping.
"That," said the King, "is the telephone to Fairy-land. And now a royalwish of our own: May the Fairies help a Monarch who wishes always to bewise and good. Zulena! Zulena!"
And lo! as they all gazed at the spot where he stood, to their greatsurprise they saw standing there, smiling and bowing and looking verysweet, no less a person than Zulena, the good Queen of the Fairies.
Kneeling to her, before them all, the King kissed her hand. The face ofthe Queen was now very glad and happy.
"Now," said the King, rising and again looking very handsome, and verystern as well as very kind at the same time, "we, the good Queen Zulenaand I, shall rule this country together from our joint throne. We shallever defend the secret of the Fairy Valley where lies the Mother ofGold. From this time on it shall be our greatest task to spread abroadcontent and happiness for all."
"My lord speaks well and wisely," said the sweet voice of the FairyQueen, "and that all may know our wishes to be the same, I shall grantto each of our subjects here present, before the Royal Wedding Marchbegins, one wish each, for that which is best for the one wishing it."
The Court Detective, the Court Physician, and the Court Lawyer eachwished for greater wisdom; and this the Royal Couple said was a verydesirable wish, and should be granted. The Private Secretary asked thathe might be continued all his life in the service of the King; and thiswas granted him, for a better Private Secretary was never known. ThePrince Zuzu, and the Princess Lulu--for so they might as well be calledat this time--each wished that all their friends might be happy andcontented, that the King and Queen might live and reign for ever andkeep Fairy-land a place whence good children may have good gifts sent tothem.
The Widow Pickle made a wish which after all was, under thecircumstances, perhaps quite as practical as any. "This looks like awedding," said she, "and I have not a thing in the world fit to wear.Dear me, I wish I was back in the city for just a day or so to do someshopping."
Now, as they all finished their wishes, they looked about them upon astrange and wondrous scene. The sun was just sinking and all the earthseemed as though flooded with gold. The King and Queen stood hand inhand upon the steps of the throne; and near by, grown very large, wasthe Enchanted Banjo, swung high between two tall trees. Birds came andperched upon the strings of the Enchanted Banjo, and the wind blewleaves across the strings; and as they looked at these things theEnchanted Banjo began to play.
BALLAD OF THE GOOD CHILD
When little children have been good-- As all good little children should-- It's very strange, but very true, That then the sky is bright and blue Until the sun sinks in the west And then the stars all look their best And something whispers far away: "You have been very good to-day."
The bees that hurry home for night; The little chickens, plump and white; The katydids--they shout the word Until on every side 'tis heard; The crickets hidden in the grass Chirp merrily to all who pass: "That child, in study, work and play, Was very, very good to-day!"
And when your little prayer is said And you have snuggled in your bed And when your eyelids slowly close-- Why, then, oh, what do you suppose? The bed, the chair, your clothes, the wall, The turned-down light--they one and all Seem glad, and speak of you and say: "You have been very good to-day."
Perhaps it was the wish of their mother which brought it all about; andwhatever might have been their own preference in the case, of course thewish of the Widow Pickle had to be granted, just the same as all theothers. However that may have been, the facts are very plain: when Zuzuand Lulu awoke to a sense of their surroundings they were back in theirown little beds, in their own little room at home, and around them therewas no court of Fairy-land, nor any strange forest of the distant islandin the sea. They rubbed their eyes, and stared about them for a time.
"Did you have a funny dream?" asked Zuzu.
"Yes, did you?" said Lulu. "I thought I heard music."
"Let's talk about it," said Zuzu.
"Very well," said Lulu, "suppose we do, for certainly it was a verybeautiful dream."
Corrections
The first line indicates the original, the second the correction.
p. 32:
white sparks flew from its extremity, white sparks flew from its extremity.
p. 199:
been used to a wooden leg for several hundred years' been used to a wooden leg for several hundred years
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