by David Cory
THE MAGIC RING
The Unhappy Little Princess leaned out of the window and sobbed.
THE MAGIC RING
NED followed the beautiful princess and her brother into the castle,while the giant, who had to stoop nearly to the floor in order to enterthe doorway, brought up the rear.
As it was late, everyone decided to go to bed. Besides, they were allwell tired out after their exciting day.
You would have laughed to see the giant ascend the stairway to the royalbedchambers, for the steps were too small for his feet, and it was withgreat difficulty that he managed to get a foothold with the toes of hisboots.
When at last he was safely inside his bedroom, the largest in thecastle, it was found that the bedstead was not nearly long enough forhim.
So the princess gave orders that two cot beds be placed ends together,and in this way the giant, by allowing his feet to project through theopen window, could lie down at full length. His feet nearly reached thetree that grew just outside, on which the little bluebird had perchedfor the night, and it was lucky, indeed, that it was midsummer, forotherwise our big friend might have caught a severe cold.
After bidding the giant goodnight the little bluebird had a few minutes'talk with Ned while he undressed himself.
THE STEPS WERE TOO SMALL FOR THE GIANT.]
She agreed to act as sentinel during the night, to keep a vigilantlookout from the treetop, and in case of approaching danger instantly toawaken Ned and the giant.
Gradually the great castle grew quiet, until nothing was stirring, "noteven a mouse."
At times the night wind rustled the leaves in the tree where the littlebluebird sentinel sat winking and blinking, and the big yellow moonglistened fantastically on the big toe of the giant.
Toward midnight a faint sound in the distance, like the beat of horses'hoofs, startled the bluebird.
Hastily flying toward the castle entrance she gazed out upon the roadwaythat wound up from the valley below.
At some distance she made out dimly the figures of a number of horsemen.
Returning swiftly to the castle, she tweaked the giant's big toe. That,you can easily imagine, awoke him with a start.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a frightened whisper which, althoughonly a whisper, was enough to make the castle tremble, thereby awakeningNed and the princess herself.
"The crafty stepfather of the princess is coming," answered thebluebird.
"Then it's all up with me," cried the giant, "for he'll change me againinto a pine tree."
The bluebird made no reply, but hastened to find Ned. On entering hisbedroom through the half open window she found him already dressing."Take the ring," he said, slipping it over her glossy neck, after shehad informed him of what she had seen. "If you can manage to touch himwith it, this wicked man will find that he has no power whatever to harmus."
"I will make haste," replied the little bird, "for they must by thistime have reached the drawbridge."
So saying she flew swiftly away and reached the other side of the moatjust as the cavalcade set foot upon the bridge.
Awaiting her opportunity to touch the wicked stepfather of the princesswith the magic ring, she alighted quietly on the tip of a spear whichone of the horsemen carried.
As they neared the center of the drawbridge the king, as if suddenlyaware of an unseen power, exclaimed: "I feel there is danger near!"
Then the horseman shook his spear defiantly and so startled the littlebluebird that she nearly lost her footing, and alas! what was much moreserious, caused her to loosen her hold upon the little magic gold ring,which slipped from between her bill and fell into the waters of themoat.
Like a falling star, it shivered and glimmered in the rays of the moonas it descended, attracting the attention of a speckled trout, whoopened his mouth and swallowed it as it splashed upon the silverysurface of the water.
"Your trusty spear has done me good service in times gone by," exclaimedthe wicked king, not knowing that its owner had unknowingly been thecause of saving him at the present moment.
On came the cavalcade, the wicked attendants of the king inside thecastle opening the gates and allowing him and his men to enter thecourtyard.
Ned looked down from his window and wondered what had become of thebluebird. He did not feel afraid, but at the same time he realized thathe was not in friendly hands. The giant, on hearing the gates open, hadquickly drawn in his feet and was struggling to get his shoes on whenNed appeared at the door.
"It's all up!" said the big fellow, with a wry face and a catch in hisgruff voice. "I can feel already the pine-needles beginning to stick outall over me."
"Oh, that's gooseflesh, you're so scared!" replied Ned, smiling in spiteof the gravity of the situation. "It may not be as bad as you think!"
Just then a great pounding on the front doors told them that the Kingwas seeking admittance. "Who has locked the doors?" he shouted.
"Wait a minute," said the sweet voice of the princess; "we did notexpect you so late," and she ran down the stairs and opened the doorherself.
"I have two visitors upstairs," she said, as the angry monarch steppedinside.
"What!" he shouted hoarsely, "bring them to me. How do I know but thatthey are enemies?"
"Indeed they are not," she replied, "as you will see in 500 shortseconds."
"Ned, come down!" she called, "bring your friend with you, for I wouldhave you meet the King!"
Ned turned to the giant, whose big face was twitching with terror."He'll recognize me as sure as eggs is eggs!" he groaned.
"What! is that thunder?" exclaimed the King below, mistaking the giant'smoan for a thunderclap, but before his question was answered Ned and hisfriend appeared at the head of the stairway.
After shaking hands with Ned in quite a friendly way the wicked Kingturned to the giant. "Ha, ha!" he cried, "have I not had the pleasure ofmeeting you before, my fine friend?"
The giant said nothing, for what could he say?
"Have I not met you before?" repeated the King, with a fierce gesture."Methinks you would look better as a pine tree than a hulking giant,"and before the words were fairly out of the King's mouth a stately pinetree was standing in the courtyard, through which the wind of the earlymorning made a moaning noise much like the pitiful groan of the poor,late giant.
"And you, my little cockatoo," continued the wicked King, turningquickly to Ned, "would look better in a cage!"
And in another minute Ned found himself in a wicker cage, suspended fromthe lowest limb of the pine tree.
"And now," cried the wicked King, "where is your third guest?" Theprincess paused a moment. "Oh, the little bluebird!" she exclaimed,"where has it gone?"
"No, not the little bluebird, but he that was the bluebird."
At this the poor princess became very pale. She had hidden her brotherthe evening before when they had gone to bed in a closet in her room,hoping to have the opportunity of disguising him and sending him awaywith Ned and the giant the first thing in the morning. But, now, alas,her wicked stepfather undoubtedly suspected something. For else whyshould he ask for him?
She was in despair, for she knew not what to say. And where was Ned'slittle friend, the bluebird herself, all this time? Had she deserted herfriends, the little princess asked herself?
"Answer my question!" cried the King, grasping hold of her wrist.
The princess screamed with terror and her brother, hearing her cry,rushed forth from the closet and down the stairs.
Whipping his sword from its scabbard, he made for the cruel tyrant.
Alas, that bravery and valor do not always win! It was useless for himto fight against so experienced a swordsman as the King, and in shorttime the prince was wounded and his sword thrown from his grasp.
"Little gamecock!" cried his conqueror, "you must needs grow largerspurs before you tackle an old rooster like me! And since you remind meof one, a rooster you shall be," and in five short seconds the littleprince was changed in
to a young gamecock.
"Out into the courtyard!" cried the King; "a castle is no chickenhouse," and the little prince found himself unceremoniously thrown underthe big pine tree.
"Have pity!" cried the little princess. "Is there no pity for a littleorphan princess?"
"Enough," answered the King, with a stamp of his foot. "Go to yourroom, else you may find yourself also changed into a bird, or a tree,or a pretty butterfly."
So the unhappy little princess went up the stairs, crying bitterly, toher own chamber. Closing the door, she leaned out of the window andsobbed as if her heart would break.
For a moment she did not notice that the topmost branch of the pine treewas close to her casement. In fact, she would not have noticed it forsome time probably, as her face was buried in her hands, had not thebranch brushed against her fingers.
As she withdrew her hands from her face she heard the giant's voice,very much subdued, speaking to her.
"Ned says not to despair, for he feels sure that his little friend, thebluebird, will yet find a way to liberate us all."
