The Enchanted Island of Yew
by
L. Frank Baum
Part 3 out of 3
face; "I'll go and find the enchantment."
"And we'll go with you," remarked the prince, pleasantly.
So the entire party accompanied Kwytoffle into the house, where they
entered a large room that was in a state of much disorder.
"Let me see," said the sorcerer, rubbing his ears, as if trying to
think; "I wonder if I put them in this cupboard. You see," he
explained, "no one has ever before dared me to transform him into a
June-bug or grasshopper, so I have almost forgotten where I keep my
book of enchantments. No, it's not in the cupboard," he continued,
looking there; "but it surely must be in this chest."
It was not in the chest, either, and so the sorcerer continued to look
in all sorts of queer places for his book of enchantments, without finding
it. Whenever he paused in his search Prince Marvel would say, sternly:
"Go on! Find the book! Hunt it up. We are all anxious to become
grasshoppers." And then Kwytoffle would set to work again, although
big drops of perspiration were now streaming down his face.
Finally he pulled an old book from underneath the pillow of his bed,
and crying, "Here it is!" carried it to the window.
He turned a few leaves of the book and then said:
"How unfortunate! The compound I require to change you into
grasshoppers must be mixed on the first day of September; and as this
is now the eighth day of September I must wait nearly a year before I
can work the enchantment."
"How about the June-bugs?" asked Nerle.
"Oh! Ah!. The June-bug mixture can only be made at the dark o' the
moon," said the sorcerer, pretending to read, "and that is three weeks
from now."
"Let me read it," said Prince Marvel, suddenly snatching the book from
Kwytoffle's hands. Then he turned to the title-page and read:
"'Lives of Famous Thieves and Impostors.' Why, this is not a book
of enchantments."
"That is what I suspected," said Terribus.
"No one but a sorcerer can read the enchantments in this book,"
declared Kwytoffle; but he hung his head with a sheepish look, for he
knew his deception had been well understood.
"Is your own history written in this volume?" inquired Marvel.
"No," answered the sorcerer.
"Then it ought to be," said the prince, "for you are no sorcerer at
all, but merely a thief and an impostor!"
22. The Queen of Plenta
The soldiers of Kwytoffle wanted to hang their old master at once, for
he had won their enmity by abusing them in many ways; but Prince
Marvel would not let them do this. However, they tied the false
sorcerer to a post, and the captain gave him a good whipping--one lash
for each letter in the words "grasshopper" and "June-bug." Kwytoffle
howled loudly for mercy, but no one was at all sorry for him.
Wul-Takim tied a rope around the impostor's neck, and when the party
left the castle they journeyed all through the kingdom of Auriel, and
at every town or city they came to the reformed thief would cry out to
the populace:
"Here is the terrible sorcerer Kwytoffle, who threatened to change you
into grasshoppers and june-bugs. But you may see that he is a very
common man, with no powers of sorcery whatever!"
And then the people would laugh and pelt mud at their former tyrant,
and thank Prince Marvel for haying exposed the false and wicked creature.
And they called the son of their old king back to his lawful throne,
where he ruled wisely and well; and the hoarded wealth of Kwytoffle
was divided among the people again, and soon the country became
prosperous once more.
This adventure was very amusing to the pretty High Ki of Twi. It
afforded them laughter for many days, and none of the party ever saw a
grasshopper or a june-bug afterward without thinking of the terrible
sorcerer Kwytoffle.
They left that disgraced person grooming horses for his board in the
stables of the new king, and proceeded upon their journey.
Without further event they reached the splendid southern Kingdom of
Plenta, which was the most delightfully situated of any dominion in
the Enchanted Island of Yew. It was ruled by a good and generous
queen, who welcomed the strangers to her palace and gave a series of
gay entertainments in their honor.
King Terribus was especially an object of interest, for every one had
heard his name and feared him and his fierce people. But when they
beheld his pleasant countenance and listened to his gentle voice they
began to regard him with much love and respect; and really Terribus
was worthy of their friendship since he had changed from a deformed
monster into an ordinary man, and had forbidden his people ever again
to rob and plunder their weaker neighbors.
But the most popular personages visiting at the court of the Queen of
Plenta were the lovely High Ki of Twi. Although beautiful girls
abounded in this kingdom, none could compare with the royal twins, and
their peculiar condition only served to render them the more interesting.
Two youths would approach the High Ki at the same time and invite them
to dance, and in united voices they would accept the invitation and go
whirling around the room with exactly the same steps, laughing at the
same instant and enjoying the dance equally. But if one youth asked
his partner a question, both the twins would make answer, and that was
sure to confuse and embarrass the youth. Still, the maids managed
very well to adapt themselves to the ways of people who were singular,
although they sometimes became a little homesick for Twi, where they
were like all the other people.
The bald-headed Ki kept watchful eyes on their youthful rulers, and
served them very cheerfully. But with all their travels and
experiences, the old men could never be convinced it was better to be
singular than double.
Prince Marvel was the real hero of the party, and Nerle received much
attention on account of his master's popularity. He did not seem as
unhappy as usual, and when the prince inquired the reason, his esquire
answered that he believed the excitement of their adventures was fast
curing him of his longing for something he could not have. As for the
pleasure of suffering, he had had some experience of that, too, and it
was not nearly so delightful as he had expected.
Wul-Takim was not a society man, so he stayed around the royal stables
and made friends with the grooms, and traded his big black horse for
two bay ones and a gold neck-chain, and was fairly content with his lot.
And so the party enjoyed several happy weeks at the court of the good
Queen of Plenta, until one day the terrible news arrived that carried
them once more into exciting adventures.
23. The Red Rogue of Dawna
One morning, while they were all standing in the courtyard waiting for
their horses, as they were about to go for a ride, a courier came
galloping swiftly up to the palace and cried:
"Does any one know where Prince Marvel can be found?"
"I am Prince Marvel," replied the young knight, stepping out from
among the others.
"Then have I reached my journey's end!" said the courier, whose horse
was nearly exhausted from long and hard riding. "The Lady Seseley is
in great danger, and sends for you to come and rescue her. The great
Baron Merd, her father, has been killed and his castle destroyed, and
all his people are either captives or have been slain outright."
"And who has done this evil thing?" asked Prince Marvel, looking very
stern and grave.
"The Red Rogue of Dawna," answered the messenger. "He quarreled with
the Baron Merd and sent his savage hordes to tear down his castle and
slay him. I myself barely escaped with my life, and the Lady Seseley
had but time to say, before she was carried off, that if I could find
Prince Marvel he would surely rescue her."
"And so I will!" declared the prince, "if she be still alive."
"Who is this Lady Seseley?" asked Nerle, who had come to his master's side.
"She is my first friend, to whom I owe my very existence. It is her
image, together with those of her two friends, which is graven on my
shield," answered Prince Marvel, thoughtfully.
"And what will you do?" inquired the esquire.
"I must go to her at once."
When they heard of his mission all the party insisted on accompanying
him. Even the dainty High Ki could not be deterred by any thoughts of
dangers they might encounter; and after some discussion Prince Marvel
allowed them to join him.
So Wul-Takim sharpened his big broadsword, and Nerle carefully
prepared his master's horse, so that before an hour had passed they
were galloping toward the province of the Red Rogue of Dawna.
Prince Marvel knew little concerning this personage, but Nerle had
much to tell of him. The Red Rogue had once been page to a wise
scholar and magician, who lived in a fine old castle in Dawna and
ruled over a large territory. The boy was very small and weak--smaller
even than the average dwarf--and his master did not think it
worth while to watch him. But one evening, while the magician was
standing upon the top of the highest tower of his castle, the boy gave
him a push from behind, and he met death on the sharp rocks below.
Then the boy took his master's book of magic and found a recipe to
make one grow. He made the mixture and swallowed it, and straightway
began to grow big and tall. This greatly delighted him, until he
found he was getting much bigger than the average man and rapidly
becoming a giant. So he sought for a way to arrest the action of the
magical draft; but before he could find it he had grown to enormous
proportions, and was bigger than the biggest giant. There was nothing
in the book of magic to make one grow smaller, so he was obliged to
remain as he was--the largest man in the Enchanted Island.
All this had happened in a single night. The morning after his
master's murder the page announced himself lord of the castle; and,
seeing his enormous size, none dared deny his right to rule. On
account of his bushy hair, which was fiery red in color, and the bushy
red beard that covered his face when he became older, people came to
call him the Red One. And after his evil deeds and quarrelsome temper
had made him infamous throughout the island, people began to call him
the Red Rogue of Dawna.
He had gathered around him a number of savage barbarians, as wicked
and quarrelsome as himself, and so none dared to interfere with him,
or even to meet him, if it were possible to avoid it.
This same Red Rogue it was who had drawn the good Baron Merd into a
quarrel and afterward slain the old knight and his followers,
destroyed his castle, and carried his little daughter Seseley and her
girl friends, Berna and Helda, into captivity, shutting them up in his
own gloomy castle.
The Red Rogue thought he had done a very clever thing, and had no fear
of the consequences until one of his men came running up to the castle
to announce that Prince Marvel and his companions were approaching to
rescue the Lady Seseley.
"How many of them are there?" demanded the Red Rogue.
"There are eight, altogether," answered the man, "but two of them
are girls."
"And they expect to force me to give up my captives?" asked the Red
One, laughing with a noise like the roar of a waterfall. "Why, I
shall make prisoners of every one of them!"
The man looked at his master fearfully, and replied:
"This Prince Marvel is very famous, and all people speak of his
bravery and power. It was he who conquered King Terribus of Spor,
and that mighty ruler is now his friend, and is one of the eight
who approach."
The Red Rogue stopped laughing, for the fame of Spor's terrible king
had long ago reached him. And he reflected that any one who could
conquer the army of giants and dwarfs and Gray Men that served
Terribus must surely be one to be regarded seriously. Moreover--and
this was a secret--the Red Rogue had never been able to gain the
strength to correspond with his gigantic size, but had ever remained
as weak as when he was a puny boy. So he was accustomed to rely on
his cunning and on the terror his very presence usually excited to
triumph over his enemies. And he began to be afraid of this prince.
"You say two of the party are girls?" he asked.
"Yes," said the man, "but also among them are King Terribus himself,
and the renowned Wul-Takim, formerly king of thieves, who was
conquered by the prince, although accounted a hard fighter, and is now
his devoted servant. And there are two old men who are just alike and
have a very fierce look about them. They are said to come from the
hidden Kingdom of Twi."
By this time the Red Rogue was thoroughly frightened, but he did not
yet despair of defeating his enemies. He knew better than to attempt
to oppose Prince Marvel by force, but he still hoped to conquer him by
trickery and deceit.
Among the wonderful things that the Red Rogue's former master, the
wise scholar and magician, had made were two large enchanted mirrors,
which were set on each side of the great hallway of the castle. Heavy
curtains were drawn over the surfaces of these mirrors, because they
both possessed a dreadful magical power. For whenever any one looked
into one of them his reflection was instantly caught and imprisoned in
the mirror, and his body at the same time became invisible to all
earthly eyes, only the mirror retaining his form.
While considering a way to prevent the prince from freeing the Lady
Seseley, the Red Rogue happened to think of these mirrors, which had
never yet been used. So he went stealthily into the great hall and
drew aside the covering from one of the mirrors. He did not dare look
into the mirror himself, but hurried away to another room, and then
sent a page up a back stairway to summon the Lady Seseley and her two
maids into his presence.
The girls at once obeyed, for they greatly feared the Red Rogue; and
of course they descended the front stairway and walked through the
great hall. At once the large mirror that had been exposed to view
caught the eye of Seseley, and she paused to regard her reflection in
the glass. Her two companions did likewise, and instantly all three
girls became invisible, while the mirror held their reflections fast
in its magic surface.
The Red Rogue was watching them through a crack in the door, and
seeing the girls disappear he gave a joyful laugh and exclaimed:
"Now let Prince Marvel find them if he can!"
The three girls began to wander aimlessly through the castle; for not
only were they invisible to others, but also to themselves and to one
another, and they knew not what to do nor which way to turn.
24. The Enchanted Mirrors
Presently Prince Marvel and his party arrived and paused before the
doors of the castle, where the Red Rogue stood bowing to them with
mock politeness and with an evil grin showing on his red face.
"I come to demand the release of the Lady Seseley and her companions!"
Prince Marvel announced, in a bold voice. "And I also intend to call
you to account for the murder of Baron Merd."
"You must be at the wrong castle," answered the Red One, "for I have
murdered no baron, nor have I any Lady Seseley as prisoner."
"Are you not the Red Rogue of Dawna?" demanded the prince.
"Men call me by that name," acknowledged the other.
"Then you are deceiving me," said the prince.
"No, indeed!" answered the Red Rogue, mockingly. "I wouldn't deceive
any one for the world. But, if you don't believe me, you are welcome
to search my castle."
"That I shall do," returned the prince, sternly, "whether I have your
permission or not," and he began to dismount. But Nerle restrained
him, saying:
"Master, I beg you will allow me to search the castle. For this Red
Rogue is playing some trick upon us, I am sure, and if anything
happened to you there would be no one to protect the little High Ki
and our other friends."
"But suppose something should happen to you?" inquired the
prince, anxiously.
"In that case," said Nerle, "you can avenge me."
The advice was so reasonable, under the circumstances, that the prince
decided to act upon it.
"Very well," said he, "go and search the castle, and I will remain
with our friends. But if anything happens to you, I shall call the
Red Rogue to account."
So Nerle entered the castle, passing by the huge form of its owner,
who only nodded to the boy and grinned with delight.
The esquire found himself in the great hall and began to look around
him, but without seeing any one. Then he advanced a few steps and, to
his surprise, discovered a large mirror, in which were reflected the
faces and forms of three girls, as well as his own.
"Why, here they are!" he attempted to say; but he could not hear his
own voice. He glanced down at himself but could see nothing at all--for
his body had become invisible. His reflection was still in the glass,
and he knew that his body existed the same as before; but although he
yet saw plainly the hall and all that it contained, he could see
neither himself nor any other person of flesh.
After waiting a considerable time for his esquire to reappear Prince
Marvel became impatient.
"What have you done with Nerle?" he asked of the Red Rogue.
"Nothing," was the reply. "I have been here, plainly within your
sight, every moment."
"Let me go and find him!" exclaimed King Terribus, and rushed into the
castle before the prince could reply. But Terribus also encountered
the enchanted mirror, and the prince waited in vain for his return.
Then Wul-Takim volunteered to go in search of the others, and drew his
big, sharp sword before entering the hall. But an hour passed by and
he did not return.
The Red Rogue was overjoyed at the success of his stratagem, and could
scarce refrain from laughing outright at the prince's anxiety.
Marvel was really perplexed. He knew some treachery was afoot, but
could not imagine what it was. And when the pretty High Ki declared
their intention of entering the castle, he used every endeavor to
dissuade them. But the twin girls would not be denied, so great was
their curiosity. So the prince said:
"Well, we will all go together, so that the Ki and I may be able to
protect you."
The Red Rogue gladly granted them admittance, and they passed him and
entered the great hall.
The place appeared to them to be completely empty, so they walked
along and came opposite the mirror. Here all stopped at once, and the
twin High Ki uttered exclamations of surprise, and the twin Ki
shouted, "Great Kika-koo!"
For there in the glass were the reflections of the three girls and
Nerle and King Terribus and Wul-Takim. And there were also the
reflections of the twin High Ki and the twin Ki. Only Prince Marvel's
reflection was missing, and this was because of his fairy origin. For
the glass could reflect and hold only the forms of mortals.
But the prince saw the reflections of all the others, and then made
the discovery that the forms of the Ki and the High Ki had become
invisible. No one except himself appeared to be standing in the great
hall of the Red Rogue's castle! Yet grouped within the glass were the
likenesses of all his friends, as well as those of Lady Seseley and
her companions; and all were staring back at him earnestly, as if
imploring him to save them.
The mystery was now explained, and Prince Marvel rushed from the hall
to find the treacherous Red Rogue. But that clever trickster had
hidden himself in an upper room, and for the present was safely concealed.
For a time Prince Marvel could not think what to do. Such magic was
all unknown to him, and how to free the imprisoned forms of his
friends was a real problem. He walked around the castle, but no one
was in sight, the Rogue having given orders to all his people to keep
away. Only the tethered horses did he see, and these raised their
heads and whinnied as if in sympathy with his perplexity.
Then he went back into the hall and searched all the rooms of the
castle without finding a single person. On his return he stopped in
front of the mirror and sorrowfully regarded the faces of his friends,
who again seemed to plead for relief.
And while he looked a sudden fit of anger came over him at being
outwitted by this Red Rogue of Dawna. Scarcely knowing what he did,
he seized his sword by the blade and struck the mirror a powerful blow
with the heavy hilt. It shattered into a thousand fragments, which
fell clattering upon the stone floor in every direction. And at once
the charm was broken; each of his friends now became visible. They
appeared running toward him from all parts of the castle, where they
had been wandering in their invisible forms.
They called out joyful greetings to one another, and then all of them
surrounded the prince and thanked him earnestly for releasing them.
The little Lady Seseley and her friends, Berna and Helda, were a bit
shy in the presence of so many strangers; but they alone knew the
prince's secret, and that he was a fairy transformed for a year; so
they regarded him as an old and intimate acquaintance, and after being
introduced by him to the others of his party they became more at ease.
The sweet little High Ki maids at once attracted Seseley, and she
loved them almost at first sight. But it was Nerle who became the
little lady's staunchest friend; for there was something rather
mystical and unnatural to him about the High Ki, who seemed almost
like fairies, while in Seseley he recognized a hearty, substantial
girl of his own rank in life.
While they stood talking and congratulating one another outside of the
castle, the Red Rogue of Dawna appeared among them. He had heard the
noise of the smashing of his great mirror, and had come running
downstairs from his hiding-place to find his cunning had all been for
naught and his captives were free.
A furious anger then took possession of the Rogue, and forgetting his
personal weakness he caught up a huge battle-ax and rushed out to hurl
himself upon Prince Marvel, intending to do him serious injury.
But the prince was not taken unawares. He saw the Red Rogue coming
and met him with drawn sword, striking quickly at the arm that wielded
the big ax. The stroke was as sure as it was quick, and piercing the
arm of the giant caused him to drop the ax with a howl of pain.
Then Prince Marvel seized the Red Rogue by the ear--which he was just
tall enough to reach--and dragged him up the steps and into the
castle, the big fellow crying for mercy at every step and trembling
like a leaf through cowardice.
But down the hall Marvel marched him, seeking some room where the
Rogue might be safely locked in. The great curtain that covered the
second enchanted mirror now caught Prince Marvel's eye, and, still
holding his prisoner by the ear, he reached out his left hand and
pulled aside the drapery.
The Red Rogue looked to see what his captor was doing, and beheld his
own reflection in the magic mirror. Instantly he gave a wild cry and
disappeared, his body becoming absolutely invisible, while his coarse
red countenance stared back from the mirror.
And then Prince Marvel gave a sigh of relief and dropped the curtain
over the surface of the mirror. For he realized that the Red Rogue of
Dawna had at last met with just punishment and was safely imprisoned
for all time.
25. The Adventurers Separate
When Prince Marvel and his friends had ridden away from the castle the
savage followers of the Red One came creeping up to listen for their
master's voice. But silence reigned in every part of the castle, and
after stealing fearfully through the rooms without seeing any one the
fellows became filled with terror and fled from the place, never to return.
And afterward the neighbors whispered that the castle was haunted by
the spirit of the terrible Red Rogue, and travelers dared not stop in
the neighborhood, but passed by quickly and with averted faces.
The prince and his party rode gaily along toward the Kingdom of Heg,
for Nerle had invited them all to visit his father's castle. They
were very happy over their escape, and only the little Lady Seseley
became sad at times, when she thought of her father's sad fate.
The Baron Neggar, who was Nerle's father, was not only a wealthy
nobleman, but exceedingly kind and courteous; so that every member of
Prince Marvel's party was welcomed to the big castle in a very
hospitable manner.
Nerle was eagerly embraced by both his father and mother,
who were overjoyed to see him return safe and sound after
his wanderings and adventures.
"And have you been cured of your longing for something that you can
not have?" asked the baron, anxiously.
"Not quite," said Nerle, laughing; "but I am more reconciled to my
lot. For I find wherever I go people are longing for just the things
they can not get, and probably would not want if they had them. So,
as it seems to be the fate of most mortals to live unsatisfied, I
shall try hereafter to be more contented."
These words delighted the good baron, and he gave a rich and
magnificent feast in honor of his son's return.
The High Ki of Twi, after passing several pleasant days at Nerle's
home, now decided that they had seen enough of the world and would be
glad to return to their own kingdom, where all was peaceful and
uneventful, and rule it to the end of their days. So the baron
furnished them an escort of twenty men-at-arms, and these conducted
the High Ki and the aged Ki safely back to the hole in the hedge.
And after they had entered the Land of Twi, the first act of the High
Ki was to order the hedge repaired and the hole blocked up; and I have
never heard that any one, from that time forth, ever succeeded in
gaining admittance to the hidden kingdom. So its subsequent history
is unknown.
King Terribus also bade the prince an affectionate farewell and rode
back to his own kingdom; and burly Wul-Takim accompanied him as far as
the cave, where the fifty-eight reformed thieves awaited him.
Nerle's mother gladly adopted the Lady Seseley and her two companions,
and thereafter they made their home at the baron's castle. And years
afterward, when they had grown to be women, Seseley was married to
Nerle and became the lady of the castle herself.
Prince Marvel enjoyed the feasting and dancing at the castle very
much, but after the party began to break up, and the High Ki and the
Ki had left him, as well as King Terribus and honest Wul-Takim, the
young knight grew thoughtful and sometimes uneasy, and his happy laugh
was less frequently heard. Nerle often regarded his young master with
a feeling of awe, for there occasionally came a look into Marvel's
eyes that reminded him more of the immortals than of any human being.
But the prince treated him with rare kindness and always pressed
Nerle's hand affectionately when he bade him good night, for he had
grown fond of his esquire. Also they had long conversations together,
during which Nerle gleaned a great deal of knowledge and received some
advice that was of much use to him in his later life.
One day Prince Marvel sought out Lady Seseley and said:
"Will you ride with me to the Forest of Lurla?"
"Willingly," she answered; and calling Berna and Helda to attend them,
they mounted their horses and rode swiftly away, for it was a long
distance to Lurla.
By noon the party entered the forest, and although the path they
traversed was unknown to the girls, who had usually entered the forest
from its other side, near to where the Baron Merd's castle had stood,
the prince seemed to have no difficulty in finding his way.
He guided them carefully along the paths, his handsome war-charger stepping
with much grace and dignity, until at length they came to a clearing.
Here the prince paused abruptly, and Seseley looked around her and at
once recognized the place.
"Why," she exclaimed, in surprise, "it is the Fairy Bower!"
And then she turned to Prince Marvel and asked in a soft voice:
"Is the year ended, Prince?"
His smile was a bit sad as he answered, slowly:
"The year will be ended in five minutes!"
26. The End of the Year
The girls sat upon the green moss and waited. Prince Marvel stood
silent beside his horse. The silver armor was as bright as the day he
donned it, nor was there a dent in his untarnished shield. The sword
that had done such good service he held lightly in his hand, and the
horse now and then neighed softly and turned to look at him with
affectionate eyes.
Seseley began to tremble with excitement, and Berna and Helda stared
at the prince with big round eyes.
But, after all, they saw nothing so remarkable as they expected. For
presently--and it all happened in a flash--Prince Marvel was gone from
their midst, and a handsome, slender-limbed deer darted from the bower
and was quickly lost in the thick forest. On the ground lay a sheet
of bark and a twig from a tree, and beside them was Lady Seseley's
white velvet cloak.
Then the three girls each drew a long breath and looked into one
another's eyes, and, while thus engaged, a peal of silvery laughter
sounded in their ears and made them spring quickly to their feet.
Before them stood a tiny and very beautiful fairy, clothed in floating
gossamer robes of rose and pearl color, and with eyes sparkling like
twin stars.
"Prince Marvel!" exclaimed the three, together.
"No, indeed!" cried the fairy, with a pretty little pout. "I am no
one but myself; and, really, I believe I shall now be content to exist
for a few hundred years in my natural form. I have quite enjoyed my
year as a mortal; but after all there are, I find, some advantages in
being a fairy. Good by, my dears!"
And with another ripple of laughter the pretty creature vanished, and
the girls were left alone.
27. A Hundred Years Afterward
About a hundred years after Prince Marvel enjoyed his strange
adventures in the Enchanted Island of Yew an odd thing happened.
A hidden mirror in a crumbling old castle of Dawna broke loose from
its fastenings and fell crashing on the stone pavement of the deserted
hall. And from amid the ruins rose the gigantic form of a man. His
hair and beard were a fiery red, and he gazed at the desolation around
him in absolute amazement.
It was the Red Rogue of Dawna, set free from his imprisonment.
He wandered out and found strange scenes confronting him, for during
the hundred years a great change had taken place in the Enchanted
Island. Great cities had been built and great kingdoms established.
Civilization had won the people, and they no longer robbed or fought
or indulged in magical arts, but were busily employed and leading
respectable lives.
When the Red Rogue tried to tell folks who he was, they but laughed at
him, thinking the fellow crazy. He tried to get together a band of
thieves, as Wul-Takim had done in the old days, but none would join him.
And so, forced to be honest against his will, the Rogue was driven to
earn a living by digging in the garden of a wealthy noble, of whom he
had never before heard.
But often he would pause in his labors and lean on his spade, while
thoughts of the old days of wild adventure passed through his mind in
rapid succession; and then the big man would shake his red head with a
puzzled air and mutter:
"I wonder who that Prince Marvel could have been! And I wonder what
ever became of him!"
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