[Ill.u.s.tration: THE RED FLYING-FISH CARRIED A LARGE HAT AND MANTLE IN ITS CLAWS]

He sat the Prisoner down on a rock and drew out of his pocket a pair of scissors and cut his wild and streaming hair, and then proceeded to shave his beard, which was no less long. Then both of them, carrying as many of the presents as they could, joined Redy and the three young girls.

The emotion of this father on meeting once again his three daughters was a very moving spectacle. Djorak, who had such a good memory, could not forget that he had been beheaded, and that without his own great presence of mind and the wise counsels of the Brindled Rabbit, he would never have seen his daughters any more.

The picnic which followed was an unforgettable repast. Djorak looked very presentable in the hat and cloak brought by the grateful Flying-Fish.

In the first place every one was filled with joy, and in the second the three young girls had been brought up in the Wig country thoroughly to appreciate the most delicious pastries ever made. They soon discovered that the Soy powder was no longer of any use to them, for its magic properties failed once it was over the borders of the Wig country, in the same way that the Wigs themselves would have melted away directly they pa.s.sed the frontier. Therefore the six happy people seated amidst the fragrant heather and myrtle began to ask what use Smaly meant to make of the three big boxes of Soy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CARRYING AS MANY OF THE PRESENTS AS THEY COULD]

"Patience," was all Smaly would reply when he was questioned, and they had to have patience until the evening, when a south-east wind sprang up.

Smaly took the first box and threw the contents into the air. The wind took the powder and blew it over the town of the Wigs; and this Smaly did with the other two boxes as well.

"What is going to happen next?" asked Redy.

Smaly pointed to some clouds which were piling up, and replied sententiously, "Rain."

[Ill.u.s.tration: WIGS THEMSELVES WOULD HAVE MELTED AWAY DIRECTLY THEY Pa.s.sED THE FRONTIER]

And indeed the rain began to fall. The Soy powder mingling with the water had a magical effect, the effect that Smaly had hoped for; the whole country began to sprout, trees, houses, gra.s.s, walls, lawns, everything began to grow and grow, just as the sugar-cane prison had done when the Rats watered it with the liquid from the reservoir of Soy.

As the six happy friends started out on their journey they could see, by looking behind them, the houses and plants growing and growing. The Wigs were evidently in a terrible state of alarm. They called frantically to each other, they hung out of the windows, they descended by long ropes into the streets. It was the most tremendous day in the history of the Wig country; but there were no casualties, and when the Confectioner had built another flight to their staircases, they were just as happy in their tall houses as they had been when they lived in those of two stories. It was a little more tiring for them to have to climb so high, but then what a splendid view they had into each other's attics!

As to Smaly and Redy, once more returned to the world of men and women like ourselves, they installed Kisika, Lapt.i.tza, and Fritilla in the three little bedrooms prepared for them before ever the quest began.

Djorak, completely cured of his madness, slept in a delightful little pavilion in the garden, but took his meals with the family.

And they all lived happily ever after. I myself can quite well remember meeting them last springs taking their morning walk in the park of their town.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THEY HUNG OUT OF THE WINDOWS]

And what a charming sight they were to be sure!