"Oh, dear!" said the Dragon to himself--so loudly that they heard his words distinctly--"this is indeed terrible to have to go through life with 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 am sure those who say this do not know the real truth. If only I could get back my leg, I would ask no questions, I am sure."

At this Zuzu felt the Enchanted Banjo nudge him in the side, and guessing what it meant, he stepped forward boldly.

"Good Dragon Jankow," he said, "here then is your leg, as good as new.

Let us pa.s.s, and we shall put back the leg, so that you can sit up again and see all that is going on; but we claim your promise, and you must ask no questions."

The Dragon turned upon him one of its large eyes in which at first chiefly anger showed; but when its eye fell upon the wooden leg the Dragon'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; so Zuzu 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 in place 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 all persons beware of my might. Arrngh! Arrngh! Arrngh!"

"I am sure, my good friends," he explained to them, "you can not understand how much I have missed that leg. Many persons will tell you that a wooden leg is a very poor one, but I can a.s.sure you that when you have been used to a wooden leg for several hundred years it is a very good leg indeed to have, and one that you miss very much when it is gone. As you go on toward the palace, my dear friends, I wish you would inform the King that his faithful Army is again quite ready for business, 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. "Suppose mamma should want to punish us," said Zuzu. This caused Lulu to think very hard for a moment.

"It may be that she will," said she finally, "but perhaps, on the other hand, she too will be glad to have us back and no questions asked. It seems to me that the best thing we can do is to have the Banjo play for us. Perhaps they will forgive us without our asking it, but we would better ask the Banjo how we can tell about that."

So again they placed the Banjo in position and once more it began to play; and it told how one can always tell whether or not one's mother wants 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 the top until all the fluff was gone.

"Ah," said she, "it is plain that mamma will be glad to see us back again."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER x.x.xIII

THE HAPPY ENDING OF THE STORY

Now at the royal palace of the King of Gee-Whiz all was gloom and sadness, as may readily be supposed. The Widow Pickle had lost more than thirty pounds in weight from weeping so incessantly; the Private Secretary was also worn almost to a shadow, while the Court Physician, the Court Detective, and the Court Lawyer all confessed themselves on the verge of despair and in fear of their lives; as by this time they had been obliged to admit their entire inability to solve the mystery regarding the disappearance of the Twins, of the Enchanted Banjo, of the shadow of the King, and of the Dragon's wooden leg. The King himself was by this time very thin and weary-looking, and took no delight even in Waffles, while the mere thought of syrup caused him to shudder. "My life is ruined," said he, "and I shall never again be happy." This he repeated over and over again.

"Without a shadow I no longer desire to be King," said he at length to the Private Secretary. "Elect a Council, if you like, and have them make the laws and do the ruling as they please. I am going to cease being King, 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 been mentioned. At this sound the King sat up very straight on his throne and began to listen. At that moment there rushed toward him the Court Detective, who exclaimed, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I have the honor to 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, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I have the honor to report that you are going to be much better very soon!"

"Ah!" said the King, "I knew that much myself;" and he settled his royal waistcoat in front and began to look interested.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" cried the Court Lawyer, excitedly running up at this moment, "I have the honor to report that it will not be necessary 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 at this 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 propose now 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 as shadowless as before?"

There was no time to answer him, for at that moment, to their great surprise, there emerged from the edge of the forest the Twins, carrying the Enchanted Banjo between them and carrying also their lunch basket and the shadow of the King. They walked at once directly in front of the throne and as soon as their mother had kissed them again and again, they signaled that they would like the attention of those present.

"Listen!" cried the King of Gee-Whiz, "the Royal Hereditary Twins of the Island of Gee-Whiz will now be heard!"

The King's voice was weak because of his longing for his shadow. He did not suspect it, although it was a fact, that Zuzu was holding his shadow before him in plain view. It was so new and handsome a shadow that the King did not recognize it as his own.

"O King!" said Zuzu, approaching and kneeling before the throne. And Lulu also came and knelt saying "O King!" They held the Royal Wishing Wands high above them.

"We come as messengers from the good Queen Zulena, Ruler of the Fairies," said Zuzu; "and we bring a wish to you from her, which she wished us to wish on our Royal Wishing Wands."

"Zulena!" gasped the King, falling back upon the drapery of his throne with his hand at his throat. "Zulena!--is it possible that she--"

[Ill.u.s.tration: The bad Fairy begged for mercy _Page 187_]

"O King!" said the Twins together, both rubbing hard at their Wishing Wands, "this wish has been kept a secret for many years in the heart of the Queen of the Fairies. This is the wish: That you be restored to your former self again; that you cease to value gold as the greatest of all things; that you remember the friendships of your earlier days; and that for 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-Whiz straightened up. The tired look faded away from his face. His hair became long and glossy and dark. His eyes became bright and merry. His garb grew yet more shining and splendid; and at once his bearing was that of a young and handsome man, as indeed he now was. With his hand at the hilt of his sword, he stepped down from the first step of his throne, and with a truly royal air raised his hand and exclaimed: "Long live 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 wind had swept them forward. The King spoke again.

"My shadow, please!" he said. Without further speech Zuzu handed him his shadow, recently twisted and distorted, but now new and handsome as the King himself. To their great surprise it fitted the King perfectly in every way.

The face of the King was stern and commanding now, though very handsome and 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 who has set us free from all Wicked Fairies."