|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 43
By and by the Ki came back with both faces sad and gloomy.
"Your Highness," they announced, "we have bad news for you. The other
High Ki, who is wearing a green gown, has been more prompt in action
than yourself. She and the Ki-Ki have secured the silver steps and
will allow no others to use them; and already they have sent for the
soldiers of the royal armies to come and aid them. So we are unable
to leave the garden, and presently the army will be here to destroy us."
Then the girl showed her good courage; for she laughed and said:
"Then we must remain here and fight to the last; and if I am unable to
save you, who are my friends, it will be because I can not save myself."
This speech pleased Prince Marvel greatly. He kissed the little
maid's hand respectfully and said:
"Fear nothing, your Highness. My friend and I are not so helpless as
you think. We consider it our privilege to protect and save you,
instead of your saving us; and we are really able to do this in spite
of the other High Ki and her entire army."
So they remained quietly in the palace the rest of that day, and no
one molested them in the least. In the evening the girl played and
sang for them, and the ancient pair of Ki danced a double-shuffle for
their amusement that nearly convulsed them with laughter. For one
danced exactly like the other, and the old men's legs were still very
nimble, although their wrinkled faces remained anxiously grave
throughout their antics. Nerle also sang a song about the King of
Thieves whom Prince Marvel had conquered, and another about the Red
Rogue of Dawna, so that altogether the evening passed pleasantly enough,
and they managed to forget all their uneasy doubts of the morrow.
When at last they separated for the night, Prince Marvel alone did not
seek his bed; there was still some business he wished to transact. So
he shut himself up in his room and summoned before him, by means of
his fairy knowledge, the Prince of the Knooks, the King of the Ryls
and the Governor of the Goblins. These were all three his especial
friends, and he soon told them the story of the quarrel and separation
of the twin High Ki, and claimed their assistance. Then he told them
how they might aid him, and afterward dismissed them. Having thus
accomplished his task, the fairy prince went to bed and slept
peacefully the remainder of the night.
The next morning the blond Ki-Ki and all the army of Twi, which had
been won to their cause, came climbing up the silver steps and over
the wall to the palace of the green High Ki; but what was their
amazement to find the twin palaces separated by a wall so high that no
ladders nor steps they possessed could reach to the top! It had been
built in a single night, and only Prince Marvel and his fairy friends
knew how the work had been done so quickly.
The yellow High Ki, coming downstairs to breakfast with her friends,
found herself securely shut in from her enemies, and the bald-headed
old Ki were so pleased to escape that they danced another jig from
pure joy.
Over the wall could be heard the shouts and threats of the army of
Twi, who were seeking a way to get at the fugitives; but for the
present our friends knew themselves to be perfectly safe, and they
could afford to laugh at the fury of the entire population of Twi.
18. The Rescue of the High Ki
After several days of siege Prince Marvel began to feel less confident
of the safety of his little party. The frantic Ki-Ki had built double
battering-rams and were trying to batter down the high wall; and they
had built several pairs of long ladders with which to climb over the
wall; and their soldiers were digging two tunnels in the ground in
order to crawl under the wall.
Not at once could they succeed, for the wall was strong and it would
take long to batter it down; and Nerle stood on top of the wall and
kicked over the ladders as fast as the soldiers of Twi set them up;
and the gray-bearded Ki stood in the garden holding two big flat boards
with which to whack the heads of any who might come through the tunnels.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|