第34章

The Frozen Heart In the hut of Pon, the gardener's boy, Button-Bright was the first to waken in the morning.Leaving his companions still asleep, he went out into the fresh morning air and saw some blackberries growing on bushes in a field not far away.Going to the bushes he found the berries ripe and sweet, so he began eating them.More bushes were scattered over the fields, so the boy wandered on, from bush to bush, without paying any heed to where he was wandering.Then a butterfly fluttered by.

He gave chase to it and followed it a long way.When finally he paused to look around him, Button-Bright could see no sign of Pon's house, nor had he the slightest idea in which direction it lay.

"Well, I'm lost again," he remarked to himself."But never mind; I've been lost lots of times.Someone is sure to find me."Trot was a little worried about Button-Bright when she awoke and found him gone.Knowing how careless he was, she believed that he had strayed away, but felt that he would come back in time, because he had a habit of not staying lost.Pon got the little girl some food for her breakfast and then together they went out of the hut and stood in the sunshine.

Pon's house was some distance off the road, but they could see it from where they stood and both gave a start of surprise when they discovered two soldiers walking along the roadway and escorting Princess Gloria between them.The poor girl had her hands bound together, to prevent her from struggling, and the soldiers rudely dragged her forward when her steps seemed to lag.

Behind this group came King Krewl, wearing his jeweled crown and swinging in his hand a slender golden staff with a ball of clustered gems at one end.

"Where are they going?" asked Trot."To the house of the Wicked Witch, I fear," Pon replied."Come, let us follow them, for I am sure they intend to harm my dear Gloria.""Won't they see us?" she asked timidly.

"We won't let them.I know a short cut through the trees to Blinkie's house," said he.

So they hurried away through the trees and reached the house of the witch ahead of the King and his soldiers.

Hiding themselves in the shrubbery, they watched the approach of poor Gloria and her escort, all of whom passed so near to them that Pon could have put out a hand and touched his sweetheart, had he dared to.

Blinkie's house had eight sides, with a door and a window in each side.Smoke was coming out of the chimney and as the guards brought Gloria to one of the doors it was opened by the old witch in person.She chuckled with evil glee and rubbed her skinny hands together to show the delight with which she greeted her victim, for Blinkie was pleased to be able to perform her wicked rites on one so fair and sweet as the Princess.

Gloria struggled to resist when they bade her enter the house, so the soldiers forced her through the doorway and even the King gave her a shove as he followed close behind.Pon was so incensed at the cruelty shown Gloria that he forgot all caution and rushed forward to enter the house also; but one of the soldiers prevented him, pushing the gardener's boy away with violence and slamming the door in his face.

"Never mind," said Trot soothingly, as Pon rose from where he had fallen."You couldn't do much to help the poor Princess if you were inside.How unfortunate it is that you are in love with her!""True," he answered sadly, "it is indeed my misfortune.

If I did not love her, it would be none of my business what the King did to his niece Gloria; but the unlucky circumstance of my loving her makes it my duty to defend her.""I don't see how you can, duty or no duty," observed Trot.

"No; I am powerless, for they are stronger than I.But we might peek in through the window and see what they are doing."Trot was somewhat curious, too, so they crept up to one of the windows and looked in, and it so happened that those inside the witch's house were so busy they did not notice that Pon and Trot were watching them.

Gloria had been tied to a stout post in the center of the room and the King was giving the Wicked Witch a quantity of money and jewels, which Googly-Goo had provided in payment.When this had been done the King said to her:

"Are you perfectly sure you can freeze this maiden's heart, so that she will no longer love that low gardener's boy?""Sure as witchcraft, your Majesty," the creature replied.

"Then get to work," said the King."There may be some unpleasant features about the ceremony that would annoy me, so I'll bid you good day and leave you to carry out your contract.One word, however: If you fail, I shall burn you at the stake!" Then he beckoned to his soldiers to follow him, and throwing wide the door of the house walked out.

This action was so sudden that King Krewl almost caught Trot and Pon eavesdropping, but they managed to run around the house before he saw them.Away he marched, up the road, followed by his men, heartlessly leaving Gloria to the mercies of old Blinkie.

When they again crept up to the window, Trot and Pon saw Blinkie gloating over her victim.Although nearly fainting from fear, the proud Princess gazed with haughty defiance into the face of the wicked creature; but she was bound so tightly to the post that she could do no more to express her loathing.

Pretty soon Blinkie went to a kettle that was swinging by a chain over the fire and tossed into it several magical compounds.The kettle gave three flashes, and at every flash another witch appeared in the room.