ts; to which the butler
answered that there were thirty beds prepared. "Then," said the dwarf,
"give these five noble kings each one of the best rooms, with a down
bed, and a silken comfortable; and give the other beds to the
twenty-five biggest guests. As to the rest, turn them out!" So the dwarf
went to bed, and each of the magicians had a splendid room, and
twenty-five of the biggest guests had beds, and the rest were all turned
out. As it was pouring down rain, and freezing, and cold, and wet, and
slippery (for the weather was very unsettled on this mountain), and all
these guests, who now found themselves outside of the castle gates,
lived many miles away, and as none of them had any hats, or knew the way
home, they were very miserable indeed.

[Illustration]

Alcahazar did not go to bed, but sat in his room and reflected. He saw
that the dwarf had given this feast on account of his joy at having
captured the Princess, and thus caused grief to the King and Prince, and
all the people; but it was also evident that he was very sly, and had
not mentioned the matter to any of the company. The other magicians did
not go to bed either, but sat in their rooms, and thought the same
thing; and Ting-a-ling, in Zamcar's turban, was of exactly the same
opinion. So, in about an hour, when all was still, the magicians got up,
and went softly over the castle. One went down into the lower rooms, and
there were all the slaves, fast asleep; and another into one wing of the
castle, and there were half the guests, fast asleep; and another into
the other wing, and there were the rest of the guests, fast asleep; and
Alcahazar went into the dwarf's room, in the centre of the castle, and
there was he, fast asleep, with one of his fists shut tight. The
magician touched his fist with his magic staff, and it immediately
opened, and there was a key! So Alcahazar took the key, and shut up the
dwarf's hand again. Zamcar went up to the floor, near the top of the
house, and entered a large room, which was empty, but the walls were
hung with curtains made of snakes' skins, beautifully woven together.
Ting-a-ling slipped down to the floor, and, peeping behind these
curtains, saw the hinge of a door; and without saying a word, he got
behind the curtain; and, sure enough, there was a door! and there was a
key-hole! and in a minute, there was Ting-a-ling right through it! and
there was the Princess in a chair in the middle of a great room, crying
as