ied the boy.

"Then I advise you to get it at once," continued Rinkitink, "for we can
ill afford to lose the second shoe, as well as the one I threw at the
cat."

"You are right!" cried Inga, and they hastened back to their bedchamber.

On entering the room they found an old woman sweeping and raising a
great deal of dust.

"Where is my shoe?" asked the Prince, anxiously.

The old woman stopped sweeping and looked at him in a stupid way, for
she was not very intelligent.

"Do you mean the one odd shoe that was lying on the floor when I came
in?" she finally asked.

"Yes--yes!" answered the boy. "Where is it? Tell me where it is!"

"Why, I threw it on the dust-heap, outside the back gate," said she,
"for, it being but a single shoe, with no mate, it can be of no use to
anyone."

"Show us the way to the dust-heap--at once!" commanded the boy, sternly,
for he was greatly frightened by this new misfortune which threatened
him.

The old woman hobbled away and they followed her, constantly urging her
to hasten; but when they reached the dust-heap no shoe was to be seen.

"This is terrible!" wailed the young Prince, ready to weep at his loss.
"We are now absolutely ruined, and at the mercy of our enemies. Nor
shall I be able to liberate my dear father and mother."

"Well," replied Rinkitink, leaning against an old barrel and looking
quite solemn, "the thing is certainly unlucky, any way we look at it. I
suppose someone has passed along here and, seeing the shoe upon the
dust-heap, has carried it away. But no one could know the magic power
the shoe contains and so will not use it against us. I believe, Inga, we
must now depend upon our wits to get us out of the scrape we are in."

With saddened hearts they returned to the palace, and entering a small
room where no one could observe them or overhear them, the boy took the
White Pearl from its silken bag and held it to his ear, asking:

"What shall I do now?"

"Tell no one of your loss," answered the Voice of the Pearl. "If your
enemies do not know that you are powerless, they will fear you as much
as ever. Keep your secret, be patient, and fear not!"

Inga heeded this advice and also warned Rinkitink to say nothing to
anyone of the loss of the shoes and the powers they contained. He sent
for the shoemaker of King Gos, who soon brought him a new pair of red
leather shoes that fitted him quite well. When these had been put upon
his feet, the Prince, accompanied