before, but he didn't know how to
use it; he made a great mistake."

"What mistake?" said Toby.

"He made the mistake of carrying the Old Man of the Mountain on his
back. If he had only lifted him up in his arms before him, the Old Man
would have been as light as a feather, and Freddie would have been
himself again in a flash. But of course he didn't know. We've got to
correct his mistake."

"Well, by crickets," said Toby, "this is Correction Island, right
enough. Blamed if I know which is the mistake and which is the
correction. It looks to me as if it was a mistake to be corrected, and
we've got to correct the correction back again."

"Something like that," said the old man, smiling. "I'm going to undo the
correction of each one of you, and then you'll all be yourselves once
more, instead of these false things you now are."

Queen Miranda looked at the ruby ring on her finger, and wept quietly to
herself. As for Freddie, his eyes never left the face of the old man.

The old man stooped over Freddie, and laid his cheek against the young
Chevalier's pale forehead, and then against the young man's cheeks; he
then threw aside the blankets and sat himself down on Freddie's knees.
His body pressed the young man's breast, and his cheek touched the young
man's cheeks one after the other. It was some moments before there was
any change. The others watched anxiously. A red glow began to appear in
Freddie's cheeks, and his eyes became brighter. He raised his hands; he
moved his head; he looked about him; he smiled into the face of the old
man.

"You are better?" said the old man.

"I'm very well," said Freddie, in a clear voice. "But I think I must
have been sick. Have I been sick?"

"Rather," said the old man. "But you are going to be yourself again in
another minute. Now, then; put your arms around me and lift me off. Can
you do that?"

"Easily," said Freddie, and he lifted the old man in his arms, and
rising to his feet at the same time, tossed the old man off with an easy
gesture.

As the old man touched the floor, there was no longer any Chevalier.
Freddie was standing before the chair in his own person; the Little Boy
once more, with sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks. He looked around in
surprise.

"Where are Aunt Amanda and the others?" said the Little Boy.

"Wait just a minute, Freddie," said the old man. "Now, madam," he said
to Queen Miranda, "if you will be kind enough to lift me up and toss me
away--"