elf back in
a moment. By the way, where _is_ Jaqueline?"

He rang the bell, and asked the servant to look for the princess.

Semiramis tried to come in, but was caught and shut up downstairs.

After doing this, the man replied that her Royal Highness had not been in
the palace all day.

The king rushed to the crystal ball, looked all the world over; but no
princess! He became very nervous, and at that moment Dick lighted on the
crystal ball, and put his claw on the very hill where Jaqueline had
disappeared. Then he cocked his little eye at the king.

"Nay, she is somewhere in the unknown centre of South America," said his
Majesty; "somewhere behind Mount Roraima, where nobody has ever been. I
must look into this."

Then he put on the Wishing Cap, and wished that the bird would assume his
natural shape if he was under enchantment, as there seemed too good
reason to believe.

Instantly Dick stood before him.

{Instantly Dick stood before him: p170.jpg}

"Ricardo!" cried the king in horror; "and in this disguise! Where have
you been? What have you done with Jaqueline? Where are the Seven-league
Boots? Where is the Sword of Sharpness? Speak! Get up!" for Dick was
kneeling and weeping bitterly at the royal feet.

"All lost!" said Dick. "Poor Jaqueline! she was the best girl, and the
prettiest, and the kindest. And the Earthquaker's got her, and the
Giant's got the other things," Dick ended, crying bitterly.

"Calm yourself, Ricardo," said his Majesty, very pale, but calm and
determined. "Here, take a glass of port, and explain how all this
happened."

Dick drank the wine, and then he told his miserable story.

"You may well sob! Why didn't you use the Cap of Darkness? Mere
conceit! But there is no use in crying over spilt milk. The thing is,
to rescue Jaqueline. And what are we to say to your mother?"

"That's the worst of it all," said Dick. "Mother will break her heart."

"I must see her at once," said the king, "and break it to her."

This was a terrible task; but the queen had such just confidence in her
Prigio that she soon dried her tears, remarking that Heaven would not
desert Jaqueline, and that the king would find a way out of the trouble.

His Majesty retired to his study, put his head in his hands, and thought
and thought.

"The thing is, of course," he said, "to destroy the Earthquaker before he
wakens; but how? What can kill such a monster? Prodding him with the
sword w