Everybody looked for the bird, but it was nowhere to be seen. But on the
common where the people saw it alight, there stood a fair and royal
Prince, clad in a robe of purple and a crown of changing colours, for
sometimes it seemed of gold and sometimes of forest leaves.

Most of the people stood not knowing what to think, but all the fairy
people and all the lords and ladies of the chair's stories, knew him,
and cried: "Welcome to Prince Wisewit!"

King Winwealth heard that sound where he slept, and came out glad of
heart to welcome back his brother. When her own pages came out with
ropes and lanterns to search for Queen Wantall and Princess Greedalind,
they found them safe and well at the bottom of the pit, having fallen on
a heap of loose sand. The pit was of great depth, but some daylight
shone down, and whatever were the yellow grains they saw glittering
among the sand, the Queen and the Princess believed it was full of gold.

They called the miners false knaves, lazy rogues, and a score of bad
names beside, for leaving so much wealth behind them, and utterly
refused to come out of the pit; saying, that since Prince Wisewit was
come, they could find no pleasure in the palace, but would stay there
and dig for gold, and buy the world with it for themselves.

King Winwealth thought the plan was a good one for keeping peace in his
palace. He commanded shovels and picks to be lowered to the Queen and
Princess. The two pages, Screw and Hardhands, went down to help them, in
hopes of halving the profits; and there they stayed, digging for gold.
Some of the people about the Court said they would find it. Others
believed they never could, and the gold was not found when this story
was written.

As for Prince Wisewit, he went home with the rest of the company,
leading Snowflower by the hand, and telling them all how he had been
turned into a bird by the cunning fairy Fortunetta, who found him off
his guard in the forest; how she had shut him up under the cushion of
that curious chair, and given it to old Dame Frostyface; and how all his
comfort had been in little Snowflower, to whom he told so many stories.

King Winwealth was so rejoiced to find his brother again, that he
commanded another feast to be held for many days. All that time the
gates of the palace stood open; all-comers were welcome, all complaints
heard. The houses and lands which Queen Wantall had taken away, were
given back to their rightful owners. Ever