"
"I will! I will!" cried the sorcerer.
"Then why don't you begin?" inquired the prince.
"Why don't I begin? Why, I haven't got the enchantments with me,
that's why. Do you suppose we great magicians carry around
enchantments in our pockets?" returned the other, in a milder tone.
"Where do you keep your enchantments?" asked the prince.
"They're in my dwelling," snapped Kwytoffle, taking off his hat and
fanning his fat face with the brim.
"Then go and get them," said Marvel.
"Nonsense! If I went to get the enchantments you would all run away!"
retorted the sorcerer.
"Not so!" protested Nerle, who was beginning to be amused. "My
greatest longing in life is to become a grasshopper."
"Oh, yes! PLEASE let us be grasshoppers!" exclaimed the High Ki
maids in the same breath.
"We want to hop! We want to hop! Please--PLEASE let us hop!"
implored the bald-headed Ki, winking their left eyes at Wul-Takim.
"By all means let us become grasshoppers," said King Terribus,
smiling; and Wul-Takim added:
"I'm sure your soldiers would enjoy being June-bugs, for then they
wouldn't have to work. Isn't that so, boys?"
The bewildered soldiers looked at one another in perplexity, and the
still more bewildered sorcerer gazed on the speakers with staring eyes
and wide-open mouth.
Pages:
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162