L. Frank Baum

L. Frank Baum by The Enchanted Island of Yew Page B

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Authors: The Enchanted Island of Yew
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they announced, "we have bad news for you. The other
High Ki, who is wearing a green gown, has been more prompt in action
than yourself. She and the Ki-Ki have secured the silver steps and
will allow no others to use them; and already they have sent for the
soldiers of the royal armies to come and aid them. So we are unable to
leave the garden, and presently the army will be here to destroy us."
    Then the girl showed her good courage; for she laughed and said:
    "Then we must remain here and fight to the last; and if I am unable to
save you, who are my friends, it will be because I can not save myself."
    This speech pleased Prince Marvel greatly. He kissed the little maid's
hand respectfully and said:
    "Fear nothing, your Highness. My friend and I are not so helpless as
you think. We consider it our privilege to protect and save you,
instead of your saving us; and we are really able to do this in spite
of the other High Ki and her entire army."
    So they remained quietly in the palace the rest of that day, and no one
molested them in the least. In the evening the girl played and sang
for them, and the ancient pair of Ki danced a double-shuffle for their
amusement that nearly convulsed them with laughter. For one danced
exactly like the other, and the old men's legs were still very nimble,
although their wrinkled faces remained anxiously grave throughout their
antics. Nerle also sang a song about the King of Thieves whom Prince
Marvel had conquered, and another about the Red Rogue of Dawna, so that
altogether the evening passed pleasantly enough, and they managed to
forget all their uneasy doubts of the morrow.
    When at last they separated for the night, Prince Marvel alone did not
seek his bed; there was still some business he wished to transact. So
he shut himself up in his room and summoned before him, by means of his
fairy knowledge, the Prince of the Knooks, the King of the Ryls and the
Governor of the Goblins. These were all three his especial friends,
and he soon told them the story of the quarrel and separation of the
twin High Ki, and claimed their assistance. Then he told them how they
might aid him, and afterward dismissed them. Having thus accomplished
his task, the fairy prince went to bed and slept peacefully the
remainder of the night.
    The next morning the blond Ki-Ki and all the army of Twi, which had
been won to their cause, came climbing up the silver steps and over the
wall to the palace of the green High Ki; but what was their amazement
to find the twin palaces separated by a wall so high that no ladders
nor steps they possessed could reach to the top! It had been built in
a single night, and only Prince Marvel and his fairy friends knew how
the work had been done so quickly.
    The yellow High Ki, coming downstairs to breakfast with her friends,
found herself securely shut in from her enemies, and the bald-headed
old Ki were so pleased to escape that they danced another jig from pure
joy.
    Over the wall could be heard the shouts and threats of the army of Twi,
who were seeking a way to get at the fugitives; but for the present our
friends knew themselves to be perfectly safe, and they could afford to
laugh at the fury of the entire population of Twi.

18 - The Rescue of the High Ki
*
    After several days of siege Prince Marvel began to feel less confident
of the safety of his little party. The frantic Ki-Ki had built double
battering-rams and were trying to batter down the high wall; and they
had built several pairs of long ladders with which to climb over the
wall; and their soldiers were digging two tunnels in the ground in
order to crawl under the wall.
    Not at once could they succeed, for the wall was strong and it would
take long to batter it down; and Nerle stood on top of the wall and
kicked over the ladders as fast as the soldiers of Twi set them up; and
the gray-bearded Ki stood in the garden holding two big flat boards
with which to whack the heads of any who might come through the tunnels.
    But

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