Amid hurrahs and blessings and a rain of flowers, Arthur said farewell
to Margot, who loved him, and to Hushby, which he had delivered from the
Terror; and once more he journeyed to the King. But this time he went as
a hero, whose fame had traveled before him.
The King sent heralds and soldiers to meet him, and a golden chariot to
bring him to the city. When Arthur reached the palace he found a great
banquet prepared, and the King himself came to welcome him and led him
to the place of honor. But the Princess Agnes was not there.
As for the Dragon, every one was mad with delight over the wonderful
little creature. When the King saw him he laughed so that his crown
nearly fell into the soup. He delighted to tickle the Dragon's tail and
hear him spit and hiss like a little tea-kettle. He liked the Dragon
much better in this small edition, for he was more conveniently handled.
They placed the Dragon's cage in the center of the table, where every
one could see him, and the Dragon glared fiercely with his little red
eyes, but no one was afraid. How times had changed since this was the
Terror of Hushby!
Then the King said: "Brave Arthur, this Dragonet is the choicest
treasure of my kingdom. I will keep him in a cage of gold beside my
throne, and strangers will come from the ends of the world to see him.
It will make my reign famous for all time, and I am very grateful to
you. You are a clever fellow, and perhaps, since you have tamed a
Dragon, you can tame my daughter as no one else has been able to do,--
not even the late Queen or myself. Now, then, to keep my promise. What
ho, heralds! Lead forth the maid."
The heralds blew a joyous blast on their trumpets and went to fetch the
Princess Agnes. Arthur found himself thinking of little Margot at the
inn, and how sadly she had looked after him when he went away. But he
knew that, being a hero, he must accept the responsibilities of that
position and marry the Princess. He felt nervously in his wallet for the
magic glass, for he said to himself:
"Since I must marry this giantess, between whom and me is little love,
let me be sure that I can make her small like myself; else there will be
no happiness in my family. As soon as we are wed I will stare at the big
girl until she shrinks into the proper size, as did Oscar and the
Dragon."
Arthur felt into the corners of his wallet for the magic glass--but it
was not there! Hurriedly he searched again. It was gone! What was to be
done? Must he, then, marry the giant girl and be a slave to her cruel
temper all his life? Horrible thought! What had become of the glass?
Suddenly he remembered Oscar, who had also been put into the wallet.
Oscar likewise was gone!
Arthur saw what had happened. With his little dagger Oscar had cut the
threads which bound him and had escaped, taking the magic glass with
him.
"What makes your face so pale, brave Arthur?" asked the King jokingly.
"Is it the thought of your dainty little bride?"
Even as Arthur opened his lips to answer, there came a shrill cry from
beneath his very nose. Looking down he saw Oscar standing on the table
and peering over his beaker of wine. In both arms he held the magic
glass, and he was turning its shining eye upon Arthur himself.
"Revenge!" cried the little fellow, fiercely. "Revenge! I have learned
his secret. I will gaze him smaller and smaller, until he goes out.
Nothing can save him!"
Before Arthur could move, Oscar pressed his face to the glass and began
to stare as through a window, his malicious eyes fixed upon Arthur's
face. With horror Arthur waited to feel himself shrink. He looked about
fearfully at the other guests, expecting to see them appear to swell
into giants as he himself grew tiny. He stared at Oscar again, who
should now seem larger than himself.
But what was this? Nothing happened. The guests were staring
open-mouthed with surprise, but they were of the usual size, Oscar was
still a tiny dwarf. Arthur rubbed his eyes and looked again. Still
nothing happened. The glass seemed to have lost its magic!
Suddenly, Arthur saw what it meant. The magic of the glass was to last
only for three trials. Once, before he knew its worth, he had wasted it
upon the spider, the rat, and the singing bird. Once the Dragon had felt
its power. Its third and last spell had turned Oscar into a midget. Now
its virtue was gone. It was but a piece of ordinary crystal, and Oscar's
wicked plan was foiled!
With a squeal of rage Oscar threw the glass crashing upon the floor, and
stamped his foot, which made everybody laugh. It was as if a tiny mouse
had stamped.
The King stretched out his hand and took up the little fellow curiously.
"What is this strange insect?" he asked. "Your Majesty," said Arthur,
"he is Oscar, a villain who seeks to mischief everybody. I have punished
him as I punished the Dragon, because he tried to rob me of my most
precious treasure. He can do no more harm, I think."
"Oscar!" said the King. "Indeed, I know him well. More than once has he
done evil in my city, and I have long meant to punish him. You are a
clever fellow to handle him so tactfully. And now, we will dub him
'Companion of the Dragon.' He, too, shall have a little cage of gold and
shall live with the Dragon for his neighbor. A quaint pair they, Arthur!
I thank you for them. But where is my daughter, and why does she delay?"
With horror Arthur heard these words. He had forgotten the Princess.
Alas! The glass had lost its power. How then was he to magic her and
make her small, as he had hoped to do? How was he to tame this terrible
big girl and make her a nice little wife? Arthur wished that he had
never set out to be a hero; he awaited the approach of his bride with
terror far greater than he had felt in the Dragon's glen.
Presently the heralds came back to the King, and their faces were very
grave. "Your Majesty," they said, "we cannot bring the Princess. She has
gone; she has fled from the Kingdom with the first royal coachman, who
was a handsome young giant after her own heart. Even now they must be
far beyond the border of the neighboring Kingdom. She was heard to say
that she would have no dwarf for a husband, however great a hero he
might be. And when she knew what had happened to the Dragon of Hushby,
she was afraid."
There was silence in the banquet hall. Then the King struck a blow on
the table with his fist that made the Dragon hop and hiss nervously,
while Oscar fell over and bumped his head on a salt cellar. "Well," said
the King, "so be it! She was an ill-tempered jade, and I could do
nothing with her. You are well rid of her, brave Arthur. But how can I
amend this insult to your dignity? Ask of me whatever you choose, and it
will not be enough."
Now, instead of looking sad, Arthur's face was shining with joy at his
narrow escape. "Your Majesty," he said, "I ask no amend. The lady had a
right to her choice, and I hope she may have a giant happiness. Since
this royal marriage may not be for me, I must look elsewhere. But I have
had enough of adventure and of magic, and I shall now retire into
private life."
"Some reward you must have, nevertheless," said the King. "You shall
retire nobly. Arise, Sir Arthur! I make you Knight of the Dragon, Lord
of the Hushby Marches, and Earl of Kisington. Moreover, whomsoever and
wheresoever you choose to wed, I myself will attend the nuptials and
will bestow upon the bride a countess's crown of diamonds. Long live the
hero of Hushby and Earl of Kisington!"
"Long live the hero of Hushby and Earl of Kisington!" echoed all the
guests. The Dragon hissed spitefully and lashed out with his tail, but
no one paid any attention to him. Oscar, sulking with elbows on knees,
groaned squeakily. But no one paid any attention to him either.
Everybody was thinking of Arthur, and how wonderfully he had become a
hero. But Arthur himself was thinking of little Margot at the inn, and
how sweet her face would look under the coronet of a countess. And
Arthur grinned happily.