QUEEN TITANIA'S GREAT PERIL
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Prince Florimel sped with the fleetness of a deer in the direction from
which had come those agonizing cries for help.
As he fairly flew over the ground he saw the fairies and Cupids who had
been Titania's companions, and they pointed in a frenzy of alarm to the
clump of rainbow roses in the midst of which their unfortunate queen was
in the clutches of the dreadful Human Octopus.
The monster was still tightening his vise-like grip, and tortured by the
pain of his loathsome embrace, Titania was fast relapsing into
unconsciousness.
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Florimel drew near, and was aghast at what he beheld.
As his eye took in the frightening spectacle he realized that there was
not a moment to lose.
Quick as a flash he whipped an arrow from his quiver and placed it to
the bow.
He aimed the arrow straight at the Human Octopus, and back to its
greatest tension pulled the cord.
Once again the cord proved true, and the speeding arrow cleft the Human
Octopus in twain.
His shell fell instantly apart, and from the interior there flew away
into space a vapory-looking object with a long, trailing red cloak that
had all the lightness and airiness of gauze.
Dumfounded was Florimel by this most unexpected and amazing sight, but
there were other matters more urgent and pressing to demand his
immediate attention.
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With her strength almost spent Titania reeled and seemed about to faint,
but Florimel sprang to her aid, and sustained her in his arms.
He strove to assure her that there was nothing further to fear until at
last she began to recover her composure. "Noble prince," she murmured,
in tones that thrilled him, "you have saved my life, so henceforth it is
yours!"
Florimel sank upon one knee before her, and kissed the pink finger-tips
of the dainty hand she extended to him.
Looking up into her face, he thought he had never seen anyone so
beautiful as she, while her tiny heart throbbed faster at the sight of
him in all his gallant trappings, and she was very sure she had never
seen anyone so handsome.
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Then came in the greatest excitement all the fairies and Brownies, for
these latter little people when Florimel left them had followed close
upon his heels to aid him if need be, since, in spite of mystic power
that had temporarily passed with night, they were too brave to desert a
comrade when danger threatened.
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The horror and fear of what they had just witnessed was too much for
many of the fairies, and the kind-hearted Brownies had the interesting
task of conveying some to places of safety, where they could receive
proper treatment. In this work even the Chinaman willingly assisted.
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A group of curious sprites with much interest inspected several of the
creature's tentacles, while Queen Titania's overjoyed subjects crowded
around Florimel with such profuse expressions of gratitude that he was
much embarrassed.
"What did I tell you?" cried Violet, and "What did I tell you?" echoed
Daffodil, while all with much timidity examined the green, mottled shell
that lay in halves upon the ground. "That was the horrid thing we saw in
the clock."
"Well, never mind now," said Queen Titania, with a sigh of relief. "The
monster will not trouble us again."
In spite of what the queen said, Florimel was not so sure that they
would have no more trouble, since he had seen the wraith-like Red Spirit
fly from the shell of the Human Octopus off into the air.
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Somewhere he feared this strange, evil being lurked to wreak further
harm. Not wishing to cause uneasiness to Queen Titania, however, he said
never a word.
Then Brownies and fairies mingled together in happy, joyous mood. But
Florimel and Titania withdrew from all the rest, and had eyes only for
each other.
"I think I can guess how all this is going to end," said the Policeman
to the Sailor, in a voice that showed great resentment.
"Avast, you lubber!" sharply reproved the Sailor. "Now what d'ye mean?"
"I mean that Florimel has fallen in love with the queen, and will marry
her."
"How can he? Florimel is a Brownie, and Brownies never marry."
"But Florimel is not a real Brownie. He's only been taken into the band.
Just look at them now!"
The Sailor cocked his eye to where Florimel was bending over Titania,
with his head very close to hers.
"Shiver my timbers!" he cried. "They do look orange-blossomy!"
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Noting the impression Queen Titania was making upon Prince Florimel,
Dame Drusilda determined to exercise her arts upon the immaculate little
Dude, with whom she was very much taken.
"I hear," she remarked to the Student, "that he is connected with the
best families."
"Yes," he replied, rather enviously, "he sometimes is by telephone."
But as soon as she could do so she joined the group in which the Dude
held forth vivaciously, and when opportunity presented itself contrived
to say:
"Ah, sir, in your pretty ways you remind me of the gallants of old
times!"
"You must be able to remember quite far back," he said, as he looked at
her through his monocle.
"Forsooth, kind sir," she hastened to say, "I only speak through
hearsay. What I know my great-grandmother told my grandmother, who told
my mother, who in turn told me. As you can plainly see I am different
from other fairies. They call me a beauty of the old school."
"Hasn't school been out a good many years?" he asked.
"I fail to comprehend you," she said, with a blush. "Mayhap you are not
susceptible to beauty. Yet I have heard it often remarked that a
beautiful woman can make the strongest man go down on his knees."
The Dude gave his cuffs an admiring glance.
"So can a collar-button!" he said.
The day passed in sports and merry-making, followed by other days in
which the Brownies remained in close proximity to the palace. During all
this time Florimel and Titania were much together, and their attachment
for each other was remarked by all.
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The Brownies, growing uneasy over the thought that they might lose
their new companion to whom they had become so friendly, were eager to
move on in quest of fresh scenes and adventures.
King Stanislaus, with the belief that this might be a passing fancy on
the part of Florimel, humored his wishes, and ordered the band to
remain. When he reached the definite conclusion that it was not, he
said:
"My son, we have been here now quite a long time. Do you not think we
had better seek some other place where we can do good?"
Florimel's face showed his disappointment.
"No matter where one may be," he said, "there are always plenty of
opportunities to do good. Why not continue here, where we are all so
happy?"
"I hope to make Titania my wife," said Florimel simply.
"And where you are happiest of all," said His Majesty, with a knowing
wink. "Ah, Florimel, my boy, your whole life-story, like nearly every
other man's, may be summed up in just these three words: hatched,
matched, dispatched! Tell me how far matters have gone."
He looked anxiously at King Stanislaus's face, as though he feared to
see displeasure written there, but the genial, encouraging smile upon
the royal countenance caused him to take heart.
"I shall be sorry to lose a son," said the kindly monarch, "but I shall
be rejoiced to gain a daughter. Frankly it has always been my great
desire to have an alliance of the Brownies and fairies, for together we
can do more good than if we worked alone. But until you came I never
knew how this could be effected, for Brownies can never marry."
"Much pleased am I by those words, Your Majesty," said Florimel. "I do
not deny that I wish to be with Titania, for my feelings as far as she
is concerned are too plain to be disguised. Still it is not alone the
joy of being near her that causes me to wish this, but the thought that
harm may come to her at any time, in which case I might be able to be of
service to her."
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King Stanislaus seemed very much surprised.
"Harm!" he repeated. "What harm can befall her?"
"You forget the great danger she was in from the Human Octopus,"
reminded Florimel.
"But the Human Octopus is no more," said the king. "There is nothing to
fear on that score, drop him from memory."
"Still Dragonfel the enchanter has made his threats," said Florimel.
"They may be wild, foolish threats, yet they cause me great uneasiness.
I fear for the queen because of him."
Then he told the king for the first time how the Red Spirit, after the
Human Octopus had been cleft in twain by the magic arrow, had flown away
into the air, to bide his time, perhaps for further mischief and
wrong-doing.
His Majesty's little weazened face turned very grave at the recital.
"Still, Florimel, I would not worry," he said. "I will caution all the
band to keep a sharp look-out for the rascal. And do you, my son, woo
and win, Titania, for my blessing will fall upon you both."
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To that end Florimel exerted himself, but it was an easy task, since
Titania loved him fully as dearly as he her. So when they were seated
once at twilight on a stone bench in the palace-garden, very close to
each other, he asked the question ever trembling on his lips, and she
did not say him nay.
Then Florimel took a slender circlet of gold and placed it on her tiny
engagement finger. But, while she first looked at it, then pressed it
very tenderly to her little red pouting lips, the Red Spirit suddenly
darted from behind the bench, where he had been eavesdropping all the
while.
Before Florimel could reach for an arrow the other flew off in the air
and disappeared.
"What was that?" Titania cried, in great alarm.
Florimel strove to ease her mind, though he was much alarmed himself.
He felt that the Red Spirit was going to make trouble.
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