"That's one failure, anyhow," she thought. "But how am I to know which
thing is enchanted, and which is not?"
Next she touched the image of a purple kitten that stood on the corner
of a mantel, and as she pronounced the word "Ev" the kitten
disappeared, and a pretty, fair-haired boy stood beside her. At the
same time a bell rang somewhere in the distance, and as Dorothy started
back, partly in surprise and partly in joy, the little one exclaimed:
"Where am I? And who are you? And what has happened to me?"
"Well, I declare!" said Dorothy. "I've really done it."
"Done what?" asked the boy.
"Saved myself from being an ornament," replied the girl, with a laugh,
"and saved you from being forever a purple kitten."
"A purple kitten?" he repeated. "There IS no such thing."
"I know," she answered. "But there was, a minute ago. Don't you
remember standing on a corner of the mantel?"
"Of course not. I am a Prince of Ev, and my name is Evring," the
little one announced, proudly. "But my father, the King, sold my
mother and all her children to the cruel ruler of the Nomes, and after
that I remember nothing at all."
"A purple kitten can't be 'spected to remember, Evring," said Dorothy.
"But now you are yourself again, and I'm going to try to save some of
your brothers and sisters, and perhaps your mother, as well. So come
with me."
She seized the child's hand and eagerly hurried here and there, trying
to decide which object to choose next. The third guess was another
failure, and so was the fourth and the fifth.
Little Evring could not imagine what she was doing, but he trotted
along beside her very willingly, for he liked the new companion he had
found.
Dorothy's further quest proved unsuccessful; but after her first
disappointment was over, the little girl was filled with joy and
thankfulness to think that after all she had been able to save one
member of the royal family of Ev, and could restore the little Prince
to his sorrowing country. Now she might return to the terrible Nome
King in safety, carrying with her the prize she had won in the person
of the fair-haired boy.
So she retraced her steps until she found the entrance to the palace,
and as she approached, the massive doors of rock opened of their own
accord, allowing both Dorothy and Evring to pass the portals and enter
the throne room.