this little interruption," he said, as if he had not
been the cause of it himself. "I'll find the toe in a few minutes. I
must have mislaid it somewhere."

But Truella suspected he was up to more mischief, and was on her guard.
She saw him stealthily press a button, and in the same instant a deep
gulf opened in the floor of the cave, half way between the Princess and
the Wizard.

Truella did not know what this meant, at first, unless it was to
prevent her getting across the room to where her toe was; but soon she
noticed that the gulf was moving toward her, slowly, but steadily; and,
as it extended across the cave from wall to wall, it would in time be
sure to reach the spot where she stood, when she would, of course, fall
into it.

When she saw her danger the Princess became frightened, and tried to
escape through the door by which she had entered; but to her dismay she
found it locked. Then she turned to look at the Wizard. The little man
had perched himself upon a high stool, and was carelessly swinging his
feet and laughing with glee at Truella's awful peril. He thought that
at last he had certainly found a way to destroy her. The poor Princess
again looked into the gulf, which was gradually getting nearer and
nearer; and she shuddered at its vast depths.

A cold wind began to sweep up from the abyss, and she heard mocking
laughter and savage growls from below, as if evil spirits were eagerly
waiting to seize her.

Just as she was giving way to despair, and the gulf had crept very
close to her feet, Truella thought of her winged dagger. She drew it
from her bosom and, pointing it toward her enemy, said:

"Save me from the Wizard's art--
Fly until you reach his heart.
Foil his power and set me free,
This is my command to thee!"

In a flash the dagger flew from her hand and struck the Wizard full on
his breast. With a loud cry he fell forward into the gulf, which in the
same instant closed up with a crash. Then, when the rocks about her had
ceased trembling from the shock, the door swung open, leaving the
Princess at liberty to go where she pleased.

She now searched the Wizard's cupboard until she found her toe, which
had been safely hidden in a little ivory box. Truella stopped only long
enough to put on her toe, and then she ran through the caves and up the
stairways until she reached the top of the mountain again.

There she found her Stork patiently awaiting her and, having seated
hersel