lew in that direction until I found
myself just over the Valley, when I allowed myself to flutter to the
ground.

"It seems my troubles were not yet over; for, before I had fully
recovered my breath after this long flight, your soldiers seized me and
brought me here.

"I am accused of stealing your plum-pudding; but, in truth, your
Majesty, I have been away from your kingdom for nine days, and am
therefore wholly innocent."

The Yellow Hen had scarce finished this story when the King flew into a
violent rage at the deceptions of his Wise Men, and turning to his
soldiers he ordered them to arrest the Wise Men and cast them into
prison.

Having given the unfortunate Hen a pair of gold earrings that fitted
her ears and matched her complexion, the King sent her home with many
apologies for having accused her wrongfully.

Then his Majesty seated himself in an easy chair, and pondered how best
to punish the foolish Wise Men.

"I would rather have one really Wise Man," he said to himself, "than
fifty of these, who pretend to be wise and are not."

That gave him an idea; so the next morning he ordered the Wise Men
taken to the royal kitchen, where all were run through the meat chopper
until they were ground as fine as mincemeat. Having thoroughly mixed
them, the King stirred in a handful of salt, and then made them into
one man, which the cook baked in the oven until it was well done.

"Now," said the King, "I have one Wise Man instead of several foolish
ones. Perhaps he can tell me who stole the plum-pudding."

"Certainly," replied the Wise Man. "That is quite easy. It was the
Purple Dragon."

"Good," cried the monarch; "I have discovered the truth at last!"

And so he had, as you will find by reading the next surprise.

_The Fourteenth Surprise_

THE PUNISHMENT OF THE PURPLE DRAGON

Scarcely had the King spoken when some of his soldiers came running
with news that they had seen the Purple Dragon eating plum-pudding in
the royal garden.

"What did you do about it?" asked the monarch.

"We did nothing," they answered; "for, had we interfered with its
repast, the Dragon would probably have eaten us for dessert."

"That is true," remarked the King. "Yet something must be done to
protect us from this monster. For many years it has annoyed us by
eating our choicest crops, and nothing we can do seems of any avail to
save us from its ravages."

"If we were able to destroy the Dragon," said Prince Thinkab