red at it with his flaming yellow eyes, and
by and by it began to smoke and smoulder, and at last it caught fire
and burned away famously.

'That will do nicely,' said the cat; 'now put on some sticks.'

Hilda and Harold heaped on the dry sticks in handfuls; and so the
enchanted fire was fairly started, and it burned blue, red, and
yellow.

'And now there is no time to be lost,' said Tom the Cat. 'Harold, you
will stay beside this fire, and keep it burning until I come back with
Hilda from the kingdoms of the Air Spirits and of the Gnomes.
Remember, that if you let the fire go out it can never again be
lighted, and all will be lost. Nevertheless, you must on no account go
outside the circle to gather more faggots, if those which are already
inside get used up before we return. You may, perhaps, be tempted to
do so; but if you yield to the temptation all will go wrong. Your
brother Hector will then be in greater danger than ever, and the only
way you can save him will be to get into the fire yourself and burn!'

Prince Harold did not much like the idea of being left alone in the
woods all night, with the sound of Rumpty-Dudget's axe coming ever
nearer and nearer. Still, since it was for his little brother Hector's
sake, he never dreamed of refusing. But he made up his mind to be
particularly careful not to use up the faggots too fast, so that he
would not be tempted to go outside the ring.

Hilda and Tom kissed him, and bade him farewell; then Hilda got on the
cat's back, and nestled down amidst the warm white fur. Tom sprang on
to the trunk of the tall pine-tree, and away! straight upwards they
went, and were out of sight in the twinkling of an eye.

CHAPTER V.

THE QUEEN OF THE AIR.

After climbing upwards for a long time they came at last to the very
tiptop of the pine-tree, which was just on a level with the upper
surface of the clouds.

'We are now above the reach of the north wind,' remarked the cat; 'and
this is the only tree in the forest tall enough for our purpose. All
the clouds hereabouts, as you see, are blown by the south wind and by
the west. If we rode on one blown by the north we should be driven
straight into Rumpty-Dudget's power.'

'Are we going to ride on a cloud, then?' asked Hilda, feeling a little
nervous; for it was a terrible distance if they should fall.

'Hold tight to me, and you will be safe,' replied Tom. 'Here comes the
cloud we want--it will pass within two yards of