"All right," said the King. "Come with me and I will lead you to the
man's room."

Googly-Goo did not accompany them, as he was obliged to go home to get
the money and jewels he had promised to pay old Blinkie, so the other
two climbed several flights of stairs and went through many passages
until they came to the room occupied by Cap'n Bill.

The sailor-man, finding his bed soft and inviting, and being tired with
the adventures he had experienced, had decided to take a nap. When the
Wicked Witch and the King softly opened his door and entered, Cap'n
Bill was snoring with such vigor that he did not hear them at all.

Blinkie approached the bed and with her one eye anxiously stared at the
sleeping stranger.

"Ah," she said in a soft whisper, "I believe you are right, King Krewl.
The man looks to me like a very powerful wizard. But by good luck I
have caught him asleep, so I shall transform him before he wakes up,
giving him such a form that he will be unable to oppose me."

"Careful!" cautioned the King, also speaking low. "If he discovers what
you are doing he may destroy you, and that would annoy me because I
need you to attend to Gloria."

But the Wicked Witch realized as well as he did that she must be
careful. She carried over her arm a black bag, from which she now drew
several packets carefully wrapped in paper. Three of these she
selected, replacing the others in the bag. Two of the packets she mixed
together, and then she cautiously opened the third.

"Better stand back, your Majesty," she advised, "for if this powder
falls on you you might be transformed yourself."

The King hastily retreated to the end of the room. As Blinkie mixed the
third powder with the others she waved her hands over it, mumbled a few
words, and then backed away as quickly as she could.

Cap'n Bill was slumbering peacefully, all unconscious of what was going
on. Puff! A great cloud of smoke rolled over the bed and completely hid
him from view. When the smoke rolled away, both Blinkie and the King
saw that the body of the stranger had quite disappeared, while in his
place, crouching in the middle of the bed, was a little gray
grasshopper.

One curious thing about this grasshopper was that the last joint of its
left leg was made of wood. Another curious thing--considering it was a
grasshopper--was that it began talking, crying out in a tiny but sharp
voice:

"Here--you people! What do you mean by treating me so? Put me back
w