aised her head to look at the Bear King, who was watching her actions
curiously. Then she turned to the pan again, only to find it had
completely disappeared.

"Poor creature!" murmured the King pityingly. "You must have thought,
for the moment, that you had actually recovered your dishpan. But what
you saw was merely the image of it, conjured up by means of my magic.
It is a pretty dishpan, indeed, though rather big and awkward to
handle. I hope you will some day find it."

Cayke was grievously disappointed. She began to cry, wiping her eyes
on her apron. The King turned to the throng of toy bears surrounding
him and asked, "Has any of you ever seen this golden dishpan before?"

"No," they answered in a chorus.

The King seemed to reflect. Presently he inquired, "Where is the
Little Pink Bear?"

"At home, Your Majesty," was the reply.

"Fetch him here," commanded the King.

Several of the bears waddled over to one of the trees and pulled from
its hollow a tiny pink bear, smaller than any of the others. A big,
white bear carried the pink one in his arms and set it down beside the
King, arranging the joints of its legs so that it would stand upright.

This Pink Bear seemed lifeless until the King turned a crank which
protruded from its side, when the little creature turned its head
stiffly from side to side and said in a small, shrill voice, "Hurrah
for the King of Bear Center!"

"Very good," said the big Lavender Bear. "He seems to be working very
well today. Tell me, my Pink Pinkerton, what has become of this lady's
jeweled dishpan?"

"U-u-u," said the Pink Bear, and then stopped short.

The King turned the crank again.

"U-g-u the Shoemaker has it," said the Pink Bear.

"Who is Ugu the Shoemaker?" demanded the King, again turning the crank.

"A magician who lives on a mountain in a wickerwork castle," was the
reply.

"Where is the mountain?" was the next question.

"Nineteen miles and three furlongs from Bear Center to the northeast."

"And is the dishpan still at the castle of Ugu the Shoemaker?" asked
the King.

"It is."

The King turned to Cayke.

"You may rely on this information," said he. "The Pink Bear can tell
us anything we wish to know, and his words are always words of truth."

"Is he alive?" asked the Frogman, much interested in the Pink Bear.

"Something animates him when you turn his crank," replied the King. "I
do not know if it is life or what it is or how it happe