ad it," said Prince Marvel, suddenly snatching the book from
Kwytoffle's hands. Then he turned to the title-page and read:

"'Lives of Famous Thieves and Impostors.' Why, this is not a book of
enchantments."

"That is what I suspected," said Terribus.

"No one but a sorcerer can read the enchantments in this book,"
declared Kwytoffle; but he hung his head with a sheepish look, for he
knew his deception had been well understood.

"Is your own history written in this volume?" inquired Marvel.

"No," answered the sorcerer.

"Then it ought to be," said the prince, "for you are no sorcerer at
all, but merely a thief and an impostor!"

22. The Queen of Plenta

The soldiers of Kwytoffle wanted to hang their old master at once, for
he had won their enmity by abusing them in many ways; but Prince Marvel
would not let them do this. However, they tied the false sorcerer to a
post, and the captain gave him a good whipping--one lash for each
letter in the words "grasshopper" and "June-bug." Kwytoffle howled
loudly for mercy, but no one was at all sorry for him.

Wul-Takim tied a rope around the impostor's neck, and when the party
left the castle they journeyed all through the kingdom of Auriel, and
at every town or city they came to the reformed thief would cry out to
the populace:

"Here is the terrible sorcerer Kwytoffle, who threatened to change you
into grasshoppers and june-bugs. But you may see that he is a very
common man, with no powers of sorcery whatever!"

And then the people would laugh and pelt mud at their former tyrant,
and thank Prince Marvel for haying exposed the false and wicked
creature.

And they called the son of their old king back to his lawful throne,
where he ruled wisely and well; and the hoarded wealth of Kwytoffle was
divided among the people again, and soon the country became prosperous
once more.

This adventure was very amusing to the pretty High Ki of Twi. It
afforded them laughter for many days, and none of the party ever saw a
grasshopper or a june-bug afterward without thinking of the terrible
sorcerer Kwytoffle.

They left that disgraced person grooming horses for his board in the
stables of the new king, and proceeded upon their journey.

Without further event they reached the splendid southern Kingdom of
Plenta, which was the most delightfully situated of any dominion in the
Enchanted Island of Yew. It was ruled by a good and generous queen,
who welcomed the stra