you want to, and I'll never speak
rudely to you again as long as you live!"

"Ah!" replied the fish, "I was afraid you'd choose thus. You care more
for yourself than you do for the Gobbs Islanders. It is not truly noble,
but perhaps it is natural. Now, then, open your mouth and shut your
eyes!"

The Prince obeyed, and at once there was a taste of something
exceedingly bitter on his tongue; sparks danced before his closed eyes,
and directly he felt a whiff of cool fresh air blowing upon him.

"Open your eyes!" said the voice of the jelly-fish.

The Prince did so, and to his great joy found himself, with his box
beside him, out upon a country road, with the stars twinkling over his
head.

"Oh, dear, good jelly-fish!" he cried joyously, "how can I ever thank
you?"

"You seem to be fonder of me than you were a while ago," observed the
jelly-fish, dryly. "However, I forgive you. If you want to find the
Crushed Strawberry Wizard, keep straight on along this road till you
come to the house of the Funny Man. Flubaloo!"

The jelly-fish disappeared as he spoke this last mysterious word.

"What a pity!" said the Prince; "I can never tell him how sorry I am for
my rudeness. I have lost my only friend. I wonder what he meant by
'flubaloo,' now?"

This, however, was so hard a question to think out that at last the
Prince decided to give it up. So, shouldering his pack, he started
briskly off along the high-road, not daring to linger till daylight for
fear that the giant would wake up, and, finding his prisoner gone, would
come after him and carry him back to the terrible castle of Bogarru.

XII

All night Prince Vance trudged on in the starlight, and did not stop
even to take breath till he saw the sky begin to grow red with the
coming sunrise; then, clambering over a hedge, he laid himself down in
its shelter, and instantly fell into a deep and heavy sleep.

The sun was high above him when he woke, and at once he became aware of
a great ringing of bells, blowing of horns, and beating of drums, as if
he were in the midst of some holiday celebration. He started up, rubbing
his eyes, and found that he had fallen asleep in a field which was now
gay with hundreds of merry-makers. Flags were flying from tents and
booths; bands of musicians were playing; glass-blowers and jugglers were
performing their tricks; peasants in gay dresses were singing, dancing,
and feasting; and there were all manner of shows and swings