lame. Then, to their
mutual relief, the animals saw a point of light appearing far down the
passage, and on reaching this, they discovered a second blind old woman
holding a torch. The first old woman beckoned them to follow this new
guide, and disappeared again into the dark corridors by which they had
arrived.

The second old woman, lifting high the torch, first led her charges
through three more great doors, all of which she carefully locked behind
her. Soon the animals found themselves at the top of a winding stair
whose end was lost in darkness. Down this stair they went, turning, ever
turning, down and round, down and round, till both cat and dog felt
dizzily that they must have reached the heart of the earth. Then, little
by little, a pin-point of light began to glow brighter and brighter,
and the animals found themselves at the foot of the stairs and opposite
a little door. And there, by this door, stood another blind old woman,
who held a torch and beckoned to the animals to follow.

Three more doors they passed, the last one opening on a very narrow,
winding passage. In and out they turned, walking one behind the other,
for a time that seemed very, very long. Suddenly a narrow door appeared
in the winding wall, which opened inward as they drew near, revealing a
beautiful round chamber richly furnished and hung with the finest
tapestries. Beside the fireplace, in which a wood-fire was cheerily
burning, sat a gray-haired lady, who was no other than the Fairy Jocapa,
and in the centre of the room, reading a great book by the light of many
candles, sat a young man, the King.

In spite of the enchanter's careful training in manners, the cat and the
dog, I am sorry to say, almost stared for an instant at the King. Small
wonder that they did so, for the unfortunate young man lay under a
horrid spell, and his face and hands were not pink or white or
sun-brown, like yours or mine, but bright green, like a parrot's wing!

"Welcome, O wonderful animals," said the enchanted King. "Your fame has
gone before you into every land, and it is said that there is no
question you cannot answer. Listen, then, to my story and help me if you
can.

"You see me before you, hideously changed. Until you entered here, an
instant past, no eyes but those of my aunt had beheld my horrible
countenance. It was she who caused this enchanted chamber to appear in
the heart of the foundations of my castle; and in this chamber I have
hidden s