he next day, sure enough, the iron boat arrived, and the blue dog,
who was as large as a lion, went to the Queen's palace, and bade her
make ready for the coming wedding. A dozen of the Queen's servants were
then ordered to go with the blue dog to Dragondel's castle. Among these
servants, disguised as a kitchen lad, was the Prince; for he had
determined to see if there was not some way in which the young Queen
could be rescued from the wicked magician.

The boat neared the island, but no terrible whirlpool formed in the
enchanted sea. At last the boat reached Dragondel's castle. It stood on
the top of a high lonely rock against whose steep sides the waves of the
underground ocean were forever foaming and breaking, and it was half in
ruins and was very poorly lighted.

The Prince took his place in the kitchen, and sought for an opportunity
to prevent the marriage of Dragondel and the Queen.

For four days of the precious week, however, the poor Prince was kept so
busy baking and making pastries for the coming of the bride that he did
not have an instant to ask questions or do anything else.

In the morning hours of the fifth day there was a terrible moaning and
roaring outside, and the cooks rushed to the kitchen windows. An unhappy
fishing boat had been swept by the wind too near Dragondel's castle, the
enchanted whirlpool had formed, and caught the boat in its awful circle.
Now it went slowly round the outer edge, now, going faster and faster,
it slid down the side of the awful funnel, and finally it vanished. An
instant later, the whirlpool had disappeared, leaving the sea roaring
and foaming.

The Prince shuddered.

"Well you may shudder," said the chief cook, "for such would have been
your fate if our master's brother had not carried with him the talisman
which rules the whirlpool."

"Talisman? What talisman?" said the Prince affecting stupidity.

"Why the little golden hand, you fool," said the chief cook.

"My! it must be a great big hand to be able to quiet that whirlpool,"
said the Prince.

"Big indeed, you ninny!" growled the cook. "Why, the magic hand is only
as big as a baby's hand. I've seen it many times. The master carries it
in his pocket, and puts it under his pillow while he sleeps."

So, later on, when his work was done, and everybody had gone to bed, the
Prince, in the hope of stealing the talisman, tried to make his way to
Dragondel's bedchamber. But when he reached the foot of the stairs