food or golden treasure that he had stolen.

"But why don't you run away?" asked Teddy. "I would."

"Alas! I can't," said the Bird-maiden, "for whenever the robber-magician
goes out he locks the door after him, and I have no key to open it."

Then Teddy told her that he had a key that would unlock the door and
that he would save her.

The Bird-maiden was very glad, but she said they must make haste, for
it was almost time for the robber to come home; so she wrapped her cloak
around her, and Teddy took her by the hand and together they ran to the
door.

They had hardly reached the outer cave, however, when Teddy heard a loud
bang that echoed and re-echoed from the walls.

"Alas! Alas!" cried the Bird-maiden, shrinking back and beginning to
wring her hands, "we are too late. There comes the robber, and now we
will never escape."

She had scarcely said this when in marched the robber-magician sure
enough. He wore a great soft hat pulled down over his face, and he had
a long brown nose and little black beads of eyes. His mustache stuck out
on each side like swords, and he carried a great sack over his shoulder.

The robber-magician threw the sack down on the floor and frowned at
Teddy from under his hat. "How now!" he cried. "Who's this who has come
down into my cavern without even so much as a 'by your leave'?"

Teddy felt rather frightened, but he spoke up bravely. "I'm Teddy," he
said, "and I didn't know this was your cave. I thought it was just a
rat-hole."

"A rat-hole!" cried the robber-magician, bursting into a roar of
laughter. "A rat-hole! My cave a rat-hole! Ho! ho! ho!'

"Yes, I did," said Teddy, "and I didn't know it was yours, but if you
want me to go I will."

"Not so fast," said the robber. "Sometimes it is easier to come into my
cave than to go out, and you must sit down and have some supper with me
now that you are here."

Teddy was quite willing to do that, for he was really hungry, so he
and the robber drew chairs up to the table, and the Bird-maiden, at a
gesture from the robber, picked up the sack that he had thrown upon the
ground, and out from it she drew some pieces of bread and some bits of
cold meat. It did not look particularly good, but it seemed to be all
there was, so when the robber began to eat Teddy helped himself too.

The robber-magician did not take off his hat, and he ate very fast;
after a while he leaned back in his chair and began to tell Teddy what a
great magician