n a moment there was nothing left
but a little pile of ashes, which the light wind took up into the air,
where it formed a white cloud that sailed off into the sky, leaving a
perfectly green space where the cottage had been, with no marks of fire
at all.

Prince Daimur rode slowly out of the forest, thinking of all the good
old man had said, and wondering very much, as he had never heard before
of the Evil Magician of Despair, although he had heard his father say
that a good fairy had always presided over the fortunes of his kingdom,
but Daimur had thought it only a saying.

He longed to put on the magic cap and spectacles, but was afraid the
Evil Magician might be hovering around, so he made up his mind that he
would wait until some need arose before he took them from their case
again.

CHAPTER II

It was not long before, as the Good Old Man had foretold, evil days
came upon the kingdom of Sunne.

The King's brother, who until this time had apparently been very well
satisfied to live peacefully in his castle and mind his own affairs,
which, were quite important enough to suit almost anyone, now began to
stir up trouble in the kingdom.

He made speeches, traveling from place to place, and told the nobles
how foolish they were to be satisfied to stay in the Island of Sunne
and work so hard collecting rents when they might go to war and win
some of the other islands and take possession of all the silver and
gold, fine castles and estates there.

After a while he made some of them very dissatisfied with their lot,
and the King had to threaten to put him in prison if he did not stop
it. I do not know how it would have ended if a dreadful accident had
not occurred which threw the whole kingdom into the deepest gloom.

The King and Queen with some of the Court were one day out for a sail
on the bay, when a sudden squall arose which upset the boat, and all
were drowned.

The people of Sunne were greatly grieved and very much alarmed as well,
for the Prince was still quite young, and could not be expected to know
much about ruling a country. They, however, did not have very much to
say in the matter, as the dissatisfied uncle at once proposed to reign
as King Regent until Daimur was eighteen years of age.

As most of the best statesmen and all the King's close advisers had
been drowned, there was nobody in particular to disagree with him, and
he immediately took possession of the palace and began ordering