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"
Don't you worry about your honorable old papa," chuckled the Scarecrow,
winking at Happy Toko. "He's good for a couple of centuries!"
The three Princes stared sourly at this exhibition of youth.
"But your heart," objected the eldest Prince.
"
Have none," laughed the Scarecrow. Snatching off the silver cord from
around his waist, he began skipping rope up and down the hall. The
Princes, tapping their foreheads significantly, retired, and the Scarecrow,
throwing his arm around Happy Toko, began whispering in his ear. He had
a plan himself. They would see!
*
* * * *
Meanwhile, off in his dark cave in one of the silver mountains, the Grand
Gheewizard of the Silver Island was stirring a huge kettle of magic. Every
few moments he paused to read out of a great yellow book that he had
propped up on the mantle. The fire in the huge grate leaped fiercely under
the big, black pot, and the sputtering candles on each side of the book sent
creepy shadows into the dark cave. Dark chests, books, bundles of herbs,
and heaps of gold and silver were everywhere. Whenever the Gheewizard
turned his back, a rheumatic silver-scaled old dragon would crawl toward
the fire and swallow a mouthful of coals, until the old Gheewizard caught
him in the act and chained him to a ring in the corner of the cave.
"Be patient, little joy of my heart! Our fortune is about to be made," hissed
the wizened little man, waving a long iron spoon at the dragon. "You shall
have a bucket of red-hot coals every hour and I a silver cap with a tassel.
Have not the Royal Princes promised it?" The dragon shuffled about and
finally went to sleep, smoking sulkily.
"Is it finished, son of a yellow dog?" Through the narrow opening of the cave,
the youngest Prince stuck his head.
"I am working as fast as I can, Honorable Prince, but the elixir must boil yet
one more night. Tomorrow, when the sun shines on the first bar of your
celestial window, come, and all will be ready."
"
Are you sure you have found it?" asked the Prince, withdrawing his head,
for the smoking dragon and steam from the kettle made him cough.
"
Quite sure," wheezed the Grand Gheewizard, and fell to stirring the kettle
with all his might.
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