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filled it from the contents of the kettle. Going with the spoon to Princess Gloria
she cried:
"
Love no more! Magic art Now will freeze your mortal heart!"
With this she dashed the contents of the ladle full upon Gloria's breast.
Trot saw the body of the Princess become transparent, so that her beating
heart showed plainly. But now the heart turned from a vivid red to gray, and
then to white. A layer of frost formed about it and tiny icicles clung to its
surface. Then slowly the body of the girl became visible again and the heart
was hidden from view. Gloria seemed to have fainted, but now she recovered
and, opening her beautiful eyes, stared coldly and without emotion at the
group of witches confronting her.
Blinkie and the others knew by that one cold look that their charm had been
successful. They burst into a chorus of wild laughter and the three beautiful
ones began dancing again, while Blinkie unbound the Princess and set her
free.
Trot rubbed her eyes to prove that she was wide awake and seeing clearly, for
her astonishment was great when the three lovely maidens turned into ugly,
crooked hags again, leaning on broomsticks and canes. They jeered at Gloria,
but the Princess regarded them with cold disdain. Being now free, she walked
to a door, opened it and passed out. And the witches let her go.
Trot and Pon had been so intent upon this scene that in their eagerness they
had pressed quite hard against the window. Just as Gloria went out of the
house the window-sash broke loose from its fastenings and fell with a crash
into the room. The witches uttered a chorus of screams and then, seeing that
their magical incantation had been observed, they rushed for the open window
with uplifted broomsticks and canes. But Pon was off like the wind, and Trot
followed at his heels. Fear lent them strength to run, to leap across ditches, to
speed up the hills and to vault the low fences as a deer would.
The band of witches had dashed through the window in pursuit; but Blinkie
was so old, and the others so crooked and awkward, that they soon realized
they would be unable to overtake the fugitives. So the three who had been
summoned by the Wicked Witch put their canes or broomsticks between their
legs and flew away through the air, quickly disappearing against the blue sky.
Blinkie, however, was so enraged at Pon and Trot that she hobbled on in the
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