CHAPTER VIII
QUEEN TITANIA'S GREAT PERIL
Prince Florimel sped with the fleetness of a deer in the direction fromwhich had come those agonizing cries for help.
As he fairly flew over the ground he saw the fairies and Cupids who hadbeen Titania's companions, and they pointed in a frenzy of alarm to theclump of rainbow roses in the midst of which their unfortunate queen wasin the clutches of the dreadful Human Octopus.
The monster was still tightening his vise-like grip, and tortured by thepain of his loathsome embrace, Titania was fast relapsing intounconsciousness.
Florimel drew near, and was aghast at what he beheld.
As his eye took in the frightening spectacle he realized that there wasnot a moment to lose.
Quick as a flash he whipped an arrow from his quiver and placed it tothe bow.
He aimed the arrow straight at the Human Octopus, and back to itsgreatest tension pulled the cord.
Once again the cord proved true, and the speeding arrow cleft the HumanOctopus in twain.
His shell fell instantly apart, and from the interior there flew awayinto space a vapory-looking object with a long, trailing red cloak thathad all the lightness and airiness of gauze.
Dumfounded was Florimel by this most unexpected and amazing sight, butthere were other matters more urgent and pressing to demand hisimmediate attention.
With her strength almost spent Titania reeled and seemed about to faint,but Florimel sprang to her aid, and sustained her in his arms.
He strove to assure her that there was nothing further to fear until atlast she began to recover her composure. "Noble prince," she murmured,in tones that thrilled him, "you have saved my life, so henceforth it isyours!"
Florimel sank upon one knee before her, and kissed the pink finger-tipsof the dainty hand she extended to him.
Looking up into her face, he thought he had never seen anyone sobeautiful as she, while her tiny heart throbbed faster at the sight ofhim in all his gallant trappings, and she was very sure she had neverseen anyone so handsome.
Then came in the greatest excitement all the fairies and Brownies, forthese latter little people when Florimel left them had followed closeupon his heels to aid him if need be, since, in spite of mystic powerthat had temporarily passed with night, they were too brave to desert acomrade when danger threatened.
The horror and fear of what they had just witnessed was too much formany of the fairies, and the kind-hearted Brownies had the interestingtask of conveying some to places of safety, where they could receiveproper treatment. In this work even the Chinaman willingly assisted.
A group of curious sprites with much interest inspected several of thecreature's tentacles, while Queen Titania's overjoyed subjects crowdedaround Florimel with such profuse expressions of gratitude that he wasmuch embarrassed.
"What did I tell you?" cried Violet, and "What did I tell you?" echoedDaffodil, while all with much timidity examined the green, mottled shellthat lay in halves upon the ground. "That was the horrid thing we saw inthe clock."
"Well, never mind now," said Queen Titania, with a sigh of relief. "Themonster will not trouble us again."
In spite of what the queen said, Florimel was not so sure that theywould have no more trouble, since he had seen the wraith-like Red Spiritfly from the shell of the Human Octopus off into the air.
Somewhere he feared this strange, evil being lurked to wreak furtherharm. Not wishing to cause uneasiness to Queen Titania, however, he saidnever a word.
Then Brownies and fairies mingled together in happy, joyous mood. ButFlorimel and Titania withdrew from all the rest, and had eyes only foreach other.
"I think I can guess how all this is going to end," said the Policemanto the Sailor, in a voice that showed great resentment.
"Avast, you lubber!" sharply reproved the Sailor. "Now what d'ye mean?"
"I mean that Florimel has fallen in love with the queen, and will marryher."
"How can he? Florimel is a Brownie, and Brownies never marry."
"But Florimel is not a real Brownie. He's only been taken into the band.Just look at them now!"
The Sailor cocked his eye to where Florimel was bending over Titania,with his head very close to hers.
"Shiver my timbers!" he cried. "They do look orange-blossomy!"
Noting the impression Queen Titania was making upon Prince Florimel,Dame Drusilda determined to exercise her arts upon the immaculate littleDude, with whom she was very much taken.
"I hear," she remarked to the Student, "that he is connected with thebest families."
"Yes," he replied, rather enviously, "he sometimes is by telephone."
But as soon as she could do so she joined the group in which the Dudeheld forth vivaciously, and when opportunity presented itself contrivedto say:
"Ah, sir, in your pretty ways you remind me of the gallants of oldtimes!"
"You must be able to remember quite far back," he said, as he looked ather through his monocle.
"Forsooth, kind sir," she hastened to say, "I only speak throughhearsay. What I know my great-grandmother told my grandmother, who toldmy mother, who in turn told me. As you can plainly see I am differentfrom other fairies. They call me a beauty of the old school."
"Hasn't school been out a good many years?" he asked.
"I fail to comprehend you," she said, with a blush. "Mayhap you are notsusceptible to beauty. Yet I have heard it often remarked that abeautiful woman can make the strongest man go down on his knees."
The Dude gave his cuffs an admiring glance.
"So can a collar-button!" he said.
The day passed in sports and merry-making, followed by other days inwhich the Brownies remained in close proximity to the palace. During allthis time Florimel and Titania were much together, and their attachmentfor each other was remarked by all.
The Brownies, growing uneasy over the thought that they might losetheir new companion to whom they had become so friendly, were eager tomove on in quest of fresh scenes and adventures.
King Stanislaus, with the belief that this might be a passing fancy onthe part of Florimel, humored his wishes, and ordered the band toremain. When he reached the definite conclusion that it was not, hesaid:
"My son, we have been here now quite a long time. Do you not think wehad better seek some other place where we can do good?"
Florimel's face showed his disappointment.
"No matter where one may be," he said, "there are always plenty ofopportunities to do good. Why not continue here, where we are all sohappy?"
"I hope to make Titania my wife," said Florimel simply.
"And where you are happiest of all," said His Majesty, with a knowingwink. "Ah, Florimel, my boy, your whole life-story, like nearly everyother man's, may be summed up in just these three words: hatched,matched, dispatched! Tell me how far matters have gone."
He looked anxiously at King Stanislaus's face, as though he feared tosee displeasure written there, but the genial, encouraging smile uponthe royal countenance caused him to take heart.
"I shall be sorry to lose a son," said the kindly monarch, "but I shallbe rejoiced to gain a daughter. Frankly it has always been my greatdesire to have an alliance of the Brownies and fairies, for together wecan do more good than if we worked alone. But until you came I neverknew how this could be effected, for Brownies can never marry."
"Much pleased am I by those words, Your Majesty," said Florimel. "I donot deny that I wish to be with Titania, for my feelings as far as sheis concerned are too plain to be disguised. Still it is not alone thejoy of being near her that causes me to wish this, but the thought thatharm may come to her at any time, in which case I might be able to be ofservice to her."
King Stanislaus seemed very much surprised.
"Harm!" he repeated. "What harm can befall her?"
"You forget the great danger she was in from the Human Octopus,"reminded Florimel.
"But the Human Octopus is no more," said the king. "There
is nothing tofear on that score, drop him from memory."
"Still Dragonfel the enchanter has made his threats," said Florimel."They may be wild, foolish threats, yet they cause me great uneasiness.I fear for the queen because of him."
Then he told the king for the first time how the Red Spirit, after theHuman Octopus had been cleft in twain by the magic arrow, had flown awayinto the air, to bide his time, perhaps for further mischief andwrong-doing.
His Majesty's little weazened face turned very grave at the recital.
"Still, Florimel, I would not worry," he said. "I will caution all theband to keep a sharp look-out for the rascal. And do you, my son, wooand win, Titania, for my blessing will fall upon you both."
To that end Florimel exerted himself, but it was an easy task, sinceTitania loved him fully as dearly as he her. So when they were seatedonce at twilight on a stone bench in the palace-garden, very close toeach other, he asked the question ever trembling on his lips, and shedid not say him nay.
Then Florimel took a slender circlet of gold and placed it on her tinyengagement finger. But, while she first looked at it, then pressed itvery tenderly to her little red pouting lips, the Red Spirit suddenlydarted from behind the bench, where he had been eavesdropping all thewhile.
Before Florimel could reach for an arrow the other flew off in the airand disappeared.
"What was that?" Titania cried, in great alarm.
Florimel strove to ease her mind, though he was much alarmed himself.
He felt that the Red Spirit was going to make trouble.