Dick now crept out of the royal waistcoat, flew to the king’s ear, twittered, pointed out of the window with one claw, and, lying down on his back, pretended to be dead. Then he got up again, twittered afresh, pointed to the Wishing Cap, and, finally, convinced the king that this was no common fowl.
“An enchanted prince or princess,” said Prigio, “such as I have often read of. Who can it be? Not Jaqueline; she could change herself back in a moment. By the way, where is Jaqueline?”
He rang the bell, and asked the servant to look for the princess.
Semiramis tried to come in, but was caught and shut up downstairs.
After doing this, the man replied that her Royal Highness had not been in the palace all day.
The king rushed to the crystal ball, looked all the world over; but no princess! He became very nervous, and at that moment Dick lighted on the crystal ball, and put his claw on the very hill where Jaqueline had disappeared. Then he cocked his little eye at the king.
“Nay, she is somewhere in the unknown centre of South America,” said his Majesty; “somewhere behind Mount Roraima, where nobody has ever been. I must look into this.”
Then he put on the Wishing Cap, and wished that the bird would assume his natural shape if
he was under enchantment, as there seemed too good reason to believe.
Instantly Dick stood before him.