“Here am I, master,” answered the old man, appearing at the door of his hut.
“Give this ant his breakfast so that he may be ready to do my bidding when I return;” and [[349]]King Red Gum mounted his steed and rode away. Once more the old man of the hut invited Cocky to a well-furnished table, then retired within his domicile and shut the door. In the midst of his breakfast our hero was joined by the magpie, whom he welcomed cordially. He placed the choicest tit-bits before it.
“I am glad you have a kind heart, Jack, and that you are grateful for my help,” said the bird, after the meal was over. “Learn, boy, I am not what I seem. None of us are, mortals or fairies.”
“Who are you, please?” said Cocky coaxingly.
“I am an elfin, Jack; just that. In this country every one of us has been made the guardian or custodian of some one who has been wronged. I am the guardian of a beautiful young lady who has been stolen from her home and shut up in a spacious mansion underground. I have been awaiting your coming a long time, Cocky Cochrane, for you and you only can release my darling Brown Eyes from the thraldom of King Red Gum and his henchman, Old Gruff.”
“Why did they shut up little Brown Eyes underground? What has she done?” said Cocky.
“That ugly wretch, King Red Gum, wanted Brown Eyes to marry him, and she would not. [[350]]So he turned the poor dear into a blue wren and placed her in a cage below the earth,” answered the magpie in a trembling voice. “Now, Jack, we all need help from one another. If you’ll help me, I’ll stand by you.”
“Agreed,” cried the young fellow resolutely. “You have done me good service already; therefore whatever you order I am ready to obey.”
“Thank you, Jack. Good-bye for the present. I can hear King Red Gum returning from his gallop.”