But this strange figure was not alone. There trooped after him, three and three at a time, a whole regiment of little men, all dressed in green, and apparently belonging to the first comer. They had also whips, but kept them quiet, whilst they gradually increased in number, until there were really more than you could have easily counted.
"I say!" repeated the little man in the same voice. "Who talks of letting loose adders in my country?"
"Your country?" asked Fridolin indignantly. "It is mine!"—but he was checked by the fairy, who put him aside at once, telling him that his claim was not disputed, but had nothing to do with the question.
"Your country?" she asked of the little man. "I like that! why you know quite well it is mine, and has been for ages."
"I beg your pardon," said the other.
"I beg yours," retorted the fairy. "What do you mean by your mannikin impudence? It is my country, and I mean to have the prince killed, and settle once for all with this last child of your doll-faced cousin."
"Not so fast, madam," replied the little man, calmly. "It has never been disputed that my kingdom—that is, the forest territory—includes all the land within the limits of the forest, and the forest is held by our greatest fairy lawyers, beyond all doubt, to mean all the land upon and within which trees grow which are not separated from the bulk of the forest by any fence. Cast your eyes behind you and you will see that within the last few years, whilst you have been breeding adders, and I have been hunting and travelling, King Fridolin has planted largely, and those chestnut plantations, stretching from the forest on the extreme right, quite across to the fringe of forest on the left, have enclosed every yard of ground on which we are standing to-day, and have rendered it beyond all doubt, part and parcel of the forest territory, and consequently my country."
The fairy Nuisancenika looked right and left, and her countenance fell considerably.
"Upon my word," she said, reluctantly, "I believe you are right. I had overlooked those plantations. I don't know that I have any right to interfere—I have given my advice—perhaps I had better go—" and she took her whip up as if to lash her polecats forward.
"Stop!" cried the little man in a clear, strong voice. "There are two words to that bargain: those who enter the forest territory cannot quit it without my permission!" So saying, he made a sign to his mannikins, who immediately formed a ring, several deep, around the fairy and the whole royal party. Then the little man made a courteous bow to Fridolin, and proceeded as follows: