“Good enough!” exclaimed Harry. “‘Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie!’ Very kind of you, old chap, to take so much trouble just for me.”
Without more ado they all fell to and had a royal time, feasting to their hearts’ content. When the dishes were well cleared of their contents, Harry made a speech, congratulating them on having effectually conquered the wicked Gnomes. Then Wamby arose and thanked the Prince, in the name of the Pin Elves, for his timely assistance. Then little Kitey made them all roar with laughter by a comical and witty address on “Our Friend and Enemy, the Toad.”
After the feasting and merriment was over, Harry declared that he must once more return to the upper earth.
“Why can’t you remain always with us, Prince Harry?” said Wamby.
“Thank you, little chap,” answered Harry, “I’d like to stay, but I don’t want my folks to worry about me. By the way, I am going to take that poor little toad out with me.”
“Then you had better go out alone through the Passage of the Toad,” said Wamby. “We should like to accompany you to the entrance, but of course we cannot do so if you carry the toad with you.”
“Never mind,” said Harry, “I can bid you good-by here. I suppose after I am gone you will all resume your regular work of pin-gathering.”
“Oh, yes,” replied Wamby; “and we shall be obliged to work hard, for many good pins have been ruined and lost in the late war. I notice some of my men are hardly able to keep their garments together, and I myself at present haven’t a pin to give one of them. Even a short war like ours is very expensive.”
The little fellows were very sad at parting from their kind Prince. Harry had never seen any of the elves cry, but poor little Kitey looked as if he felt like crying, and even Smithkin winked hard as he bade him farewell.
