The King's voice was weak because of his longing for his shadow. He did not suspect it, although it was a fact, that Zuzu was holding his shadow before him in plain view. It was so new and handsome a shadow that the King did not recognize it as his own.
"O King!" said Zuzu, approaching and kneeling before the throne. And Lulu also came and knelt saying "O King!" They held the Royal Wishing Wands high above them.
"We come as messengers from the good Queen Zulena, Ruler of the Fairies," said Zuzu; "and we bring a wish to you from her, which she wished us to wish on our Royal Wishing Wands."
"Zulena!" gasped the King, falling back upon the drapery of his throne with his hand at his throat. "Zulena!—is it possible that she—"
The bad Fairy begged for mercy Page 187
"O King!" said the Twins together, both rubbing hard at their Wishing Wands, "this wish has been kept a secret for many years in the heart of the Queen of the Fairies. This is the wish: That you be restored to your former self again; that you cease to value gold as the greatest of all things; that you remember the friendships of your earlier days; and that for ever you may be happy and contented!"
Then to their great surprise a strange and wonderful thing occurred, directly before their eyes. The form of the King of Gee-Whiz straightened up. The tired look faded away from his face. His hair became long and glossy and dark. His eyes became bright and merry. His garb grew yet more shining and splendid; and at once his bearing was that of a young and handsome man, as indeed he now was. With his hand at the hilt of his sword, he stepped down from the first step of his throne, and with a truly royal air raised his hand and exclaimed: "Long live the Queen Zulena, the Sovereign to whom I send my homage!"