So presently the Court Physician came up on a run, and, seeing what was the trouble, took his keen lancet and bled the King in his royal left foot. At once there was a sharp, hissing sound, and the dimensions of the King began to subside. In a few moments he had shrunk to such a size that he could be recognized by all. But now he was in such a rage that he could not make himself understood, but merely spluttered. Then he was for beheading the Widow Pickle at once for kicking him while he was helpless. Then he changed his mind, and ordered everybody banished from the Island except himself. This notion also passed, and he at length became more calm.
"Your Majesty, it was all those Waffles," cried the Court Physician, who was jealous of the Widow Pickle.
"Not in the least," declared the Widow Pickle. "That was never said of my Waffles before, as I am an honest woman."
The King was a just Monarch, after all, and presently admitted it was not the Waffles, but what he had taken to be the syrup, which he was now ready to agree was perhaps a foreign substance of a dangerous nature. He explained the appearance of the tree from which he had taken the liquid, and the Court Physician in post-haste set off to the forest. He returned at length quite out of breath, and assured the King that he had examined the tree and found that it was not a syrup tree or Arbor saccharinus, but a rubber tree, Arbor elasticus horribiliensis, whose juice was capable of the most singular consequences when taken into the human system.
"That explains all," said the King, who was now leaning weakly back upon the throne, very weary and pale; "all but one thing." As he spoke, he slowly and tremblingly turned his head and looked upon the ground to see if he could discover his shadow.
"Look! Look!" cried the King, pointing before him.
The Court Physician and the Private Secretary both looked but could see nothing.
"There is nothing there, your Majesty," said the Court Physician.
"Nothing there!" exclaimed the King. "Of course there is nothing there—why, my soul and body! can't you see my royal shadow is gone?"
They looked again, and, to their great surprise, saw it was quite as the King had said. They looked all around, back of the throne, in front of it, and under it, and behind the door, but, seek as they might, could find no trace of the royal shadow.