"Ah, so do I," said the Fairy Queen Zulena. "I have wished that for many years."
The Twins looked at her and for the first time they saw a shade of sorrow cross her sweet face. "The truth is, my children," said the Fairy Queen, "I have often wanted again to see the King. Once, very long ago, we were children here together in this country, until he fell partly under the influence of Wicked Fairies and began to care more for gold and jewels and the like than for anything else. It was the Wicked Fairies who changed his nature; but I am always hoping that he will grow to be a great and good king even yet, so that we may together rule over the same land."
"Why," said Zuzu, "that is precisely what the King has said to us very many times!"
The face of the Fairy Queen flushed a little at this, but she sighed. "Alas, I think that can not be," she said. "True, I aid him as I can, and whenever he telephones to me for gold, I give it to him, because certainly we have more gold than we can use, and many gems as well; but I can not go up to the Island to meet him, and so can only telephone, which I do not find wholly satisfactory. Against certain Wicked Fairies not even I, the Queen, can prevail in all cases. Thus, I am sad to say, I could not even secure the King's shadow from the Wicked Fairy Gobo, if it be true that he has taken it and hidden it at his cave in the mountain. That could only be done by a good child who wished it very hard, and who used the Wishing Wand which is proper for the Island of Gee-Whiz, where the shadow came from."
"Ah!" cried Zuzu, "then that is precisely what I shall wish next." So he rubbed his own Wishing Wand very hard, and besought that the King should have back his shadow again, and never more lose it.
"That," said the Queen, smiling now happily, "is very kind of you, and I am sure if only we can find the shadow here in the valley, the Wicked Fairy will be obliged to let it go. It is quite likely that he has also taken the White Cricket of the King. If we could restore both of these to the rightful owner, I should be very happy and contented myself."
"But what shall we do to-morrow?" asked the Queen of the Twins as she arose and started out from the Candy Man's place.
"I should above all things like to see the place where the Fairies find all the gold," said Zuzu.
"Very well," said the Queen, "we will go to-morrow, and I will show you where all the gold comes from; but now let us go back to the palace, and go to sleep for the night."
As she spoke, she again touched a little bell, and soon there came a little Fairy, smiling and bowing before her.