"Not that it is any of your business, but we were aware of the tunnel's existence while the Nome King was building it. After he returned to his own silly kingdom, we burned our way down through the rocks from the oasis above."
"Why did you do that?" persisted the beaver King.
The leader of the fire creatures hesitated for a moment then replied in an angry voice: "Because we enjoy the coolness of the tunnel. By contrast it makes the fiery sands of the desert even more pleasant. Now, be on your way back where you came from or we will advance upon you and blast you to cinders."
"My, what a fiery tempered fellow," said Shaggy.
This seemed to infuriate the fire creature and he was about to leap toward Shaggy when the beaver King stepped forward, holding out his beechwood wand. Instantly, from the tip of the wand there came forth a spray of water that showered on the row of fire creatures. As soon as it touched their flaming bodies, the water hissed into steam.
The effect on the fire beings was amazing. They uttered loud howls of pain and fright and leaped like flames from a great fire into the air and through the rift in the rock. Their cries resounded as they dashed over the oasis to roll in the flaming sands of the desert.
"Come," urged the beaver King, "let us hurry, although I do not think there is any danger of pursuit."