“I ran home as fast as I could and told Mrs. Tiptoe what I had seen.
“We were so excited at first we couldn’t think of a thing to say. We just looked at each other.
“Mrs. Tiptoe was one of the Ladies in Waiting to the Princess!” the Dancing Master explained to Gran’ma. “Finally my good wife cried, ‘I knew it all along! It is not our beautiful Princess. Who knows but that this wicked Witch has taken the Princess and hidden her away somewhere!’
“‘I will go see this Witch and talk to her myself!’ Mrs. Tiptoe cried an instant later and I could not dissuade her. Although she might have known it would lead to trouble, she put on her bonnet and ran to the Castle!
“Of course I followed. We went up the palace steps together and right in at the door. The Palace was a sight!” exclaimed the Little Man. “No one ever went there and there were papers and cobwebs all over the place. No one cleaned any of the rooms, for no one would have anything to do with that disagreeable old creature! So we went through the Palace until we came to the rooms the old hag used for her living quarters, and there we found proof that it indeed was not our beloved Princess!”
Here the poor Dancing Master fell to weeping so violently the Princess came and placed her arm over his shoulder, and Gran’pa and Gran’ma looked far across the valley, their eyes swimming in tears.
When the Dancing Master had dried his eyes he continued, “We found many charms and implements of magic. Rabbit’s feet, and other things of the kind. Then, too, in corners and upon shelves about the room were jars of peculiar powder with labels which we could not read pasted upon them. In the center of the room was an iron kettle and queer designs had been traced about on the marble floor with black, green and yellow paint.
“‘I knew she was a witch!’ my wife cried. ‘Go call the Guards while I wait here to see that she does not escape!’
“I ran out of the castle in hopes that I might bring the Guards and place them in the room before the old witch returned. But try as hard as I could, I could not find a Guard anywhere; they had all gone to parties or were off on their vacations, so I ran back to the castle. ‘We will capture the Witch ourselves!’ I cried as I ran into the Witch’s room.
“I expected to see Mrs. Tiptoe sitting there with a stern expression on her face, just waiting for the Witch’s return, but what was my surprise and consternation to see the Witch herself leering at me with her wicked smile.