"She's sick to-day," said the gingerbread man.
"That's bad," declared the bear, shaking his head sadly. "She seems to be failing every day. Poor little Princess!"
John moved uneasily, for every word was a reproach to him.
"How are you getting on with the Mifkets?" asked Para Bruin.
"They made me a prisoner this morning, and abused me shamefully," said the gingerbread man. "See here!" and he held up the stump of his left hand.
"What has become of your fingers?"
"A black Mifket named Ooboo bit them off and ate them," was the answer.
"That's curious," said the bear, rubbing his nose thoughtfully with one paw. "Do you know, the Mifkets had an exciting time an hour ago? I watched them from my mountain, and saw everything. Black Ooboo had a fight with the King and knocked him off his rock. That's really surprising, for Ooboo has always before been a coward, and afraid of the King. But now he has declared he'll be king himself, and offers to fight any one who opposes him. Isn't that funny? I don't know where Black Ooboo got so much courage and strength all of a sudden, I'm sure."
"I know," said John. "He got it from my fingers, which he ate. My dough is mixed with the Great Elixir, you know, which is nothing less than concentrated energy and strength and vitality and knowledge. The fingers have made Ooboo the most powerful Mifket in the island, so it is no wonder he has become king."
Para Bruin listened to this carefully, and after a moment's thought he said: