“You have done us a great service, young friend,” he said; “and we hope to do something for you to show how much we appreciate it.”
“Sir,” said Mary Frances, handing him the bottle, “if it had not been for the dolphin and the cat, I never could have found the story.”
“The dolphin has been rewarded,” said the Story King; “he has had his head cut off----”
“Oh,” cried Mary Frances, “the poor, dear dolphin!”
“And has been turned again into a prince!” added the Story Queen. “He was the prince who kissed the Sleeping Beauty, and was under the spell of the old witch outside the chain curtain.”
“And the cat has been rewarded,” said the King. “He has charge of all the cats and kittens in all the stories ever told, or ever-to-be-told.”
This made Mary Frances happy, for she knew the cat would love that charge.
“Now,” said the Story King, “if you are not too tired, we will get over the business of trying the pirate and the witch!”
“I am not tired, thank you,” said Mary Frances, “for I slept three hundred and sixty-five days and nights on my way here.”
“Good!” said the King. “Please have this seat,” and he led her to a deep blue velvet chair.
The King then touched a button under the table, and a door opened.
In came a large man with a large beard. Mary Frances knew him at once. He was Blue Beard. He was trembling terribly.
“Fetch in the pirate, Blue Beard,” ordered the King.
Blue Beard bowed and left the room. Soon there came the clanging of chains, and Blue Beard led the pirate into the room, all wound up in a great section of the iron-chain curtain. He was dreadfully pale and very angry. His mouth was frothing and his breath was coming out of his nostrils like smoke.
He glowered at Mary Frances as though he would like to bite her, but she was not afraid.
“Behave!” said the King. “You cannot frighten a person who has been so brave as to part the iron-chain curtain. If she had been afraid of the old witch, the curtain would not have parted, and all the children in the world would have been still waiting for new stories.”
He turned to the Queen. “Have you a fitting punishment, my dear?” he asked.
“I have,” said the Queen, very solemnly. “It is this: the pirate shall _never again hear a story or read a story_!”