“Of course,” answered the alligator, opening one eye to observe his questioner. “For a boy climbed a tree near me yesterday and fell out of it and broke his leg. It is quite foolish to climb trees. I’m sure I am safer in the water.”
Zixi made no reply, but she agreed with the alligator, who called after her sleepily:
“Isn’t it fortunate we cannot have everything we are stupid enough to wish for?”
Shortly afterward they left the river-bank and approached the lilac-grove, the witch-queen riding first through the trees to show the place where she had dropped the magic cloak. She knew it was near the little spring where she had gazed at her reflection in the water; but, although they searched over every inch of ground, they could discover no trace of the lost cloak.
“It is really too bad!” exclaimed Zixi, with vexation. “Some one must have come through the grove and taken the cloak away.”
“But we must find it,” said Bud, earnestly; “for otherwise I shall not be able to rescue my people from the Roly-Rogues.”
“Let us inquire of every one we meet if they have seen the cloak,” suggested Princess Fluff. “In that way we may discover who has taken it.”
So they made a camp on the edge of the grove, and for two days they stopped and questioned all who passed that way. But none had ever seen or heard of a cloak like that described.
[Illustration: “‘WE HAVE LOST A BEAUTIFUL CLOAK IN THE LILAC-GROVE,’ SAID QUEEN ZIXI TO THE SHEPHERD.”]
Finally an old shepherd came along, hobbling painfully after a flock of five sheep; for he suffered much from rheumatism.
“We have lost a beautiful cloak in the lilac-grove,” said Zixi to the shepherd.
“When did you lose it?” asked the old man, pausing to lean upon his stick.
“Several days ago,” returned the queen. “It was bright as the rainbow, and woven with threads finer than—”
“I know, I know!” interrupted the shepherd, “for I myself found it lying upon the ground beneath the lilac-trees.”
“Hurrah!” cried Bud, gleefully; “at last we have found it!” And all the others were fully as delighted as he was.
“But where have you put the cloak?” inquired Zixi.
“Why, I gave it to Dame Dingle, who lives under the hill yonder,” replied the man, pointing far away over the fields; “and she gave me in exchange some medicine for my rheumatism, which has made the pain considerably worse. So to-day I threw the bottle into the river.”