Page:Baron Trump's marvellous underground journey.pdf/210

186 And therefore when his frigid Majesty said that my words had touched his heart, and bade me ask for a gift from his hand, I said,—

"O cold king of this fair icy domain, let those tears that now hang like tiny jewels on Schneeboule's cheeks be brushed into an alabaster box and given to me. I covet no other guerdon!"

"Even if I did not love thee, little baron," cried King Gelidus with an icy smile, "I would be persuaded; but loving makes easy believing. Go, Phrostyphiz, and bid one of the princess's women brush those tiny jewels that hang on Schneeboule's cheek into an alabaster cup and bestow them upon the little baron."

Scarcely had this been done when Fuffcoojah thrust his head out from under the pelt and, fixing his eyes pleadingly upon me, thrust out his tongue and opened and shut his mouth with a faint, smacking noise. Quick as a flash it dawned upon me that these signs meant that Fuffcoojah was hungry!

And then, as I suddenly remembered that the Koltykwerps were strictly a meat-eating people, that only meat was to be had in their chill domain, quarried almost like marble itself from nature's great refrigerators, a gasp escaped my lips, and I whispered,—

"Oh, he must die! He must die!" My words had not missed the keen ears of Princess Schneeboule.

"Speak, little baron," she cried, "why, why, must little Fuffcojah die? What dost mean by such a saying?" And when King Gelidus and Schneeboule had heard me voice my fear that he would die rather than feed on meat, they both became very heavy-hearted.

"Poor little Fuffcoojah!" moaned the princess, "can it be possible that he must be carried back so soon to his crystal cell in my grotto?"

"Bid the master of my meat quarries approach the throne," cried King Gelidus suddenly, in a voice of icy dignity.

This important functionary soon made his appearance.