III.   THE SECRET OF DULDY’S BIRTH.

You may be sure Foamina was very angry when she heard the rejoicings in the city of Aurea, for by her magic power she knew that in spite of all her enchantments Duldy was going to marry the Princess. She was sitting on a couch of snow high up on the mountain of Kel, and the moon was shining down on her as she looked far across the plain to the illuminated city, where Duldy was being married to Elsa. As she thought of this, Foamina arose quickly, stamping her foot with rage, so that a great mass of snow came thundering down the side of the mountain and crashed through the green trees.

“I won’t let him be happy!” cried Foamina in a rage, “he still has the foam bracelet on his wrist, so I’ll part him from his Princess yet, in spite of Salamander and his threats.”

So she flung herself off the snow bed and poured down the valley in a torrent of angry foam. First she went to the faery of one stream, and then to the faery of another—making them promise that they would roar like torrents down the mountain, through the plain, and make the great river round the rock upon which Aurea was built rise higher and higher till it flooded the whole city. They all promised gladly, for they were very much afraid of offending Foamina, who was a very malignant faery, and could do them all harm.

Then the Water-witch flowed away through the plain to the great river, and, rising up in the principal fountain of the city, she spoke to all the streams and fountains of the city, in order to make them pour out as much water as they could to drown the city, and this they promised to do, so Foamina was now quite satisfied she would be revenged upon Duldy and Salamander for destroying the Fountain of Jewels and awaking the Princess Elsa.

At the palace all was festivity and rejoicing, and the King was giving a great ball in honour of the marriage; for Duldy and the Princess were now married, and sat on two golden thrones, looking wonderfully handsome and happy. Below them on the marble floor all the lords and ladies were dancing the most graceful dances in the world, and the musicians placed up in a high gallery sang and played the most delightful music, while tables covered with nice tarts and cakes and other beautiful things ran down on each side of the hall.

But notwithstanding that Duldy had married the Princess, and was going to be king when Arago died, he felt quite unhappy, as the foam bracelet still clasped his wrist.

“What is the matter, Prince?” asked Elsa, putting her beautiful white arms round his neck; “you look so sad.”

“I’m afraid of Foamina,” said Duldy, showing Elsa his wrist. “Look at the foam bracelet chaining my wrist; I cannot get it off. Look, you can see it quite plainly.”

And indeed they could, a slender ring of white foam which clasped his wrist so tightly that Duldy felt as though it were the hand of the enchantress grasping him, to drag him away from his lovely bride to the depths of her cold pool.

“Is it cold?” asked Elsa.

“Yes, very cold,” replied Duldy disconsolately. “I wish I could take it off.”

“I think I can do that,” said the Princess, laughing. “If it’s cold, it will soon melt away under my warm kisses;” and so saying, she bent down and kissed his wrist three times with her red lips. Much to Duldy’s surprise, at the first kiss the foam bracelet seemed to grow loose, at the second it fell off his wrist and lay on the floor like a white ring, and at the third it vanished with a loud noise.

Duldy was overjoyed that he was now free from the power of the enchantress, and led the Princess out on to the balcony which overlooked the river. It was a beautiful night, and Duldy saw the great white peak of Kel shining against the dark blue sky, and the heaving waters of the river at his feet. Just as he kissed the lips of his Princess, a confused noise sounded from the city below. The river, lashing itself into angry waves, began to rise, and as Duldy and the Princess, full of dismay, retreated to the hall, a crowd of people rushed in and stopped the dancing.

“Sire! sire!” they called out to the King, “the river is rising round the city, and all the fountains are spouting foam! We are lost! we are lost!”

Everything was in confusion, people rushing here and there shrieking and crying, while the lights of the city died out, and the cruel, dark waters kept on rising, until every one thought the whole city would sink beneath the flood.

Duldy knew it was the work of Foamina, and his mind was quite satisfied on that point when a great white wave of foam rolled into the hall over the balcony. On this the Water-witch was riding, singing loudly,—

“Give me my lover,

King’s daughter, king’s daughter,

Or I will cover

Your city with water.”

The Princess shrieked and hid her face on Duldy’s shoulder, while Arago and all the people around looked at the witch in dismay. Suddenly Duldy recollected how Salamander had promised to help him, so he called out,—

“Salamander,

O, withstand her!

She has brought her

Cruel water.

Drive from land her,

Salamander!”

The witch laughed loudly, and the wave rolled on, amid the lamentations sounding from the city below, when suddenly, in the place where the Fountain of Jewels had been, a tall flame shot up, and out of it flashed Salamander, glowing like a beautiful crimson star.

“Foamina, beware!” he cried, shaking a torch which he held in his hand; “or I will burn up your springs, scorch your forests, and crush you for ever.”

“No, you won’t,” said Foamina, flinging her white arms aloft. “This shepherd is mine—mine! and you can do nothing.”

“Can’t I?” cried Salamander, waving his torch. “Behold!”

There was a great roar, like the report of a thousand cannons, and every one looked through the open window with a cry of alarm.

Far away, from the snowy peak of Kel shot a tall column of red flame, with a black cloud above it spreading over the midnight sky, and vividly bright streams of burning lava began to run down the white snow like veins of fire.

“Oh, my springs, my springs!” shrieked Foamina wildly; “they will all be burned up, and I’ll die—I can’t put that fire out.”

“No, you cannot,” said Salamander sternly; “nor will I till you give up all claim to Duldy.”

“I do! I do!” shrieked the Water-witch, listening with terror to the roar of the fire mountain.

“And tell Duldy who he really is?” said Salamander relentlessly.

“Yes! yes!” cried Foamina, who was now getting thinner and thinner as the hot lava scorched her springs in the distant mountain. “Only stop that cruel, cruel fire!”

“Who am I?” asked Duldy. “Quick! tell me, and Salamander will stop the fire.”

“You are the son of the old King,” cried Foamina wildly. “I drowned your mother and carried you off. I surrender all claim to you now, only stop the fire—stop the fire!”

“You will never do cruel things again?” said Salamander.

“Never!—never!” said the Water-witch, who was now writhing on the floor.

“Then make the waters leave the city,” cried Duldy.

The Water-witch flew to the window and muttered some words, whereupon the river sank down to its usual level, all the fountains stopped pouring out jets of foam, and in a short time the city was as dry and clean as if no waters had been there at all.

“Now go!” cried Salamander, and stretched out his torch towards the mountain. Immediately the column of fire sank back again, the smoke vanished and nothing could be seen but the snow-white peak, the dark blue sky, and the serene moon. As soon as Foamina saw this, she gave a cry of joy, and, flinging herself in a foaming torrent from the window, vanished in the river, and was never seen again.

Then Salamander turned to Duldy and Arago, who stood near, delighted with the defeat of the Water-witch.

“You heard what Foamina said,” he observed to Duldy; “you are the son of the old king, and ought to reign now.”

“And so he shall,” cried Arago, taking off his beautiful silver crown and placing it on Duldy’s head. “I will give up the throne to Duldy and my daughter, and become prime minister once more. Hail, King Duldy!”

“No, he must not be called Duldy,” said Salamander, smiling, “but by his father’s name. So, Hail, King Sama!”

Then all present, including Arago, kneeled down before Duldy, who ascended the throne with his silver crown, and his beautiful Queen Elsa by his side.

“Be happy,” cried Salamander; “you have a kind heart, and that always brings happiness.”

Whereupon he vanished, and was never more seen again, nor did he allow the mountain of Kel to breathe fire any more. So King Sama and Queen Elsa ruled over the land of Metella, and were very, very happy, and were guided by the advice of Arago, who once more became prime minister.

Duldy brought Dull and Day from the forest, and gave them a beautiful palace to live in, but they did not like the city life, and went back again to their cottage, where they died after many years.

So Duldy became king after all, but while his people hailed him as King Sama, his beautiful wife called him nothing but Duldy, the shepherd lad who had released her from the enchantment of the Water-witch.