English
“Now,”saidtheCanary,inatonemorebriskthanbefore,“wemaytalktogethermorefreely,asMrs.Yoopcannothearus.Perhapswecanfigureoutawaytoescape.”
“Open!”saidWoottheMonkey,stillfacingthedoor;buthiscommandhadnoeffectandheslowlyrejoinedtheothers.
“YoucannotopenanydoororwindowinthisenchantedcastleunlessyouarewearingtheMagicApron,”saidtheCanary.
“WhatMagicAprondoyoumean?”askedtheTinOwl,inacuriousvoice.
“Thelaceone,whichtheGiantessalwayswears.
Ihavebeenherprisoner,inthiscage,forseveralweeks,andshehangsmycageinherbedroomeverynight,sothatshecankeephereyeonme,”explainedPolychrometheCanary.
“ThereforeIhavediscoveredthatitistheMagicApronthatopensthedoorsandwindows,andnothingelsecanmovethem.
Whenshegoestobed,Mrs.Yoophangsheraprononthebedpost,andonemorningsheforgottoputitonwhenshecommandedthedoortoopen,andthedoorwouldnotmove.
Sothensheputonthelaceapronandthedoorobeyedher.
ThatwashowIlearnedthemagicpoweroftheapron.”
“Isee—Isee!”saidthelittleBrownBear,wagginghisstuffedhead.“Then,ifwecouldgettheapronfromMrs.Yoop,wecouldopenthedoorsandescapefromourprison.”
“Thatistrue,anditistheplanIwasabouttosuggest,”repliedPolychrometheCanary-Bird.
“However,Idon’tbelievetheOwlcouldstealtheapron,oreventheBear,butperhapstheMonkeycouldhideinherroomatnightandgettheapronwhilesheisasleep.”
“I’lltryit!”criedWoottheMonkey.“I’lltryitthisverynight,ifIcanmanagetostealintoherbedroom.”
“Youmustn’tthinkaboutit,though,”warnedthebird,“forshecanreadyourthoughtswhenevershecarestodoso.
Anddonotforget,beforeyouescape,totakemewithyou.
OnceIamoutofthepoweroftheGiantess,Imaydiscoverawaytosaveusall.”
“Wewon’tforgetourfairyfriend,”promisedtheboy;“butperhapsyoucantellmehowtogetintothebedroom.”
“No,”declaredPolychrome,“Icannotadviseyouastothat.Youmustwatchforachance,andslipinwhenMrs.Yoopisn’tlooking.”
TheytalkeditoverforawhilelongerandthenMrs.Yoopreturned.
Whensheentered,thedooropenedsuddenly,athercommand,andclosedassoonasherhugeformhadpassedthroughthedoorway.
Duringthatdaysheenteredherbedroomseveraltimes,ononeerrandoranother,butalwaysshecommandedthedoortoclosebehindherandherprisonersfoundnottheslightestchancetoleavethebighallinwhichtheywereconfined.
TheGreenMonkeythoughtitwouldbewisetomakeafriendofthebigwoman,soastogainherconfidence,sohesatonthebackofherchairandchatteredtoherwhileshemendedherstockingsandsewedsilverbuttonsonsomegoldenshoesthatwereasbigasrow-boats.
ThispleasedtheGiantessandshewouldpauseattimestopattheMonkey’shead.
ThelittleBrownBearcurledupinacornerandlaystillallday.
TheOwlandtheCanaryfoundtheycouldconversetogetherinthebirdlanguage,whichneithertheGiantessnortheBearnortheMonkeycouldunderstand;soattimestheytwitteredawaytoeachotherandpassedthelong,drearydayquitecheerfully.
AfterdinnerMrs.Yooptookabigfiddlefromabigcupboardandplayedsuchloudanddreadfulmusicthatherprisonerswereallthankfulwhenatlastshestoppedandsaidshewasgoingtobed.
AftercautioningtheMonkeyandBearandOwltobehavethemselvesduringthenight,shepickedupthecagecontainingtheCanaryand,goingtothedoorofherbedroom,commandedittoopen.
Justthen,however,sherememberedshehadleftherfiddlelyinguponatable,soshewentbackforitandputitawayinthecupboard,andwhileherbackwasturnedtheGreenMonkeyslippedthroughtheopendoorintoherbedroomandhidunderneaththebed.
TheGiantess,beingsleepy,didnotnoticethis,andenteringherroomshemadethedoorclosebehindherandthenhungthebird-cageonapegbythewindow.
Thenshebegantoundress,firsttakingoffthelaceapronandlayingitoverthebedpost,whereitwaswithineasyreachofherhand.
AssoonasMrs.Yoopwasinbedthelightsallwentout,andWoottheMonkeycrouchedunderthebedandwaitedpatientlyuntilheheardtheGiantesssnoring.
Thenhecreptoutandinthedarkfeltarounduntilhegotholdoftheapron,whichheatoncetiedaroundhisownwaist.
Next,WoottriedtofindtheCanary,andtherewasjustenoughmoonlightshowingthroughthewindowtoenablehimtoseewherethecagehung;butitwasoutofhisreach.
AtfirsthewastemptedtoleavePolychromeandescapewithhisotherfriends,butrememberinghispromisetotheRainbow’sDaughterWoottriedtothinkhowtosaveher.
Achairstoodnearthewindow,andthis—showingdimlyinthemoonlight—gavehimanidea.
Bypushingagainstitwithallhismight,hefoundhecouldmovethegiantchairafewinchesatatime.
Sohepushedandpusheduntilthechairwasbeneaththebird-cage,andthenhesprangnoiselesslyupontheseat—forhismonkeyformenabledhimtojumphigherthanhecoulddoasaboy—andfromtheretothebackofthechair,andsomanagedtoreachthecageandtakeitoffthepeg.
Thendownhesprangtothefloorandmadehiswaytothedoor.“Open!”
hecommanded,andatoncethedoorobeyedandswungopen.
ButhisvoicewakenedMrs.Yoop,whogaveawildcryandsprangoutofbedwithonebound.
TheGreenMonkeydashedthroughthedoorway,carryingthecagewithhim,andbeforetheGiantesscouldreachthedooritslammedshutandimprisonedherinherownbed-chamber!
Thenoiseshemade,poundinguponthedoor,andheryellsofangeranddreadfulthreatsofvengeance,filledallourfriendswithterror,andWoottheMonkeywassoexcitedthatinthedarkhecouldnotfindtheouterdoorofthehall.
ButtheTinOwlcouldseeverynicelyinthedark,soheguidedhisfriendstotherightplaceandwhenallweregroupedbeforethedoorWootcommandedittoopen.
TheMagicApronprovedaspowerfulaswhenithadbeenwornbytheGiantess,soamomentlatertheyhadrushedthroughthepassageandwerestandinginthefreshnightairoutsidethecastle,freetogowherevertheywilled.
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