With his magic wand, Teddy drew upon the ground a circle, and then, while everybody round craned and stretched their necks to see what he was about, he took out the figures and set them, one by one, in the ring.Then he waved his wand over them and cried "Abraca-dabraca-dee!"All the people stood on tiptoes, and the King himself leaned forward to see,--but nothing happened.
"Abraca-dabraca-dee!" cried Teddy again.
Still nothing happened; he looked around at the crowd of people, at the grim-looking soldiers, and the King, and his heart sank.
"Abraca-dabraca-dee!" he cried for the third time, striking the ground with his wand.
Then a wonderful thing happened.The circle he had drawn upon the ground began to spread, just as a circle does in the water after one has thrown a stone into it.Now it was a great circus ring, and the paper circus itself had changed to a real circus.The clown walked about, joking, with his hands in his pockets; the ring-master cracked him whip;the paper horses were two magnificent steeds, one as black as night, and one as white as milk, that cantered round and round, while the music sounded, and all the people far away on the outside of the ring clapped and applauded.
"Wonderful! wonderful!" cried the King of the Black-Country.
But now there was something more that was wonderful.As the black horse cantered round, Teddy ran to him and leaped upon his back, light as a feather, and there he rode, his black robe with the white figures flying and fluttering around him.
Then, still riding around, he unfastened his gown and threw it from him, and there he was dressed in white and silver, and his magic wand was changed to a little silver whip.
After that he leaped up into the air, and turned a somersault, lighting again upon his horse, while the music played louder and louder.
Teddy rode round and round, now riding backward, now forward, now on one foot, now on his hands with his feet in the air.Then he leaped upright, and putting his fingers to his mouth he gave a shrill whistle.At that the white steed suddenly dashed into the ring and galloped up beside the black one, and now Teddy rode with a foot on each.Faster and faster he rode, crying "Houp-la!" and even the King clapped his hands.Once and twice he rode round the ring and past the platform, but as they came round for the third time, Teddy waved his whip in the air."Houp-la!" he cried."Up! up!"With that his steeds suddenly leaped from the ring and up the steps of the platform to the very top.There Teddy sprang from them and caught the Princess Aureline by the hand."I have come to rescue you!" he cried, and before the King could move or speak he had set her upon the white horse, he had sprung upon the black, and with a clatter of hoofs they were dashing down the steps and across the square.
Then the King of the Black-Country started to his feet."Stop them!
stop them!" he cried.
The soldiers had been standing as though turned to stone, but at the King's voice they started forward, reaching out to catch the bridles of the horses, but again Teddy raised his magic whip.
"Abraca-dabraca-dee!
As you were once you shall be!"
he cried.
At the magic words every soldier's arm fell by his side, their eyes changed to little black dots, their faces grew rounder, their legs stiffened, and there they stood, nothing more nor less than wooden soldiers just like the one--were they his own soldiers? And the Princess! Was she only the doll that Harriett had forgotten the night before and that Teddy had set up against his knees to watch the show?
Were the streets only black and white silk?
There he was, back in his own room with the little wooden soldiers and the paper circus.There was the square of silk with the book under it, and the Counterpane Fairy sitting on his knees.
"Oh! but, Counterpane Fairy," cried Teddy, "what became of us? Did we get away? Oh, I didn't want to come out of the story just yet!""Why, of course you escaped," said the fairy."How could the King stop you after you had changed his soldiers into wood?""And what became of you?" asked Teddy.
"Oh, I took the clown's cap," said the fairy, "for it was the wishing-cap, and fast as you and the Princess rode back to the country of King Whitebeard I was there before you."Teddy thought for a while and then he heaved a deep sigh."I wish Ireally had a circus horse," he said, "and could ride round and have all the people watching and shouting.But what did the Princess say when she found I had rescued her?""Hark!" said the fairy, "isn't that your mother coming along the hall?
I must be going.Oh, my poor bones! What a hill it is to go down! Oh dear, dear, dear!"
