On the day that Prince Radiance found and talked with Princess White Flame in the palace garden, Flying Soot passed near them on his way to the Earth Fairy’s prison.
Hearing their voices he drew near stealthily, and listened to them. As soon as Prince Radiance departed, away rushed the mischief-maker to the Earth Fairy. It was the hour when the keeper was absent, so that he flew straight to the door without pause.
“Earth Fairy! Earth Fairy!” he called, placing his lips to the keyhole. “Come close and listen; I have great news!”
The Earth Fairy sprang to the door at once. “What is it?” demanded she, “Tell me quickly.”
“A Prince has come,” he told her. “A Prince who swears to break the power of your spell.”
From the Earth Fairy’s lips burst a laugh of scorn. “Let him try as he may,” she declared, “he will never succeed.”
“Be not too sure of that,” warned Flying Soot. “This Prince spoke with the Princess of a magic Veil, which he has but to cast over her to restore her at once to her true form.”
For a moment the Earth Fairy was quite speechless with astonishment and dismay; then she cried aloud, “A Veil! A magic Veil that will set the Princess free!”
“Yes,” replied her companion, “Already the Prince has gone to fetch it from where it lies hidden in the chest of the Wise One. Soon he will return to where the Princess awaits him in the garden, and presently, my dear Earth Fairy, the spell that you wrought with such care will be a thing of naught.”
“No, no!” screamed the Earth Fairy, “Never, never shall this be! I must escape. You must help me to escape at once, and prevent it!”
“How can I enable you to escape from a prison so strong, and so securely locked?”
“It takes but a key to open the strongest lock,” insisted the Earth Fairy. “You must overpower the keeper. You must obtain the key--and let me out.”
In the beginning Flying Soot was unwilling to try, but when the Earth Fairy presently spoke of rewarding him for his services, he agreed to do as she wished.
“First you must release me,” commanded she. “Then you must hasten to the Palace of Burning Coals, and bring forth my bundle of wands from a hiding place that I will tell you of. When you have brought them to me, I will bestow one of them upon you as your reward.”