This made Bud somewhat ashamed of his past enmity; so he said bluntly: “I am sorry we defeated your army and made them run.”
[Illustration: “QUEEN ZIXI GREETED BUD AND HIS SISTER AND AUNT WITH GREAT KINDNESS.”]
“Why, that was the only thing you could do, when I had invaded your dominion,” answered Zixi. “I admit that you were in the right, and that I deserved my defeat.”
“But why did you try to conquer us?” asked Fluff.
“Because I wanted to secure the magic cloak, of which I had heard so much,” returned the queen, frankly.
“But, of course, you understand that if I had known the magic cloak could not grant any more wishes, I would not have been so eager to secure it,” continued Zixi.
“No,” said Bud; “the old thing won’t work any more; and we nearly got captured by the Roly-Rogues before we found it out.”
“Oh, have you the cloak again?” asked Zixi, with a look of astonishment.
“Yes, indeed,” returned the princess; “it was locked up in my drawer, and Aunt Rivette managed to get it for me before the Roly-Rogues could find it.”
“Locked in your drawer?” repeated the witch-queen, musingly. “Then, I am sorry to say, you have not the fairy cloak at all, but the imitation one.”
“What do you mean?” asked Fluff, greatly surprised.
“Why, I must make a confession,” said Zixi, with a laugh. “I tried many ways to steal your magic cloak. First, I came to Nole as ‘Miss Trust.’ Do you remember?”
“Oh, yes!” cried Fluff; “and I mistrusted you from the first.”
“And then I sent my army to capture the cloak. But, when both of these plans failed, I disguised myself as the girl Adlena.”
“Adlena!” exclaimed the princess. “Why, I’ve often wondered what became of my maid Adlena, and why she left me so suddenly and mysteriously.”
“Well, she exchanged an imitation cloak for the one the fairies had given you,” said Zixi, with a smile. “And then she ran away with the precious garment, leaving in your drawer a cloak that resembled the magic garment but had no magical charms.”
“But it did me no good,” went on the queen, sadly; “for when I made a wish the cloak could not grant it.”
“Because it was stolen!” cried the girl, eagerly. “The fairy who gave it to me said that if the cloak was stolen it would never grant a wish to the thief.”