Atondido Stories
was cream with the coffee and I would have you know that this
was only the second time in his life that Kubik had ever had
cream with his coffee!
Kubik did not know what to think of it all. His head went
round and round. When he looked out the window he saw no
trace of cliff or caverns or forest. Instead he saw a big town with
streets and houses and people going to and fro.
Presently music began to play under the window, a great
crowd gathered and soon attendants came in to escort Lord Ku-
bik out. As he reached the castle gate, the people cheered and a
coach and six drove up. Two ladies were in it, a mother and
daughter, both dressed in beautiful silks. They alighted from the
coach and when they saw Kubik they smiled and came toward
him with outstretched hands.
“You don’t know us, do you, Kubik?” the older lady said. “I
was that old frog who coaxed you to the cliff and this, my beau-
tiful daughter, was the other little frog, the very ugly one, that
you feared you would have to take home to your father’s house
as your bride. You see, Kubik, we were all under an evil enchant-
ment. Many years ago a wicked magician brought ruin on us
and our kingdom. He changed our subjects into snakes and us
into frogs and turned our fine city into a rocky cliff. Nothing
could break the enchantment until some one should come and
ask a betrothal gift from my daughter. We lived in the forest for
years and years and all those years I begged all the people who
wandered by to help us but they only trod on us or turned away
from us in disgust. You, Kubik, were the first not to scorn us for
our ugly looks. By this you broke the evil spell that held us and
now we are all free. As a reward you shall marry my daughter,
the Princess Kachenka, and be made king!”
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