You may be sure the Queen of Coregos was not wellpleased to have King Gos and all his warriors living inher city after they had fled from their own. They weresavage natured and quarrelsome men at all times, andtheir tempers had not improved since their conquest bythe Prince of Pingaree. Moreover, they were eating upQueen Cor's provisions and crowding the houses of herown people, who grumbled and complained until theirQueen was heartily tired.

"Shame on you!" she said to her husband, King Gos,"to be driven out of your city by a boy, a roly-polyKing and a billy goat! Why do you not go back and fightthem?"

"No human can fight against the powers of magic,"returned the King in a surly voice. "That boy is eithera fairy or under the protection of fairies. We escapedwith our lives only because we were quick to run away;but, should we return to Regos, the same terrible powerthat burst open the city gates would crush us all toatoms."

"Bah! you are a coward," cried the Queen, tauntingly.

"I am not a coward," said the big King. "I havekilled in battle scores of my enemies; by the might ofmy sword and my good right arm I have conquered manynations; all my life people have feared me. But no onewould dare face the tremendous power of the Prince ofPingaree, boy though he is. It would not be courage, itwould be folly, to attempt it."

"Then meet his power with cunning," suggested theQueen. "Take my advice, and steal over to Regos atnight, when it is dark, and capture or destroy the boywhile he sleeps."

"No weapon can touch his body," was the answer. "Hebears a charmed life and cannot be injured."

"Does the fat King possess magic powers, or thegoat?" inquired Cor.

"I think not," said Gos. "We could not injure them,indeed, any more than we could the boy, but they didnot seem to have any unusual strength, although thegoat's head is harder than a battering-ram."

"Well," mused the Queen, "there is surely some way toconquer that slight boy. If you are afraid to undertakethe job, I shall go myself. By some stratagem I shallmanage to make him my prisoner. He will not dare todefy a Queen, and no magic can stand against a woman'scunning."

"Go ahead, if you like," replied the King, with anevil grin, "and if you are hung up by the thumbs orcast into a dungeon, it will serve you right forthinking you can succeed where a skilled warrior daresnot make the attempt."

"I'm not afraid," answered the Queen. "It is onlysoldiers and bullies who are cowards."

In spite of this assertion, Queen Cor was not sobrave as she was cunning. For several days she thoughtover this plan and that, and tried to decide which wasmost likely to succeed. She had never seen the boyPrince but had heard so many tales of him from thedefeated warriors, and especially from Captain Buzzub,that she had learned to respect his power.

Spurred on by the knowledge that she would never getrid of her unwelcome guests until Prince Inga wasovercome and Regos regained for King Gos, the Queen ofCoregos finally decided to trust to luck and her nativewit to defeat a simple-minded boy, however powerful hemight be. Inga could not suspect what she was going todo, because she did not know herself. She intended toact boldly and trust to chance to win.

It is evident that had the cunning Queen known thatInga had lost all his magic, she would not have devotedso much time to the simple matter of capturing him, butlike all others she was impressed by the marvelousexhibition of power he had shown in capturing Regos,and had no reason to believe the boy was less powerfulnow.

One morning Queen Cor boldly entered a boat, and,taking four men with her as an escort and bodyguard,was rowed across the narrow channel to Regos. PrinceInga was sitting in the palace playing checkers withKing Rinkitink when a servant came to him, saying thatQueen Cor had arrived and desired an audience with him.

With many misgivings lest the wicked Queen discoverthat he had now lost his magic powers, the boy orderedher to be admitted, and she soon entered the room andbowed low before him, in mock respect.

Cor was a big woman, almost as tall as King Gos. Shehad flashing black eyes and the dark complexion you seeon gypsies. Her temper, when irritated, was somethingdreadful, and her face wore an evil expression whichshe tried to cover by smiling sweetly -- often when shemeant the most mischief.

"I have come," said she in a low voice, "to renderhomage to the noble Prince of Pingaree. I am told thatYour Highness is the strongest person in the world, andinvincible in battle, and therefore I wish you tobecome my friend, rather than my enemy."

Now Inga did not know how to reply to this speech. Hedisliked the appearance of the woman and was afraid ofher and he was unused to deception and did not know howto mask his real feelings. So he took time to thinkover his answer, which he finally made in these words:

"I have no quarrel with Your Majesty, and my onlyreason for coming here is to liberate my father andmother, and my people, whom you and your husband havemade your slaves, and to recover the goods King Gos hasplundered from the Island of Pingaree. This I hope soonto accomplish, and if you really wish to be my friend,you can assist me greatly."

While he was speaking Queen Cor had been studying theboy's face stealthily, from the corners of her eyes,and she said to herself: "He is so small and innocentthat I believe I can capture him alone, and with ease.He does not seem very terrible and I suspect that KingGos and his warriors were frightened at nothing."

Then, aloud, she said to Inga:

"I wish to invite you, mighty Prince, and yourfriend, the great King of Gilgad, to visit my poorpalace at Coregos, where all my people shall do youhonor. Will you come?"

"At present," replied Inga, uneasily, "I must refuseyour kind invitation."

"There will be feasting, and dancing girls, and gamesand fireworks," said the Queen, speaking as if eager toentice him and at each word coming a step nearer towhere he stood.

"I could not enjoy them while my poor parents areslaves," said the boy, sadly.

"Are you sure of that?" asked Queen Cor, and by thattime she was close beside Inga. Suddenly she leanedforward and threw both of her long arms around Inga'sbody, holding him in a grasp that was like a vise.

Now Rinkitink sprang forward to rescue his friend,but Cor kicked out viciously with her foot and struckthe King squarely on his stomach -- a very tender placeto be kicked, especially if one is fat. Then, stillhugging Inga tightly, the Queen called aloud:

"I've got him! Bring in the ropes."

Instantly the four men she had brought with hersprang into the room and bound the boy hand and foot.Next they seized Rinkitink, who was still rubbing hisstomach, and bound him likewise.

With a laugh of wicked triumph, Queen Cor now led hercaptives down to the boat and returned with them toCoregos.

Great was the astonishment of King Gos and hiswarriors when they saw that the mighty Prince ofPingaree, who had put them all to flight, had beencaptured by a woman. Cowards as they were, they nowcrowded around the boy and jeered at him, and some ofthem would have struck him had not the Queen cried out:

"Hands off! He is my prisoner, remember not yours."

"Well, Cor, what are you going to do with him?"inquired King Gos.

"I shall make him my slave, that he may amuse my idlehours. For he is a pretty boy, and gentle, although hedid frighten all of you big warriors so terribly."

The King scowled at this speech, not liking to beridiculed, but he said nothing more. He and his menreturned that same day to Regos, after restoring thebridge of boats. And they held a wild carnival ofrejoicing, both in the King's palace and in the city,although the poor people of Regos who were not warriorswere all sorry that the kind young Prince had beencaptured by his enemies and could rule them no longer.

When her unwelcome guests had all gone back to Regosand the Queen was alone in her palace, she ordered Ingaand Rinkitink brought before her and their bondsremoved. They came sadly enough, knowing they were inserious straits and at the mercy of a cruel mistress.Inga had taken counsel of the White Pearl, which hadadvised him to bear up bravely under his misfortune,promising a change for the better very soon. With thispromise to comfort him, Inga faced the Queen with adignified bearing that indicated both pride andcourage.

"Well, youngster," said she, in a cheerful tonebecause she was pleased with her success, "you played aclever trick on my poor husband and frightened himbadly, but for that prank I am inclined to forgive you.Hereafter I intend you to be my page, which means thatyou must fetch and carry for me at my will. And let meadvise you to obey my every whim without question ordelay, for when I am angry I become ugly, and when I amugly someone is sure to feel the lash. Do youunderstand me?"

Inga bowed, but made no answer. Then she turned toRinkitink and said:

"As for you, I cannot decide how to make you usefulto me, as you are altogether too fat and awkward towork in the fields. It may be, however, that I can useyou as a pincushion.

"What!" cried Rinkitink in horror, "would you stickpins into the King of Gilgad?"

"Why not?" returned Queen Cor. "You are as fat as apincushion, as you must yourself admit, and whenever Ineeded a pin I could call you to me." Then she laughedat his frightened look and asked: "By the way, are youticklish?"

This was the question Rinkitink had been dreading. Hegave a moan of despair and shook his head.

"I should love to tickle the bottom of your feet witha feather," continued the cruel woman. "Please take offyour shoes."

"Oh, your Majesty!" pleaded poor Rinkitink, "I begyou to allow me to amuse you in some other way. I candance, or I can sing you a song."

"Well," she answered, shaking with laughter, "you maysing a song -- if it be a merry one. But you do notseem in a merry mood."

"I feel merry -- indeed, Your Majesty, I do!"protested Rinkitink, anxious to escape the tickling.But even as he professed to "feel merry" his round, redface wore an expression of horror and anxiety that wasrealty comical.

"Sing, then!" commanded Queen Cor, who was greatlyamused.

Rinkitink gave a sigh of relief and after clearinghis throat and trying to repress his sobs he began tosing this song-gently, at first, but finally roaring itout at the top of his voice:

"Oh!There was a Baby Tiger lived in a men-ag-er-ie --

Fizzy-fezzy-fuzzy -- they wouldn't set him free;And ev'rybody thought that he was gentle as could be --

Fizzy-fezzy-fuzzy -- Ba-by Ti-ger!

"Oh!They patted him upon his head and shook him by the paw --

Fizzy-fezzy-fuzzy -- he had a bone to gnaw;But soon he grew the biggest Tiger that you ever saw --

Fizzy-fezzy-fuzzy -- what a Ti-ger!

"Oh!One day they came to pet the brute and he began to fight --

Fizzy-fezzy-fuzzy-how he did scratch and bite!He broke the cage and in a rage he darted out of sight --

Fizzy-fezzy-fuzzy was a Ti-ger!"

"And is there a moral to the song?" asked Queen Cor,when King Rinkitink had finished his song with greatspirit.

"If there is," replied Rinkitink, "it is a warningnot to fool with tigers."

The little Prince could not help smiling at thisshrewd answer, but Queen Cor frowned and gave the Kinga sharp look.

"Oh," said she; "I think I know the differencebetween a tiger and a lapdog. But I'll bear the warningin mind, just the same."

For, after all her success in capturing them, she wasa little afraid of these people who had once displayedsuch extraordinary powers.