The forest in which Nikobob lived with his wife anddaughter stood between the mountains and the City ofRegos, and a well-beaten path wound among the trees,leading from the city to the mines. This path was usedby the King's messengers, and captured prisoners werealso sent by this way from Regos to work in theunderground caverns.

Nikobob had built his cabin more than a mile awayfrom this path, that he might not be molested by thewild and lawless soldiers of King Gos, but the familyof the charcoal-burner was surrounded by many creaturesscarcely less dangerous to encounter, and often in thenight they could hear savage animals growling andprowling about the cabin. Because Nikobob minded hisown business and never hunted the wild creatures toinjure them, the beasts had come to regard him as oneof the natural dwellers in the forest and did notmolest him or his family. Still Zella and her motherseldom wandered far from home, except on such errandsas carrying honey to Coregos, and at these timesNikobob cautioned them to be very careful.

So when Zella set out on her journey to Queen Cor,with the two pails of honey in her hands, she wasundertaking a dangerous adventure and there was nocertainty that she would return safely to her lovingparents. But they were poor, and Queen Cor's money,which they expected to receive for the honey, wouldenable them to purchase many things that were needed;so it was deemed best that Zella should go. She was abrave little girl and poor people are often obliged totake chances that rich ones are spared.

A passing woodchopper had brought news to Nikobob'scabin that Queen Cor had made a prisoner of theconquering Prince of Pingaree and that Gos and hiswarriors were again back in their city of Regos; butthese struggles and conquests were matters which,however interesting, did not concern the poor charcoal-burner or his family. They were more anxious over thereport that the warriors had become more reckless thanever before, and delighted in annoying all the commonpeople; so Zella was told to keep away from the beatenpath as much as possible, that she might not encounterany of the King's soldiers.

"When it is necessary to choose between the warriorsand the wild beasts," said Nikobob, "the beasts will befound the more merciful."

The little girl had put on her best attire for thejourney and her mother threw a blue silk shawl over herhead and shoulders. Upon her feet were the pretty redshoes her father had brought her from Regos. Thusprepared, she kissed her parents good-bye and startedout with a light heart, carrying the pails of honey ineither hand.

It was necessary for Zella to cross the paththat led from the mines to the city, but once onthe other side she was not likely to meet withanyone, for she had resolved to cut through theforest and so reach the bridge of boats withoutentering the City of Regos, where she might beinterrupted. For an hour or two she found thewalking easy enough, but then the forest, whichin this part was unknown to her, became badlytangled. The trees were thicker and creepingvines intertwined between them. She had toturn this way and that to get through at all, andfinally she came to a place where a network ofvines and branches effectually barred her fartherprogress.

Zella was dismayed, at first, when she encounteredthis obstacle, but setting down her pails she made anendeavor to push the branches aside. At her touch theyparted as if by magic, breaking asunder like driedtwigs, and she found she could pass freely. At anotherplace a great log had fallen across her way, but thelittle girl lifted it easily and cast it aside,although six ordinary men could scarcely have moved it.

The child was somewhat worried at this evidence of astrength she had heretofore been ignorant that shepossessed. In order to satisfy herself that it was nodelusion, she tested her new-found power in many ways,finding that nothing was too big nor too heavy for herto lift. And, naturally enough, the girl gained couragefrom these experiments and became confident that shecould protect herself in any emergency. When,presently, a wild boar ran toward her, gruntinghorribly and threatening her with its great tusks, shedid not climb a tree to escape, as she had always donebefore on meeting such creatures, but stood still andfaced the boar. When it had come quite close and Zellasaw that it could not injure her -- a fact thatastonished both the beast and the girl -- she suddenlyreached down and seizing it by one ear threw the greatbeast far off amongst the trees, where it fell headlongto the earth, grunting louder than ever with surpriseand fear.

The girl laughed merrily at this incident and,picking up her pails, resumed her journey through theforest. It is not recorded whether the wild boar toldhis adventure to the other beasts or they had happenedto witness his defeat, but certain it is that Zella wasnot again molested. A brown bear watched her passwithout making any movement in her direction and agreat puma -- a beast much dreaded by all men -- creptout of her path as she approached, and disappearedamong the trees.

Thus everything favored the girl's journey and shemade such good speed that by noon she emerged from theforest's edge and found she was quite near to thebridge of boats that led to Coregos. This she crossedsafely and without meeting any of the rude warriors sheso greatly feared, and five minutes later the daughterof the charcoal-burner was seeking admittance at theback door of Queen Cor's palace.