At this stage it has to be mentioned, that in addition to their other
improvements, all the Prince’s newest flying carriages were fitted with
fairy wireless. This enabled any of the drivers to send a message to
the Prince whenever it was necessary so to do. And it was indeed
fortunate that such was the case, for although it had been arranged
that the Princess Wattle Blossom was to arrive the day before the
wedding, within about half an hour of the time that she was to have
landed, something happened which nearly prevented her from ever
reaching the Fairy City at all.
To properly understand the story of what occurred, it is necessary to
go back a little, and to remember that the malicious Desert Fairies had
been twice defeated—once, when they had attacked the Prince and his
followers whilst on their way to the Magic Well; and once, when they
had tried to stop the making of the Lake which now encircles Fairy
Island. They were very sore at having been thwarted in their spiteful
efforts, and had resolved that if ever they got a chance, they would be
revenged upon the Prince in consequence. Thus, though they were very
secret about it, they were always on the lookout to do him harm.
For a very long time, nothing took place which gave them the slightest
opening to put their wicked wishes into play. Then, by the merest
accident, they learned that Prince Waratah was about to be married, and
“putting two and two together,” they made up their minds to steal the
Princess Wattle Blossom, and so rob him of his intended wife. And
strange as it may seem, had it not been that the carriage in which she
was travelling had its fairy wireless set in working order, the plot
they laid would certainly have succeeded. Even as it was, her adventure
was an exciting one; and, while it lasted, very, very trying.
How the Desert Fairies came to find out that the Prince was about to be
married, was, to say the least of it, somewhat peculiar.
One of the bronze-wing pigeons, carrying an invitation to a relative of
the Prince’s Mother, who lived in Western Australia, had almost flown
across the desert, when, to his horror, high above his head he saw the
outstretched hovering form of a great golden eagle. Instantly he knew
that he would be killed, but true to his trust, he slipped the
invitation over his head, and letting it fall to the ground in the hope
that it would be found and forwarded by another messenger, sped ahead
as fast as his weary wings would bear him.
But in point of speed, even the freshest, swiftest bronze-wing pigeon
is very slow compared with the mighty onrush of a powerful eagle, and
almost before the Prince’s bird had time to try and escape, the eagle
dropped upon his back, and with one stroke of his curved and cruel
beak, struck the pigeon dead, and holding him in his strong talons,
sped away and away until he was entirely lost to sight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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