Chapter 21 How It All Came About Before Pompa had time to rise, a tall, richly clad old nobleman rushed into the room. “Peg!” cried the old gentleman, clasping the Princess in his arms. “You are back! At last the enchantment is broken!” For a moment the two forgot all about Pompa and the others. Then, gently disengaging herself, Peg seized the Prince’s hands and drew him to his feet. “Uncle,” she said breathlessly, holding to Pompa with one hand and waving with the other at Kabumpo and Wag, “here are the friends responsible for my release. This is my Uncle Tozzyfog,” she explained quickly, and impulsively Uncle Tozzyfog sprang to his feet and embraced each in turn—even Kabumpo. “Sit down,” begged the old nobleman, sinking into a golden chair and mopping his head with a flowered silk kerchief. Pompa, who could not take his eyes from this new and wonderful Peg Amy, dropped into another chair. Kabumpo leaned limply against a pillar and Wag sat where he was, his nose twitching faster than ever and his ears stuck out straight behind him. “You are probably wondering about the change in Peg,” began Uncle Tozzyfog, as the Princess perched on the arm of his chair, “so I’ll try to tell my part of the story. Three years ago an ugly old peddlar climbed the path to Sun Top Mountain. He said his name was Glegg and, forcing his way into the castle, he demanded the hand of my niece in marriage.” Peg shuddered and Uncle Tozzyfog blew his nose violently at the distressing memory. Then, speaking rapidly and pausing every few minutes to appeal to the Princess, he continued the story of Peg’s enchantment. Naturally the old peddlar had been refused and thrown out of the castle. That night as Uncle Tozzyfog prepared to carve the royal roast, there came an explosion, and when the Courtiers had picked themselves up Peg Amy was nowhere to be seen, and only a threatening scroll remained to explain the mystery. Glegg, who was really a powerful magician, infuriated by Uncle Tozzyfog’s treatment, had changed the little Princess into a tree. “Know ye,” began the scroll quite like the one that had spoiled Pompa’s birthday, “know ye that unless ye Princess of Sun Top Mountain consents to wed J. Glegg she shall remain a tree forever, or until two shall call and believe her to be a Princess. J. G.”