While waiting she watched and listened, learning such spells as she could from the fairies around her, and practicing them in secret. There was not a book of magic in the Palace of Burning Coals that she did not seek out and pore over; not a wand that she did not try. Only the King’s own Book of Spells was locked away from her, and one precious wand that had belonged to the mother of King Red Flame, and had been left by her in charge of the Fairy Grey Smoke, oldest and wisest of any save one in the Kingdom of the Fire Fairies. No one else, not even the King himself knew of this wand, for his mother had made Grey Smoke promise that she would never tell him of it, nor bring it from its secret hiding-place until some great need arose that called for a spell that nothing could possibly break. If the Earth Fairy had known of this wand she would have spared no pains to get hold of it; but Grey Smoke was wise and faithful, and kept the trust that the King’s mother had reposed in her. [Illustration] CHAPTER II It was a shining morning in Spring. King Red Flame put on his scarlet cloak and cap, kissed Queen Glow good-by, mounted his flame-colored horse, and rode away in the direction of the Dying Embers where he had been called upon important business. The Earth Fairy, peeping from an upper window of the Palace of Burning Coals, watched him out of sight. Then she clapped her hands gleefully. “When you come back, King Red Flame--ah, yes--when you come back, I think perhaps you will find a surprise awaiting you.” For at last the Earth Fairy saw a chance for the revenge for which she had long been watching, and if things but fell out as she hoped, there was no wand nor spell that could restore to the King the priceless treasure that she purposed to destroy. That night all was still and tranquil in the Palace of Burning Coals, but the next morning a sudden stir arose. Sooner than the Queen had been led to expect it a very wonderful thing had happened in the palace, for very early, with the dawning, a tiny baby Princess came to be the daughter of King Red Flame, and Queen Glow. All was tumult and rejoicing. The Queen lay proud and happy on the satin pillows of her great golden bed, and looked and looked at the beautiful little Princess in the golden cradle at her side. Everyone was delighted at the coming of this Princess, but none seemed more so than the Earth Fairy herself. She stayed close by the Queen’s side, ready to anticipate her every want, and joined with the rest in her admiration of the baby Princess.