All the people stood on tiptoes, and the King himself leaned forward to
see, — but nothing happened.
“Abraca-dabraca-dee!” cried Teddy again.
Still nothing happened; he looked around at the crowd of people, at the
grim-looking soldiers, and the King, and his heart sank.
“Abraca-dabraca-dee!” he cried for the third time, striking the ground
with his wand.
Then a wonderful thing happened. The circle he had drawn upon the
ground began to spread, just as a circle does in the water after one
has thrown a stone into it. Now it was a great circus ring, and the
paper circus itself had changed to a real circus. The clown walked
about, joking, with his hands in his pockets; the ring-master cracked
him whip; the paper horses were two magnificent steeds, one as black as
night, and one as white as milk, that cantered round and round, while
the music sounded, and all the people far away on the outside of the
ring clapped and applauded.
“Wonderful! wonderful!” cried the King of the Black-Country.
But now there was something more that was wonderful. As the black horse
cantered round, Teddy ran to him and leaped upon his back, light as a
feather, and there he rode, his black robe with the white figures
flying and fluttering around him.
Then, still riding around, he unfastened his gown and threw it from
him, and there he was dressed in white and silver, and his magic wand
was changed to a little silver whip.
After that he leaped up into the air, and turned a somersault, lighting
again upon his horse, while the music played louder and louder.
Teddy rode round and round, now riding backward, now forward, now on
one foot, now on his hands with his feet in the air. Then he leaped
upright, and putting his fingers to his mouth he gave a shrill whistle.
At that the white steed suddenly dashed into the ring and galloped up
beside the black one, and now Teddy rode with a foot on each. Faster
and faster he rode, crying “Houp-la!” and even the King clapped his
hands. Once and twice he rode round the ring and past the platform, but
as they came round for the third time, Teddy waved his whip in the air.
“Houp-la!” he cried. “Up! up!”
With that his steeds suddenly leaped from the ring and up the steps of
the platform to the very top. There Teddy sprang from them and caught
the Princess Aureline by the hand. “I have come to rescue you!” he
cried, and before the King could move or speak he had set her upon the
white horse, he had sprung upon the black, and with a clatter of hoofs
they were dashing down the steps and across the square.
Then the King of the Black-Country started to his feet. “Stop them!
stop them!” he cried.
The soldiers had been standing as though turned to stone, but at the
King’s voice they started forward, reaching out to catch the bridles of
the horses, but again Teddy raised his magic whip.
“Abraca-dabraca-dee!
As you were once you shall be!”
h e cried.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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