“And so I wished to go to the Castle instead of to my mother. And when I climbed out of the Magic Umbrella I ran right into the Castle and it was empty! I went through all the rooms and found no one; the wicked Witch was not there at all!” [Illustration] “Did you go into the little room at the top of the Blue Tower?” Mr. Tiptoe asked. “That is where she was the day Mrs. Tiptoe and I found her.” “Yes, I went there, too,” the Princess replied, “and cobwebs were all over everything. I knew the wicked creature had not been there for months.” “For years, to be more exact,” interrupted the Chief of Detectives. “How do you know?” the Princess asked the Chief of Detectives in surprise. The Chief of Detectives explained. “I started to tell of my adventure to Gran’ma and the others on the mountain side,” he said, “but I was so glad to see my brother coming across the meadow I forgot what I was saying.” “Tell us now! Perhaps you can clear up the mystery!” the Princess cried. “No one in the City of Nite could tell me anything! Please tell us all you know, and all about your adventure!” “But you had not finished telling us of your own experience,” the Chief of Detectives answered. “There is very little more to tell,” said the Princess. “When I discovered that the wicked Witch was not in the Castle and that she had not been here for some time, I rang the Great Bell five times. This, as you know, is the signal for every one in the City of Nite to have a holiday. And when the good people heard the Great Bell pealing, they came running to the Castle and found me! That is all there is to tell, except that every thing inside the Castle had grown dreadfully musty, so I had everything cleaned, and new draperies and then I sent the General of the Guard in the Magic Umbrella to bring you here.” When the Princess had finished the Chief of Detectives told his story. “When the Princess disappeared,” he began, “I was away on my vacation and word did not reach me for four days. But you may rest assured that when I did hear I hurried back to the City of Nite as fast as possible. “I asked everyone I met about the strange disappearance of the Princess, for I could not believe that the Princess had been changed into an old woman. No one could help me. People just stood around looking at one another as if they were stunned. At first I thought it unwise to visit this old Witch for fear she might find out that I distrusted her, but upon second thought I changed my plans and went to see her. “I suppose I may tell our good friends of the secret passage?” the Chief of Detectives interrupted himself to ask the Princess, and being given permission he went on: