“This is indeed strange,” said the Princess. “Let us all go into the Castle.” And as the people drew aside to let them pass, the Princess, Mrs. Tiptoe, Gran’ma and Janey went up the steps, followed by the Strange Young Man, the Tiptoe Brothers, Gran’pa and Johnny. “My name is David,” the Strange Young Man said, when all had taken chairs in the Princess’ drawing room and he saw that they looked to him for an explanation, “and my home is in Dayland, or at least,” he continued, “it used to be there.” “Dayland is on the other side of the Moon!” said the Princess. “My father and mother and I visited there once!” “If Dayland is on the other side of the Moon,” said David, “this must be the Land Back of the Moon.” “It is,” the Princess replied. “If you looked through the Moon you would see it. It’s the Magical Land of Noom.” “How strange that I should be here!” and David passed his hand over his forehead in a puzzled manner. “I faintly remember strange rhymes and jingles of which I dreamed.” “You did not dream them,” Gran’ma hastened to explain. “You were old Jingles the Magician until a few moments ago, then Mr. Tiptoe puffed the magic powder on you and changed you back to your own self.” “Dear me,” sighed David. “If this is true tell me how long I have been in this strange shape, for I speak truly when I tell you that I am really at a loss to account for the cruel and wicked things which I must have done while I was not myself.” “You first came to the City of Nite as a witch and said you were the Princess,” the Chief of Detectives told him. “But you will remember,” the Princess said, turning to the Chief of Detectives, “that I met him first as Old Jingles, when I saw the Queer Horse who had eaten his head off, and that was over eighty years ago.” “Dear me,” David sighed. “Then there is no telling how long I have been old Jingles or the Witch. I’m awfully sorry,” he told the Princess. “I wouldn’t have harmed you for the world.” “Isn’t it just like a fairy tale!” Janey cried. “Perhaps it is,” David smiled, “but it seems like a disagreeable dream to me and until I get back to my own country, I really cannot explain how it all came about.” “What is the last thing you remember?” Johnny asked. “Let me see! We were having a great ball or something at the Castle and I had just stepped outside the door to look at the Sun when—when—well, that is the last thing I can recall, except the queer dreams about rhymes and jingles.” “You don’t remember what you did with our Flying Boat, do you?” Johnny asked. “No, I can not recall a Flying Boat, at all,” David answered. [Illustration] “That was the only way we had of returning to the Earth,” Gran’ma said, a little sadly, “and I feel that we should return as soon as we can.”