He climbed out of the window as he spoke. “But doesn’t he always look pretty much the same?” asked Dick. “Oh, yes!” said Mudge, as they set out. “But, even so, she likes to hear about him. I just say, ‘He’s as well as usual, your Highness!’ and that satisfies her.” “Is she a nice Princess?” asked Dick. “Oh, yes; she’s rather small, and pretty, and kind; and her father’s horrid to her. She wears lovely things, and sits and cries in the tower all day.” Dick felt ready to cry himself, when he thought of the poor, pretty, small, kind Princess who was in so much trouble. Perhaps he could rescue _her_ as well as Humpty Dumpty! He became quite excited at the thought. And Mudge—_he_ must be rescued, of course! It was really wonderful, the number of people in the Red City who needed a champion like himself! “Why are there no people about?” he asked Mudge. “Because,” Mudge answered, “everyone is too much afraid of the Wicked King. When he is in a bad temper, he has people’s heads chopped off without a moment’s notice, and the citizens think it wiser and healthier to keep indoors as much as possible.” In time they reached the Palace,—a huge, splendid building which seemed to be made chiefly of rubies,—and, after walking around it three times, always to the left, they looked up at last through the branches of the green-blossomed tree. And there, sure enough, was the highest tower in the city,—a tall, tall tower, with one little window about half-way up. “Here is where the Princess lives,” explained Mudge. And then he called softly, “Princess Star! Princess Star!” [Illustration] XII _Princess Star_ [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XII _Princess Star_ Dick could not imagine how the Princess could hear, ’way up in the air so high; but in a minute a pretty, frowning face appeared, leaning out over the window-sill. A sweet, rather cross, little voice—you could hear every word quite clearly—said, “You bad Mudge! why did you not come sooner?” Then she caught sight of Dick, and gave a little scream. “Who’s that with you?” “Someone sent by Mother Goose to help Prince Humpty Dumpty,” said Mudge. “Mother Goose, my future mother-in-law!” exclaimed the Princess, and sighed. “I should like to see him closer,” she added, and was silent for a moment, as though thinking. But in that moment something happened. A sound of voices and tramping feet echoed around a corner of the Palace, and the Princess suddenly pulled in her head, while Mudge as promptly took to his heels. So Dick was left alone, for he was too bewildered to run at first; and by the time that he had made up his mind to try to escape, he was entirely surrounded by some fierce-looking men-at-arms, all dressed in bright red. “What are you doing here?” demanded the leader, ferociously. “Stealing flowers from our tree?” suggested one of the others.