“I do! I do!” shrieked the Water-witch, listening with terror to the roar of the fire mountain. “And tell Duldy who he really is?” said Salamander relentlessly. “Yes! yes!” cried Foamina, who was now getting thinner and thinner as the hot lava scorched her springs in the distant mountain. “Only stop that cruel, cruel fire!” “Who am I?” asked Duldy. “Quick! tell me, and Salamander will stop the fire.” “You are the son of the old King,” cried Foamina wildly. “I drowned your mother and carried you off. I surrender all claim to you now, only stop the fire—stop the fire!” “You will never do cruel things again?” said Salamander. “Never!—never!” said the Water-witch, who was now writhing on the floor. “Then make the waters leave the city,” cried Duldy. The Water-witch flew to the window and muttered some words, whereupon the river sank down to its usual level, all the fountains stopped pouring out jets of foam, and in a short time the city was as dry and clean as if no waters had been there at all. “Now go!” cried Salamander, and stretched out his torch towards the mountain. Immediately the column of fire sank back again, the smoke vanished and nothing could be seen but the snow-white peak, the dark blue sky, and the serene moon. As soon as Foamina saw this, she gave a cry of joy, and, flinging herself in a foaming torrent from the window, vanished in the river, and was never seen again. Then Salamander turned to Duldy and Arago, who stood near, delighted with the defeat of the Water-witch. “You heard what Foamina said,” he observed to Duldy; “you are the son of the old king, and ought to reign now.” “And so he shall,” cried Arago, taking off his beautiful silver crown and placing it on Duldy’s head. “I will give up the throne to Duldy and my daughter, and become prime minister once more. Hail, King Duldy!” “No, he must not be called Duldy,” said Salamander, smiling, “but by his father’s name. So, Hail, King Sama!” Then all present, including Arago, kneeled down before Duldy, who ascended the throne with his silver crown, and his beautiful Queen Elsa by his side. “Be happy,” cried Salamander; “you have a kind heart, and that always brings happiness.” Whereupon he vanished, and was never more seen again, nor did he allow the mountain of Kel to breathe fire any more. So King Sama and Queen Elsa ruled over the land of Metella, and were very, very happy, and were guided by the advice of Arago, who once more became prime minister. [Illustration] Duldy brought Dull and Day from the forest, and gave them a beautiful palace to live in, but they did not like the city life, and went back again to their cottage, where they died after many years. So Duldy became king after all, but while his people hailed him as King Sama, his beautiful wife called him nothing but Duldy, the shepherd lad who had released her from the enchantment of the Water-witch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------