This was done, the once-royal family departing from the palace with shamed and downcast looks.  Then the Room of the Great Knife was cleared of its awful furniture.  The frames were split into small pieces of bluewood and the benches chopped into kindling and the immense sharp knife broken into bits.  All the rubbish was piled into the square before the palace and a bonfire made of it, while the Blue people clustered around and danced and sang with joy as the blue flames devoured the dreadful instrument that had once caused them so much unhappiness.

That evening Trot gave a grand ball in her palace, to which the most important of the Pinkies and the Blueskins were invited.  The combined bands of both the countries played the music, and a fine supper was served.  The Pinkies would not dance with the Blues, however, nor would the Blues dance with the Pinkies.  The two nations were so different in all ways that they were unable to agree at all, and several times during the evening quarrels arose and there was fighting between them, which Trot promptly checked.

“I think it would be best for us to go back to our own country as soon as possible,” suggested Rosalie the Witch, “for if we stay here very long, the Blueskins may rise against us and cause the Pinkies much trouble.”

“Jus’ as soon as we find that umbrel,” promised Trot, “we’ll dive into the Fog Bank an’ make tracks for the Land of Sunrise an’ Sunset.”

THE FATE OF THE MAGIC UMBRELLA

CHAPTER 27

Next morning the search for the Magic Umbrella began in earnest.  With many to hunt for it and the liberty of the whole palace to aid them, every inch of the great building was carefully examined.  But no trace of the umbrella could be found.  Cap’n Bill and Button-Bright went down to the cabin of the former Boolooroo and tried to find out what he had done with the umbrella, but the old Boolooroo said,

“I had it brought from the Treasure Chamber and tried to make it work, but there was no magic about the thing.  So I threw it away.  I haven’t any idea what became of it.”

The six former Princesses were sitting upon a rude bench, looking quite bedraggled and untidy.  Said Indigo: 

“If you will make Ghip-Ghisizzle marry me, I’ll find your old umbrella.”

“Where is it?” asked Button-Bright eagerly.

“Make Ghip-Ghisizzle marry me, and I’ll tell you,” repeated Indigo.  “But I won’t say another word about it until after I am married.”

So they went back to the palace and proposed to the new Boolooroo to marry Indigo so they could get their Magic Umbrella.  But Ghip-Ghisizzle positively refused.

“I’d like to help you,” said he, “but nothing will ever induce me to marry one of those snubnoses.”

“They’re very pretty—­for Blueskins,” said Trot.

“But when you marry a girl, you marry the inside as well as the outside,” declared Ghip-Ghisizzle, “and inside these Princesses there are wicked hearts and evil thoughts.  I’d rather be patched than marry the best of them.”