Blinkie was the leader of all the other witches and
therefore the most hated and feared. The King used her
witchcraft at times to assist him in carrying out his
cruelties and revenge, but he was always obliged to pay
Blinkie large sums of money or heaps of precious jewels
before she would undertake an enchantment. This made him
hate the old woman almost as much as his subjects did,
but to-day Lord Googly-Goo had agreed to pay the witch's
price, so the King greeted her with gracious favor.
"Can you destroy the love of Princess Gloria for the
gardener's boy?" inquired his Majesty.
The Wicked Witch thought about it before she replied:
"That's a hard question to answer. I can do lots of
clever magic, but love is a stubborn thing to conquer.
When you think you've killed it, it's liable to bob up
again as strong as ever. I believe love and cats have
nine lives. In other words, killing love is a hard job,
even for a skillful witch, but I believe I can do
something that will answer your purpose just as well."
"What is that?" asked the King.
"I can freeze the girl's heart. I've got a special
incantation for that, and when Gloria's heart is
thoroughly frozen she can no longer love Pon."
"Just the thing!" exclaimed Googly-Goo, and the King
was likewise much pleased.
They bargained a long time as to the price, but finally
the old courtier agreed to pay the Wicked Witch's
demands. It was arranged that they should take Gloria to
Blinkie's house the next day, to have her heart frozen.
Then King Krewl mentioned to the old hag the strangers
who had that day arrived in Jinxland, and said to her:
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