Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-07
CHAPTER w.
The Giants Castle.

Former chapters told how Peggy rode to
Dirdiand on her toy airplane. thanks to the
gift Of the Wishing Rose. and how there
be was crowned Princess of the Birds.
thapter Three ended with the Birds being
alarmed by cries OF distress)
THE commotion was so great that
= at first Peggy could not make
out what it was all about. The birds
were flying in a panic from the spot
whence the shrieks were coming. As
they scattered Peggy could see a
handsome Oriole thrashing about
frantically in a bush. The bird
seemed held fast by something from
which il was trying desperately to
free itself.
"aShe's caught in a trap. She's
lost!" walled the other birds, not
making a movement toward helping
the Oriole.
MY babies What will become of
my babies?" screamed the poor
Oriole.
''Why don't you set her loose?"
cried Peggy. .r.e
1--WE can't" shrieked the birds.
sThe Giant of the Woods has got
her! He will lock her up and kill
frp
@Indeed he will notr' declared
Heggy, indignant at the way the birds
were abandoning the Oriole to its
fate. She ran to the unfortunate bird
and began tugging at the knots that
held il.
"The Princess will save her, save
herF ehanted the birds, their chorus
turning promptly from despair to, re-
joicing. I
But Peggy herself wasn't so con-
fdent. Had she been her usual size
she could have united the cord easily.
But now she was as tiny as doll and
the cord appeared to her as heavy as
ships cable. Peggy puzzled over
it . minute. Then she saw the solu-
tion OF the problem. The Oriole was
caught in slip moose, which pulled
tighter with every movement of the
frantic bird. By stopping the pull on
the moose the cord could be loosened.
Desperate Struggle.
"Stop jerking" she ordered, and
the Oriole, after another desperate
struggle to free itself, quieted down.
Peggy then began working on the
moose. She had Mr.. Woodpecker
take hold of the cord on one side of
the. moose and Mr.. Bluejay take hold
on the other side, and soon with their
help she worked the moose loose.
With a glad cry Mrs. Oriole leaped
high in the air and made straight for
her babies. The other birds sent up
= joyful chorus.
Hail, Princess Peggy" they sang.
Our princess is more powerful than
the Giant of the Woods"
"Oh, that was nothing-just plain
common sense" answered Peggy
modestly.
Nothing to you who are so power
full and wise, but everything to u.s."
runbled Judge Owl. "You can rescue
our beloved one from the Giants dun
geons." ~ f.
"Will you, o Princess Peggy? Will
your besought all the birds,
Peggy's heart sank bit. She was
really afraid of the Giant of the
Woods. She had no desire to en-
counter him. But she remembered
that princess must be brave in fac
ing danger for her subjects. She
must do her duty as Princess of Bird
land.
Where is the Giants castlel she
asked, her voice trembling bit.
Well show you' Come" cried the
birds eagerly taking flight-all except
Judge Owl. who had gone fast asleep.
Peggy, on her. airplane, easily kept
pace with the swiftest of the fliers.
After they had flown a mile or
more. they approached clearing be-
side broad river. Here the birds,
giving caution signals, dropped down
among the trees, where they hid them
selves among branches, advancing
coyertly from tree to tree. Peggy felt
her courage oozing as bird after bird
fell back in evident fear of what was
ahead. At the edge of the clearing
they peeped out into the open from