FAIRY TALES 203

done, and fled from the room and was seen no more.

Now all this was the work of Jack and his flute. The madness that had overcome the suit- ors had been caused by hosts of invisible hornets which had entered through the keyhole, and had stung them from head to foot. While all the preparations were being made in the palace, Jack had sat in the den among the wild animals, playing away upon his flute as hard as ever he could. It was one of the powers of the magical flute, when the owner was hard pressed, to sum- mon hornets to attack an enemy, and now Jack had been obliged to use this power.

At last the king, who all the time suspected what was happening, was Willing to admit that he was beaten. He felt sure that Jack must still be alive and exercising his magic. He sent messengers to the den for him. When they reached the place they found the animals all tied together by the magical belt, and there was a heavy mist all about so they could not see Jack. The messengers were frightened and went back to the king and told him what they had seen.

“Ah!” said the king, “it is just as I thought. The young man is a magician. Go again, and if you can find him, bring him to me.”

So the messengers went back to the den, and this time they found Jack; but it was not the same Jack, for he had changed his appearance