58 \ THE SECOND FROGGY FAIRY BOOK.

“ The first king; crown him, crown him!”

He lifted his tin crown from his speckled
head and flung it, out over the pond, to his
retainer. Then he squatted to gloat over the
game. Elsie stood near where the little boy was
crouched, directing and moving his forces. He
was very nervous and excited.

“1 do hope you'll win,” Elsie said.

And then it was astonishing what effect
her words produced. The Hop-toad King
started to make around the pond to Elsie.

“T heard you,” he grunted. “You want the
Prince to win. You love him! But I love you.
And I shall have you. The Prince is hateful
to me. I am losing my power; and I will kill
him!”

While he made these avowals a small
swarm of bees poured from his throat, and flew
towards Elsie. She screamed.

“Cracky, cracky! Those are stinging words,”
said a familiar voice. Froggy the Fiddler stood
at hand, and, when the bees flew up he caught
them all with lightning quickness, and poked
them into his little lantern.

The boy stood facing the advancing toad
monster. “Umpy dumpy didley dee,” he cried.
“J shall win because she wishes it. The spell
you held over me is broken Umpy dumpy
didley dee! So says the sign of the frogs.”