give the other fellow a chance. Where did that knife
come from, I wonder."

For a long, sharp knife suddenly appeared in the air
near them, twisting and turning from side to side and
darting here and there in a dangerous manner, without
any support whatever. Then another knife became visible
-- and another and another -- until all the space in
the royal cavern seemed filled with them. Their sharp
points and edges darted toward Rinkitink and Bilbil
perpetually and nothing could have saved them from
being cut to pieces except the protecting power of the
Pink Pearl. As it was, not a knife touched them and
even Bilbil gave a gruff laugh at the failure of
Kaliko's clever magic.

The goat wandered here and there in the cavern,
carrying Rinkitink upon his back, and neither of them
paid the slightest heed to the knives, although the
glitter of the hundreds of polished blades was rather
trying. to their eyes. Perhaps for ten minutes the
knives darted about them in bewildering fury; then they
disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared.

Kaliko cautiously stuck his head through the doorway
and found the goat chewing the embroidery of his royal
cloak, which he had left lying over the throne, while
Rinkitink was reading his manuscript on "How to be
Good" and chuckling over its advice. The Nome King
seemed greatly disappointed as he came in and resumed