"Won't you be dreadful sorry to leave this lovelyplace?" Betsy asked the Ugly One.

"No, indeed," said he. "Jewels and gold are coldand heartless things, and I am sure I wouldpresently have died of loneliness had I not foundthe natural forest at the edge of the artificialone. Anyhow, without these real trees I shouldsoon have starved to death."

Betsy looked around at the quaint trees.

"I don't just understand that," she admitted."What could you find to eat here."

"The best food in the world," Ugly answered. "Doyou see that grove at your left?" he added,pointing it out; "well, such trees as those do notgrow in your country, or in any other place butthis cavern. I have named them 'Hotel Trees,'because they bear a certain kind of table d'hotefruit called 'Three-Course Nuts.' "

"That's funny!" said Betsy. "What are the'Three-Course Nuts' like?"

"Something like cocoanuts, to look at,"explained the Ugly One. "All you have to do is topick one of them and then sit down and eat yourdinner. You first unscrew the top part and find acupfull of good soup. After you've eaten that, youunscrew the middle part and find a hollow filledwith meat and potatoes, vegetables and a finesalad. Eat that, and unscrew the next section, andyou come to the dessert in the bottom of the nut.That is, pie and cake, cheese and crackers, andnuts and raisins. The Three-Course Nuts are notall exactly alike in flavor or in contents, butthey are all good and in each one may be found acomplete three-course dinner.

"But how about breakfasts?" inquired Betsy.

"Why, there are Breakfast Trees for that, whichgrow over there at the right. They bear nuts, likethe others, only the nuts contain coffee orchocolate, instead of soup; oatmeal instead ofmeat-and-potatoes, and fruits instead of dessert.Sad as has been my life in this wonderful prison,I must admit that no one could live moreluxuriously in the best hotel in the world than Ihave lived here; but I will be glad to get intothe open air again and see the good old sun andthe silvery moon and the soft green grass and theflowers that are kissed by the morning dew. Ah,how much more lovely are those blessed things thanthe glitter of gems or the cold gleam of gold!"

"Of course," said Betsy. "I once knew a littleboy who wanted to catch the measles, because allthe little boys in his neighborhood but him had'em, and he was really unhappy 'cause he couldn'tcatch 'em, try as he would. So I'm pretty certainthat the things we want, and can't have, are notgood for us. Isn't that true, Shaggy?"

"Not always, my dear," he gravely replied. "Ifwe didn't want anything, we would never getanything, good or bad. I think our longings arenatural, and if we act as nature prompts us wecan't go far wrong."

"For my part," said Queen Ann, "I think theworld would be a dreary place without the gold andjewels."

"All things are good in their way," said Shaggy;"but we may have too much of any good thing. And Ihave noticed that the value of anything dependsupon how scarce it is, and how difficult it is toobtain."

"Pardon me for interrupting you," said KingKaliko, coming to their side, "but now that wehave rescued Shaggy's brother I would like toreturn to my royal cavern. Being the King of theNomes, it is my duty to look after my restlesssubjects and see that they behave themselves."

So they all turned and began walking through theMetal Forest to the other side of the great domedcave, where they had first entered it. Shaggy andhis brother walked side by side and both seemedrejoiced that they were together after their longseparation. Betsy didn't dare look at the polkadot handkerchief, for fear she would laugh aloud;so she walked behind the two brothers and led Hankby holding fast to his left ear.

When at last they reached the place where thepassage led to the outer world, Queen Ann said, ina hesitating way that was unusual with her:

"I have not conquered this Nome Country, nor doI expect to do so; but I would like to gather afew of these pretty jewels before I leave thisplace."

"Help yourself, ma'am," said King Kaliko, and atonce the officers of the Army took advantage ofhis royal permission and began filling theirpockets, while Ann tied a lot of diamonds in a bighandkerchief.

This accomplished, they all entered the passage,the nomes going first to light the way with theirtorches. They had not proceeded far when Betsyexclaimed:

"Why, there are jewels here, too!"

All eyes were turned upon the ground and theyfound a regular trail of jewels strewn along therock floor.

"This is queer!" said Kaliko, much surprised. "Imust send some of my nomes to gather up these gemsand replace them in the Metal Forest, where theybelong. I wonder how they came to be here?"

All the way along the passage they found thistrail of jewels, but when they neared the end themystery was explained. For there, squatted uponthe floor with his back to the rock wall, sat oldRuggedo, puffing and blowing as if he was alltired out. Then they realized it was he who hadscattered the jewels, from his many pockets, whichone by one had burst with the weight of theircontents as he had stumbled along the passage.

"But I don't mind," said Ruggedo, with a deepsigh. "I now realize that I could not have carriedsuch a weighty load very far, even had I managedto escape from this passage with it. The woman whosewed the pockets on my robe used poor thread, forwhich I shall thank her."

"Have you any jewels left?" inquired Betsy.

He glanced into some of the remainingpockets.

"A few," said he, "but they will be sufficientto supply my wants, and I no longer have anydesire to be rich. If some of you will kindly helpme to rise, I'll get out of here and leave you,for I know you all despise me and prefer my roomto my company.

Shaggy and Kaliko raised the old King to hisfeet, when he was confronted by Shaggy's brother,whom he now noticed for the first time. The queerand unexpected appearance of the Ugly One sostartled Ruggedo that he gave a wild cry and beganto tremble, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Wh--wh--who is this?" he faltered.

"I am that helpless prisoner whom your cruelmagic transformed from a handsome man into an uglyone!" answered Shaggy's brother, in a voice ofstern reproach.

"Really, Ruggedo," said Betsy, "you ought to beashamed of that mean trick."

"I am, my dear," admitted Ruggedo, who was nowas meek and humble as formerly he had been crueland vindictive.

"Then," returned the girl, "you'd better do somemore magic and give the poor man his own faceagain."

"I wish I could," answered the old King; "butyou must remember that Tititi-Hoochoo has deprivedme of all my magic powers. However, I never tookthe trouble to learn just how to break the charm Icast over Shaggy's brother, for I intended heshould always remain ugly."

"Every charm," remarked pretty Polychrome, "hasits antidote; and, if you knew this charm ofugliness, Ruggedo, you must have known how todispel it."

He shook his head.

"If I did, I--I've forgotten," he stammeredregretfully.

"Try to think!" pleaded Shaggy, anxiously."Please try to think!"

Ruggedo ruffled his hair with both hands,sighed, slapped his chest, rubbed his ear, andstared stupidly around the group.

"I've a faint recollection that there was onething that would break the charm," said he; "butmisfortune has so addled my brain that I can'tremember what it was."

"See here, Ruggedo," said Betsy, sharply, "we'vetreated you pretty well, so far, but we won'tstand for any nonsense, and if you know what'sgood for yourself you'll think of that charm!"

"Why?" he demanded, turning to look wonderinglyat the little girl.

"Because it means so much to Shaggy's brother.He's dreadfully ashamed of himself, the way he isnow, and you're to blame for it. Fact is, Ruggedo,you've done so much wickedness in your life thatit won't hurt you to do a kind act now."

Ruggedo blinked at her, and sighed again, andthen tried very hard to think.

"I seem to remember, dimly," said he, "that acertain kind of a kiss will break the charm ofugliness."

"What kind of a kiss?"

"What kind? Why, it was--it was--it was eitherthe kiss of a Mortal Maid; or--or--the kiss of aMortal Maid who had once been a Fairy; or--or thekiss of one who is still a Fairy. I can't rememberwhich. But of course no maid, mortal or fairy,would ever consent to kiss a person so ugly--sodreadfully, fearfully, terribly ugly--as Shaggy'sbrother."

"I'm not so sure of that," said Betsy, withadmirable courage; "I'm a Mortal Maid, and if itis my kiss that will break this awful charm, I--I'll do it!"

Oh, you really couldn't," protested Ugly. "Iwould be obliged to remove my mask, and--when yousaw my face, nothing could induce you to kiss me,generous as you are."

"Well, as for that," said the little girl, "Ineedn't see your face at all. Here's my plan: Youstay in this dark passage, and we'll send away thenomes with their torches. Then you'll take off thehandkerchief, and I--I'll kiss you."

"This is awfully kind of you, Betsy!" saidShaggy, gratefully.

"Well, it surely won't kill me," she replied;"and, if it makes you and your brother happy, I'mwilling to take some chances."

So Kaliko ordered the torch-bearers to leave thepassage, which they did by going through the rockopening. Queen Ann and her army also went out; butthe others were so interested in Betsy'sexperiment that they remained grouped at the mouthof the passageway. When the big rock swung intoplace, closing tight the opening, they were leftin total darkness.

"Now, then," called Betsy in a cheerful voice,"have you got that handkerchief off your face,Ugly?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Well, where are you, then?" she asked, reachingout her arms.

"Here," said he.

"You'll have to stoop down, you know."

He found her hands and clasping them in his ownstooped until his face was near to that of thelittle girl. The others heard a clear, smackingkiss, and then Betsy exclaimed:

"There! I've done it, and it didn't hurt a bit!"

"Tell me, dear brother; is the charm broken?"asked Shaggy.

"I do not know," was the reply. "It may be, orit may not be. I cannot tell."

"Has anyone a match?" inquired Betsy.

"I have several," said Shaggy.

"Then let Ruggedo strike one of them and look atyour brother's face, while we all turn our backs.Ruggedo made your brother ugly, so I guess he canstand the horror of looking at him, if the charmisn't broken."

Agreeing to this, Ruggedo took the match andlighted it. He gave one look and then blew outthe match.

"Ugly as ever!" he said with a shudder. "So itwasn't the kiss of a Mortal Maid, after all."

"Let me try," proposed the Rose Princess, in hersweet voice. "I am a Mortal Maid who was once aFairy. Perhaps my kiss will break the charm."

Files did not wholly approve of this, but he wastoo generous to interfere. So the Rose Princessfelt her way through the darkness to Shaggy'sbrother and kissed him.

Ruggedo struck another match, while they allturned away.

"No," announced the former King; "that didn'tbreak the charm, either. It must be the kiss of aFairy that is required--or else my memory hasfailed me altogether."

"Polly," said Betsy, pleadingly, "won't youtry?"

"Of course I will!" answered Polychrome, with amerry laugh. "I've never kissed a mortal man inall the thousands of years I have existed, butI'll do it to please our faithful Shaggy Man,whose unselfish affection for his ugly brotherdeserves to be rewarded."

Even as Polychrome was speaking she trippedlightly to the side of the Ugly One and quicklytouched his cheek with her lips.

"Oh, thank you--thank you!" he fervently cried."I've changed, this time, I know. I can feel it!I'm different. Shaggy--dear Shaggy--I am myselfagain!"

Files, who was near the opening, touched thespring that released the big rock and it suddenlyswung backward and let in a flood of daylight.

Everyone stood motionless, staring hard atShaggy's brother, who, no longer masked by thepolka-dot handkerchief, met their gaze with aglad smile.

"Well," said Shaggy Man, breaking the silence atlast and drawing a long, deep breath ofsatisfaction, "you are no longer the Ugly One, mydear brother; but, to be entirely frank with you,the face that belongs to you is no more handsomethan it ought to be."

"I think he's rather good looking," remarkedBetsy, gazing at the man critically.

"In comparison with what he was," said KingKaliko, "he is really beautiful. You, who neverbeheld his ugliness, may not understand that; butit was my misfortune to look at the Ugly One manytimes, and I say again that, in comparison withwhat he was, the man is now beautiful."

"All right," returned Betsy, briskly, "we'lltake your word for it, Kaliko. And now let us getout of this tunnel and into the world again."