Jacob the frog and King Carlyle continued down the river. Their search for the queen of the Water Sprites had not yet turned up anything, but they did find many strange and exotic creatures.
They also began to get information that the Queen of the Water Sprites was being held in a dark hole down at the bottom of the river somewhere.
“But where could this hole be?” King Carlyle asked Jacob. “We’ve been travelling this river for days, and we haven’t found anything.”
“Your majesty, I’m beginning to think about our friends,” said Jacob. “They must be worried about us. I hope they’re not wasting too much time searching the forest for us while we are on this quest.”
“Yes, yes, I know,” said King Carlyle. “But you speak of it as if this were simply some idle hobby or waste of time that I am engaged on. If the Queen of the Water Sprites is missing, then think of the disarray that must bring to the Water Sprites community. Their whole section of the river will be upset. I know that the Water Sprites are very small, and I know that the problem doesn’t affect me and the rest of the humans in the castle, but that does not mean it is not worthy of my attention.”
Jacob the Frog temporarily stopped swimming. “For all your many faults,” he said, “You are surely more worthy to sit on the throne than Catherine. I am glad to be your follower.”
“For all my many faults!” King Carlyle sputtered. “You’ve only known me a few days!”
“Your majesty, need I remind you how your temper and your quarrel with Midor--”
“Ah, of course! I’ll never get any respect in this forest as long as Midor remains. Everything is always about Midor, Midor, Midor.”
“As long as Midor remains? Do you mean to--”
“No, I’m not going to have him killed. Heavens, don’t you know me better than that by now? But I would like nothing better than if he went back to his own people. He’s not one of the forest people, you know. He’s a forest ranger from the human country of Mora. His parents are from the city. Some day, he should go back to his own city, and see his own family again, and stop troubling mine.”
“It would be a great loss to this forest if Midor were ever to leave,” said Jacob solemnly.
King Carlyle just grumbled to himself for a while longer.
Eventually, after questioning several more river creatures about the Queen of the Water Sprites' whereabouts, they were told that they needed to ask the old wise turtle, who dwelt near the bottom of the river. But no one could tell them exactly where to find the old, wise turtle. “This is just one long search after another,” said King Carlyle frustrated.
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