Whoever lived in the cottage hopefully knew the woods well enough to direct them on the way home.
2. They would have a chance to explain themselves and to assure the owner that someone from King Frederick's castle would be back to pay for all the firewood and food they had used.
Alexander, on the other hand, could counter these two points with three of his own:
1. He, Prince Alexander, could find his way out of any forest, enchanted or not, that had ever grown.
2. It is, after all, a great honor to have royalty visit, so he didn't see why anybody should be reimbursed for anything. And...
3. He had decided to take the mirror with him.
Now while Jennifer found his first reason privately doubtful and the second openly debatable, she could recognize in the third a downright criminal act when she heard one.
Alexander, however, was determined. He was constantly standing in front of the mirror (whether admiring it or himself was never ac
tually all that clear), and he was sure that the owner would never willingly part with it.
No amount of arguing, pleading, or threatening had been able to convince him to leave without the mirror, and Jennifer was beginning to fear that if she made Alexander choose between her and the mirror, she would be left to find her own way home.
So now, as Alexander waited impatiently, Jennifer tidied up and tried to figure some way around the situation.
The prince gave the mirror his most dazzling smile. Then he reached over to take it off the wall.
"I wouldn't il I were you," a low voice warned.
Alexander whirled toward the door. It was still closed, and as far as he could tell, he and Jennifer were the only ones in the room.
"I said I'm taking the mirror, and that's that," he said.
Jennifer, who had heard nothing, looked up from making the bed.
"What?" she asked, pushing a long, dark strand of hair out of her eyes.
"I said, i'm taking the mirror, and that's that.'"
Jennifer was puzzled. "Yes, I know."
"All right," Alexander scowled as Jennifer gave him a funny look.
"All right," he repeated, reaching for the mirror.
"You'll be sorry," the same voice whispered.
"Now cut that out!"
Jennifer straightened up and put her hands on her hips. "Alexander, what is the matter with you?"
"Would you please stop telling me not to take the mirror?"
Jennifer sighed. "Well, you shouldn't, but I didn't say anything."
"Fine, just leave it at that." Alexander took a step forward.
"Third warning is the last."
This time she heard it, too. "Who said that?" she demanded.
"Oh, come on," Alexander chided. "Stop playing games."
"Who spoke?" she asked again.
"I did," the voice said.
Jennifer glanced around even though she was already certain that they were the only two in the room. "Where?" she asked.
"Here."
The voice seemed to be coming from the mirror. Jennifer looked at it doubtfully. "Here?"
"Of course. Do you see anybody else in the room?" the mirror laughed.
"Hey, that's pretty good," Alexander said to Jennifer. "How do you do that without moving your lips?"
Jennifer ignored him. "Who are you?" she asked the mirror.
"Let's just say I'm someone who wants to remain where he is."
Alexander laughed. "That's very clever."
"Alexander!" Jennifer cried. "I'm not doing anything! The mirror is talking!"
"Hi, there," Alexander said, trying to hold his lips together. "I'm a talking mirror. Who are you?"
"Really," she insisted, "it's not me."
The prince stepped closer to the mirror, grinning widely, but this time hardly moving his lips.
"Ds izha pdy gid tik efu no ha," he announced.
Jennifer raised her eyebrows at him.
Alexander looked disappointed. "I said. This is a pretty good trick if you know how.'"
"Alexander." Jennifer put her hand on his arm and looked directly into his eyes. "This is no trick. I am not talking for the mirror. Now, Mirror, say something."
The mirror cawed and whistled like a parrot. "The prince is a jerk."
"Wait a minute," Alexander said.
"Did you see my lips move
2. They would have a chance to explain themselves and to assure the owner that someone from King Frederick's castle would be back to pay for all the firewood and food they had used.
Alexander, on the other hand, could counter these two points with three of his own:
1. He, Prince Alexander, could find his way out of any forest, enchanted or not, that had ever grown.
2. It is, after all, a great honor to have royalty visit, so he didn't see why anybody should be reimbursed for anything. And...
3. He had decided to take the mirror with him.
Now while Jennifer found his first reason privately doubtful and the second openly debatable, she could recognize in the third a downright criminal act when she heard one.
Alexander, however, was determined. He was constantly standing in front of the mirror (whether admiring it or himself was never ac
tually all that clear), and he was sure that the owner would never willingly part with it.
No amount of arguing, pleading, or threatening had been able to convince him to leave without the mirror, and Jennifer was beginning to fear that if she made Alexander choose between her and the mirror, she would be left to find her own way home.
So now, as Alexander waited impatiently, Jennifer tidied up and tried to figure some way around the situation.
The prince gave the mirror his most dazzling smile. Then he reached over to take it off the wall.
"I wouldn't il I were you," a low voice warned.
Alexander whirled toward the door. It was still closed, and as far as he could tell, he and Jennifer were the only ones in the room.
"I said I'm taking the mirror, and that's that," he said.
Jennifer, who had heard nothing, looked up from making the bed.
"What?" she asked, pushing a long, dark strand of hair out of her eyes.
"I said, i'm taking the mirror, and that's that.'"
Jennifer was puzzled. "Yes, I know."
"All right," Alexander scowled as Jennifer gave him a funny look.
"All right," he repeated, reaching for the mirror.
"You'll be sorry," the same voice whispered.
"Now cut that out!"
Jennifer straightened up and put her hands on her hips. "Alexander, what is the matter with you?"
"Would you please stop telling me not to take the mirror?"
Jennifer sighed. "Well, you shouldn't, but I didn't say anything."
"Fine, just leave it at that." Alexander took a step forward.
"Third warning is the last."
This time she heard it, too. "Who said that?" she demanded.
"Oh, come on," Alexander chided. "Stop playing games."
"Who spoke?" she asked again.
"I did," the voice said.
Jennifer glanced around even though she was already certain that they were the only two in the room. "Where?" she asked.
"Here."
The voice seemed to be coming from the mirror. Jennifer looked at it doubtfully. "Here?"
"Of course. Do you see anybody else in the room?" the mirror laughed.
"Hey, that's pretty good," Alexander said to Jennifer. "How do you do that without moving your lips?"
Jennifer ignored him. "Who are you?" she asked the mirror.
"Let's just say I'm someone who wants to remain where he is."
Alexander laughed. "That's very clever."
"Alexander!" Jennifer cried. "I'm not doing anything! The mirror is talking!"
"Hi, there," Alexander said, trying to hold his lips together. "I'm a talking mirror. Who are you?"
"Really," she insisted, "it's not me."
The prince stepped closer to the mirror, grinning widely, but this time hardly moving his lips.
"Ds izha pdy gid tik efu no ha," he announced.
Jennifer raised her eyebrows at him.
Alexander looked disappointed. "I said. This is a pretty good trick if you know how.'"
"Alexander." Jennifer put her hand on his arm and looked directly into his eyes. "This is no trick. I am not talking for the mirror. Now, Mirror, say something."
The mirror cawed and whistled like a parrot. "The prince is a jerk."
"Wait a minute," Alexander said.
"Did you see my lips move
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