their physics and metaphysics; but in vain. Not even they could
suggest a cause.

Now the fact was that the old princess was at the root of the
mischief. When she heard that her niece found more pleasure in the
water than any one else out of it, she went into a rage, and cursed
herself for her want of foresight.

"But," said she, "I will soon set all right. The king and the
people shall die of thirst; their brains shall boil and frizzle in
their skulls before I will lose my revenge."

And she laughed a ferocious laugh, that made the hairs on the back
of her black cat stand erect with terror.

Then she went to an old chest in the room, and opening it, took out
what looked like a piece of dried seaweed. This she threw into a
tub of water. Then she threw some powder into the water, and
stirred it with her bare arm, muttering over it words of hideous
sound, and yet more hideous import. Then she set the tub aside, and
took from the chest a huge bunch of a hundred rusty keys, that
clattered in her shaking hands. Then she sat down and proceeded to
oil them all. Before she had finished, out from the tub, the water
of which had kept on a slow motion ever since she had ceased
stirring it, came the head and half the body of a huge gray snake.
But the witch did not look round. It grew out of the tub, waving
itself backwards and forwards with a slow horizontal motion, till
it reached the princess, when it laid its head upon her shoulder,
and gave a low hiss in her ear. She started--but with joy; and
seeing the head resting on her shoulder, drew it towards her and