'It's as easy as kissing your claw,' replied the bird. 'I speak
and understand ALL languages, even that of your cook, which is
difficult and unpleasing. It's quite easy, when you know how it's
done. It just comes to you. I should advise you to beach the
carpet and land the cargo--the cook, I mean. You can take my word
for it, the copper-coloured ones will not harm you now.'

It is impossible not to take the word of a Phoenix when it tells
you to. So the children at once got hold of the corners of the
carpet, and, pulling it from under the cook, towed it slowly in
through the shallowing water, and at last spread it on the sand.
The cook, who had followed, instantly sat down on it, and at once
the copper-coloured natives, now strangely humble, formed a ring
round the carpet, and fell on their faces on the rainbow-and-gold
sand. The tallest savage spoke in this position, which must have
been very awkward for him; and Jane noticed that it took him quite
a long time to get the sand out of his mouth afterwards.

'He says,' the Phoenix remarked after some time, 'that they wish to
engage your cook permanently.'

'Without a character?' asked Anthea, who had heard her mother speak
of such things.

'They do not wish to engage her as cook, but as queen; and queens
need not have characters.'

There was a breathless pause.