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shocked by the tilting and tipping of the house, and they were still arching their backs and hissing. Some of the more maddened ones were climbing up Mrs. Funkhouser's dress and clawing at her hair. To say that as a group they presented a witchlike aspect would be putting it mildly.
    But Mrs. Funkhouser had heard the peasant's comment and resented it. "I," she told him, "am a respectable woman."
    The peasant nodded. "Good," he said. "You be a
good
witch, then. That's the best kind."
    "And now," said Barnaby, trying to sound more courageous than he felt, "lead us to your dragon."
    "It be right there," said the peasant.
    "Where?" said all four children, jumping.
    "There, in the lair," said the peasant, pointing.
    The four children looked where he pointed. Beyond the house was a cave in the rock that they hadn't noticed before. A huffing sound of breathing came from within, and with each huff a puff of purple smoke issued from the cavern's mouth.
    "He sounds awfully
relaxed
," said Susan. "Do you suppose he's eaten her already?"
    "No," said the first peasant, "he hain't. He feeds prompt at noon. 'Tis the custom."
    "Mornings he goes a-hunting," said a second peasant. "All among the local maidens. 'Tis a curse on us."
    "One a day he eats," said a third, "till the hero comes who'll kill the beast and rule the country. 'Tis the prophecy."
    "Not many maidens left by now," said a fourth peasant. "Seems like the race may die out afore
he
does. 'Tis a problem."
    "Today's maiden makes no never-minds, though," said a fifth. "'Tis a stranger."
    "Nobody we know," agreed a sixth.
    "So
that's
all right," said the seventh (and last) peasant.
    Abbie turned on the crowd of peasants indignantly. "It is
not
all right!" she cried. "She is
not
a stranger! She's my little sister!" And before Barnaby could stop her, she ran to the mouth of the cave. "Fredericka!" she called wildly.
    Within the lair Fredericka heard her sister's voice and struggled in the dragon's grip. "Help!" she called back.
    "Hush now," said the dragon fussily, bending over her. "I never like it when folks scream. Spoils the taste going down and upsets my digestion, later."
    "It
does?
" said Fredericka, considerably encouraged. And she screamed again, even louder.
    "What a horrible sound! It must be eating her
now!
" cried Susan, holding her ears.
    "No," said the first peasant, "it hain't. It feeds prompt at noon, and it feeds in public, to scarify us."
    John looked at his watch. "It's three minutes to twelve," he said.
    "We've got to do something fast," said Barnaby, turning to the round gentleman.
    "Oh dear," said the round gentleman. "Now the time has come, I don't believe I
can
!"
    But a new voice was heard. "Shame on you, Mr. Oswaldo," it said. "The one time your pesky magic might be some use, don't you
dare
back out!"
    Everyone turned in surprise. It was Mrs. Funkhouser. Apparently beneath her cross exterior she had hidden depths, and Fredericka's cries had plumbed them.
    "You save that little girl," she said now, "or take a week's notice from Tuesday!"
    "Well, I'll
try,
" said the round gentleman, "but I doubt if I'll be much help."
    "Of course you will," said Susan encouragingly. "It stands to reason. The book wouldn't have brought you in, otherwise. Or you, either," she added, turning to Mrs. Funkhouser.
    Mrs. Funkhouser gave her a sharp look. "What book would that be?"
    Susan looked at Barnaby, and Barnaby gave a little nod. "Well, you see we have this magic book," said Susan.
    "We're not sure yet just how it works," said John.
    "But it more or less began the whole thing," said Barnaby.
    "Let me see it," said Mrs. Funkhouser and the round gentleman, both speaking at once.
    Susan started to answer. But at that moment the steeple bells in the nearby village chimed noon, and the dragon emerged from its lair. And her words were drowned in a gasp.
    The children had had only a fleeting glimpse of the dragon before. Now as it paraded up and down, displaying itself to the crowd,