The Mysterious Shin Shira | Page 4

executing immediately the slightest wish echoed in that
wonderful place.
"But it is sufficient to say that, after a lot of ceremony, I was at last
ushered into the presence of the Grand Panjandrum himself.
"It is forbidden to anyone, under the most awful penalties, to describe
His Supreme Importance's appearance, so I cannot tell you what he was
like; but I found him suffering the most excruciating agony with the
toothache, and with his face even more swollen than the Chief Cook's
had been.
"At a sign from the Court Physician I quickly prepared my nettle leaves,
which we had thought to gather on our way to the palace, and began to
rub them gently on the Grand Panjandrum's cheek, on the opposite side
of his face to that which was swollen.
"To my horror and amazement, they had no effect whatever, except
immediately to raise a terrible rash upon His Supreme Importance's
cheek, and to cause him such pain that he called out angrily that it was
worse than the toothache itself.
"I hurriedly and anxiously consulted my little book to see if by any
mischance I had failed in carrying out any of the directions; but no,
there it was in black and white--'rub the other side with a stinging
nettle.'
"I showed it to the Court Physician, and he said--
"'Try the "other" side, then: you've rubbed one side, try the other.'
"So in fear and trembling I begged His Supreme Importance's
permission to apply the remedy to his other cheek, and after some
demur he agreed, but making it a condition that if it failed to act I was

to be immediately beheaded.
"You may imagine with what anxiety I awaited the result of my
experiment, and how carefully I rubbed the nettles on.
"It was all in vain: the rash spread under the nettles and the swelling
grew greater than ever--evidently my fairy power refused to work--and
the Grand Panjandrum was in a fearful rage.
"'Fetch the Executioner!' he cried, in terrible tones. 'I will see this
impostor executed before my eyes!' And twenty slaves flew to obey his
command.
"'Grin!' whispered the Court Physician behind his hand, 'grin and bear it;
it's the only thing to be done.'
[Illustration: "The Executioner in his agitation dropped his axe."]
"I gave him a wrathful glance, and was about to speak, when at a sign
from the Grand Panjandrum, two powerful slaves sprang forward and
bound and gagged me.
"There was a sound of approaching footsteps, and from another
entrance the Executioner appeared, followed by some slaves carrying
the block.
"I thought my last moment had arrived, but just then, to my intense
delight, I felt a curious sensation, which told me that I was about to
disappear.
"My feet went first (this is not always the case), and then my legs, and I
could see the amazement with which the Grand Panjandrum and all the
assembled company were regarding the, to them, extraordinary
phenomenon.
"The Executioner in his agitation dropped his axe, and stood
open-mouthed regarding what was left of me; and, although I was
rather anxious lest they should make an attempt to chop off my head

before it finally disappeared, I managed despite my gag to 'grin' in the
Grand Panjandrum's face, and an instant later I found myself here."
Shin Shira, having finished his story, drew his little fan from his sleeve
and sat fanning himself with great composure, while he regarded my
doubtless astonished face with considerable amusement.
"I--I'll put that story down at once, if you don't mind," I stammered,
hurrying to my desk and getting out some papers.
The drawer stuck, and it was some seconds before I could get it open,
and when I turned round again, to my great dismay, Shin Shira had
almost disappeared.
The little yellow shoes were still there and part of a stocking, but even
as I watched them they too disappeared, the long pointed toes of the
shoes waggling a kind of farewell--or so I thought--and my strange
little visitor had vanished.

MYSTERY NO. II
SHIN SHIRA AND THE DRAGON
It was during my holidays in Cornwall that I next met Shin Shira.
I had ridden by motor-car from Helston to the Lizard, and after
scrambling over rugged cliffs for some time, following the white stones
put by the coastguards to mark the way, I found myself at last at the
most beautiful little bay imaginable, called Kynance Cove.
The tide was low, and from the glittering white sands, tall jagged rocks
rose up, covered with coloured seaweed; which, together with the deep
blue and green of the sky and sea, made a perfect feast of colour for the
eyes.
On the shore I met an amiable young guide, who, for sixpence,
undertook