August 5, 2025 • 10 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter thirteen, how I set to work to undo a
wrong that had been done in the Kingdom of the Micamenkis,
and how Bulgar helped Queen Galaxi's confession I am created
Prime Minister as long as she lives. What took place
in the throne room, my speech to the men of Goggleland,
after which I showed them something worth seeing. How I
(00:21):
was pulled in two different directions, and what came of it.
The first thing I did, after the genuine Princess Cristelina
had left me was to seek out doctor Nebulosis and
learn from him the exact number of hours before the
Queen's heart would run down. As he had just been
making an examination, he was able to tell me the
very minute. It was seventeen hours and thirteen minutes, rather
(00:45):
a short time, you must confess, dear friends, in which
to accomplish such an important piece of business as I
had in mind. I then made my way directly to
the Royal Palace and demanded a private audience with the
Lady of the Crystal Throne. With the advice of Sir
amber Opake and Lord Krncore. She firmly but graciously refused
(01:06):
to receive me, giving as an excuse that the excitement
that would be sure to follow an interview with the
man of coal, so the Micamenkis had named me, would
shorten her life at least thirteen minutes. But I was
not to be put off in so unceremonious a manner.
Sitting down, I seized a pen and wrote the following
words upon a piece of glazed silk to Galaxa, Queen
(01:27):
of the Macamenkis, Lady of the Crystal Throne. I Lord Bulgar,
a Micamenkian, noble bearer of this who was the first
to discover that the real princess was not sitting on
the steps of the crystal throne, demanded an audience from
man Master Baron Sebastian von Trump, commonly known as the
Little Baron, and prompted by him, I ask, what are
(01:47):
thirteen minutes of thy life, O, Queen Galaxa, to the
long years of sorrow and disappointment in store for thy
royal child. Taking this letter in his mouth, Bulgar sprang
away with long and rapid bounds. In a few minutes
he was in the presence of the Queen, for the
guards had fallen back. Affrightened as they saw him draw near,
with his dark eyes flashing indignation. Raising himself up on
(02:10):
his hind feet, he laid the letter in Galax's hands.
The moment she had read it, she fell into a swoon,
and all was a stir and commotion in and round
about the palace. I was hastily summoned, and the audience
chamber cleared of every attendant save doctor Nebulosis, Sir amber Opake,
Lord Corncore, Lord Bulgar, and me. Send for the Demoiselle Glowstone,
(02:33):
commanded the Queen, And when she had appeared, to the
amazement of all, saving Bulgar and me, Galax obeyed her
mount the steps of the Crystal throne. Then, having embraced
her most tenderly, the Queen spoke these words, oh faithful
counselors and wise friends from the upper world, this is
the real Princess Cristelina, whom I have for all these
(02:54):
years wickedly and wrongfully kept from her high state and
royal privileges. She born with a speck in her heart,
and I feared that it would be useless to ask
my people to accept her as my successor, Oh Lady
of the Crystal Throne, exclaimed Lord cornericor thou hast wisely done,
thy people would never have received her as Princess Cristelina,
(03:16):
for being, by the laws of our land, denied the
privilege to look for themselves. They never would have believed
that this spot in the Princess's heart was but a
tiny speck, like a single hair crystal, in the arm
of thy magnificent throne. Therefore, o Queen, we counsel thee
not to embitter thy last hours by differences with thy
loving subjects. My Lord Corncore said I, with a low bow,
(03:39):
I make bold to raise my voice against thine and
crave permission from Queen Galaxa to parley with her people.
Forbid it, ry lady, cried Sir Amber Opaque savagely, at
which Bulgar gave a low growl and showed his teeth.
Queen Galaxa, I added gravely, A wrong confessed is half redressed.
(04:00):
This fair princess tis true. Hath I speckon her heart,
which ill accords with the name bestowed upon her by
thy people. Bid me be master and tell thy heart
run down and by the knighthood of all the trumps.
I promised Thee that thou shalt have three hours of happiness.
Ere thy royal heart as ceased to beat. Be it so,
(04:20):
little Baron, exclaimed Galaxa joyfully, I proclaim thee Prime Minister
for the rest of my life. At these words, Bulgar
broke out into a series of glad barks, and, raising
upon his hind legs, licked the Queen's hand in token
of his gratitude, while the fair princess looked a love
at me that was too deep to put into words.
(04:42):
I had now but a few hours to act. The excitement,
so doctor Nebulosis assured me, would shorten the Queen's life
a full hour. It had always been my custom to
carry about with me a small but excellent magnifying glass,
a double convex lens, for the purpose of making examinations
of minute objects, and also for reading inscriptions too thine
(05:03):
to be seen with the naked eye. Hastily summon a
skillful metal worker, I instructed him to set the lins
in a short tube, and to enclose that tube within another,
so that I could lengthen it at my pleasure. Then,
having called together as many of the head men of
the nation as the throne room would hold, I requested
Lord Coroncor to inform them of the confession which Queen
(05:24):
Glaxa had made, namely that in reality, Damoisel Glostone was
Princess Cristelina, and Princess Cristelina was Damoisel Glowstone. They were
stricken speechless by this piece of information. But when Lord
Cornicor went on to tell the whole story and to
explain to them why the Queen had practiced this deception
(05:44):
upon them, they broke out into the wildest lamentation, rejecting
it over and over again in piteous tones. A speck
in her heart, A speck in her heart, O dire misfortune,
a woeful day. She can never be our princess if
she hath I speck in her heart. By this time
my arrangements were complete. I had placed the Princess Cristallina
(06:06):
just outside the door of the throne room, where she
stood concealed behind the thick hangings, and near her I
had stationed Doctor Nebulosis, with a large circular mirror of
burnished silver in his hand, calling out in a loud
voice for silence. I thus addressed the weeping subjects of
Queen Galaxa. Oh Machamenk's, Men of Goggleland, transparent folk, I
(06:28):
count myself most happy to be among you at this hour,
and to be permitted by your gracious Queen to raise
my voice in defense of the unfortunate princess with a
speck in her heart. Being of noble birth and an
inhabitant of another world, it was lawful for me to
look through the sorrowing princess, and I have done it. Yes, Micamenk's,
I have gazed upon her heart, I have seen the
(06:50):
speck within it. Give ear, men of Goggleland, and you
shall know how that speck came there. For it is not,
as you doubtless think, a cold black spot within that
faire and closure clearer than the columns of Galaxus throne.
Oh no, Micamenk's A thousand times no, it is a
tiny blemish of reddish hue, a drop of princely blood
(07:11):
from the upper world which I inhabit. And this drop,
in all these countless centuries, has coursed through the veins
of a thousand kings and still kept its rosy at glow,
still remembered the glorious sunshine which called it into being.
And now men of gaggleland. Lest you think that for
some dark purpose of mine own I speak other than
the pure and sober truth, Behold, I show you the
(07:34):
fair Crystallini's heart in its very life, and being as
it is, beating and throbbing with hope and fear commingled.
Look and judge for yourselves. And with this I signaled
to those on the outside of the palace to carry
out my instructions. In an instant, the thick curtains were
drawn and the throne room was wrapped in darkness. And
(07:57):
at the same moment Doctor Nebulosis, with his mirror, caught
the strong white rays of light and threw them upon
Crystallina's body, while I, through an opening in the hangings,
made haste to apply the tube to which the lens
had been fitted, and, catching the reflected image of her heart,
threw it up in plain and startling view upon the
opposite wall of the throne room. Upon seeing how small
(08:19):
the speck was and how truthfully I had described it,
the Macamenkes fell a weeping for purest joy, and then,
as if with one voice, they burst out, long Live
the fair Princess Cristelina, with the ruby speck in her heart,
and ten thousand blessings on the head of little Baron
Trump and Lord Bulgar for saving our land from cruel dissensions.
(08:40):
The people on the outside took up the cry, and
in a few moments the whole city was thronged with
bands of Queen galaxis subjects, singing and dancing and telling
of their love for the fair princess with the ruby
speck in her heart. I had kept my word, Queen Galaxa,
would have at least three hours of complete happiness. Ere
her heart ran down. But suddenly the river of light
(09:02):
began to flicker and dim its flood of brilliant white rays.
Night was coming noiselessly, as if by magic. The Micamenkes
faded from my sight, stealing away in search of beds,
And as the gloom crept into the great Throne room,
some one plucked me gently by the hand, and a
soft voice whispered, I love I love THEE. Oh, who
(09:22):
other than I can tell how I love THEE? And
then a grip stronger than the gentle hand seized me
by the skirt of my coat and dragged me away,
slowly but surely, away through the darkness, through the gloom,
out into the silent streets, ever away, until at last
that soft voice, choking with a sob, seized its pleading
and gasps farewell, oh, farewell, I dare go no farther,
(09:47):
and so Bulgar in his wisdom, led me on and
ever on out of the city of the Mcamenkes, out
upon the Marble Highway end of Chapter thirteen.
Chapter thirteen, how I set to work to undo a
wrong that had been done in the Kingdom of the Micamenkis,
and how Bulgar helped Queen Galaxi's confession I am created
Prime Minister as long as she lives. What took place
in the throne room, my speech to the men of Goggleland,
after which I showed them something worth seeing. How I
(00:21):
was pulled in two different directions, and what came of it.
The first thing I did, after the genuine Princess Cristelina
had left me was to seek out doctor Nebulosis and
learn from him the exact number of hours before the
Queen's heart would run down. As he had just been
making an examination, he was able to tell me the
very minute. It was seventeen hours and thirteen minutes, rather
(00:45):
a short time, you must confess, dear friends, in which
to accomplish such an important piece of business as I
had in mind. I then made my way directly to
the Royal Palace and demanded a private audience with the
Lady of the Crystal Throne. With the advice of Sir
amber Opake and Lord Krncore. She firmly but graciously refused
(01:06):
to receive me, giving as an excuse that the excitement
that would be sure to follow an interview with the
man of coal, so the Micamenkis had named me, would
shorten her life at least thirteen minutes. But I was
not to be put off in so unceremonious a manner.
Sitting down, I seized a pen and wrote the following
words upon a piece of glazed silk to Galaxa, Queen
(01:27):
of the Macamenkis, Lady of the Crystal Throne. I Lord Bulgar,
a Micamenkian, noble bearer of this who was the first
to discover that the real princess was not sitting on
the steps of the crystal throne, demanded an audience from
man Master Baron Sebastian von Trump, commonly known as the
Little Baron, and prompted by him, I ask, what are
(01:47):
thirteen minutes of thy life, O, Queen Galaxa, to the
long years of sorrow and disappointment in store for thy
royal child. Taking this letter in his mouth, Bulgar sprang
away with long and rapid bounds. In a few minutes
he was in the presence of the Queen, for the
guards had fallen back. Affrightened as they saw him draw near,
with his dark eyes flashing indignation. Raising himself up on
(02:10):
his hind feet, he laid the letter in Galax's hands.
The moment she had read it, she fell into a swoon,
and all was a stir and commotion in and round
about the palace. I was hastily summoned, and the audience
chamber cleared of every attendant save doctor Nebulosis, Sir amber Opake,
Lord Corncore, Lord Bulgar, and me. Send for the Demoiselle Glowstone,
(02:33):
commanded the Queen, And when she had appeared, to the
amazement of all, saving Bulgar and me, Galax obeyed her
mount the steps of the Crystal throne. Then, having embraced
her most tenderly, the Queen spoke these words, oh faithful
counselors and wise friends from the upper world, this is
the real Princess Cristelina, whom I have for all these
(02:54):
years wickedly and wrongfully kept from her high state and
royal privileges. She born with a speck in her heart,
and I feared that it would be useless to ask
my people to accept her as my successor, Oh Lady
of the Crystal Throne, exclaimed Lord cornericor thou hast wisely done,
thy people would never have received her as Princess Cristelina,
(03:16):
for being, by the laws of our land, denied the
privilege to look for themselves. They never would have believed
that this spot in the Princess's heart was but a
tiny speck, like a single hair crystal, in the arm
of thy magnificent throne. Therefore, o Queen, we counsel thee
not to embitter thy last hours by differences with thy
loving subjects. My Lord Corncore said I, with a low bow,
(03:39):
I make bold to raise my voice against thine and
crave permission from Queen Galaxa to parley with her people.
Forbid it, ry lady, cried Sir Amber Opaque savagely, at
which Bulgar gave a low growl and showed his teeth.
Queen Galaxa, I added gravely, A wrong confessed is half redressed.
(04:00):
This fair princess tis true. Hath I speckon her heart,
which ill accords with the name bestowed upon her by
thy people. Bid me be master and tell thy heart
run down and by the knighthood of all the trumps.
I promised Thee that thou shalt have three hours of happiness.
Ere thy royal heart as ceased to beat. Be it so,
(04:20):
little Baron, exclaimed Galaxa joyfully, I proclaim thee Prime Minister
for the rest of my life. At these words, Bulgar
broke out into a series of glad barks, and, raising
upon his hind legs, licked the Queen's hand in token
of his gratitude, while the fair princess looked a love
at me that was too deep to put into words.
(04:42):
I had now but a few hours to act. The excitement,
so doctor Nebulosis assured me, would shorten the Queen's life
a full hour. It had always been my custom to
carry about with me a small but excellent magnifying glass,
a double convex lens, for the purpose of making examinations
of minute objects, and also for reading inscriptions too thine
(05:03):
to be seen with the naked eye. Hastily summon a
skillful metal worker, I instructed him to set the lins
in a short tube, and to enclose that tube within another,
so that I could lengthen it at my pleasure. Then,
having called together as many of the head men of
the nation as the throne room would hold, I requested
Lord Coroncor to inform them of the confession which Queen
(05:24):
Glaxa had made, namely that in reality, Damoisel Glostone was
Princess Cristelina, and Princess Cristelina was Damoisel Glowstone. They were
stricken speechless by this piece of information. But when Lord
Cornicor went on to tell the whole story and to
explain to them why the Queen had practiced this deception
(05:44):
upon them, they broke out into the wildest lamentation, rejecting
it over and over again in piteous tones. A speck
in her heart, A speck in her heart, O dire misfortune,
a woeful day. She can never be our princess if
she hath I speck in her heart. By this time
my arrangements were complete. I had placed the Princess Cristallina
(06:06):
just outside the door of the throne room, where she
stood concealed behind the thick hangings, and near her I
had stationed Doctor Nebulosis, with a large circular mirror of
burnished silver in his hand, calling out in a loud
voice for silence. I thus addressed the weeping subjects of
Queen Galaxa. Oh Machamenk's, Men of Goggleland, transparent folk, I
(06:28):
count myself most happy to be among you at this hour,
and to be permitted by your gracious Queen to raise
my voice in defense of the unfortunate princess with a
speck in her heart. Being of noble birth and an
inhabitant of another world, it was lawful for me to
look through the sorrowing princess, and I have done it. Yes, Micamenk's,
I have gazed upon her heart, I have seen the
(06:50):
speck within it. Give ear, men of Goggleland, and you
shall know how that speck came there. For it is not,
as you doubtless think, a cold black spot within that
faire and closure clearer than the columns of Galaxus throne.
Oh no, Micamenk's A thousand times no, it is a
tiny blemish of reddish hue, a drop of princely blood
(07:11):
from the upper world which I inhabit. And this drop,
in all these countless centuries, has coursed through the veins
of a thousand kings and still kept its rosy at glow,
still remembered the glorious sunshine which called it into being.
And now men of gaggleland. Lest you think that for
some dark purpose of mine own I speak other than
the pure and sober truth, Behold, I show you the
(07:34):
fair Crystallini's heart in its very life, and being as
it is, beating and throbbing with hope and fear commingled.
Look and judge for yourselves. And with this I signaled
to those on the outside of the palace to carry
out my instructions. In an instant, the thick curtains were
drawn and the throne room was wrapped in darkness. And
(07:57):
at the same moment Doctor Nebulosis, with his mirror, caught
the strong white rays of light and threw them upon
Crystallina's body, while I, through an opening in the hangings,
made haste to apply the tube to which the lens
had been fitted, and, catching the reflected image of her heart,
threw it up in plain and startling view upon the
opposite wall of the throne room. Upon seeing how small
(08:19):
the speck was and how truthfully I had described it,
the Macamenkes fell a weeping for purest joy, and then,
as if with one voice, they burst out, long Live
the fair Princess Cristelina, with the ruby speck in her heart,
and ten thousand blessings on the head of little Baron
Trump and Lord Bulgar for saving our land from cruel dissensions.
(08:40):
The people on the outside took up the cry, and
in a few moments the whole city was thronged with
bands of Queen galaxis subjects, singing and dancing and telling
of their love for the fair princess with the ruby
speck in her heart. I had kept my word, Queen Galaxa,
would have at least three hours of complete happiness. Ere
her heart ran down. But suddenly the river of light
(09:02):
began to flicker and dim its flood of brilliant white rays.
Night was coming noiselessly, as if by magic. The Micamenkes
faded from my sight, stealing away in search of beds,
And as the gloom crept into the great Throne room,
some one plucked me gently by the hand, and a
soft voice whispered, I love I love THEE. Oh, who
(09:22):
other than I can tell how I love THEE? And
then a grip stronger than the gentle hand seized me
by the skirt of my coat and dragged me away,
slowly but surely, away through the darkness, through the gloom,
out into the silent streets, ever away, until at last
that soft voice, choking with a sob, seized its pleading
and gasps farewell, oh, farewell, I dare go no farther,
(09:47):
and so Bulgar in his wisdom, led me on and
ever on out of the city of the Mcamenkes, out
upon the Marble Highway end of Chapter thirteen.
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