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.
'WELL,' said Cyril, 'of all the choices! But there's no accounting for tastes.' Every one laughed at the idea of the cook's being engaged as queen; they could not help it.
'I do not advise laughter,' warned the Phoenix, ruffling out his golden feathers, which were extremely wet.

'And it's not their own choice.