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diff --git a/old/62440-0.txt b/old/62440-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a349cd2..0000000 --- a/old/62440-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4632 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Magical Land of Noom, by Johnny Gruelle - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Magical Land of Noom - -Author: Johnny Gruelle - -Release Date: June 20, 2020 [EBook #62440] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAGICAL LAND OF NOOM *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing, Mary Glenn Krause, Charlene -Taylor, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by the Internet Archive) - - - - - - -[Illustration: The MAGICAL LAND of NOOM] - - - - -[Illustration] - - The MAGICAL LAND of NOOM - - - _by_ - JOHNNY GRUELLE - - _with - Sundry and Mondry - Illustrations - by the Author_ - -[Illustration] - - _Published by_ - P.F. VOLLAND COMPANY - NEW YORK BOSTON TORONTO - CHICAGO - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1922 - - JOHN B. GRUELLE - - (All rights reserved.) - - COPYRIGHT GREAT BRITAIN, 1922 - - Printed in U. S. A. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -[Illustration] - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. Johnny and Janey Fly Away to the Moon 11 - - II. Johnny and Janey Meet the Strange Man 23 - - III. Gran’ma and Gran’pa Fly After the Children 37 - - IV. Enter the Magic Boxing Gloves, the Wolves and the Rubber - River 49 - - V. The Beautiful Girl Tells Her Strange Story 61 - - VI. Now We Come to the Little Old Lady and Jingles’ Magic - Whistle 71 - - VII. The Soft-Voiced Cow Meets the Witch and the Invisible - People 81 - - VIII. Tiptoe, the Dancing Master, Uses His Magic Umbrella 97 - - IX. Johnny and Janey Grow Very Tall and Have Some Strange - Adventures 111 - - X. The Tiptoe Brothers and the Slide Raft 121 - - XI. Again We Meet the Princess, the Palace and the Magician 131 - - XII. Gran’ma Tweaks Old Jingles’ Nose 142 - - XIII. Everybody Goes Home 153 - - - - - DEDICATED TO - DOROTHY MARY - AND - J. P. JUNIOR - - - - -[Illustration] - - ILLUSTRATIONS - - - “You just wait! I’ll catch you and pay you back!” 31 - - The little Faun Boy caught up with the Strange Man, butting him - with all his might 44 - - Gran’pa struck them right and left with his cane, but was finally - knocked down 50 - - “Did you open the Green Jar?” the Beautiful Girl asked 65 - - “It was in the year 339,700 that I talked to the Queer Horse and - the Strange Man put me in the jar” 72 - - The Old Woman caught the Soft-Voiced Cow’s tail and began dragging - her back 83 - - “I was forced to step into the Magic Umbrella” 102 - - The Soft-Voiced Cow jumped three feet in the air and started across - the valley, kicking her heels and mooing 112 - - Down, down, the Slide Raft sped, until it was going so fast that - its occupants could not talk 125 - - Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe rode in the Magic Umbrella and the - men rode underneath 131 - - Catching his long nose in her hands she gave it a tweak 145 - - “There it is!” David shouted. “Guide the Flying Boat to the balcony - at the right of the Palace!” 154 - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER I - JOHNNY AND JANEY FLY AWAY TO THE MOON - - -Gran’pa had finished building the chicken coop and he walked out in -front of the house to speak to a neighbor. - -Johnny and Janey, who had been watching Gran’pa with such interest, grew -tired of waiting for his return. - -“Let’s build a Flying Machine,” Johnny said after a while. “Grand’pa has -finished and will not need the boards that are left and we can find -plenty of nails.” - -“Do you think we can build a Flying Machine?” asked Janey, delighted at -the idea. - -“Easily!” Johnny told her. “Of course we can’t make one that will really -fly, but we can pretend that it goes ’way up in the air.” - -“It will be loads of fun!” cried Janey, and she jumped up and down and -smiled. - -So Johnny got an old box and nailed four or five boards to the sides for -wings. - -“It should have a sail,” Janey said. - -“Yes, it needs a sail and a mast and a rudder,” replied Johnny. “Run in -and ask Gran’ma for an old sheet to make the sail of, will you, Janey? -I’ll be putting on a mast and the rudder.” - -When Janey came running back with an old sheet she cried, “I just -thought! We must have something to start and stop the Flying Machine -with, so Gran’ma gave me two empty spools. We can use them.” - -[Illustration] - -“Just the thing!” Johnny answered. “I’ll put them at the front of the -box and label one ‘Start’ and the other ‘Stop.’” - -“How can we guide the Flying Machine when we get to flying?” Janey -asked. “When we make believe we’re flying, I mean.” - -“I’ve put only one nail in the rudder,” Johnny replied, “so that by -pulling on these strings we can guide it. See?” And Johnny showed his -sister how the board with only one nail in it turned from side to side -as he pulled the strings. - -“Oh! That’s fine!” Janey exclaimed. “I’ll ask Gran’ma if we may have -some lunch to take with us on our trip,” she added, as she ran into the -house. - -When Janey came out with a tiny basket of lunch Johnny had marked “Polly -Ann” on both sides of the box. He had fastened the sail made from the -old sheet to a stick and run a string through a screw-eye, so that the -sail could be raised or lowered whenever they might wish. - -“Let’s see!” Johnny mused. “Have we everything we need?” - -“Well, here are the wings, the rudder, the ‘Start’ and ‘Stop’ spools and -the sail,” Janey told him. “I think that is all, don’t you?” - -“All right, then, Sis! Put the lunch on one of the sails. No!” and -Johnny hammered a nail on one side of the box, “hang the basket of lunch -there and climb in. It’s going to be a tight squeeze for both of us. But -it won’t take this Flying Machine long to get to Mars or Venus or the -Moon, and we can get out and rest on some of the Stars if we get tired.” - -“Let’s go to the Moon first, and then to the Milky Way!” Janey cried. - -“All right, if you are ready!” Johnny agreed, as he sat in the bottom of -the box, in front of Janey. “Hold your hat, Sis, for here she goes!” - -And Johnny turned one of the spools in the front of the box. - -“Oh! isn’t the view grand from up here, Johnny!” Janey cried. “See, -there is Gran’ma’s house ’way down below, and we are getting closer to -the Moon all the time!” - -“Those are queer birds flying by, Sis,” said Johnny, who could make -believe any way he liked. “Can you make out what they are?” - -“Yes,” Janey answered, as she looked at the chickens in the yard, “they -are Eagles. See that beautiful big one with the red comb? That’s a Roc!” - -[Illustration] - -“My, I wish this Flying Machine would really Fly!” Johnny said, a little -later. “But it’s fun pretending anyway. Let’s get out at the next Star, -Sis, and eat our lunch. I didn’t eat much breakfast and I’m hungry!” - -“All right, Brud!” said Janey, who wasn’t tired of the play either. -“Wait a minute!” as Johnny started to climb out of the box. “You forgot -to stop the Flying Machine.” - -“Well, I’ll bring it to a stop very slowly,” Johnny told her. “So that -we won’t strike these mountain tops and tip over!” - -And he turned the “Stop” spool a fraction of an inch. - -Neither of the children was prepared for what followed. - -The Polly Ann shot up over the fence, suddenly, scattering the startled -chickens in all directions, and as Johnny and Janey crouched low in the -box the familiar objects about the farm whizzed by them like bullets. - -“We are really going!” Janey gasped, as they sped upward. “I feel as if -I’d like to jump!” - -At this Johnny caught his sister’s foot and held it tight. - -“Don’t look over the side until you get used to flying!” he cautioned -her, very wisely. - -“Twist the other spool!” Janey told him. “I don’t like to be up so high. -Everything seems so small.” - -Johnny gave the other spool a twist and the Flying Machine swept ahead -at twice its former speed. - -“You’re twisting the wrong spool!” Janey screamed. “You must have been -twisting the wrong one all the time, somehow. See, you’ve been twisting -the one marked ‘Start.’” - -“Sure enough! That’s just what I did,” Johnny admitted. “Well, I’ll -twist the other now.” - -The Flying Machine came to such a sudden halt that the children were -almost thrown from the box, and the basket of lunch was whirled off its -nail so suddenly that it flew straight ahead of the Flying Machine for -nearly a hundred feet before it curved to the earth. - -The children watched it curve and circle as it fell. Then the paper came -off and there was a regular shower of sandwiches, doughnuts and small -cakes. - -“Now, Mister! You be careful or we’ll never get back!” Janey cried as -she clutched her brother tightly by the collar. “Send the Flying Machine -down to the ground again, Johnny. Please do!” - -But the Flying Machine, when it stopped, hung suspended in the air -although when Johnny gently twisted the “Start” spool and it started off -again, it went in the opposite direction from the earth. - -“It won’t go down,” cried Johnny, as he brought the Flying Machine to a -stop again. “What shall we do?” - -“Well, if it won’t go down, there’s nothing to do but go on!” Janey -answered. “It’s all your fault for building the Flying Machine!” - -“Now, Sis, that isn’t fair!” cried Johnny. “You know you suggested -putting on the spools, and if we’d left them off we shouldn’t have -started. What we should have thought of was something to make the Flying -Machine go up or down as we wanted. Now it only goes ahead or stops.” - -“Try guiding it with the rudder,” Janey suggested. - -So Johnny twisted the “Start” spool, and as the Flying Machine started -forward he pulled one of the rudder strings. The Flying Machine slowly -turned and flew in a large circle. - -“We can’t do it!” Janey cried, the tears coming to her eyes. “We can’t -make it go down as we want to! We’re only flying in a circle above -Gran’ma’s farm. See! Gran’ma and Gran’pa and a lot of other people are -out looking at us!” - -Sure enough, so far below that they looked like tiny specks of dust, the -children could see their grandparents and many of the neighbors watching -them as they sailed. - -Johnny brought the Flying Machine to a stop directly over Gran’ma and -Gran’pa and the neighbors, and they could hear Gran’pa calling to them -quite distinctly. The children called back at the top of their voices, -but they couldn’t make Gran’ma and Gran’pa hear. - -Johnny tried twisting first one spool and then the other, but this -jerked the Flying Machine so violently that his sister objected. She -said she would rather go on than stay just where they were, doing -nothing. So the children took off their hats and waved farewell to the -people below, and Johnny, twisting the “Start” spool gently at first, -increased the speed until the Flying Machine sped along like a meteor, -leaving the farm far below and behind. - -The different colors in the fields gave the Earth a sort of patchwork -effect, but as the Flying Machine climbed higher and higher the yellows -and greens and blues blended together until the Earth was more the color -of an opal. In fact, the children now saw a continuous change of colors, -ranging from a deep yellow to a bluish purple, with every now and then a -speck of crimson as the sunlight glanced along a hill. - -“Isn’t it beautiful!” Janey cried. “I don’t feel as if I wished to jump -any more, do you, Brud?” - -“No, I don’t feel like jumping,” her brother answered, and he stopped -the Flying Machine so that he could see better. “Look, Sis, what causes -that yellow blaze down there?” - -They both looked over the side of the Flying Machine and saw the Earth -bathed in a sheen of gold, with here and there glimpses of brilliant -purple showing. - -“Oh! I know what it is now!” Janey cried, presently. “A thunder storm -has just passed between us and the Earth and the sun is shining on the -Clouds. Look! See the lightning?” - -A faint rumble came up to them as of someone rolling potatoes down a -wooden trough, and a vivid streak of blue zigzagged through the yellow -of the clouds. - -“The purple we see is the Earth in shadow beneath the clouds,” Johnny -concluded, after a while. - -The children watched the strange sight for a long time before they -decided to go on. Then they looked away for a moment, and when they -looked back toward the Earth they could not find it at once. They had -traveled so far that the Earth now seemed no larger than a bright Star, -and but for the fact that it was almost beneath them they would never -have recognized it at all. - -Lots of other Stars could be plainly seen now. The Moon had grown to an -enormous size; in fact, it almost filled the sky behind them. The -children were greatly surprised to see it. They had been watching the -Stars in front of them and they had not once turned their heads the -other way. - -“What is that?” Janey cried suddenly, as she grasped her brother’s arm -and pulled one of the rudder strings so that the Flying Machine swung -around to face the Moon. - -[Illustration] - -Johnny was so startled at the wonderful sight that he gave the “Stop” -spool a twist and brought the Flying Machine to a stop with a jerk. - -“It must be the Moon!” said Johnny, in an awed voice, after he had -looked at the enormous object in speechless amazement for fully five -minutes. - -“It _is_ the Moon, Brud!” Janey agreed. “See, there is the Man in the -Moon’s face as plain as day, and there are mountains and valleys, too. -See?” - -The Moon, seen from where the children viewed it, was of a pale -bluish-greenish tint, except where the rays of the Sun slanted across -the mountain peaks and into the deep valleys. It seemed to Johnny and -Janey as though they were looking through beautiful blue-green glass -down into a dark well; for wherever the Sun did not shine or was not -reflected from the mountains into the valleys the Moon’s surface was -black—so black that it made the rest of the Moon seem transparent. This -seemed to the children very strange. - -“Say, Sis,” Johnny exclaimed, “this can’t be the Moon after all! It must -be some extra big Star.” - -[Illustration] - -“I believe it is the Moon,” said his sister, “for, you can see the face -of the Man in the Moon quite plainly. But it is a great deal larger than -it usually is, and it doesn’t look quite as it does from the earth. But -see! There are the Man’s eyes and nose and mouth.” - -“Yes, I see now,” Johnny admitted. “But it isn’t exactly the same view -we have from the Earth.” - -“You are right, Johnny!” said Janey, after a moment. “It isn’t the same -view. We must have passed to the other side of the Moon!” - -[Illustration] - -Johnny started the Flying Machine again and steered it toward the Moon. -And as they whirled around the side of the Moon the part that resembled -a man’s face twisted about until it disappeared. - -“I can’t tell whether we are getting closer to the Moon or not!” cried -Johnny anxiously. - -Presently, however, they saw the face of the Man in the Moon coming -around from the other side. - -“We must have made a complete circuit of the Moon,” Janey decided. “See, -Johnny, the rudder is pulled over to one side! That’s the reason!” - -Johnny pulled the rudder string until the Flying Machine was aimed right -at the Moon, and they approached it at great speed. - -“Slow up, Johnny!” Janey cried, when they could make out all the -mountain tops and valleys very distinctly. “It feels too much as if we -were falling when we go so fast.” - -So Johnny twisted the “Start” spool backwards until they were flying -very slowly and seemed to be floating down toward the Moon’s surface as -lightly as a feather. - -[Illustration] - -The Flying Machine still was headed directly toward the Moon, and this -gave the children the impression that they were falling. But Johnny, by -pulling the rudder about occasionally, steered the Flying Machine so -that they landed among large mushrooms and queer ferns, instead of on -the mountain tops or in the deep valleys they had seen on the other side -of the Moon. - -For, although the children did not know this, they had passed around the -side of the Moon that always faces the Earth and had alighted in the -Magical Land of Noom. - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER II - JOHNNY AND JANEY MEET THE STRANGE MAN - - -By twisting the “Start” spool backward and forward Johnny had brought -the Flying Machine to the Moon’s surface very gently, but by no twisting -of rudder or the spools could he effect a landing except by heading the -Flying Machine directly for the surface. It was in this manner that the -machine came to rest, with the front of the box resting upon the surface -of the Moon, and the rudder sticking up in the air. The children sat in -the box as though they were tied there and were very much surprised to -find that they did not fall to the ground. - -There they sat—directly facing the ground, with their backs to the sky. - -“Let’s get out and look around, Janey! This feels too funny, sitting -this way!” And Johnny started to put his foot over the side of the box -down to the Moon. - -“Wait a moment!” Janey cried as she caught her brother and held him. “We -may tumble back into the sky if we get out of the Flying Machine!” - -“I do not think we shall do that! I had not thought of it, though!” -Johnny mused. - -“One thing certain—it is a long fall to the farm.” - -Finally Janey cried, “I have it!” And she took off her slipper and held -it out to the side of the box. Johnny watched her with much interest. - -“If the slipper falls to the ground, it is safe for us to get out!” she -said as she dropped it. - -The slipper dropped very slowly to the ground. - -“It didn’t seem to want to go very much!” she said. - -“Try the other one,” Johnny suggested. - -The second slipper floated to the ground in the same manner, very -slowly. - -This puzzled the children, and they were undecided just what to do until -another idea struck Janey. “I’ll hold your hand while you climb out, so -that if you start to fall up in the air, I can pull you back into the -box!” she said. - -So while his sister held his hand Johnny stepped from the box to the -surface of the Moon and straightened up. “Dear me!” he exclaimed. “You -look funny sitting there, Janey. Climb out!” - -“How does it feel when you stand up, Johnny?” she asked. - -“Natural!” he replied. “Come on!” - -“I don’t like to!” Janey said, holding to the sides of the box. “It -seems so queer.” - -At this Johnny pushed on the rudder of the Flying Machine and tipped the -box over backward, so that his sister found herself sitting up in the -box, while the box rested in a natural position upon the ground. - -“Oh!” Janey exclaimed, as she stood up beside Johnny. “What a relief! My -legs are stiff and cramped.” - -When she stepped from the box Janey intended hopping up and down to -straighten out the cramps, but when she jumped she rose in the air six -or eight feet, and Johnny, springing to catch his sister, who seemed -about to fly off the Moon, gave such a spring he rose ten feet in the -air and passed her. - -Both children settled slowly to the ground, and when they reached there -they sat down and held to mushrooms. - -Johnny wiped the perspiration from his forehead. “My goodness! I thought -we were both goners then,” he said. - -Presently they both laughed. “How silly we are! If we had only thought -we wouldn’t have been scared a bit!” Johnny exclaimed. “The Moon is so -much lighter than the earth the attraction of gravity is not so strong, -and we naturally are lighter. Look at this, Sis!” he continued jumping -up in the air and throwing his feet out in front of him, so that he took -what in the water is called “A Seat in Congress.” - -“Be careful, Bud!” Janey exclaimed anxiously. - -“We are safe,” said Johnny as he settled slowly to the ground, “and we -can have barrels of fun doing stunts! Whee!” and he stamped both feet -upon the ground and gave such a spring that he turned over and over in -the air four or five times before he settled to the ground again. - -Janey could not see so much fun without being in it herself, so she -caught Johnny’s hand and they turned flip-flops and jumped up into the -air and pretended they were swimming as they came down. They were having -the best time of their lives. - -[Illustration] - -Then, seeing some giant mushrooms not far off, Johnny called to Janey -and ran toward them. When about twenty feet away he leaped and sailed -through the air up to the top of the tallest, one about ten feet high. -Janey followed, and they jumped from one mushroom to another. Sometimes -they missed the jump, but this did not matter, as they settled to the -ground easily and gently. - -Janey and Johnny played among the giant mushrooms for a long time, doing -all sorts of tricks, and jumping around until they grew tired. - -As they sat under an immense fern, resting, Johnny said, “It’s too bad -we lost the lunch, Sis. I’m beginning to feel hungry!” - -“I should like some of Granny’s doughnuts!” Janey said. “Let’s see if we -can find any berries or fruit to eat. I’ve read that is the way all -shipwrecked people do.” - -“Perhaps we shall have to live on mussels and clams,” said Johnny as he -arose. “Let’s find something! I could almost eat one of these -mushrooms!” And Johnny broke off a piece of mushroom and held it towards -Janey. - -[Illustration] - -Janey caught a whiff of the mushroom and said, “It smells good enough to -eat!” - -Johnny smelt the piece he had in his hands and then took a tiny bite. - -“Be careful, Johnny!” Janey warned. “You know Granny said there was -really no way to tell whether a mushroom was a mushroom or a toad-stool, -except by eating it, and if you ate it and it was poison it was a -toad-stool, and if you ate it and it did not hurt you, it was a -mushroom!” - -“Ummmmm!” Johnny exclaimed, when he had tasted the mushroom. “It’s fine, -Janey!” and Johnny broke off another piece and ate it as if it had been -cake. - -“I’ll wait and see if it poisons you first!” said Janey. - -Johnny picked off pieces of different mushrooms and tried them. “They’re -different, Janey!” he cried. “You’re missing it! Try this piece! It -tastes of raspberry or blackberry, I can’t tell which!” - -Janey nibbled at the piece Johnny gave her and found the flavor -excellent. She went to the mushroom from which Johnny had broken the -piece and tore off a chunk as large as her head and began to eat it. The -mushrooms were sweet and of different flavors, tasting just like cake. -The children discovered that the old mushrooms which had turned brown -were of chocolate or ginger flavor. - -“We can’t starve with all these goodies!” cried Johnny. “I feel as if I -had just finished a Thanksgiving dinner!” - -Janey left Johnny sitting under one of the mushrooms and walked about to -see if she could discover a spring, as the sweet mushrooms had made her -very thirsty. - -Johnny had eaten so much it made him drowsy, and before Janey had gone -far he was sound asleep. - -Janey passed under the mushrooms and giant ferns until she came to an -open space in the center of which a spring bubbled up. - -Walking up to the spring, Janey was surprised to see no outlet for the -water. It bubbled up just as water would bubble in a kettle when -boiling, but this water felt very cold when she put her finger in it. - -Upon tasting the water Janey found it sour. “Lemonade!” she cried, and -running to the side of the clearing she picked a large leaf and folded -it for a cup. - -The lemonade was just sweet enough, and Janey drank two large leavesful. -She was dipping in again when she heard a tread upon the grass behind -her. - -“Oh, Johnny,” she cried, “I’ve found a spring of lemonade and it is -lovely!” - -Then, as Johnny did not answer, she turned her head and saw a strange -Man approaching her with upraised stick and a fierce frown upon his -face. - -“Who said you might drink of my spring!” he shouted, quickening his walk -to a hop and waving his arms in a threatening manner. - -“I—I—I—did not know it was your spring!” the little girl answered, as -she scrambled to her feet and dropped her leaf-cup. - -“Of course you didn’t!” the Strange Man cried as he came up to her and -caught her arm fiercely. “Of course you didn’t! Of course you didn’t!” - -And with that he raised his stick above his head as if to strike her. -“I’ll teach you to drink of my spring!” - -Janey screamed and pulled with all her might to get away, but the -Strange Man held her tightly. - -Johnny, hearing his sister’s cry, came running through the ferns, and -seeing the Strange Man about to hit Janey, he flew at him like a little -tiger. When about eight feet from the Strange Man, Johnny, who was -running at good speed, jumped through the air and landed upon the -Strange Man’s back. The force of his dive carried himself and the -Strange Man head over heels, knocked off the Strange Man’s tall hat and -made him lose his hold upon Janey and the stick. - -Johnny was on top when they finally quit rolling and with all his might -he pummeled the Strange Man about the head. The Strange Man’s long legs -kicked through the air and he scratched at Johnny’s face with his long -fingers. - -The Strange Man cried out for Johnny to quit, but Johnny, angry at the -Strange Man’s treatment of his sister, managed to get his knees on the -Strange Man’s arms, sat upon his chest and pounded him right and left. - -[Illustration: “You just wait! I’ll catch you and pay you back!” (page -31)] - -“Say enough!” Johnny yelled. “Say enough! Say enough!” and Johnny caught -hold of the Strange Man’s long hair and bumped his head upon the ground. - -Janey held her breath. It was the first time she had ever seen Johnny in -a fight, for he was a quiet little fellow and always avoided a fight if -it were possible. But now Johnny was very angry, and Janey felt sorry -for the Strange Man. - -“Let him up, Johnny! He’s had enough! He says for you to quit! Let him -up!” Janey cried. - -“Now, you keep back, Sis!” Johnny shouted, his eyes full of tears. “I’ll -teach him to strike you! There!—There! Will you ever—There!—do it -again?” - -“No, I won’t! Honest!” the Strange Man cried, closing his eyes tight -each time Johnny bumped his head on the ground. - -“All right!” Johnny said as he got off of the Strange Man and stood back -to see what he would do upon getting up from the ground. - -The Strange Man picked up his hat and stick without looking at Johnny, -turned and walked across the clearing. When he had reached the other -side he looked over his shoulder, and shaking his stick at the children -he cried, “You just wait! I’ll catch you and pay you back! You just -wait!” - -Johnny, in spite of his sister’s attempt to hold him back, ran across -the clearing after the Strange Man, who turned again and sped through -the ferns like a deer. - -When Johnny reached the edge of the clearing he stamped his feet upon -the ground loudly. The Strange Man, thinking Johnny was close behind -him, redoubled his efforts and catching his foot in a vine went -sprawling among the ferns. - -Johnny doubled up with laughter and Janey could not help joining in. - -“My! You surely can fight, Johnny!” she said admiringly. Janey put her -arm around her brother’s neck and kissed him. - -“Ah shucks!” said Johnny, embarrassed. “I couldn’t stand to see him -strike you, Janey, but I don’t like to fight.” - -“Weren’t you mad though! You cried!” Janey went on. - -“That’s it!” Johnny exclaimed. “I get too angry and have to cry like a -boo baby! That’s why I always get licked, because my eyes fill up with -tears and I can’t see!” - -“Oh Johnny, I’ll bet you don’t always get licked, either! You can lick -anyone I’ll bet, if you want to!” his sister said proudly. - -“Well of course I really don’t get licked every time!” Johnny admitted. -Then, with a laugh, he added, “Because sometimes I can run faster than -the other fellow and he doesn’t catch me!” - -“Of course it’s wrong to fight!” Janey said as they walked away in a -different direction from the one taken by the Strange Man. “It always -seems so useless, doesn’t it?” - -“Unless it’s something like this fight!” Johnny answered. - -“I guess I couldn’t have fought so well if I hadn’t been fighting for -you! Did he hurt you much, Janey?” - -“He hurt me when he pinched my arm, but he didn’t hit me with the -stick,” Janey said, as she showed Johnny the bruised place on her arm. - -“It’s a good thing I didn’t know of that bruise,” cried Johnny, “while I -had him down!” - -As they talked the children came to a path. They walked down it until -they saw a queer little house made of sticks plastered together with mud -and colored clay. - -“What a queer house!” the children cried. “Isn’t it small!” - -They walked up to the door and knocked. “Come in!” a voice called to -them from within. - -So the children, pushing open the door, stepped inside. - -At first they could see nothing, for the door had swung shut behind -them, but presently their eyes growing accustomed to the darkness, they -made out a form across the room. - -[Illustration] - -“My! It’s dark!” Janey exclaimed. “Can’t we have a light!” - -The form across the room chuckled and Johnny reached behind him for the -door-knob, so that he could let some light into the room. The door was -locked! - -When Johnny found this out he stepped in front of Janey. “Keep behind -me, Sis!” he whispered. “This doesn’t seem safe!” - -At this moment something struck Johnny in the face and splashed all -over. It took him so by surprise he staggered backward and stumbled over -Janey, so that both the children fell to the floor. - -As he scrambled to his feet Johnny felt his arms caught and a rope -whirled around and around his arms and legs, so that he could not move. - -A bright flame shot up from the fireplace and the children saw the -Strange Man sitting there with a book across his knees. He had just -thrown a powder in the fireplace and it burnt brightly. - -The Strange Man was the only one in the room except the children and he -mumbled to himself as he read from the great book. Johnny looked at -Janey and saw that she was tied in much the same manner as himself. - -“It’s the man who owns the Lemonade Spring,” cried Janey. - -“Say!” Johnny shouted. “You untie us and let us go, or we’ll have you -arrested when we get out!” - -“You won’t get out!” the Strange Man told him. “I’ll see to that!” - -“Help!” Johnny shouted at the top of his voice, Janey joining him. - -“Dear me!” the Strange Man exclaimed fretfully. “How can you expect me -to change you into animals when you make so much noise? You distract my -mind from my reading, and I am trying to find just how to work the -magic!” - -“Is that a magic book?” Janey asked. - -“Of course!” the Strange Man replied. “And I have to memorize the magic -song that I must sing when I puff the magic powder over you and change -you into animals, and I can not think when you make so much noise!” - -“We’re sorry we drank your lemonade!” Janey said. - -“I’m sorry I had a fight with you!” Johnny said. - -“Yes! I know you are,” the Strange Man cried, shaking his stick at them, -“and I told you that I would get even with you! I am about to change you -into pigs!” - -“Oh dear! I don’t care to be changed into a pig!” Janey cried. - -“I don’t believe he can do it!” Johnny told her. - -“Oh, don’t you!” the Strange Man hissed, as he put down the large book -and came towards Johnny. “I can easily change you into a cat, but I am -learning the rhyme to change you into pigs and then I’ll show you!” - -Janey began crying and Johnny said, “Don’t cry, Sis! He’s trying to fool -you! He can’t change us into anything, it isn’t possible!” - -The Strange Man puffed some powder from a tiny bellows upon Johnny and -began to sing. - - “A diddle daddle hunka dee, A chunka lunka diddle fee, - Kerlike kerlunk kachunkapat, and so I change you to a cat!” - -“There! I guess you believe it possible now, don’t you?” the Strange Man -said when he stopped singing. - -“Meow!” said Johnny. “Meow!” He _had_ changed into a cat. - -“Killikaluka, willyculoosa! Now I change you to a boy!” said the Strange -Man, again puffing the powder upon Johnny, and changing him back to a -boy. - -“What shall we do?” Janey cried. - -“You must keep still,” the Strange Man commanded, “or I can never change -you to pigs!” - -“Let us keep yelling at the top of our lungs,” cried Johnny, “so that he -can not study the rhyme to change us into pigs!” - -So the two children began yelling at the top of their voices, and the -Strange Man grew so impatient he finally said, “Well, if you continue -like that, I shall have to go outside and study, but it will be all the -worse for you when I do change you to pigs, for I shan’t let you see a -mud puddle for two years!” - -And as the children continued their cries, the Strange Man closed his -book and went out by a back door. He stamped along the walk kicking the -loose pebbles viciously. - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER III - GRAN’MA AND GRAN’PA FLY AFTER THE CHILDREN - - -When Gran’pa and Gran’ma saw the children fly over the fence they could -scarcely believe their eyes. They shouted as loudly as possible for -Janey and Johnny to come back. - -And when the children circled above the farm in their home-made Flying -Machine, all the neighbors, hearing the cries of the two old people, -came running over to the farm and watched the strange sight. - -When the home-made Flying Machine rapidly disappeared in the sky the two -old people put their arms around each other and wept like children. - -Of course there was nothing they could do, so they went into the house -and sat down upon the old couch. - -“They were such good children!” Gran’ma sobbed. - -“They were always good children!” Gran’pa cried. “Oh dear! Oh dear!” - -All the rest of the day the old people thought of Janey and Johnny and -wondered what had become of them. - -“I wish we could go in search of them!” Gran’pa said. - -“Where did they get such a wonderful Flying Machine?” Gran’ma asked as -she wiped the tears from Gran’pa’s eyes and her own with her apron. - -“They made it from an old box and some boards I had left after finishing -my chicken coop!” Gran’pa told her. - -“Yes, I remember now!” Gran’ma said. “Janey came in and asked me for an -old sheet for a sail, and for two spools. The spools, she said, would be -the ‘Start’ and ‘Stop’ twisters for the flying machine!” - -“It’s funny they didn’t come back when we called to them!” Gran’pa -mused. “They always have minded so well!” - -“I don’t believe they knew how to work the Flying Machine so that they -could return to the earth!” Gran’ma replied. “Perhaps they did not think -it would really fly and so neglected to put something on to send the -machine down. I am sure that must have been the reason!” - -“It must have been!” Gran’pa mused. “But see here, why can’t we go after -them and bring them back, Gran’ma! If the children could build a Flying -Machine, I see no reason why I couldn’t build one! In fact,” Gran’pa -continued, “I could build a better one, I’m sure!” - -“But how do we know where they have gone to?” Gran’ma asked. - -“We can easily find out!” Gran’pa said, as he walked to the door. “I -will build my machine with many spools on it, and one spool we will mark -‘Direction taken by the children’ and the machine will follow them -everywhere they have gone until we find them! The other spools can be -labeled ‘Stop,’ ‘Go,’ ‘Rise,’ ‘Lower,’ and anything else we can think -of. We must be careful and have everything complete before we start!” - -“It is six o’clock now,” Gran’pa added. “I should have it finished by -eight or nine o’clock and we can start the first thing in the morning!” - -So Gran’pa took all his tools out in the back yard and began to work. - -Johnny had picked out the largest box around the place and all that -Gran’pa could find were four little soap boxes; these he nailed -together. - -A neighbor boy came over to watch Gran’pa, and when he heard what -Gran’pa was building he said, “Gran’pa, why don’t you borrow my boat? I -should be glad to let you have it, and you could put a sail on it and -fix it up fine!” - -“That will be great, Eddie!” Gran’pa said, “I’ll come right over and get -it!” - -So Gran’pa hitched up old Ned, and telling Gran’ma where he was going, -he drove over to Eddie’s home and brought back the boat. - -It did not take Gran’pa long to make the wings on either side of the -boat. He took all the spools he could find and nailed them around the -front part. He made a rudder behind that could be turned in any -direction. Gran’pa, when he had the boat completed, sat and thought a -minute, then he went into the buggy shed and taking two lamps from an -old surrey he trimmed the wicks, filled them with oil and fastened them -on the sides of the boat. - -When he had everything to his liking, it was still daylight and he -called Gran’ma to come out and see the new Flying Boat. - -“Do you think it will really go?” Gran’ma asked. - -“Jump in and let’s try it!” Gran’pa cried. - -So the two old people climbed into the boat and Gran’pa twisted one of -the spools. The Flying Boat rose quietly in the air and flew about as -Gran’pa twisted the spools or the rudder. - -“It is a success!” both cried as Gran’pa brought the boat back to the -starting point. - -When they settled to the ground, Gran’ma ran into the house and came out -with Gran’pa’s coat and hat. She had put on her best bonnet and shawl. -She had Janey’s and Johnny’s coats and several sweaters with her. - -Gran’ma had prepared a large basket of food while Gran’pa had been -working on the boat, so she told Gran’pa to get this while she filled a -jar with water. - -“If we find them, the dears will be hungry and thirsty,” Gran’ma said, -“and it is such a beautiful evening we might as well start now.” - -“You are right!” Gran’pa exclaimed. “We will start immediately!” - -Eddie had remained at home to eat his supper when Gran’pa went for the -boat, and now he came running over just in time to see the Flying Boat -rise from the ground and go sailing over the fences and trees. - -“I’ll take care of your place until you come back!” he yelled. - -And Gran’pa and Gran’ma, increasing the speed of the Flying Boat, were -soon only a speck in the sky. - -When they had reached a great altitude, Gran’pa twisted the spool marked -“Direction taken by the children” and the Flying Boat swooped down -towards the earth until it was on a plane with the course taken by Janey -and Johnny; then, as Gran’pa twisted the “Speed” spool, the Flying Boat -whizzed through the air so fast that the wind screamed as it rushed in -and out of the chinks in the wing boards. Gran’pa and Gran’ma saw the -sun rise as they flew over the horizon. The side of the earth away from -the sun was in darkness, so that when they flew higher it took on the -appearance of a half moon. - -[Illustration] - -Gran’pa looked at his watch and said it was ten-thirty. - -“You take a wink of sleep, Gran’ma,” he said. “I’ll keep watch!” - -So Gran’ma rolled up in the blankets she had placed in the boat and was -soon fast asleep. - -Gran’pa awakened her in about an hour to look at the Moon, which they -were approaching at great speed. - -“They must have gone to the Moon!” Gran’ma cried. “No, they must have -changed their course!” she added after a moment as the Flying Boat, -following the course taken by the children, made the circuit of the -Moon. - -But the Flying Boat soon flew directly at the Moon and the old folks -knew the children must have made a landing there. - -[Illustration] - -In fact, the Flying Boat soon landed near the Flying Machine that Johnny -had made. - -“Here we are!” Gran’pa cried, as he helped Gran’ma from the Flying Boat. -“See where they have been sitting in the grass!” - -And Gran’ma and Gran’pa followed the children’s path in the grass until -they came to the spring. There they saw the signs of Johnny’s fight. - -“It looks as though a struggle had taken place here!” cried Gran’pa. - -“Oh! Maybe wild beasts have eaten them up!” cried Gran’ma. - -“No! There are no signs of wild beasts!” Gran’pa replied. “We should see -their torn clothes about if that were the case! See, their trail leads -off this way!” - -Gran’pa and Gran’ma at last came to the tiny house of sticks and mud and -heard the cries of the children inside. - -“Here we are!” Gran’pa cried as he ran around the house. - -Gran’ma, lifting her skirts, followed, and when she turned the corner of -the house she stopped in amazement beside Gran’pa. - -Back of the house the Strange Man was running in circles and dodging -behind trees and bushes, now this way and now that, while right behind -him came a Faun Boy with lowered head. They were so busy running they -didn’t notice Gran’ma and Gran’pa. - -And as the old couple watched, the little Faun Boy caught up with the -Strange Man and, butting him with all his might, sent him flying through -a bunch of ferns. - -Before the Strange Man could regain his feet the Faun Boy was upon him -and sent him tumbling head over heels again. - -The Strange Man scrambled to his feet when the Faun Boy tripped over -some vines and without looking behind him he circled about and ran for -the house. - -As he reached the door, another Faun Boy rushed from the bushes and, -taking the Strange Man unawares, sent him flying back towards the first -Faun Boy. - -“Those goats will butt him to pieces!” cried Gran’ma, as she ran after -the Faun Boys and tried to shoo them away. - -The Faun Boys paid no attention to Gran’ma’s shooing and continued to -butt the Strange Man about between them until he scarcely had time to -know from which side he was attacked. - -When Gran’pa saw that Gran’ma’s shooing had no effect upon the Faun -Boys, Gran’pa ran after them and managed to catch their arms, and -although they struggled to get free he held them tightly. - -“My gracious!” Gran’pa asked them, “Do you wish to kill that poor old -man?” - -“Let us go!” the Faun Boys cried, “He’s a wicked magician!” - -[Illustration: The little Faun Boy caught up with the Strange Man, -hitting him with all his might. (page 44)] - -“I thought they were goats,” Gran’ma exclaimed, and she looked hard at -the Faun Boys as she adjusted her glasses, “but they _are_ part boys!” - -The Strange Man had managed to get to his feet and without thanking -Gran’pa, who still held the Faun Boys, he slipped through the bushes and -disappeared. - -The two Faun Boys began crying. “He was a wicked magician!” they said, -“and he changed us partly into goats. We are trying to get him to change -us back to our own shapes! Now you have spoiled it all!” - -“Dear me!” Gran’ma cried, as she caught the two Faun Boys in her arms. -“Gran’pa, you should have known better!” - -“I know I should have known better now, but I didn’t until they told -me!” Gran’pa said. “I’m very sorry!” - -[Illustration] - -Just then Janey and Johnny, who had stopped yelling to rest a little, -started up again and Gran’pa and Gran’ma ran towards the house. - -The door was locked. - -“Open the door and we will let you out!” cried Gran’pa when he could -make himself heard. - -“We are tied, hands and feet,” Johnny yelled, “and we can’t get to the -door!” - -“Besides, it’s locked on the outside!” Janey called. - -“Let’s get a fence rail and break in the door!” said Gran’pa. - -But there wasn’t a fence in sight. - -“I’ll run back to the Flying Boat and get a hatchet!” Gran’pa called, as -he started away. - -“No doubt you will find that old Jingles, the Magician, intended -changing your grandchildren into animals,” the Faun Boys told Gran’ma. - -[Illustration] - -“If I had him now!” Gran’ma said, stamping her foot upon the ground, -“I’d tweak his long nose! That’s what I’d do!” - -Finally Gran’pa came running back all out of breath. “The Flying Boat -and the children’s Flying Machine are both gone!” - -“Oh dear!” Gran’ma exclaimed, as she sat down on the ground and began -crying. - -The Faun Boys began butting their heads against the door, Gran’pa -helping them by throwing his shoulder against it, and soon the door gave -way. - -Gran’ma and Gran’pa untied the children and hugged them. - -The children told Gran’ma and Gran’pa of their experience. “As soon as -he had learned the rhyme he was going to change us into pigs!” Janey -said. - -“Well, we won’t let him now that we are here!” said, Gran’ma, firmly. - -“Oh, but you couldn’t help yourself if he decided to change you into -animals!” the Faun Boys told Gran’ma. - -[Illustration] - -“I’d like to see him just try it!” Gran’ma said, her lips in a tight -line. “I’d tweek his nose out of joint!” - -“Perhaps we’d better leave the place before he returns!” Gran’pa said. -“Evidently it was Jingles the Magician who took our Flying Boat!” - -“Surely it must have been!” the Faun Boys said. - -“Here’s his large book, with the verses in, that he uses to work his -magic with!” cried Johnny. - -The book was too large for them to carry with them, so they hid it under -some stones and scattered leaves over it so that Jingles would not be -able to find it if he came back. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - - - - CHAPTER IV - ENTER THE MAGIC BOXING GLOVES, THE WOLVES, AND THE RUBBER RIVER - - -“The Strange Man is called ‘Jingles the Magician’ because he uses rhymes -to work his magic,” the Faun Boys explained, as they walked from the -house. - -They had not gone far before they reached a large field. “This is -queer!” one of the Faun Boys cried. “This field was not here when we -came through a short time ago!” - -About half-way across the field was a clump of bushes, and Gran’pa said, -“Perhaps it would be as well to walk around it.” But as they drew nearer -the bushes began moving, and what seemed at first to be a flock of birds -arose and flew towards them. - -As the objects came closer Gran’pa saw they were Boxing Gloves; swarms -of them. They flew about the little group and peppered them from all -sides. Gran’pa struck them right and left with his cane, but was finally -forced down. The children, Gran’ma and the Faun Boys ran as fast as they -could across the field, followed by the Boxing Gloves, which swarmed -about their heads like giant bees and hit against their backs and heads. - -Gran’pa, still on the ground, struck right and left with his heavy cane -and at each swing he brought down one or two of the Boxing Gloves. - -The children, Gran’ma and the Faun Boys by this time had reached the -other side of the field and dashed into the underbrush. For some reason -the Boxing Gloves did not follow, but turned and flew back and began -pelting Gran’pa. - -Whenever Gran’pa managed to get to his feet the Boxing Gloves knocked -him down, so he lay on his back and struck right and left and kicked his -heels in the air to keep them from striking him. - -When Johnny saw that the Boxing Gloves did not follow into the -underbrush he told Gran’ma and Janey to wait where they were and -breaking off a stout stick Johnny rushed back to Gran’pa’s assistance. - -The stick was so long and heavy that he tripped over it, but he didn’t -mind that—just jumped up and ran faster than ever. - -[Illustration: Gran’pa struck them right and left with his cane, but was -finally knocked down. (page 50)] - -Some of the Boxing Gloves met him half-way and although Johnny knocked -them down by the hundreds, he could not defend himself from all sides -and three or four of the Boxing Gloves, striking him from behind, sent -him flying to the ground. - -Johnny rolled over and over, but kept his stout stick thrashing the air -whenever he turned face up. - -Gran’pa was still hitting the Boxing Gloves with his cane, but was -getting very tired. - -The ground was covered with broken Boxing Gloves, lying where Gran’pa -and Johnny had struck them with their sticks. - -Johnny tried to get upon his feet, but was promptly knocked down. The -Faun Boys broke off large sticks and ran back into the field, where they -fought the Boxing Gloves away from Gran’pa and Johnny. - -The Faun Boys whipped so many of the Boxing Gloves that soon there were -not enough left to injure Gran’pa and Johnny again, so as the few -remaining Boxing Gloves flew at them Gran’pa and Johnny whipped these, -too. - -At last there were only three of the Boxing Gloves left and these were -flying about one of the Faun Boys, trying to find a place to strike him. - -Gran’pa ran to his assistance and as he struck at them one flew close -and knocked Gran’pa’s glasses from his nose, so that he could not see. - -“Watch for my glasses, boys!” he cried. “Don’t step on them!” - -Johnny, running up, cracked one of the Boxing Gloves, but the other two -kept getting behind him. Presently Johnny found himself with his back -towards the Faun Boys, and a Boxing Glove coming to reach the Faun Boy -did not know Johnny was there until Johnny caught it such a whack with -his stick he tore it all to pieces. The Faun Boy finally knocked the -thumb off the last one and the great fight with the Magic Boxing Gloves -was over. - -What a sight! There were thousands of torn Boxing Gloves lying about. - -One of the Faun Boys found Gran’pa’s glasses and handed them to him. - -“That was better than fighting bumble bees when I was a boy!” Gran’pa -laughed. Aside from a black and blue eye, Gran’pa was not hurt in the -least. - -“That surely was fun!” Johnny cried, as they reached the place where -they had left Janey and Gran’ma. - -“It won’t be as much fun the next time!” a voice cried, and turning, -they saw old Jingles the Magician sail from the Boxing Glove Bushes in -the Flying Boat and disappear in the direction of his house. - -“I thought he was responsible for those bushes!” said one of the Faun -Boys. “You must watch out for him every minute, for all he has to do to -change you into an animal is to puff his magic powder on you and say his -rhyme!” - -“We will watch out for him!” Gran’ma said. - -The Faun Boys invited Gran’ma and Gran’pa and the children to their -place to rest and have something to eat, so they led the way and without -further adventure came to their tiny home. - -When the Faun Boys had given Gran’pa and Gran’ma and the children food, -Gran’pa said, “I don’t know how we shall contrive to get the flying boat -away from old Jingles.” - -“I should advise you not to try it,” one of the Faun Boys told him, “for -he will only change you into animals if he once gets you separated from -each other! I should advise you to travel in the opposite direction from -his place until you come to the town of Nite. Living in that town you -will find an old Witch who may be able to help you reach the earth -again!” - -“Perhaps that will be a wise thing to do!” Gran’ma said. “For if we -should get separated and one of us should be changed to an animal, the -rest of us could not go home without him and we could not take him -home!” - -“Yes,” Janey and Johnny said, “let us go to the City of Nite!” - -So, thanking the Faun Boys for their hospitality, Gran’ma and Gran’pa -and Janey and Johnny left them and started on their journey. - -The Faun Boys had warned them to be careful of old Jingles. - -“He may follow you all the way to the City of Nite and try to get each -of you alone so he can say his rhymes,” they said, “but once you are in -the City you are safe, for we have heard that the Witch is very angry at -him and will destroy him some day if she can!” - -[Illustration] - -After leaving the home of the Faun Boys, Gran’ma with her arm about -Janey and Gran’pa with his arm around Johnny, the travelers walked until -they came to a high cliff above a river. There seemed to be no way -across to the other side of the canyon except by way of a Vine Bridge. - -“I can never get across that thing!” Gran’ma cried. - -“We’ll have to cross it or walk for miles and miles around!” Gran’pa -said. For as far as they could see in either direction, the canyon was -just as wide and deep as it was there. - -“I just know I’d get dizzy and tumble in!” Gran’ma said. - -[Illustration] - -Johnny walked out upon the vine bridge and bounced it up and down. - -“It is strong enough to hold us, Gran’ma!” he called back. “Put your -hands over your eyes and you will be all right.” - -“I can’t do it!” Gran’ma replied, as she sat down on the ground. - -“If we only had our boat we’d fly across!” Janey said. - -“Yes! If we only had our boat we’d fly home!” Gran’ma sighed. - -“Maybe, after all, we had best go back to the wicked Jingle’s house -until he goes to bed and then we may be able to get our boat!” Gran’pa -suggested. - -“Perhaps we had!” Johnny agreed. So they turned from the canyon and -started to retrace their steps. - -Suddenly Gran’pa, who was in the lead, stopped and said, “Listen! What -was that?” - -They all held their breaths an instant later. It was the baying of -Wolves. - -“They are coming in this direction!” Johnny cried. - -The sound grew louder. - -“Which way shall we go?” Janey asked. - -“Come on everybody!” Gran’ma cried, as she lifted her skirts and ran -towards the Vine Bridge. - -“Wait, Gran’ma!” Janey cried. “Let Johnny help you across!” But Gran’ma -kept running. - -Just as she reached the edge of the canyon she stumbled and slid over -the cliff. - -Gran’pa, Johnny and Janey ran to the edge and looked over, expecting to -see Gran’ma struggling in the river far below, but what was their -surprise to see her sitting upon the top of the water, unharmed. - -“Are you hurt?” Gran’pa called. - -“Not a speck!” Gran’ma called back. “The river is rubber and all I did -was bounce up and down!” - -“Jump over and have a bounce! I wish I were up there so I could do it -again! It was fine!” Gran’ma added, as she jumped up and down and -bounced about like a rubber ball. - -Gran’pa had almost forgotten the Wolves coming behind them, but noticing -now how near they seemed, he said, “We haven’t a great deal of time -left, Johnny, we better jump! The Wolves have scented us and are getting -closer every minute!” - -“But if we get down there, how will we ever get up again?” Johnny -wondered. - -“I don’t know!” Gran’pa exclaimed, “but I know I shall not leave Gran’ma -down there alone!” So with that, Gran’pa jumped from the cliff and -turned over and over before he hit the Rubber River upon his back. - -The children thought he never would stop bouncing. - -By this time the children could see the Wolves in the distance. - -“What shall we do?” Janey cried, wringing her hands. “If we jump down we -may never get up again, if we stay here we shall be caught by the -Wolves, and if we go across they will follow us!” - -“We could go across and then, when the Wolves tried to follow, we could -bounce the Vine Bridge and shake them off!” Johnny suggested. - -“Yes, and shake them down to Gran’ma and Gran’pa! No, Johnny, that will -never do!” - -“Then you cross the Vine Bridge, Sis, and I’ll show you what we’ll do! -Hurry now, before it’s too late!” - -Janey ran across the Vine Bridge, and when she had reached the other -side Johnny drew his knife from his pocket and hacked at the vines. The -small, sharp blade soon cut them in two. He was none too quick, for just -as he severed the last strand of the Vine Bridge the Leader of the -Wolves sprang toward Johnny. - -[Illustration] - -As the Vine Bridge fell Johnny jumped and caught the loose end and went -swinging across the chasm at a dizzy speed. He managed to hold on, even -if he did get quite a bump when the Vine Bridge struck on the other -side. - -When the Leader of the Wolves jumped and missed Johnny, he flew headlong -over the cliff. Gran’pa was watching the children, but when he saw the -Wolf light upon the Rubber River he braced himself and brought his stout -cane down upon the Wolf’s head with such force it did not move a muscle -when it had ceased bouncing. - -Gran’ma, thinking the whole pack of Wolves would follow their Leader, -ran to the side of the Rubber River and disappeared in a hole in the -cliff. - -Gran’pa followed her, and it was well he did, for as soon as Gran’ma and -he started to run the Wolves jumped over the cliff to the Rubber River. - -By the time the Wolves had quit bouncing Gran’pa was in the hole beside -Gran’ma, and together they had rolled a large stone across the opening -so the Wolves could not follow. - -As for Johnny, he swung to the other side of the canyon, climbed up the -Vine Bridge and finally reached the top where Janey was sitting waiting -for him. - -“Oh Johnny,” she cried, “the Wolves jumped over the cliff after Gran’ma -and Gran’pa! Look and see if you can see them anywhere.” - -Johnny had been so busy climbing he had known nothing of what had -happened below. - -Now he went to the edge and looked over. The Wolves were all at one spot -on the cliff. - -“Oh dear!” he cried. “They probably have caught Gran’ma and Gran’pa!” - -At this Janey came to the edge and looked. She watched the pack closely -for a few moments. - -“No, they have not! See! The Wolves are tearing and digging at that big -stone. Gran’ma and Gran’pa must be behind the stone! There must be a -cave there!” - -Johnny caught his sister by the shoulder and drew her hastily away from -the edge of the cliff and into the bushes. - -“Old Jingles in the Flying Boat!” he whispered. “I just saw a speck in -the distance, coming this way!” - -So the children, crouching low, ran away through the ferns and bushes. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER V - THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL TELLS HER STRANGE STORY - - -As soon as Gran’pa and Gran’ma rolled the stone across the opening they -walked back into the cave. It was very dark and they held their hands in -front of them so they would not bump their heads if they ran into a -wall. By and by Gran’pa came to some steps, and feeling his way with his -cane he helped Gran’ma up the long flight. They finally reached the top -and walked into a spacious cavern filled with a greenish light. They -could not discover where the light came from, but they could see each -other quite plainly. - -Gran’pa and Gran’ma walked across the cavern until they came to a door -over which hung a sign which read, “Stay out! This means you!” - -“We may as well go in!” Gran’pa said, “for we cannot get out while the -Wolves are at the opening!” So hand in hand they entered the door and -followed a narrow passageway as it zigzagged back and forth. - -Presently they came to a round room filled with a reddish light, and in -the center of this room stood a large pot. - -Gran’pa went up to the pot and raised the lid. As he did so the lid -sprang from his hands and flew across the room. The pot began popping -like a bunch of firecrackers, and white stuff flew from it up to the -ceiling and rattled down about the place. - -Gran’pa and Gran’ma could not find the entrance to the room again, -although they went around the room four or five times. - -Gran’pa discovered a hole far above their heads, and as the white stuff -flew about them like hail and settled upon the floor, they kept climbing -on top of it until they could reach the hole and climb through. - -As they crawled into the hole something warm and sticky flowed by them, -so they hurried back into the room from which they had just come. It was -lucky for them that they did, for the sticky stuff poured from the hole -in a stream and mixed with the white stuff which now nearly filled the -room. - -“It’s molasses!” Gran’pa cried, as he tasted it. - -“And the white stuff is popcorn!” Gran’ma cried in turn, as she took up -a handful and squeezed it together into a popcorn ball. - -The molasses candy continued to pour from the hole until the popcorn was -covered with it. Then the room began to sway back and forth, gently at -first, then faster and faster, until Gran’pa, popcorn and Gran’ma were -shaken up and rolled about much the same as popcorn is in a shaker. Both -Gran’pa and Gran’ma were covered with molasses and popcorn when the room -ceased shaking. - -“Dear me suz!” Gran’ma exclaimed. “The stuff is all in my hair!—This is -a mess!” - -“Yes, but just taste it, Gran’ma!” Gran’pa said. “It’s fine!” - -Again the room began shaking and the air grew much warmer. - -“We’d better get out of this!” Gran’pa said. “There must be a fire under -the room!” - -So they crawled through the hole again and now the molasses candy had -grown hard and did not stick to their hands. - -“This must be the place the molasses came from,” said Gran’ma, as they -came to another room, the sides of which were covered with candy. - -There seemed to be no opening at the top for the candy to come in and -Gran’pa soon discovered that it came in from the bottom. - -Through the hard candy at the side of the room Gran’ma thought she saw a -light, and when Gran’pa pried a large piece away with his cane they saw -another long, narrow opening. - -[Illustration] - -Through this they crawled until the passageway widened and they could -stand up and walk. - -After walking down this passageway for five or ten minutes Gran’pa and -Gran’ma came to a room filled with purple light, and in the center of -this room stood a large Green Jar. - -“Well I won’t be foolish enough to look in this one!” Gran’pa said, as -he walked right past it and opened a door upon the other side. “Here we -are, Gran’ma! I can see daylight, and the steps lead up to the top of -the ground.” - -“If that is the case, I shall take a peep in this Green Jar!” Gran’ma -said. - -“Don’t do it, Gran’ma!” Gran’pa cautioned. “Profit by our last -experience!” - -“Yes, but the other was a pot, and pots are always apt to boil over or -do something of the sort,” Gran’ma answered. “I shall look into this -Green Jar and you can hold the door wide open, like this, so it won’t -take a moment to drop it and hurry up the steps and escape if it begins -to blow popcorn or do anything of the kind.” - -[Illustration: “Did you open the Green Jar?” the Beautiful Girl asked. -(page 65)] - -Gran’ma took the lid from the Green Jar and thick red smoke came -whirling up from it. - -Gran’ma wished to run, but her knees would not let her, so she sat right -down, smack! upon the floor and watched. - -When the smoke thinned out Gran’ma saw the hands, then the arms, then -the head of a Beautiful Girl appear above the edge of the Green Jar. - -She raised her arms above her head and yawned. - -When Gran’pa saw what was coming from the Green Jar he came back and -helped Gran’ma to her feet. - -The Beautiful Girl turned and looked at them. “Who are you?” she asked. - -“Gran’ma and Gran’pa Huggins!” Gran’pa said. - -“Did you open the Green Jar?” the Beautiful Girl asked. - -“Gran’ma did,” Gran’pa answered, “but I advised her not to!” - -“Well, seeing that she opened it anyway I shall forgive you, Gran’pa!” -the Beautiful Girl laughed. - -“Shall we help you out?” Gran’ma asked, as she held out her hands. - -“Mercy, how sticky you are!” the Beautiful Girl cried. “We were caught -in a popcorn machine!” Gran’pa laughed. - -When the Beautiful Girl had been helped from the Green Jar, Gran’pa led -the way to the door and up the stairs to the ground above. - -Gran’pa, Gran’ma and the Beautiful Girl came right out where Janey and -Johnny were hiding. The children flew to the old people and threw their -arms around their necks. - -“Old Jingles sent the Wolf Pack after us,” Johnny said, “for we saw him -flying this way after you two had crawled into the cave!” - -“Perhaps he will follow us into the cave!” said Gran’ma. - -“I hope he sticks fast in the molasses candy if he does!” said Gran’pa. - -“Let us fill the opening here with stones!” Johnny suggested, “so if he -does follow you through the cave he will have to go all the way back for -his trouble!” - -So they all carried sticks and stones and filled up the mouth of the -cave. When that was finished Janey asked where they had found the -Beautiful Girl. - -“Let us travel from here as fast as we can!” said the Beautiful Girl, -“and I will tell you the story as we go along!” - -As they hurried through the giant mushrooms and bushes the Beautiful -Girl told them the following strange story. - -“I live in the City of Nite,” she began, “or at least I did live there -until I was shut up in the Green Jar. I was out walking one day near the -river, and as I stopped on the bank to gather some beautiful flowers -growing there I came upon a Queer Horse standing in the water. At first -I thought he could not be alive, for he stood so still and he had no -head; but as I stood gazing at him in wonderment he switched his tail -and knocked some flies from his back, and I heard him say, ‘There now! I -hope I switched all of you off!’ - -“‘Dear me!’ I cried out aloud. ‘A horse without a head talking! Whoever -heard of such a thing!’ - -“At this the Queer Horse came out of the water and sat down upon the -bank. - -“‘I don’t see how you are able to travel about without a head!’ I said. - -“‘Well, it is a handicap,’ the Queer Horse answered, ‘but I have grown -used to it!’ - -“‘Where is your head?’” I asked him. - -“‘I ate it off!’ he answered. - -“‘Ate it off!’” I exclaimed in wonder. - -“‘Yes!’ he replied. ‘You see, I was always a sort of pig when it came to -eating, and one day a Strange Man came up to me and hit me with his cane -and cried, “If you don’t quit your eating you’ll burst! I believe if you -were given all you could eat, you would eat your head off!”’ - -“‘I should like to have a trial at it!’ I answered the man. - -“‘Then,’ he said, ‘You shall have it!’ and he led me to a field where -hay and corn and oats grew thick! ‘Now,’ said the Strange Man, ‘Eat!’ - -“‘So I ate and ate, until I really did eat my head off!’ - -“And,” continued the Beautiful Girl, “I felt so sorry for the Queer -Horse I went up and patted him where his head should have been, and, lo! -and behold, his head came into view! - -“At this the Queer Horse was very happy, and told me he was very -grateful to me. ‘If I can ever be of assistance to you, I shall be very -glad!’ he said. - -“And as we stood there talking the Strange Man came up to us and said, -‘Why did you pat the Queer Horse where his head wasn’t?’” - -[Illustration] - -“‘I don’t know!’ I replied. ‘I just felt sorry for him and wished to pat -him!’ - -“‘You’ve spoiled my magic!’ the Strange Man said, ‘and as punishment you -will have to be shut up in the Green Jar!’ And he struck me with his -cane. - -“I did not know another thing until you took the lid off the Green Jar,” -the Beautiful Girl told Gran’ma, as she ended her tale. - -“And you don’t know how long you were in the Green Jar?” asked the -children. - -“No, I have no recollection of any time at all. It just seems as if I -had gone to sleep and just awakened.” - -“I never knew such things were possible,” Gran’pa exclaimed, “until we -came here, to the Magical Land of Noom!” - -“Don’t you live on the Moon?” the Beautiful Girl asked. - -“No,” Gran’ma answered, “we just came to the Moon. We live upon the -Earth, and we shall be very glad when we can get back there, too, I tell -you!” - -[Illustration] - -“Why don’t you return to the Earth?” the Beautiful Girl inquired. - -“Old Jingles, the Magician, took our Flying Boat!” said Gran’pa. “And we -are trying to escape from him now, or get our Flying Boat back, or do -something, so that we can return to the Earth.” - -“Listen!” the Beautiful Girl cried suddenly. “What was that?” - -“It sounded like thunder,” Janey said. “There comes the storm cloud!” - -“Let us hasten!” the Beautiful Girl cried. “Perhaps we may find shelter -somewhere!” - -So, catching hold of hands, they all ran as hard as they could until -they came to a village. - -“Here’s a good place!” the girl cried, as she ran in at an open door. - -They reached shelter none too soon, for the storm was upon them. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER VI - NOW WE COME TO THE LITTLE OLD LADY AND JINGLE’S MAGIC WHISTLE - - -The wind howled, and the lightning popped and cracked, and everything -grew as black as ink. The rain came down in torrents and the house in -which they had taken shelter rocked and shook. - -“I wonder if anyone lives here!” Gran’ma said, as she felt around the -walls and turned on a light. - -The room was flooded with brightness, and the Beautiful Girl saw a paper -lying on a table and picked it up. - -“Oh dear me!” she cried, as she sat down on a chair and buried her face -in her hands. - -Gran’ma ran to her and put her arms around her. “What is the matter, my -dear?” she asked. - -“Look at the date on this paper!” wept the Beautiful Girl. Gran’ma read, -“July 24, 339,780.” - -“I don’t understand!” said Gran’ma as the others came and stood around -the Beautiful Girl. - -“It was in the year 339,700 that I talked to the Queer Horse and the -Strange Man put me in the jar! Oh dear! I have been in that jar for -eighty years!” - -“There’s one consolation,” said Gran’pa, gallantly, “you do not look -it!” - -“I know it!” the Beautiful Girl replied, “We never change much here. I -did not tell you before, you see, that I am Princess Nidia of Nite, and -that there has been no one to rule the City of Nite in all this time!” - -“Oh, yes, there has!” Gran’ma cried. “For the Faun Boys told us there -was an old Witch who ruled things in the City of Nite!” - -“Then I am lost!” the Beautiful Girl cried. “For she will never let me -have my throne back again!” - -“We will take it away from her!” said Johnny. “It belongs to you and we -will help you get it back! And we shall call you The Princess from now -on!” - -“I hope you can get my throne back,” the Princess said, as Gran’ma wiped -the tears from her eyes. “I cannot imagine who this Witch can be!” - -[Illustration: “It was in the year 339,700 that I talked to the Queer -Horse and the Strange Man put me in the jar!” (page 72)] - -“The Faun Boys told us that the Witch was an enemy of old Jingles, the -wicked Magician,” said Janey, “so perhaps the Witch has just been -holding your throne for you until you return!” - -While they had been talking the storm had increased in fury so that the -windows rattled as if they would fall out. - -A leak started in the roof and water dripped to the floor, where it -spread on the carpet and made a black spot. - -“It is one of our ink rains!” said the Princess. - -Gran’ma ran to the kitchen and got a large tub which she placed where it -would catch the ink and save the carpet. - -“Thank you very much for doing that!” said a voice from the other side -of the room. “I feel sure anyone kind enough to do and act like that -would not harm a poor Little Old Lady!” - -“Indeed we wouldn’t harm you!” Gran’pa said. “But where are you hiding?” - -“Up here!” said the Little Old Lady, as she looked out from behind a -picture which covered a window. - -“There is a door behind the cabinet there, and if you press the little -button at the side you will see a stairway! Perhaps you would be more -comfortable up here!” - -[Illustration] - -“Shall we go up?” asked Gran’ma. - -“Yes, let’s go up and see her,” the children replied. - -So Johnny hunted until he found the tiny button, and the cabinet swung -out from the wall, disclosing the thoroughly scoured stairway. - -When they were all on the inside the cabinet swung back into place, and -the little doorway was hidden. - -They went up the stairs and came into a very pretty little room with -soft chairs and couches standing about. - -“Make yourselves comfortable,” said the Little Old Lady, “while I get -you a bite to eat and a cup of tea!” - -From the coziness of the little room the storm could hardly be heard, -and the visitors were happy, watching the Little Old Lady as she worked. - -She wore a tiny little poke bonnet and a tight waist with an enormous -overskirt of flowered material. Two cheery eyes full of twinkles looked -out through shiny eyeglasses, and a stray white curl peeped out from -beneath the back of her bonnet. - -“When I heard you come running up the path, I hid,” the Little Old Lady -said when the tea was ready, “for no one would suspect that I had a room -up here and nothing would disturb me in my retreat.” - -When all had eaten and Gran’ma had cleaned up the crumbs and started to -wash the dishes, they were all startled by a loud thumping down stairs. - -“Sh!” whispered the Little Old Lady. “Sit still while I take a peek!” -She turned out the light and went to the picture and peeped through. -Then she closed the picture window and turned on the light. - -“Sh!” she whispered again. “Didn’t I hear you talking of a wicked man? -Come and see if it is he; but remember, do not make the slightest noise -or he will discover us!” - -When all had peeped through the picture window, and the kind old lady -had closed it again the Princess said, “It is indeed the wicked Strange -Man who put me in the jar!” - -“It is old Jingles, the Magician!” whispered the others. - -Yes, it was old Jingles, the Magician, but he was a very sorry sight. -His clothes were covered with black mud and the ink rain had soaked -through his hat and had run down over his face so that it was as black -as coal. - -He stamped his feet to shake the ink from his clothes, and wiped his -face with his handkerchief; but the more he wiped it the blacker it -grew. - -The Little Old Lady again motioned the rest to the window and turned out -the light so that they could watch old Jingles. - -“Just wait until I catch them!” he muttered to himself. “I will change -all of them into pigs and never let them see a mud puddle! I should have -been all right if Gran’ma and Gran’pa had not come along! It’s all their -fault, and it was they who rescued the Princess from the Green Jar! Oh, -just wait until I catch them! Then they will be sorry they ever came to -the Magical Land of Noom!” - -The wicked creature tried saying some of his magic rhymes to clean the -ink from himself, but he did not succeed. - -“I should have had all of them in my power by this time if the ink rain -had not soaked my little Magic Whistle so that I cannot blow it!” And he -took something from out of his pocket and wiped it with his -handkerchief. - -It was a Magic Whistle made of pig-skin and had little tassels hanging -from it. Now the pig-skin was soaking wet and the tassels dripping ink. -The more the Magician wiped the whistle, the wetter it seemed to become. - -The storm had slackened by this time and old Jingles went to the window. -“They cannot have gone far!” he said as he shook his fist at the black -clouds disappearing in the distance, “and no matter how far they have -gone, I will catch up with them when my Magic Whistle dries! And then -they had better be careful!” - -As the rain of ink had now ceased, the Magician went to the door and -looked out. “I hope it will dry up soon,” he said, “so that I can catch -up with them!” And he walked out of the house. - -“What had we better do?” Gran’ma asked. - -“We had best stay where we are for a while,” Gran’pa replied, “for -evidently the ink rain has covered our tracks and he will not be able to -find us, so he will go on and we can follow him.” - -“I must hasten to the City of Nite,” cried the Princess, “and try to -regain my throne. My subjects were so happy when I was there—oh, dear, I -wonder how it will all turn out!” - -“Perhaps the Little Old Lady can suggest something for us to do,” Janey -said. - -The Little Old Lady thought a while and then said, “I believe it will be -as well for all of you to stay here for a time. That will throw Jingles -off the track. I will run over to my brothers and ask their advice. I -think it would be as well for all of you to stay in this room, -meanwhile, in case the Magician should return!” - -Then the Little Old Lady went down a back stairway and out of the door. - -“If I had known what trouble we should get into, I should never have -built the Flying Machine!” said Johnny. - -“Do not take all the blame, Johnny,” said his sister, “for it was I who -thought of most of it and then we really did not know it would fly!” - -[Illustration] - -The Little Old Lady was gone for quite a while and as the others sat -talking in the cozy secret room, they again heard stamping downstairs. - -Gran’ma went to the picture window and peeped through. Old Jingles had -returned. “I can not find their trail beyond this house!” he cried as he -kicked over a chair. “If my Magic Whistle would only dry so that I could -blow it and discover where they are, I could easily catch up with them -and punish them!” - -“Dear me!” Gran’ma whispered to the others who had gathered around the -picture window to listen. “The wicked Magician seems to think we have -done something very mean to him, when we are only trying to escape his -clutches!” - -“That is always the case,” said the Princess. “Those who do the most -harm always think they are the most abused when things do not go just as -they wish!” - -“I hope his Magic Whistle warps out of shape so that when it blows it -will turn his magic right back on himself!” Johnny whispered. - -The more the Magician thought of our friends escaping him the more -injured he felt, and he knocked the furniture about in his anger. - -At last he kicked the cabinet and loosened the little button which -opened the door. “Hello!” he cried. “Here is a secret stairway!” - -“Quick!” cried Gran’ma. “He has discovered the stairway! He is coming -up! Run down the back way quick!” - -They all ran down the back stairs as fast as they could, and of course -they made a lot of noise running. The more quietly they tried to run the -more they tripped and stumbled. The Magician, hearing them, knew in a -moment who it was and sprang up the front stairway in pursuit. Then down -the back stairs he ran too. - -As Gran’pa, Gran’ma, the Princess and Janey ran down the street they saw -the Little Old Lady running towards them with her three brothers. - -Johnny, bracing himself at the back door, was trying to hold it so the -Magician could not get out and he did succeed in holding him back until -the others got a good start. - -When the Magician finally forced the door open, Johnny took to his heels -with the long-legged Magician close behind him. Johnny dodged this way -and that until he almost caught up with the others, who, when they met -the Little Old Lady and her brothers had stood still. - -[Illustration] - -Just as the Magician was reaching out his hand to catch hold of Johnny’s -collar, Johnny remembered a trick he had learned with other boys and -dropped to his knees, right in front of the Magician. - -This tripped up Old Jingles and he went sprawling head over heels. As he -rolled over the three brothers of the Little Old Lady pounced upon him -and held him so he could not move. - -The Magician rolled his eyes and started to say a rhyme, but one of the -brothers clapped his hand over Jingles’ mouth. - -Then while two of the brothers held the Magician down, the other ran to -the house and came back with ropes. Soon the Magician was tied so that -he could not move a muscle and a handkerchief was tied across his mouth. - -By this time many people had gathered about and it was suggested that -Old Jingles be given a seat in the ducking pool. - -“Now,” said the Little Old Lady, “you folks had better be on your way! -We will keep the Magician here as long as possible.” - -So Gran’pa, Gran’ma, Johnny, Janey and the Princess stayed only long -enough to see the Magician soused up and down in the water two or three -times and then they hastened out of town. - -The brothers ducked the wicked Magician up and down in the pond until -they grew tired, then others took their places and they kept this up for -two hours. Then the Magician was placed in the stocks and his hands and -feet firmly padlocked so that he could not get away. - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER VII - THE SOFT-VOICED COW MEETS THE WITCH AND THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE - - -After leaving the village in which the Magician was a prisoner, Gran’ma, -Gran’pa, the Princess and the children ran until they were tired, and -coming to a quiet shady place they sat down to rest. - -“I do not believe I have run so hard since I was a girl,” said Gran’ma -as she fanned herself. - -Just then they heard a noise in the bushes and all sprang to their feet, -but sat down again with sighs of relief when a Cow walked up to them. - -The Cow wore a pretty bonnet and a velour waist; her skirt was of velvet -with flowers embroidered around the edge. - -As she came up to the little group she shook the wrinkles out of her -apron and sat down facing them. - -“How do you do, everybody!” the Cow said in a soft voice, as she smiled -at all. - -Everybody greeted the Soft-Voiced Cow in a kindly manner. - -“I saw you running across the field,” said the Soft-Voiced Cow, “and you -looked as if you were running away from something.” - -“We were,” Gran’ma said. “We were running away from Old Jingles the -Magician, who wants to change us into animals.” - -“Dear me suz!” exclaimed the Soft-Voiced Cow. “Is he that wicked?” - -“Yes indeed he is,” Janey said, and she told of their experiences, and -of that of the Princess. - -“If he follows you, he may find me when he comes this way,” said the -Soft-Voiced Cow. “So if you do not mind my company, I will go with you -to the City of Nite. I should not care to meet so wicked a Magician.” - -“We should be greatly pleased to have your company,” they told the -Soft-Voiced Cow. - -When they had rested, Gran’pa said they better begin travel on; so the -Soft-Voiced Cow took Gran’ma and the Princess and Janey on her back and -the little party started on their way. - -[Illustration: The Old Woman caught the Soft-Voiced Cow’s tail and began -dragging her back. (Page 83)] - -They passed through dense groves of giant mushrooms and at times these -were so thick they had to bend them to one side in order to pass. - -When they grew hungry the children told Gran’ma and Gran’pa that the -mushrooms were cake, so they ate of these. - -After leaving the forest of mushrooms the path led through very rocky -country and as they turned a cliff the party came upon a spring bubbling -from the rocks and splashing down into a small stream far below. - -There were a number of cups near the spring, so the children ran up and -took a drink. “Oh hurry!” they cried, “It’s a soda water spring!” - -After drinking all they wished they again set out upon their journey. -When they finally left the rocky country and came upon a level stretch -of road they saw approaching them an Old Woman. - -Gran’ma, the Princess and Janey had dismounted from the back of the -Soft-Voiced Cow, for they did not wish to tire her. - -When the Old Woman came up to them, she caught the Soft-Voiced Cow by -the tail and began dragging her back the way the party had come. - -Gran’pa was for making her let go of the Soft-Voiced Cow’s tail, but the -Soft-Voiced Cow spoke gently and said, “Let her be; she is evidently an -ill mannered person or she would not treat a stranger in this manner!” - -However, the Old Woman dragged the Soft-Voiced Cow down the road so fast -the friction of the cow’s feet upon the roadway made them burn. - -So the Soft-Voiced Cow turned to the Old Woman and said, “I wish you -would please let go of my tail! I do not care to travel in the direction -you are taking me and besides you are making my feet burn.” - -But the Old Woman kept right on and paid no attention to the cow. - -When the Soft-Voiced Cow had been dragged back upon the road for about a -mile with the little party following her, the Soft-Voiced Cow turned her -head to the Old Woman and said in her gentle way, “My dear lady, I must -insist that you let go of my tail, for you are delaying our party! We -wish to go in the opposite direction! And if you drag me three more -steps, I shall have to raise my heels and upset you!” - -At this, Gran’pa caught the Old Woman’s arm and said, “Why do you drag -the Soft-Voiced Cow in this manner?” - -The Old Woman stopped and gazed at Gran’pa for a moment, “Does this Cow -belong to you?” she asked. - -“Of course not!” Gran’pa replied. - -“Does she belong to anyone in your party?” the Old Woman asked. - -“Of course not!” Gran’pa replied. - -“Then,” said the Old Woman, “in that case, the Cow does not belong to -you nor anyone else that you know of, so she must be lost. And anything -which is lost belongs to the one who finds it! Therefore, since I found -the Cow she belongs to me, so I will take her home and make ox tail soup -out of her!” - -“Did you ever hear the like?” cried the Princess. “Do not let her take -the Soft-Voiced Cow to make soup of!” - -The Old Woman again began dragging the Soft-Voiced Cow down the road. - -“Stand aside!” said the Soft-Voiced Cow. “ONE, TWO, THREE! There!” She -raised her heels in the air and upset the Old Woman. “I promised that I -would do it if you dragged me three more steps!” - -The Old Woman scrambled to her feet and shook her fist at Gran’ma. “You -will pay for this!” she cried. “Just wait!” - -[Illustration] - -And as the travelers and the Soft-Voiced Cow resumed their journey, the -Old Woman followed right behind them muttering in an undertone, “You -will pay for this!” - -When they had gone but a little way beyond the place where they had met -the Old Woman, Johnny who was ahead of the others found ten cans. With -these he came running back. - -“Here are ten cans of ox tail soup!” he said, as he offered them to the -Old Woman. - -“I don’t want them!” the Old Woman cried. “I want the Soft-Voiced Cow -and I will have her if I have to follow you all around the Moon!” - -“You are a most unreasonable Old Woman!” said the Princess. “You don’t -try to be happy! When you get what you want it seems to make you -discontented!” - -The Old Woman did not answer, but ran around the party and down the road -ahead of them. “You just wait!” she cried again. “You will all be -sorry!” - -“Let’s not pay any attention to her any more!” said the Soft-Voiced Cow. -“She is very disagreeable and has delayed us long enough as it is!” - -The Old Woman could run very fast and she soon disappeared around the -bend in the road. They heard her clapping and shouting. When the -travelers reached the bend in the road a strange sight met their eyes. - -As far as they could see before them and to either side was a great bog. - -Gran’pa went up to it and pushed his cane into the edge. It was very -soft. - -“We shall have to walk around it,” Gran’pa said, “for we should sink out -of sight if we attempted to cross it!” - -When Gran’pa wiped his cane off in the grass, he felt that it was very -sticky, and touching his finger to the bog he tasted it. “Molasses candy -mud!” he cried. - -“This is very unfortunate!” said the Princess as she looked about. “We -shall lose a lot of time walking around the molasses candy bog!” - -“I told you that you would be sorry!” cried a voice behind them, and -looking around they saw the Old Woman standing on a little hill shaking -her fist at them. “I made it with my magic!” she called, “and you will -never get across it!” - -“The unreasonable wicked creature!” Gran’ma cried as she started after -the Old Woman. “I will tweek your nose for you if I catch you!” - -The Old Woman did not tarry long, but struck out over the hill with -Gran’ma close behind her. Gran’ma ran after the Old Woman and the others -followed. The Old Woman made for a little house not far away and as she -jumped through the door, she, the house and all disappeared. - -“Well!” Gran’pa cried as he came up to Gran’ma. “We are rid of her at -any rate!” - -“I hope we shall never see her again,” said the Soft-Voiced Cow. “Like -most disagreeable people she isn’t satisfied unless everyone else is -uncomfortable, depressed and so unhappy.” - -“We may as well start walking around the molasses candy bog,” said the -Princess, “for we are losing so much time old Jingles may catch up with -us!” - -“I have a suggestion,” said the Soft-Voiced Cow, “which may be helpful. -Let us all walk down to the molasses candy bog, and when we are at the -edge I will take you all on my back and carry you some distance along -the bank, so that you will not leave any footprints. Then when the -Magician comes along he will not be able to track you!” - -“That is an excellent idea!” said Gran’pa. “Let us act upon the -Soft-Voiced Cow’s suggestion!” So they all walked down to the molasses -candy bog. - -The Soft-Voiced Cow took Gran’ma, Janey and the Princess upon her back -and carried them far down the bank; then she returned and carried -Gran’pa and Johnny to where the others were waiting. - -But as they walked the bank gradually curved in until in a short time -they were walking in the direction from which they had just come. - -“This will never do,” said Gran’pa coming to a stop, “for we are -returning from whence we came.” - -And when they walked back along the bank the same thing happened. -Everything went swinging before them in long, sweeping circles. They -couldn’t make heads or tails of the shore line. - -“Let us try walking away from the molasses candy bog,” said Johnny, “and -see what happens then!” - -So they turned their backs to the bog and started walking away from it. -Sure enough, when they did this the bog began to fade away, and soon it -disappeared entirely! - -“Whee!” cried the children. “We can go ahead!” - -The travelers had lost a lot of valuable time, so they hastened across -the fields where the bog had been. - -“You see!” said the Princess, “Johnny was right! The Old Woman’s magic -was as contrary as herself, for when the molasses candy bog thought we -did not care whether we crossed it or not, it disappeared.” - -As the travelers walked along, they saw numbers of small animals running -about. - -“I wonder where these little animals were when the great molasses bog -was here!” Janey said looking at them curiously. - -“I’ll ask one of them,” said the Soft-Voiced Cow, and she talked to the -strange little beast in animal talk. - -[Illustration] - -When the little animal answered, the Soft-Voiced Cow rolled over on the -ground with laughter and when at last she could speak she said, “I asked -the animal where it was when the bog was here, and it said there never -had been a bog here. Said it had lived here for years and the ground had -always been as it is now, except after a hard rain, so you see the Old -Woman only made us believe we saw a bog here, when in reality there was -none at all.” - -“It’s queer,” exclaimed Gran’pa, “but I certainly tasted molasses candy -on my cane! In fact,” he said, looking at the cane, “there is still some -on it now!” - -“Let me taste it!” Gran’ma cried. “Yes,” she said, “it is molasses -candy!” - -“Well at any rate we are not troubled with the bog now!” Janey mused. - -Across the fields rose high mountains. - -“I wonder if we shall be able to find a path through the mountains!” -Gran’pa said. - -“I think those are the mountains bordering the City of Nite!” said the -Princess. “And if that is the case we have not very much farther to -travel.” - -But the mountains were farther away than the travelers thought, for -after walking for an hour they came to a rise in the ground from which -they looked across miles and miles of beautiful valley country. Gran’ma -and Gran’pa said it was almost as pretty as the country round the farm -back home. - -Down in the valley a little way they saw a tiny house and walked in that -direction. When they came to the front gate and called no one answered, -so they walked in and knocked at the door. - -As no one answered the knock they walked around to the back door and -looked inside the kitchen, for the door was open. There on the stove -were pots and pans filled with food which was cooking; and as they -watched, one of the pots raised itself from the stove and poured its -contents into another pot. Then another pot moved across the stove and -its lid came off and hung itself in the air, while a large spoon raised -itself from the back of the stove and stirred the contents of the pot. - -“Shall we go in?” Janey whispered, as they all hesitated on the step. - -Gran’pa raised his cane and knocked three times on the door sill. - -“What was that?” cried a man’s voice from the front part of the house. - -“Something hammered upon the door!” a woman’s voice in the kitchen -answered. “But I can see nothing outside to cause the noise!” - -Gran’pa raised his cane and gave three more knocks. - -“Did you ever!” the woman’s voice cried. “I was looking right at the -spot where the noise came from and I could not see a thing!” - -Evidently the man had come to the kitchen door and stood near the woman, -for the travelers heard him speak right at the back door. - -“What could it have been, Ella?” he said. - -Gran’pa turned and winked at the others and again rapped three times -with his cane upon the door sill. - -“There! You hear for yourself, Jules! There must be an invisible person -knocking at the door!” - -“Is anyone there?” asked the man’s voice. - -“We are standing right here in plain sight!” Gran’ma replied. - -“Dear me!” the woman’s voice said. “I can see no one, can you, Jules?” - -“I can’t see anyone!” Jules answered. “Whoever it is must be invisible!” - -“It’s the Princess of Nite, Janey and Johnny, Gran’ma and Gran’pa -Huggins!” Gran’pa said. “We can see ourselves easily, but you are -invisible to us!” - -“Had we better ask them in?” Ella inquired of the man. - -[Illustration] - -“Yes, do come in!” he said in answer, and as Gran’pa was nearest the -door, he walked in first and bumped right into the Invisible Man. - -“Please excuse me!” Gran’pa said. “I am sorry, but I did not see you!” - -“That’s all right,” the Invisible Man replied in a cheery voice. “I was -standing right in the doorway and I should have moved out of your way!” - -His voice now came from the other side of the kitchen. “We will stand -over at this side of the room until all of you have gone into the dining -room. We were about to have dinner, and if you will take pot luck we -shall be pleased to have you dine with us.” - -“That is nice of you!” Gran’ma said as she and the others walked into -the dining room and sat down at the table. - -“It is strange to hear people speak and not be able to see them!” said -Janey. - -[Illustration] - -Johnny felt something brush against his leg and when he felt down there -he touched fur. “Here’s a kitten!” he cried, as he picked it up and held -it upon his lap. All could hear the kitten purring as Johnny stroked its -back, but it was invisible too. - -There were only two plates upon the table when the visitors entered the -dining room, but now five more plates seemed to place themselves. - -“Everybody pull up chairs!” said the Invisible Man, as he caught hold of -Gran’ma’s chair and tried to pull it towards the table. “Please excuse -me,” he laughed when he felt the weight and knew that one of his guests -was in it. - -All pulled their chairs up to the table, Ella suggesting that the -visitors be seated first so that she and Jules would know just where -they were. - -So all of the party presently were seated at the table and Ella brought -in the food from the kitchen. - -It was strange for Gran’pa, Gran’ma, the children and the Princess to -see the dishes of food come floating in from the kitchen, and it seemed -as strange for Jules and Ella to hear the voices of invisible guests and -see their knives and forks rise from the table to cut their food. - -When Jules had passed everything and all had helped themselves he asked -where they were traveling and where they had come from. - -“It’s a long story,” Gran’pa said. - -Then Gran’ma told him of how they had come to the Moon, and why they -were traveling to the City of Nite. - -“But the wicked Magician will not be able to see you,” said Jules, “for -you are invisible!” - -[Illustration] - -“No,” Gran’ma answered, “we are visible to him, but the chances are that -he will not be able to see you!” - -“If that is the case, and he should pass here we will do our best to -help you!” said Ella. - -When the visitors had finished their dinner they thanked Jules and Ella -and asked if they might be excused. - -“We are anxious to get to the City of Nite so that we can assist the -Princess in regaining her throne, and try to get our Flying Boat so that -we can return to the Earth,” they explained. - -The Invisible Man and Woman said they understood the visitors’ hurry, -and told them to stop in to see them if they passed that way again. - -Just then the Soft-Voiced Cow put her head in at the door and asked if -they were ready to start. - -When the Invisible Man and Woman heard the Soft-Voiced Cow speak they -asked if they had forgotten to invite some of the party in to dinner. - -“It’s the Soft-Voiced Cow,” explained the Princess. “She has been eating -her dinner of grass out in the back yard!” - -“I can scarcely believe there is a Cow there!” said the voice of Ella. -“Would the Cow mind if I touched her to see if I can feel her?” - -The Soft-Voiced Cow laughed heartily at this and stood still while Ella -patted her. - -After a lot of reaching around in the air, Gran’pa and the rest -succeeded in shaking hands with their invisible friends. - -“Funny how pleasant people keep out of sight,” Gran’ma said as her party -started down the walk. - -“Thank you so much!” they all cried. “We hope to see you again some -time!” - -At this the Invisible Man and Woman laughed and replied, “And we hope to -see you again some time, too!” - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER VIII - TIPTOE, THE DANCING MASTER, USES HIS MAGIC UMBRELLA - - -After traveling for a long time the travelers finally came to the -mountains and as they walked up a path amongst the rocks they heard -someone talking. - -It proved to be a queer little man, no larger than Johnny. - -He was seated near a large stone in the shade of a small umbrella, and -he was talking to himself. - -When he heard the footsteps of the party, he arose to his feet and made -a low bow, sweeping the dust from the ground with the top of his high -hat. - -“Good afternoon!” he called cheerily. - -Then seeing the Princess, who had been walking behind Gran’pa, he rushed -towards her and threw himself at her feet. - -“It’s my old Dancing Master, Tiptoe!” cried the Princess as she pulled -the little man to his feet and gave him a hug before introducing him to -Gran’pa and the others. - -“What are you doing way out here in the mountains?” the Princess asked -when they had all taken seats around the Dancing Master. - -The Dancing Master took out a red handkerchief and wiped his -nose-glasses carefully. “It’s really a long story,” he replied. “Won’t -you tell me where you have been for eighty years first?” he inquired of -the Princess. - -The Princess told him of her strange adventure with the Queer Horse and -all that had happened up to the time she was rescued from the Green Jar -by Gran’ma. - -When she had finished her story the Dancing Master took Gran’ma’s hand -and kissed it. - -“Everyone in the City of Nite owes you a debt of gratitude, Gran’ma,” he -said, “and in some manner or other I, for one, hope to repay you!” - -“Oh it wasn’t anything!” Gran’ma cried. “I just saw the Green Jar and -opened it because I was inquisitive. Of course we are very glad that we -rescued the Princess from the Green Jar but we do not deserve any credit -for it!” - -Janey, who was anxious to hear the Dancing Master’s story, again asked -Tiptoe how he happened to be in the mountains. - -“The day you disappeared,” the Dancing Master said, turning to the -Princess, “I was to have given you a lesson, don’t you remember? And I -was on my way to the Castle when I saw people running in all directions -about the City of Nite. I inquired of one why they were so excited. -‘Don’t you know?’ he answered. ‘The Beautiful Princess has disappeared! -Completely vanished!’” - -“When I heard this I ran with all speed to the Castle. I had the right -to enter at any time in the day,” he explained to the children, “so I -ran right up to the ball-room, for I heard voices in loud discord coming -from there!” - -“There I found a strange looking woman, with long straggly hair and a -long nose, shaking her walking stick at the Princess’ Ladies in Waiting. - -“What is going on here?” I cried as I ran up to the group of ladies. - -“‘This strange creature claims to be the Princess and says that a -Magician has transformed her into an old woman,’ the Ladies in Waiting -answered. ‘We do not believe she is telling us the truth!’ - -“I could not believe it myself,” added the Dancing Master, “but still I -have heard of stranger things, so I said to the Ladies in Waiting, -‘Perhaps she really is the Princess!’ - -“At first I could not get any of the ladies to agree with me,” the -Little Man went on, “and really, to tell the truth, I could not blame -them much for as the days went by the queer creature who said she had -been changed from our own Beautiful Princess into this ugly woman did -such disagreeable things to the Ladies in Waiting they all moved from -the Castle, and would not have anything to do with her. After a while I -discovered that the old woman was not the Princess. - -“You must know that by this time no one ever went near the old woman, -who lived alone and kept herself shut up in a room away in the top of -the Castle tower. One night, as I was passing the Castle, I heard a -window creak far above my head, and looking up I saw the old woman, -seated in an umbrella, fly out of the tower window and go speeding away -out of sight. Then I knew that she was a witch! - -“I ran home as fast as I could and told Mrs. Tiptoe what I had seen. - -“We were so excited at first we couldn’t think of a thing to say. We -just looked at each other. - -“Mrs. Tiptoe was one of the Ladies in Waiting to the Princess!” the -Dancing Master explained to Gran’ma. “Finally my good wife cried, ‘I -knew it all along! It is not our beautiful Princess. Who knows but that -this wicked Witch has taken the Princess and hidden her away somewhere!’ - -“‘I will go see this Witch and talk to her myself!’ Mrs. Tiptoe cried an -instant later and I could not dissuade her. Although she might have -known it would lead to trouble, she put on her bonnet and ran to the -Castle! - -“Of course I followed. We went up the palace steps together and right in -at the door. The Palace was a sight!” exclaimed the Little Man. “No one -ever went there and there were papers and cobwebs all over the place. No -one cleaned any of the rooms, for no one would have anything to do with -that disagreeable old creature! So we went through the Palace until we -came to the rooms the old hag used for her living quarters, and there we -found proof that it indeed was not our beloved Princess!” - -Here the poor Dancing Master fell to weeping so violently the Princess -came and placed her arm over his shoulder, and Gran’pa and Gran’ma -looked far across the valley, their eyes swimming in tears. - -When the Dancing Master had dried his eyes he continued, “We found many -charms and implements of magic. Rabbit’s feet, and other things of the -kind. Then, too, in corners and upon shelves about the room were jars of -peculiar powder with labels which we could not read pasted upon them. In -the center of the room was an iron kettle and queer designs had been -traced about on the marble floor with black, green and yellow paint. - -“‘I knew she was a witch!’ my wife cried. ‘Go call the Guards while I -wait here to see that she does not escape!’ - -“I ran out of the castle in hopes that I might bring the Guards and -place them in the room before the old witch returned. But try as hard as -I could, I could not find a Guard anywhere; they had all gone to parties -or were off on their vacations, so I ran back to the castle. ‘We will -capture the Witch ourselves!’ I cried as I ran into the Witch’s room. - -“I expected to see Mrs. Tiptoe sitting there with a stern expression on -her face, just waiting for the Witch’s return, but what was my surprise -and consternation to see the Witch herself leering at me with her wicked -smile. - -“The Witch told me I was the only one who knew for sure she was not the -Princess, so she would send me in search of Mrs. Tiptoe. ‘For,’ said the -wicked creature, ‘by the time you find your wife, you will have learned -better than to tell anyone that I am not the Princess!’ - -“And,” continued the Dancing Master, “without saying another word she -opened her Magic Umbrella and pointed her crooked cane at me. I was -forced to step into the Magic Umbrella. As I did so it shot out of the -window so fast I could scarcely catch my breath. Over the town of Nite I -flew and over the mountains I soared, until finally the Magic Umbrella -lit upon the ground miles and miles away from everybody. It was days and -days before I met anyone to talk to—awfully lonely life, but since then -I have heard from people in different towns that the wicked creature -still rules the City of Nite!” the Dancing Master finished, “but I have -never ventured back there since she made me fly from the place.” - -“And how long is it since you left the City of Nite?” Gran’ma inquired. - -[Illustration: “I was forced to step into the Magic Umbrella.” (page -102)] - -The Dancing Master looked at the handle of his umbrella. “I have put a -notch on the handle for each year,” he replied, and when he had counted -them he said “Seventy-six years!” - -“And you have never been able to find your wife?” asked Gran’pa. - -The Dancing Master shook his head sadly. - -“If we ever get to the City of Nite I will tweek the nose of that wicked -Witch!” cried Gran’ma, as she snapped her fingers in the air. - -“And if I have a good chance,” said the Soft-Voiced Cow, who had -wandered up and had listened to the Dancing Master’s story, “I will -raise my heels and upset her!” - -“I do not know what to suggest,” said the Dancing Master. “Perhaps it -would be best if we do not return to the City of Nite, for the wicked -creature may work harm to us all!” - -“_I_ shall return to the City of Nite,” said the Princess, as she -stamped her foot, “for it is my throne and I will have it back!” - -“And I will go with you,” Gran’pa cried, “and help you regain your -throne!” - -“We’ll all go!” Gran’ma cried, jumping to her feet and smoothing out her -apron. - -“It is a long hard road!” said the Dancing Master doubtfully. “Why not -live here in the mountains where we shall not be troubled, for I myself -have lived here for the last ten years and it is very agreeable!” - -They followed the Dancing Master as he led the way up over the rocks -until they came to a level place, at the back of which was a Cave. - -The Dancing Master, with timber which he had hewn from the trees, had -made the front part of a tiny Cottage, with a wide piazza to fit the -opening of the Cave. - -“This has been my home for ten years!” he said, “and the absence of Mrs. -Tiptoe from it is all that keeps my happiness from being complete!” - -When all had entered the little Cottage-Cave, the Dancing Master set the -table and with Gran’ma’s help made tea. - -When all were seated about the room (with the exception of the -Soft-Voiced Cow, who was too large to enter the tiny doorway) the -Princess said to Mr. Tiptoe, “Tell me of my father and mother. What did -they think when they heard that I had changed into a wicked looking -Witch?” - -“Your dear mother, the Queen, came to the City of Nite at once,” the -Dancing Master answered, “but the Witch who pretended to be you would -not see her, saying that it would not do to see her mother as she was -too ugly; so your mother returned without seeing the wicked creature at -all!” - -“I am sure your Mamma would have known it was not you!” said Janey. - -During all this time Johnny had been very thoughtful. Presently he -asked, “When you traveled in the Magic Umbrella, how did you guide it?” - -“The first time I rode in it,” the Dancing Master answered, “I did not -guide it. I came down without any thought of where I was going, but as -there was not a thing near by, I stepped back into the Magic Umbrella -and wished it would fly to a town, and sure enough it flew there! All -you have to do,” he continued, “is to sit in it and wish it to go -somewhere!” - -“Then,” said Johnny, “I have a suggestion! Let us all sit in the -umbrella and wish it to take us to the City of Nite!” - -“That’s a fine idea!” cried the Princess, clapping her hands. “Let us go -there immediately!” - -The Dancing Master carried the Magic Umbrella out upon the level place -in front of the Cottage-Cave. Then he stood and scratched his head. - -“Can we all get into it?” he wondered. - -It was scarcely large enough for them all, even if they sat upon the -edges, and while they were all squeezing into the Magic Umbrella the -Soft-Voiced Cow walked up. - -[Illustration] - -“What about the Soft-Voiced Cow!” cried Janey. - -“I shall not leave her behind if we never get to the City of Nite, and -if we never get back our Flying Boat!” cried Gran’ma, as she scrambled -out of the Magic Umbrella. - -“Nor I either!” Gran’pa exclaimed as he too hopped from the Magic -Umbrella. - -Johnny and Janey followed them, and they all went over to the -Soft-Voiced Cow and sat down on the grass. - -“You may spoil everything!” said the Soft-Voiced Cow. “Please do not -think of me! Get into the umbrella and go with the Princess to the City -of Nite and I will follow as best I can!” - -“Shan’t do it!” said Gran’ma firmly. - -“Wouldn’t think of it!” cried Gran’pa. - -“I have it!” cried the Dancing Master. “I hate to leave the Soft-Voiced -Cow here, so if the Princess will excuse me, I will journey afoot with -you and she can wish herself in the City of Nite!” - -“I believe it would be best for the Princess to wish herself with her -Mamma!” said Janey. “Then her Mamma and Daddy can advise her what to -do!” - -“Your advice is good,” said the Princess, and kissing them all good-bye, -she stepped into the Magic Umbrella and flew up over the mountains -leaving the little group of friends watching her with tear-dimmed eyes. -She was such a good, dear, sweet, beautiful Princess that they hated to -see her go. - -“I have a few things to pack,” said the Dancing Master, “but I shall -soon catch up with you. Keep to the right on all paths up over the -mountain and I shall soon be along!” - -Johnny took the lead, then came Gran’ma, Janey and Gran’pa. Up, up they -toiled; up so high they could look back and see the valley stretched far -below them like a picture map. - -At one place they came to a waterfall which dashed straight out of the -solid rock and fell for hundreds of feet in a roar of snow-white water. - -The trees about the side of the river had soft green foliage, different -from any trees they had ever seen before. - -Presently, as they had traveled far and the climb had been very steep, -they decided it would be well to rest and wait for the Dancing Master to -catch up with them. - -“I’m getting hungry!” Gran’ma said, “I didn’t eat much at the Dancing -Master’s house!” - -“I wish I had a mince pie in my pocket!” said Gran’pa, winking slyly at -Janey. - -Johnny walked over to where the river ran smoothly before it again -plunged down the mountain side. - -“Come here!” he cried excitedly. “Look at the strange fish!” - -Gran’pa, Janey and Gran’ma came running to the edge of the stream, but -the Soft-Voiced Cow continued eating the velvety grass where she had -first stopped. It was the most delicious grass she had tasted in a long, -long time. - -“Perhaps we can catch some,” said Gran’ma, “and fry them for our -supper!” - -Johnny felt through his pockets. “I had a fishing line in one of my -pockets!” he said. - -[Illustration] - -“You used the line on the Flying Machine!” said Janey. “Oh, isn’t that -too bad!” - -“Here’s the hook!” said Johnny, as he turned his pocket wrong side out -and showed them the hook fastened in the cloth. - -Gran’pa took his pocket knife and cut the hook out of Johnny’s pocket. - -“I have some string,” Gran’pa said. “I know it always comes in handy, so -I put a lot in my pocket before Gran’ma and I started up here!” - -Gran’pa cut a pole and fixed the line while Johnny found a few worms -under a stone. - -At the first cast of the line into the water Gran’pa pulled out a lovely -fish. It had a blue head. The body was white, with a round yellow spot -on each side. - -[Illustration] - -Gran’pa caught three more like the first and then six brown fish, round -and flat with one side of them a golden yellow. - -While Johnny and Gran’pa were building the fire and cutting sticks to -broil the fish on, Janey found some worms and caught five queer fish -with holes right through them. - -“Aren’t they queer?” she cried as she put her fingers through the holes -and carried them over to Johnny. - -Gran’ma caught four very fat fish which looked more like balls than -fish. - -“I don’t believe these are good to eat,” she said as she brought them -over to the fire. “They feel so light and empty and puffy!” - -Gran’pa and Johnny had by this time fixed the first fish upon the sticks -and they were beginning to broil. - -Gran’ma sniffed the air. “Smells like they might be good, but they don’t -smell like fish!” she said. - -When the fish were done, Gran’pa and Johnny turned them over on a clean -white stone. “Eggs!” Johnny shouted. - -Indeed the first fish were nothing more nor less than ordinary eggs. - -The other brown fish, one side of which was golden yellow, turned out to -be brown bread and butter when it was broiled. - -Janey’s fish turned out to be doughnuts, and Gran’ma’s changed to cream -puffs when placed before the fire. - -“This is fit for a king!” Gran’ma cried as she sampled the egg fish. - -“I wonder why Mr. Tiptoe doesn’t come,” Gran’pa said. “He must have -packed up quite a load! Guess I’ll run down the mountain and help him -along!” - -“Indeed you won’t!” cried Gran’ma as she caught his coat tails. - -“You don’t know when old Jingles the Magician may catch up with us! I -think now that we have finished our dinners, it would be best if we -hurried on!” - -“Yes, let’s go on!” Johnny suggested. “Mr. Tiptoe knows the way and will -soon catch up with us!” - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER IX - JOHNNY AND JANEY GROW VERY TALL AND HAVE SOME STRANGE ADVENTURES - - -The path led up over a ledge in the mountain, revealing a pretty little -valley between the high cliffs on either side. The grass under their -feet was soft as velvet as they walked toward a tiny white bridge over a -brook. - -“This ought to be good ground for growing potatoes!” said Gran’pa, -stopping to gaze about him at the charming valley. - -Gran’ma was ahead and had started across the little bridge when the rest -saw her trip and almost fall. She managed to save herself by catching -the railing, and the others, as they ran toward her, heard a bell -tinkling up one side of the cliff. - -“Some mean person stretched a wire across the bridge and I tripped over -it!” Gran’ma cried, as she showed the others the offending wire. - -Johnny caught hold of it to pull it loose, but gave a whoop and started -jumping up and down. - -The bell up the cliff tinkled each time Johnny jumped. - -Janey, wishing to help her brother, caught Johnny’s hands to pull them -from the tiny wire, and with a cry she too began hopping up and down and -shouting for help. - -As Gran’ma reached for Janey, Gran’pa pushed her aside. “Don’t touch -them!” he yelled. “It’s an electric wire! Stand back!” And with this -Gran’pa took the crooked handle of his cane and jerked the wire from -Johnny’s hands. - -Johnny and Janey sat down with a bump upon the tiny bridge. - -“O—oh Brud,” Janey laughed. “Wasn’t that funny!” - -“It’s funny, now,” answered her brother, “but it wasn’t pleasant when I -first touched the wire! It felt as if I was being stretched out about -six feet tall!” - -“You _are_ getting longer!” Gran’ma cried, as she helped Johnny to his -feet. - -“Look at Janey!” he laughed. “Her dress is getting too short for her! -Ha! Ha!” - -“I don’t see anything funny about it!” Gran’pa said reprovingly. “In -fact, it may be very serious!” - -Johnny sobered up and twisted about to see himself. Both Johnny and -Janey had grown two feet taller and were still growing. - -Their clothes were far too short to cover them and they looked -ridiculous. Janey began crying as the Soft-Voiced Cow caught up with -them. - -[Illustration: The -Voiced Cow jumped three feet in the air and started -across the valley kicking her heels and mooing. (page 112)] - -“Whatever in the world has happened?” she asked as she sat down upon the -wire. - -Gran’pa cried “LOOK OUT!” but he was too late. The Soft-Voiced Cow -jumped three feet in the air and started across the valley, kicking her -heels and mooing, while the tiny wire wrapped itself about her tail. - -With Gran’pa in the lead, waving his cane, they all ran after the -Soft-Voiced Cow. - -“Wait a minute!” Gran’pa shouted. “I’ll pull it off with my cane! WAIT A -MINUTE!” - -But the Soft-Voiced Cow continued running until the wire became tangled -in a bush and was pulled from her tail. - -When she was free the Soft-Voiced Cow rolled head over heels and turned -a complete somersault before she sat up and looked around wonderingly. - -“I do believe I lost my cud!” she exclaimed as Gran’pa and the children -came up to her. - -“Your cud!” Janey exclaimed in wonderment. - -[Illustration] - -“Yes, my chewing gum!” replied the Soft-Voiced Cow. “All cows have cuds -for chewing gum.” - -“Perhaps you left it at the Little Man’s house!” Janey suggested. - -“No! The Soft-Voiced Cow wasn’t in the house!” Gran’ma said, as she -joined the group. - -“Look in all your pockets!” Johnny suggested. - -“Maybe you swallowed it,” Gran’pa remarked. - -“Oh, maybe I did!” the Soft-Voiced Cow replied. “Sometimes I do when I’m -excited! Yes, here it is!” and with a contented sigh the Soft-Voiced Cow -began chewing. - -Johnny and Janey had stopped growing by this time and it was well they -had, for their clothes were now so tight they were very uncomfortable. - -“Now, everyone keep away from the wire!” Gran’pa advised, pointing to it -with his stick. “Let us get away from here as fast as we can and watch -our steps from now on!” - -“It’s funny the Soft-Voiced Cow doesn’t grow taller!” Johnny said to -Janey as they followed the others across the valley. “She hasn’t grown a -bit!” - -“I am glad she hasn’t,” Janey replied, “for it certainly is -uncomfortable to be so tall!” - -Janey was a head taller than Gran’ma, and Johnny was still taller than -she was. Their stockings came nowhere near their knees. - -“I thought I heard a bell tinkling when we touched the wire!” Gran’ma -said as they walked along. - -“So did I,” the Soft-Voiced Cow laughed. “When I did not have the wire -fastened about my tail!” - -As the travelers came around the bend of the mountain and left the -little valley, they saw before them a little hut such as one sees at -fair-grounds and pleasure resorts. - -A queer little man wearing a stove pipe hat leaned over the counter at -the front of the hut and smiled at them. “Was it you who rang the bell?” -he inquired. - -“I guess all of us rang it!” Gran’ma replied, for she saw the little man -was going to be agreeable. - -The little man turned and looked at the dial at the side of the hut; the -indicator pointed to four. - -“You rang the bell four times,” he said in a matter of fact voice, “so -you get four cigars!” and he handed out four large black cigars. - -“I don’t smoke!” said the Soft-Voiced Cow, with a laugh. - -“Nor I either!” Gran’ma. Janey and Johnny chimed in together. - -“Then this gentleman may have them!” said the man as he handed the four -fat cigars to Gran’pa. “Someone has to have them, you know,” he said, -“for each time the bell rings I have to give someone a cigar!” - -Gran’pa put the cigars in his pocket. “I’ll smoke them after a while!” -he said. - -“But they’ll melt!” cried the man. “You must eat them right away!” - -Gran’pa pulled the cigars from his pocket, then with a smile he handed -one to each of the children and to Gran’ma. - -The cigars were made of chocolate candy. “Won’t you have one?” Gran’pa -asked, offering the remaining cigar to the Soft-Voiced Cow. - -“No, thanks,” the Soft-Voiced Cow replied, “I hardly ever eat candy!” - -“I have some nice buttered popcorn!” the man suggested. - -“I might have a basket of popcorn, if you have it to spare!” the -Soft-Voiced Cow laughed. - -“You shall have it!” the man replied, as he reached behind the counter -and lifted a basket of popcorn to the Soft-Voiced Cow. - -The Soft-Voiced Cow took one mouthful of the popcorn and then blew it -out of her mouth. - -Gran’ma looked at her in surprise. - -“It has mustard on it!” the Soft-Voiced Cow said, as the tears streamed -out of her eyes and she sneezed two or three times. - -“Mustard!” the man at the counter exclaimed, looking at the cow with a -queer expression. “Of course it has mustard on it! I put it on to keep -the popcorn hot!” - -Gran’pa winked at Johnny. - -“Have you any ice cream cones?” Janey asked. - -“Plenty!” the man replied. “What flavor?” - -“Strawberry!” Janey said. “Chocolate!” cried Johnny. “Maple!” Gran’ma -said. “Peach!” said Gran’pa. - -“Dear me! I haven’t any of those flavors! I never heard of them!” And -the man leaned upon the counter and scratched his head. - -“Never heard of chocolate!” exclaimed Johnny. - -“What flavors have you?” asked Janey. - -“I have Plumpdoodle, Wiggledoos, Kneebud and Lopjiggle!” - -“Let me try a Lopjiggle!” said Janey. - -“Plumpdoodle!” Gran’ma decided. - -“Wiggledoos!” cried Johnny. “They must be fine!” - -“I believe I will have a Kneebud!” said Gran’pa. - -The man handed out the different ice cream cones, and although the -flavor of each was different from anything they had ever tasted the -travelers thought them fine. - -Just then the little bell up on the side of the cliff began tinkling. - -“Hello!” said the man. “Someone else gets a cigar!” - -They all ran to where they could look down into the little valley and -there they saw old Jingles, the wicked Magician, holding on to the -electric wire and turning flip-flops in his efforts to get free. - -The Soft-Voiced Cow began switching her tail nervously. - -“It’s Old Jingles, the Magician!” cried all in one voice. - -“I have been in hopes I should land him on the wire!” said the man. “Do -you know,” he explained in a confidential tone, “that is the reason I -started this place in the mountains! Here, Gran’pa,” he continued, “you -may have his cigar. All of you help yourselves to anything you wish. I -am through with the business now that old Jingles is on the wire!” - -“What do you intend doing?” asked Gran’pa. - -“Nothing,” answered the man. “I’m through now, and I’m going back to the -City of Nite!” - -The bell kept on tinkling and the indicator on the dial kept whirling -around in a circle. - -“Take all the cigars you wish!” the man called to Johnny and Janey, who -were behind the counter. “He’s ringing up quite a lot!” - -“I am glad your wire stopped the wicked creature,” said Gran’ma, “for he -was after us and would soon have overtaken us. He took the children’s -Flying Machine and he took Gran’pa’s Flying Boat, and he is the one who -put the Princess of Nite into the Green Jar!” - -“Put the lovely Princess in the Green Jar!” the man exclaimed. - -“Yes!” Gran’pa answered, as they stood and watched the antics of the -Magician. “And Gran’ma rescued her! The Princess is on her way to the -City of Nite now, in the Dancing Master’s Umbrella!” - -[Illustration] - -“Not Tiptoe’s Magic Umbrella?” the man asked, in surprise. - -“Yes,” answered Gran’pa. “His name is Tiptoe and he was the Princess’ -Dancing Master.” - -“And my brother!” said the Little Man. - -“Sh!” he added in a whisper, as he glanced hastily about as if to see -that no others were listening. “It’s a secret! I was the Chief of -Detectives in the City of Nite when the Princess disappeared, and I had -to leave when I found out that the wicked creature who claimed to be the -Princess really was a Witch! She made it so unpleasant for me that I -decided to go in search of Old Jingles the Magician, to see if he would -help me find the real Princess. Excuse me a moment,” and he went back of -the counter where the children were eating the strange ice creams with -large spoons. - -Opening a box with a key which he wore on his watch chain, he studied -the figures on a number of dials; then when he had written the figures -upon a piece of paper, he handed it to Johnny. - -“Can you add?” he asked. - -Johnny ran his eyes over the figures. “Nine hundred and fifty-eight!” he -said, as he returned the paper to the Chief of Detectives. - -“Not half enough!” said the Chief of Detectives, as he pulled six little -levers. There was a steady buzz-buzz that grew louder and louder every -minute. - -Johnny watched the hands on the dials climb and climb. - -“Fifteen hundred and ninety-eight!” he cried out, presently. - -“That’s better!” said the Chief of Detectives. “Give the Soft-Voiced Cow -some of that popcorn in the green box; it has no mustard on it!” - -“He’s hopping to beat the band!” Gran’ma cried delightedly, as the Chief -of Detectives came up to where they were watching the Magician. - -“I should think he would!” said the man. “I turned on the current twice -as hard!” - -Just then they saw the Dancing Master coming over the hill into the -valley. - -“Here he comes now!” cried Gran’pa. “It’s your brother, Tiptoe!” - -“All stay here!” cried the Chief of Detectives. “Don’t move from this -spot!” And with this he set off at a good speed across the valley to -meet his brother. - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER X - THE TIPTOE BROTHERS AND THE SLIDE RAFT - - -Gran’ma and Gran’pa saw the Tiptoe Brothers throw their arms around each -other’s necks in their joy at meeting, but they walked in a wide circle -around the spot where Jingles the Magician was dancing in his efforts to -free himself from the wire. - -“I should have been sooner,” said the Dancing Master to Gran’pa and -Gran’ma, “but just as I started to leave the Cottage-Cave I saw a Flying -Boat coming across the country, and I knew from your story that the -wicked Jingles must be in it.” - -“What did he do?” asked the children. - -“He left his Flying Boat out in front of the Cottage-Cave and came -inside, and while he was snooping around I slipped out the back way, -went round the Cottage-Cave, and touched a match to his Flying Boat! He -will have to walk from now on!” And the Dancing Master did a graceful -little dance step and snapped his fingers. - -“Oh dear!” Gran’ma cried as she sat down hard upon the grass. - -“Whatever is the matter?” the Tiptoe Brothers cried, as Gran’pa helped -Gran’ma to her feet. - -“It was our Flying Boat!” replied Gran’pa quietly, “and the only way we -had of ever getting back home to the Earth!” - -The Dancing Master was crestfallen. “I am always putting my foot into -it!” he exclaimed. - -“Please do not worry,” said Gran’ma, seeing how sorry the Dancing Master -felt. “You did just what you thought was best!” - -“Indeed I did!” answered the Dancing Master. “But that does not bring -back the Flying Boat.” - -“What do you intend doing with the wicked Magician?” asked Gran’pa. - -“Nothing!” replied the Chief of Detectives. “He is very well off where -he is, and he will never be able to do any mischief as long as he holds -on to the wire, or,” he added with a sly wink at the Soft-Voiced Cow, -“until the wire lets go of him!” - -“I feel sorry for him!” said Janey. - -“Well you need not, Sis!” Johnny cried. “Look at me and you will see -about how you look! And it is all the wicked Jingles’ fault!” - -“Why, what in the world is the matter?” asked the Dancing Master, -noticing for the first time that Janey and Johnny had grown so much -taller. - -“We caught hold of the wire!” replied Johnny. - -“And it made you grow so much taller?” cried the Dancing Master in -astonishment. - -“Have they grown taller?” asked the Chief of Detectives. - -“Certainly!” the Dancing Master answered. “They were only children and -were no taller than myself when they left me three hours ago!” - -Without saying a word, the Chief of Detectives motioned to the children -and the others to follow him, and going to the counter he took a small -case from under the counter, and from it a tiny bellows. - -He then blew a puff of powder over the children and in a short time they -had resumed their normal size. - -Then, putting the case in his pocket, the Chief of Detectives said it -would be best for them to try and reach the City of Nite as soon as -possible. - -“We shall have the old Witch to contend with when we reach there,” he -reminded the others, “and perhaps even now the Princess is under the -power of the wicked creature!” - -“Let us hasten!” cried Gran’pa. - -The road now led down the mountain side. A short distance from the Chief -of Detectives’ hut it wound through a deep forest, which made the -traveling cool and comfortable. - -At last they came to a section of the forest where all the trees were of -pine. Here there was a thick carpet of pine needles that had dropped -from the boughs for years. - -They were smooth, soft and slippery. - -“Let’s get a board and slide down the mountain on the pine needles!” -said Gran’pa, noticing that there was a clear space beneath the trees, -which slanted straight down the mountain side. - -“There are no boards about!” said Gran’ma. - -“I’ll run back to the hut up the mountain and get some!” the Chief of -Detectives volunteered, and away he started. - -“Wait there for me!” he called as he disappeared up the path. - -The party sat down to wait the return of the Chief of Detectives. - -“It was funny the electric wire did not affect the Soft-Voiced Cow!” -mused Johnny. “It surely made Janey and me grow like weeds!” - -“I’ll ask my brother about it when he returns!” replied the Dancing -Master. - -It was not long before they heard the Chief of Detectives singing a -yodel song, and soon he came into view over the rocks, carrying a pile -of boards, a hammer, some nails and a long piece of rope. - -As Gran’pa was an expert carpenter he offered to fix the sliding boards. - -[Illustration: Down, down, the Slide Raft sped, until it was going so -fast that its occupants could not talk. (page 125)] - -“Let’s build one big sled!” he suggested, “and then we can all be -together.” - -“A good idea!” agreed the Tiptoe Brothers. - -So Gran’pa hammered the boards together and tied them in such a manner -that soon he had a fine looking Slide Raft. - -“We should have a rudder to guide it with,” Gran’pa said as he stood and -studied his work, “for who knows but that the mountain may take a few -sudden turns farther down!” - -So Gran’pa with his jack knife sawed away at a small tree until he had -cut it down, and with the help of the rope and some small pieces of -boards he made a rudder. - -They all sat down on the Slide Raft, and with everybody pushing and -shoving the Slide Raft started down the mountain side, gaining momentum -as it went over the slippery needles. - -The Soft-Voiced Cow sat in the center of the Slide Raft and the others -about her. Gran’pa stood at the rudder to guide the Slide Raft should -they come to a sudden turn. - -It was well that Gran’pa had thought of the rudder, for when they had -slid down the mountain for about a mile, and the Slide Raft was speeding -along at a terrific pace, they came to where the open space beneath the -trees turned sharply to the right. - -Gran’pa swung the rudder round as hard as he could and turned the Slide -Raft just in time to escape the trees at the side. - -Down, down, the Slide Raft sped, until it was going so fast that its -occupants could not talk. The wind whistled past them like a gale, and -if it had not been for the weight of the Soft-Voiced Cow they would have -been swept from the Slide Raft by the force of the wind. - -Just as they were nearing the bottom of the mountain the ground took a -dip. Down this the frail Slide Raft shot suddenly, and up the other -side. - -Gran’ma and Janey screamed as the Slide Raft left the ground at the top -of the little mound and plunged straight down for a hundred feet or -more. - -As good fortune had it, the path of the Slide Raft seemed to have been -made for just such tobogganing. At the bottom of the fearful drop the -ground fell away in a graceful curve, so, after hitting the ground at -the bottom of the mountain, the Slide Raft went about five hundred feet -out across a small pond at the edge of the pine forest, skipping across -the water like a skipper rock thrown by a boy, and came to rest a short -distance from the opposite bank. - -As the Slide Raft stopped, the Soft-Voiced Cow fell over on her side and -closed her eyes. - -Gran’pa jumped from the raft and pulled it into shore, while the Tiptoe -Brothers filled their hats with water which they dashed over the head of -the Soft-Voiced Cow. - -“She has fainted!” Gran’ma said. - -“Let’s get her ashore!” Johnny cried. “Everybody take hold!” - -It took a lot of pulling and tugging, but finally they got the -Soft-Voiced Cow up the bank and pulled grass for a pillow. - -“I wish I had my smelling salts!” cried Gran’ma. - -The water did not seem to help the Soft-Voiced Cow, and she rolled her -eyes in an alarming manner. - -“She may start kicking any minute!” Gran’pa warned. “Don’t get too close -to her heels! I had a cow that acted the same way once!” - -Sure enough, the Soft-Voiced Cow did begin kicking, and as they drew -away from her she turned her head towards Gran’ma with a pathetic look -in her eyes. - -“I’m going to hold her head!” cried Gran’ma, forgetting in her anxiety -that her friend was only a Cow. - -Gran’ma’s soft hand smoothed the Soft-Voiced Cow’s forehead, and the -Cow, seeming to feel Gran’ma’s affection, placed one of her front feet -on Gran’ma’s lap. Gran’ma sat holding the Cow’s foot and smoothing her -brow, meanwhile talking to her in a gentle, soothing manner. - -The others, who stood by watching, had to brush the tears from their -eyes. - -“Why not puff your magic powder on her?” Janey cried to the Chief of -Detectives. - -“It will only cure magic!” cried that good little man as he took the -tiny bellows from his pocket. - -Johnny jumped forward and blew a generous puff upon the Soft-Voiced -Cow’s head. - -The Soft-Voiced Cow seemed to shrink in size and turned a different -color. - -“Now, Mister! You _HAVE_ done it!” Janey cried as she stamped her foot -at Johnny. - -Johnny stood as if frozen, watching the Soft-Voiced Cow. - -“She’s got a HAND!” Gran’ma cried excitedly. “Two of them!” - -As the others drew closer they saw that their friend, the Soft-Voiced -Cow, was turning into a woman. - -The Tiptoe Brothers uttered glad cries, and the Dancing Master threw his -arms about the woman. - -“My wife!” he cried as he kissed her. - -“It’s Jenny!” cried the Chief of Detectives, turning a radiant face to -Gran’pa. - -“There! You see?” Johnny said, as he and Janey turned their backs on the -reunited pair. “If the magic wire could not make the Soft-Voiced Cow -grow taller it was because she already had been magicked. So I -remembered that the powder cured magic, and there you are! - -[Illustration] - -“Johnny, you’re a dear!” Janey answered, as she gave him a great hug. -“You always know just what to do, all the time!” - -“Ah, shucks!” Johnny replied. “I did it without much thinking!” - -“Well, you did it, anyway!” his sister insisted. “To think she was a -lady all this time and we did not know it!” - -“She was a very ladylike Cow, at least!” said Johnny. - -Mr. and Mrs. Tiptoe came up to Johnny and Janey and thanked them for -what they had done. - -“It was Johnny!” said Janey, generously, as the pretty lady kissed her. - -“It was Janey who suggested it!” said Johnny as he bashfully received -Mrs. Tiptoe’s reward. - -The happy little Dancing Master told his wife all that had happened -since the Princess and she had disappeared, and that now the Princess -was safe at home. - -“At least, I hope she is,” he added. “She left us and flew off for the -City of Nite in the Magic Umbrella. Now tell us of your strange -adventure!” - -“There is not much to tell,” Mrs. Tiptoe said, as the happy party walked -over the fields. “When you left me in the rooms of the Witch she was -hiding behind a door all the time, and just as you left she pushed me -into the Magic Umbrella and jumped in with me. We flew out of the -window. - -“As you now know, it does not take the Magic Umbrella long to get where -you wish it to go, or at least it did not take us long to get to where -it settled to the ground. I could scarcely stand when we got there. The -wicked creature struck me with her cane and said a strange rhyme, and I -did not know a thing until I awakened with my head in Gran’ma’s lap.” - -“How does it come that you are here, too?” she asked of the Chief of -Detectives. - -“I started to tell Gran’ma and Gran’pa up on the mountain a while ago,” -he replied, “but I got off the subject. Now I will tell the story, -strange as it may seem.” - -“Here comes the Magic Umbrella!” cried Gran’ma, as she pointed to a -speck in the air. - -“It’s the Princess!” cried the Detective. “No, it isn’t, either,” he -added as the Magic Umbrella drew closer. - -It proved to be the General of the Guard, and when he had embraced the -Tiptoe Brothers and Mrs. Tiptoe he was introduced to the rest of the -party. - -“The Princess is quite safe!” he exclaimed, as all started to ask after -her, “and she has sent me to try and find you and bring you to the -Castle.” - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe rode in the Magic Umbrella -and the men rode underneath. (page 131)] - - - - - CHAPTER XI - AGAIN WE MEET THE PRINCESS, THE PALACE AND THE MAGICIAN - - -The General of the Guard took a knapsack from his back and spread a -large piece of silk upon the ground. Then with heavy twine, he fastened -the four corners of the silk to the Magic Umbrella. - -“Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe, you ladies can ride in the Magic -Umbrella and we men will ride underneath,” he directed. And when all had -taken their places, the General of the Guard told Gran’ma to wish the -Magic Umbrella to fly to the Princess’ Castle, and away they started. - -The City of Nite was built upon a beautiful island and in the center -stood the wonderful Castle, its tall spires and towers rising high above -all the other buildings. - -As they approached the Castle, the Magic Umbrella settled upon one of -the broad terraces. The Princess came running out to meet them as the -party climbed out of the Magic Umbrella. - -Mrs. Tiptoe had to tell the Princess of her adventure as they went -inside the Castle. - -“And to think you were the Soft-Voiced Cow,” laughed the Princess, “and -that none of us suspected it! My, I am glad we are all safe and sound -and home again!” - -“We are very glad too,” Gran’ma said, “but Gran’pa, Janey, Johnny and I -are still very far from home!” - -“Oh, you will like it here,” the Princess laughed as she threw her arms -about Gran’ma. “And I shall have you live here with me all the time in -the Castle, for we owe everything to you!” - -“You saved the Princess from the Green Jar and charmed away the wicked -magic from Mrs. Tiptoe!” exclaimed the General of the Guard. - -“We must keep you with us always,” the Princess said as the party walked -into a great hall. “Now, Gran’pa,” she continued, “I will let Mr. Tiptoe -show you and Johnny to your rooms, and when all have dressed we are -going to have a nice little party all to ourselves. I will take Gran’ma -and Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe to their rooms and we will meet you in the -Banquet Hall very soon.” - -The Princess led Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe to a wonderful room with -ivory and gold beds. Beautiful draperies hung from the windows, and a -merry little fountain tinkled in one corner of the room. - -“Here are your clothes,” the Princess said, opening a closet and -displaying rows and rows of wonderful silk and satin dresses. - -Janey’s eyes were the size of saucers. Some of the dresses were pink—and -pink was her favorite color! - -“I had them all made to fit you and Janey,” she told Gran’ma. “I am so -sorry I did not know that Mrs. Tiptoe was to be with us, but she may -have one of Janey’s dresses, I’m sure!” - -“Indeed she may!” Janey cried. “Oh, thank you so much, Your Majesty!” - -“Now, see here!” cried the Princess, pretending to be very stern. “Do -not ‘Your Majesty’ me! I am to be plain Nidia to all of you, so you must -begin to get used to calling me that!” - -When the Princess, Mrs. Tiptoe, Gran’ma and Janey reached the Banquet -Hall, Gran’pa, Johnny and the Tiptoe Brothers were there waiting for -them. - -“Whee! How fine you all look!” Johnny cried, as he saw the beautiful -silk and satin dresses. - -“You look fine, too!” Janey exclaimed. “All of you!” - -“How did the Princess know our measurements?” Johnny whispered to Janey -as they took their seats at the table. - -“I don’t know,” Janey replied, rather puzzled. “Just see Gran’pa! My, -doesn’t he look nice in that purple velvet!” - -“We are very anxious to know how you got rid of the wicked Witch when -you returned to the Castle,” Gran’ma said to the Princess. - -The Princess laughed a merry laugh and replied, “I am afraid you will be -disappointed with my adventure, for when I left you upon the mountain -side at Mr. Tiptoe’s Cottage-Cave I wished the Magic Umbrella to take me -to my mother, but as I flew over the City of Nite I changed my mind. - -“‘No,’ I said to myself, ‘I will go right to the Castle and face the -wicked Witch!’ - -“And so I wished to go to the Castle instead of to my mother. And when I -climbed out of the Magic Umbrella I ran right into the Castle and it was -empty! I went through all the rooms and found no one; the wicked Witch -was not there at all!” - -[Illustration] - -“Did you go into the little room at the top of the Blue Tower?” Mr. -Tiptoe asked. “That is where she was the day Mrs. Tiptoe and I found -her.” - -“Yes, I went there, too,” the Princess replied, “and cobwebs were all -over everything. I knew the wicked creature had not been there for -months.” - -“For years, to be more exact,” interrupted the Chief of Detectives. - -“How do you know?” the Princess asked the Chief of Detectives in -surprise. - -The Chief of Detectives explained. - -“I started to tell of my adventure to Gran’ma and the others on the -mountain side,” he said, “but I was so glad to see my brother coming -across the meadow I forgot what I was saying.” - -“Tell us now! Perhaps you can clear up the mystery!” the Princess cried. -“No one in the City of Nite could tell me anything! Please tell us all -you know, and all about your adventure!” - -“But you had not finished telling us of your own experience,” the Chief -of Detectives answered. - -“There is very little more to tell,” said the Princess. “When I -discovered that the wicked Witch was not in the Castle and that she had -not been here for some time, I rang the Great Bell five times. This, as -you know, is the signal for every one in the City of Nite to have a -holiday. And when the good people heard the Great Bell pealing, they -came running to the Castle and found me! That is all there is to tell, -except that every thing inside the Castle had grown dreadfully musty, so -I had everything cleaned, and new draperies and then I sent the General -of the Guard in the Magic Umbrella to bring you here.” - -When the Princess had finished the Chief of Detectives told his story. - -“When the Princess disappeared,” he began, “I was away on my vacation -and word did not reach me for four days. But you may rest assured that -when I did hear I hurried back to the City of Nite as fast as possible. - -“I asked everyone I met about the strange disappearance of the Princess, -for I could not believe that the Princess had been changed into an old -woman. No one could help me. People just stood around looking at one -another as if they were stunned. At first I thought it unwise to visit -this old Witch for fear she might find out that I distrusted her, but -upon second thought I changed my plans and went to see her. - -“I suppose I may tell our good friends of the secret passage?” the Chief -of Detectives interrupted himself to ask the Princess, and being given -permission he went on: - -“There are secret passages built in the walls of the Castle which lead -to many of the rooms, and by which anyone who knows how to open the -secret doors may escape. Now I, of course, knew all the doors and all -the buttons that open them, so I went through all the secret passages -and from their peepholes I looked into all the rooms. But I could never -time my visits just right until about a year ago. - -“Then one day as I walked through one of the secret passages, I heard -someone talking, so I hastily glued my eyes to the peephole, you may be -sure. But when I looked through, I did not see the Witch in the room! -Instead, there stood a queer man with a tall hat and a crooked stick. - -“I could not quite make out what he was saying, for he was only talking -to himself and at times merely mumbled his words, but I learned enough -to know that he had no business there.” - -“Jingles the Magician!” cried the Princess, Gran’ma and Janey in one -breath. - -“You are right,” continued the Chief of Detectives. “I heard him mutter -something about a book of rhymes, and he played with a queer little -pouch with tassels!” - -“The Magic Whistle!” cried Gran’pa and Johnny. - -“I don’t know what it was,” said the Chief of Detectives. “But as I -watched the queer man he took off his tall hat and coat and put them in -a closet; then he took out a white wig and a great cloak and bonnet and -put them on. I saw then that he and the Witch were one and the same and -I knew positively that neither was our beloved Princess. I did not know -what to do! At first I thought of calling the people together and -telling them of what I had seen, but then, thought I, ‘Should I do that, -I may never discover what has become of the Princess.’ - -“So I watched at the secret passage for days and days until once again I -was rewarded. There was the queer man again, sitting and reading a large -book and trying to memorize some verses. Then I watched him until I saw -him put on a pair of spectacles. He stared for a moment for all the -world like a near-sighted person. Then he skipped up and down. - -“‘Someone is drinking my lemonade,’ he cried, looking through them. -‘Hooray! Now I will have someone else to work my magic on!’ And with -this, he jumped upon his large book and flew right out of the window!” - -“It was Janey who drank at the lemonade spring!” cried Johnny. - -“I did not know that, of course,” said the Chief of Detectives. -“However, when the wicked man left, I went into the room and looked -about. In the pocket of the cloak which the Witch had worn, I discovered -the tiny powder puff which Johnny puffed upon the Soft-Voiced Cow, or -upon Mrs. Tiptoe, I should have said! I also found a tiny book of magic -and a few brass buttons and other charms. - -“I took the powder puff, the tiny book of magic and the charms; I also -made a drawing of the queer designs upon the floor. Then I left -everything else just as I had found it and went home. - -“I studied the book of magic a long time before I finally tested out -some magic myself. First, I copied the designs upon a large white rug -then, following the directions in the little book, I placed the charms -about as directed, then I puffed a bit of powder into a tin cup and -touched a match to it. When the powder puffed up into the room, I went -out of the door as fast as I could. But when I saw the room had cleared, -I ventured back and found written upon the slate—I forgot to mention -that one of the things called for in the book was a slate and -pencil—‘Top of Whippoorwill Mountain. Electric wires strung meadow. -Capture!’ - -“I puzzled and puzzled over this message, and I tried the magic three -times. The same message always came upon the slate! Then I decided to go -to the top of Whippoorwill Mountain and see the wires, but there were no -wires there! - -“‘Perhaps it means that I am to put the wires there,’ I thought. ‘At -least I can try it!’ So I had the Royal Electrician fix up the wires -about the meadow, and then I built the little hut and filled it with ice -cream and popcorn and cigars, so that if I accidentally caught any -innocent persons, I could give them candy cigars and popcorn and ice -cream. And right there I stayed until, as you know, I caught old -Jingles.” - -“You have caught old Jingles the Magician!” cried the Princess. - -“Yes,” Gran’ma laughed, “and he also caught Janey and Johnny and the -Soft-Voiced Cow and myself!” - -“I had forgotten the Princess did not know that I had caught the wicked -creature and that we left him jumping to beat the band and hanging on to -the electric wire,” the Chief of Detectives said. Then, turning to the -Princess, he continued, “I was careful to turn on the current so that he -would have a good dose too!” - -“I am truly glad we have all escaped from him,” the Princess said and as -all had finished eating by this time she asked Gran’ma, “How would you -like to ride about the City of Nite and see the sights?” - -“Oh, let’s do!” Gran’ma cried, jumping up. “I have always wanted to go -to a City and we never felt we had enough money to do so when we were -upon the Earth!” - -“Well, you will find everything in the City of Nite free to all of you,” -laughed the Princess, “for everyone knows all about you and what you -have done for us, so if you are all of the same mind we can start right -now.” - -“Let’s walk!” said Gran’ma, when the Princess said something about -carriages. “Then we can all be together and look in the shop windows and -have lots more fun!” - -“I often walk about the town, or at least, I used to walk about, before -I was put in the Green Jar,” the Princess replied. - -“It’s nice to get up from the table and not have to worry about doing -the dishes,” said Gran’ma. “Let’s start right away. Gran’pa, you’ll have -to buy a bag of peanuts apiece. We always have peanuts when we go to -town,” she explained to the Princess. - -“Had we better take an umbrella?” asked Gran’pa. “One usually carries an -umbrella when one goes to town. It might rain.” - -“Perhaps it would be as well to take the Magic Umbrella with us,” the -Princess laughed, although she could not understand just why Gran’pa -should wish to carry one, for it very seldom rained in the beautiful -City. - -[Illustration] - -So the happy visitors walked down the great steps of the Castle with the -Princess and her old friends and into the shopping center of the City of -Nite, where all the kindly faced people bowed to them all as they -passed. - -The Princess stopped and talked with the people and gave presents to the -little children whom they met. - -At the first store they came to Gran’pa tried to buy some peanuts, but -the shopkeeper would not accept anything for them. - -“You couldn’t pay anyhow,” Johnny laughed. “You haven’t any Moon money, -it’s all Earth money in your purse.” - -“To be sure it is,” Gran’pa replied. “I had forgotten that!” - -The Princess took them into all the ice cream parlors and candy stores -in the City, and when they returned to the Castle all were loaded with -bundles. - -As they neared the steps of the Castle, Gran’pa shouted, “Look at the -crowd near the Castle door. It must be people who have come to see you -about something!” - -The Princess looked worried. “No,” she replied, “they would never crowd -about the Castle door in such a disorderly manner. Something has -happened!” - -Just as they started up the long flight of steps, the crowd separated -and as the people fell back on either side a tall form dashed out of the -doorway waving his crooked stick and shouting hoarsely. - -“Old Jingles, the Magician!” the Princess cried as she sank to the -steps. - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER XII - GRAN’MA TWEAKS OLD JINGLES’ NOSE - - -Gran’ma, Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe rushed to the Princess and, raising her -between them, they half carried and half dragged her back down the -marble steps. - -The Chief of Detectives, the Dancing Master, Johnny and Gran’pa sprang -up the steps to meet the Magician. But the Chief of Detectives and -Johnny caught their feet together and went tumbling to the foot of the -hard stone steps, where they lay dazed. - -The Dancing Master, who was very active, sprang up the steps two at a -time and met the Magician on the broad landing and attacked him, -although he scarcely reached to the Magician’s waist. - -Old Jingles struck at the Dancing Master with his cane, but the Dancing -Master dodged in under the blow and grappled with the Magician. - -The good people of Nite were terror stricken, and stood motionless as -the two struggled together. - -Finally the Magician pulled his tiny bellows from his pocket and blew it -toward the Dancing Master’s back, and the Dancing Master fell to the -steps, just as Gran’pa struck the bellows from the Magician’s hand with -his cane. - -With a roar of pain and rage the wicked Jingles swung his crooked stick -at Gran’pa’s head. Gran’pa warded off the blow with his own polished -cane and, using it as a sword, he jabbed old Jingles in the stomach. - -The Magician swung his large crooked stick again, and Gran’pa again -poked him in the stomach, and then, as the wicked creature backed away, -Gran’pa gave him a smart tap on the head, sending his tall hat spinning -down the steps. - -The Princess had recovered and was watching the duel with fascination. -Gran’ma was struggling between Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe. - -“Let me go!” she cried. “Let me get to him! I’ll tweak his nose! He -shan’t hurt Gran’pa! Let me go!” - -But Janey and Mrs. Tiptoe held her and tried to watch at the same time. - -“Why don’t the people help?” Gran’ma cried. “Let me go, I tell you! I’ll -show him, the wicked old thing!” - -Gran’pa had just swung his cane at the Magician’s head again hoping to -finish him with one more blow, but the Magician stepped to one side and -struck Gran’pa on the head, sending him to his knees. Gran’pa, however -much the blow hurt, never uttered a groan, and as he struggled dizzily -to his feet he tried to ward off the blows that old Jingles showered -upon him. - -Part of the blows Gran’pa received on his left arm, the others slid -harmlessly off his cane. - -Gran’pa backed away from the Magician and his face was worried, for the -blow upon his head had made Gran’pa weak in the knees. - -But although he dodged and gave ground Gran’pa waited for an opening and -at last, as the Magician missed a swing at Gran’pa’s head, Gran’pa drew -his cane back over his shoulder and brought it down with all his might -upon old Jingles’ crown. - -The blow was of such force it would have broken the Magician’s head if -the cane had not split in two, and as it was the wicked man staggered -from the blow. - -Gran’pa, with but the handle of his cane in his hand, jumped forward to -strike again, but he missed his footing and went rolling down the stone -steps. - -When Gran’pa fell in front of the Magician, the Princess, Janey and Mrs. -Tiptoe started running. - -“Run for your lives!” cried the Princess. “He will change all of us into -animals! Run!” - -[Illustration: Catching his long nose in her hands she gave it a tweak. -(page 145)] - -The Magician staggered after Gran’pa who had rolled clear to the bottom -of the long flight of steps. The Magician in his anger did not see -Johnny or the Chief of Detectives, who still sat in a daze part of the -way down the steps, so as he passed them, Johnny stuck his foot out and -tripped up the Magician. - -Down the long flight of steps the Magician fell, his long arms and legs -hitting the steps and his crooked stick flying high in the air as he -turned over and over. - -Johnny, though still dazed, got to his feet and started down the steps, -hoping he could get the Magician’s crooked stick. - -The Magician rolled to the bottom of the steps and he found Gran’ma -there to meet him; for as soon as the others had started to run, they -had released Gran’ma. - -So Gran’ma waited until old Jingles had stopped rolling, then she rushed -at him, and, catching his long nose in her hands, she gave it a tweak. - -With one scream of pain, the Magician lay still, and as Johnny raised -the crooked stick to bring it down upon Jingles’ head, Gran’ma stopped -him. - -“I said I’d tweak his nose,” Gran’ma cried, “and I’ll tweak it again -just as soon as he awakens!” - -Gran’pa sat up and looked around. - -“Give me another sack of peanuts,” he said. - -The Magician showed signs of awakening, so Gran’ma gave his long nose -another tweak which made him lie still. - -The Princess called to the people still standing around the door of the -Castle. - -“Call the Guards!” she shouted. “We’ll tie him and keep him chained up -for ever!” - -The voice of their Princess seemed to arouse the people from their -numbness and fear and eight Guards came running out from behind the -great doors where they had hidden themselves. - -When the Guards came to pick up the Magician to carry him away Gran’ma -pushed them back. - -“No you don’t!” she told them. “He stays right here while I tweak his -nose until he never has another speck of magic in him!” - -And as the Magician stirred again, Gran’ma gave his long nose another -hard tweek. - -“But Gran’ma,” Janey cried, “the Princess must be obeyed! She wants the -wicked creature put in chains and in prison!” - -“Now, you let me be!” Gran’ma said. “I’m boss here and here he stays -until I—” - -Just as this moment the Dancing Master rushed down the steps and blew a -puff from the magic bellows upon the face of old Jingles. It first -formed a puffy white cloud, then it settled grain by grain. There was a -breathless silence. - -Gran’ma did not finish what she was about to say, for as the magic -powder touched the Magician’s face, his long nose disappeared, his -wicked eyes changed and his face took on the appearance of a young man. -And as they all watched in wonder and amazement they saw his long, thin -fingers change into young hands, and the thin form beneath the torn, -dusty clothes alter until a fine young man lay before them. - -The Dancing Master blew another puff of the powder upon the prostrate -form and the old torn clothes changed into silk and velvet. - -“Dear me!” Gran’ma cried. “Perhaps we have made a mistake! It isn’t old -Jingles!” - -And when the Strange Young Man opened his eyes and saw the crowd -standing around him, he ran his hand across his forehead as if trying to -recollect something. - -“Where am I?” he asked. - -“You are in the City of Nite,” answered the Princess. “Guards, assist -him into the Castle!” - -“I believe I can walk,” said the Strange Young Man, “but I cannot -imagine how I got here, for I have never heard of the City of Nite -before.” And with this he stood upon his feet. - -“This is indeed strange,” said the Princess. “Let us all go into the -Castle.” And as the people drew aside to let them pass, the Princess, -Mrs. Tiptoe, Gran’ma and Janey went up the steps, followed by the -Strange Young Man, the Tiptoe Brothers, Gran’pa and Johnny. - -“My name is David,” the Strange Young Man said, when all had taken -chairs in the Princess’ drawing room and he saw that they looked to him -for an explanation, “and my home is in Dayland, or at least,” he -continued, “it used to be there.” - -“Dayland is on the other side of the Moon!” said the Princess. “My -father and mother and I visited there once!” - -“If Dayland is on the other side of the Moon,” said David, “this must be -the Land Back of the Moon.” - -“It is,” the Princess replied. “If you looked through the Moon you would -see it. It’s the Magical Land of Noom.” - -“How strange that I should be here!” and David passed his hand over his -forehead in a puzzled manner. “I faintly remember strange rhymes and -jingles of which I dreamed.” - -“You did not dream them,” Gran’ma hastened to explain. “You were old -Jingles the Magician until a few moments ago, then Mr. Tiptoe puffed the -magic powder on you and changed you back to your own self.” - -“Dear me,” sighed David. “If this is true tell me how long I have been -in this strange shape, for I speak truly when I tell you that I am -really at a loss to account for the cruel and wicked things which I must -have done while I was not myself.” - -“You first came to the City of Nite as a witch and said you were the -Princess,” the Chief of Detectives told him. - -“But you will remember,” the Princess said, turning to the Chief of -Detectives, “that I met him first as Old Jingles, when I saw the Queer -Horse who had eaten his head off, and that was over eighty years ago.” - -“Dear me,” David sighed. “Then there is no telling how long I have been -old Jingles or the Witch. I’m awfully sorry,” he told the Princess. “I -wouldn’t have harmed you for the world.” - -“Isn’t it just like a fairy tale!” Janey cried. - -“Perhaps it is,” David smiled, “but it seems like a disagreeable dream -to me and until I get back to my own country, I really cannot explain -how it all came about.” - -“What is the last thing you remember?” Johnny asked. - -“Let me see! We were having a great ball or something at the Castle and -I had just stepped outside the door to look at the Sun when—when—well, -that is the last thing I can recall, except the queer dreams about -rhymes and jingles.” - -“You don’t remember what you did with our Flying Boat, do you?” Johnny -asked. - -“No, I can not recall a Flying Boat, at all,” David answered. - -[Illustration] - -“That was the only way we had of returning to the Earth,” Gran’ma said, -a little sadly, “and I feel that we should return as soon as we can.” - -When Gran’pa had told him of the children’s Flying Boat and how he had -made one to follow the children to the Moon, David said, “Perhaps you -could make another and so return to the Earth! Perhaps you could take me -to my home in it, first.” - -Gran’pa asked the Princess if he could build another Flying Boat and -although the Princess wished them to stay at the Castle with her always, -she realized that they must be as anxious to return to the Earth as she -had been to return to the City of Nite. So the Princess sent word to the -Royal Carpenter to bring boards and nails to the Castle roof and there -Gran’pa superintended the building of the new Flying Boat. - -While this was being built, the Princess took her friends to visit her -father and mother, with whom they spent two happy weeks, seeing the -sights and having dances and dinners given in their honor. - -When they returned to the City of Nite, the Flying Boat had been -completed and stood upon the Castle roof all ready to sail. It was a -sturdy, beautifully built machine—quite the nicest one that has ever -been made. - -There were tears in the eyes of the Princess and Mrs. Tiptoe as David, -Gran’ma, Gran’pa and the children took their seats in the boat. - -“Good-bye! Good-bye!” they cried. “Do not forget that we shall be most -happy to have you visit us again!” And the Princess gave Gran’ma, -Gran’pa, Janey and Johnny each a beautiful ring in which was set a -wonderful Moonstone. - -[Illustration] - -Then when she had kissed them all good-bye again Gran’pa turned the -little knob marked “Start” and the new Flying Boat rose slowly from the -roof of the Castle and sailed away. - -The Princess and the people of Nite watched the Flying Boat until it was -out of sight, and then the Princess and Mrs. Tiptoe and the Tiptoe -Brothers went into the Castle. - -“I wished for them to stay,” said the Princess. “Didn’t you love them -all?” - -“Indeed I did,” Mrs. Tiptoe answered as she wiped her eyes. “They were -all so kind and unselfish.” - -“It is nice to know and love them,” said Mr. Tiptoe, “and while I know -they had many unpleasant experiences in the Magical Land of Noom, I am -so glad they came.” - -“Yes,” replied the Princess, “we owe all our present happiness to them -and I hope they will come again to visit us soon.” - -“Let’s all write a long letter and send it to them,” the Chief of -Detectives suggested. - -“How?” the others inquired. - -“Let us write the letter, then address it care of the Earth and puff the -magic powder upon it. They will be sure to receive it!” - -“That is an excellent idea!” the Princess cried joyfully. “We will start -it right away.” - -So they all set to work on the letter, so as to send it off at once. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - - CHAPTER XIII - EVERYBODY GOES HOME - - -When the Flying Boat was out of sight of the City of Nite, Gran’pa -pressed the speed button and the new craft shot through the air like a -comet, passing over the mountains and valleys in a flash. In a very few -moments it had covered a distance that had taken the travelers long -hours to walk. - -The new Flying Boat whizzed around the bend in the Moon and flew over -the side which is always turned towards the Earth. - -“This must be the Dayland in which you live!” Gran’pa said to David. - -“It is!” David answered. “See, there is the Earth!” - -By shading their eyes from the Sun, Gran’ma, Gran’pa and the children -could see a blue-green Star winking and blinking in the sky and could -faintly make out the shape of the land and the oceans upon its surface. - -As they sped along above the Moon, they watched the wonderful changes in -coloring below them. They saw many cities and villages and looked into -enormous craters of extinct volcanoes. - -At last they saw in the distance a city of white with wonderful steeples -and towers on the great building standing in the center. It was a -regular fairy book castle with glistening windows and hanging gardens. - -“There it is!” David shouted. “Guide the Flying Boat to the balcony at -the right of the Palace!” And as Gran’pa brought the Flying Boat to rest -as directed, many people rushed out of the Palace, and knelt before -David. “Our King has returned!” they shouted. “Long live the King!” And -they all came and kissed his hand. - -When David saw Gran’ma and Gran’pa and Janey and Johnny looking at him -in astonishment he put his arms around them and helped them from the -boat. - -“We did not know you were a King!” exclaimed Janey. - -The King laughed for the first time and it was such a cheery, pleasant -laugh they almost forgot that he was a King and Gran’ma gave his hand a -squeeze. - -[Illustration: “There it is!” David shouted. “Guide the Flying Boat to -the balcony at the right of the Palace!” (page 154)] - -As the King led them inside the Palace all the bells in the city began -chiming. “You must at least stay and have dinner with me,” he said. - -The King wished them to stay until he had learned how he came to change -characters, but as soon as they had finished dinner, Gran’ma said they -must leave. - -“If I can discover just what happened when I walked out to look at the -Sun,” the King laughed as he said good-bye, “I will write to you and try -to find a way to get the letter into your hands.” - -“It seems as if you could make a little Flying Boat and put the letter -in it and send it to us,” Johnny said. - -“Then you can expect to hear from me,” the King replied, as he waved -good-bye to them. - -[Illustration] - -Gran’ma and the children took a nap while Gran’pa guided the Flying Boat -on its return trip and when he finally awakened them, the new Flying -Boat stood in the back yard near the kitchen door at Gran’pa’s home. - -“Well,” said Gran’ma as she jumped out of the boat, “the Castle of the -Princess was comfortable and beautiful and King David’s Palace was -magnificent, but our little old home is the best of all!” - -“Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home!” Gran’pa sang as he -helped Janey from the boat. - -“I hope the moths haven’t got in the carpets!” Gran’ma said, as she -opened the back door. - -[Illustration] - -Johnny ran to the chicken shed and came back with six or seven eggs. - -Janey helped Gran’ma set the table and Gran’pa built the kitchen fire. -Then Gran’pa went to the smoke-house and brought in a large ham. - -“We’ll have some good old ham and eggs!” he said. - -Gran’ma made the fluffiest biscuits she had ever baked and they sat down -to a breakfast which they all enjoyed more than they had ever enjoyed a -breakfast before. - -“Now that we are back home again, doesn’t it all seem far away and -strange, like a fairy tale one has read a long time ago?” Gran’ma -suggested. - -“Yes, and like a real fairy tale, it has turned out very happily,” -Gran’pa smiled. - -“I wonder if we shall ever hear from the Princess or from the King,” -Johnny said. - -“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the King should marry the beautiful -Princess, just as all pretty fairy tales end?” mused Gran’ma. - - - THE END - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. - 2. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed. - 3. 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