around like a top. And what was worseyet, once in a while, as he whirled about, he caught sight of the CometExpressman, and that hideous head with the long sandy beard trailing outbehind would wiggle its ears and grin.
My! but Bobbie would have given anything to get hold of that longtrailing sandy beard and give it a sharp tug or two.
But just holding his breath gave Bobbie enough to do.
Down--down--he fell--over and over--down and down. He caught one moresight of the wiggling ears when--Splash!
But to his surprise Bobbie did n't stop. He kept on going down, downthrough the soft green water. Away, 'way down he went, to the bottom ofthe deep sea.
"Well, anyway," thought he, "I'm done with the Comet Expressman."
He could see nothing but water, and more water, and he certainly feltwet clear through. Then, having reached the bottom, Bobbie had anothersurprise. He began going up again as fast as he had gone down, and ina moment found himself on the surface, being carried swiftly along by agreat foaming wave that was rushing toward the sandy shore, and--
Bump!
There sat Bobbie in his garden at home!
No wonder he was wet. The bubble bowl was upset and Fluff, the poodle,was just disappearing behind the lilac bush. The soapy water made anice, cold, soaky puddle.
A big, round, shining moon that made him think of the Comet Expressmanseemed to be looking down and laughing at him.
The garden was very quiet. Looking around, Bobbie spied a little whitefuzzy head close beside him.
"Fairy paint brush! Humph!" thought Bobbie, and he reached over to plucka blade of grass. "Why, I declare," he said, "the little new shoot justpeeping out of the ground has almost no color at all. Think of all thegrass that's been painted right in our own yard! Those Rainbow Fairiescertainly have a good deal of work to do." As Bobbie stood up, Fluffcame bounding back. He leaped upon his little master as joyfully asthough he had n't seen him for days and weeks. For a minute Bobbie feltthat he really had been away on a long, long journey. Then he glanceddown at the soapy little puddle behind him.
"Fluff, sir," he said with a frown, pretending to be very angry, "lookat what you've done, and look at my clothes! But my whizaphats!" headded, seizing Fluff's paws. "If that dream had been true your oceanwould have saved my life. If I'd landed on the _ground_ when the CometExpressman hit me, no telling what _would_ have happened!"
Just then the tea bell rang. "Come on, Fluff," Bobbie cried, startingfor the house, "come on. We can get a drink of milk here, even if itisn't the Milky Way!"
Bobbie Bubbles Page 4