Black Ooboo
That evening, when John came out of his tree house to watch the sunset,he found Pittypat, the white rabbit, sitting before his door.
"I've news for you, my friend," began the rabbit, in a grave voice."Black Ooboo and the Arab who wanted to eat you have become fastfriends, and together they are determined to destroy you."
"How did you know that the Arab wants to eat me?" asked John.
"I was hidden among the plants when you met, and heard your talk,"replied the rabbit. "You must look out for Ooboo and the Arab, or theywill surely do you a mischief, for the Mifkets now know that you aregood to eat."
"It's kind of you to warn me," said John; "but can you tell me of anyway to escape from this island, good Pittypat?"
"Not just at present," returned the rabbit; "but our Prince is verywise indeed, and I will ask him what is best to be done. In themeantime you must keep away from your enemies as much as possible."
With these words the rabbit sprang into a low bush and disappeared,leaving John Dough to sad reflections upon his dangerous position inthis lonely island.
Soon after daybreak next morning, while Chick and the Princess wereout hunting berries for their breakfast, John went for a walk alongthe shore, and so engrossed did he become in his thoughts that he didnot notice when a band of Mifkets stole upon him from behind and threwa coil of stout rope around his shoulders. Before he realized hismisfortune he was bound fast with many turns of the rope. Then he foundthat he had fallen into the hands of his old enemy, Black Ooboo; butthe Arab, to his great relief, was not with the party that had capturedhim.
Shouting with glee at the capture of the gingerbread man, the Mifketsled him away through the forest paths until they arrived at theclearing wherein the King lazily reclined upon his flat rock.
Ooboo at once awoke the aged ruler, who sat up and said in a weary tone:
"Have you taken the stranger prisoner, as I commanded?"
"We have," answered the black one.
John Dough was very indignant at the treatment he had received, so headdressed the King angrily, saying:
"By what right do you command me to be bound in this disgracefulmanner? Did you not give me permission to live among you in peace?"
"I am a king, and the promises of kings should never be relied upon,"said the old Mifket, winking slyly at his prisoner. "Since I first sawyou the Arab has arrived, and he tells us that the material you aremade of is very good to eat."
"Can the Arab understand your language?" asked John, in surprise.
"It seems so," answered the King. "In some parts of Arabia the peoplespeak exactly as we do; so the Arabs are probably descended from ourrace. Anyhow, Ali Dubh understands us and we understand him, and we'vedecided to have a bite of you before he can eat you himself."
THE MIFKETS RECAPTURE JOHN]
This was disturbing news to the gingerbread man, and he stood beforethe King wondering how he might escape from this awkward situationwhen the black Mifket, who was squatting beside him, opened his mouthand bit off the thumb from John's left hand, which was tightly bound tohis side.
"How does is taste, Ooboo?" inquired the King, while the black one waschewing the thumb.
"I can't exactly describe the flavor," said Ooboo, boldly biting offthe forefinger of the hand.
John was enraged at this dreadful treatment, and his glass eyes had adangerous flash in them. It didn't pain him especially, for he had nonerves; but to be chewed up by a common forest Mifket was a libertythat any gingerbread man might well resent.
"Seems to me there's molasses in him," said Ooboo, with a wink at theKing, and immediately he bit off another finger and ate it. "Also a bitof ginger," he continued, calmly, eating the next finger. "And spices."Another finger was gone. "It isn't exactly cake, and it isn't exactlybread," the black one proceeded, smacking his lips; "but it's prettygood, whatever it is"; and with that he ate the last finger remainingon John's left hand.
The King was no longer sleepy. He had become quite interested, and thecircle of Mifkets that stood silently back of John were looking attheir victim with hungry eyes.
"Bring him here to me," said the King. "I'll eat the other hand and seewhat it's like."
Ooboo immediately pushed the prisoner toward the rock; but John was nowterribly frightened, and had made up his mind not to allow the rest ofhis body to be eaten without a struggle to save himself. So he suddenlyexerted all the strength the Great Elixir had given him, and burst hisrope bonds as easily as if they had been threads. At the same instantthe Arab leaped into the group that surrounded the throne and placedhimself between the King and John Dough.
"Stop!" he screamed, his voice shrill with anger. "How dare you eat thegingerbread I have bought and paid for?"
"There's enough for all," said the King. "We'll divide him up, and havea feast."
"Not so!" shouted the Arab. "He's mine, and mine alone!"
But while they were thus quarreling the gingerbread man, free of hisbonds, turned and fled swiftly into the forest, and before the Mifketsor Ali Dubh knew he had gone their intended victim was far away.
Chick was very indignant when John Dough entered the tree house andshowed his mutilated hand.
"You ought to stay near me every minute," said the Cherub, "so I cantake care of you and keep you from getting into trouble. If this thingkeeps on, John Dough, you won't be able to present a respectableappearance."
"I know it," said John, sadly. "I'd escape in that little boat on thebeach; only, if a rain-storm came up, there'd be no shelter and I'dbecome soaked and fall to pieces."
"HE'S MINE, AND MINE ALONE!"]
"It isn't our boat, either," said Chick. "It belongs to the father andmother of the little Princess, and they may want to use it themselves,some day, to escape in."
"That's true," said John. "How is the Princess to-day?"
"She's worse," answered Chick. "Seems to me she gets weaker and moredelicate every day."
"That's what the rubber bear says," John remarked, thoughtfully.
"See here," said the child, "that gingerbread of yours is full ofstrength and power, isn't it?"
"That's what Ali Dubh says," John responded. "The Elixir that I ammixed with is claimed to be very powerful."
"And it's true," declared Chick, "for I've seen you do things nogingerbread man could ever do without some magic Elixir being mixed upwith him. Well, then, why don't you let the Princess eat the rest ofyour left hand, and get well? The hand isn't any use to you since BlackOoboo ate off the fingers."
John looked at his left hand nervously.
"What you say, Chick, appears to be true," said he; "but you've no ideahow I dread to be eaten. I'm not very substantial at the best, andduring my brief lifetime I've been crumbled and chipped and bitten tosuch an extent that I dread to lose even a crumb of my person more thanis absolutely necessary. Of course I'd like to help the Princess, andrestore her to health and strength; but perhaps we can find some betterway to do that than to feed her on my gingerbread."
"Very well, John Dough," said the Cherub, getting up to go to thePrincess, "I suppose you can do as you please about feeding yourself toyour friends; but if _I_ was gingerbread you can just bet I wouldn't beso stingy with myself!"
Left alone, John sighed and wondered if it was really his duty tosacrifice his left hand to save the frail little girl and restore herto strength and health. He wanted to be kind and generous, yet the verythought of being eaten filled him with horror.
Presently he left the tree house and wandered along the coast. Chick'srebuke disturbed him not a little, and he wanted time to think it over.So by and by, when he thought he was alone, he sat down upon a rock andtried to decide what to do. Suddenly a low rustle disturbed him, and helooked up to see the brown bear squatting beside him.
"Where's the Princess?" asked Para Bruin.
"Aren't you a good way from your mountain?" inquired John, instead ofanswering the question.
"Yes,
I don't often stray so far," was the reply, "but I had an idea ofcalling on the Princess. Where is she?"
"She's sick to-day," said the gingerbread man.
"That's bad," declared the bear, shaking his head sadly. "She seems tobe failing every day. Poor little Princess!"
John moved uneasily, for every word was a reproach to him.
"How are you getting on with the Mifkets?" asked Para Bruin.
"They made me a prisoner this morning, and abused me shamefully," saidthe gingerbread man. "See here!" and he held up the stump of his lefthand.
"What has become of your fingers?"
"A black Mifket named Ooboo bit them off and ate them," was the answer.
"That's curious," said the bear, rubbing his nose thoughtfully withone paw. "Do you know, the Mifkets had an exciting time an hour ago?I watched them from my mountain, and saw everything. Black Ooboo hada fight with the King and knocked him off his rock. That's reallysurprising, for Ooboo has always before been a coward, and afraid ofthe King. But now he has declared he'll be king himself, and offers tofight any one who opposes him. Isn't that funny? I don't know whereBlack Ooboo got so much courage and strength all of a sudden, I'm sure."
"I know," said John. "He got it from my fingers, which he ate. Mydough is mixed with the Great Elixir, you know, which is nothing lessthan concentrated energy and strength and vitality and knowledge. Thefingers have made Ooboo the most powerful Mifket in the island, so itis no wonder he has become king."
Para Bruin listened to this carefully, and after a moment's thought hesaid:
"If that is the case, John Dough, you must feed some of yourself to thePrincess to make her strong again."
"That's what Chick says; but I don't like to do it," said John.
"You will do it, though," said the bear; "for if you don't you are nofriend of mine, or of any other honest person. I'm going back to mymountain, and if you don't save the little Princess I'll never speak toyou again."
Away stalked Para Bruin, and John Dough arose with a sigh and walkedfar into the forest, trying to make up his mind what to do. He cameto the bank of the brook presently, and seating himself upon a fencebeside the stream gazed into the rushing water in deep thought. Fromthe distance came the roar of water falling over the big dam which thebeavers had built, and once or twice a Mifket strayed that way andlooked curiously at the silent figure of the gingerbread man. But theyhad orders from the Arab and Ooboo not to disturb him, so they creptaway again and joined their fellows among the giant plants.
A long time John Dough sat there by the stream, until suddenly he wasaroused from his musings by a shriek of discordant laughter behind him.
"Ho, ho, ho! What an absurd thing! Who'd ever have thought it?"
He turned around and saw a gorgeous macaw standing on a log back ofhim. The bird was all aglow with crimson and green feathers, and itsblack eyes twinkled mischievously, while continuous shouts of laughtercame from its ruffled throat.
"Keep still, can't you?" said John, in an annoyed tone. "What are youlaughing at, anyway?"
The bird pushed its head underneath a wing and shook with suppressedmirth.
"Oh dear! It's too funny for anything! What a lark--hoo, hoo, hoo! Whata lark it is!"
Its voice was somewhat smothered by the feathers, but John heard everyword, and it made him angry.
"You're a rampsy, that's what you are!" he cried.
"There are two of us--two of us--two of us!" shrieked the macaw,hopping around and fluttering its brilliant plumage. "Honestly, my dearbreakfast, I never had so much fun in my life!"
John turned his head and looked at the bird earnestly.
"Why do you call me your 'dear breakfast'?" he asked, with suddensuspicion.
"Because that's what you are, my poor innocent! Ha, ha, ha! Breakfastis ready!"
The bird made a quick thrust with its beak, and the next momentfluttered around in front of John with its mouth full of gingerbread.
Our hero quickly stood up and put his right hand behind him. The bakerhad made two little coat tails at the back of his waist, and as Johnfelt for them he found that the thieving macaw had eaten both of thesecoat tails entirely off, while he had sat upon the log thinking.
"How stupid I am!" he exclaimed, with real grief. "I might have giventhose coat tails to the Princess, and now this silly bird has eatenthem up!"
"I said you were a chump!" remarked the macaw, winking, and thenlaughing again. "The idea of your sitting there and letting me eat you!I never had so much fun in all my life."
Just then a great chattering reached his ears, and looking around,he found that a numerous band of the fierce Mifkets had stolen uponhim, and were now coming forward armed with huge clubs which they hadbroken from the forest plants, and which were as solid and heavy as thebranches of trees.
"Surrender!" cried the leader, knowing that the gingerbread manunderstood their language; "King Ooboo wants you for his luncheon, andAli Dubh is also hungry."
For a moment John Dough was most frightened. It was not likely thathis strength would enable him to escape from so many of his enemies,and he almost gave himself up for lost. For before him was the streamof water--almost as deadly to him as the close ranks of the Mifketsbehind him. The macaw was strutting up and down beside him, and at hislook of despair the bird said:
"You're surely in a bad way, my friend; but I believe I can save you.When I fly up, grab my feet, and I'll carry you away to your dwelling."
"You!" he exclaimed, gazing at the bird in surprise; "you are by nomeans big enough to fly away with me."
"Size doesn't count for much," chuckled the macaw; "and since Ibreakfasted off your coattails I feel myself to be as strong as an ox.Just grab my legs, as I tell you to."
John decided that it was worth attempting, being the only thing to do.The Mifkets were pressing closer, and soon he would be within reachof their clubs. So, as the macaw flew into the air John grasped itslegs with his right hand (which was the only hand that had fingers),and, sure enough, the strength of the little bird was so great that iteasily drew him up into the air, high above the heads of his chatteringand disappointed foes.
"Fooled again," cried the macaw; but of course the Mifkets did notunderstand the words. Away over the tops of the giant plants flew thebird, with John Dough clinging to its legs, and it was not long beforeit gradually descended again and landed the gingerbread man safelybefore the door of his own dwelling.
"Don't thank me," said the macaw, turning toward him one black eye,in a saucy manner, and winking comically. "I ate part of you for mybreakfast, and feel greatly refreshed. Were it not for the Arab I'dhope to get another meal off you, but between the Arab and the Mifketsyou're not likely to last long. Good bye."
And then it flew away into the forest.
John Dough and the Cherub Page 13