Under Land and Water
Chick met him at the door.
"There's less of you than ever," said the child, looking him overcarefully. "Your coat tails are gone now."
"Yes," said the gingerbread man, "a macaw ate them a few minutes ago.But there will be even less of me in another minute. Have you a knife,Chick?"
"What are you going to do?" asked the Cherub, with sudden interest.
"I'm going to save the Princess before I'm gone entirely," said John,with decision. "Not that I have overcome my dislike to being eaten, youunderstand, but if a black Mifket and a foolish bird find it so easy tofeast upon my person, Ali Dubh is sure to get me in time, and beforethat happens I want to do one good deed, and help the little girl toregain her strength and health."
"Good!" exclaimed Chick, approvingly. "You're all right, John Dough,even if it did take you a long time to make up your mind. But wehaven't any knife."
"What shall we do?" John asked, anxiously.
"Can't we _break_ off a chunk of you?" the Cherub inquired.
"No!" replied the man, with a shudder.
"Wait a minute!" cried Chick, "I've an idea."
Away trotted the chubby legs, and presently the child returned with along, slender leaf, plucked from one of the strange forest plants.
"This'll saw gingerbread all right, I'm sure. Hold out your hand, JohnDough!"
John turned away his head and held out his left hand--the one fromwhich Black Ooboo had eaten the finger.
"There! It's all over. Did it hurt?" asked Chick.
"No." John looked at the arm where his hand had been.
"It isn't much worse than it was before," said the child. "You'll nevermiss it in the world. Now wait here while I go to the Princess."
After Chick had vanished into the girl's dwelling the gingerbread mangave a sigh of relief.
"It wasn't as bad as I feared," he said to himself; "but I'm glad theordeal is over. If I take good care of myself hereafter, and manage toescape from Ali Dubh, I can get along very well without the gingerbreadI have lost."
The Princess slept sweetly that night, after her supper of gingerbread,and the next morning was so fresh and bright, and had so pretty acolor to her cheeks, that Chick hugged her delightedly, and John Doughwas proud and glad to think his small sacrifice had wrought such goodresults. Together they strolled into the forest, along the banks ofthe stream, and presently met Pittypat.
"Be careful where you go," said the rabbit, in a worried tone. "TheArab is after John Dough, and I hear that Black Ooboo has determined todestroy the little man with the red whiskers and the fat woman with thecorkscrew curls, who are the father and mother of our Princess."
"Are you sure?" asked the girl, clasping her hands in real terror.
"There's no doubt of it," Pittypat replied. "And I'm not sure but thePrincess will share their fate. These are troublous times, since theArab arrived and Black Ooboo became king."
"There's the boat," said Chick, turning to the girl; "can't yourparents escape in that?"
"They have always said they would use the boat to leave the island,if there was any danger," answered the Princess. "But the ocean is sobig and the boat so very little that they did not like to make such avoyage unless it became necessary."
"Well, it seems to be necessary now," said John. "But what will becomeof the rest of us? The boat will only hold two."
"It might hold me as well as my parents, if the water was calm," saidthe girl; "but I will not escape and leave you and Chick to your fate.Unless we can find some way to save us all I will let my parents escapealone in the boat."
"That's foolish," said Chick. "You go in the boat. John Dough and Iwill get along all right."
But this the Princess refused to do, and after a long discussion therabbit decided to go and consult a gray owl which was renowned for itswisdom. The others walked up to Para Bruin's cave, and the first thingthe bear said was:
"Look out for yourselves. Black Ooboo has ordered all the humans onthis island to be killed, and the Mifkets are arming themselves withlong sticks, to which they have bound sharp thorns torn from a treein the forest. The gingerbread man is to be eaten, I understand; sothere's likely to be an end of all of you, very soon."
"Is there no way to escape?" asked John.
"None that I can think of," said the bear. "But you can depend upon myassistance, if there is anything I can do. How well the Princess looksto-day!"
"Yes," answered John, proudly; "she's been eating some of mygingerbread."
Hearing this, Para Bruin gave John a grateful hug; and then he huggedthe Princess and even Chick, so happy did the bear feel at the girl'srecovery.
Then he bounced for them several times, rolling himself down hillagainst the flat rock and then bounding high into the air. But thelittle Princess was worried and anxious about her parents, so theparty soon bade good bye to Para Bruin and started to return to theirdwellings.
The forest seemed very quiet and peaceful as they walked along, andthey had almost forgotten their fears, when, just as they reached thebanks of the brook, a sudden sound of shouting fell upon their ears,mingled with the wail of human voices.
"Oh, dear!" cried the little Princess, wringing her hands in greatfear; "the Mifkets have attacked my dear parents, I am sure, and theywill both be killed!"
John strove to comfort her, but he suspected that the Princess hadguessed truly, and that her parents were in great danger. They darednot return to the seashore, for that would mean their own destruction;so they remained hidden in the forest, while the Princess sobbedas if her heart was broken, and John wiped away her tears with herhandkerchief. He had one of his own; but it was gingerbread, and wouldnot stand the dampness.
Suddenly they heard pattering footfalls, and the white rabbit crouchedat their feet. He was panting from a hard run, and his eyes were bigand bright.
"They are gone!" said he, as soon as he could speak.
"Who are gone?" asked John, anxiously.
"The red-whiskered man and the woman with the corkscrew curls," repliedPittypat. "The Mifkets chased them to the shore, but they jumped intothe boat and rowed away in time to escape. The Mifkets threw sticks atthem and Black Ooboo screamed with rage; but the father and mother ofour Princess got away without being hurt in the least."
This good news greatly pleased the girl, and her anxiety was muchrelieved. But the gingerbread man had become thoughtful, and askedPittypat:
"What are the Mifkets doing now."
"They are getting ready to search the forest for you and Chick and thePrincess," was the reply. "The Arab is with them."
"This is certainly unpleasant news," remarked the gingerbread man. "Didthe gray owl tell you how we may escape?"
"The owl sent me to the King of the Fairy Beavers," replied the rabbit,"and he has consented to hide you in his palace. It is a rare favor, Iassure you; but the Mifkets cannot reach you there."
"A Fairy Beaver!" cried Chick, gleefully; and the Princess asked,wonderingly: "Can a beaver be a fairy?"
"Why not?" inquired Pittypat. "All the animals have their fairies, justas you human folks do; and it is lucky for us that the Fairy Beaverlives on this very island. There is only one danger--that the Mifketsfind you before I can lead you to the Beaver King. So follow me atonce, I implore you, before it is too late!"
He turned, with these words, and led them along the river bank at sucha swift pace that the Princess could hardly keep up with him.
"How far is it?" asked John.
"The palace of the beavers is somewhere under the big dam in the river,which is not far away. The King promised to meet us at the waterfall;but he will not allow me to enter, because I am a rabbit, so you mustgo in alone. But have no fear. The King will allow nothing to harm you."
As Pittypat spoke they could hear the distant roar of the waterfallat the beavers' dam. But another sound also fell upon their ears--asound that quickly renewed their terror--for it was the yells of theapproachi
ng Mifkets. Presently the fierce creatures appeared, comingswiftly through the forest.
"Hurry!" called Pittypat. "Hurry, or it will be too late!"
PARA BRUIN TO THE RESCUE]
John picked up a great wooden club that lay near their path, andwhile Chick and the Princess hurried after the rabbit he stopped andhurled it toward the Mifkets. It fell among them with such force thatseveral were knocked over and many others howled with pain. It didnot prevent them from coming on, but they kept at a more respectfuldistance from the gingerbread man, never doubting they would be able tocapture him in time.
"This way!" cried the rabbit, leaping down the bank to the side of theriver, where they could travel more swiftly.
The others followed, and now before them appeared a wide and high sheetof water that fell over the great dam that the beavers had built manyyears before. They had almost reached it, and Pittypat had called outthat he saw the Beaver King waiting behind the waterfall, when thefugitives stopped short with cries of despair. For just before themappeared another band of Mifkets, armed with the thorn sticks, and nowthey saw that they would be unable to reach their place of refuge.
John looked around in desperation. There were Mifkets behind them andMifkets before them; and on one side was the deep river, and on theother side a steep bank too high for the children to climb. It reallyseemed to the gingerbread man that they were lost, when suddenly a crywas heard, and looking upward he saw Para Bruin standing upon hishigh peak and watching them. The bear doubtless saw the danger of hisfriends, for he called to them:
"Look out--I'm coming to the rescue!" Then he quickly curled his greatbody into a monster ball and rolled swiftly down the side of themountain that faced them.
The Mifkets who were near the waterfall turned curiously to watch thebear. They had often seen him roll against the flat stone and boundback to his place again, and thought he would do the same thing now.But old Para Bruin was more clever than they suspected. He missedthe flat stone altogether and came bounding along at a terrificspeed. Before the group of Mifkets, who stood close together nearthe waterfall, knew what the bear meant to do, old Para's body shotupon them and dashed them in every direction. Some lay stunned uponthe ground; but most of them were tumbled into the river, where theystruggled frantically to regain the shore.
"Quick!" cried Pittypat, "your friend has saved you. But do not lose aninstant's time!"
The children and the gingerbread man obeyed at once, and in a few stepsreached the waterfall.
"Creep behind the sheet of water!" commanded the rabbit. "You will findthe Beaver King awaiting you. Do as he tells you, and I promise thatyou will be safe."
"Good bye, Pittypat!" called the Princess, as she clung to the damprocks behind the waterfall.
"Good bye!" echoed Chick. "Much obliged to you, Pittypat!"
"Good bye!" answered the white rabbit. "Don't forget me."
Then he whisked away, and John Dough, shrinking as far from the sprayas possible, crept under the waterfall and followed after the littleones.
"CREEP BEHIND THE SHEET OF WATER"]
John Dough and the Cherub Page 14