The Cruise of the Noah's Ark

by David Cory

  The Weathercock called out that he could see the little redAnt on the life-preserver.]

  MAN OVERBOARD

  Wake up! Wake up! and sing your song As we roll merrily along. Above the meadow sings the lark, So let us sing aboard the Ark.

  "There goes the Weathercock," cooed the Dove, flying over to the portholeand looking out over the bright blue ocean.

  "Tell him I'll get up in a minute," yawned Marjorie.

  So the Dove, who slept in Marjorie's cabin in a pretty gilt cage, spoke tothe Weathercock, after which she commenced to sing:

  There's a robin in the woodland, There's a robin in the sea, But they are just as different As different can be.

  The one that's in the forest Has feathers and a tail; The one that's in the ocean Has a scaly coat of mail.

  The robin in the forest Could never take a swim; The robin of the ocean Could never fly or skim

  Across a grassy meadow, Nor fly up in a tree. But he can do all kinds of stunts Within the deep blue sea.

  "Where did you learn all that?" asked Marjorie, pulling on her stockings.

  "Listen; there's another verse and maybe two or three," cooed the Dove,and then she began to sing again:

  The robin of the woodland Has a pretty crimson vest; He sings a merry, blithesome song And builds a cozy nest.

  The robin of the ocean Has fins that look like wings. He doesn't build a nest at all, He grunts, but never sings.

  Yet both of them are robins, As some of us have heard-- Although the ocean one's a fish, The woodland one's a bird.

  "Cock-a-doodle-do!" crowed the Weathercock, as the Dove finished her song.

  "Hurrah for you! You are the poet of the Ark."

  "Oh, no!" replied the modest little Dove. "That is not my own. My mothertaught me that song when I was a Dovelet."

  "Is that so?" said the Weathercock, and he gave a sigh of relief, for Iguess he wanted to be the only poet on board the Ark and sing his littlesongs every morning just as he had always done.

  By this time Marjorie was dressed and, taking the Dove on her shoulder,went down to the diningroom. As usual, the Noah boys were on hand withgreat and glorious appetites.

  "How are the animals this morning?" inquired Capt. Noah, helping himselfto a big saucer of oatmeal.

  "Pretty well," answered Japheth.

  "Some of the insects are getting restless," said Ham.

  "I should say so," exclaimed Mrs. Noah. "Here's that big red Ant in thesugar bowl."

  "Catch him," cried Shem, "we ought to put him back where he belongs."'

  But the Ant all of a sudden crawled out of the sugar bowl and ran down theleg of the table and out on deck.

  "There he goes!" shouted Marjorie.

  "Quick, or he'll get away!" cried Capt. Noah. "I can't afford to lose asingle passenger!" Instantly the boys darted after the fleeing insect, butjust as they were about to snatch him up from the deck a wave washed himoverboard.

  "Man overboard!" shouted the Weathercock.

  And, my goodness! What a commotion there was after that! All the animalsrushed up on deck to see who had fallen into the ocean.

  "Throw him a life-preserver!" yelled Mr. Jonah, and in a second Hamunfastened a large "horsecollar" life-preserver and tossed it into theocean.

  "Suppose he can't reach it," said the elephant. "I guess I'd better jumpin and save him," and overboard went the big animal with a loud splash.

  "Where is he?" asked the Elephant, after looking around in vain for theAnt. "I can't see him!"

  And no wonder, for the sea was rough, and it was no easy matter to find sosmall a passenger.

  "Get my telescope!" yelled Capt. Noah.

  "I think it's in my workbasket," said Mrs. Noah to Ham, who started atonce to obey his father's command. "If it isn't it may be in yourtoolchest. I think you had it the other day when you were going to make ananti-aircraft gun out of it for your toy army."

  "That's where I found it," said Ham, a minute later, appearing breathlesswith the telescope.

  "Where abouts?" screamed the Elephant, who was now some distance from theArk.

  "Wait a minute, can't you?" yelled Capt. Noah. "I've got to adjust thething. These boys have been meddling with it!"

  When this was finally done, Capt. Noah swept the sea with his glass, butin vain; the form of the poor Ant was nowhere to be seen.

  "Shiver my timbers!" said Capt. Noah, under his breath. "What will happento me if I lose a passenger?"

  "Hurry up!" gasped the Elephant, now thoroughly worn out by the buffetingof the waves. "Hurry up, I'm most in."

  "Well, we'll have to get you out, then," answered Capt. Noah.

  "Swim around to the port side," said Ham; "we'll hoist you up by thedavits."

  "I hate to give up looking for the Ant," said the Elephant, as he slippedthe ropes under his big body.

  And then, after much tugging and hauling away on the ropes he was liftedup even with the deck. But beyond this it was impossible to do anything.The davits refused to swing in, being hindered by the immense size of theanimal.

  "Put your trunk on the deck," suggested Mr. Jonah. "That will make youweigh less, and perhaps we can roll you over the edge."

  "Yes, that's a good idea," said Shem. "Put your baggage aboard first."

  "This is no time for joking----We have lost one passenger and are indanger of losing another. It will look very strange to lose the largestand the smallest on the same day," said poor Capt. Noah, despairingly.

  MR. ELEPHANT HAS TROUBLE GETTING ABOARD]

  Well, just then, Mrs. Elephant came up from the hold. She had oversleptherself, and had only now heard the commotion on deck. On seeing her mateswinging from the davits she set up a loud trumpeting.

  "Goodness, gracious, Ella!" said the Elephant. "Don't carry on like that.Screaming won't get me out. Get hold of me and help pull."

  This was good advice, and pretty soon Mr. Elephant was landed safely onboard the Ark.

  Just then the Weathercock called out that he could see the little red Anton the life-preserver.

  "Thank goodness!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, and the Ark was turned in thedirection pointed out by the faithful lookout. Then Mr. Jonah leaned overand pulled in the life-preserver as the Ark slowly came alongside, andjust in the nick of time, for the poor Ant was nearly dead.

  "Give him to me," said Mrs. Noah. "A little Jamaica ginger and a warmblanket will bring him 'round, I guess."

  "Well, well!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, as the motherly form of Mrs. Noahdisappeared down the companionway. "This has been an exciting forenoon,"and then he wiped his forehead with his red bordered handkerchief andlooked about him. "All you animals go below deck!" he commanded, "or elsewe'll have somebody else overboard."

  So Mrs. Elephant led Mr. Elephant, who was wet to the skin and shiveringwith the cold, down to the hold, where she put him to bed with a hot waterbag at his feet and a woolen night cap on his head.

  "Are you going to put this down in your log book?" asked Marjorie. "Ithink it will make a very interesting story and I've heard from oldsailors that they always put down everything that happens in the logbook."

  "Of course I will," answered Capt. Noah. "Bring me the log book, Japheth.You haven't done anything this morning. Suppose you jot it down. Ideclare, I'm all tuckered out with excitement and worry."

  "You'd better lie down and rest, father," said Mrs. Noah, coming up ondeck. "I have the Ant very comfortable now, and I feel sure he willrecover in a short time."

  So Capt. Noah went below to rest, and the little Dove perched herself onMarjorie's shoulder and watched Capt. Noah's son write in the log book.And what do you suppose he wrote? Well, it was something like this, forthe little Dove told me afterwards:

  The little red Ant fell into the sea, But, oh, dear you, and oh, dear me! And then the Elephant with a shout Jumped in and tried to pull him out. But he wasn't saved by the Elep
hant; It was Mr. Jonah who saved the Ant.

  And in the next chapter I'll tell you more about Marjorie on board theArk.