THE JOURNEY HOME.
CHAPTER 30.
After the Pinkies had been dismissed, their new Queen Rosalie, by meansof a clever charm, conjured up a dinner table set with very nice thingsto eat. They all enjoyed a hearty meal and afterward sat and talked overtheir adventures.
"Will you take the parrot home with you, Trot?" asked Cap'n Bill.
"Guess not, Cap'n," she answered. "Mother wouldn't like to have himhangin' 'round an' screechin' bad po'try ev'ry minute. I'll give him toRosalie, for I'm sure she'll take good care of him."
Rosalie accepted the gift with pleasure, but the parrot looked soberawhile and then said:
"This looks to me like a give-away; But here I am, and here I'll stay. The country's pink, but we'll all be blue When Trot goes home, as she says she'll do."
They now packed the lunch-basket with the remains of the feast, for theyknew a long journey was before them and feared they might be hungrybefore they landed again. Cap'n Bill straightened out the ropes andadjusted the seats, while Button-Bright examined the umbrella to see ifit had been injured in any way when the elephant tramped through the FogBank.
The boy looked into the small red eyes of the carved elephant's-headhandle with some misgivings, but as seen in the strong sunshine the eyeswere merely red stones, while the handle plainly showed the marks of thetool that had carved it.
When all was ready they went into the Court of the Statues, where allthe Pinkies were assembled--together with their Pink Band--and Cap'nBill hooked the swinging seats onto the handle of the Magic Umbrella.
Trot kissed Rosalie and Coralie and Tourmaline good-bye and said tothem:
"If you ever happen to come to Earth you must be sure to visit me andI'll try to give you a good time. But p'raps you'll stay here all yourlives."
"I think we shall," replied Rosalie, laughing, "for in all Sky Islandthere will be no Magic Umbrella for us to fly with."
"And when you see Polychrome," added Trot, "jus' give her my love."
Then she and Button-Bright seated themselves in the double seat, whichwas flat upon the pink ground, and Cap'n Bill sat before them on his ownseat, to which the lunch basket had been fastened by means of a stoutcord.
"Hold fast!" said the sailorman, and they all held fast to the ropeswhile the boy, glancing up toward the open umbrella he held, saidsolemnly and distinctly:
"Take us to Trot's house on the Earth."
The umbrella obeyed, at once mounting into the air. It moved slowly atfirst but gradually increased its speed. First it lifted the seat of theboy and girl, then Cap'n Bill's seat and finally the lunch-basket.
"Fly high!--mind your eye! Don't cry!--bye-bye!"
shouted the parrot from the Pink Witch's shoulder.
Trot leaned over and waved her hand. The Pink Band played as loud as itcould--in order that the travelers might hear it as long aspossible--and Rosalie and Coralie and Tourmaline threw kisses to theirvanishing friends as long as they remained in sight.
* * * * *
"Seems good to be on the way home again," remarked Trot, as the umbrellabumped into a big black cloud.
"It reely does, mate," answered the sailorman, joyously.
Fast through the cloud the umbrella swept and then suddenly it sailedinto a clear blue sky, across which a great and gorgeous Rainbow spreadits radiant arch. Upon the bow danced the dainty Daughters of theRainbow, and the umbrella passed near enough to it for the passengers toobserve Polychrome merrily leading her sisters, her fleecy robes wavingprettily in the gentle breeze.
"Good-bye, Polly!" cried Button-Bright, and Trot and Cap'n Bill bothcalled out: "Good-bye!"
Polychrome heard and nodded to them smilingly, never halting in hergraceful dance. Then the umbrella dropped far below the arch, whichpresently faded from view.
It was an exciting ride. Scenes presented themselves entirely differentfrom those they had seen on their former voyage, for the sky changescontinually and the clouds of the moment are not the clouds of an hourago. Once they passed between two small stars as brilliant as diamonds,and once an enormous bird, whose wings spread so wide that they shadowedthe sun, soared directly over them and lost itself in the vague distanceof the limitless sky.
They rode quite comfortably, however, and were full of eager interest inwhat they saw. The rush of air past them made them hungry, so Cap'n Billdrew up the lunch-basket and held it so that Button-Bright and Trotcould help themselves to the pink food, which tasted very good. And,finally, a dark rim appeared below them, which the sailor declared mustbe the Earth. He proved to be correct and when they came nearer theyfound themselves flying over the waves of the ocean. Pretty soon a smallisland appeared, and Trot exclaimed:
"That's the Sky Island we thought we were goin' to--only we didn't."
"Yes; an' there's the mainland, mate!" cried Cap'n Bill excitedly,pointing toward a distant coast.
On swept the Magic Umbrella. Then its speed gradually slackened; thehouses and trees on the coast could be seen, and presently--almostbefore they realized it--they were set down gently upon the high bluffnear the giant acacia. A little way off stood the white cottage whereTrot lived.
It was growing dusk as Cap'n Bill unhooked the seats and Button-Brightfolded up the umbrella and tucked it under his arm. Trot seized thelunch-basket and ran to the house, where she found her mother busy inthe kitchen.
"Well, I'm back again," said the little girl. "Is supper ready, mama?"
Button-Bright stayed all night with them, but next morning, bright andearly, he hooked one of the seats to his Magic Umbrella, said good-byeto Trot and Cap'n Bill and flew into the air to begin his journey toPhiladelphia. Just before he started Trot said:
"Let me know if you get home safe, Button-Bright; an' come an' see meagain as quick as you can."
"I'll try to come again," said the boy. "We've had a good time; haven'twe, Trot?"
"The bes' time I _ever_ had!" she replied, enthusiastically. Then sheasked: "Didn't you like it, too, Cap'n Bill?"
"Parts o' it, mate," the sailor answered, as he thoughtfully made marksin the sand with the end of his wooden leg; "but seems to me the bes'part of all was gett'n' home again."
After several days Trot received a postal-card from Button-Bright. Itwas awkwardly scrawled, for the boy was not much of a writer, but Trotmanaged to make out the words. It read as follows:
"Got home safe, Trot, and the folks were so worried they forgot to scold me. Father has taken the Magic Umbrella and locked it up in a big strong chest in the attic. He put the key in his own pocket, so I don't know as I'll ever be able to see you again. But I'll never forget the Queen of Sky Island, and I send my love to you and Cap'n Bill.
Your friend,
BUTTON-BRIGHT."
THE END.
* * * * *
These typographical errors were corrected by the etext transcriber:
creid the sailor in a voice=>cried the sailor in a voice
which had ben enchanted by Rosalie=>which had been enchanted by Rosalie
went the conquerers down the streets =>went the conquerors down thestreets
spokeman in replying to Queen Trot's speech.=>spokesman in replying toQueen Trot's speech.
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