Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover

  "Well," said Jackie Tar, "the nearest gold mines to us are in Africa."

  "Have they got snow around them?" asked Sweetclover.

  "Why, no, that's so," said Jackie Tar.

  "Where else?" asked the Villain.

  "We can go down to the South Pole," said Jackie Tar. At which KernelCob began to laugh.

  "You don't expect to find any snow at the South Pole, do you?" heasked.

  "Why not?" said Jackie Tar.

  "It'll be too hot," answered Kernel Cob.

  And it took about half an hour to explain to him how it got colder thefarther south you went, after you crossed the equator.

  So they set sail for the South Pole.

  And after they had sailed for a couple of days and nights, theresuddenly arose a great hurricane.

  The wind raged and their tiny raft was blown clear out of the water.

  "I hope I may never have to go to sea again," said the Villain. "And Iwouldn't much care, if I fell into the water and were drowned."

  But he clung to the mast just the same, for everybody loves to live nomatter how miserable they may be, because they always hope that thingswill be better.

  Soon a bit of land was seen, and you may be sure that when they sawthat there was a great shout of joy, especially from the Villain.

  Toward this they steered and in a little while Jackie Tar, who hadbeen watching very closely, cried out that it was Venice.

  And they sailed toward Venice, which, as you know, is a city in Italy,and is built on a number of little islands and the streets are nearlyall of water.

  "I think it is silly to go on," said Sweetclover, "for we know thatJackie and Peggs' motheranfather are not here, but somewhere in themines."

  "That's so," said Kernel Cob, "Let's turn 'round and sail for theSouth Pole again."

  "Please don't," said the Villain, "I couldn't stand it. Isn't theresome way that we can get to the South Pole by walking?"

  "Not that I know of," said Jackie Tar, "unless you were a crab andcrawled along the bottom of the ocean."

  "Very well," said the Villain. "I'll try not to complain."

  "Cheer up," said Kernel Cob, "all our troubles are over," and so hethought, for the sea wasn't any rougher than the water in a bath tub.

  But often when you think there isn't anything going to happen, that'sjust the time when it does.

  You see the raft had been blown about a great deal, so it wasn't verystrange that the pieces of wood had come apart here and there.

  The first they knew of their danger, the piece of wood thatSweetclover had been sitting on broke loose from the rest of the raftand began to float away and Kernel Cob jumped into the water to saveher.

  He caught the piece of wood with so much strength that he toppledSweetclover over into the water, and then he lost his head, I mean notreally his head, you know, but only that he got excited and let go ofthe stick.

  The Villain, who couldn't swim at all, jumped in after them and all hedid was to make matters worse.

  Jackie Tar tried to tell them what to do, but they were too startledto pay any attention to him. So in he plunged and swam to them, for hewas a very good swimmer.

  When he reached them they were all floundering about, so he dived downand came up in the midst of them.

  "Put your hands gently on my shoulders," he ordered, "and don't weighdown or you will push me under."

  And when they had done this he looked about, but the raft was nowhereto be seen except for a few pieces of wood drifting about.

  They were about a mile from shore, which is a pretty good swim for oneman alone, but here he was with three others who couldn't swim onestroke.

  But Jackie Tar was a brave sailor. Besides, he thought, "Here is achance for me to show Kernel Cob that he is not the only brave personin the world."

  "Pull off your coat," he shouted to the Villain, and the Villainpulled it off.

  "Now tie one of the sleeves about my foot," he cried, and it was done."Now each of you catch hold of the jacket and hang on for dear lifeand I'll see if I can pull you to shore."

  So he started swimming, and little by little he neared the land,swimming with a strong stroke until he brought them safely to thebeach.

  You may think he was tired, but not so, for when they got up on theirfeet, and walked ashore, he simply knocked his heels together anddanced a hornpipe and sang:

  "A sailor's life's the life for me."

  CHAPTER XVII

  And they sat upon the shore until Jackie Tar had finished his songabout the Sailor's Life, and by that time their clothing was prettywell dried out from their swim, so they got up and wandered toward thecity and it wasn't an easy thing to do, for they had a lot of bridgesto cross and they had no boat.

  "I think the best thing to do," said the Villain, "is to find atoy-store, for there some doll can tell us what to do."

  So they kept an eye out for a toy-store, and pretty soon they foundone.

  "I'd better go in alone," said Kernel Cob, "because I'm the bravestand have a sword and can fight if any trouble arises."

  "Aye, aye, skipper," said Jackie Tar.

  So Kernel Cob crept very carefully into the shop and very lucky he didso, for the shopkeeper was there although he was asleep.

  On a shelf stood a row of soldiers.

  And Kernel Cob saluted them and said, "I am Kernel Cob of the UnitedStates Army," at which the soldiers gave him three cheers.

  "My friends and I," said Kernel Cob, "are looking for the South Pole,where we hope to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather, and I thoughtmaybe you could help us."

  But not one of them answered him for they didn't know what he hadsaid.

  "I guess tin soldiers are deaf," said he.

  "No, they're not," said a voice behind him, "only these are Italiansand do not understand English."

  And looking behind him, Kernel Cob discovered an English clown dollwho turned a somersault and came up on his feet with a merry laugh.

  "Good for you," said Kernel Cob, "I wish I could do that."

  "Everybody to his trade," said the clown, and stood upon his head.

  "Maybe you'd be good enough to stay upon your feet till I find outwhat I want to know," said Kernel Cob.

  And the Clown sprang into the air, turned over three or four times,and landed neatly upon his feet again.

  "What is it you want to know?" he asked.

  "First I want to know why you don't keep still?" asked Kernel Cob, forthe Clown's antics made him nervous.

  "I'm a Circus Clown," said he, "and I just turn these hand-springs allday."

  So Kernel Cob looked about the store, but could see nobody else thatlooked as if he could talk English.

  "What do you do all day without anybody to talk to?" he asked theClown at length.

  "Oh," said the Clown, "I tell myself funny stories to make me laugh,and then I have my hand-springs to make; that keeps me pretty busy,"and he rolled along the shelf, head over heels.

  "Well, I always thought a Clown was a silly fellow," said Kernel Cob,"but now I'm sure of it," and he turned upon his heel and walked outof the store.

  When he got outside he told the others that it was no use trying tofind out anything that way. So they walked along till night came andthey crawled into a boat, which is called a gondola, and wait tosleep.

  During the night, they were wakened by the movement of the boat, andlooking out they saw that they were in motion. A man in a white suitand a red sash was paddling the gondola with a long oar, and he wassinging a very beautiful song, and the moonlight was on the water. Andthey passed many other gondolas, and all the men who paddled weresinging beautiful songs.

  "I would like to live here," whispered the Villain, "everybody seemsto be so happy."

  "So would I," said Sweetclover. "I love to hear beautiful music, butwe have to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather."

  And being tired, they fell asleep and early in the morning theirgondola was resting at the side of some marble steps which led up
to agreat square called Saint Mark's. So they got out of the gondola andwalked across the square, for there wasn't anybody to be seen at soearly an hour in the morning.

  And a great number of pigeons were flying about. Thousands andthousands of them.

  And Jackie Tar had a wonderful idea.

  "Let's ask the pigeons if they will help us."

  "Goodie!" said Sweetclover.

  So they went up to a group of pigeons which were strutting along theground, picking grain which the people throw to them in the day time.

  "Hello! hello!" said Jackie Tar, and in a minute about a hundredpigeons gathered about them. And he said he wanted some of them tohelp him get to the South Pole.

  "I'll do it," said one of them, and he stepped up to Jackie Tar.

  "Good for you, matey," said Jackie Tar.

  "I've always wanted to travel," said the pigeon, "for I'm tired flyingaround here and I'd like to see the world."

  "So would I," said another.

  "And I."

  "And I." "And I," cried three or four more.

  You see pigeons are like people, for, lots of times, people want to dothings but they wait and wait and wait till some one starts it.

  "Four are all we need," said Jackie Tar, "one for each of us." So thepigeons crowded about and begged and begged to be taken, and KernelCob and Sweetclover and the Villain and Jackie Tar chose the biggestand strongest, and the ones that they liked the color of the best.

  But one of the pigeons didn't want to go to the South Pole, for, saidshe, "You don't hear as much of the South Pole as you do of the NorthPole, and unless you go to the North Pole, I won't go."

  So it was decided to go to the North Pole, "For," said Kernel Cob, "Idon't think it makes any difference after all. The Magician didn't saywhich pole it was, so maybe it's just as well."

  "I say let's go to the North Pole," said Jackie Tar, "and, if we don'tfind them there, we can very easily try the South Pole next."

  "Yes," said Kernel Cob, "let's go to all the Poles there are until wefind the right one."

  So they got upon the pigeons' backs, just as a little boy or girl getson a pony, and one of the pigeons, the one that Sweetclover was on,said to the others:

  "Let's make a race of it for the first mile."

  "Good!" squeaked the others, and off they flew at their top speed.

  CHAPTER XVIII

  It was a most exciting race, for they were pretty evenly matched instrength and speed, but one of them did win the race, and you will bevery glad to know that it was the one on which Sweetclover was riding.

  "Hurrah!" shouted the Villain, for he was better pleased that she hadwon than if he had won himself.

  And they flew all day over Italy and, looking down, they saw peopleworking in the fields and the vineyards, growing rice and grapes andall the fruits that come from Italy, and always they heard the peoplesinging beautiful songs of gladness.

  "I wonder what makes them so happy?" said the Villain.

  "It's because it's such a beautiful country, I guess," saidSweetclover.

  And they flew over the lakes which lie between Italy and Switzerland,and on all sides were mountains, the tops of which are always coveredwith snow.

  Soon they came to Switzerland, which is away up in the mountains andvery beautiful.

  People travel from all parts of the world to climb these mountains andto see the wonderful scenery.

  "Maybe it's here we are to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather,"said the Villain, "and not at the North Pole at all."

  "Oh, I hope so," said Sweetclover.

  It was getting very cold now, for you know that the higher you go upin the air, the colder it gets. That's why there's snow on themountain tops. And it began to storm; at first tiny flakes of snowfell, and then faster and thicker till it was snowing very hard, andthe pigeons could scarcely see where they were flying.

  "It seems to me," said the Villain, "that every time I get upon a boator a bird or anything, it begins to storm."

  By this time it was really a blizzard and one by one the poor pigeons'wings became so covered with snow they could not fly and fell to theground and lay on the snow.

  Of course they fell in different places, and Kernel Cob and Jackie Tarand Sweetclover and the Villain were separated.

  Each one looked about for the others as best he could and, after muchsearching about, the Villain found Sweetclover huddled in the snow andvery cold indeed. So he pulled off his coat and wrapped it about hershoulders, although she tried her best to prevent him from making sucha sacrifice, but he said:

  "I will certainly suffer more seeing you shiver, than I would from thecold itself."

  You see he was a kind-hearted Villain, and it was too bad that he waspainted to look like one at all.

  So he dug a hole in a snowbank and they crawled into it, and in thatway they were shielded from the wind.

  Night came on and Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar searched about, but it wasso dark that they could not tell where they were going, but only wentround and round in circles.

  In the morning the snow stopped falling, and if it hadn't been so coldit would have been a very beautiful sight. Snow lay all about them asfar as the eye could reach.

  You must know that in the Alps mountains, where they were, there aredogs, and very wonderful dogs they are, who live in the snowymountains and are trained to go about to find lost travellers and tohelp them.

  And one of these dogs came sniffing along and the first thing he didwas to find the Villain, and you can imagine his and Sweetclover'sdelight when they saw him.

  Around his neck was a little knapsack, and this he told them to untieand they would find food and a roll of fine warm wool inside.

  And putting the wool about them they were soon warm as toast.

  "Let us try to find Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar before they die of thecold," said the Villain.

  "Very well," said Saint Bernard, for that was the name of the dog,"Come with me and we'll soon find them."

  So he asked them to climb upon his back and he trotted off, and prettysoon they came to a spot where Jackie Tar's head was sticking up outof the snow. In a jiffy they had him out and sitting on the Dog'sback.

  "Hurrah!" shouted the Villain, "now for Kernel Cob."

  In less than a minute they came to a little mound of snow.

  So the Dog trotted up to it, and round on the other side theydiscovered an opening like a door, and inside lay Kernel Cob asleep,snoring away like anything.

  So they wakened him and he was glad to see them, you may be sure.

  And he climbed upon the Dog's back and all four rode off.

  "Where are you going?" he asked them.

  "We were on our way to the North Pole when our pigeons died,"explained Jackie Tar.

  "I'd like to take you there, if I could," said the Dog, "but I can'tleave my work here. But I'll take you to the foot of the mountains,and there I'll have you meet a friend of mine who will take you to aship going to the North Pole."

  "Thank you very much," said Sweetclover. "We shall never be able topay you for your kindness."

  "Thank you, Miss," said the Dog. "I'm sure it will make me very happyto know that I helped you."

  And when they arrived at the foot of the mountain he introduced themto his friend, a French poodle named Pierre, and when it was come timeto say good-bye, he gave them each his paw and the last they saw ofhim was his bushy tail wagging behind him, as he trotted up the snowymountain where he did so much good.

  I love dogs best of all God's creatures, They have such noble, honest features, You never really have to scold 'em Because they do just what you've told 'em.

  And even dogs that have no beauty Are always quick to do their duty, For they are faithful friends, and true, And gladly give their lives for you.

  CHAPTER XIX

  "Well," said their new friend Pierre, "That was a bad storm."

  "We would have been lost in the snow, if it
had not been for your goodfriend Saint Bernard," said Sweetclover.

  And Pierre took them to a seaport and put them on a sailing vesselwhich is called a whaler.

  "I have heard that this ship makes many voyages to the North," saidPierre, "And I'm sure that it will take you where you want to go."

  "You are very kind," said Sweetclover, "and we shall always rememberhow good you have been to us."

  "It is a pleasure to be of service to you," said Pierre.

  And they said good-bye to him and went aboard the whaler.

  The next morning the vessel set sail amid great cheering from a crowdwhich had gathered on the dock, and for days they sailed and sailed,and it got colder and colder till the vessel came to great fields ofice.

  But the dolls were happy, for they thought they were getting close tothe North Pole and soon they would find Jackie and Peggs'motheranfather.

  "Do you think you will know them when you see them?" asked JackieTar.

  "I'm sure of it," answered Kernel Cob, "for I remember just the waythey looked in the glass ball that the Magician showed us in India."

  And one night as they were sailing along, the dolls crept out on thedeck to see where they might be, for all the time they were on theship they were down in the hold to be out of sight.