Читать книгу The Adventures of Diggeldy Dan - Edwin P. Norwood - Страница 8

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“And that,” finished Diggeldy Dan, “is the story of the Pretty Lady with the Blue-Blue Eyes.”

It was on the fifth day after she of whom Dan spoke had brought him the message from Too-Bo-Tan and, with all the animals of Spangleland gathered about him, the old clown had been telling them of her and the blue bird.

“Yes,” nodded Camel, “she is the Fairy of the Circus. I have heard my father describe her.”

“But I like the other name best,” spoke up Seal. “‘The Pretty Lady with the Blue-Blue Eyes!’ When my family and I go into the great white tent to perform, we often catch a glimpse of the riders as they pass on their way from the rings. They are much like that—all pretty ladies with mounts like the White-White Horse.”

“I wish we could see her,” mused Leopard.

“Let’s send her a message,” suggested Ostrich.

“But how?” queried Kangaroo. “We’ve no one to send and, even if we had, where in the world should we send him?”

“Diggeldy Dan,” said Lion, “what have you to suggest?”

“Well,” answered Dan, “I know this much: and that is that the Pretty Lady went away toward the west. I like to believe that she makes her home in the sunset.”

“Why, if that’s the case, then that’s not far from here,” broke in Elephant.

Even while Elephant was speaking, Giraffe came forward and picked up the chalk. Then, striding to the side of a cage, he scrawled on its face:

“Not far at all—looking through eaves space in tent—this very evening—saw sun set just back of hill—’bout a mile from here—Giraffe.”

“Not more than a mile!” cried Tiger, “Only a mile!” Then he paused and looked rather foolish. For how were they to reach over even a mile.

“I know, I know, I know!” shouted Monkey, dancing up and down. “Balloons, balloons, balloons! That’s the way! That’s the—”

“Hold on there, Monkey,” interrupted Lion. “Not so fast and, for goodness’ sake, don’t get so excited. Besides, I, for one, know of no balloons in this vicinity.”

“No, no, I don’t mean truly big balloons,” explained Monkey. “Wait a minute and I’ll show you!” And away he dashed down the menagerie tent and was back in a twinkling, waving a great cluster of toy balloons over his head.

“Monkey,” admitted Lion, as he took the balloons, “I must confess that your head is ofttimes much longer than mine. Of course, you mean—”

“To write our message, tie it to the balloons and get the east wind to carry it over the hill to the place where Giraffe saw the sun go down,” finished Monkey.

And then the excitement that followed! The writing of the message fell to Diggeldy Dan and, after no end of changes—all, of course, for the better—there appeared these words written on a corner that had been torn from the great circus poster:

“Dear Pretty Lady with the Blue-Blue Eyes,

At Sunset House, just over the hill:

“We all want you to visit us. We all promise to be very quiet.

“Please come at half-past twilight, to-morrow.

(Signed) “Animals of Spangleland,

“By: Diggeldy Dan, Secretary.

“P. S.—Please bring back the balloons, because they are just borrowed.

“P. S.—The White-White Horse is invited, too.”

The message completed, Diggeldy Dan produced a piece of string from one of his wonderful pockets and, aided by Monkey, tied all the sticks of all the balloons tightly together and then fastened the letter to the tip of the sticks.

“Now, then,” said Lion, “we are ready to let loose the balloons. You, Elephant, take hold of the sticks with your trunk. You, Puma, will leap to the top of your cage and hold open the eaves of the tent with your paws so that Elephant can thrust the balloons through the space and hand them to the wind as it comes out of the east.”

“I can make out the curve of a hill to the west,” called Puma, who had jumped from the ground to the roof of the cage. “Only I can’t get quite high enough to see over the top.”

“I’ll be the lookout,” cried Monkey, “that is, if Giraffe will lend me his head and step over near the eaves of the tent.” And, as Giraffe nodded assent, up the long neck he scampered and was soon perched aloft, holding tight with both hands to Giraffe’s pointed ears.

“All right, up there?” called Lion from below.

“All ready,” answered Monkey, “and here comes the east wind around the side of the tent.”

“Cast off, then, Elephant,” commanded Lion. “Let go the balloons!”

At the very same moment, Elephant gave a great “swish” with his trunk and away went the balloons through the space at the eaves.

“There they go!” shouted Monkey. “Up, up, up! Goodness, how they’re sailing! Oh! they’ve caught in a tree! No, they haven’t! Now the east wind has them again! Once more they’re off! They’re going higher and higher! And they’re bound straight for the hill! Yes, straight for the brow of the hill!”

And so, from his perch, Monkey described every inch of the flight until, to the great relief of the animals who were grouped down below, he announced that the balloons had passed over the hill.

Indeed the word came in good time, for just then there followed a quick shout from Dan, crying, “Get back to your places as fast as you can!”

Then came a wild scurrying to right and to left.

“Now, I’ll bid you good night,” said Diggeldy Dan, when the very last door had been locked. “And to-morrow we’ll learn if we were right when we guessed that the one we have written makes her home in the west.”