SLOWLY SLEEP CAME UPON HIM AND HE DREAMED 205
AWAY WENT THE SCHOOLMASTER’S LEGS, CUTTING SUCH CAPERS AS THE WORLD NEVER LOOKED UPON BEFORE 217
BEFORE THE DOOR OF A LOW, THATCHED HUT STOOD A FAIR-HAIRED YOUNG WOMAN 227
A TALL FIGURE STOOD AMONG THE SHADOWS OF THE TREES 243
TOWARD THE VERY LAST, ROBERT THE JESTER RODE ON A PIEBALD PONY 251
“IF YOU PLEASE, I WAS TO BE LEFT TILL CALLED FOR” 275
THERE WERE HOUSES IN IT, FURNISHED AND UNFURNISHED, FOR DOLLS OF ALL STATIONS IN LIFE 286
THEY JOGGED ON FOR SOME TIME IN SILENCE 297
ON THE SHORE.--THE GOOD FERRY PUTS OUT TO SEA.--THE PIRATE’S CAT.--THE LOST STORY.--LAND AHOY.--THE OLD WITCH AND THE IRON-CHAIN CURTAIN.--FINDING THE LOST STORY.--THE PIRATE CHASES THE GOOD FERRY.--THE TERRIBLE PUNISHMENT OF THE PIRATE AND THE OLD WITCH.--THE BUBBLE STORY.
“IF only--” whispered Mary Frances to herself, as she closed the book she had been reading, “if only one could find the ‘enchanted island,’ and the ‘hidden treasure of stories’--I wish--I wish the story told how to get there!”
She was sitting on the branches of a tree, which were so bent that they formed a sort of hammocky rocking chair. The tree was close to the bank of the river, and away in the distance the whitecaps of the ocean rolled up and broke upon the beach.
“It’s quite a journey,” said a small voice, “quite a long journey.”
Mary Frances looked all around, but could not find where the voice came from.
“You see, it’s out at sea,” continued the voice; “and only one boat and one passenger a year. What’s more----”
“Why, where are you? Who are you?” asked Mary Frances, springing up.
“Here I am, but I won’t be long,” continued the voice. “You’d better look lively, for I can’t cling to this fence much longer. Besides, I am almost out of element!”
Then the little girl saw a dolphin sitting on the top rail of the fence, holding on with one fin.
“Oh!” she cried, “do you really know where the ‘enchanted island’ is? Will you tell me how to get there?”
“That I will!” said the dolphin. “That I will, if you’ll get me a little of my element first.”
“Why, you couldn’t live without yours for one minute! I’ll die if I don’t get some soon!”
“Oh, dear, what can it be? Whatever in the world is your element? I don’t want you to die!”