Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover, Page 2

  "Who are you?" he chirped.

  "I'm Kernel Cob. And Sweetclover and I are looking for Jackie andPeggs' motheranfather," said Kernel Cob, "Have you seen them?"

  "Never heard of them," chirped the Cricket. "What's their names?"

  "Just Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather; that's all."

  And just then Sweetclover woke up and sat on the side of the chair.

  "I'm sure that there isn't anybody by that name," chirped the Cricket,"but I'll soon find out."

  "How?" asked Kernel Cob.

  "I'll send a chirp to all the crickets in this house and garden, andthey'll send a chirp to all the crickets in the next house and garden,and so on, and so on, and so on, all through this country, and in alittle while I'll be able to tell you if they're here or not."

  "How'll you ever get the message back?" asked Sweetclover.

  "I'm the King of all the Crickets," chirped he, "and when I give anorder you may be assured that it will be obeyed," and he stretchedhimself with so much pride that you could have heard his jacketcrackle.

  "I'm sure you are very kind," said Sweetclover, "and Kernel Cob and Iare very much obliged to you," and she said this so very sweetly andso prettily that the Cricket lost no time in sending the message.

  "Crick-a-crick-a-crick," he chirped, and it sounded just like atelegraph instrument. "Crick-a-crick-a-crick. There," he chirped,"I've told them to make a search and we'll soon have an answer."

  And while they waited, the cricket told them of the strange countrythey were in and all about the canals and the windmills and theskating in the winter and the curious wooden shoes that the peoplewore. And when he had done, Kernel Cob and Sweetclover told him aboutJackie and Peggs, their wonderful visit to the Moon, and how they camedown in the field and were picked up by little Antje.

  "Hush!" said Kernel Cob, "I hear the chirping of a Cricket," for hisears were quicker to hear than either Sweetclover's or the Cricket's.And sure enough you could now hear the chirping....

  "Crick-a-crick-a-crick," and the Cricket pricked up his ears and heldup a foot to warn them to keep silence.

  "I'm sorry to tell you," he said as the chirping stopped, "that theyare not here."

  "Too bad," said Sweetclover, and the dew began to come into her eyes.

  "Come," chirped the Cricket. "We must be quick, for if little Antjewakes up, you'll not get away so easily again," and they followed himas he hopped toward the window, upon which he leaped and was soonoutside.

  Kernel Cob climbed upon a chair, lifted Sweetclover in his arms andwas soon outside, following quickly on the heels of the nimble Cricketwho led them down to the waterside, where they found an old woodenshoe.

  Into this Kernel Cob lifted Sweetclover and, after he had put up astick to serve as a mast and had fastened a piece of cloth to it for asail, he shook hands with the Cricket and climbed in. The cricket gavethe shoe a push off with one of his feet and they were afloat on thesea.

  "Good-bye and good luck," chirped the Cricket.

  "Good-bye and many thanks," shouted Kernel Cob and Sweetclover, andsoon they were far off for the wind was blowing very strong.

  Presently they were out of sight of the shore and the Cricket turnedupon his heel and hopped away.

  CRICKETS

  The Cricket is the kind of chap For whom I never cared a rap! I always thought he hopped about The fields, because he had the gout And lost his crutches in the crops, And that's the reason why he hops. But now I'll have to change my mind Because I see he's very kind, For he who is a friend in need Is quite the best of friends indeed.

  CHAPTER V

  And Kernel Cob and Sweetclover sailed and sailed for many days andnights.

  "I wonder where we are and if we shall ever be on land again," sighedpoor little Sweetclover.

  "Of course we will," answered Kernel Cob although he, too, wasdoubtful, but being a soldier he had to keep his courage up and tocheer Sweetclover. So he pretended that they were perfectly safe.

  And on they sailed and you couldn't see anything but water for milesand miles, no matter where you looked.

  "What's that?" said Sweetclover, and she was so excited that shenearly tipped over the boat.

  "I can't see anything but water and a little too much of that to suitme," said Kernel Cob.

  "Don't you see something dark against the sky?" she asked.

  "No, I don't," said Kernel Cob, and he shaded his eyes with his handthe way sailors do when they look for something at sea.

  "I hope it isn't a whale," said Sweetclover.

  "It had better not be," said Kernel Cob, "if he knows what's good forhim," and he patted his sword in a very brave manner.

  "It's getting bigger and bigger," said Sweetclover. "Don't you seeit?"

  "Sure!" said Kernel Cob, "I saw it all the time, it's a ship." Andlike all people who tell fibs he was found out, for it wasn't a shipat all.

  "It's land!" said Sweetclover, joyfully, and sure enough it was, forsoon you could see the trees. And as they sailed closer the trees grewtaller and taller, and after a while you could see the shore.

  "It's a little island," said Sweetclover.

  "What's an island?" asked Kernel Cob.

  "Didn't you ever go to school?" asked Sweetclover.

  "No, but I wish I had."

  But Kernel Cob didn't answer. He just steered the shoeboat toward theshore by putting one leg over the side as if it were a rudder, and ina little while they ran the boat up on the shore and Sweetcloverhopped out and Kernel Cob pulled the boat up on the beach so the tide,when it came in, wouldn't take it out to sea again.

  And they walked along the beach.

  "I'm very hungry," said Sweetclover.

  "Sit down here," said Kernel Cob, "and I'll see if I can findsomething for dinner." And he went along the beach.

  After he had walked a long distance, he found a tree with some nuts onit, and he picked a lot of them and put them in his hat and startedback to Sweetclover.

  You may imagine his astonishment when he reached the spot where he hadleft her and discovered that she was not there.

  But, all about on the sand, he saw foot-prints as of a great number ofbare footed people.

  "The savages have taken her," he muttered, and drawing his sword heran off in the direction they had taken.

  Through the woods he ran, and pretty soon he came to a clearing andthere was Sweetclover surrounded by about a thousand savages shoutingand dancing and waving spears above their heads. And Kernel Cobgrasped his sword firmly in his hand and ran at them, and, so fiercelydid he fight, that in a minute he had driven away about a hundred ofthem. And he would have driven them all away, but his foot slippedand, before he could get up again, he was overpowered and bound handand foot.

  And they brought him before their chief who was a great giant.

  And when it was night, the savages tied the two captives to trees andwent to sleep about a great fire. And in the middle of the night whenKernel Cob was thinking of some way in which to make their escape, heheard something stirring in the grass at his feet.

  "Who's that?" he whispered.

  "Tommy Hare," was the reply, and he ran out from a stone behind whichhe had been hiding.

  "Good for you!" said Kernel Cob. "Come stand up on your hind legs,like a good fellow, and untie me from this tree."

  "Who are you?" asked Tommy cautiously.

  "I'm Kernel Cob and this is my little friend Sweetclover and we'relooking for Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather and we've been capturedby the savages who may keep us here forever if you don't help us."

  "That I will," said Tommy, and in a jiffy he had gnawed them free.

  "Now, show us the way down to the beach as quickly as you can," saidKernel Cob, "for it will be daylight soon and then it will be toolate. Come."

  And they started running as fast as they could.

  And not a minute too soon, for they had got only half way when t
heyheard the shouts of the savages and knew that their escape had beendiscovered.

  Faster and faster they ran, but the savages gained on them at everystep and were soon close upon their heels.

  "Jump on my back!" shouted Tommy, "for I can run faster than all ofthem put together."

  And they did so and flew over the ground as fast as the wind.

  And they reached the shore and jumped into the shoeboat and Tommyshoved them off with a great push that put them out of sight of land,and the savages' spears fell in the water behind them.

  "That was a narrow escape," said Sweetclover, as she settled down inthe boat. "I hope Tommy Hare wasn't caught by the savages."

  But she needn't have worried in the least about Tommy, for as soon ashe had pushed them off, he scurried away and was at that momentsitting under a tree, eating his breakfast.

  CHAPTER VI

  Kernel Cob and Sweetclover sailed all day. The shoeboat rode the waveswith perfect ease. Up it went and up till it came to the top of agreat wave, and then it would race down on the other side as if theywere bob-sledding and great sport it was, too, out in the middle ofthe ocean, and Sweetclover laughed and even old serious Kernel Cobsmiled and forgot all about fighting.

  Toward the afternoon, the sea quieted down and they rode along fasterand presently, Sweetclover, who was always watching, cried out:

  "I see another island!"

  "So it is!" said Kernel Cob, looking in the wrong direction.

  "Not over there. Look!" and she pointed.

  Sure enough. There was a large black stretch of what appeared to beland. And it was very flat.

  "I hope there will be no more savages to fight," said Sweetclover.

  "I hope there will," said Kernel Cob.

  "It's moving," said Sweetclover. "It seems to be coming this way."

  "Where did it go?" asked Kernel Cob, for at that moment it disappearedaltogether.

  "I'm sure I saw it," said Sweetclover. "Didn't you?"

  But Kernel Cob only frowned and looked serious.

  And, in a few minutes, they saw it again, but this time it was verymuch nearer and bigger and the sun made it look very smooth.

  "It's a whale!" said Sweetclover.

  "Who cares," said he, and drew his sword.

  And the turtle, for it was a turtle and not a whale at all, cametowards them and it was very large, nearly as big around as an acre.And when it got very near to the boat, its head came up out of itsshell and the little shoe boat shook with the waves it made.

  And the turtle was just about to snap the boat in its mouth whenKernel Cob swung his sword and with one mighty stroke cut off itshead.

  "Ha, ha!" cried Kernel Cob, but, receiving no reply from Sweetclover,he looked about and found she had fainted.

  He found also that the boat was leaking badly from a crack in the sidemade, no doubt, by the turtle.

  Quickly, he lifted Sweetclover and carried her aboard the back of theturtle and laid her gently down, for the shoe was sinking and he wasno sooner out of it than it turned over on its side.

  "Not a minute too soon," muttered Kernel Cob, "and now to reviveSweetclover." This he soon did and she opened her eyes and lookedabout in wonder.

  "Where are we?" she asked.

  "On the old turtle's back," laughed Kernel Cob.

  "But we shall never get anywhere now, for we have no sail," saidSweetclover. And she began to cry.

  "Crying never did anybody any good," said Kernel Cob, "I wish youwould stop."

  "I can't help it," said Sweetclover, "I'm miserable."

  "What's all this about?" said a strange voice, and looking aboutquickly, they saw a sea-horse riding up to them.

  "I am very glad to see you," said Kernel Cob.

  "You're just in time to give us a lift on our journey."

  "With pleasure," whinnied the sea-horse. "And where might you begoing?"

  "To find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather," said Sweetclover.

  "Well, leap on my back," said the Horse, "and I'll see that you getthere if it's in the water."

  So Kernel Cob got astride the horse and helped Sweetclover to mountbehind him.

  "Where are we?" asked Kernel Cob.

  "Cuba is right over there," said the sea-horse pointing with his ear.

  "Well, let's see if they are there, if you please," said Sweetclover.

  "Aye, aye, Miss," he said, and trotted away as nearly like a realhorse as he could.

  They had gone along for a couple of hours without mishap when a stormcame up. At first the sea-horse paid no attention to the storm, butone great big clap of thunder rang out and a flash of lightning struckso close it startled him.

  With a great leap, he started forward, his eyes bulging from his head,and, with a stream of foam flung out from his mouth, he turned andraced through the water at a terrific rate, Kernel Cob and Sweetcloverclinging to him with all their strength.

  "He's a runaway," shouted Kernel Cob and, sure enough, the horse wasmad and nothing could stop him. On and on they raced, but everythingmust come to an end and along about the afternoon, they saw land inthe distance.

  Toward this he made at breakneck speed and with a final spurt dashedinto an inlet where many ships rode at anchor and a large city roseagainst the sky.

  "Hurrah!" shouted Kernel Cob.

  In and out among the ships the sea-horse ran, until, with a last gasp,he flung himself forward and fell upon the surface of the water.

  CHAPTER VII

  When the sea-horse fell, Kernel Cob and Sweetclover were thrown overhis head and landed into the water, but Kernel Cob told Sweetcloverthey would soon be picked up.

  And so they were, for a row-boat pulled toward them and in a minutethey were taken from the water and laid on the bottom of the boat.

  "What did I tell you?" said Kernel Cob. "If you wish for anythingstrong enough you'll get it."

  "You'll wish you were never born before you get out of here," said adeep, strange voice, and looking about, Kernel Cob and Sweetcloverwere surprised to see two puppets, their own size.

  The one who spoke was a villainous-looking fellow dressed as a Pirate.His face was browned as if by the sun, earrings were in his ears, ablack hat on his head, and a deep and very ugly scowl was painted onhis forehead.

  The other was good looking and resembled the hero in a story. He hadpink cheeks and a pretty smile.

  Now, when Sweetclover heard the villainous puppet speak, she movedaway from him but Kernel Cob, who always welcomed a new adventure andsaw in this fellow a possible enemy, spoke up:

  "Who and what are you?"

  "A friend," answered the Villain.

  "You don't look it," said Sweetclover, "you look more like a villain."

  "And so I am," said he. "At least that's what I'm painted to be, but Ihave a kind heart just the same."

  "What are you doing out here in this boat?" asked Kernel Cob.

  "The man who is rowing and who picked you up is a puppet showman," heexplained.

  "I don't like him a bit," said Sweetclover.

  "You'll like him less and less as you get to know him," said theVillain. "He's very brutal. That's why we are in the boat, foryesterday during the puppet show, he broke the Hero in a rage and hehad to go across the harbor to a toy-shop to buy another. That's thenew Hero alongside of me."

  "He's very handsome," said Sweetclover.

  "Sure," said the Villain. "He's got to be. Heroes are all handsome."

  "But why are you so ugly?" asked Kernel Cob.

  "Ha, ha," laughed the Villain, "why bless your heart, I'm not a realvillain, I only play the part of a villain in the play. My real selfis something very different. But what, may I ask, are you doing outhere in the harbor of Valparaiso?"

  "Is that where we are?" asked Sweetclover.

  "Sure," said Kernel Cob, for he didn't want the Villain to think hewasn't smart. "Didn't you know we were in Italy?"

  "Ha, ha," sneered the Hero, and from that moment Kernel Cob dislikedhim.


  "But you haven't told me how you got into the water," persisted theVillain.

  "We came on a sea-horse from Cuba," said Sweetclover.

  "That must have been an exciting adventure," said the Villain. "Tellme all of it."

  And Kernel Cob told him how they had been to the Moon on a parasoland all that. When he had finished, he asked the Villain to tell themsome of his adventures.

  But the Villain was a modest sort of fellow and would say nothing butthat he was very unhappy, leading a wicked life. What annoyed himmost, he said, was that nearly everybody thought he was bad.

  "It only goes to show," he said, "that you can never go by anybody'slooks."

  "You're right," said Kernel Cob, and gave a sharp glance at the Hero."Many a kind heart beats beneath an ugly face."

  And then the row-boat landed at the dock, and the showman, taking theVillain and the Hero under one arm and Kernel Cob and Sweetcloverunder the other, got out and walked away.

  CHAPTER VIII

  Through the town they went and everywhere children ran after them, andwondered at the strange puppets. And after a while they came to alittle theatre and were thrown down among a lot of other puppets.

  "I don't intend to stay here," said Kernel Cob. "I'm going to runaway. I've got to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather."