Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover Part 10

"Will you do it?"

"You bet," said Kernel Cob.

So it was agreed that they would go up in the kite, and they moved over to it and tugged at it till they had it in the center of the room. Then a great clatter of talk arose from all the j.a.panese dolls, which sounded like a lot of chickens calling for their dinner; but Kernel Cob and Jackie Tar and the Villain and Sweetclover paid no heed to them, but only tugged the harder till they had the kite out into the middle of the road.

"There are just four of us," said Jackie Tar. "Each man tar to a corner. Quick! All aboard," and it was all they could do to hold down the kite.

"Stand by to get the ship under way. Up anchor. Heave ho, lads. Heave ho."

But at that moment....

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CHAPTER XIII

The little j.a.panese girl returned, pulling her father down the road.

The little old man was waving his arms about fiercely and shouting, "Zaca sakasaka," and before the kite had risen from the ground he had reached it, and the next moment Kernel Cob, Sweetclover, the Villain and Jackie Tar were being carried into the toy-shop.

"Did you ever see such luck in all your life?" grumbled Kernel Cob.

"I might have known it was Friday," said Jackie Tar, for sailors are very superst.i.tious.

"Never mind," said the Villain, "we'll get away another day."

"Oh, let us hope so," said Sweetclover, "for I don't want to be ripped apart by that bad j.a.panese."

"Well, that's what the toy-maker will do if you don't escape him,"

said Jackie Tar, and his eyes would have bulged if they had been real ones instead of just painted.

"Why doesn't he rip you apart?" asked Kernel Cob.

"Because I'm made of wood. I haven't got any stuffings," said Jackie Tar.

By this time the four had been laid upon the floor, and the j.a.panese dolls had started a great clatter of talk. The little girl picked up Sweetclover and was smoothing out her ruffled dress when the Toy-maker took up a pair of scissors and grabbed up Kernel Cob, before he could draw his sword.

But at that moment the Fairies must have heard Sweetclover's prayer, for I am sure she must have uttered one when her beloved Kernel Cob was so near to being cut apart.

The door opened, and in walked a man, a woman, and a little girl. And they were Americans, too, for the first thing Sweetclover heard was the little girl saying:

"Mother dear, I do so want a dollie."

"Dorothy wants a doll, John," said the little girl's mother.

"Very well," said John, and turning to the Toy-maker said:

"You sell doll?"

"Me sell him very plenty doll," answered the Toy-maker.

"How much for this one?" asked the man, picking up a little j.a.panese doll.

But the little girl had seen Kernel Cob in the Toy-maker's hand, and clapping her hands joyfully said:

"Oh, Dad, may I have this one? I think he's so cunning."

"How much?" asked Dorothy's father.

"Him cost two yen."

"Let's see, that's one dollar."

"All right," and he took Kernel Cob, and gave the money to the Toy-maker.

Now you may be sure that Sweetclover's heart fell, when she heard this, and thought of being separated from Kernel Cob, and I am quite sure that she prayed very hard to the Fairies; for at that moment the little j.a.panese girl dropped her, and this caused Dorothy to see what had fallen, and, when she saw Sweetclover, she ran and picked her up.

"Oh!" she cried with pleasure. "Isn't she lovely. May I have her too?"

"Why, I suppose so," said her father. "If she doesn't cost too much."

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"Him allee same cost like soldier doll," explained the Toy-maker.

"Very well," said Dorothy's father, "we'll take him too," and he gave the Toy-maker the money.

Sweetclover's heart was beating high with happiness; but suddenly there came into her mind the thought of leaving the Villain; her good, thoughtful friend, who had so often consoled her in her troubles, and her heart fell again. Oh, if she could only talk to little Dorothy and beg her to take the Villain and Jackie Tar; but this she could not do so she prayed to the Fairies instead and at once her prayer was heard; for the Toy-maker, who had a very good business head on his shoulders, ran to the door as Dorothy and her parents were going out and called to them:

"Little girl want nice Pirate and Sailor feller? Allee same price like other doll."

And Dorothy's father, being a very kind father indeed, and just the right kind of father for every little girl to have, bought them and Dorothy went down the road with the four dolls under her arms.

And you may be sure that Sweetclover was happy, for they had not only escaped being ripped apart, but were all together, safe and sound.

And Dorothy and her parents went to their hotel in the city, and Dorothy played with her new dolls till her mother came to her and said:

"Dorothy, dear, we must pack our things for we are going to China this afternoon."

But a great misfortune happened, for when Dorothy's parents arrived in China they were in a great hurry to leave the dock, where the boat landed, and Dorothy, who had fallen asleep, forgot her dolls, and left them on a bench in the waiting room, and before Kernel Cob or Jackie Tar or the Villain or Sweetclover could catch up to her, she had been lifted into her mother's arms and had disappeared in the crowd.

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