Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover Part 3

And after they had gone down and down and down a long time Sweetclover suddenly cried:

"What's that?" and pointed below. "It's like a great ball turning round and round."

"It looks like another Moon with the lights out."

"It's the Earth!" cried Sweetclover with delight, for she could now see the tops of trees as the sun began to show his golden head above the hills in the East. And little by little, as Kernel Cob and Sweetclover neared the Earth, they could see rivers and lakes and steeples and houses and after awhile, people and horses in the fields.

And down, down, down they came, getting nearer and nearer and nearer until they saw, beneath their very feet, a great tall house with sails on it going round and round at a rapid rate, and, before you could say, "Look out!" Kernel Cob was caught in one of the sails and dashed to the ground.

"Are you hurt?" asked Sweetclover sitting on the ground where she had been thrown.

"No," said Kernel Cob, for a soldier must bear pain without complaint and pretend he isn't hurt even if he is.

And a number of people who were working in the fields ran out to see what had happened, and you may be sure that they were surprised to see these strange dolls. And they spoke a strange language which neither Kernel Cob nor Sweetclover could make out.

"I wonder where we are," said Sweetclover, "and who these people can be?"

"They're very funny," laughed Kernel Cob, "I never saw shoes like those before. They look like boats."

"They're made of wood," said Sweetclover.

And just then a little Dutch girl--for you have guessed that they were in Holland--came over and picked them up and carried them off into her house.

And little Antje, for that was her name, played with them all day, and, when night was come, she put them to sleep in a chair before the fireplace where it was nice and warm and cosy.

And, in the middle of the night, a cricket came out on the hearth stone and began to chirp.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp," sang the cricket, and Kernel Cob woke up and rubbed his eyes and listened.

"h.e.l.lo, Mister Cricket," shouted Kernel Cob peering over the side of the chair.

And the Cricket hopped over to where Kernel Cob was lying.

"Who are you?" he chirped.

"I'm Kernel Cob. And Sweetclover and I are looking for Jackie and Peggs' 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, and they'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 a little 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 an order you may be a.s.sured that it will be obeyed," and he stretched himself with so much pride that you could have heard his jacket crackle.

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

"Crick-a-crick-a-crick," he chirped, and it sounded just like a telegraph 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 country they were in and all about the ca.n.a.ls and the windmills and the skating in the winter and the curious wooden shoes that the people wore. And when he had done, Kernel Cob and Sweetclover told him about Jackie and Peggs, their wonderful visit to the Moon, and how they came down in the field and were picked up by little Antje.

"Hush!" said Kernel Cob, "I hear the chirping of a Cricket," for his ears 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 p.r.i.c.ked up his ears and held up a foot to warn them to keep silence.

"I'm sorry to tell you," he said as the chirping stopped, "that they are 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 Antje wakes up, you'll not get away so easily again," and they followed him as he hopped toward the window, upon which he leaped and was soon outside.

Kernel Cob climbed upon a chair, lifted Sweetclover in his arms and was soon outside, following quickly on the heels of the nimble Cricket who led them down to the waterside, where they found an old wooden shoe.

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

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

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

Presently they were out of sight of the sh.o.r.e and the Cricket turned upon 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER V

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