The City Curious Part 17

"Djorak obeyed.

"This tube was no bigger than a penholder; when Djorak was comfortably settled inside of it the Black Toad put one end of it into his mouth and blew.

"He blew so hard that Djorak was shot right into our country. Then----"

But here Redy interrupted the Mother of the Crow. She gave a little shake to the Tea-Cosy and whispered rapidly what she had noticed taking place on the other side of the public square.

This is what she had seen.

From one of the holes made for the Flying-Fish Redy perceived the thin long arm of the Historian sticking out, the finger pointing accusingly towards the door of the kitchen, where Smaly, Redy, and the Mother of the Crow were seated.

The Mother of the Crow understood the significance of this at once. It meant she would not be permitted to carry her story any further. The monopoly of the chronicles of the country belonged to the Historian.

The Mother of the Crow had to hold her tongue.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XIII

Smaly and Redy are taken to see the Fleet: The Prisoner arrives and the Wigs fly in terror: Smaly and Redy at last have speech with the Prisoner.

At this moment a crowd of Wigs ran in at the door crying:

"The fleet has arrived, the fleet has arrived."

"The fleet?" asked Smaly. "I haven't seen any sea."

"There isn't any sea, or any water in the river," replied the Mother of the Crow.

"Do you imagine," demanded the Young Stork, "that a nation like ours is going to deprive itself of the splendid luxury of a fleet simply because chance has decreed that the ocean should not come as far as its frontiers?"

"Besides, a fleet's so ornamental," said the Mother of the Crow.

"Oh, you're there, are you?" said the Young Stork. "I have been asked to beg you to a.s.sist at the grand inauguration ceremony of the fleet."

Smaly and Redy begged the Young Stork to allow them to accompany him.

The Stork, who was always charitably employed at the task of extracting fish-bones from the back of the Despoiler, and so was accustomed to doing kindnesses, promised to beg for this favour for them from the Chief Contractor. Then the Stork departed, taking with him the Mother of the Crow, huddled up in her oyster-sh.e.l.l.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EXTRACTING FISH-BONES FROM THE BACK OF THE DESPOILER]

After a quarter of an hour four more Wigs arrived in the kitchen; dangling from a long stick, they bore a large copper cauldron.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THEY BORE A LARGE COPPER CAULDRON]

"It is permitted that you should a.s.sist at the ceremony," they announced to Smaly and Redy. "Get into the pot."

Smaly and Redy climbed in, full of joy, and Smaly whispered low to his little wife, "They are still afraid that the sun will melt us, and that we shall cover their beautiful lawn with grease."

"Take this umbrella," continued the Wig who was the spokesman, offering them a mushroom. "This will protect you from the hot rays of the sun; and whatever you do don't lean over the edge of the cauldron."

Then they set off.

The fleet was already arranged upon a long platform painted blue. The vessels were made of pink and white marzipan, and all had two masts of cane and little silken flags. A funnel of gilt paper was placed in the middle of each ship.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ADMIRAL WAS A TRITON]

"But there's no smoke coming out of the funnels," objected Smaly.

"I know, I know," replied the Chief Contractor impatiently, and turning he ordered: "Admiral, put the smoke in place," and the Admiral at once arranged a charming little puff of smoke made of cotton-wool at the top of each of the forty funnels.

The Admiral was a Triton, whom the Wigs had made themselves. They had set their heart on possessing this little animal; but since they had no sea from which to catch one, they had done their best to model one from an authentic picture.

The Triton was made of barley-sugar and almond paste.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE WHITE DOLPHIN WITH PINK EYES]

The other personages who had arrived with the fleet were the White Dolphin with pink eyes, and a young but very despondent Syren, a black Sea-Dog, and a large Sea-Horse, which seemed almost mad; also an extremely curious fish, which brought its own food in a gla.s.s jar.

All these creatures had asked nothing better than to leave the sea, which had become unbearable for them during the past few years because of the submarines. All of them were very happy at the chance of obtaining employment in a country as solid and sweet as that of the Wigs. Their business here would be to look after the fleet. Already they knew all the ships quite well by sight, and that was all that was needed.

The Chief Contractor placed over his face the "Master-Mask," and held out his hand, which held one of the long bamboo spoons.

He announced in a solemn voice:

"We, the Chief Contractor and the Wigs, declare the fleet of our country to consist of forty ships, here drawn up in line, and the Triton is declared by us to be Admiral, Painter, Rope-maker, and Sugar-repairer.

So be it."

"So be it, and long live the marzipan fleet," cried all the citizens, who had never seen the sea.

"Is there really no water anywhere?" asked Smaly a little indiscreetly.

The Chief Contractor leant towards Smaly, who was still sitting in his cauldron, and whispered low in his ear:

"Tell the truth, do you really think that that fleet needs any water?"