The Greatest Adventure Books for Children. Люси Мод Монтгомери

Table of Contents

      That evening, when John came out of his tree house to watch the sunset, he found Pittypat, the white rabbit, sitting before his door.

      "I've news for you, my friend," began the rabbit, in a grave voice. "Black Ooboo and the Arab who wanted to eat you have become fast friends, and together they are determined to destroy you."

      "How did you know that the Arab wants to eat me?" asked John.

      "I was hidden among the plants when you met, and heard your talk," replied the rabbit. "You must look out for Ooboo and the Arab, or they will surely do you a mischief, for the Mifkets now know that you are good to eat."

      "It's kind of you to warn me," said John; "but can you tell me of any way to escape from this island, good Pittypat?"

      "Not just at present," returned the rabbit; "but our Prince is very wise indeed, and I will ask him what is best to be done. In the meantime you must keep away from your enemies as much as possible."

      With these words the rabbit sprang into a low bush and disappeared, leaving John Dough to sad reflections upon his dangerous position in this lonely island.

      Soon after daybreak next morning, while Chick and the Princess were out hunting berries for their breakfast, John went for a walk along the shore, and so engrossed did he become in his thoughts that he did not notice when a band of Mifkets stole upon him from behind and threw a coil of stout rope around his shoulders. Before he realized his misfortune he was bound fast with many turns of the rope. Then he found that he had fallen into the hands of his old enemy, Black Ooboo; but the Arab, to his great relief, was not with the party that had captured him.

      Shouting with glee at the capture of the gingerbread man, the Mifkets led him away through the forest paths until they arrived at the clearing wherein the King lazily reclined upon his flat rock.

      Ooboo at once awoke the aged ruler, who sat up and said in a weary tone:

      "Have you taken the stranger prisoner, as I commanded?"

      "We have," answered the black one.

      John Dough was very indignant at the treatment he had received, so he addressed the King angrily, saying:

      "By what right do you command me to be bound in this disgraceful manner? Did you not give me permission to live among you in peace?"

      "I am a king, and the promises of kings should never be relied upon," said the old Mifket, winking slyly at his prisoner. "Since I first saw you the Arab has arrived, and he tells us that the material you are made of is very good to eat."

      "Can the Arab understand your language?" asked John, in surprise.

      "It seems so," answered the King. "In some parts of Arabia the people speak exactly as we do; so the Arabs are probably descended from our race. Anyhow, Ali Dubh understands us and we understand him, and we've decided to have a bite of you before he can eat you himself."

      THE MIFKETS RECAPTURE JOHN

      This was disturbing news to the gingerbread man, and he stood before the King wondering how he might escape from this awkward situation when the black Mifket, who was squatting beside him, opened his mouth and bit off the thumb from John's left hand, which was tightly bound to his side.

      "How does is taste, Ooboo?" inquired the King, while the black one was chewing the thumb.

      "I can't exactly describe the flavor," said Ooboo, boldly biting off the forefinger of the hand.

      John was enraged at this dreadful treatment, and his glass eyes had a dangerous flash in them. It didn't pain him especially, for he had no nerves; but to be chewed up by a common forest Mifket was a liberty that any gingerbread man might well resent.

      "Seems to me there's molasses in him," said Ooboo, with a wink at the King, and immediately he bit off another finger and ate it. "Also a bit of ginger," he continued, calmly, eating the next finger. "And spices." Another finger was gone. "It isn't exactly cake, and it isn't exactly bread," the black one proceeded, smacking his lips; "but it's pretty good, whatever it is"; and with that he ate the last finger remaining on John's left hand.

      The King was no longer sleepy. He had become quite interested, and the circle of Mifkets that stood silently back of John were looking at their victim with hungry eyes.

      "Bring him here to me," said the King. "I'll eat the other hand and see what it's like."

      Ooboo immediately pushed the prisoner toward the rock; but John was now terribly frightened, and had made up his mind not to allow the rest of his body to be eaten without a struggle to save himself. So he suddenly exerted all the strength the Great Elixir had given him, and burst his rope bonds as easily as if they had been threads. At the same instant the Arab leaped into the group that surrounded the throne and placed himself between the King and John Dough.

      "Stop!" he screamed, his voice shrill with anger. "How dare you eat the gingerbread I have bought and paid for?"

      "There's enough for all," said the King. "We'll divide him up, and have a feast."

      "Not so!" shouted the Arab. "He's mine, and mine alone!"

      But while they were thus quarreling the gingerbread man, free of his bonds, turned and fled swiftly into the forest, and before the Mifkets or Ali Dubh knew he had gone their intended victim was far away.

      Chick was very indignant when John Dough entered the tree house and showed his mutilated hand.

      "You ought to stay near me every minute," said the Cherub, "so I can take care of you and keep you from getting into trouble. If this thing keeps on, John Dough, you won't be able to present a respectable appearance."

      "I know it," said John, sadly. "I'd escape in that little boat on the beach; only, if a rain-storm came up, there'd be no shelter and I'd become soaked and fall to pieces."

      "HE'S MINE, AND MINE ALONE!"

      "It isn't our boat, either," said Chick. "It belongs to the father and mother of the little Princess, and they may want to use it themselves, some day, to escape in."

      "That's true," said John. "How is the Princess to-day?"

      "She's worse," answered Chick. "Seems to me she gets weaker and more delicate every day."

      "That's what the rubber bear says," John remarked, thoughtfully.

      "See here," said the child, "that gingerbread of yours is full of strength and power, isn't it?"

      "That's what Ali Dubh says," John responded. "The Elixir that I am mixed with is claimed to be very powerful."

      "And it's true," declared Chick, "for I've seen you do things no gingerbread man could ever do without some magic Elixir being mixed up with him. Well, then, why don't you let the Princess eat the rest of your left hand, and get well? The hand isn't any use to you since Black Ooboo ate off the fingers."

      John looked at his left hand nervously.

      "What you say, Chick, appears to be true," said he; "but you've no idea how I dread to be eaten. I'm not very substantial at the best, and during my brief lifetime I've been crumbled and chipped and bitten to such an extent that I dread to lose even a crumb of my person more than is absolutely necessary. Of course I'd like to help the Princess, and restore her to health and strength; but perhaps we can find some better way to do that than to feed her on my gingerbread."

      "Very