Chapter 4

"Help! Murder!" yelled Jonah, nearly strangled by the water, which rushed into the Ark as the Elephant got up.

"Keep quiet!" commanded Capt. Noah, and then the Elephant pushed poor Mr. Jonah into the hole.

"It's all your fault that we had this accident. Now you can stop up the leak!"

Mr. Jonah was too frightened to speak. Finally, when he partly recovered from his fright he said:

"But what am I to do?"

"Don't do a thing," said Capt. Noah, pushing him down as he started to get up. "You just sit there and be a hero!"

"I won't!" cried Mr. Jonah.

"Then we'll all drown, and you, too!" said Capt. Noah.

And just then the Weathercock shouted out loud and clear:

"Land ahead! Land ahead!"

And in a few short seconds the Ark rolled upon a sandy beach and came to a standstill.

"Throw out the anchor!" commanded Capt. Noah. "We won't take any chances this time."

And pretty soon all the animals were playing on the sand, while Mrs. Noah, with Marjorie and the boys, made a fire under some palm trees.

Suddenly Capt. Noah remembered Mr. Jonah. "Thunder and lightning!" he exclaimed, and at once descended into the hold, where he found poor Mr. Jonah still sitting on the hole in the Ark.

"Arise, noble man!" said Capt. Noah, bursting into laughter.

"Thank goodness," said Jonah. "I feel as stiff as a glass bottle stopper."

And in the next chapter you shall hear of a wonderful picnic which they all had on this little green island in the middle of the big blue ocean.

THE PICNIC

"Don't leave me alone on the Ark, Marjie, dear, For I shall be lonely I very much fear. Now, how would you like to be left alone High up on a perch where the wild breezes moan?"

"The Weathercock wants to come with us," said Marjorie.

"Then why doesn't he?" said Capt. Noah, who was busily engaged in making the anchor line fast.

"I'll tell him to come with us."

And she ran up the gang-plank and called to the lonely Weathercock:

"Why don't you fly down? We'd like to have you come ashore with us."

"That's all I wanted to know," said the faithful bird. "Look out! Here she goes!"

And with a great flutter and flapping of his gilt wings he landed on the sand.

And after that he and Marjorie went over to the clump of palm trees where Mrs. Noah and the boys were resting.

"This would be a fine spot for a picnic," she said. "Did you ever go to one?"

"No, I've never been to one, although I once went to a fair with father," said Marjorie.

"Well, while the boys are busy with Capt. Noah mending the Ark, we'll get a fire started and have our lunch out here beneath the trees."

It didn't take long to get the fire started, for Mrs. Noah wished to surprise the Captain when he came back, and pretty soon the kettle was singing away:

"Hurray for the jolly picnic And the crew of the red Noah's Ark. I'll whistle and sing like a bird in the spring, While the red flames gleam and spark."

"There are some nice clams on the beach," said Mrs. Noah.

So the Weathercock took a basket and went down to the water's edge and brought back enough for everybody.

And I guess Mrs. Noah had been to many a clam bake, for she knew just how to roast them in a pile of seaweed and red hot stones.

Well, pretty soon Capt. Noah with Mr. Jonah and the three boys came out of the Ark and sat down beneath the palm trees, and then all the animals sat around in a ring, for this was the first picnic they had ever been to.

"I'm as hungry as a bear," said little Marjorie, and then the Elephant began to laugh, but the bear only smiled and spread his bread with honey.

Of course, some of the animals didn't eat any of Mrs. Noah's lunch. The giraffe stood near by and ate the tender leaves off the tops of the trees and the monkeys ate cocoanuts, and the ducks and geese kept close to the water and snapped up little fishes and snails. But everybody had a wonderful time.

"I think, Mother," said Capt. Noah, wiping the crumbs from the tablecloth, and holding them out to a little brown thrush who had sat on his shoulder during the meal, "we had better spend the night ashore. I'll bring the big tent from the Ark and set it up under the trees. I'm going to do a little painting inside the Ark this afternoon."

"That's a very good idea," said Mrs. Noah.

When the tent was set up and the ropes securely fastened to the pegs which had been driven into the ground, Mrs. Noah and Marjorie busied themselves fixing it up inside in order to make it comfortable for the night.

And when evening came, a bright fire was lighted and after supper, everybody sat around and talked. Ham popped corn and Marjorie roasted apples.

"Nine o'clock," said Capt. Noah, "time for bed. We must be up early in the morning."

"It was the loveliest picnic I ever had," said Marjorie, as she kissed Mrs. Noah good night.

THE STORM

By noon the next day Capt. Noah reported that the paint was dry and the Ark ready to set sail.

"We must get the animals together," he said, looking anxiously about. "I can't imagine where they have all gone to."

"Well, I'll have everything packed and ready to put aboard by the time you round up your passengers," laughed Mrs. Noah who never seemed to worry about anything, and Marjorie thought she was the nicest person she had ever met.

"Come, boys," commanded Capt. Noah, "let's start the hunt. I hope the island isn't large, for I don't fancy walking many miles in this hot climate."

So they all started off, Mr. Jonah and the three Noah boys following Capt. Noah, and after walking for some time they came to the top of a hill, from which they had a good view of the island. And not very far away were all the animals, enjoying themselves to their hearts' content.

Capt. Noah took his bugle and blew a long blast, and at once all the animals looked around.

Then he blew again, and after that the animals formed in line with the Elephant at their head and marched toward them.

When they reached the Ark the gang-plank was lowered and they all marched aboard.

Everything below decks was in apple-pie order and the animals all seemed glad to be once more back in the Ark.

"All's well that ends well," said Capt. Noah, turning to Mr. Jonah. "My duty is to land these animals safely after the rain is over. But it looks to me as if it were going to commence again."

"There's a big black cloud in the west," shouted the Weathercock, who had flown up to his perch on the flagpole and was keeping a sharp lookout.

"Yes, I guess we're going to have some nasty weather," said Capt. Noah. "Let us hurry and get the Ark afloat."

In a few minutes the great boat was in motion, and after a short run down to the water, it once more rode the waves.

"You'd better come down to the cabin," Capt. Noah called out to the Weathercock as a flash of lightning passed across the sky. "We're going to have a storm, and you may be blown off your perch."

So the Weathercock came down and perched on his shoulder, and then he began to sing:

"Oh, the animals came into the Ark, The little dog with a bow-wow bark, The lion gave a kingly roar, And the monkey shook the rat by the paw, And the muley cow said moo-o-o, And the rooster sang his cockle-do."

Well, it didn't take long for Capt. Noah and his crew to make everything snug and tight.

But, oh dear me! How the thunder roared and the lightning flashed, but in spite of all this, Marjorie grew so sleepy that pretty soon she went up to her little cabin with the dove on her shoulder, and crept into bed.

And then something strange happened. The Weathercock, although he had hopped into the cabin to escape the storm, went out on deck every now and then to look about him, so as to report to Capt. Noah the whereabouts of the Ark.

He didn't seem to mind the storm, for a weathercock is used to all sorts of weather and knows just from what quarter the wind is blowing, you know.

About midnight, after coming in from deck, he hopped up to little Marjorie's cabin and knocked on the door. But she was so fast asleep she didn't hear him, and if it hadn't been for the dove, who was a very light sleeper, I don't believe the Weathercock would ever have been able to tell Marjorie this strange thing that had happened.

But just as soon as the little dove heard the knocking, she flew down from her cage and opened the door. And after the Weathercock had whispered to her she went over to where Marjorie lay sound asleep in her berth.

And just then the Ark grated on something and came to a standstill, but so gradually did the great boat stop that Capt. Noah, who was also sound asleep, did not even move in his berth.

"Wake little Marjorie," whispered the Weathercock, and then the little white bird leaned over the pillow, and sang in a low voice:

"Wake up, wake up, Marjorie dear, Come to the window, Your home is quite near. See, we are landed Upon your own roof, Just outside your bedroom. Come, here is the proof-- I'll lift up the curtain; There's your little bed, With the cosy white pillow And cover of red."

"What is it? Where am I?" asked Marjorie, opening her eyes.

"Come," said the Weathercock, "follow me."

Dreamily she got up and followed him to the window. Opposite was her own little bedroom window.

"Step over carefully," whispered the Weathercock, while the Dove took her by the hand. Marjorie stepped across the open space and entered her bedroom. Then she walked over to her own little bed and crept inside.

"Go to sleep!" whispered the Weathercock.

"See you in the morning," cooed the Dove, and with a gentle flutter they disappeared through the window. Indistinctly Marjorie heard the Ark cast away from the windowsill. And the voice of Capt. Noah came faintly to her ears:

"Careful, now! We must slip in through the nursery window without waking the household."

As the "Noah's Ark" slowly drifted in through the nursery window, Captain Noah ran forward with a hawser, ready to make fast to the book case near the big table.

"Well! Well!" he exclaimed. "It is nice to be home again!"

"It certainly is!" said Mrs. Noah, as she and the three boys came out on deck. "It is wonderful that the water has done no damage to Marjorie's pretty nursery."

"See how fast it is running away!" exclaimed Ham. "Lucky we sailed home tonight!"

Just then Mr. Noah looked at the book case. "Gee Hossephat!" he exclaimed. "See that book--'The Cruise of the Noah's Ark'--why there is my picture on the cover!"

"Look! Look!" shouted Japheth. "There are more books in the series of 'Little Journeys to Happyland!'"

"So there are," laughed Mrs. Noah. "I would like to read 'The Iceberg Express.' That sounds interesting."

"I think 'A Little Journey to Happyland in the Magic Soap Bubble' would be some trip!" exclaimed Shem.

"Time for bed," suddenly exclaimed Captain Noah. "I am going to turn out all the lights on the 'Noah's Ark.' No time tonight for you to read these other books in this series," and with these words he turned out the red light on the port side of the Ark and the green light on the starboard side and with a sigh of relief added, "Thank goodness! All the animals are well and Marjorie upstairs asleep in her little bed and the old 'Noah's Ark' back safe in the nursery."

As Captain Noah ceased speaking, the Weathercock fluttered off the Ark and over to the nursery window. Pausing a moment on the sill, he turned for one last look, and then flew straight away for Uncle Spencer's barn.

"Home again!" he chuckled.

"Who'd have thought I'd ever be A pilot on the deep blue sea."

THE END

LITTLE JACK RABBIT BOOKS

(Trademark Registered.) By DAVID CORY Colored Wrapper and Text Illustrations Drawn by H. S. BARBOUR

PRINTED IN LARGE TYPE EASY TO READ. FOR CHILDREN FROM 3 TO 8 YEARS

A unique series, about the furred and feathered little people of the woods and meadows.

LITTLE JACK RABBIT'S ADVENTURES Little Jack Rabbit is a jolly fellow, but he has to keep away from Danny Fox, Wicked Weasel and Hungry Hawk.

LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND DANNY FOX Many a hairbreadth escape has Little Jack Rabbit from this old rascal, who lives on the woody hillside under a pile of rocks.

LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE SQUIRREL BROTHERS Mr. Squirrel Nutcracker's two boys are great friends of Little Jack, but old Barney Owl makes a lot of trouble for all three.

LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND CHIPPY CHIPMUNK Little Jack Rabbit visits Chippy Chipmunk's store, but you should read about what happens to the sign over the door.

LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE BIG BROWN BEAR The Big Brown Bear is a particular friend of Little Jack Rabbit. Cosey Cave, where he lives, is well stored with honey and lollypops.

LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND UNCLE JOHN HARE Tells all about the bunnymobile, Ragged Rabbit Giant and the Rabbit Fairies.

LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND PROFESSOR CROW Professor Crow, with his Wisdom Book, teaches Little Jack Rabbit many interesting things.

Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards. 2. List of books relocated to after title page. 3. Typographic errors corrected in original: p. 11 Japhet to Japheth ("said Japheth") p. 27 Japhet to Japheth ("said Japheth")

End of Project Gutenberg's The Cruise of the Noah's Ark, by David Cory