CHAPTER VIII

TIPTOE, THE DANCING MASTER, USES HIS MAGIC UMBRELLA

After traveling for a long time the travelers finally came to the mountains and as they walked up a path amongst the rocks they heard someone talking.

It proved to be a queer little man, no larger than Johnny.

He was seated near a large stone in the shade of a small umbrella, and he was talking to himself.

When he heard the footsteps of the party, he arose to his feet and made a low bow, sweeping the dust from the ground with the top of his high hat.

“Good afternoon!” he called cheerily.

Then seeing the Princess, who had been walking behind Gran’pa, he rushed towards her and threw himself at her feet.

“It’s my old Dancing Master, Tiptoe!” cried the Princess as she pulled the little man to his feet and gave him a hug before introducing him to Gran’pa and the others.

“What are you doing way out here in the mountains?” the Princess asked when they had all taken seats around the Dancing Master.

The Dancing Master took out a red handkerchief and wiped his nose-glasses carefully. “It’s really a long story,” he replied. “Won’t you tell me where you have been for eighty years first?” he inquired of the Princess.

The Princess told him of her strange adventure with the Queer Horse and all that had happened up to the time she was rescued from the Green Jar by Gran’ma.

When she had finished her story the Dancing Master took Gran’ma’s hand and kissed it.

“Everyone in the City of Nite owes you a debt of gratitude, Gran’ma,” he said, “and in some manner or other I, for one, hope to repay you!”

“Oh it wasn’t anything!” Gran’ma cried. “I just saw the Green Jar and opened it because I was inquisitive. Of course we are very glad that we rescued the Princess from the Green Jar but we do not deserve any credit for it!”

Janey, who was anxious to hear the Dancing Master’s story, again asked Tiptoe how he happened to be in the mountains.

“The day you disappeared,” the Dancing Master said, turning to the Princess, “I was to have given you a lesson, don’t you remember? And I was on my way to the Castle when I saw people running in all directions about the City of Nite. I inquired of one why they were so excited. ‘Don’t you know?’ he answered. ‘The Beautiful Princess has disappeared! Completely vanished!’”

“When I heard this I ran with all speed to the Castle. I had the right to enter at any time in the day,” he explained to the children, “so I ran right up to the ball-room, for I heard voices in loud discord coming from there!”

“There I found a strange looking woman, with long straggly hair and a long nose, shaking her walking stick at the Princess’ Ladies in Waiting.

“What is going on here?” I cried as I ran up to the group of ladies.

“‘This strange creature claims to be the Princess and says that a Magician has transformed her into an old woman,’ the Ladies in Waiting answered. ‘We do not believe she is telling us the truth!’

“I could not believe it myself,” added the Dancing Master, “but still I have heard of stranger things, so I said to the Ladies in Waiting, ‘Perhaps she really is the Princess!’

“At first I could not get any of the ladies to agree with me,” the Little Man went on, “and really, to tell the truth, I could not blame them much for as the days went by the queer creature who said she had been changed from our own Beautiful Princess into this ugly woman did such disagreeable things to the Ladies in Waiting they all moved from the Castle, and would not have anything to do with her. After a while I discovered that the old woman was not the Princess.

“You must know that by this time no one ever went near the old woman, who lived alone and kept herself shut up in a room away in the top of the Castle tower. One night, as I was passing the Castle, I heard a window creak far above my head, and looking up I saw the old woman, seated in an umbrella, fly out of the tower window and go speeding away out of sight. Then I knew that she was a witch!

“I ran home as fast as I could and told Mrs. Tiptoe what I had seen.

“We were so excited at first we couldn’t think of a thing to say. We just looked at each other.

“Mrs. Tiptoe was one of the Ladies in Waiting to the Princess!” the Dancing Master explained to Gran’ma. “Finally my good wife cried, ‘I knew it all along! It is not our beautiful Princess. Who knows but that this wicked Witch has taken the Princess and hidden her away somewhere!’

“‘I will go see this Witch and talk to her myself!’ Mrs. Tiptoe cried an instant later and I could not dissuade her. Although she might have known it would lead to trouble, she put on her bonnet and ran to the Castle!

“Of course I followed. We went up the palace steps together and right in at the door. The Palace was a sight!” exclaimed the Little Man. “No one ever went there and there were papers and cobwebs all over the place. No one cleaned any of the rooms, for no one would have anything to do with that disagreeable old creature! So we went through the Palace until we came to the rooms the old hag used for her living quarters, and there we found proof that it indeed was not our beloved Princess!”

Here the poor Dancing Master fell to weeping so violently the Princess came and placed her arm over his shoulder, and Gran’pa and Gran’ma looked far across the valley, their eyes swimming in tears.

When the Dancing Master had dried his eyes he continued, “We found many charms and implements of magic. Rabbit’s feet, and other things of the kind. Then, too, in corners and upon shelves about the room were jars of peculiar powder with labels which we could not read pasted upon them. In the center of the room was an iron kettle and queer designs had been traced about on the marble floor with black, green and yellow paint.

“‘I knew she was a witch!’ my wife cried. ‘Go call the Guards while I wait here to see that she does not escape!’

“I ran out of the castle in hopes that I might bring the Guards and place them in the room before the old witch returned. But try as hard as I could, I could not find a Guard anywhere; they had all gone to parties or were off on their vacations, so I ran back to the castle. ‘We will capture the Witch ourselves!’ I cried as I ran into the Witch’s room.

“I expected to see Mrs. Tiptoe sitting there with a stern expression on her face, just waiting for the Witch’s return, but what was my surprise and consternation to see the Witch herself leering at me with her wicked smile.

“The Witch told me I was the only one who knew for sure she was not the Princess, so she would send me in search of Mrs. Tiptoe. ‘For,’ said the wicked creature, ‘by the time you find your wife, you will have learned better than to tell anyone that I am not the Princess!’

“And,” continued the Dancing Master, “without saying another word she opened her Magic Umbrella and pointed her crooked cane at me. I was forced to step into the Magic Umbrella. As I did so it shot out of the window so fast I could scarcely catch my breath. Over the town of Nite I flew and over the mountains I soared, until finally the Magic Umbrella lit upon the ground miles and miles away from everybody. It was days and days before I met anyone to talk to—awfully lonely life, but since then I have heard from people in different towns that the wicked creature still rules the City of Nite!” the Dancing Master finished, “but I have never ventured back there since she made me fly from the place.”

“And how long is it since you left the City of Nite?” Gran’ma inquired.

The Dancing Master looked at the handle of his umbrella. “I have put a notch on the handle for each year,” he replied, and when he had counted them he said “Seventy-six years!”

“And you have never been able to find your wife?” asked Gran’pa.

The Dancing Master shook his head sadly.

“If we ever get to the City of Nite I will tweek the nose of that wicked Witch!” cried Gran’ma, as she snapped her fingers in the air.

“And if I have a good chance,” said the Soft-Voiced Cow, who had wandered up and had listened to the Dancing Master’s story, “I will raise my heels and upset her!”

“I do not know what to suggest,” said the Dancing Master. “Perhaps it would be best if we do not return to the City of Nite, for the wicked creature may work harm to us all!”

“_I_ shall return to the City of Nite,” said the Princess, as she stamped her foot, “for it is my throne and I will have it back!”

“And I will go with you,” Gran’pa cried, “and help you regain your throne!”

“We’ll all go!” Gran’ma cried, jumping to her feet and smoothing out her apron.

“It is a long hard road!” said the Dancing Master doubtfully. “Why not live here in the mountains where we shall not be troubled, for I myself have lived here for the last ten years and it is very agreeable!”

They followed the Dancing Master as he led the way up over the rocks until they came to a level place, at the back of which was a Cave.

The Dancing Master, with timber which he had hewn from the trees, had made the front part of a tiny Cottage, with a wide piazza to fit the opening of the Cave.

“This has been my home for ten years!” he said, “and the absence of Mrs. Tiptoe from it is all that keeps my happiness from being complete!”

When all had entered the little Cottage-Cave, the Dancing Master set the table and with Gran’ma’s help made tea.

When all were seated about the room (with the exception of the Soft-Voiced Cow, who was too large to enter the tiny doorway) the Princess said to Mr. Tiptoe, “Tell me of my father and mother. What did they think when they heard that I had changed into a wicked looking Witch?”

“Your dear mother, the Queen, came to the City of Nite at once,” the Dancing Master answered, “but the Witch who pretended to be you would not see her, saying that it would not do to see her mother as she was too ugly; so your mother returned without seeing the wicked creature at all!”

“I am sure your Mamma would have known it was not you!” said Janey.

During all this time Johnny had been very thoughtful. Presently he asked, “When you traveled in the Magic Umbrella, how did you guide it?”

“The first time I rode in it,” the Dancing Master answered, “I did not guide it. I came down without any thought of where I was going, but as there was not a thing near by, I stepped back into the Magic Umbrella and wished it would fly to a town, and sure enough it flew there! All you have to do,” he continued, “is to sit in it and wish it to go somewhere!”

“Then,” said Johnny, “I have a suggestion! Let us all sit in the umbrella and wish it to take us to the City of Nite!”

“That’s a fine idea!” cried the Princess, clapping her hands. “Let us go there immediately!”

The Dancing Master carried the Magic Umbrella out upon the level place in front of the Cottage-Cave. Then he stood and scratched his head.

“Can we all get into it?” he wondered.

It was scarcely large enough for them all, even if they sat upon the edges, and while they were all squeezing into the Magic Umbrella the Soft-Voiced Cow walked up.

“What about the Soft-Voiced Cow!” cried Janey.

“I shall not leave her behind if we never get to the City of Nite, and if we never get back our Flying Boat!” cried Gran’ma, as she scrambled out of the Magic Umbrella.

“Nor I either!” Gran’pa exclaimed as he too hopped from the Magic Umbrella.

Johnny and Janey followed them, and they all went over to the Soft-Voiced Cow and sat down on the grass.

“You may spoil everything!” said the Soft-Voiced Cow. “Please do not think of me! Get into the umbrella and go with the Princess to the City of Nite and I will follow as best I can!”

“Shan’t do it!” said Gran’ma firmly.

“Wouldn’t think of it!” cried Gran’pa.

“I have it!” cried the Dancing Master. “I hate to leave the Soft-Voiced Cow here, so if the Princess will excuse me, I will journey afoot with you and she can wish herself in the City of Nite!”

“I believe it would be best for the Princess to wish herself with her Mamma!” said Janey. “Then her Mamma and Daddy can advise her what to do!”

“Your advice is good,” said the Princess, and kissing them all good-bye, she stepped into the Magic Umbrella and flew up over the mountains leaving the little group of friends watching her with tear-dimmed eyes. She was such a good, dear, sweet, beautiful Princess that they hated to see her go.

“I have a few things to pack,” said the Dancing Master, “but I shall soon catch up with you. Keep to the right on all paths up over the mountain and I shall soon be along!”

Johnny took the lead, then came Gran’ma, Janey and Gran’pa. Up, up they toiled; up so high they could look back and see the valley stretched far below them like a picture map.

At one place they came to a waterfall which dashed straight out of the solid rock and fell for hundreds of feet in a roar of snow-white water.

The trees about the side of the river had soft green foliage, different from any trees they had ever seen before.

Presently, as they had traveled far and the climb had been very steep, they decided it would be well to rest and wait for the Dancing Master to catch up with them.

“I’m getting hungry!” Gran’ma said, “I didn’t eat much at the Dancing Master’s house!”

“I wish I had a mince pie in my pocket!” said Gran’pa, winking slyly at Janey.

Johnny walked over to where the river ran smoothly before it again plunged down the mountain side.

“Come here!” he cried excitedly. “Look at the strange fish!”

Gran’pa, Janey and Gran’ma came running to the edge of the stream, but the Soft-Voiced Cow continued eating the velvety grass where she had first stopped. It was the most delicious grass she had tasted in a long, long time.

“Perhaps we can catch some,” said Gran’ma, “and fry them for our supper!”

Johnny felt through his pockets. “I had a fishing line in one of my pockets!” he said.

“You used the line on the Flying Machine!” said Janey. “Oh, isn’t that too bad!”

“Here’s the hook!” said Johnny, as he turned his pocket wrong side out and showed them the hook fastened in the cloth.

Gran’pa took his pocket knife and cut the hook out of Johnny’s pocket.

“I have some string,” Gran’pa said. “I know it always comes in handy, so I put a lot in my pocket before Gran’ma and I started up here!”

Gran’pa cut a pole and fixed the line while Johnny found a few worms under a stone.

At the first cast of the line into the water Gran’pa pulled out a lovely fish. It had a blue head. The body was white, with a round yellow spot on each side.

Gran’pa caught three more like the first and then six brown fish, round and flat with one side of them a golden yellow.

While Johnny and Gran’pa were building the fire and cutting sticks to broil the fish on, Janey found some worms and caught five queer fish with holes right through them.

“Aren’t they queer?” she cried as she put her fingers through the holes and carried them over to Johnny.

Gran’ma caught four very fat fish which looked more like balls than fish.

“I don’t believe these are good to eat,” she said as she brought them over to the fire. “They feel so light and empty and puffy!”

Gran’pa and Johnny had by this time fixed the first fish upon the sticks and they were beginning to broil.

Gran’ma sniffed the air. “Smells like they might be good, but they don’t smell like fish!” she said.

When the fish were done, Gran’pa and Johnny turned them over on a clean white stone. “Eggs!” Johnny shouted.

Indeed the first fish were nothing more nor less than ordinary eggs.

The other brown fish, one side of which was golden yellow, turned out to be brown bread and butter when it was broiled.

Janey’s fish turned out to be doughnuts, and Gran’ma’s changed to cream puffs when placed before the fire.

“This is fit for a king!” Gran’ma cried as she sampled the egg fish.

“I wonder why Mr. Tiptoe doesn’t come,” Gran’pa said. “He must have packed up quite a load! Guess I’ll run down the mountain and help him along!”

“Indeed you won’t!” cried Gran’ma as she caught his coat tails.

“You don’t know when old Jingles the Magician may catch up with us! I think now that we have finished our dinners, it would be best if we hurried on!”

“Yes, let’s go on!” Johnny suggested. “Mr. Tiptoe knows the way and will soon catch up with us!”