The Little Old Man of the Island
A few steps brought them to the shed, which was merely a roof of boughs
built over a square space, with some branches of trees fastened to the
sides to keep off the wind. The front was quite open and faced the sea,
and as our friends came nearer they observed a little man, with a long
pointed beard, sitting motionless on a stool and staring thoughtfully out
over the water.
"Get out of the way, please," he called in a fretful voice. "Can't you
see you are obstructing my view?"
"Good morning," said Cap'n Bill, politely.
"It isn't a good morning!" snapped the little man. "I've seen plenty
of mornings better than this. Do you call it a good morning when I'm
pestered with such a crowd as you?"
Trot was astonished to hear such words from a stranger whom they had
greeted quite properly, and Cap'n Bill grew red at the little man's
rudeness. But the sailor said, in a quiet tone of voice:
"Are you the only one as lives on this 'ere island?"
"Your grammar's bad," was the reply. "But this is my own exclusive
island, and I'll thank you to get off it as soon as possible."
"We'd like to do that," said Trot, and then she and Cap'n Bill turned
away and walked down to the shore, to see if any other land was in sight.
The little man rose and followed them, although both were now too
provoked to pay any attention to him.
"Nothin' in sight, partner," reported Cap'n Bill, shading his eyes with
his hand; "so we'll have to stay here for a time, anyhow. It isn't a bad
place, Trot, by any means."
"That's all you know about it!" broke in the little man. "The trees are
altogether too green and the rocks are harder than they ought to be. I
find the sand very grainy and the water dreadfully wet. Every breeze
makes a draught and the sun shines in the daytime, when there's no need
of it, and disappears just as soon as it begins to get dark. If you
remain here you'll find the island very unsatisfactory."
Trot turned to look at him, and her sweet face was grave and curious.
"I wonder who you are," she said.
"My name is Pessim," said he, with an air of pride. "I'm called the
Observer."
"Oh. What do you observe?" asked the little girl.
"Everything I see," was the reply, in a more surly tone. Then Pessim drew
back with a startled exclamation and looked at some footprints in the
sand. "Why, good gracious me!' he cried in distress.
"What's the matter now?' asked Cap'n Bill.
"Someone has pushed the earth in! Don't you see it?"
"It isn't pushed in far enough to hurt anything," said Trot, examining
the footprints.
"Everything hurts that isn't right," insisted the man. "If the earth were
pushed in a mile, it would be a great calamity, wouldn't it?"
"I s'pose so," admitted the little girl.
"Well, here it is pushed in a full inch! That's a twelfth of a foot,
or a little more than a millionth part of a mile. Therefore it is
one-millionth part of a calamity--Oh, dear! How dreadful!" said Pessim in
a wailing voice.
"Try to forget it, sir," advised Cap'n Bill, soothingly. "It's beginning
to rain. Let's get under your shed and keep dry."
"Raining! Is it really raining?' asked Pessim, beginning to weep.
"It is," answered Cap'n Bill, as the drops began to descend, "and I don't
see any way to stop it--although I'm some observer myself."
"No; we can't stop it, I fear," said the man. "Are you very busy just
now?"
"I won't be after I get to the shed," replied the sailor-man.
"Then do me a favor, please," begged Pessim, walking briskly along behind
them, for they were hastening to the shed.
"Depends on what it is," said Cap'n Bill.
"I wish you would take my umbrella down to the shore and hold it over
the poor fishes till it stops raining. I'm afraid they'll get wet," said
Pessim.
Trot laughed, but Cap'n Bill thought the little man was poking fun at him
and so he scowled upon Pessim in a way that showed he was angry.
They reached the shed before getting very wet, although the rain was now
coming down in big drops. The roof of the shed protected them and while
they stood watching the rainstorm something buzzed in and circled around
Pessim's head. At once the Observer began beating it away with his hands,
crying out:
"A bumblebee! A bumblebee! The queerest bumblebee I ever saw!"
Cap'n Bill and Trot both looked at it and the little girl said in
surprise:
"Dear me! It's a wee little Ork!"
"That's what it is, sure enough," exclaimed Cap'n Bill.
Really, it wasn't much bigger than a big bumblebee, and when it came
toward Trot she allowed it to alight on her shoulder.
"It's me, all right," said a very small voice in her ear; "but I'm in an
awful pickle, just the same!"
"What, are you _our_ Ork, then?" demanded the girl, much amazed.
"No, I'm my own Ork. But I'm the only Ork you know," replied the tiny
creature.
"What's happened to you?" asked the sailor, putting his head close to
Trot's shoulder in order to hear the reply better. Pessim also put his
head close, and the Ork said:
[Illustration]
"You will remember that when I left you I started to fly over the trees,
and just as I got to this side of the forest I saw a bush that was loaded
down with the most luscious fruit you can imagine. The fruit was about
the size of a gooseberry and of a lovely lavender color. So I swooped
down and picked off one in my bill and ate it. At once I began to grow
small. I could feel myself shrinking, shrinking away, and it frightened
me terribly, so that I alighted on the ground to think over what was
happening. In a few seconds I had shrunk to the size you now see me;
but there I remained, getting no smaller, indeed, but no larger. It is
certainly a dreadful affliction! After I had recovered somewhat from the
shock I began to search for you. It is not so easy to find one's way when
a creature is so small, but fortunately I spied you here in this shed and
came to you at once."
Cap'n Bill and Trot were much astonished at this story and felt grieved
for the poor Ork, but the little man Pessim seemed to think it a good
joke. He began laughing when he heard the story and laughed until he
choked, after which he lay down on the ground and rolled and laughed
again, while the tears of merriment coursed down his wrinkled cheeks.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" he finally gasped, sitting up and wiping his eyes.
"This is too rich! It's almost too joyful to be true."
"I don't see anything funny about it," remarked Trot indignantly.
"You would if you'd had my experience," said Pessim, getting upon his
feet and gradually resuming his solemn and dissatisfied expression of
countenance. "The same thing happened to me."
"Oh, did it? And how did you happen to come to this island?" asked the
girl.
"I didn't come; the neighbors brought me," replied the little man, with a
frown at the recollection. "They said I was quarrelsome and fault-finding
and blamed me because I told them all the things that went wrong, or
never were right, and because I told them how things ought to be. So they
brought me here and left me all alone, saying that if I quarreled with
myself, no one else would be made unhappy. Absurd, wasn't it?"
"Seems to me," said Cap'n Bill, "those neighbors did the proper thing."
"Well," resumed Pessim, "when I found myself King of this island I
was obliged to live upon fruits, and I found many fruits growing here
that I had never seen before. I tasted several and found them good and
wholesome. But one day I ate a lavender berry--as the Ork did--and
immediately I grew so small that I was scarcely two inches high. It was a
very unpleasant condition and like the Ork I became frightened. I could
not walk very well nor very far, for every lump of earth in my way seemed
a mountain, every blade of grass a tree and every grain of sand a rocky
boulder. For several days I stumbled around in an agony of fear. Once a
tree toad nearly gobbled me up, and if I ran out from the shelter of the
bushes the gulls and cormorants swooped down upon me. Finally I decided
to eat another berry and become nothing at all, since life, to one as
small as I was, had become a dreary nightmare.
"At last I found a small tree that I thought bore the same fruit as that
I had eaten. The berry was dark purple instead of light lavender, but
otherwise it was quite similar. Being unable to climb the tree, I was
obliged to wait underneath it until a sharp breeze arose and shook the
limbs so that a berry fell. Instantly I seized it and taking a last view
of the world--as I then thought--I ate the berry in a twinkling. Then,
to my surprise, I began to grow big again, until I became of my former
stature, and so I have since remained. Needless to say, I have never
eaten again of the lavender fruit, nor do any of the beasts or birds that
live upon this island eat it."
They had all three listened eagerly to this amazing tale, and when it was
finished the Ork exclaimed:
"Do you think, then, that the deep purple berry is the antidote for the
lavender one?"
"I'm sure of it," answered Pessim. "Then lead me to the tree at once!"
begged the Ork, "for this tiny form I now have terrifies me greatly."
Pessim examined the Ork closely.
[Illustration]
"You are ugly enough as you are," said he. "Were you any larger you might
be dangerous."
"Oh, no," Trot assured him; "the Ork has been our good friend. Please
take us to the tree."
Then Pessim consented, although rather reluctantly. He led them to the
right, which was the east side of the island, and in a few minutes
brought them near to the edge of the grove which faced the shore of the
ocean. Here stood a small tree bearing berries of a deep purple color.
The fruit looked very enticing and Cap'n Bill reached up and selected one
that seemed especially plump and ripe.
The Ork had remained perched upon Trot's shoulder but now it flew down
to the ground. It was so difficult for Cap'n Bill to kneel down, with
his wooden leg, that the little girl took the berry from him and held it
close to the Ork's head.
"It's too big to go into my mouth," said the little creature, looking at
the fruit sidewise.
"You'll have to make sev'ral mouthfuls of it, I guess," said Trot; and
that is what the Ork did. He pecked at the soft, ripe fruit with his bill
and ate it up very quickly, because it was good.
Even before he had finished the berry they could see the Ork begin to
grow. In a few minutes he had regained his natural size and was strutting
before them, quite delighted with his transformation.
"Well, well! What do you think of me now?" he asked proudly.
"You are very skinny and remarkably ugly," declared Pessim.
"You are a poor judge of Orks," was the reply. "Anyone can see that I'm
much handsomer than those dreadful things called birds, which are all
fluff and feathers."
"Their feathers make soft beds," asserted Pessim.
"And my skin would make excellent drumheads," retorted the Ork.
"Nevertheless, a plucked bird or a skinned Ork would be of no value to
himself, so we needn't brag of our usefulness after we are dead. But for
the sake of argument, friend Pessim, I'd like to know what good _you_
would be, were you not alive?"
"Never mind that," said Cap'n Bill. "He isn't much good as he is."
"I am King of this Island, allow me to say, and you're intruding on my
property," declared the little man, scowling upon them. "If you don't
like me--and I'm sure you don't, for no one else does--why don't you go
away and leave me to myself?"
"Well, the Ork can fly, but we can't," explained Trot, in answer. "We
don't want to stay here a bit, but I don't see how we can get away."
"You can go back into the hole you came from."
Cap'n Bill shook his head; Trot shuddered at the thought; the Ork laughed
aloud.
"You may be King here," the creature said to Pessim, "but we intend to
run this island to suit ourselves, for we are three and you are one, and
the balance of power lies with us."
The little man made no reply to this, although as they walked back to
the shed his face wore its fiercest scowl. Cap'n Bill gathered a lot of
leaves and, assisted by Trot, prepared two nice beds in opposite corners
of the shed. Pessim slept in a hammock which he swung between two trees.
They required no dishes, as all their food consisted of fruits and nuts
picked from the trees; they made no fire, for the weather was warm and
there was nothing to cook; the shed had no furniture other than the rude
stool which the little man was accustomed to sit upon. He called it his
"throne" and they let him keep it.
So they lived upon the island for three days, and rested and ate to their
hearts' content. Still, they were not at all happy in this life because
of Pessim. He continually found fault with them, and all that they did,
and all their surroundings. He could see nothing good or admirable in all
the world and Trot soon came to understand why the little man's former
neighbors had brought him to this island and left him there, all alone,
so he could not annoy anyone. It was their misfortune that they had
been led to this place by their adventures, for often they would have
preferred the company of a wild beast to that of Pessim.
On the fourth day a happy thought came to the Ork. They had all
been racking their brains for a possible way to leave the island,
and discussing this or that method, without finding a plan that was
practical. Cap'n Bill had said he could make a raft of the trees,
big enough to float them all, but he had no tools except those two
pocketknives and it was not possible to chop down trees with such small
blades.
"And s'pose we got afloat on the ocean," said Trot, "where would we drift
to, and how long would it take us to get there?"
Cap'n Bill was forced to admit he didn't know. The Ork could fly away
from the island any time it wished to, but the queer creature was loyal
to his new friends and refused to leave them in such a lonely, forsaken
place.
It was when Trot urged him to go, on this fourth morning, that the Ork
had his happy thought.
"I will go," said he, "if you two will agree to ride upon my back."
"We are too heavy; you might drop us," objected Cap'n Bill.
"Yes, you are rather heavy for a long journey," acknowledged the Ork,
"but you might eat of those lavender berries and become so small that I
could carry you with ease."
This quaint suggestion startled Trot and she looked gravely at the
speaker while she considered it, but Cap'n Bill gave a scornful snort and
asked:
"What would become of us afterward! We wouldn't be much good if we were
some two or three inches high. No, Mr. Ork, I'd rather stay here, as I
am, than be a hop-o'-my-thumb somewhere else."
"Why couldn't you take some of the dark purple berries along with you, to
eat after we had reached our destination?" inquired the Ork. "Then you
could grow big again whenever you pleased."
Trot clapped her hands with delight.
"That's it!" she exclaimed. "Let's do it, Cap'n Bill."
The old sailor did not like the idea at first, but he thought it over
carefully and the more he thought the better it seemed.
"How could you manage to carry us, if we were so small?" he asked.
"I could put you in a paper bag, and tie the bag around my neck."
"But we haven't a paper bag," objected Trot.
The Ork looked at her.
"There's your sunbonnet," it said presently, "which is hollow in the
middle and has two strings that you could tie around my neck."
[Illustration]
Trot took off her sunbonnet and regarded it critically. Yes, it might
easily hold both her and Cap'n Bill, after they had eaten the lavender
berries and been reduced in size. She tied the strings around the Ork's
neck and the sunbonnet made a bag in which two tiny people might ride
without danger of falling out. So she said:
"I b'lieve we'll do it that way, Cap'n."
Cap'n Bill groaned but could make no logical objection except that the
plan seemed to him quite dangerous--and dangerous in more ways than one.
"I think so, myself," said Trot soberly. "But nobody can stay alive
without getting into danger sometimes, and danger doesn't mean getting
hurt, Cap'n; it only means we _might_ get hurt. So I guess we'll have to
take the risk."
"Let's go and find the berries," said the Ork.
They said nothing to Pessim, who was sitting on his stool and scowling
dismally as he stared at the ocean, but started at once to seek the
trees that bore the magic fruits. The Ork remembered very well where the
lavender berries grew and led his companions quickly to the spot.
Cap'n Bill gathered two berries and placed them carefully in his pocket.
Then they went around to the east side of the island and found the tree
that bore the dark purple berries.
"I guess I'll take four of these," said the sailor-man, "so in case one
doesn't make us grow big we can eat another."
"Better take six," advised the Ork. "It's well to be on the safe side,
and I'm sure these trees grow nowhere else in all the world."
So Cap'n Bill gathered six of the purple berries and with their precious
fruit they returned to the shed to bid good-bye to Pessim. Perhaps they
would not have granted the surly little man this courtesy had they not
wished to use him to tie the sunbonnet around the Ork's neck.
When Pessim learned they were about to leave him he at first looked
greatly pleased, but he suddenly recollected that nothing ought to please
him and so began to grumble about being left alone.
"We knew it wouldn't suit you," remarked Cap'n Bill. "It didn't suit you
to have us here, and it won't suit you to have us go away."
"That is quite true," admitted Pessim. "I haven't been suited since I can
remember; so it doesn't matter to me in the least whether you go or stay."
He was interested in their experiment, however, and willingly agreed to
assist, although he prophesied they would fall out of the sunbonnet on
their way and be either drowned in the ocean or crushed upon some rocky
shore. This uncheerful prospect did not daunt Trot, but it made Cap'n
Bill quite nervous.
"I will eat my berry first," said Trot, as she placed her sunbonnet on
the ground, in such manner that they could get into it.
Then she ate the lavender berry and in a few seconds became so small that
Cap'n Bill picked her up gently with his thumb and one finger and placed
her in the middle of the sunbonnet. Then he placed beside her the six
purple berries--each one being about as big as the tiny Trot's head--and
all preparations being now made the old sailor ate his lavender berry and
became very small--wooden leg and all!
Cap'n Bill stumbled sadly in trying to climb over the edge of the
sunbonnet and pitched in beside Trot headfirst, which caused the unhappy
Pessim to laugh with glee. Then the King of the Island picked up the
sunbonnet--so rudely that he shook its occupants like peas in a pod--and
tied it, by means of its strings, securely around the Ork's neck.
"I hope, Trot, you sewed those strings on tight," said Cap'n Bill
anxiously.
"Why, we are not very heavy, you know," she replied, "so I think the
stitches will hold. But be careful and not crush the berries, Cap'n."
"One is jammed already," he said, looking at them.
"All ready?" asked the Ork.
"Yes!" they cried together, and Pessim came close to the sunbonnet and
called out to them: "You'll be smashed or drowned, I'm sure you will! But
farewell, and good riddance to you."
The Ork was provoked by this unkind speech, so he turned his tail toward
the little man and made it revolve so fast that the rush of air tumbled
Pessim over backward and he rolled several times upon the ground before
he could stop himself and sit up. By that time the Ork was high in the
air and speeding swiftly over the ocean.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]