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."