After the meal was over and Reera had fed her pets, including the four
monster spiders which had come down from their webs to secure their
share, she made the table disappear from the floor of the cottage.
"I wish you'd consent to my transforming your fishes," she said, as she
took up her knitting again.
The Skeezer made no reply. He thought it unwise to hurry matters. All
during the afternoon they sat silent. Once Reera went to her cupboard
and after thrusting her hand into the same drawer as before, touched
the wolf and transformed it into a bird with gorgeous colored feathers.
This bird was larger than a parrot and of a somewhat different form,
but Ervic had never seen one like it before.
"Sing!" said Reera to the bird, which had perched itself on a big
wooden peg--as if it had been in the cottage before and knew just what
to do.
And the bird sang jolly, rollicking songs with words to them--just as a
person who had been carefully trained might do. The songs were
entertaining and Ervic enjoyed listening to them. In an hour or so the
bird stopped singing, tucked its head under its wing and went to sleep.
Reera continued knitting but seemed thoughtful.
Now Ervic had marked this cupboard drawer well and had concluded that
Reera took something from it which enabled her to perform her
transformations. He thought that if he managed to remain in the
cottage, and Reera fell asleep, he could slyly open the cupboard, take
a portion of whatever was in the drawer, and by dropping it into the
copper kettle transform the three fishes into their natural shapes.
Indeed, he had firmly resolved to carry out this plan when the
Yookoohoo put down her knitting and walked toward the door.
"I'm going out for a few minutes," said she; "do you wish to go with
me, or will you remain here?"
Ervic did not answer but sat quietly on his bench. So Reera went out
and closed the cottage door.
As soon as she was gone, Ervic rose and tiptoed to the cupboard.
"Take care! Take care!" cried several voices, coming from the kittens
and chipmunks. "If you touch anything we'll tell the Yookoohoo!"
Ervic hesitated a moment but, remembering that he need not consider
Reera's anger if he succeeded in transforming the fishes, he was about
to open the cupboard when he was arrested by the voices of the fishes,
which stuck their heads above the water in the kettle and called out:
"Come here, Ervic!"