FLIP-FLOPS
Pulling up a rubber boot in place of a fish wasn’t strange for the
first time, since Ted had before this done much the same thing when out
for a day’s sport. But when, the second time, he hooked an old shoe, it
was too much!
If he had been fishing with some of the Cresco lads he would have
suspected a trick, for often one of them would slip away, reach for a
chum’s hook in a spot where he couldn’t be observed, and fasten on the
hook some queer object, putting it softly back into the water again and
waiting for the fun that was sure to follow.
But Ted knew none of his chums were with him now, and Janet, though she
sometimes played tricks, was too far away, looking after Trouble, to
have put the boot and shoe on his hook.
“Of course I might have picked them up off the bottom, but I don’t
believe it,” thought the Curlytop lad. “I’m going to watch.”
“I got a better fish than yours!” boasted Trouble, holding up a small
“sunny,” which had rashly nibbled at his hook.
“So you did,” admitted Ted. “But I’ll get a big fish soon.”
“That was _big_ enough!” laughed Janet, pointing to the rubber boot,
from a hole in the toe of which water was running.
“But it isn’t real,” said Ted ruefully. “Just you wait!”
When Janet went back to the comfortable place she had picked out for
herself and William, Ted again took his position on the jutting-out
bank near the deep eddy. Once again he threw in his line, letting out
plenty of it. But this time, instead of gazing off at the distant
hills, Ted kept watch of his tackle. Presently he saw it begin to move
in toward the shore at a place where tall grass and rushes made a
secret hiding place.
“That’s funny,” said Ted to himself. “If a fish was on my hook a fish
would move out toward the middle of the brook--not toward the bank.”
For this is true of fishes. Once hooked, they try to get into deep
water, hoping to get the sharp point out of their mouth.
But Ted’s line was being slowly pulled in toward the grass-screened
bank, and it wasn’t at all as if a fish was hooked.
“It might be a mud turtle,” thought the lad. “A turtle would go slow
like that--but not a fish. I’ll wait and see what happens.”
His line was pulled in a little farther toward the bank. There was a
movement in the tall grass and the lad felt a tug on his pole as if a
fish were nibbling. It was just like the other two “bites” he had.
“Now to see what it is!” thought Ted.
But instead of calling to his sister to look what a big “fish” he had,
the lad kept quiet and began to haul in.
Something heavy was on his hook, that was certain. But when he hauled
it up out of the water all that met his eyes was--an old rusty tin can!
Janet looked up in time to see it sailing through the air and she
cried, as well as she could for her giggles:
“Oh, Teddy! what’s the matter with you? More funny fish!”
“It’s a trick--that’s what it is!” declared the Curlytop lad. “A
trick. Somebody down there in the grass is putting boots and shoes and
tin cans on my hook!”
Dropping his pole, Ted made a dash for the clump of tall grass and
rushes where he had seen the cautious movements. Before he reached
the place there was a commotion there, and out and up leaped a queer
little man--a man who shouted and laughed and at once began turning
somersaults on the open place a little way back from the edge of the
stream.
Backward and forward the queer little man turned somersaults. Then he
sprang up in the air, landed on his hands, and bounced back to his
feet. With a whoop he turned a “cartwheel,” and then rolled over and
over in the grass.
“Oh, look! He’s doing flip-flops! He’s doing flip-flops!” cried Trouble
who, with Jan, had risen from his fishing place to look at the funny
man. “He’s doing flip-flops like the nellifunt man in the circus!”
Indeed, this odd character seemed to have come from a circus, except
that he did not have on a gayly colored suit with shining spangles.
As Ted watched the thought came into the lad’s mind that this strange
man was the one who had fastened the boot, the shoe and the tin can on
the fish hook.
“Whoop-la! That’s the way to do it!” cried the man in a jolly voice, as
he walked around on his hands. He then very suddenly straightened up.
“How’s fishing?” he asked, as he walked toward Ted.
“Why, it isn’t so very good--not with you around.” When Ted said this,
which might not be considered very polite, a smile came to his face.
One could not help smiling when one looked at the jolly countenance of
the “flip-flop man” as Trouble called him.
“Oh, ho! So I spoiled your fishing, did I?” asked the acrobat.
“Somebody did,” declared Ted. “That’s all I caught.” He pointed to the
rubber boot, the shoe, and the rusty tin can on the grass.
“Oh, dear! That’s too bad! Too bad!” sighed the funny man. “And there’s
good fish in here, too. I know it, for I’ve pulled them out. Suppose
you try again.”
“I will if you’ll stay up here and not go down there to put things on
my hook,” agreed Ted, pointing to the clump of tall grass near the
water’s edge, whence the man had come.
“Oh, ho! So you suspect me, do you?” asked the tumbler.
“Yes, I do!” laughed Ted. “Didn’t you do it?”
“I’m like George Washington. I must tell the truth,” said the man. “I
did it. I hope I didn’t bother you. It isn’t too late to catch some
real fish. Come on--throw in again. I’ll sit here on the bank and keep
as quiet as a little mouse. Did you ever see a little mouse?” he asked
Trouble, winking first one eye and then the other at the small boy.
“I--now--I saw a nellifunt,” was Trouble’s answer.
“Hum! Then you must belong in the circus where I came from,” laughed
the man.
“Oh, are you from the circus?” asked Jan eagerly.
“I used to act in one--doing flip-flops and other clown work,” answered
the man. “Now I’ve joined the movies. I’m Jimmie Tizzy!”
“Oh, are you Jimmie Tizzy?” cried Ted, for well he knew that name,
having laughed more than once at the funny antics of this clown of the
movies.
“That’s who I am,” the man replied, with a laugh.
“You don’t look like him,” ventured Jan doubtfully.
“That’s because I haven’t my make-up on, nor dressed as you generally
see me,” said Mr. Tizzy. “But if you stay around here long enough
you’ll see me as I really am. I’m going to have a part with Mr. Portnay
next week.”
“Oh, are you stopping here at the farm, and are you with Mr. Portnay’s
movie company?” cried Ted.
“That’s right!”
“We haven’t seen you before, and we’re staying at the farm, too,” said
Jan.
“There are so many of us, it’s no wonder you missed me,” said Mr.
Tizzy. “I really haven’t done any acting for the camera since we came
here. My part doesn’t get filmed until next week. But I wanted to keep
in practice, so I came out here to do a few flip-flops. Then I saw you
fishing and I thought it would be fun to play a little joke on you.
I hid in the deep grass, pulled your hook in with a long stick and
fastened the boot on first. Then I put on the shoe and lastly the tin
can. Did you mind it?”
“Oh, no,” admitted Ted, with a laugh. “At first it puzzled me. But it’s
all right. I hope I can catch some real fish now.”
“I think you can,” said Mr. Tizzy. “I won’t play any more jokes.”
Ted baited his hook anew and prepared to cast in again, while the funny
acrobat sat down on the bank near the Curlytop lad to watch him.
“Come on, Trouble,” said Jan, in a low voice. “We’ll let Ted catch a
big fish for us.”
But Trouble didn’t want to go. He dragged and held back.
“Wait! Wait!” he begged. “I want to ast him suffin!”
“What is it, little man?” inquired Mr. Tizzy, with a smile. “Do you
want me to stand on my head again? I’d better not until your brother
catches a fish. But what else do you want to ask me?”
“Can you do flip-flops on a nellifunt’s back?” inquired Trouble.
“Yes, I’ve done that,” admitted Mr. Tizzy. “If you’ll bring your
elephant here I’ll flip-flop on his back.”
“I hasn’t got a nellifunt,” admitted the little lad. “But maybe I could
find one in the woods. Once I gave a nellifunt peanuts.”
“And he’s never forgotten it!” laughed Jan. “But come on,” she urged
her small brother. “Ted wants to fish. Maybe Mr. Tizzy will do some
other tricks for you,” she added.
“I surely will,” promised the acrobat. “I must keep myself in practice
ready for the work next week. Now go ahead and fish, Ted.”
When it grew quiet, the lad eagerly waited for a nibble, and he was
soon rewarded by pulling up a good-sized fish.
“It’s a real one this time!” Ted shouted, as the beauty flopped on the
grass.
“I must watch him,” said Mr. Tizzy. “I may get some ideas from the way
he leaps about.”
From then on Ted had good luck and caught five fish before it was
time to go home. Trouble, also, caught a fair-sized perch, which much
delighted him.
“Now for a few more flips and I’ll walk back with you,” said Mr. Tizzy.
“I’m glad to know we’re stopping at the same place. I heard some talk
last night about children being at the farm, but I thought they meant
movie children.”
“Well, we’re sort of on the move,” explained Ted. “We’re touring around
for our vacation. But Mr. Portnay took two old photograph albums by
mistake, and we’re waiting for him to send them back.”
“Go on--do a flip-flop!” urged Trouble eagerly. “I like ’em!”
“All right. Here goes, little man!” cried Mr. Tizzy.
He began turning somersaults again, leaping back and forth, doing
handsprings and cartwheels on a smooth place in the grass.
“Now watch this!” he cried, and he bent himself in the shape of a hoop
by grasping his ankles with his hands. Around and around he rolled, the
children laughing in glee until, all at once, Mr. Tizzy disappeared.
Out of sight he vanished, as though the earth had opened and swallowed
him!