Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls:
Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful
picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the
Wigs: Then the six friends go home.
Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed
that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd,
stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the
country of the Wigs. The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was
marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height. It was from
this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens. They could
have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they
should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.
* * * * *
From their rock Smaly and Redy could see quite clearly the roof of the
Historian's house. Directly they saw the Flying-Fish enter to announce
the time for siesta Smaly meant to speak to the young girls.
"Let us hang our red flag up there," said Redy to Smaly, pointing to an
old tree.
[Illustration: DIRECTLY THEY SAW THE FLYING-FISH ENTER]
"Are you managing affairs or am I?" demanded Smaly severely.
"Nevertheless," he added more kindly, "I will consider any advice you
have to give, and may follow it ... if it is good...."
[Illustration: THEIR TWO LITTLE HEADS APPEARED SIDE BY SIDE]
Now the Flying-Fish began to fly low over the town, and two of them
entered the house of the Historian.
The whole country slept. It was evident that even the two sentinels
slept heavily.
When Smaly and Redy were sure that all was safe, they crept forward to
the edge of the rock. Their two little heads appeared side by side
before the astonished eyes of the three young girls, and since their
beaks had disappeared for good and all, the two little people were
certain they would make a good impression. And, indeed, the three young
girls saw at once that these were the heads of human beings, real human
beings, not creatures made of sugar and cake.
When they heard these two human beings speak, the young girls were
seized with intense emotion. Smaly and Redy whispered:
"We've come to save you."
Kisika, Laptitza, and Fritilla held up their arms towards them, while
the tears ran down their cheeks for joy. They all began to speak at
once; but Smaly and Redy each placed a finger on their lips with a
mysterious air, to command silence.
"We are going to take you away with us," whispered Redy.
"Silence," said Smaly, standing on the point of his toes to appear
taller. And he continued, "No one must speak until Kisika, Laptitza, and
Fritilla have each made a little stairway by which they can climb up to
where we are."
"What a splendid idea," cried Redy.
Smaly took no notice of her; but said, with an air of great importance,
"Let the young girls begin at once to make the stairways."
* * * * *
So during three days the young girls were busy making the stairs by
which they would mount to freedom. During the siesta on the third day
Smaly and Redy made trial of these stairs and found them perfectly firm.
It was then that Smaly climbed into the dead tree which Redy had pointed
out to him, and tied to it the big red handkerchief which was to be the
signal to Djorak.
[Illustration: SMALY STANDING; ON THE POINT OF HIS TOES]
Smaly and Redy were both of them certain that Djorak was in his right
mind once more, for during the three days the sugar-cane prison had not
budged; but stayed still as if awaiting their signal, and directly the
red flag fluttered in the breeze Redy cried out:
"Look, look, the prison is coming."
"Of course it is," said Smaly, as though he had never had any doubts.
And indeed the prison was rushing furiously towards them.
Smaly stayed up in the tree to watch, but Redy had her attention
distracted by the Red Flying-Fish, which was sitting watching her.
Suddenly the fish flew away; but it soon reappeared followed by a great
flock of other fish. Each fish carried something good, tarts or cakes or
fruits. The Red Flying-Fish carried a large hat and mantle in its claws.
The fish all deposited their offerings at the feet of Redy, and from his
tree Smaly looked on with great pleasure.
* * * * *
Towards evening the forest of sugar-canes came crashing into the three
little gardens. Kisika, Laptitza, and Fritilla ran up their stairways
and fell into Redy's arms; but Smaly was not going to waste any time on
sentiment, to which he felt he could give way later. He ran down the
centre staircase, seized one of the boxes of Soy which the Chief
Contractor had given to the young girls, presented the other two to
Djorak, and then, without waiting to listen to the Prisoner's
exclamations of joy, bade him follow him.
[Illustration: SO DURING THREE DAYS THE YOUNG GIRLS WERE BUSY MAKING THE
STAIRS]
[Illustration: THE RED FLYING-FISH CARRIED A LARGE HAT AND MANTLE IN ITS
CLAWS]
He sat the Prisoner down on a rock and drew out of his pocket a pair of
scissors and cut his wild and streaming hair, and then proceeded to
shave his beard, which was no less long. Then both of them, carrying as
many of the presents as they could, joined Redy and the three young
girls.
* * * * *
The emotion of this father on meeting once again his three daughters was
a very moving spectacle. Djorak, who had such a good memory, could not
forget that he had been beheaded, and that without his own great
presence of mind and the wise counsels of the Brindled Rabbit, he would
never have seen his daughters any more.
* * * * *
The picnic which followed was an unforgettable repast. Djorak looked
very presentable in the hat and cloak brought by the grateful
Flying-Fish.
In the first place every one was filled with joy, and in the second the
three young girls had been brought up in the Wig country thoroughly to
appreciate the most delicious pastries ever made. They soon discovered
that the Soy powder was no longer of any use to them, for its magic
properties failed once it was over the borders of the Wig country, in
the same way that the Wigs themselves would have melted away directly
they passed the frontier. Therefore the six happy people seated amidst
the fragrant heather and myrtle began to ask what use Smaly meant to
make of the three big boxes of Soy.
[Illustration: CARRYING AS MANY OF THE PRESENTS AS THEY COULD]
"Patience," was all Smaly would reply when he was questioned, and they
had to have patience until the evening, when a south-east wind sprang
up.
Smaly took the first box and threw the contents into the air. The wind
took the powder and blew it over the town of the Wigs; and this Smaly
did with the other two boxes as well.
"What is going to happen next?" asked Redy.
Smaly pointed to some clouds which were piling up, and replied
sententiously, "Rain."
* * * * *
[Illustration: WIGS THEMSELVES WOULD HAVE MELTED AWAY DIRECTLY THEY
PASSED THE FRONTIER]
And indeed the rain began to fall. The Soy powder mingling with the
water had a magical effect, the effect that Smaly had hoped for; the
whole country began to sprout, trees, houses, grass, walls, lawns,
everything began to grow and grow, just as the sugar-cane prison had
done when the Rats watered it with the liquid from the reservoir of Soy.
* * * * *
As the six happy friends started out on their journey they could see, by
looking behind them, the houses and plants growing and growing. The Wigs
were evidently in a terrible state of alarm. They called frantically to
each other, they hung out of the windows, they descended by long ropes
into the streets. It was the most tremendous day in the history of the
Wig country; but there were no casualties, and when the Confectioner had
built another flight to their staircases, they were just as happy in
their tall houses as they had been when they lived in those of two
stories. It was a little more tiring for them to have to climb so high,
but then what a splendid view they had into each other's attics!
As to Smaly and Redy, once more returned to the world of men and women
like ourselves, they installed Kisika, Laptitza, and Fritilla in the
three little bedrooms prepared for them before ever the quest began.
Djorak, completely cured of his madness, slept in a delightful little
pavilion in the garden, but took his meals with the family.
And they all lived happily ever after. I myself can quite well remember
meeting them last springs taking their morning walk in the park of their
town.
[Illustration: THEY HUNG OUT OF THE WINDOWS]
And what a charming sight they were to be sure!
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