After the Princess had left them, John Dough said to the King: "What is
to become of Chick and of me? We cannot stay with you always."
"I hardly know," answered the Beaver Fairy. "Is there any place you
especially desire to visit?"
"No special place is known to me," said the gingerbread man.
"It doesn't matter where we go, so long as we keep going," added the
practical Chick.
"You have been very kind to us," continued John, "and we may rely upon
your friendship. Since you possess such wonderful fairy powers, perhaps
you will assist us to leave this island and get out into the world
again, where we may seek new adventures."
"It shall be as you wish," promised the King. "But I must think of a
way for you to leave my palace in perfect safety. Chick is in no great
danger, but should Black Ooboo or the terrible Arab chance to capture
you, they would cut your gingerbread to bits in no time, and you would
be ruined. For this reason it will be best for you to leave this island
as quickly as possible."
John readily agreed to this, and the King remained silent for several
minutes, engaged in deep thought. Then he said:
"I believe I know a way to save you, John Dough. But I must have your
permission to cut you into nine pieces."
"What good will I be when cut into pieces?" asked John, somewhat
alarmed at the suggestion.
[Illustration]
"Do not fear," said the beaver. "I promise to again restore you to
your present form. The Mifkets have placed spies all about our dam, and
if you attempted to walk away from here they would soon discover you.
Therefore I will cut you into nine pieces, wrap each piece in a bit
of cloth, and send the parcels by my beavers along different paths to
the top of the hill where Para Bruin lives. There the bear and Chick
can put you together again, for the child will have no trouble in
reaching the bear's cage. After the nine parts are in place I will give
you a magic cordial to drink; it will render your body as solid and
substantial as it is now."
"But how can we escape from the island, once we have reached Para
Bruin's cave?" asked John.
"The Flamingo people owe me many favors," answered the King. "You do
not weigh much, so I will ask one of the flamingoes to fly with you to
some other country. It will take two of the birds to carry Chick; but,
if the child is not afraid, the journey will be perfectly safe."
"I'm not afraid," said Chick. "Anything suits me."
"I think your plan is an excellent one," declared John, "and we are
both greatly obliged to your Majesty for your kindness."
So the King brought a great knife, and with the assistance of Chick,
who was much interested in the operation, cut John Dough into nine
pieces. These were wrapped into packages and eight beavers were
summoned, who carried eight of the packages through secret passages to
the forest and then up the mountain-side to the cave of Para Bruin. The
ninth package, containing the head of John Dough, the King undertook
to carry himself, and although the Mifket spies of Black Ooboo noticed
the nine beavers carrying packages up the hillside, they paid little
attention to them, never suspecting that in this queer fashion the
gingerbread man was making his escape.
[Illustration]
And Chick walked boldly along the river bank and up the hill to meet
Para Bruin, who hugged the child joyfully in his rubber arms, and
tried to lick the plump cheeks with his pink rubber tongue. The Mifkets
were puzzled by Chick's appearance, and wondered where the little one
had come from; but they did not offer to interfere with the child in
any way.
It was not long before the Beaver King reached the bear's cave and laid
the ninth package, containing John's head, beside the other eight,
which had already arrived.
"What's all this?" asked Para Bruin, eying the packages with much
surprise.
"Be patient and you will see," replied the King, and then unwrapped
John's head. When the bear saw it he uttered a groan and exclaimed:
"Alas! my poor friend has come to a sad end!"
"Not so," answered John's head. "The Fairy Beaver has cut me apart, but
he has promised to put me together again, so that I will be as good as
new. And you must assist us, friend Para."
"Most willingly!" declared the bear.
Then, under the King's direction, Para Bruin and Chick set up John's
legs, and placed the sections of his body upon them, and afterward
perched his head upon the body. John expected to tumble down at any
moment, for he was just like a house of blocks that a child builds,
and every one knows how easily that falls apart; but he kept as still
as possible, and at length all the nine parts of him were in their
proper places.
Then the King handed a small silver flask to the child, and told Chick
to pour the contents into John's mouth--just between the candy teeth.
Chick, by standing on tiptoe, was able to do this, and John drank the
cordial to the last drop. He seemed to feel it penetrate and spread
through all his gingerbread body; and, as it did so, every one of the
cut places became solid again, and presently John took a step forward,
looked himself over, and found he was indeed as good as new.
[Illustration]
"That cordial is great stuff," he said to the King. "It's almost as
powerful as the Great Elixir itself."
"It is an excellent remedy for cuts," replied the King, "and as you are
so crumbly and unsubstantial I will give you another bottle of it, so
that if you ever meet with an accident you may drink the cordial and
recover." He handed John another silver flask containing the wonderful
liquid, which John accepted with much gratitude.
"Now I must leave you," said the King. "The flamingoes have promised to
send her their strongest flyers to bear you and the Incubator Baby to
another land, so I believe you will both live to encounter many further
adventures."
Chick and John again thanked the kind beaver for all the favors they
had received, and then the King and his people returned to their
beautiful palace, and left the gingerbread man and the cheerful Cherub
and Para Bruin alone upon the mountain-top.
"What has become of the Princess?" asked the bear.
John told him the story of her escape, and Para said:
"Well, I'm glad the dear child was able to rejoin her parents; but this
island will be a dreary place without her. I wish I could leave it as
easily as you and Chick can."
"Perhaps," said John, "the flamingoes will also carry you."
"Do you think so?" asked Para, eagerly.
"I'll ask them about it, for I understand their language," promised
John; and this so delighted the rubber bear that he bounded up and down
in glee.
Before long four great birds were seen approaching through the air, and
soon they alighted upon the mountain close to where our friends stood.
"We were sent to carry a gingerbread man and a fair-haired child away
from this island," said one of the birds, in a squeaky voice.
"I am the gingerbread man," replied John, speaking as the flamingoes
did; "and here is the fair-haired child. But we also wish you to carry
our friend Para Bruin with us. One of you can carry me, and two can
carry Chick. That will leave the fourth to fly with Para Bruin, if you
will kindly consent."
"What, that monstrous bear!" exclaimed one of the birds, indignantly.
"He's large, it is true," replied John; "but he's made of rubber, and
is hollow inside; so he really doesn't weigh much more than I do."
"Well," said the flamingo, "if that is the case I do not object to
carrying him."
[Illustration: "NICE RIDE, ISN'T IT?"]
John related this conversation to the bear, who was overjoyed at the
thought of getting away from the island.
A stout cord had been tied to the feet of each of the flamingoes, and
John now proceeded to fasten the loose end of one of the cords around
his own body, tying it in a firm knot, so it would not come undone and
let him drop. The cords hanging from the two birds that were to carry
the Cherub were tied together in a hard knot, and thus formed a swing
in which the child sat quite comfortably. Para Bruin now tied himself
to the fourth flamingo, and the preparations were complete.
"Are you ready?" asked the leader of the flamingoes.
"Yes," said John.
"Where do you wish to be taken?"
"We don't much care," replied the gingerbread man. "Let us get to some
island where there are no Mifkets. As for Ali Dubh, he will be obliged
to stay here with his friend Black Ooboo, and once I am away from these
shores I shall be sure he can never eat me."
So the big birds flew into the air, carrying with them the gingerbread
man and the fair-haired child and the rubber bear, and so swift was
their flight that in a few moments the island of the Mifkets had
vanished from their view.
"Nice ride, isn't it?" Chick called to John.
"Rather nice," answered the gingerbread man. "But this cord is so tight
it's wearing a crease in my body."
"What a pity you are not made of rubber, as I am!" said the bear,
cheerfully. "Nothing ever injures me in the least. I'm practically
indestructible."
"How are you getting on, Chick?" asked John.
"Fine!" answered the Cherub. "This knocks Imar's flying-machine into a
cocked hat."
Then for a time they sailed on in silence, dangling from the ends of
their cords, while the strong wings of the flamingoes beat the air with
regular strokes just above their heads.
[Illustration]