When the sea-horse fell, Kernel Cob and Sweetclover were thrown over
his head and landed into the water, but Kernel Cob told Sweetclover
they would soon be picked up.
And so they were, for a row-boat pulled toward them and in a minute
they were taken from the water and laid on the bottom of the boat.
"What did I tell you?" said Kernel Cob. "If you wish for anything
strong enough you'll get it."
"You'll wish you were never born before you get out of here," said a
deep, strange voice, and looking about, Kernel Cob and Sweetclover
were surprised to see two puppets, their own size.
The one who spoke was a villainous-looking fellow dressed as a Pirate.
His face was browned as if by the sun, earrings were in his ears, a
black hat on his head, and a deep and very ugly scowl was painted on
his forehead.
The other was good looking and resembled the hero in a story. He had
pink cheeks and a pretty smile.
Now, when Sweetclover heard the villainous puppet speak, she moved
away from him but Kernel Cob, who always welcomed a new adventure and
saw in this fellow a possible enemy, spoke up:
"Who and what are you?"
"A friend," answered the Villain.
"You don't look it," said Sweetclover, "you look more like a villain."
"And so I am," said he. "At least that's what I'm painted to be, but I
have a kind heart just the same."
"What are you doing out here in this boat?" asked Kernel Cob.
"The man who is rowing and who picked you up is a puppet showman," he
explained.
"I don't like him a bit," said Sweetclover.
"You'll like him less and less as you get to know him," said the
Villain. "He's very brutal. That's why we are in the boat, for
yesterday during the puppet show, he broke the Hero in a rage and he
had to go across the harbor to a toy-shop to buy another. That's the
new Hero alongside of me."
"He's very handsome," said Sweetclover.
"Sure," said the Villain. "He's got to be. Heroes are all handsome."
"But why are you so ugly?" asked Kernel Cob.
"Ha, ha," laughed the Villain, "why bless your heart, I'm not a real
villain, I only play the part of a villain in the play. My real self
is something very different. But what, may I ask, are you doing out
here in the harbor of Valparaiso?"
"Is that where we are?" asked Sweetclover.
"Sure," said Kernel Cob, for he didn't want the Villain to think he
wasn't smart. "Didn't you know we were in Italy?"
"Ha, ha," sneered the Hero, and from that moment Kernel Cob disliked
him.
"But you haven't told me how you got into the water," persisted the
Villain.
"We came on a sea-horse from Cuba," said Sweetclover.
"That must have been an exciting adventure," said the Villain. "Tell
me all of it."
And Kernel Cob told him how they had been to the Moon on a parasol
and all that. When he had finished, he asked the Villain to tell them
some of his adventures.
But the Villain was a modest sort of fellow and would say nothing but
that he was very unhappy, leading a wicked life. What annoyed him
most, he said, was that nearly everybody thought he was bad.
"It only goes to show," he said, "that you can never go by anybody's
looks."
"You're right," said Kernel Cob, and gave a sharp glance at the Hero.
"Many a kind heart beats beneath an ugly face."
And then the row-boat landed at the dock, and the showman, taking the
Villain and the Hero under one arm and Kernel Cob and Sweetclover
under the other, got out and walked away.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]