The Verrinder children were in a state of great excitement and glee, for
we were going to spend the day at Burnham Beeches.
The plan was to drive over in a wagonette and have a picnic under the
trees in the middle of the day.
Lionel was amongst the party, and Lady Betty, a young friend of the
Verrinders, so that we were a merry crowd as we scrambled into the
wagonette.
"It doesn't matter about your being old," said Fidge, snuggling up to me
and catching hold of my arm; "you're not like most grown-ups, and don't
mind us larking about a bit."
"I hope not," I said smilingly.
"Besides, he isn't old," chimed in Lady Betty, "at least not very," she
qualified. "He hasn't even got a beard, and if he wasn't a little bit
grown-up he couldn't afford to take us about," she added practically.
"I expect we'll have some jolly decent grub," I heard Dick whisper to
Lionel. "Mrs. Putchy makes ripping pastry. I know, because we used to
stay at his place sometimes before you came."
Marjorie looked up from her book and smiled and nodded across at me.
"It's lovely," she said, as we drove along. "We're going to have a
perfectly splendid day."
We were sitting three aside, and there was just comfortable room for us;
and when we had got well into the country I began to tell the younger
ones, Fidge and Lady Betty, a story. Marjorie closed her book too and
leaned forward to listen, but the two big boys, evidently considering it
_infra dig_. to listen to anything so childish, were eagerly comparing
school experiences. Dick was at Harrow and Lionel at Marlborough, so
they had a lot to talk about.
Presently, in the middle of my story, Marjorie called out, without
looking up, "Move further along, Dick, don't crowd so."
"I'm not!" retorted Dick, "it's you. I can't move any further without
crowding Lionel out of the trap."
"Oh, it's this cushion," cried Marjorie, turning about and trying to
remove what looked at first like a yellow silk cushion beside her.
It was evidently too heavy though, and she gave a start as she touched
it. "Why!" she exclaimed, "it's got something alive in it!"
We all turned around to see what she meant, and at once I knew that it
was Shin Shira appearing.
"Oh, jolly!" cried all the children but Lionel, when I explained to them
what was happening.
"It's all very well, and he's good fun and all that," said my young
cousin, "but if you'd had the experience that I had with his old Magic
Carpet, you'd be very careful not to have much to do with him--he's
rather dangerous."
"But think of the adventures you have with him," said Dick enviously. "I
wouldn't funk it if he asked me to go anywhere with him."
"Who's funking it?" demanded Lionel angrily.
"Well, _you_ didn't seem to have much desire to repeat your experiences,
my friend," laughed Shin Shira. "My head and ears just happened to
arrive in time for me to gather that."
Lionel turned very red. "Oh well, sir, I did have rather a rough time on
the Magic Carpet, you know."
"So you did, so you did," agreed Shin Shira, amiably beaming on us all.
"And where may all you young people be off to this fine day?"
"We're having a picnic," said Lady Betty shyly.
"Going to have, you mean," corrected Fidge. "It isn't a picnic till you
begin to eat, you know."
"Would you mind if I joined you?" asked the Yellow Dwarf, appealing to
me.
"Well, it strikes me that you have done so," I laughed; "but we shall be
delighted with your company if you care to stay."
"That's all right then," said Shin Shira, settling down comfortably;
"there's nothing I should like better this warm day," and he took off
his turban and rubbed his little bald head with a yellow silk
handkerchief.
The sight of the jewel in it reminded him to ask me what became of the
two bags of diamonds he left in the basket of the balloon when he
disappeared on our way back to Baghdad.
I told him what had happened, and how I had lost all of mine except the
few almost worthless ones which I had put in my pocket.
"I was rather more fortunate," said Shin Shira, "for amongst those which
I saved were one or two very valuable ones, and several more which I can
sell at a very good price when it becomes necessary."
"But I thought you could have whatever you wished for?" said Dick.
"Oh no," replied the Dwarf, "not money, you know--almost anything else,
but not money, because, you see, it wouldn't be legal to make money, and
I can tell you I have often found it very awkward to have appeared in a
strange place with no money at all in my pocket. I have indeed once or
twice almost been tempted to sell even the jewel which the Princess gave
me. Now fortunately that will never be necessary."
"What part of Burnham Beeches do you wish me to drive to, sir?" asked
the coachman at this moment; "we're just coming to the village."
"Oh, you'd better put the horses up at the stables, and get a man to
help you with the hampers, and we'll walk on to the wood. You know where
I generally have luncheon."
"Very well, sir!" said the man, touching his hat with his whip and
stopping at the old-fashioned inn in the village.
We were all very glad to stretch our legs after the long ride, and
having had some lemonade and fruit at a little shop in the High Street,
we quite enjoyed the walk up to the wood.
Here under the trees in a beautiful spot we sat down to wait for the men
with the hampers.
After waiting for some time with growing impatience, our coachman turned
up with a rueful face.
"There ain't no hamper, sir," he said.
"What?" I exclaimed. "No hamper! What do you mean?"
"There ain't no hamper in the trap, sir. I didn't have it up in front,
so I thought you had it in with you. Do you think it's fallen out, sir?"
"By Jove, sir!" cried Lionel suddenly, "it's my fault. You told me to
see that the man put the hampers on in front, and I clean forgot all
about it."
If it hadn't been such a serious matter it would have been highly
amusing to watch the blank dismay depicted on every face on hearing this
disastrous news.
"What on earth are we to do?" exclaimed Dick, with almost tragic
concern.
"There's only one thing to be done, I suppose," said I resignedly, after
sending the man away; "we shall have to return to the village and have
our luncheon at the inn."
"It won't be a picnic at all then," pouted Lady Betty ruefully.
Shin Shira was the only one who did not seem distressed about the
matter. He had seated himself cross-legged on the ground under one of
the old Beeches, and was slowly turning over the leaves of the little
yellow book fastened to his belt with a golden chain, which he always
wore.
"I think I can be of some assistance to you here," said he, getting up
after a time and coming towards me. "Has anybody some paper and a
pencil?"
[Illustration]
This seemed a strange request at such a moment, but between us we
managed to find what he asked for.
The Dwarf suddenly tore the paper into seven parts, handing us each one
and keeping one for himself.
"Now," said he, "each of you write on the piece of paper the name of
something you would wish for luncheon."