Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover Part 16

motheranfather.

"Do you think you will know them when you see them?" asked Jackie Tar.

"I'm sure of it," answered Kernel Cob, "for I remember just the way they looked in the gla.s.s ball that the Magician showed us in India."

And one night as they were sailing along, the dolls crept out on the deck to see where they might be, for all the time they were on the s.h.i.+p they were down in the hold to be out of sight.

And they sat on a coil of rope but could see nothing except the great wide sea and the beautiful blue sky.

And they fell asleep.

But the vessel began to rock and, waking, they saw that a storm had risen.

"Quick," said the Villain, "we must get down out of danger, for if we sit here we shall be swept overboard."

But Kernel Cob who loved all sorts of adventures didn't want to go.

"I love to be in danger," said he.

"That's not sensible," said Sweetclover. "There is enough danger in the world without looking for more of it. Come, let us go."

And the storm grew worse and worse, and the vessel was rolling and it was with great difficulty that they could stand.

And now something very sad was about to happen, something I would like not to tell you, but it really happened, so I must.

As Sweetclover stood up to move she slipped and fell upon the deck and would have rolled overboard if the Villain hadn't caught her, but alas! his generous action brought about his own misfortune for the vessel lurched at that moment and he was carried down to the side and before he could regain his balance he was swept overboard.

There was no time to stand there, for nothing could be done and sadly Kernel Cob lifted Sweetclover and carried her below.

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Let us not dwell upon the sadness of our poor little friends, but let us feel sure that no matter how long they live and no matter where they go, they will always remember this good, true, unselfish friend who was willing to lose his own life to save another's.

And at length the vessel stuck in the ice and that was as far as they could go. Kernel Cob put his head out of the window of the vessel, which is called a port-hole, and saw nothing but ice, great fields of ice, greenish white and it was bitter cold. But Sweetclover had found some strips of woolen cloth on the s.h.i.+p which Jackie Tar had torn and tied about them to keep them warm, for sailors, you know, are very handy because they have no women about to help them to sew their clothes and cannot be running to the stores to buy things.

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VILLAINS

A Villain must be very horrid To wear a frown upon his forehead And lead a wicked pirate crew To do the awful things they do.

It's quite as easy to be good And kind to all, as children should, For grown-ups never give you toys If you are naughty girls and boys.

Besides, if you do what is right Your mother kisses you at night, And who could sleep in peaceful bliss Without a mother's good-night kiss?

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CHAPTER XX

And Jackie Tar had found a little compa.s.s on the s.h.i.+p, and this he had put in his pocket, for said he:

"You can never tell when you may be lost around the North Pole."

So they went ash.o.r.e and, after Jackie had taken his bearings with his compa.s.s to see which way to go, they set out to walk to the North Pole.

And after they had walked for hours and hours, they saw a little bear, which is called a cub.

"I wonder if he is a tame bear," said Sweetclover.

And Kernel Cob went up to him as brave as you please and put out his hand to the bear and said:

"h.e.l.lo, Teddy!" but the bear growled and showed his teeth.

"Don't start anything like that," said Kernel Cob, "unless you want to get hurt."

"Well, don't you call me names," said the Cub.

"Who's calling you names?" asked Kernel Cob.

"You are," said the Cub.

"What name did I call you?" asked Kernel Cob.

"Would you like to be called after a make-believe bear if you were a real one?" asked the Cub.

"No, I guess not," said Kernel Cob.

"Well then," said the Cub.

"Excuse me," said Kernel Cob, for he liked to see anybody who had s.p.u.n.k.

And they shook hands and were friends at once.

"Who are you?" asked the Cub, "and what are you doing up here?"

"I'm Kernel Cob," said he, "and this is Sweetclover and Jackie Tar,"

and the cub came forward and shook hands with them, and really he had very nice manners for a bear who lived so far away from nice people and things.

"You haven't told me what you are doing way up here."

"We're looking for Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather," answered Kernel Cob, "and we believe they are up here near the North Pole. Are we far away from it?"