Dick, Marjorie and Fidge Part 6

"Don't caper about like a lot of lunatics," shouted the little man, angrily. "Come and sit down and talk business. The Ki-Wi has something to tell you."

All excitement to know what it could be, the children sat down again, and the Ki-Wi after fumbling about in his coat tail for some time, produced a large doc.u.ment and began to read.

CHAPTER V.

THE KING OF THE FISHES.

"Um--ah--that is to say--er--notwithstanding, nevertheless, likewise also, and as is herein aforesaid," began the Ki-Wi, in an important voice.

"Hold on!" cried d.i.c.k. "We can't understand all that, you know. Why don't you say what you have to say in English?"

"It is English," declared the Ki-Wi, in an aggrieved voice, "and very good English too."

"Of course it is," chimed in the Sage.

"Well we don't understand it, anyhow," maintained d.i.c.k. "It doesn't seem to mean anything at all."

"Perhaps, d.i.c.k, dear," said Marjorie, "Mr. Sage will explain it to us.

Let's see--it began----"

"'Notwithstanding, nevertheless, likewise, and as is herein aforesaid,'"

repeated the Ki-Wi.

"Well, I'll explain it, if you wish with pleasure," said the Sage, "though I can't see in the least why it should be necessary. It seems to me to perfectly simple. To begin with--'Notwithstanding' describes our position just now--Not-with-standing, or _not standing with_ the Ki-Wi.

He is standing, while we are sitting down, you see; then 'nevertheless'

means of course the same as _always-the-greater_, which exactly describes me. You see, my great learning and cleverness always makes me greater than the people I am speaking to, and consequently _never-the-less_. The next word is also descriptive of myself.

'Likewise,' or _like a wise man_, which, I am sure, you will all agree that I am; and 'herein' means that my brains are all _in here_," said the Sage, tapping his head. "While 'aforesaid'--the last word--means that I have a strong head, or a _force-head_, do you see?"

"Is the rest of the paper all about yourself, too, Sir?" asked Marjorie.

"Yes," was the complacent reply. "Go on, Ki-Wi."

"I'm afraid we can't stop," interrupted d.i.c.k.

"You see, we have got to hunt up that wretched Dodo, and perhaps we had better be going now."

"Yes, we must be going now," chimed in Fidge, jumping up eagerly, for all this rigmarole had been very uninteresting to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry you can't stay," said the Sage, in a disappointed voice.

"I could have told you such a lot more about myself. You do think I'm clever though, don't you?" he asked, anxiously.

"Oh, immensely!" said the children, politely.

"Thanks!" said the Sage. "Will you take a few onions with you as a memento of your visit?"

"No thank you," said Marjorie, hurriedly.

"They would remind you of me," suggested the Sage, wistfully; "Sage and onions you know."

"No, thanks," said d.i.c.k, "I'm sure we shall remember you without."

"Now that's _very_ kind of you," said the Sage, "and I'll do the best I can to help you in your search for the Dodo. Let's see, where did he say he was going to?"

"The Equator," said d.i.c.k; "but I'm sure we can't go all that way after him, and get back in a week."

"You could if you went by sea," said the Sage.

"What do you mean?" asked d.i.c.k.

"Why, I could give you an introduction to the King of the Fishes, you know, and he _might_ lend you his dolphins; they travel at a rare pace, and would get you there in no time."

"Oh, yes," cried Marjorie, "of course we _can_ go under the sea, don't you know, the paper says so. Wouldn't it be jolly, even if we didn't find the Dodo?"

"Don't want to be drownded, and get all deaded," objected Fidge.

"You wouldn't be, dear," said Marjorie. "Brother d.i.c.k wouldn't take us anywhere where we should come to any harm."

"How should we get there, I wonder?" asked d.i.c.k, thoughtfully.

"I'll show you--come along," said the Sage, getting up and leading the way.

The children followed, and the little gnomes, now all reduced to their proper size, came trooping along after them.

Presently they reached the edge of the cliff, and the sea, sparkling in the sunlight, lay at their feet some distance below.

The Sage, hastily scribbling a note with a piece of pencil, thrust it into d.i.c.k's hand, and crying, "This is the quickest way!" deliberately pushed the children, one after the other, over the cliff.

Before they had time to realize what had happened, or to become in the least alarmed, they found themselves slowly and comfortably sinking through the air; while a shriek of laughter from the gnomes caused them to look up to the edge of the cliffs, where they beheld all the little fellows leaning over and waving their pocket-handkerchiefs, while the Sage and the Ki-Wi stood in their midst.

"Oh!" cried Marjorie, as they descended, "isn't it fortunate we have the power to float in the air; it would have been an awful plunge otherwise, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," agreed d.i.c.k, reaching out his hand to Fidge, who looked just a little wee bit frightened. "I wonder what it will be like on the sea."

He had not to speculate long, however, for almost at that moment their feet touched the water, and they sank down, down, down through the clear green depths.

"Oh, look!" cried Fidge, excitedly. "Fishes! Fishes!" and he started off swimming after them quite naturally.

"One's got a hat on," he called out. "Look! look! there's another; oh, let's catch them!"

"If you don't behave yourself you'll be locked up," said a severe voice, and, turning around, the children beheld a very stern-looking fish, wearing a helmet, and carrying a truncheon.

"Now then, move on; don't obstruct the traffic!" he cried, angrily; and the children swimming off as hastily as they could, mentally put him down as a kind of sea policeman.

"You certainly mustn't try and catch any of the fishes, Fidge, or you will be getting us all into trouble," said d.i.c.k. And Fidge, overawed by the policeman fish, became quiet subdued, and contented himself with a quiet "Look! look!" when they pa.s.sed anything particularly strange or interesting.