By journeying through the
glass mountain they had reached
a delightful valley that was
shaped like the hollow of a
great cup, with another rugged
mountain showing on the other
side of it, and soft and pretty
green hills at the ends. It
was all laid out into lovely
lawns and gardens, with pebble
paths leading through them
and groves of beautiful and
stately trees dotting the landscape
here and there. There were
orchards, too, bearing luscious
fruits that are all unknown
in our world. Alluring brooks
of crystal water flowed sparkling
between their flower-strewn
banks, while scattered over
the valley were dozens of the
quaintest and most picturesque
cottages our travelers had
ever beheld. None of them were
in clusters, such as villages
or towns, but each had ample
grounds of its own, with orchards
and
gardens surrounding it.
As the new arrivals gazed
upon this exquisite scene they
were enraptured by its beauties
and the fragrance that permeated
the soft air, which they breathed
so gratefully after the confined
atmosphere of the tunnel. Several
minutes were consumed in silent
admiration before they noticed
two very singular and unusual
facts about this valley. One
was that it was lighted from
some unseen source; for no
sun or moon was in the arched
blue sky, although every object
was flooded with a clear and
perfect light. The second and
even more singular fact was
the absence of any inhabitant
of this splendid place. From
their elevated position they
could overlook the entire valley,
but not a single moving object
could they see. All appeared
mysteriously deserted.
The mountain on this side
was not glass, but made of
a stone similar to granite.
With some difficulty and danger
Jim drew the buggy over the
loose rocks until he reached
the green lawns below, where
the paths and orchards and
gardens began. The nearest
cottage was still some distance
away.
"Isn't it fine?" cried
Dorothy,
in a joyous voice, as she sprang
out of the buggy and let Eureka
run frolicking over the velvety
grass.
"Yes, indeed!" answered Zeb. "We
were lucky to get away from
those dreadful vegetable people."
"It wouldn't be so bad," remarked
the Wizard, gazing around him, "if
we were obliged to live here
always. We couldn't find a
prettier place, I'm sure."
He took the piglets from
his pocket and let them run
on the grass, and Jim tasted
a mouthful of the green blades
and declared he was very contented
in his new surroundings.
"We can't walk in the air
here, though," called Eureka,
who had tried it and failed;
but the others were satisfied
to walk on the ground, and
the Wizard said they must be
nearer the surface of the earth
then they had been in the Mangaboo
country, for everything was
more homelike and natural.
"But where are the people?" asked
Dorothy.
The little man shook his
bald head.
"Can't imagine, my dear," he
replied.
They heard the sudden twittering
of a bird, but could not find
the creature anywhere. Slowly
they walked along the path
toward the nearest cottage,
the piglets racing and gambolling
beside them and Jim pausing
at every step for another mouthful
of grass.
Presently they came to a
low plant which had broad,
spreading leaves, in the center
of which grew a single fruit
about as large as a peach.
The fruit was so daintily colored
and so fragrant, and looked
so appetizing and delicious
that Dorothy stopped and exclaimed:
"What
is it,
do you
s'pose?"
The piglets had smelled the
fruit quickly, and before the
girl could reach out her hand
to pluck it every one of the
nine tiny ones had rushed in
and commenced to devour it
with great eagerness.
"It's good, anyway," said
Zeb, "or those little rascals
wouldn't have gobbled it up
so greedily."
"Where are they?" asked
Dorothy,
in astonishment.
They all looked around, but
the piglets had disappeared.
"Dear me!" cried the Wizard; "they
must have run away. But I didn't
see them go; did you?"
"No!" replied
the boy
and the
girl, together.
"Here,--piggy, piggy, piggy!" called
their master, anxiously.
Several squeals and grunts
were instantly heard at his
feet, but the Wizard could
not discover a single piglet.
"Where are you?" he
asked.
"Why, right beside you," spoke
a tiny voice. "Can't you see
us?"
"No," answered
the little
man, in a puzzled tone.
"We can see you," said
another
of the piglets.
The Wizard stooped down and
put out his hand, and at once
felt the small fat body of
one of his pets. He picked
it up, but could not see what
he held.
"It is very strange," said
he, soberly. "The piglets have
become invisible, in some curious
way."
"I'll bet it's because they
ate that peach!" cried the
kitten.
"It wasn't a peach, Eureka," said
Dorothy. "I only hope it wasn't
poison."
"It was fine, Dorothy," called
one of the piglets.
"We'll eat all we can find
of them," said another.
"But WE mus'n't eat them," the
Wizard warned the children, "or
we too may become invisible,
and lose each other. If we
come across another of the
strange fruit we must avoid
it."
Calling the piglets to him
he picked them all up, one
by one, and put them away in
his pocket; for although he
could not see them he could
feel them, and when he had
buttoned his coat he knew they
were safe for the present.
The travellers now resumed
their walk toward the cottage,
which they presently reached.
It was a pretty place, with
vines growing thickly over
the broad front porch. The
door stood open and a table
was set in the front room,
with four chairs drawn up to
it. On the table were plates,
knives and forks, and dishes
of bread, meat and fruits.
The meat was smoking hot and
the knives and forks were performing
strange antics and jumping
here and there in quite a puzzling
way. But not a single person
appeared to be in the room.
"How funny!" exclaimed
Dorothy,
who with Zeb and the Wizard
now stood in the doorway.
A peal of merry laughter
answered her, and the knives
and forks fell to the plates
with a clatter. One of the
chairs pushed back from the
table, and this was so astonishing
and mysterious that Dorothy
was almost tempted to run away
in fright.
"Here are strangers, mama!" cried
the shrill and childish voice
of some unseen person.
"So I see, my dear," answered
another voice, soft and womanly.
"What do you want?" demanded
a third voice, in a stern,
gruff accent.
"Well, well!" said the Wizard; "are
there really people in this
room?"
"Of course," replied
the man's
voice.
"And--pardon
me for
the foolish
question--but, are you all
invisible?"
"Surely," the woman answered,
repeating her low, rippling
laughter. "Are you surprised
that you are unable to see
the people of Voe?"
"Why, yes," stammered the
Wizard. "All the people I have
ever met before were very plain
to see."
"Where do you come from,
then?" asked the woman, in
a curious tone.
"We belong upon the face
of the earth," explained the
Wizard, "but recently, during
an earthquake, we fell down
a crack and landed in the Country
of the Mangaboos."
"Dreadful creatures!" exclaimed
the woman's voice. "I've heard
of them."
"They walled us up in a mountain," continued
the Wizard; "but we found there
was a tunnel through to this
side, so we came here. It is
a beautiful place. What do
you call it?"
"It
is the
Valley
of Voe."
"Thank
you. We
have seen
no people since we arrived,
so we came to this house to
enquire our way."
"Are you hungry?" asked
the woman's
voice.
"I could eat something," said
Dorothy.
"So could I," added
Zeb.
"But we do not wish to intrude,
I assure you," the Wizard hastened
to say.
"That's all right," returned
the man's voice, more pleasantly
than before. "You are welcome
to what we have."
As he spoke the voice came
so near to Zeb that he jumped
back in alarm. Two childish
voices laughed merrily at this
action, and Dorothy was sure
they were in no danger among
such light-hearted folks, even
if those folks couldn't be
seen.
"What curious animal is that
which is eating the grass on
my lawn?" enquired the man's
voice.
"That's Jim," said the girl. "He's
a horse."
"What is he good for?" was
the next question.
"He draws the buggy you see
fastened to him, and we ride
in the buggy instead of walking," she
explained.
"Can he fight?" asked
the man's
voice.
"No! he can kick pretty hard
with his heels, and bite a
little; but Jim can't 'zactly
fight," she replied.
"Then the bears will get
him," said one of the children's
voices.
"Bears!" exclaimed Dorothy. "Are
these bears here?"
"That is the one evil of
our country," answered the
invisible man. "Many large
and fierce bears roam in the
Valley of Voe, and when they
can catch any of us they eat
us up; but as they cannot see
us, we seldom get caught."
"Are the bears invis'ble,
too?" asked the girl.
"Yes;
for they
eat of
the dama-fruit,
as we all
do, and
that keeps them from being
seen by any eye, whether human
or animal."
"Does the dama-fruit grow
on a low bush, and look something
like a peach?" asked the Wizard.
"Yes," was
the reply.
"If it makes you invis'ble,
why do you eat it?" Dorothy
enquired.
"For two reasons, my dear," the
woman's voice answered. "The
dama-fruit is the most delicious
thing that grows, and when
it makes us invisible the bears
cannot find us to eat us up.
But now, good wanderers, your
luncheon is on the table, so
please sit down and eat as
much as you like."
|