ROSALIE THE WITCH
CHAPTER 16
Trot and Button-Bright had now become worried and anxious, for they
knew if they were tossed over the edge of the island they would be
killed. Cap'n Bill frowned and set his jaws tight together. The old
sailor had made up his mind to make a good fight for his boy and
girl, as well as for his own life, if he was obliged to do so.
The twelve Counselors then voted, and when the vote was counted,
Tourmaline announced that six had voted to allow the strangers to
remain and six to toss them over the bushes. "We seem evenly divided
on this matter," remarked the Queen with a puzzled look at her
Council.
Trot thought the pretty Queen was their friend, so she said, "Of
course you'll have the deciding vote, then, you being the Ruler."
"Oh no," replied Tourmaline. "Since I have asked these good people
to advise me, it would be impolite to side against some of them and
with the others. That would imply that the judgment of some of my
Counselors is wrong, and the judgment of others right. I must ask
someone else to cast the deciding vote."
"Who will it be, then?" inquired Trot. "Can't I do it? Or Cap'n Bill
or Button-Bright?"
Tourmaline smiled and shook her head, while all the Counselors
murmured their protests.
"Let Trot do it
Or you'll rue it!"
advised the parrot, and then he barked like a dog and made them all
jump.
"Let me think a moment," said the Queen, resting her chin on her
hand.
"A Pink can think
As quick's a wink!"
the parrot declared. But Tourmaline's thoughts required time, and
all her Counselors remained silent and watched her anxiously.
At last she raised her head and said, "I shall call upon Rosalie the
Witch. She is wise and honest and will decide the matter justly."
The Pinkies seemed to approve this choice, so Tourmaline rose and
took a small, pink paper parcel from a drawer. In it was a pink
powder, which she scattered upon the seat of a big armchair. Then
she lighted this powder, which at first flashed vivid pink and then
filled all the space around the chair with a thick, pink cloud of
smoke. Presently the smoke cleared away, when they all saw seated
within the chair Rosalie the Witch.
This famous woman was much like the other Pinkies in appearance
except that she was somewhat taller and not quite so fat as most of
the people. Her skin and hair and eyes were all of a rosy, pink
color, and her gown was of spiderweb gauze that nicely matched her
complexion. She did not seem very old, for her features were smiling
and attractive and pleasant to view. She held in her hand a slender
staff tipped with a lustrous pink jewel.
All the Pinkies present bowed very respectfully to Rosalie, who
returned the salutation with a dignified nod. Then Tourmaline began
to explain the presence of the three strangers and the difficulty of
deciding what to do with them.
"I have summoned you here that you may cast the deciding vote,"
added the Queen. "What shall we do, Rosalie, allow them to remain
here as honored guests, or toss them over the bushes into the sky?"
Rosalie, during Tourmaline's speech, had been attentively examining
the faces of the three Earth people. Now she said,
"Before I decide, I must see who these strangers are. I will follow
their adventures in a vision to discover if they have told you the
truth. And in order that you may all share my knowledge, you shall
see the vision as I see it." She then bowed her head and closed her
eyes.
"Rock-a-bye, baby, on a treetop;
Don't wake her up, or the vision will stop,"
muttered the parrot, but no one paid any attention to the noisy
bird.
Gradually, a pink mist formed in the air about the Witch, and in
this mist the vision began to appear.
First, there was Button-bright in the attic of his house, finding
the Magic Umbrella. Then his first flight was shown, and afterward
his trip across the United States until he landed on the bluff where
Trot sat. In rapid succession the scenes shifted and disclosed the
trial flights, with Trot and Cap'n Bill as passengers, then the trip
to Sky Island and the meeting with the Boolooroo. No sound was
heard, but it was easy from the gestures of the actors for the
Pinkies to follow all the adventures of the strangers in the Blue
Country. Button-Bright was greatly astonished to see in this vision
how the Boolooroo had tested the Magic Umbrella and in a fit of rage
cast it into a corner underneath the cabinet, with the seats and
lunch basket still attached to the handle by means of the rope. The
boy now knew why he could not find the umbrella in the Treasure
Chamber, and he was provoked to think he had several times been
quite close to it without knowing it was there. The last scene ended
with the trip through the Fog Bank and the assistance rendered them
by the friendly frog. After the three tumbled upon the grass of the
Pink Country, the vision faded away, and Rosalie lifted her head
with a smile of triumph at the success of her witchcraft.
"Did you see clearly?" she asked.
"We did, O Wonderful Witch!" they declared.
"Then," said Rosalie, "there can be no doubt in your minds that
these strangers have told you the truth."
"None at all," they admitted.
"What arguments are advanced by the six Counselors who voted to
allow them to remain here as guests?" inquired the Witch.
"They have done us no harm," answered Coralie, speaking for her
side, "therefore we should, in honor and justice, do them no harm."
Rosalie nodded. "What arguments have the others advanced?" she
asked.
"They interfere with our color scheme and do not harmonize with our
people," a man of the Sunrise Tribe answered.
Again Rosalie nodded, and Trot thought her eyes twinkled a little.
"I think I now fully comprehend the matter," said she, "and so I
will cast my vote. I favor taking the Earth people to the edge of
the island and casting them into the sky."
For a moment there was perfect silence in the room. All present
realized that this was a decree of death to the strangers. Trot was
greatly surprised at the decision, and for a moment she thought her
heart had stopped beating, for a wave of fear swept over her.
Button-Bright flushed red as a Pinky and then grew very pale. He
crept closer to Trot and took her hand in his own, pressing it to
give the little girl courage. As for Cap'n Bill, he was watching the
smiling face of the Witch in a puzzled but not hopeless way, for he
thought she did not seem wholly in earnest in what she had said.
"The case is decided," announced Tourmaline in a clear, cold voice.
"The three strangers shall be taken at once to the edge of the
island and thrown over the bushes into the sky."
"It's raining hard outside," announced Coralie, who sat near the
door. "Why not wait until this shower is over?"
"I have said 'at once,'" replied the little Queen with dignity, "and
so it must be at once. We are accustomed to rain, so it need not
delay us, and when a disagreeable duty is to be performed, the
sooner it is accomplished the better."
"May I ask, ma'am," said Cap'n Bill, addressing the Witch, "why you
have decided to murder of us in this cold-blooded way?"
"I did not decide to murder you," answered Rosalie.
"To throw us off the island will be murder," declared the sailor.
"Then they cannot throw you off," the Witch replied.
"The Queen says they will."
"I know," said Rosalie, "but I'm quite positive her people can't do
it."
This statement astonished all the Pinkies, who looked at the Witch
inquiringly. "Why not?" asked Tourmaline.
"It is evident to me," said the Witch, speaking slowly and
distinctly, "that these Earth people are protected in some way by
fairies. They may not be aware of this themselves, nor did I see any
fairies in my vision. But if you will think upon it carefully, you
will realize that the Magic Umbrella has no power in itself, but is
enchanted by fairy power so that it is made to fly and carry
passengers through the air BY FAIRIES. This being the case, I do not
think you will be allowed to injure these favored people in any way;
but I am curious to see in what manner the fairies will defend them,
and therefore I have voted to have them thrown off the island. I
bear these strangers no ill will, nor do I believe they are in any
danger. But since you, Tourmaline, have determined to attempt this
terrible thing at once, I shall go with you and see what will
happen."
Some of the Pinkies looked pleased and some troubled at this speech,
but they all prepared to escort the prisoners to the nearest edge of
the island. The rain was pouring down in torrents, and umbrellas
were unknown; but all of them, both men and women, slipped gossamer
raincoats over their clothing, which kept the rain from wetting
them. Then they caught up their sharp sticks and surrounding the
doomed captives commanded them to march to meet their fate.
