THE ELEPHANT'S HEAD COMES TO LIFE
CHAPTER 28
When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted
to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and
held it over himself and Trot. Then, when everybody was ready, they
entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog
King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.
Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing
Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close
together.
"Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.
"Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice. "You must
first take that insulting umbrella out of my dominions."
"Why, what is there about my umbrella that seems insulting?" asked
Button-Bright in surprise.
"It is an intimation that you don't like our glorious climate and
object to our delightful fog and are trying to ward off its soulful,
clinging kisses," replied the Frog King in an agitated voice. "There
has never been an umbrella in my kingdom before, and I'll not allow
one in it now. Take it away at once!"
"But we can't," explained Trot. "We've got to take the umbrella with
us to the Pink Country. We'll put it down if you like, an' cross the
bank in this drizzle--which may be clingin' an' soulful, but is too
wet to be comfort'ble. But the umbrella's got to go with us."
"It can't go another inch," cried the obstinate frog with an angry
croak, "nor shall any of your people advance another step while that
insulting umbrella is with you."
Trot turned to Rosalie. "What shall we do?" she asked.
"I really do not know," replied the Witch, greatly perplexed.
"Can't you MAKE the frogs let us through?" inquired the boy.
"No, I have no power over the frogs," Rosalie answered. "They
carried us before as a favor, but if the king now insists that we
cannot pass with the umbrella, we must go back to the Blue Country
or leave your umbrella behind us."
"We won't do that!" said Button-Bright indignantly. "Can't we fight
the frogs?"
"Fight!" cried Trot. "Why, see how big they are. They could eat up
our whole army if they wanted to."
But just then, while they stood dismayed at this unfortunate
position, a queer thing happened. The umbrella in Button-Bright's
hand began to tremble and shake. He looked down at the handle and
saw that the red eyes of the carved elephant's head were rolling
fiercely and sending out red sparks of anger in all directions. The
trunk swayed from side to side, and the entire head began to swell
and grow larger.
In his fright, the boy sprang backward a step and dropped the
umbrella to the ground, and as he did so, it took the form of a
complete elephant, growing rapidly to a monstrous size. Then,
flapping its ears and wagging its tail--which was merely the covered
frame of the umbrella--the huge elephant lifted its trunk and
charged the line of astonished frogs.
In a twinkling the frogs all turned and made the longest leaps their
powerful legs enabled them to. The King jumped first of all, and in
a panic of fear the others followed his example. They were out of
sight in an instant, and then the elephant turned its head and
looked at Button-Bright and at once trotted into the depths of the
fog.
"He wants us to follow," said the boy, gasping in amazement at this
wonderful transformation. So immediately they began marching through
the fog behind the elephant, and as the great beast advanced the
frogs scrambled out of his way and hid themselves in the moist banks
until he had passed them by.
Cap'n Bill had to mind his wooden leg carefully, and the old sailor
was so excited that he mumbled queer sentences about "Araby Ann
Knights" and "ding-donged magic" and the "fool foolishness of
fussin' with witches an' sich," until Trot wondered whether her old
friend had gone crazy or was only badly scared.
It was a long journey, and all the Pinkies were dripping water from
their raincoats, and their fat little legs were tired and aching
when the pink glow showing through the fog at last announced that
they were nearing the Pink Country.
At the very edge of the Fog Bank the elephant halted, winked at
Button-Bright, lowered its head and began to shrink in size and
dwindle away. By the time the boy came up to it, closely followed by
Trot and Cap'n Bill, the thing was only the well-known Magic
Umbrella, with the carved elephant's head for a handle, and it lay
motionless upon the ground. Button-Bright picked it up, and as he
examined it he thought the tiny eyes still twinkled a little, as if
with triumph and pride.
Trot drew a long breath.
"That was SOME magic, I guess!" she exclaimed. "Don't you think so,
Rosalie?"
"It was the most wonderful thing I ever saw," admitted the Witch.
"The fairies who control Button-Bright's umbrella must be very
powerful indeed!"
