John Dough and the Cherub

by L. Frank Baum

  The Flight of the Flamingoes

  After the Princess had left them, John Dough said to the King: "What isto become of Chick and of me? We cannot stay with you always."

  "I hardly know," answered the Beaver Fairy. "Is there any place youespecially desire to visit?"

  "No special place is known to me," said the gingerbread man.

  "It doesn't matter where we go, so long as we keep going," added thepractical Chick.

  "You have been very kind to us," continued John, "and we may rely uponyour friendship. Since you possess such wonderful fairy powers, perhapsyou will assist us to leave this island and get out into the worldagain, where we may seek new adventures."

  "It shall be as you wish," promised the King. "But I must think of away for you to leave my palace in perfect safety. Chick is in no greatdanger, but should Black Ooboo or the terrible Arab chance to captureyou, they would cut your gingerbread to bits in no time, and you wouldbe ruined. For this reason it will be best for you to leave this islandas quickly as possible."

  John readily agreed to this, and the King remained silent for severalminutes, engaged in deep thought. Then he said:

  "I believe I know a way to save you, John Dough. But I must have yourpermission to cut you into nine pieces."

  "What good will I be when cut into pieces?" asked John, somewhatalarmed at the suggestion.

  "Do not fear," said the beaver. "I promise to again restore you toyour present form. The Mifkets have placed spies all about our dam, andif you attempted to walk away from here they would soon discover you.Therefore I will cut you into nine pieces, wrap each piece in a bitof cloth, and send the parcels by my beavers along different paths tothe top of the hill where Para Bruin lives. There the bear and Chickcan put you together again, for the child will have no trouble inreaching the bear's cage. After the nine parts are in place I will giveyou a magic cordial to drink; it will render your body as solid andsubstantial as it is now."

  "But how can we escape from the island, once we have reached ParaBruin's cave?" asked John.

  "The Flamingo people owe me many favors," answered the King. "You donot weigh much, so I will ask one of the flamingoes to fly with you tosome other country. It will take two of the birds to carry Chick; but,if the child is not afraid, the journey will be perfectly safe."

  "I'm not afraid," said Chick. "Anything suits me."

  "I think your plan is an excellent one," declared John, "and we areboth greatly obliged to your Majesty for your kindness."

  So the King brought a great knife, and with the assistance of Chick,who was much interested in the operation, cut John Dough into ninepieces. These were wrapped into packages and eight beavers weresummoned, who carried eight of the packages through secret passages tothe forest and then up the mountain-side to the cave of Para Bruin. Theninth package, containing the head of John Dough, the King undertookto carry himself, and although the Mifket spies of Black Ooboo noticedthe nine beavers carrying packages up the hillside, they paid littleattention to them, never suspecting that in this queer fashion thegingerbread man was making his escape.

  And Chick walked boldly along the river bank and up the hill to meetPara Bruin, who hugged the child joyfully in his rubber arms, andtried to lick the plump cheeks with his pink rubber tongue. The Mifketswere puzzled by Chick's appearance, and wondered where the little onehad come from; but they did not offer to interfere with the child inany way.

  It was not long before the Beaver King reached the bear's cave and laidthe ninth package, containing John's head, beside the other eight,which had already arrived.

  "What's all this?" asked Para Bruin, eying the packages with muchsurprise.

  "Be patient and you will see," replied the King, and then unwrappedJohn's head. When the bear saw it he uttered a groan and exclaimed:

  "Alas! my poor friend has come to a sad end!"

  "Not so," answered John's head. "The Fairy Beaver has cut me apart, buthe has promised to put me together again, so that I will be as good asnew. And you must assist us, friend Para."

  "Most willingly!" declared the bear.

  Then, under the King's direction, Para Bruin and Chick set up John'slegs, and placed the sections of his body upon them, and afterwardperched his head upon the body. John expected to tumble down at anymoment, for he was just like a house of blocks that a child builds,and every one knows how easily that falls apart; but he kept as stillas possible, and at length all the nine parts of him were in theirproper places.

  Then the King handed a small silver flask to the child, and told Chickto pour the contents into John's mouth--just between the candy teeth.Chick, by standing on tiptoe, was able to do this, and John drank thecordial to the last drop. He seemed to feel it penetrate and spreadthrough all his gingerbread body; and, as it did so, every one of thecut places became solid again, and presently John took a step forward,looked himself over, and found he was indeed as good as new.

  "That cordial is great stuff," he said to the King. "It's almost aspowerful as the Great Elixir itself."

  "It is an excellent remedy for cuts," replied the King, "and as you areso crumbly and unsubstantial I will give you another bottle of it, sothat if you ever meet with an accident you may drink the cordial andrecover." He handed John another silver flask containing the wonderfulliquid, which John accepted with much gratitude.

  "Now I must leave you," said the King. "The flamingoes have promised tosend her their strongest flyers to bear you and the Incubator Baby toanother land, so I believe you will both live to encounter many furtheradventures."

  Chick and John again thanked the kind beaver for all the favors theyhad received, and then the King and his people returned to theirbeautiful palace, and left the gingerbread man and the cheerful Cheruband Para Bruin alone upon the mountain-top.

  "What has become of the Princess?" asked the bear.

  John told him the story of her escape, and Para said:

  "Well, I'm glad the dear child was able to rejoin her parents; but thisisland will be a dreary place without her. I wish I could leave it aseasily as you and Chick can."

  "Perhaps," said John, "the flamingoes will also carry you."

  "Do you think so?" asked Para, eagerly.

  "I'll ask them about it, for I understand their language," promisedJohn; and this so delighted the rubber bear that he bounded up and downin glee.

  Before long four great birds were seen approaching through the air, andsoon they alighted upon the mountain close to where our friends stood.

  "We were sent to carry a gingerbread man and a fair-haired child awayfrom this island," said one of the birds, in a squeaky voice.

  "I am the gingerbread man," replied John, speaking as the flamingoesdid; "and here is the fair-haired child. But we also wish you to carryour friend Para Bruin with us. One of you can carry me, and two cancarry Chick. That will leave the fourth to fly with Para Bruin, if youwill kindly consent."

  "What, that monstrous bear!" exclaimed one of the birds, indignantly.

  "He's large, it is true," replied John; "but he's made of rubber, andis hollow inside; so he really doesn't weigh much more than I do."

  "Well," said the flamingo, "if that is the case I do not object tocarrying him."

  "NICE RIDE, ISN'T IT?"]

  John related this conversation to the bear, who was overjoyed at thethought of getting away from the island.

  A stout cord had been tied to the feet of each of the flamingoes, andJohn now proceeded to fasten the loose end of one of the cords aroundhis own body, tying it in a firm knot, so it would not come undone andlet him drop. The cords hanging from the two birds that were to carrythe Cherub were tied together in a hard knot, and thus formed a swingin which the child sat quite comfortably. Para Bruin now tied himselfto the fourth flamingo, and the preparations were complete.

  "Are you ready?" asked the leader of the flamingoes.

  "Yes," said John.

  "Where do you wish to be taken?"

  "We don't much
care," replied the gingerbread man. "Let us get to someisland where there are no Mifkets. As for Ali Dubh, he will be obligedto stay here with his friend Black Ooboo, and once I am away from theseshores I shall be sure he can never eat me."

  So the big birds flew into the air, carrying with them the gingerbreadman and the fair-haired child and the rubber bear, and so swift wastheir flight that in a few moments the island of the Mifkets hadvanished from their view.

  "Nice ride, isn't it?" Chick called to John.

  "Rather nice," answered the gingerbread man. "But this cord is so tightit's wearing a crease in my body."

  "What a pity you are not made of rubber, as I am!" said the bear,cheerfully. "Nothing ever injures me in the least. I'm practicallyindestructible."

  "How are you getting on, Chick?" asked John.

  "Fine!" answered the Cherub. "This knocks Imar's flying-machine into acocked hat."

  Then for a time they sailed on in silence, dangling from the ends oftheir cords, while the strong wings of the flamingoes beat the air withregular strokes just above their heads.