page 55

The Magic Island
Chapter VI.
The Sphenodons.

(By Nellie E. Donovan.)

“Alizard! I like that! I am a member of the family of sphenodons, the oldest back-boned land animals in the world. We come from New Zealand,” said the sphenodon proudly.

“Do you?” exclaimed Barbara excitedly, “So do we! I once kept a lizard—I mean he was something like you. He was a Tuatara, only one day he ran away,” ended Barbara sorrowfully.

“Why have you come?” asked Michael.

“I've come to help you escape,” answered the sphenodon.

“To escape!” Michael exclaimed.

“How?” asked the more practical Barbara.

“Can't you see,” answered the sphenodon, nodding towards the hole.

“We may be tiny,” said Barbara, “But we're not as tiny as that hole. I don't think we could squeeze through it.”

“I know that,” said the sphenodon, “So I've brought two of my brothers to help gnaw the hole to make it bigger. I have also brought six glow-worms. They will light up the hut.”

With a quick movement of his tail, he had darted through the hole. In a few seconds he reappeared with two other sphenodons and six glow-worms. The glow-worms ranged themselves along the side of the wall.

“Oh,” exclaimed Barbara, “Don't the glow-worms light up the hut wonderfully. We've seen glow-worms before. Haven't we, Michael, in the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand?”

“Yes,” answered Michael, “Mummy and Daddy took us there last Christmas holidays. It was great!”

“These are my brothers,” said the first sphenodon.

“How do you do,” said the sphenodons together in a squeaky voice like their brother's.

“What is your name?” asked Barbara of the first sphenodon.

“My name,” he answered, “is Samuel, but everybody calls me Sammy. But if you don't like that name, you can call me any name you want. I don't mind,” he ended shyly.

“I like Sammy for a name,” said Barbara. “And what are your names?” She turned to the other two.

“I'm Albert,” said one, “And I'm Henry,” said the other.

“Well, Sammy, Albert and Henry Sphenodon, what do we do now?” asked Michael.

“First,” answered Sammy, “We will gnaw away the hole. Come on, brothers.”

They set to work with their strong teeth, and all that could be heard for a few minutes was the steady gnawing as the hole grew bigger and bigger.

“Isn't it wonderful!” exclaimed Barbara, “that these sphenodons have come to rescue us.”

“I wonder how they knew we were here, Barbara?” said Michael.

Sammy stopped gnawing and turned round to the children.

“I was hiding in the bushes when I saw you being brought before the King goblin and I decided to follow to see where you were taken and so her I am.”

“It's awfully good of you,” said Barbara.

“Oh, it's nothing,” answered Sammy, “My family have always been the enemies of the goblins ever since they smuggled away on a goblin ship and came to live on the island. We are not allowed to roam round the island, we must stay in a certain area which the goblin King has given us. If any of us are caught outside that area, we have our heads chopped off. The goblin King is a very wicked King and so by rescuing you we also spite him.”

“But what if he catches you now?” asked Barbara.

“This forest and this hut is in our area” said Sammy.

“Do you happen to know a Mr. William Wiggins?” asked Michael, “He is such a funny little man with a bald head except for one piece of hair, and he has awfully large feet.”

“Mr. William Wiggins?” said Sammy in a puzzled tone. “I don't know anyone by that name, or like you describe. But you say he has very large feet? I suppose they would make a noise when he was walking?”

“Oh, yes,” put in Barbara,” “His shoes flop up and down.”

“Now, I will tell you something strange,” said Sammy. “One night, not so very long ago, we were all sound asleep at home, when we heard a strange noise. Now I come to think of it, it was just like large shoes, flip, flopping up and down. Father rushed outside, but he couldn't see anything in the darkness, yet he still could hear the noise which seemed to be going down the hill. We only heard it once. It might have been your Mr. William Wiggins.”

“That's not his real name,” said Barbara, “That's only a name we've given him, because we hate it and because he is a nasty man. He has built a funny cottage near our place and Tiny Toes says he catches fairies and elves for slaves.”

“I wonder if it was the same person we heard,” mused Sammy.

“I think the hole is big enough,” Albert said squeakily.

“Come on, then,” said Sammy, “Crawl through.”

page 56

Barbara and Michael needed no second bidding. They crawled easily through the hole. After them came the sphenodons and the glow-worms, Outside, the children stood upright and looked round the dark and gloomy forest.

“Oh, even if it is gloomy out here,” said Barbara with a shiver, “I'm glad we're out of that stuffy hut.”

“So am I!” exclaimed Michael. “Where are you going to take us, Sammy?”

“I'm going to take you to our home where you can stay till morning, and then we will try to rescue the elves from the Palace.”

“And Peter, too,” put in Michael.

“Peter? Who is he?” asked Sammy.

“He is a little boy, our friend whom the goblins have imprisoned,” said Barbara.

“Oh,” said Sammy, “I think I remember now something about a mortal boy being brought here, but,” he looked them up and down, “he was ever so much bigger than you.”

“Yes,” said Barbara, “As you're a friend, I can tell you. We came here in a fairy boat and we left it in a safe place. Tiny Toes and Dimples know where to find it. Tiny Toes sprinkled Fairy powder over us so as we could fit into the boat. He can make us our right size again.”

“Oh, I see,” said Sammy. “Now we had better start for home. You jump on my back, Barbara. And you, Michael, jump on Albert's back. You glow-worms go in front and light the way.”

The children climbed onto the sphenodons' backs and they moved off at a slow pace.

They soon passed out of the forest and they came to a stream in which there were stepping stones. The sphenodons were careful as they stepped on these and Barbara and Michael did not get a little bit wet.

They began to climb up a steep rocky path. “Is your home very far away?” asked Barbara.

Sammy stopped for a moment. “We live right at the top of this hill,” he said.

“What a wonderful view you must have,” said Barbara.

“We have in the daytime,” said Sammy, moving on, “We can see all that's going on in the valley below. You will see in the morning.”

Far down below, the valley lay bathed in moonlight. The night was perfectly still, not a leaf stirred. Up and up they climbed. Sammy was beginning to puff with the exertion of carrying Barbara on his back.

“Perhaps I'm too heavy,” said Barbara, “Shall I get off your back?”

“I think—puff—you are a little heavy—puff—” answered Sammy. He stopped a moment for breath. “I think—puff—I must be getting old.”

“Aren't you coming, slowcoach?” sang out Albert squeakily from the top of the hill.

“Of course, I am,” answered Sammy. “We've just stopped to admire the—puff—view, that's all.”

“Hurry up, then,” sang out Albert, as he moved on with Michael on his back.

“This is a very steep hill,” said Barbara, feeling very sorry for Sammy. “You look tired. Let me help you up.”

“No, no,” said Sammy, “I can get up—puff—by myself.”

“Here,” said Barbara, and she picked a piece of flax which was growing by the roadside. “You can hold one end with your teeth and I'll take the other, and pull you up. That will help you.”

“Oh, very well, if you insist, but they will all laugh at me,” said Sammy as he took the piece of flax between his teeth.

And so they continued up the hill. When they reached the top, there were Albert and Henry laughing as if their sides would break.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Sammy's getting old. Doesn't he look a funny sight. Ha! Ha! Ha!” they laughed.

“I think you are being very unkind,” said Barbara indignantly. “Your brother is not getting old. He was just tired, that's all, and I thought I would help him.”

But Albert and Henry still continued to laugh. “Ha! Ha! Ha! Sammy's getting old!” until they disappeared into a large hole in the side of the hill, followed by the glow-worms.

“I don't like Albert and Henry, now,” said Michael.

“Oh, they're good chaps in their way,” said Sammy, “as they are young, they don't understand that I cannot get about like I used to and this hill is steep. Now, come into our home.”

He led the way into the hole in the side of the hill. At first it was a little dark, but as they walked along the passage, they came to the opening of a large, round room, which was lit by glow-worms hanging from the ceiling. All round the room were little openings. Seated at a large mushroom, which did duty as a table, were six sphenodons having their supper. Albert and Henry were leaning over one rather small sphenodon and talking excitedly.

Sammy stopped in the opening to the room. “Mother, Father, here is Barbara and Michael, a little mortal boy and girl whom I have brought here for the night.”

The little sphenodon bustled forward.

“My Mother,” introduced Sammy.

“My dears,” she said, in a squeaky voice like her sons'. “I'm so glad to meet you.”

“How do you do,” said Barbara and Michael politely.

“Come and meet Sammy's father,” said Mrs. Sphenodon.

“Pleased to meet you,” said the fat sphenodon in a gruff voice. Then in turn the children met all the family from Sammy's eldest sister, Annie, down to Baby John.

“Now,” said Mrs. Sphenodon, “I will get you some nice berry juice and some bread I have just baked myself with fresh honey from our hives.”

She quickly placed before them little acorn cups of berry juice and slices of bread and honey. The honey and the berry juice had a delicious flavour and the children's hunger was soon satisfied.

“I will show you your room where you can sleep,” said Mrs. Sphenodon when they had finished.

She led the way through one of the holes in the wall into a little bedroom. On the floor were rush mats and two tiny beds were covered with flax coverings.

“You will be cosy here until the morning,” she said.

“Thank you very much,” said Barbara. “You've been awfully kind.”

“Sleep well,” said Mrs. Sphenodon, and she went through the opening into a large room.

After removing their coats, berets and scarves, Barbara and Michael jumped into the little beds and pulled the flax coverings over them.

Sammy put his head round the opening. “We'll be up early in the morning to rescue Peter, Tiny Toes and Dimples. Good-night!”

“Good-night,” murmured the children, and they turned over and went to sleep.

(To be Continued)