"This would be a fine spot for a picnic," she said. "Did you ever go to one?"
"No, I"ve never been to one, although I once went to a fair with father,"
said Marjorie.
"Well, while the boys are busy with Capt. Noah mending the Ark, we"ll get a fire started and have our lunch out here beneath the trees."
It didn"t take long to get the fire started, for Mrs. Noah wished to surprise the Captain when he came back, and pretty soon the kettle was singing away:
"Hurray for the jolly picnic And the crew of the red Noah"s Ark.
I"ll whistle and sing like a bird in the spring, While the red flames gleam and spark."
"There are some nice clams on the beach," said Mrs. Noah.
So the Weatherc.o.c.k took a basket and went down to the water"s edge and brought back enough for everybody.
And I guess Mrs. Noah had been to many a clam bake, for she knew just how to roast them in a pile of seaweed and red hot stones.
Well, pretty soon Capt. Noah with Mr. Jonah and the three boys came out of the Ark and sat down beneath the palm trees, and then all the animals sat around in a ring, for this was the first picnic they had ever been to.
"I"m as hungry as a bear," said little Marjorie, and then the Elephant began to laugh, but the bear only smiled and spread his bread with honey.
Of course, some of the animals didn"t eat any of Mrs. Noah"s lunch. The giraffe stood near by and ate the tender leaves off the tops of the trees and the monkeys ate cocoanuts, and the ducks and geese kept close to the water and snapped up little fishes and snails. But everybody had a wonderful time.
"I think, Mother," said Capt. Noah, wiping the crumbs from the tablecloth, and holding them out to a little brown thrush who had sat on his shoulder during the meal, "we had better spend the night ash.o.r.e. I"ll bring the big tent from the Ark and set it up under the trees. I"m going to do a little painting inside the Ark this afternoon."
"That"s a very good idea," said Mrs. Noah.
When the tent was set up and the ropes securely fastened to the pegs which had been driven into the ground, Mrs. Noah and Marjorie busied themselves fixing it up inside in order to make it comfortable for the night.
And when evening came, a bright fire was lighted and after supper, everybody sat around and talked. Ham popped corn and Marjorie roasted apples.
"Nine o"clock," said Capt. Noah, "time for bed. We must be up early in the morning."
"It was the loveliest picnic I ever had," said Marjorie, as she kissed Mrs. Noah good night.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Captain Noah called all the Animals aboard the Ark]
THE STORM
By noon the next day Capt. Noah reported that the paint was dry and the Ark ready to set sail.
"We must get the animals together," he said, looking anxiously about. "I can"t imagine where they have all gone to."
"Well, I"ll have everything packed and ready to put aboard by the time you round up your pa.s.sengers," laughed Mrs. Noah who never seemed to worry about anything, and Marjorie thought she was the nicest person she had ever met.
"Come, boys," commanded Capt. Noah, "let"s start the hunt. I hope the island isn"t large, for I don"t fancy walking many miles in this hot climate."
So they all started off, Mr. Jonah and the three Noah boys following Capt.
Noah, and after walking for some time they came to the top of a hill, from which they had a good view of the island. And not very far away were all the animals, enjoying themselves to their hearts" content.
Capt. Noah took his bugle and blew a long blast, and at once all the animals looked around.
Then he blew again, and after that the animals formed in line with the Elephant at their head and marched toward them.
When they reached the Ark the gang-plank was lowered and they all marched aboard.
Everything below decks was in apple-pie order and the animals all seemed glad to be once more back in the Ark.
"All"s well that ends well," said Capt. Noah, turning to Mr. Jonah. "My duty is to land these animals safely after the rain is over. But it looks to me as if it were going to commence again."
"There"s a big black cloud in the west," shouted the Weatherc.o.c.k, who had flown up to his perch on the flagpole and was keeping a sharp lookout.
"Yes, I guess we"re going to have some nasty weather," said Capt. Noah.
"Let us hurry and get the Ark afloat."
In a few minutes the great boat was in motion, and after a short run down to the water, it once more rode the waves.
"You"d better come down to the cabin," Capt. Noah called out to the Weatherc.o.c.k as a flash of lightning pa.s.sed across the sky. "We"re going to have a storm, and you may be blown off your perch."
So the Weatherc.o.c.k came down and perched on his shoulder, and then he began to sing:
"Oh, the animals came into the Ark, The little dog with a bow-wow bark, The lion gave a kingly roar, And the monkey shook the rat by the paw, And the muley cow said moo-o-o, And the rooster sang his c.o.c.kle-do."
Well, it didn"t take long for Capt. Noah and his crew to make everything snug and tight.
But, oh dear me! How the thunder roared and the lightning flashed, but in spite of all this, Marjorie grew so sleepy that pretty soon she went up to her little cabin with the dove on her shoulder, and crept into bed.
And then something strange happened. The Weatherc.o.c.k, although he had hopped into the cabin to escape the storm, went out on deck every now and then to look about him, so as to report to Capt. Noah the whereabouts of the Ark.
He didn"t seem to mind the storm, for a weatherc.o.c.k is used to all sorts of weather and knows just from what quarter the wind is blowing, you know.
About midnight, after coming in from deck, he hopped up to little Marjorie"s cabin and knocked on the door. But she was so fast asleep she didn"t hear him, and if it hadn"t been for the dove, who was a very light sleeper, I don"t believe the Weatherc.o.c.k would ever have been able to tell Marjorie this strange thing that had happened.
But just as soon as the little dove heard the knocking, she flew down from her cage and opened the door. And after the Weatherc.o.c.k had whispered to her she went over to where Marjorie lay sound asleep in her berth.
And just then the Ark grated on something and came to a standstill, but so gradually did the great boat stop that Capt. Noah, who was also sound asleep, did not even move in his berth.
"Wake little Marjorie," whispered the Weatherc.o.c.k, and then the little white bird leaned over the pillow, and sang in a low voice:
"Wake up, wake up, Marjorie dear, Come to the window, Your home is quite near.
See, we are landed Upon your own roof, Just outside your bedroom.
Come, here is the proof-- I"ll lift up the curtain; There"s your little bed, With the cosy white pillow And cover of red."
"What is it? Where am I?" asked Marjorie, opening her eyes.