“Oh, don’t be miserable, my dear. It’s a silly habit! Get out of it. How would the world go along if I became miserable? Why there wouldn’t be an atom of happiness left!” “But whatever am I to do?” pouted the child. “I’ve missed the West Wind--all through the horrid Clerk of the Weather and his old storm! And now Tibbs and Kiddiwee are in awful danger. I simply don’t know what to do,” she added. “Yes, you do! I have told you. Find the East Wind as soon as you can. He may have a December day to spare. You’ll probably meet him in Pyramid Land, and can pick up your brothers on the way. Ta-ta!” And he was gone. “I expect they will be ‘picked up’ before I get there!” thought Coppertop, and she shuddered. Before long she arrived at the waterfall, and, flying through the rainbow spray, landed safely upon the island. Her heart almost stood still as she drew near, at the thought of what she might see. But with great courage she clambered down the steep bank to the water’s edge, expecting every moment to be faced by the monster. [Illustration: “Look again, little one,” said Waomba (p. 77).] But neither the crusty, carnivorous crocodile nor her brothers were to be seen. With beating heart she knelt down to examine the ground, as she had read that trackers and hunters always did, and there, surely enough, she made out the footprints of the crocodile! This discovery made her tremble, but she clenched her teeth and continued her search for Tibbs and Kiddiwee. She had only gone a few steps, however, when her sharp eyes caught the gleam of gold upon a twig near by. Going closer, she saw that it was a long golden hair. Once more her heart stood still! It was Kiddiwee’s, pulled from his tiny head as he and Tibbs fell through the branches. Then the crocodile had them! There was no doubt of that. And having made up her mind on that point, she decided that the creature must be found at once, and induced to smile! She would tell him the funniest joke she could think of, and if she could only succeed in making the reptile laugh really heartily, why then it would be the easiest thing in the world for her brothers to walk out unobserved. “I don’t see a bit why they shouldn’t,” she said aloud. “Jonah was quite comfy in the whale! And I expect the crocodile is the same inside, only not quite such large rooms! I think they will be quite all right, if they didn’t get too much chewed up going in!” It was no use flying, as she had to follow the footprints very closely, which was not easy to do on the rocky ground. “What a good thing it was that he didn’t go back into the water,” thought Coppertop; “I could never have found him then, and Tibbs and Kiddiwee would have got damp, I expect, and have started sneezing!” And she smiled at the thought of the crocodile’s expression when this happened. It was back-achy work stooping down to follow the crocodile’s tracks, but she was in the mood to endure things bravely.