Then Fredjim stalked away to the other side of the palace to guard the
Princesses, and Button-Bright was left alone with the key to the
Treasure Chamber in his hand. But he had not forgotten that the
ferocious Blue Wolf was guarding the interior of the Chamber, so he
searched in some of the rooms until he found a sofa-pillow, which he
put under his arm and then returned to the corridor.
He placed the key in the lock, and the bolt turned with a sharp click.
Button-Bright did not hesitate. He was afraid, to be sure, and his
heart was beating fast with the excitement of the moment, but he knew
he must regain the Magic Umbrella if he would save his comrades and
himself from destruction, for without it they could never return to the
Earth. So he summoned up his best courage, opened the door, stepped
quickly inside, and closed the door after him.
BUTTON-BRIGHT ENCOUNTERS THE BLUE WOLF
CHAPTER 11
A low, fierce growl greeted him. The Treasure Chamber was pretty dark,
although the moonlight came in through some of the windows, but the boy
had brought with him the low brass lamp that lighted the corridor, and
this he set upon a table beside the door before he took time to look
around him.
The Treasure Chamber was heaped and crowded with all the riches the
Boolooroo had accumulated during his reign of two or three hundred
years. Piles of gold and jewels were on all sides, and precious
ornaments and splendid cloths, rare pieces of carved furniture, vases,
bric-a-brac and the like, were strewn about the room in astonishing
profusion.
Just at the boy's feet crouched a monstrous animal of most fearful
aspect. He knew at a glance it was the terrible Blue Wolf, and the
sight of the beast sent a shiver through him. The Blue Wolf's head was
fully as big as that of a lion, and its wide jaws were armed with rows
of long, pointed teeth. His shoulders and front legs were huge and
powerful, but the rest of the wolf's body dwindled away until at the
tail it was no bigger than a dog. The jaws were therefore the dangerous
part of the creature, and its small blue eyes flashed wickedly at the
intruder.
Just as the boy made his first step forward, the Blue Wolf sprang upon
him with its enormous jaws stretched wide open. Button-Bright jammed
the sofa-pillow into the brute's mouth and crowded it in as hard as he
could. The terrible teeth came together and buried themselves in the
pillow, and then Mr. Wolf found he could not pull them out
again--because his mouth was stuffed full. He could not even growl or
yelp, but rolled upon the floor trying in vain to release himself from
the conquering pillow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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