'What did it say?' Lucy asked, trotting along beside him, still clutching Philip's bundle, which through all these days she had never let go. And Mr. Noah gravely recited the following lines. I agree with him that, for an oracle, they were extremely straightforward. 'You had better embark Once again in the Ark, And sailing from dryland Make straight for the Island.' 'Did it _really_ say that?' Lucy asked. 'Of course it did,' said Mr. Noah; 'that's a special instruction to me, but I daresay you heard something quite different. The oracle doesn't say the same thing to every one, of course. Didn't you get any special instruction?' 'Only to try to be brave and good,' said Lucy shyly. 'Well, then,' said Mr. Noah, 'you carry out your instructions and I'll carry out mine.' 'But what's the use of going to the island if you can't land when you get there?' Lucy insisted. 'You know only two people can land there, and we're not them, are we?' 'Oh, if you begin asking what's the use, we shan't get anywhere,' said Mr. Noah. 'And more than half the things you say are questions.' * * * * * * I'm sorry this chapter is cut up into bits with lines of stars, but stars are difficult to avoid when you have to tell about a lot of different things happening all at once. That is why it is much better always to keep your party together if you can. And I have allowed mine to get separated so that Philip, the parrot and the rest of the company are going through three sets of adventures all at the same time. This is most trying for me, and fully accounts for the stars. Which I hope you'll excuse. However.