“Let’s get a fence rail and break in the door!” said Gran’pa. But there wasn’t a fence in sight. “I’ll run back to the Flying Boat and get a hatchet!” Gran’pa called, as he started away. “No doubt you will find that old Jingles, the Magician, intended changing your grandchildren into animals,” the Faun Boys told Gran’ma. [Illustration] “If I had him now!” Gran’ma said, stamping her foot upon the ground, “I’d tweak his long nose! That’s what I’d do!” Finally Gran’pa came running back all out of breath. “The Flying Boat and the children’s Flying Machine are both gone!” “Oh dear!” Gran’ma exclaimed, as she sat down on the ground and began crying. The Faun Boys began butting their heads against the door, Gran’pa helping them by throwing his shoulder against it, and soon the door gave way. Gran’ma and Gran’pa untied the children and hugged them. The children told Gran’ma and Gran’pa of their experience. “As soon as he had learned the rhyme he was going to change us into pigs!” Janey said. “Well, we won’t let him now that we are here!” said, Gran’ma, firmly. “Oh, but you couldn’t help yourself if he decided to change you into animals!” the Faun Boys told Gran’ma. [Illustration] “I’d like to see him just try it!” Gran’ma said, her lips in a tight line. “I’d tweek his nose out of joint!” “Perhaps we’d better leave the place before he returns!” Gran’pa said. “Evidently it was Jingles the Magician who took our Flying Boat!” “Surely it must have been!” the Faun Boys said. “Here’s his large book, with the verses in, that he uses to work his magic with!” cried Johnny. The book was too large for them to carry with them, so they hid it under some stones and scattered leaves over it so that Jingles would not be able to find it if he came back. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER IV ENTER THE MAGIC BOXING GLOVES, THE WOLVES, AND THE RUBBER RIVER “The Strange Man is called ‘Jingles the Magician’ because he uses rhymes to work his magic,” the Faun Boys explained, as they walked from the house. They had not gone far before they reached a large field. “This is queer!” one of the Faun Boys cried. “This field was not here when we came through a short time ago!” About half-way across the field was a clump of bushes, and Gran’pa said, “Perhaps it would be as well to walk around it.” But as they drew nearer the bushes began moving, and what seemed at first to be a flock of birds arose and flew towards them. As the objects came closer Gran’pa saw they were Boxing Gloves; swarms of them. They flew about the little group and peppered them from all sides. Gran’pa struck them right and left with his cane, but was finally forced down. The children, Gran’ma and the Faun Boys ran as fast as they could across the field, followed by the Boxing Gloves, which swarmed about their heads like giant bees and hit against their backs and heads.