“You used the line on the Flying Machine!” said Janey. “Oh, isn’t that too bad!” “Here’s the hook!” said Johnny, as he turned his pocket wrong side out and showed them the hook fastened in the cloth. Gran’pa took his pocket knife and cut the hook out of Johnny’s pocket. “I have some string,” Gran’pa said. “I know it always comes in handy, so I put a lot in my pocket before Gran’ma and I started up here!” Gran’pa cut a pole and fixed the line while Johnny found a few worms under a stone. At the first cast of the line into the water Gran’pa pulled out a lovely fish. It had a blue head. The body was white, with a round yellow spot on each side. [Illustration] Gran’pa caught three more like the first and then six brown fish, round and flat with one side of them a golden yellow. While Johnny and Gran’pa were building the fire and cutting sticks to broil the fish on, Janey found some worms and caught five queer fish with holes right through them. “Aren’t they queer?” she cried as she put her fingers through the holes and carried them over to Johnny. Gran’ma caught four very fat fish which looked more like balls than fish. “I don’t believe these are good to eat,” she said as she brought them over to the fire. “They feel so light and empty and puffy!” Gran’pa and Johnny had by this time fixed the first fish upon the sticks and they were beginning to broil. Gran’ma sniffed the air. “Smells like they might be good, but they don’t smell like fish!” she said. When the fish were done, Gran’pa and Johnny turned them over on a clean white stone. “Eggs!” Johnny shouted. Indeed the first fish were nothing more nor less than ordinary eggs. The other brown fish, one side of which was golden yellow, turned out to be brown bread and butter when it was broiled. Janey’s fish turned out to be doughnuts, and Gran’ma’s changed to cream puffs when placed before the fire. “This is fit for a king!” Gran’ma cried as she sampled the egg fish. “I wonder why Mr. Tiptoe doesn’t come,” Gran’pa said. “He must have packed up quite a load! Guess I’ll run down the mountain and help him along!” “Indeed you won’t!” cried Gran’ma as she caught his coat tails. “You don’t know when old Jingles the Magician may catch up with us! I think now that we have finished our dinners, it would be best if we hurried on!” “Yes, let’s go on!” Johnny suggested. “Mr. Tiptoe knows the way and will soon catch up with us!” [Illustration] CHAPTER IX JOHNNY AND JANEY GROW VERY TALL AND HAVE SOME STRANGE ADVENTURES The path led up over a ledge in the mountain, revealing a pretty little valley between the high cliffs on either side. The grass under their feet was soft as velvet as they walked toward a tiny white bridge over a brook. “This ought to be good ground for growing potatoes!” said Gran’pa, stopping to gaze about him at the charming valley.