The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His PeopleBaum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank)
Science
The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People
Baum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank)
Dragons -- Juvenile fiction; Fantasy literature; Kings and rulers -- Juvenile fiction; Magic -- Juvenile fiction
Just then the youngest child of the family began laughing, and the
mother rushed to it as fast as her hands could carry her, to see what
was the matter. But the child had only put its foot into its pocket and
could not get it out again. The mother soon managed to get it free, and
then the child stopped laughing and began weeping as happily as any of
the others.
Bredenbutta was greatly bewildered at all this, but she ate heartily,
nevertheless, and after having begged her in vain to stand on her head,
as they did, the family let her alone, being surprised to see how well
she could use her hands. After dinner Upsydoun's sister played on the
piano with her toes, while the others indulged in a dance, whirling
around on their thumbs in a manner truly marvelous, and seeming, by
their tears, to enjoy themselves very much.
As the dance ended a kitten came running into the room on its ears and
the tip of its tail, and this looked so funny that Bredenbutta began
laughing. But seeing she had frightened her kind friends, who wanted to
send for a doctor, she refrained from laughing, and asked, gravely, if
she could not find a way to return to the Valley of Mo.
"The only possible way of getting down there," replied Upsydoun, "is to
jump into the Rootbeer River; but that would be dangerous, and none of
our people have ever tried it"
"Any danger," said the Duchess, "I will gladly brave; for otherwise I
shall be obliged to spend my entire life down here, among people whose
ways are exactly opposite to my own. If you will kindly take me to the
river I shall lose no time in making an effort to return home."
They good-naturedly assented to this, and walked backward with her
until they came to the place where the river bubbled up. It really did
bubble _up_, Bredenbutta noticed, although she knew very well she had
fallen _down_ the Great Hole. But, then, everything was topsyturvy in
this strange land.
The girl found her little boat, which had stranded on the beach, and
having placed it where she could push it into the river, she turned to
say good by to the queer people of Turvyland.
"I am glad to see you go," said Upsydoun, without speaking, "for I like
you. But you are a strange creature, and perhaps know what is best for
you. Here are some oars for your boat, for I see you have none, and
when you get down to your country you may need them."
Bredenbutta joyfully accepted the oars, and placed them in her boat.
Then the people of Turvyland all kissed her with their left ears and
waved their toes in farewell, while the Duchess got into the boat and
pushed it out into the river.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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