David Cory

“ Jonah and the boys came in, rubbing their hands and stamping their feet to keep warm.
"Merry Christmas!" laughed Ham, "the skating's fine out on the ice floe!"
"How jolly!" cried Marjorie. "Let's go skating after breakfast!"
"No, sir-e-e," said Capt. Noah. "The boys must help me float the Ark. One of the rubber-tired wheels is crushed and it will take a lot of hard work to get her off." ”

“ Noah. "I am responsible for the safety of every passenger. I will take no such chances."
"What are we going to do, then?" asked Mr. Jonah, looking over the side of the Ark to make sure that it was not getting too close to the dangerous berg, which jutted out in ragged points beneath the water.
"Launch the life-boat!" commanded Capt. Noah. "Who will volunteer?"
"I will!" cried Ham, and in less time than I can take to tell it, Ham and his trained monkeys lowered the boat and jumped in.
"Shove off!" commanded Cockswain Ham, and with a strong pull and a loud "Yo-ho!" the little boat shot away. ”

“ Those animals which could climb were soon scrambling to the roof of the Ark, where they sat on or clung desperately to the ridgepole.
The deck grew hotter and hotter, and it was necessary for every one to dance about in order to keep his feet from blistering.
"Holy sufferin' mackerel!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, now realizing the seriousness of the situation. "Are we to be burned at sea?"
"Get the Elephants to squirt water down the hold," suggested Ham.
"Get busy," said Capt. Noah to the Elephants. "Your trunks are nearly as good as hose. Why don't you help us?" ”

“ Mine's finished," cried Japheth.
"And so's mine," shouted Shem.
"Well, I think mine's the biggest of all," said Ham. "It must be, or I'd have finished when you fellows did."
"Father ought to put on his dress suit," said Shem, "and snap the whip when Marjorie rides around the ring. You know just the way they do in the real circus."
"Great Scott!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, overhearing the remark as he descended the gang-plank. "I didn't bargain for this. But I suppose I might as well put it on," and he turned back into the Ark. ”

“ Noah did not reply for a moment, for he was busily engaged inspecting the bottom of the Ark.
"I was looking to see if it were built to run on the land," he replied, "or whether it just went this far on account of its momentum."
"What's that noise?" asked Japheth.
"Sounds like the engine of an automobile," answered Shem.
"It's coming from the Ark," cried Ham. [Pg 36]
Capt. Noah hurriedly went below.
Presently he returned, smiling with satisfaction.
"There's a regular automobile engine in the hold, way aft," he said. "And it's connected with a shaft, so that it will turn the wheels. ”

“ The boat grazed the iceberg. "Jump!" shouted Ham. "Quick!"
And then one of the bears gave a spring and landed in the boat. His mate, however, slipped, and a big wave at that moment whirled the boat away from the ice, and with a big splash he landed in the water.
"Throw him a life-preserver!" shouted Capt. Noah.
"Throw him a life line!" yelled Shem.
"Throw him the anchor!" growled Japheth, [Pg 119] who never had liked the Polar Bears, I guess.
But Cockswain Ham was not the least bit rattled. He steered the boat toward the frightened bear and told him to catch hold. ”

“ So Mrs. Elephant led Mr. Elephant, who was wet to the skin and shivering with the cold, down to the hold, where she put him to bed with a hot water bag at his feet and a woolen night cap on his head.
"Are you going to put this down in your log book?" asked Marjorie. "I think it will make a very interesting story and I've heard from old sailors that they always put down everything that happens in the log book." [Pg 71]
"Of course I will," answered Capt. Noah. "Bring me the log book, Japheth. You haven't done anything this morning. Suppose you jot it down. ”

“ When they reached the Ark the gang-plank was lowered and they all marched aboard.
Everything below decks was in apple-pie [Pg 145] order and the animals all seemed glad to be once more back in the Ark.
"All's well that ends well," said Capt. Noah, turning to Mr. Jonah. "My duty is to land these animals safely after the rain is over. But it looks to me as if it were going to commence again."
"There's a big black cloud in the west," shouted the Weathercock, who had flown up to his perch on the flagpole and was keeping a sharp lookout. ”

“ Jonah. "I've nothing but summer flannels and a mackintosh with me."
"What about some of the poor animals who are used to the Torrid Zone?" replied Capt. Noah, shouldering the crowbar and climbing up the rope ladder to the deck.
Mr. Jonah did not reply, but turned up his coat collar and stamped upon his feet to warm them.
"The hairless Mexican dog will surely die if we don't do something for him," said Ham. "I think I'll ask mother if she won't let him stay in the kitchen." ”

“ Noah, who had stood by the gang-plank and checked off each animal as he came aboard, found that the little red squirrel was missing, he was dreadfully worried.
"Goodness me!" he exclaimed, "if that squirrel has gone off into the woods, how will we ever find him?"
"Well, there's no use in worrying," said Mrs. Noah, who just then came up from below deck. "Come down and get a nice hot cup of tea. After you've eaten something you'll know better what to do."
Well, after supper, everybody felt better, so Capt. Noah and his crew came up on deck to look for the lost squirrel. ”

“ Noah and Mr. Jonah held a consultation as to what was the best thing to do under the circumstances.
"Of course, some of the animals, like the polar bears and the seals, will enjoy a vacation on the ice. The penguins, too, will be glad to have a little change. We [Pg 107] can let them out and the rest of the Arctic passengers. But how to keep the other animals warm, puzzles me. We haven't coal enough to keep the furnaces going for very long."
Mr. Jonah stroked his chin reflectively. "We might dig a channel from the Ark to the edge of the berg and then float the Ark," he said, after a pause. ”

“ Will carry us home,"
[Pg 37]
sang the Weathercock, and then he said: "I guess I'll come down from the flagpole if you're going to camp here. If you're not, I'll stay where I am, for it's a pretty good climb, and I'm not much of a sailor as yet."
"Let's stay here and have the circus," said Ham. "We can make a splendid ring in the sand—in fact, we can have three rings if we want to. All we have to do, you know, is to throw up the sand in a circle."
Every one agreed that it was an ideal spot, so the boys set to work at once.
Mrs. Noah made Marjorie a wonderful dress, covered with gold spangles. ”

“ Noah, looking up at the Weathercock, "I don't propose to take any chances running up that mountain side. Suppose our motor gave out? We'd be in a nice fix. We'll run up on the shore and heave to."
The Ark, obeying Capt. Noah's guiding [Pg 88] hand, swept up on the beach and came to a standstill some 200 feet from the water.
"We can cut all the timber we need for repairs now," said Japheth, looking over toward a big forest that lay back from the beach. "The animals, too, can have a nice frolic on the sand. It will do them good after being cooped up on board ship for so long." ”

“ The fire evidently was at the forward end of the Ark, for Noah and his crew ran in that direction.
It took Marjorie but a few minutes to [Pg 76] dress, and just as she reached the deck, Mr. Jonah appeared.
"This is a poor way to put out a fire," he said, as he tossed the water from his pail down the hatchway, from which was rising a thick cloud of smoke. "We need a hose and a pump."
"Hurry up, Jonah!" commanded Capt. Noah. "This fire is getting too much headway to suit me. I'm afraid the animals will be roasted if we don't put it out pretty soon!" ”

“ The animals howled and rushed to the stern of the Ark, which raised the bow high in the air, and thus added to the danger.
"If it would only rain!" said Mrs. Noah, who sat on a coil of rope, her sealskin coat on her arm and her jewel box in her hand.
"If it would only rain! This can't be [Pg 79] the forty-first day, can it? Time does go so fast."
Well, I guess something terrible would have happened if just then all of a sudden the Weathercock hadn't seen the Whale, who had landed Mr. Jonah aboard, some two or three chapters ago.
"There's the Whale!" shouted the Weathercock. "See him spout!" ”

“ Noah did not seem very pleased over the suggestion.
"Gracious me!" she said. "Shem already has two parrots, a marmoset and a little green snake in the kitchen. I don't [Pg 106] suppose one more animal would make much difference, if it will only keep from under my feet. I nearly stepped on one of the snakes this morning, and the kitchen is none too large, anyway."
"Don't you boys worry your mother any more," said Capt. Noah sternly. "The animals have got to make the best of it. Any one who travels by sea undergoes some risk and I'm sure I'm as careful a captain as a man could be. ”

“ Noah, forgetting his own question, "the dove spouting poetry, eh? Well, we'll have to give an entertainment. There must be lots of talent on board. Plenty of material for a circus, anyhow."
"How jolly!" exclaimed Marjorie. [Pg 27] "I'll make a ring to-morrow," said Japheth.
"I've already trained one of the little pigs to walk on its hind legs," said Ham. "It's the white one with the pink nose."
"The elephant and I are great friends," added Shem. "I think he'd do anything I asked him. ”

“ Next came Ham, leading his two wrestling monkeys and after him came Shem with his elephant. [Pg 41]
[Pg 42]
THE CIRCUS—MR. NOAH AS RINGMASTER
[Pg 43] Mr. Jonah, towering above the heads of the tallest animals, including the giraffe, announced that the circus would commence.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "allow me to introduce to you the most wonderful child rider in the world, Marjorie Hall, on her beautiful white horse, Marshmallow. Marjorie, without doubt, is the most daring bareback rider in the universe." ”

“ The Weathercock called out that he could see the little red Ant on the life-preserver.
[Pg 59] MAN OVERBOARD
Wake up! Wake up! and sing your song
As we roll merrily along.
Above the meadow sings the lark,
So let us sing aboard the Ark.
"There goes the Weathercock," cooed the Dove, flying over to the porthole and looking out over the bright blue ocean.
"Tell him I'll get up in a minute," yawned Marjorie. ”

“ Noah good night.
Captain Noah called all the Animals aboard the Ark
[Pg 143] THE STORM
By noon the next day Capt. Noah reported that the paint was dry and the Ark ready to set sail.
"We must get the animals together," he said, looking anxiously about. "I can't imagine where they have all gone to."
"Well, I'll have everything packed and ready to put aboard by the time you round up your passengers," laughed Mrs. Noah who never seemed to worry about anything, and Marjorie thought she was the nicest person she had ever met. [Pg 144]
"Come, boys," commanded Capt. Noah, "let's start the hunt. ”

“ With the animals safe inside.
This is the song the weathercock sang early the next morning.
Marjorie rubbed her eyes, and then jumped out of bed and looked out of the window.
"Good morning," she said to the merry gilt rooster, "it's a fine day for the circus. That was a pretty verse you just sang. Did you make it up?" [Pg 32]
"Oh, yes," said the weathercock proudly. "Just couldn't help it, you know. The circus doesn't come to town every day in the week."
Well, after that, Marjorie hurried down to the breakfast table, where she found Mr. Jonah seated with the rest of the family. ”

“ It will look very strange to lose the largest and the smallest on the same day," said poor Capt. Noah, despairingly. [Pg 67]
[Pg 68]
MR. ELEPHANT HAS TROUBLE GETTING ABOARD
[Pg 69] Well, just then, Mrs. Elephant came up from the hold. She had overslept herself, and had only now heard the commotion on deck. On seeing her mate swinging from the davits she set up a loud trumpeting.
"Goodness, gracious, Ella!" said the Elephant. "Don't carry on like that. Screaming won't get me out. Get hold of me and help pull." ”

“ Little Jack Rabbit visits Chippy Chipmunk's store, but you should read about what happens to the sign over the door.
LITTLE JACK RABBIT AND THE BIG BROWN BEAR
The Big Brown Bear is a particular friend of Little Jack Rabbit. ”