Then it came Trot’s turn to get a scolding.
When she opened the parcel she had bought at the village,
it was found she had selected the wrong color of yarn,
and Mrs. Griffith was so provoked that Trot’s
scolding was almost as severe as that of Cap’n
Bil l. Tears came to the little girl’s
eyes, and to comfort her the boy promised to take
her to the village next morning with his magic umbrella,
so she could exchange the yarn for the right color.
Trot quickly brightened at this promise, although
Cap’n Bill looked grave and shook his head solemnly.
When supper was over and Trot had helped with the
dishes, she joined Button-Bright and the sailorman
on the little porch again. Dusk had fallen, and
the moon was just rising. They all sat in silence
for a time and watched the silver trail that topped
the crests of the waves far out to sea.
“Oh, Button-Bright!” cried the little
girl presently. “I’m so glad you’re
going to let me fly with you way to town and back tomorrow.
Won’t it be fine, Cap’n Bill?”
“Dunno, Trot,” said he. “I
can’t figger how both of you can hold on to
the handle o’ that umbrel.”
Trot’s face fell. “I’ll hold
on to the handle,” said Button-Bright, “and
she can hold on to me. It doesn’t pull hard
at all. You’ve no idea how easy it is to
fly that way after you get used to it.”
“But Trot ain’t used to it,” objected
the sailor. “If she happened to lose her
hold and let go, it’s goodbye Trot. I don’t
like to risk it, for Trot’s my chum, an’
I can’t afford to lose her.”
“Can’t you tie us together, then?”
asked the boy.
“We’ll see, we’ll see,” replied
Cap’n Bill, and began to think very deeply.
He forgot that he didn’t believe the umbrella
could fly, and after Button-Bright and Trot had both
gone to bed, the old sailor went out into the shed
and worked a while before he, too, turned into his
“bunk.” The sandman wasn’t around,
and Cap’n Bill lay awake for hours thinking
of the strange tale of the Magic Umbrella before he
finally sank into slumber. Then he dreamed about
it, and waking or dreaming he found the tale hard
to believe.
They had early breakfasts at Trot’s house, because
they all went to bed early, and it is possible to
sleep only a certain number of hours if one is healthy
in body and mind. And right after breakfast Trot
claimed Button-Bright’s promise to take her to
town with the Magic Umbrella.
“Any time suits me,” said the boy.
He had taken his precious umbrella to bed with him
and even carried it to the breakfast table, where
he stood it between his knees as he ate; so now he
held it close to him and said he was ready to fly
at a moment’s notice. This confidence impressed
Cap’n Bill, who said with a sigh:
“Well, if you must go, Trot, I’ve
pervided a machine that’ll carry you both comf’table.
I’m summat of an inventor myself, though there
ain’t any magic about me.”
