Yours in prison,
The Weather Prophet.
“Didn’t I tell you so?” exclaimed Bedelia after a moment of stupefied silence. And then she added briskly, “There’s no use standing here staring like a lot of gawks. The thing to do is to hurry back home and get the Weather Prophet out of prison.”
To this all eagerly assented, and Sally fancied that she heard the Sign Post murmur faintly, “Five miles to the palace.” Whether or not this was true, they had come a goodly distance and were all more or less tired, so that rest and refreshment were really necessary before starting back on their homeward journey. Therefore they seated themselves under the beautiful letter tree and ate the dainty food that had been put up for them by the obliging cook before they left the palace. There were chicken sandwiches, deviled eggs, thin slices of cold ham and tongue, and a beautiful salad of lettuce and celery in a bowl. And for dessert was a fine strawberry tart covered with whipped cream and a number of most tempting little cakes. There was also a jug of lemonade.
The Sign Post, who had obligingly carried all these dainties dangling from one of his long arms, helped to spread the feast and then sat down contentedly to his own meal of shavings, which, as he now explained, constituted his regular fare. The only variety consisted in the fact that they were obtained from different woods, each of which possessed its own peculiar flavor.
The meal at last being ended, Sally and Bedelia cleared the remains of it away, and as all felt thoroughly rested, they concluded to start back at once to the palace. As all roads in Toyland lead to the palace, they simply proceeded on their way instead of retracing their steps. Sally and the Sign Post led the way, while Bedelia trotted contentedly along with the Polar Bear.
Presently through a break in the trees they caught a gleam of something that glistened like ice in the cold sunshine.
“The lake!” cried Sally. “If we only had our skates and plenty of time, what fun we might have.”
To which the Polar Bear responded rather severely, “Whoever heard of a rescue party stopping to go skating?”
And as this was very true, Sally remained silent, although feeling rather hurt that the Polar Bear should have taken her up so suddenly.
