“Exactly,” chimed Dan.
“Well, I never stopped to think of it in just that way,” admitted Monkey, as he scratched his head, “and, besides—”
“Besides,” broke in the keen-eared Hyena, “here comes the one for whom we’re all waiting!”
Sure enough there resounded the patter of oncoming hoofs and the next moment into the menagerie tent galloped the White-White Horse, carrying the Pretty Lady with the Blue-Blue Eyes. Her pink cheeks made the pinker by the speed of the ride, and her curls blown straight back with the rush of the wind, she drew up in front of the group.
“It was the clouds,” she explained. “There were simply no end of them out shopping to-day, and then any number waited to see the sun go down. Of course, all had to have spangles; and some of the baby clouds wanted two helpings. That all took time, but—here I am at last. See! the Spangle Bag is almost as flat as Elephant’s ear.”
“Where will you get enough spangles to fill it again?” asked Camel.
“I’ll be glad to tell you, but, for the present, one thing at a time. Remember, we have not yet solved the mystery of the Story Time Rock. Unless,” she hastened to add, “unless you have guessed the riddle of the voice that was stilled.”
“Not one of us has,” answered Lion, “though we are all convinced that Vargu was pretty much at the bottom of the whole strange affair.”
“He was, sure enough,” assented the Lady, “and this was the way of it: Quite some time before he had made friends with Soft Foot Vargu had discovered an all but hidden cave with an entrance from the top of the cliff. He had explored it repeatedly and so knew its outer wall was almost worn through the face of the rock. Now, as you may have guessed, it was the nimble Too-Bo-Tan who passed through the tops of the trees sending out the strange cry that called all the animals together. Meanwhile, Vargu had taught Soft Foot a wonderful story. Finally, there came the night when all the animals were gathered at the foot of the cliff. And then, taking a stone, Vargu pounded a hole through the wall of the cave to the outer side of the rock. Next, Soft Foot spoke to those on the great plain below; and then he told them the story. Of course, since he was telling it from the hollow depths of the cave, his voice sounded ever so big. And so there was really no mystery at all.
“Having gained his point—that of bringing all the animals together—Vargu gave his time to the meetings that were held on the plain. As the years passed, Too-Bo-Tan succeeded his father and became the favorite among all those who told tales at the Story Time Rock. And finally he came to be a leader among them; and is to this very day.”