Presently they reached the edge of the cliff, and the sea, sparkling in the sunlight, lay at their feet some distance below.
The Sage, hastily scribbling a note with a piece of pencil, thrust it into Dick’s hand, and crying, “This is the quickest way!” deliberately pushed the children, one after the other, over the cliff.
Before they had time to realize what had happened, or to become in the least alarmed, they found themselves slowly and comfortably sinking through the air; while a shriek of laughter from the gnomes caused them to look up to the edge of the cliffs, where they beheld all the little fellows leaning over and waving their pocket-handkerchiefs, while the Sage and the Ki-Wi stood in their midst.
“Oh!” cried Marjorie, as they descended, “isn’t it fortunate we have the power to float in the air; it would have been an awful plunge otherwise, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes,” agreed Dick, reaching out his hand to Fidge, who looked just a little wee bit frightened. “I wonder what it will be like on the sea.”
He had not to speculate long, however, for almost at that moment their feet touched the water, and they sank down, down, down through the clear green depths.
“Oh, look!” cried Fidge, excitedly. “Fishes! Fishes!” and he started off swimming after them quite naturally.
“One’s got a hat on,” he called out. “Look! look! there’s another; oh, let’s catch them!”
“If you don’t behave yourself you’ll be locked up,” said a severe voice, and, turning around, the children beheld a very stern-looking fish, wearing a helmet, and carrying a truncheon.
“Now then, move on; don’t obstruct the traffic!” he cried, angrily; and the children swimming off as hastily as they could, mentally put him down as a kind of sea policeman.