“And that was the last sound that has been heard in this valley since he cursed us with silence and sorrow.”
XX
THE VALLEY OF DANCING LEGS
PETERKIN’S next move, when he had sipped his Water of Bounceability and came flying across into the next valley, was to clap his hands over his ears. He had been deaf awhile ... and now that he could hear again, all the thousand noises of the earth and air frightened and bewildered him.
He was wondering what was wrong with this valley. There must be something wrong with it, of course. And he did not have to wait very long before he discovered.
A group of fat and puffing people jigged into view. Hop, hop—what could be the trouble with them? Why, they were dancing! Hop, hop—skippetty hop, with never a stop—puffing, panting, groaning with weariness, they danced a crazy path toward Peterkin.
“Hey, hey, stop!” cried he.
“We can’t stop,” grunted the chief of them. “If you want to talk to us, you’ll have to dance along.”