“’Es, very short!” interrupted Kiddiwee, looking down grandly upon the little creature.
“You shouldn’t say that!” cried Coppertop; “he might be offended, and we’re in his house, you know.”
“’Es, and I wish we weren’t,” said Kiddiwee, wearily; “it’s drefful stuffy, it is.”
“Yes, I know,” agreed Coppertop; “but don’t say so, it sounds so rude. We’ll just ask him to tell us the nearest way to the South Wind’s Castle.”
“I will,” volunteered Tibbs. “Please, Mr. Adam——”
“Atom—ATOM! Not Adam! Mr. A. Tom.”
“Well, Mr. Atom, please——” repeated Tibbs, rather confused by his mistake. “Please, Mr. Atom, can you tell us where the South Wind’s Castle is?”
“Still in the same place, I should imagine,” answered the merry little man, with a twinkling eye. “Unless it has moved,” he added.
“Oh, please, he means how can we get there?” cried Coppertop, coming to the rescue.
“Well, you can run there, walk there, jump there, fly there, or think there! But you’re far too small as you are to undertake a journey like that. Bless me, you’d spend all your time climbing over the snowflakes.”