“Oh, don’t be miserable, my dear. It’s a silly habit! Get out of it. How would the world go along if I became miserable? Why there wouldn’t be an atom of happiness left!”
“But whatever am I to do?” pouted the child. “I’ve missed the West Wind—all through the horrid Clerk of the Weather and his old storm! And now Tibbs and Kiddiwee are in awful danger. I simply don’t know what to do,” she added.
“Yes, you do! I have told you. Find the East Wind as soon as you can. He may have a December day to spare. You’ll probably meet him in Pyramid Land, and can pick up your brothers on the way. Ta-ta!” And he was gone.
“I expect they will be ‘picked up’ before I get there!” thought Coppertop, and she shuddered.
Before long she arrived at the waterfall, and, flying through the rainbow spray, landed safely upon the island.
Her heart almost stood still as she drew near, at the thought of what she might see. But with great courage she clambered down the steep bank to the water’s edge, expecting every moment to be faced by the monster.
“Look again, little one,” said Waomba (p. 77).
But neither the crusty, carnivorous crocodile nor her brothers were to be seen.
With beating heart she knelt down to examine the ground, as she had read that trackers and hunters always did, and there, surely enough, she made out the footprints of the crocodile!