to take Max out on the veranda while we have our breakfast?" Helen asked. "Molly can bring yours outside to you."
"I'm not sure I can eat," Joe said.
CHAPTER 37
Away from the Island
I shared my Danish pastries with Max. He wasn't interested in the split-pea soup. Neither was I.
"This is confusing," I said to Max. "Do you think I might actually be Elizabeth Van Vreemdeling?"
"Obviously you're Elizabeth," Max said.
"You can talk! How is it you can talk?" I asked.
"I'm the Wolluf," Max said.
"And you too think I am Elizabeth."
"Not thinkâknow," Max said. "I'm the Wolluf. I'm never wrong about things like this."
"Is that why Chicken Nancy arranged for me to come here, so you could tell me I am Elizabeth Van Vreemdeling? Which I still do not believe, by the way."
"I would imagine she wanted you to meet me because I am the only one who can guide you where you have to go," Max said.
"And where do I have to go?" I asked the Wolluf.
"Let's leave that for later," Max said. "Are you ready to take a little trip with me?"
Molly had come out onto the veranda.
"Can Molly come along?" I asked.
"I see no reason why not," the Wolluf said.
"We going somewhere?" Molly asked.
"Max wants to guide me," I said. "Are you up for it? Is he still looking terrifying to you?"
"Pretty terrifyingâbut I am learning to deal with it," Molly said. "These Hudson River trolls may be four hundred years old and know a lot, but they don't have nerve like a Catskill Mountain dwerg."
"Good girl," Max said. "I don't do it on purpose, you know."
"It talks," Molly said.
"I was about to mention that," I said.
"So what do we do first?"
"First we get off the island and ashore. You girls strong swimmers?"
"Not with these currents," I said. "Besides, I think I see Harold the giant making his way upstream. He can take us across."
Molly leaned in through the open door and called to the trolls, "We're going soon. Would it be all right with you if we took the Wolluf away with us?"
"All right?" the trolls answered all at once. "We would love it, and be grateful forever."
"In that case, we'll be pushing off with Harold before long," Molly said. "Thanks for the breakfast and the bed and the klabiash game and everything."
"Would you mind if we didn't come out to see you off?" Uncle Bernard said. "It's just that looking at the Wolluf one last time might make us sad."
"Or sick," Molly said. "Do you have a big bag of some kind?"
"Like how big?"
"Big enough for a large puppy, I guess," Molly said.
"How about a Spanish-American War knapsack? We have one of those for carrying firewood."
"Toss it out here, and we'll try it for size," Molly said. To Max she said, "What do you think? Can you fit in this?"
"I think so," Max said. "What's the idea?"
"It's so Harold the giant doesn't jump out of the boat when we put you in," Molly said.
"Oh! Good thinking," Max said.
Harold was working his way closer.
"Come get us off this island!" I shouted to him.
"Fershlugginer currents!" Harold shouted. "I'm doing the best I can."
On the third try, Harold managed to get the coracle up against the dock.
"Be careful with this," Molly said as we handed down the Wolluf.
"What is it?" Harold asked.
"Talking knapsack. Don't open it."
The trolls had stuck their arms out various windows and were waving handkerchiefs.
"Goodbye, trolls! Thanks for everything!" we shouted, and stepped into the boat.
Harold pushed out into the current. "So what's in the bag?" he asked.
"Would you believe ... the Wolluf?" Max asked.
"Holy pineapple!" Harold said.
CHAPTER 38
Harold, Row the Boat Ashore
"Do you mean to tell me you caught the Wolluf?" Harold asked.
"Not caught," Max said. "I can bust out of this rucksack anytime I want."
"We just thought it would be better not to distract you," Molly said.
"I'm fairly distracted," Harold said. "You do realize that the Wolluf is the most terrifying and powerful supernatural thing in the whole valley, do you not?"
"Ha! And that
"I'm not sure I can eat," Joe said.
CHAPTER 37
Away from the Island
I shared my Danish pastries with Max. He wasn't interested in the split-pea soup. Neither was I.
"This is confusing," I said to Max. "Do you think I might actually be Elizabeth Van Vreemdeling?"
"Obviously you're Elizabeth," Max said.
"You can talk! How is it you can talk?" I asked.
"I'm the Wolluf," Max said.
"And you too think I am Elizabeth."
"Not thinkâknow," Max said. "I'm the Wolluf. I'm never wrong about things like this."
"Is that why Chicken Nancy arranged for me to come here, so you could tell me I am Elizabeth Van Vreemdeling? Which I still do not believe, by the way."
"I would imagine she wanted you to meet me because I am the only one who can guide you where you have to go," Max said.
"And where do I have to go?" I asked the Wolluf.
"Let's leave that for later," Max said. "Are you ready to take a little trip with me?"
Molly had come out onto the veranda.
"Can Molly come along?" I asked.
"I see no reason why not," the Wolluf said.
"We going somewhere?" Molly asked.
"Max wants to guide me," I said. "Are you up for it? Is he still looking terrifying to you?"
"Pretty terrifyingâbut I am learning to deal with it," Molly said. "These Hudson River trolls may be four hundred years old and know a lot, but they don't have nerve like a Catskill Mountain dwerg."
"Good girl," Max said. "I don't do it on purpose, you know."
"It talks," Molly said.
"I was about to mention that," I said.
"So what do we do first?"
"First we get off the island and ashore. You girls strong swimmers?"
"Not with these currents," I said. "Besides, I think I see Harold the giant making his way upstream. He can take us across."
Molly leaned in through the open door and called to the trolls, "We're going soon. Would it be all right with you if we took the Wolluf away with us?"
"All right?" the trolls answered all at once. "We would love it, and be grateful forever."
"In that case, we'll be pushing off with Harold before long," Molly said. "Thanks for the breakfast and the bed and the klabiash game and everything."
"Would you mind if we didn't come out to see you off?" Uncle Bernard said. "It's just that looking at the Wolluf one last time might make us sad."
"Or sick," Molly said. "Do you have a big bag of some kind?"
"Like how big?"
"Big enough for a large puppy, I guess," Molly said.
"How about a Spanish-American War knapsack? We have one of those for carrying firewood."
"Toss it out here, and we'll try it for size," Molly said. To Max she said, "What do you think? Can you fit in this?"
"I think so," Max said. "What's the idea?"
"It's so Harold the giant doesn't jump out of the boat when we put you in," Molly said.
"Oh! Good thinking," Max said.
Harold was working his way closer.
"Come get us off this island!" I shouted to him.
"Fershlugginer currents!" Harold shouted. "I'm doing the best I can."
On the third try, Harold managed to get the coracle up against the dock.
"Be careful with this," Molly said as we handed down the Wolluf.
"What is it?" Harold asked.
"Talking knapsack. Don't open it."
The trolls had stuck their arms out various windows and were waving handkerchiefs.
"Goodbye, trolls! Thanks for everything!" we shouted, and stepped into the boat.
Harold pushed out into the current. "So what's in the bag?" he asked.
"Would you believe ... the Wolluf?" Max asked.
"Holy pineapple!" Harold said.
CHAPTER 38
Harold, Row the Boat Ashore
"Do you mean to tell me you caught the Wolluf?" Harold asked.
"Not caught," Max said. "I can bust out of this rucksack anytime I want."
"We just thought it would be better not to distract you," Molly said.
"I'm fairly distracted," Harold said. "You do realize that the Wolluf is the most terrifying and powerful supernatural thing in the whole valley, do you not?"
"Ha! And that
Similar Books
