try to see the Whangdoodle if we wanted to."
"Well, I must say, I do hate to give up the experiment. . . ." The professor wavered.
"We can't give up now, after all our hard work. You know Whangdoodleland better than anyone. You could take us to find Lindy, I know you could. Please say yes," Ben pleaded.
The professor walked to the French windows and gazed out across the lawn. After what seemed like an eternity, he said quietly, "Very well. We will try it. Perhaps we will be lucky and find Lindy before anyone finds us."
He turned to the boys. "I shall phone your house and speak to Ethel. I will tell her that we've planned an excursion."
Tom said, "She won't mind that. Mom told her that we'd be spending a lot of time with you."
"Good. But on second thought, it might be better to tell her we'll be gone for a few days. That way, if something unexpected happens and we're delayed, she won't worry."
"If she thinks we'll be gone a few days, she'll expect us to take some clean clothes," Ben pointed out.
"That's using your head," replied the Professor. "You'd better go back home and pick up some things. Get something for Lindy, too. I'll have Mrs. Primrose prepare us a good hot breakfast before we leave. It could be the last meal we'll get for a while. Now let's hurry. Whangdoodleland is a large country and we don't know where Lindy is. We haven't a moment to lose."
Lindy was beginning to feel anxious. It seemed as if she had been walking for hours.
"Dear frrrriend, are you getting weary?" the Splintercat asked. "Would you like a ride?"
Before Lindy could answer, the cat's tail encircled her waist, lifted her high into the air, and deposited her gently on his back.
"There, now issssn't that nicccce? Much more fun, too."
Lindy had to admit that sitting on the Splintercat's back was much better than walking, even though she had a tendency to slide forward since the cat's behind was so much higher than his front. But she soon made herself comfortable by hooking one arm around the cat's tail and tucking one leg under herself.
A brilliant sun came up over the horizon, bathing everything in a soft pink glow. The spring - like air carried tantalizing aromas of popcorn and cinnamon toast that wafted past Lindy's nostrils, reminding her that she was rather hungry. She knew instinctively the smells were coming from the unusual shrubs and bushes so abundant in this area. She made a mental note to tell the professor about it when she saw him.
They came to the bottom of a big mountain. "Hold on tight now," said the Splintercat and he began to climb. Surefootedly he moved up the almost vertical face of the rock.
"This is where my long back legssss become very usssseful," he said. "They make going up mountains sssso easy."
Lindy shuddered to think of what would happen if she fell off the Splintercat's back. She took a firmer grip on his tail and told herself not to be afraid.
They reached a wide plateau. There were boulders and rocks lying as if a giant hand had scattered them about the landscape. There were trees, too: short scrubby ones that were shiny black like patent leather, and larger ones with generous branches and bright melon-yellow leaves in clusters.
"Now, are you rrrready for a ssssurprise?" said the Splintercat, lowering Lindy gently to the ground. She followed the cat into a small grove where he pointed and said proudly, "There it is. Home ssssweet home."
Lindy saw a big lollipop-shaped structure, which looked as if it were made of something soft and furry. At a second glance she saw that it was a tree which was completely covered with colored yarn, laced and interlaced in such a way that the structure was strong and durable.
"Come and ssssee insssside," purred the Splinter-cat. He sprang across the clearing and leaped into the tree, disappearing from view.
"Don't leave me. Please don't leave me," cried Lindy.
"Jusssst a minute. Jusssst a minute." The cat's head appeared through the skeins of wool and grinned at
"Well, I must say, I do hate to give up the experiment. . . ." The professor wavered.
"We can't give up now, after all our hard work. You know Whangdoodleland better than anyone. You could take us to find Lindy, I know you could. Please say yes," Ben pleaded.
The professor walked to the French windows and gazed out across the lawn. After what seemed like an eternity, he said quietly, "Very well. We will try it. Perhaps we will be lucky and find Lindy before anyone finds us."
He turned to the boys. "I shall phone your house and speak to Ethel. I will tell her that we've planned an excursion."
Tom said, "She won't mind that. Mom told her that we'd be spending a lot of time with you."
"Good. But on second thought, it might be better to tell her we'll be gone for a few days. That way, if something unexpected happens and we're delayed, she won't worry."
"If she thinks we'll be gone a few days, she'll expect us to take some clean clothes," Ben pointed out.
"That's using your head," replied the Professor. "You'd better go back home and pick up some things. Get something for Lindy, too. I'll have Mrs. Primrose prepare us a good hot breakfast before we leave. It could be the last meal we'll get for a while. Now let's hurry. Whangdoodleland is a large country and we don't know where Lindy is. We haven't a moment to lose."
Lindy was beginning to feel anxious. It seemed as if she had been walking for hours.
"Dear frrrriend, are you getting weary?" the Splintercat asked. "Would you like a ride?"
Before Lindy could answer, the cat's tail encircled her waist, lifted her high into the air, and deposited her gently on his back.
"There, now issssn't that nicccce? Much more fun, too."
Lindy had to admit that sitting on the Splintercat's back was much better than walking, even though she had a tendency to slide forward since the cat's behind was so much higher than his front. But she soon made herself comfortable by hooking one arm around the cat's tail and tucking one leg under herself.
A brilliant sun came up over the horizon, bathing everything in a soft pink glow. The spring - like air carried tantalizing aromas of popcorn and cinnamon toast that wafted past Lindy's nostrils, reminding her that she was rather hungry. She knew instinctively the smells were coming from the unusual shrubs and bushes so abundant in this area. She made a mental note to tell the professor about it when she saw him.
They came to the bottom of a big mountain. "Hold on tight now," said the Splintercat and he began to climb. Surefootedly he moved up the almost vertical face of the rock.
"This is where my long back legssss become very usssseful," he said. "They make going up mountains sssso easy."
Lindy shuddered to think of what would happen if she fell off the Splintercat's back. She took a firmer grip on his tail and told herself not to be afraid.
They reached a wide plateau. There were boulders and rocks lying as if a giant hand had scattered them about the landscape. There were trees, too: short scrubby ones that were shiny black like patent leather, and larger ones with generous branches and bright melon-yellow leaves in clusters.
"Now, are you rrrready for a ssssurprise?" said the Splintercat, lowering Lindy gently to the ground. She followed the cat into a small grove where he pointed and said proudly, "There it is. Home ssssweet home."
Lindy saw a big lollipop-shaped structure, which looked as if it were made of something soft and furry. At a second glance she saw that it was a tree which was completely covered with colored yarn, laced and interlaced in such a way that the structure was strong and durable.
"Come and ssssee insssside," purred the Splinter-cat. He sprang across the clearing and leaped into the tree, disappearing from view.
"Don't leave me. Please don't leave me," cried Lindy.
"Jusssst a minute. Jusssst a minute." The cat's head appeared through the skeins of wool and grinned at
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