Peter was flung from the mast far out into
the surf. Down, down under the water he went, dragged by the terrible waves
until his strength gave out and all became dark.
Peter awoke on
the shore. Beside him sat a young woman with long hair down to her waist. On
her slim fingers she had two rings, each like the other, showing two fishes
intertwined, one of silver and one of gold. He sat up with a start. He knew it
was the sea maiden he had seen in the water.
‘Where is my
ship?’ he asked.
‘Gone,’ she
said.
‘And my crew?’
‘Dead,’ she
replied. ‘My father was the one who let loose the storm that wrecked your
ship.’
Peter sat for
a while. ‘Why didn’t you come to the boat anymore?’ he asked.
‘I could not,’
she said. ‘My father was close. He is seeking me and I had to hide. That is why
he heard you when you claimed to be richer than the King of the Sea.’
She took one
of the rings from her finger and placed it in his hand. ‘If you wish to see me
again, put this ring on your finger. I will know and come to you.’
Then she
walked into the ocean and disappeared beneath the waves.”
Tiptoes looked
at the beautiful young woman sitting next to the lighthouse keeper. She sat
still, her greenish hair glistening in the firelight. She reached out and
touched the keeper’s hand and Tiptoes saw the two finely wrought rings, each of
silver and gold.
Chapter 43
~
Thanksgiving Thursday ~
I
spy
The first one
up was Johnny Top. He ran through the rooms shouting that it was Thanksgiving
Day. It was half past five and still dark. Everyone groaned and pulled the
covers over their heads—except Tiptoes. She told him to come to the living room
and wrap himself in a blanket to keep warm. So he pulled a blanket off his bed
and sat on the sofa looking like a little Buddha with a great big smile of joy
on his face.
“Let’s play ‘I
spy’,” said Johnny Top. “I know my alphabet. My turn to guess first.”
“Okay,” said
Tiptoes, and she looked at the blanket wrapping him up. “I spy, with my little
eye, something starting with B.”
“Blanket,”
cried Johnny Top.
“Yes,” said
Tiptoes. “Now your turn.”
“I spy, with
my little eye, … um … something starting with … wings!” said Johnny Top.
Tiptoes
scrunched up her mouth and flapped her wings. “Ummmm … my dress?” she said.
“Nooo,” said
Johnny Top, grinning.
Tiptoes
flapped her wings again and looking around the room.
“Umm …
curtains,” she said.
“Nooooo,” said
Johnny Top bouncing up and down.
“Ummmm … my
wings?” said Tiptoes.
“Yea—you
guessed it!” cried Johnny Top. “Where’s the turkey?”
“In the
fridge,” said Tiptoes
Johnny Top
threw off his blanket and ran to the kitchen. He had to pull hard to open the
fridge door.
“There it is,”
said Johnny Top, giving the turkey a pat. “Where’s the stuffing?”
“At the back,”
said Tiptoes. “On the top shelf in the big bowl.”
“Where?” said
Johnny Top, standing as high as he could and wobbling on his toes.
Tiptoes flew
in and landed on the edge of the bowl.
“Here,” she
said.
“Oh,” said
Johnny Top, wobbling even more. “Oh-oh!” he said, and toppled backwards.
“The door!”
cried Tiptoes as the fridge door closed. Suddenly it was completely dark and
freezing cold. “Johnny Top! Johnny Top! Open the door!” shouted Tiptoes.
In a moment
the door shook. Johnny was trying to open it. Tiptoes pushed hard and it
opened.
“Oopsies,”
said Johnny Top, letting Tiptoes out. “Sorry.”
Tiptoes had
her hands full with Johnny Top until Gramma got up and took over. He helped her
prepare the pumpkin pies and pour in the filling. When they were ready, Gramma
opened the oven door. In an instant out flew Flicker and Flash.
“Fire
fairies,” cried Johnny Top. “They’re racing!”—and they were racing, round and
round the kitchen, bouncing off the walls and whizzing round the light.
“Back into the
oven,”
the surf. Down, down under the water he went, dragged by the terrible waves
until his strength gave out and all became dark.
Peter awoke on
the shore. Beside him sat a young woman with long hair down to her waist. On
her slim fingers she had two rings, each like the other, showing two fishes
intertwined, one of silver and one of gold. He sat up with a start. He knew it
was the sea maiden he had seen in the water.
‘Where is my
ship?’ he asked.
‘Gone,’ she
said.
‘And my crew?’
‘Dead,’ she
replied. ‘My father was the one who let loose the storm that wrecked your
ship.’
Peter sat for
a while. ‘Why didn’t you come to the boat anymore?’ he asked.
‘I could not,’
she said. ‘My father was close. He is seeking me and I had to hide. That is why
he heard you when you claimed to be richer than the King of the Sea.’
She took one
of the rings from her finger and placed it in his hand. ‘If you wish to see me
again, put this ring on your finger. I will know and come to you.’
Then she
walked into the ocean and disappeared beneath the waves.”
Tiptoes looked
at the beautiful young woman sitting next to the lighthouse keeper. She sat
still, her greenish hair glistening in the firelight. She reached out and
touched the keeper’s hand and Tiptoes saw the two finely wrought rings, each of
silver and gold.
Chapter 43
~
Thanksgiving Thursday ~
I
spy
The first one
up was Johnny Top. He ran through the rooms shouting that it was Thanksgiving
Day. It was half past five and still dark. Everyone groaned and pulled the
covers over their heads—except Tiptoes. She told him to come to the living room
and wrap himself in a blanket to keep warm. So he pulled a blanket off his bed
and sat on the sofa looking like a little Buddha with a great big smile of joy
on his face.
“Let’s play ‘I
spy’,” said Johnny Top. “I know my alphabet. My turn to guess first.”
“Okay,” said
Tiptoes, and she looked at the blanket wrapping him up. “I spy, with my little
eye, something starting with B.”
“Blanket,”
cried Johnny Top.
“Yes,” said
Tiptoes. “Now your turn.”
“I spy, with
my little eye, … um … something starting with … wings!” said Johnny Top.
Tiptoes
scrunched up her mouth and flapped her wings. “Ummmm … my dress?” she said.
“Nooo,” said
Johnny Top, grinning.
Tiptoes
flapped her wings again and looking around the room.
“Umm …
curtains,” she said.
“Nooooo,” said
Johnny Top bouncing up and down.
“Ummmm … my
wings?” said Tiptoes.
“Yea—you
guessed it!” cried Johnny Top. “Where’s the turkey?”
“In the
fridge,” said Tiptoes
Johnny Top
threw off his blanket and ran to the kitchen. He had to pull hard to open the
fridge door.
“There it is,”
said Johnny Top, giving the turkey a pat. “Where’s the stuffing?”
“At the back,”
said Tiptoes. “On the top shelf in the big bowl.”
“Where?” said
Johnny Top, standing as high as he could and wobbling on his toes.
Tiptoes flew
in and landed on the edge of the bowl.
“Here,” she
said.
“Oh,” said
Johnny Top, wobbling even more. “Oh-oh!” he said, and toppled backwards.
“The door!”
cried Tiptoes as the fridge door closed. Suddenly it was completely dark and
freezing cold. “Johnny Top! Johnny Top! Open the door!” shouted Tiptoes.
In a moment
the door shook. Johnny was trying to open it. Tiptoes pushed hard and it
opened.
“Oopsies,”
said Johnny Top, letting Tiptoes out. “Sorry.”
Tiptoes had
her hands full with Johnny Top until Gramma got up and took over. He helped her
prepare the pumpkin pies and pour in the filling. When they were ready, Gramma
opened the oven door. In an instant out flew Flicker and Flash.
“Fire
fairies,” cried Johnny Top. “They’re racing!”—and they were racing, round and
round the kitchen, bouncing off the walls and whizzing round the light.
“Back into the
oven,”
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