The Cruise of the Noah's Ark Read online

  Ham is sent to the "brig" for chasing the pigs around thedeck.]

  COCK-A-DOODLE-DO

  "Cock-a-Doodle-Do, My Master's lost a shoe, But what's the use of an excuse A rubber boot'll do."

  Marjorie leaped out of bed and ran over to the window to see where the Arkhad drifted during the night.

  To her surprise it was aground on the roof of a big barn.

  And, goodness me! Didn't the weathercock look handsome, with his giltfeathers shining brightly in the rays of the morning sun as he turned toand fro with every little change of wind.

  "Good morning," said Marjorie. "Isn't it a beautiful day?"

  "I don't feel sure about anything," replied the weathercock. "I used to bea jolly weathercock, but now, with all this water around, I feel more likea lighthouse."

  "Then why didn't you warn us off the reef--I mean the roof?" askedMarjorie.

  "I did, but everybody was asleep and paid no attention to me."

  And just then the wind came in a sudden gust and the weathercock flewaround to face it.

  "Goodness," he cried, "I believe it's going to rain again."

  "Ahoy, there," shouted Capt. Noah from the deck below, "tell that giltrooster I'm going to shove off. If he wants to come aboard he'd better bequick about it."

  "Would you like to come with us?" asked Marjorie. "I'd like to have you. Ionce read about a very nice weathercock in 'Old Mother Goose.'"

  "Thank you, I think I will," replied the weathercock, hopping nimbly on tothe flagpole of the Ark. "I shall feel more at home here now that thegreen meadows have turned into an ocean. A barn is no place for a roosterwhen the water is above the hayloft."

  Marjorie had no time to answer, for just then the rain began to fall intorrents, making it necessary to close the window.

  In a few minutes the Ark began to quiver and shake, and then, with a loudgrating noise it slipped off the ridge of the roof and once more floateddown the tide.

  "Good-by, red barn, with your loft of hay, We're off on a voyage to Far Away,"

  crowed the weathercock. And then Marjorie waved her hand from behind thewindow pane and ran down to breakfast where in a few minutes the familywere all seated around the table.

  "What did you give the pigs for supper last night?" asked Capt. Noah,looking at Ham suspiciously.

  "Why, father?" asked Ham, in a low voice.

  "Because they don't seem well this morning."

  "I gave them some green apples," said Ham.

  "W-e-l-l," replied Capt. Noah, "don't know as that should make them ill?"

  "I chased them 'round the deck."

  "What in thunder did you do that for?" asked his father.

  "I wanted to see them slide when they turned the corners," said Ham,sheepishly.

  "Perhaps they were seasick," interposed Mrs. Noah, who began to feel sorryfor Ham.

  "Perhaps they weren't," said Capt. Noah, sternly. "I think, young man, youhad better be locked up in the brig for the rest of the day and fed onbread and water. We can't afford to have any passengers abused by thecrew," and then he turned to Marjorie and smiled, "even if one of the crewhappens to be the captain's son."

  And after that, poor Ham was solemnly marched up to the brig and lockedin, much to Marjorie's regret, for she liked Ham very much, although hewas the most mischievous of all Capt. Noah's sons.

  It was still raining heavily, and as the wind was blowing quite a gale thesea became rough and the Ark began to roll from side to side.

  Pretty soon the animals grew uneasy, and strange noises came from manyparts of the boat.

  The roar of the tiger mingled with the trumpeting of the elephant and thehowling of the wolf made a dreadful discord with the bellowing of thebuffalo.

  Then the monkeys started to chatter, and the parrots to screech, thehorses to neigh and the pigs to squeak, the cows to moo and the donkeys tobray, the wild hyena to laugh and the little lambs to bleat.

  But luckily toward evening the storm went down, and if it had not I guessMrs. Noah would have gone crazy.

  The dove, which was the most quiet and peaceful of all the passengers,perched herself on Marjorie's shoulder.

  "You shall sleep in my cabin," said the little girl, stroking its glossyneck. "I'm sure you'd never get a wink of sleep if you had to stay belowdecks tonight."

  Toward evening the weather grew calm, and after supper the rain havingstopped, Marjorie went on deck for some fresh air. The weathercock, onseeing the dove perched on the little girl's shoulder, called outpolitely, "Good evening, ladies."

  "Aren't you glad it cleared off?" asked Marjorie, looking up with a smile.

  "Indeed I am," he replied, swinging around on one toe like a dancer.

  "Isn't he graceful?" cooed the dove in Marjorie's ear.

  "S-s-sh!" she answered. "Don't let him hear you. He might get conceited."

  "What are you talking about down there?" asked the weathercock.

  "Oh, nothing in particular," answered the dove. "I was just receiving alittle advice from Marjorie."

  "Well, you probably won't use it," said the weathercock. "So you mightjust as well hand it over to me."

  "My, how curious you are!" laughed Marjorie.

  "You'd be, too," answered the weathercock, "if you were in the habit ofhaving the winds tell you each day what was going on. It's not so muchcuriosity as habit."

  Just then Mrs. Noah called: "Marjorie, I think you'd better come in. It'stoo damp outside, my dear."

  The cabin looked very cozy. Mrs. Noah was seated by the table knitting apair of socks for the captain, and the three boys were writing in theircopy books.

  "I think, my dear," said Mrs. Noah, kindly, "it would be a good thing foryou to do a little studying each day." So Marjorie seated herself at thetable and Mrs. Noah opened a writing book and laid it before her. With acry of surprise Marjorie turned to Mrs. Noah:

  "Why, it's the very copy book I have at home!"

  "'A stands for Animal, Ant or Ape,Quite different in spelling as well as in shape.'"

  "The very same," cried Marjorie again.

  "See how well you can make the capital letters," suggested Mrs. Noah. "Ifyou fill in this book nicely you can take it home with you and show yourmother how well you employed your time aboard the Ark."

  "Oh, thank you," cried Marjorie. "That will be lovely. Mother is alwaysworrying about my handwriting. I shall try my best to improve."

  Mrs. Noah then turned to look in Ham's book.

  "That is not a very good 'C' you have just made," she said.

  "Well, you see," answered Ham, with a laugh, "the sea is so rough that itmade my 'C' rough, too."

  Everybody laughed at Ham's witty excuse.

  "What's all this levity about?" asked Capt. Noah, entering the cabin.

  "Coo!" said the little dove, "Coo!" said she, "And they all lived together In the big green tree."

  "Hello!" exclaimed Capt. Noah, forgetting his own question, "the dovespouting poetry, eh? Well, we'll have to give an entertainment. There mustbe lots of talent on board. Plenty of material for a circus, anyhow."

  "How jolly!" exclaimed Marjorie. "I'll make a ring to-morrow," saidJapheth.

  "I've already trained one of the little pigs to walk on its hind legs,"said Ham. "It's the white one with the pink nose."

  "The elephant and I are great friends," added Shem. "I think he'd doanything I asked him. To-night when I rolled up his bale of hay, he said,'Hey, young man, look out for my toes!' And then he stood up on top of thebale on his hind legs just as they do in the circus. I'll bet I could makehim do a lot of stunts."

  "Just you wait until you see my wrestling monkeys," cried Ham. "I'vetaught two of them already. They'll be better than a moving picture show."

  "My goodness, I think you have very clever boys," said Marjorie, who wastickled to death to think they were going to have a circus.

  Mrs. Noah did not reply at once. I guess she was thinking it over.

  "Well, perhap
s they are," she said by and by. "I never thought of it injust that way. I'm afraid I've always thought them mischievous."

  "What time shall we have the circus?" asked Ham.

  "Not too soon after breakfast," said Capt. Noah. "I don't want any sickanimals aboard."

  "We'll be careful," said Japheth. "Let's go to bed now so as to wake upbright and early to-morrow."