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.So far, he him-self could see nothing, but the dinosaur's head wasnearly twenty feet above his own and he gave Speedyglowing descriptions of the masses of brilliant rockand crystal shimmering over the tree tops."It must be a city," concluded Speedy, and as Ter-rybubble begged him to explain, he tried his best todescribe the dwellings that beings like himself erect."Are there then no caves?" demanded the monster."Not many," admitted the little boy, at the samePage 50ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmltime reflecting how impossible it was to explain ahundred centuries in a few hours."Just wait till yousee a city, Terrybubble, then you'll understand, butyou'll have to be real careful not to tread on anyoneor switch your tail, for that would knock down thehouses.I'm afraid you're too big to go in any of thehouses, but if there's a palace, we might have a lookat that.""A palace!" panted Terrybubble, popping out hisphosphorescent eyes."Why the very sound of a pal-ace makes me feel positively dythrambic.A palace!A palace! Wheee!" and forgetting all about the lit-tle boy's warning, the dinosaur set off at such a ter-rific pace that Speedy rattled around in his chest likeone grain of corn in a giant corn popper.CHAPTER 7Kachewka's Good IdeaIN spite of the cheerful assurances of his wizard,Sizzeroo had not slept a wink and now, though it wasbarely seven o'clock, the King was fully dressed andpacing in great agitation up and down the royal terrace.Dragging themselves reluctantly from their beds, theUmbrella guards, courtiers and counselors had alsobeen forced to rise and stood yawning about."Well! Well! Have you any new plan for savingthe Princess?" inquired Sizzeroo, as Waddy badePage 51ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhim a sleepy good morning."The beginning of a gigantic plan is even nowsimmering within," confided the Wizard, touchinghis forehead mysteriously."Don't say gigantic," shuddered Sizzeroo fretfully."I cannot even stand the sound of the word.""This giant drives us to distraction,We don't want words, what we want's action!"announced Pansy, who was in her usual place on theKing's shoulder."Well, the best way to act at a time like this," putin Bamboula, executing a double rap-tap on his drum,"is to proceed as if nothing at all had happened.Letus be happy and cheerful and, to restore our ownconfidence and the confidence of our subjects, allowme to suggest a grand procession around the island,a procession with flags, flowers, bands, balloons andbon-bons.Your Majesty and the Princess will, ofcourse, lead off in the silver sedan, carried by sixteenbearers, your guards, counselors and courtiers willbe followed by the boy and girl brigades, the para-shooters and the mounted guards and-""But processions make me so tired," complainedthe King; drawing his hand wearily across his fore-head."Then you can sleep," proposed Bamboula brightly."While you're asleep you'll not be worrying andwhile you're not worrying the plan of our WizardPage 52ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlwill be simmering, and simmering.""We'll all be simmering," sniffed Kachewka sour-ly."The sun's hot now, and what good a processionwill do~Chew, Chew Kachew!" The very thought ofmarching so early in the morning made the old coun-selor sneeze with vexation.But Sizzeroo was alreadyfavorably considering the idea, so Meander was dis-patched to waken the Princess, and Bamboula, fullof importance and jollity, began assembling themarchers.So skilled and clever was the King's Su-jester at this sort of celebration that by nine o'clocka glittering and impressive array of Umbrelliansstood impatiently awaiting the signal to start.Andthat signal, four loud taps on Bamboula's drum, wasgiven just as Sizzeroo's silver sedan was borne rap-idly down the terrace by the King's sixteen stalwartbearers.His Highness and Gureeda, dressed in silver em-broidered robes, rode calmly in the royal palanquin,waving graciously to the populace drawn up on eachside of the King's Highway-Gureeda a little absent-ly, for she was still deeply engrossed in her UnfairyTales.At her feet lay a great heap of red roses andeach time she came to the end of a page, the charm-ing but dreamy little Princess would throw a roseto one of Sizzeroo's wildly applauding subjects.The combined bands of the island filled the airwith lively marching tunes, and Sizzeroo, tossingbon-bons to the children in the crowd, was soon sointerested that he forgot for a moment the dreadfulPage 53ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlworry about the giant.Before the imperial palanquinstepped Meander, solemnly carrying Pansy on ablue brocaded cushion, the Watch Cat nodding herhead condescendingly to the left and right as theprocession wound its way grandly along the palm-lined highway.After Sizzeroo trudged his threecounselors, importantly conscious of the great um-brella of state held over their heads by a grinningblack boy.Then came the courtiers, each in his bestboots and jacket and carrying magnificent silvercloth umbrellas [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]