THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WELL

Chapter 17 – page 4

G led Mober out to the deck with her baskets on and she bowed down for G to get on. Penguins and flamingoes, FF’s and others were nodding their heads and whispering approval at this. Simeon came out with a small back pack on and a blankie tied underneath. Of course his flamingo guards were going to. Penguins brought out food that had been prepared, wrapped in leaves. G told Mober to bow down again, and the penguins stuffed the tops of her baskets with goodies. Two penguins were going with them as well, carrying food for Simeon, the flamingos and themselves. They pulled a little sleigh like wagon that was loaded. Simeon wore the marshmallow light around his neck that Julio had given him.

The entourage left the ship: Simeon, four flamingoes, two penguins pulling a sleigh, Mober and Granma. Da Muff had gone on down to the ferry with J. Pepper and Cool were tied to a tree while J was getting his frogs and snails together; all accounted for. The snails went back in a metal jar with water and moss. He made a nest for the frogs beside the snail jar, with wet wood, moss and leaves. He packed them in the basket gently.

Frizzle & Frazzle were just directing the wolves about how to close the gate on the trailer. The tack was already on the ferry, underneath the front part of the trailer. Frazzle told some beavers that they would need some hay and grain for the horses and the Assjack, and sent them back to the ship. Each one returned with a roll of hay tied on their backs and leather-like skins of grain. They put hay in the other side of the tack compartment and some hay in the front of the trailer with grain. The ‘beaver walls’ leading up to the ferry were in place, and ran about 40 feet long on each side in the grass.

The fat rat driver of the ferry said they would leave in half an hour, so they better start loading the horses now. Even after they were loaded they had work to do, to get the beaver walls torn down and stacked again on the ferry, and to get the gangplank on deck. Just then the taxi driver from yesterday showed up with two strong blue oxen.

G said they should probably get the Assjack on board first. This was pretty easy holding a skin of grain in front of his face. He walked right up the gang plank and to the center of the ferry where they was a little boarded in area. I think this had been used to haul pigs and sheep in. They tied Cool in there with some hay and grain and put the wall boards up a little higher.

All the FF’s were present and flying around. Frizzle and Frazzle told them to land on something and be quiet while the horses were led aboard. The baskets were taken off the horses and put on the ferry by two strong beavers. Seems like beavers and penguins did a lot of the work. Julio told them to be very careful carrying his frogs up to the ferry. The other penguins pulled the sleigh on board, up the gang plank and around the trailer contraption. Now they were ready.