The boys were busy with Captain Noah repairing the Ark.]
THE PICNIC
"Don't leave me alone on the Ark, Marjie, dear, For I shall be lonely I very much fear. Now, how would you like to be left alone High up on a perch where the wild breezes moan?"
"The Weathercock wants to come with us," said Marjorie.
"Then why doesn't he?" said Capt. Noah, who was busily engaged in makingthe anchor line fast.
"I'll tell him to come with us."
And she ran up the gang-plank and called to the lonely Weathercock:
"Why don't you fly down? We'd like to have you come ashore with us."
"That's all I wanted to know," said the faithful bird. "Look out! Here shegoes!"
And with a great flutter and flapping of his gilt wings he landed on thesand.
And after that he and Marjorie went over to the clump of palm trees whereMrs. Noah and the boys were resting.
"This would be a fine spot for a picnic," she said. "Did you ever go toone?"
"No, I've never been to one, although I once went to a fair with father,"said Marjorie.
"Well, while the boys are busy with Capt. Noah mending the Ark, we'll geta fire started and have our lunch out here beneath the trees."
It didn't take long to get the fire started, for Mrs. Noah wished tosurprise the Captain when he came back, and pretty soon the kettle wassinging away:
"Hurray for the jolly picnic And the crew of the red Noah's Ark. I'll whistle and sing like a bird in the spring, While the red flames gleam and spark."
"There are some nice clams on the beach," said Mrs. Noah.
So the Weathercock took a basket and went down to the water's edge andbrought back enough for everybody.
And I guess Mrs. Noah had been to many a clam bake, for she knew just howto roast them in a pile of seaweed and red hot stones.
Well, pretty soon Capt. Noah with Mr. Jonah and the three boys came out ofthe Ark and sat down beneath the palm trees, and then all the animals sataround in a ring, for this was the first picnic they had ever been to.
"I'm as hungry as a bear," said little Marjorie, and then the Elephantbegan to laugh, but the bear only smiled and spread his bread with honey.
Of course, some of the animals didn't eat any of Mrs. Noah's lunch. Thegiraffe stood near by and ate the tender leaves off the tops of the treesand the monkeys ate cocoanuts, and the ducks and geese kept close to thewater and snapped up little fishes and snails. But everybody had awonderful time.
"I think, Mother," said Capt. Noah, wiping the crumbs from the tablecloth,and holding them out to a little brown thrush who had sat on his shoulderduring the meal, "we had better spend the night ashore. I'll bring the bigtent from the Ark and set it up under the trees. I'm going to do a littlepainting inside the Ark this afternoon."
"That's a very good idea," said Mrs. Noah.
When the tent was set up and the ropes securely fastened to the pegs whichhad been driven into the ground, Mrs. Noah and Marjorie busied themselvesfixing it up inside in order to make it comfortable for the night.
And when evening came, a bright fire was lighted and after supper,everybody sat around and talked. Ham popped corn and Marjorie roastedapples.
"Nine o'clock," said Capt. Noah, "time for bed. We must be up early in themorning."
"It was the loveliest picnic I ever had," said Marjorie, as she kissedMrs. Noah good night.