Page:The Floating Prince - Frank R Stockton.djvu/201

186 Ninkum, "While you're there you do nothing and see nothing but what is positively charming, and every body is just as happy and gay as can be. It's all life and laughter, and perfect delight. I know you would be overjoyed if you were there."

"I should like very much to go," said Loris, "if father would let me."

"I'll go and ask him this minute," said the Ninkum. "I know where he is working. You can run home, and I will go to him, and then come and tell you what he says." So Loris ran home, and the Ninkum went to the place where Jorn was cutting wood. "Jorn," said the Ninkum, "suppose that every thing in the world were reversed; that you chopped wood, standing on your head, and that you split your axe, instead of the log you struck. Would not that be peculiar?"

"Such things could not be," said Jorn, "what is the good of talking about them?"

"I think a great deal about such matters," said the Ninkum. "They expand my mind, and now, Jorn, reversibly speaking will you let Loris go with me to the castle of Bim?"

"Where is that?" asked Jorn.

"It is not far from here. I think we could go in half a day. I would get a horse in the village. "And how long would you stay?"

"Well, I don't know. A week or two, perhaps. Come, now, Jorn, reversibly speaking, may she go?"

"No, indeed," said Jorn, "on no account shall she go. I could not spare her."

"All right," said the Ninkum, "I will not keep you from your work any longer. Good-morning." As soon as he was out of Jorn's sight, the Ninkum began to run home as fast as he could.