Sky Island

material. There were houses and castles and shops for the merchants, and all were prettily designed and had many slender spires and imposing turrets t

n ever shine?"

very night, but we never see the sun. I am told, however, that on the other half of t

ght. "Is there anothe

everything there is pink instead of blue. A fearful pla

. "That Pink Country sounds kind o' cheer

f mile in all directions from the center, and the country outside the C

ities on the Earth ten times bigger, an' then some bi

thousands of miles long-it's the great Unite

nd we prize truthfulness very highly. Our Boolooroo is not very truthful, I admit, for he is

"What Button-Bright said is the

d is the greatest country in the universe-meani

e any island floatin' in the sky is any bigger. But the Universe is a big pla

used the Blueskin, but he

sland bigger than the Blue

d to be the same s

Seems to me you could walk across the

sable barrier," answered Ghip-Ghisizzle.

hat's no barrier!"

not find your way out again. Also, it is full of dampness that wets your clothes and your hair until you become miserable. It is furthermore said that those

ilor. "Isn't 'pass'n' away

d, we march into the Great Blue Grotto, through

ght. "What would happen if you

s ever refused to do so. It i

, anyhow," remarked Cap'n

According to our figures, the Boolooroo ought to march into this Grotto a hundred years from next Thursday, but he is trying to steal a hundred years and so perhap

"I don't expect to be very cur

don't see how the Boolooroo is able to fool you all. Can't any of you

to forget all we can, especially whatever is unpleasant. Those who remember are

set on the ends of long, thin necks, seemed so grotesque to the strangers that they could scarcely forbear laughing at them. The bodies of these people were short and round and their legs exceptionally long, so when a Blueskin walked, he covered twice as much ground at one step as Ca

which the people got their milk. Children tended the goats-wee Blueskin boys and girls

strangers and several times threatened to attack them. Perhaps if Ghip-Ghisizzle, who was their favorite, had not been present, they would hav

and from their recesses stone steps led to the top of the wall. They mounted a flight of these steps and from their elevation plainly saw the low mountain where the Arch o

ight, "and if you were close up, it might not be worse than

lls it the 'Sunset Country' and says that at evening the pink shades are drowned by terrible colors of orange and crimson and golden-yello

ed Cap'n Bill, who didn't think the descrip

a sigh, "but no one can lay hands on it because the Bool

he Treasure Chamber?"

see the Book because it would prove he has already reigned three hundred years next Thursday, a

sure Chamber," said Button-Bright,

er the Treasure Chamber, be sure to bring me the Book of Records. If yo

not to be hard work to break into

edjim whom you have met, and the inside guard is a ravenous creature know

mind the Blue Wolf; I must manage t

t to be served in the big dining hall of the servants and dependents and household officers of the royal Boolooroo. Ghip-Ghisizzle was the Majordomo and Master of Ceremonies, so he took his seat at the end of t

ted upon by favorite soldiers of the Royal Bodyguard. Here in the servants' hall there was one vacant seat next to Button-Bright whic

BULATIO