Chapter XIII: “Harness the Reindeer!”

But to know what they saw, we must first go back to Santa Claus’s house, where we left Bab sleeping in front of the big fire. She was dreaming of the Sand Man and the owls and the Wooden Cow and the Idle Princess all at once, when she was awakened by hearing her name called. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, and Wiggles barked.

Santa Claus was standing near them talking to a new-comer, and who should that new-comer be but Bizzybuzz!

“Mother Goose thought it was about time for me to look you up,” he explained, after Bab had greeted him enthusiastically. “Santa Claus tells me that you have been doing very well.—Aha!” he added, seeming pleased. “So you have the dog at last? What did I tell you? But let me hear more about this rescue of the Wooden Cow. What did you say the Brownies wanted to do with the pieces?”

“They wanted—” began Bab; but Santa Claus interrupted her.

“My dear child,” he said, “though they were indeed sent by the Wicked King as they told you, they were sent chiefly for the purpose of trying to stop _you_ in your journey and preventing you from reaching _me!_ They tried their best to get you to help them chop up my cow; and if you had, you would have been in the power of the Wicked King forever and ever! The reason that they wanted a horn of the magic cow was that with one of them or even a piece of one you can turn people into wood at a moment’s notice! And the Wicked King and Grump are always on the lookout for spells,—particularly those which can be put to a bad use in bad hands.”

Bab was much shocked by all this; but Bizzybuzz nodded his head, and said: “Of course; that’s simple enough. Everyone knows _their_ methods. It’s lucky for you, Bab, that you did not listen to their coaxing!”

Bab thought so, too, and she felt more ashamed than ever when she remembered that she had even hesitated for a moment.

“Well,” said Santa Claus, “now that the little girl has done her duty so well and served me so usefully, how is she to get home?”

“Do you want to go directly back to Mother Goose?” asked Bizzybuzz, turning to her. She hesitated.

“I—I’d like to help Dick first,” she answered. “He has the hardest task of us all; and then, you see, I should most awfully love to help set poor Mother Goose’s son free!”

“Good!” cried Santa Claus, heartily. “Well thought of! You shall go to your brother this very night, and”—he paused and smiled slyly—“I know how you will go!”

“How?” asked Bab.

“Never you mind!” chuckled the old gentleman, mysteriously. “You’ll like it, I promise you!”

“But what help can she be to her brother?” asked Bizzybuzz. “Nothing but the very strongest magic could be of any use to him in the Red City.”

“Well,” said Santa Claus, “why shouldn’t she have a bit of magic about her, just in case she needed it? And as a matter of fact,” he added, “it’s odd, you know, that she didn’t collect any magic coming through the Wonderful Wood.”

“Perhaps she did,” suggested Bizzybuzz. “Did you drink from any spring, Bab?”

“Or pick a flower or a leaf?” asked Santa Claus.

She shook her head.

“I sat down on a bank,” she said. “And—and yes! I picked daisies in the Idle Princess’s garden.”

“But you didn’t keep them?”

“Oh, no! I didn’t keep anything. Oh, wait! Yes! I have some sand!” And she laughed.

“Sand!” repeated Santa Claus.

“Yes,” declared Bab, putting her hand in her pocket and drawing it out. “Look! Sand from the Sand Man’s country,—the World of Sand!”

“Just the thing!” cried Santa Claus and Bizzybuzz together.

“Take care of that sand, Bab,” said the former. “With even a grain of that you could send anyone fast asleep if you just threw the grain at him.”

“Lovely!” Bab clapped her hands after carefully returning the sand to her pocket. “Perhaps—who knows?—I can send the Wicked King to sleep for a hundred years.”

“Or Grump,” said Santa Claus. “It really _would_ be nice if Grump could be sent to sleep for a hundred years!”

“Now, do you know,” said Bizzybuzz, thoughtfully, “_I_ think that sleep would be far too good for Grump.”

“Let’s hurry!” begged Bab, who was anxious to be on the road that led to the Red City.

“Slowly, slowly!” said Santa Claus. “First, my dear, would you not like to see my house?”

“Ye-es,” said Bab, doubtfully. “Only—please excuse me, dear Santa Claus, but—”

“My workshop,” went on Santa Claus, “my Fairy Kitchen, my toy henyard, my reindeer—”

“Oh, have you any _real_ reindeer?” asked Bab, forgetting Dick for a moment. “I’ve heard of them, you know, but I never knew that you _really truly_ had them. What are they like?”

“What! Did you never read the stories of my friend Hans Christian Andersen?” asked Santa Claus.

“No,” said Bab, shamefacedly. “We had them for a Christmas present one year, but we never read them. We—we thought make-believe things were silly _then_!”

“Ah! very sad indeed!” declared Santa Claus, shaking his head. “But, my dear child, reindeer are not make-believe things; though, to be sure, _mine_ are not _quite_ like ordinary animals. I’m surprised, by the bye, that you did not see them when you were in the barn.”

“Were they there?” cried Bab, excitedly. “No, I did not see them. It was very dark, and you see I was _so_ much interested in the Wooden Cow.”

“I’ll take you down to the barn again,” said Santa Claus, “and show them to you.”

Bab felt as though she could not bear to delay another moment, kind as Santa Claus had been to her, and delightful as it was in his little house. But she stifled her impatience, and said “Thank you” as politely as she knew how.

But just at that moment there was a slight sound at the window,—the lightest tap-tapping, such as you hear when a June-bug bumps and buzzes against the pane in mid-summer.

Santa Claus opened the window, and in flew a big green Dragon-Fly.

“Is Bizzybuzz here?” he asked in a high humming voice.

“Here I am,” said Bizzybuzz. “How are you, Green-Wings?”

“Oh, it’s you!” said the Dragon-Fly. Evidently they were old friends. “Well, I’ve hunted you through the Wind Channels, and the Storm Road of Clouds, and the Tree-Top Pathway, and every other route I could think of. I happened to meet Klang and Tinkle just now on their way to the Fairy Court. They told me they had seen you come in this direction.”

“Well, hurry up!” said Bizzybuzz, impatiently. “What do you want me for?”

“There’s a mortal boy in the Red City who asked my help.”

“What!” cried the three listeners, all together.

“A small boy, as boys go,” pursued Green-Wings, “He told me to bring you word concerning him.”

“Well, well,” said Bizzybuzz, “go on!”

“He’s been caught by the men-at-arms of the Wicked King,” said the Dragon-Fly. “Things looked rather badly for him when I left.”

“Oh, dear!” exclaimed Bab, and began to cry. “Poor, poor Dicky!”

“I must not lose a minute!” cried Bizzybuzz. “I’ll go to him at once; and—wait! Perhaps Meg has done her task by this time. If so, she has the spell Dick needs. I’ll stop at the Fairy Court on my way. Thanks, Green-Wings, thanks! Good-bye, good-bye!” And he darted, still buzzing busily, out of the window.

“Oh, Bizzybuzz! Dear Bizzybuzz!” called Bab. “Please take me with you!”

“You—can—follow—me—if—you—like—” His voice floated back to her. “Santa Claus will show you the way—” And he was quite gone forthwith.

The Dragon-Fly polished off his wings in front of the fire, much to the excitement of Wiggles. Then he flew away, his gauzy person flashing through the open window like that of a sprite.

“Oh, how can I follow Bizzybuzz?” sobbed Bab. “And I did so want to help Dicky! That dreadful king will surely behead him!”

“Now listen to me!” said Santa Claus. “I have a plan which I think you’ll like. Why should not you go straight to the Red City yourself and help your brother in your own way, without paying any further attention to Bizzybuzz? He’s only a Goblin Messenger, after all. You have the Sleep-Sand, and I am going to give you the means of making an escape at any time! What do you say?”

“Oh, it would be lovely!” cried Bab. “May I start at once, please?”

“Of course. Come with me, and I will show you the way you are to go.”

They hurried out, followed by Wiggles; and Santa Claus led the way to the barn.

In all her excitement Bab could not help stopping to speak to her friend the Wooden Cow, and the beast seemed pleased to see her.

“I’m so glad I have something to remember her by!” said Bab, showing Santa Claus the scrap of wood which she still carried in her pocket.

Santa Claus started, and then laughed.

“Do you remember what I told you about her horns?” he said. “Well, never mind! Of course you don’t! But that bit of wood is a very powerful weapon, Miss Bab! And don’t you throw it at anyone unless you are in the greatest possible danger! Don’t forget!”

And Bab did not forget.

“Good-bye, Wooden Cow!” she said, and turned away. “Oh, Santa Claus! Santa Claus! what is the way I am to go?”

“This way!” said Santa Claus.

He rolled back another door inside the barn. By the light of the lantern he carried, Bab could see some beautiful animals standing in stalls such as horses have. But these were not horses. They had great, spreading antlers, delicate hoofs, and noble heads; and they looked at Santa Claus, and stamped as though in the highest excitement.

“They are anxious to be off!” he said, looking at them proudly. “There, my beauties! Only a moment more! Ah! they miss the Christmas season, poor beasts!”

“But—what—why—” stammered Bab, bewildered.

“Come, come!” said Santa Claus. “Help me!”

“But,” said Bab, “to do what?”

Santa Claus looked at her and laughed aloud.

“To harness the reindeer!” he cried.

* * * * *

At the Court of the Fairies Meg was standing before the Queen, saying good-bye.

“How am I to send the spell back to you after we have freed Humpty Dumpty?” she said.

“Bizzybuzz will bring it. He is an old friend of mine, and always welcome at court.”

Suddenly two musical voices were heard singing.

“Hush, Klang and Tinkle!” said the Queen. “I wish to bid the little mortal girl good-bye in peace!”

“But,” said the two Goblins, “we want to tell her that we met her sister a short time ago, and that she seemed in excellent health and admired our music greatly.”

“How nice!” cried Meg. “I’m so glad you met Bab!”

But the Queen interrupted.

“You must not talk to these two idle-headed Goblins,” she said severely. “Think of poor Humpty Dumpty, and hurry! If Klang and Tinkle _did_ meet your sister, I am certain that they delayed her all they could!”

The two hung their heads, but suddenly raised them again.

“_But_,” they explained, “we want to make up for all that by suggesting that it is not safe for the mortal girl to travel back alone with the spell through the Wonderful Wood.”

“I suppose that you both want to go with her?” said the Queen.

“Surely, your Majesty!” said the two, cheerfully.

“So that you may have some one to admire you and listen to your singing!” said the Queen, scornfully. “No, indeed, you shall not go with her; but I agree with you about the dangers of her going alone. Let me think—”

Just at that moment a soft, whirring noise was heard overhead.

“What is that?” exclaimed the Fairy Queen.

Meg clapped her hands joyfully.

“It’s Bizzybuzz!” she cried. “Perhaps he has brought some news!”

Bizzybuzz alighted in front of the Queen, and bowed low.

“Your Majesty’s humble servant!” he said.

“What news, what news, Bizzybuzz?” cried Meg. “I must know first of all if you have any news!”

With an excited flutter of his gauzy wings he answered: “News indeed! Bab has finished her task!”

“And I mine!” said Meg, proudly.

“Really? Now, that is better still!” said good little Bizzybuzz, with the greatest possible satisfaction. “Well, then, we are all ready to go to Dick’s assistance; and he needs us! I have Moon-Eyes waiting in the wood for you, and Bab will follow to the Red City, under the directions of Santa Claus, who has taken a great fancy to her!”

Meg said good-bye to the Fairy Queen in a flutter of excitement, and, clasping her precious blue scroll very tightly, she hurried away after Bizzybuzz; and the Fairies called, “Good-fortune!” after them as they went.

In the woods they found Moon-Eyes waiting with owl-like patience. As Meg mounted, with a caress for the wise and silent bird, she felt a thrill of excitement, a joy in adventure which she had never felt before.

“Now, then,” cried Bizzybuzz, “to rescue Dick and Humpty Dumpty from the clutches of the Wicked King!”

XIV

_Danger!_