THE BOOK OF BETTY BARBER.
“It is white,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, “white like my jacket, and somebody has told the figures that it is up a tree.”
“Then I’m off,” said Half-term, running to a tree and beginning to climb.
“I may as well help,” said Minora, “but I don’t think we shall find it.”
“We’ll try,” said Miss Crimson Lake.
“I can’t go. I must wait for Father William,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, “but, oh, I do hope some of you will find it. If only I could find it, if only I could take it back to Sum Land. What is the matter, Lucy?”
For Lucy, who had been sitting quite still, suddenly began jumping up and down, and clapping her hands.
“Of course, of course,” she said, “it is up a tree. I saw it when I was in Nonsense Land. I saw a white thing waving from the top of a tree, and I thought it was you or Half-term signalling to me; but, of course, it was the wind blowing the piece of your jacket. Come on, come on!”
And Lucy ran after the others to climb, climb.
“But how about Father William?” called out Thirteen-fourteenths after her, as she was going.
“You wait for him,” said Lucy. “Call me when you see him.” And she disappeared out of sight.
“He’s coming now, I believe,” said Thirteen-fourteenths to himself, “somebody is coming. Hullo! it’s those holiday fairies. I’ll let them pass by.” And the Fraction swung himself into the branches of the tree so energetically that he nearly tumbled down the hollow trunk, as Half-term had done before.
