THE BOOK OF BETTY BARBER.
“Then where is it?” said Major C, as Half-term and Thirteen-fourteenths threw themselves down on the grass, tired out.
“I don’t know, and I hope I shall never see it again,” said Half-term, who was rather out of temper. “If it hadn’t been for that silly old book I shouldn’t have been in that tree all that time.”
“If it hadn’t been for that silly old book, I should never have troubled about Sharps and Flats,” said Major C.
“Oh, how did you get on?” said Half-term.
“Get on!” cried the Major.
“We had to get out,” said Minora, and then the Major told his sad tale.
“Well, this seems to be a very serious business,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, when he had finished. ‘Major C is driven out—I mean, thinks it well to leave Music Land. Paint Land is nearly dried up, and I strongly suspect Lucy is lost in Nonsense Land.”
“And I’m all bruised and sore and tired out,” said Half-term. “Well, it’s a good job the book of Betty Barber is lost.”
“But it may be found,” said Thirteen-fourteenths.
“Indeed, it must be found. We must not rest until the book of Betty Barber is found and destroyed. If it is only lost, someone may find it, and it will make more mischief. We will make it our business to find it.”
“And tear it into teeny tiny little bits,” said Minora.
“Certainly, certainly,” said the Major, “but how are we to find it?”
“It seems to me we ought to help them in Paint Land before we bother about the stupid old book,” said Half-term. “Let me fetch my sisters; then we will all talk the matter over, and see if something cannot be done.”
“Very well,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, “we’ll have a conference. You fetch your sisters, and until they come we will be looking for the book.”
“What’s that?” said Minora, as something white flew up into
