The Tales of Tiptoes Lightly (4 page)

“Poor Squirm,” she said, “you look so afraid. I’ll
give you courage,” and she touched Squirm with her wand. Instantly, Squirm was
not afraid and wiggled up the hole. As soon as he got outside he squirmed into
Worm and Worm could squirm again.

“Thank you, Tiptoes and Jeremy Mouse,” said Worm.
“It’s horrible to loose your Squirm,” and he wiggled back into his house.

That night the wind blew. It blew hard. The rain
hammered on the windows, and the branches of the Old Pine Tree creaked and
groaned. Jeremy Mouse and Tiptoes were glad they had stayed at Pine Cone and
Pepper Pot’s house. They were warm and dry inside, while the wild storm danced
outside.

Jeremy Mouse was curled up on the rug near the
fireplace, and Tiptoes lay on the wool inside the spinning basket. Pine Cone
and Pepper Pot slept in their twin bed. They were snoring—but not as loud as
the wind was roaring.

“Roar!” shouted the Wind. “I’ll shake your house. I’ll
wake you up—even Jeremy Mouse!”

But the Pine Tree was too strong and only dug her
roots deeper into the ground. She said:

“Blow, Wind, blow!

Blow as hard you know!

My roots shall deeper grow!

I love rain and snow—

So blow, Wind, blow!”

And the wind blew, but Jeremy Mouse, Tiptoes, Pine
Cone and Pepper Pot were safe and sound asleep inside the Old Pine Tree.

In the morning Humming Bird flew in the window.

“Octopus has tangled up his legs again,” he announced,
and flew out the window in a flash.

“Not again!” grumbled Pepper Pot. “Now we’ll have to
go to the sea.”

“Hurray,” cried Tiptoes and Pine Cone. They liked the
seaside.

“Can we eat break-fast first?” asked Jeremy Mouse.

After pancakes and strawberries they went down to
Running River. Pine Cone and Pepper Pot had their own boat. It was a real boat
with bamboo oars. They’d found it in a sandbox at Farmer John’s. It was called
‘Sky Lark’, and Pine Cone had painted its name in blue on the side.

“Where’s our boat?” cried Jeremy Mouse.

“It’s gone!” exclaimed Tiptoes.

Sure enough, their acorn boat was nowhere to be seen.
The storm must have blown it away.

“Our boat is big enough for all of us,” said Pine
Cone. “Let’s go.”

So into the boat they climbed. Pepper Pot rowed them
into the middle of Running River, and Running River carried them away. The Sun
was smiling—she had chased the storm away and only fluffy round clouds were
floating high in the air.

They passed Big Rock where Turtle sat in the sun. He
waved ‘hello’.

They passed the House of Duck, but she was not at
home. She lived in the reeds.

Soon they saw the sea. Sea-waves were crashing on the
shore and seagulls sailed in the air. Pepper Pot rowed to the river bank and
they pulled Sky Lark out of the water.

“Let’s find Octopus first,” said Tiptoes.

Octopus lived in the rock pools. He can change the
color of his skin and is very hard to find. Tiptoes peered into a rock pool. It
looked like a garden. She saw purple mussels, green sea lettuce, a starfish,
two red crabs, three sea snails inside their shells—but no Octopus.

“Here he is! Here he is! I found him!” called Pepper
Pot. “Come quick!”

Octopus was in a large rock pool, hidden by some
seaweed, and his legs were very tangled up. He looked like a squirmy ball.

“Oh, Octopus,” sighed Tiptoes, “have you been counting
your legs again?”

Octopus was very young and could only count to seven.
When he counted his legs there was always one leg left over. Then he would
start counting again—beginning with the left-over leg. But then another leg
would be left over. Soon he was tangled up in a squirmy ball and couldn’t swim.

Pine Cone lifted Octopus from the pool. It was hard
work untangling all his legs.

“You have EIGHT legs,” said Pine Cone, and he counted
them: “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, EIGHT.”

“What’s ‘EIGHT’?” asked Octopus, looking puzzled.

“Never mind,” sighed Pine Cone. “Will we throw you
back in the pool?”

“Yes, please,” said Octopus.

So they threw him in with a splash.

Tiptoes walked along the shore. Waves were rolling
onto the sand, and one wave tried to catch her feet. Tiptoes spread her wings
and flitted into the air above the rushing water. She laughed. She liked to
tease the waves—and the waves laughed too.

She saw Water Sprites playing in the sea where the
waves came crashing down.

“Come play,” called the Sprites, but Tiptoes couldn’t
play in the water like they could. She was a tree elf.

“Come, Wind,” she called,

“Blow the waves white—

Blow with all your might.”

The wind blew, the waves grew huge, and the Water
Sprites sang:

“Tiptoes tells the wind to blow,

The waves grow high and tall,

They all wear crowns as white as snow,

And with a crash they fall!”

Then the Water Sprites swam and dived with glee, in
and out of the foamy sea.

Pine Cone and Pepper Pot stayed by the rock pools.
They found small crystals with pink streaks in the rocks. Pine Cone found one
that was as white as snow. It glistened in the sun.