Part 5 (2/2)

”If it would,” returned Jack, calmly for nothing seemed to surprise him” I could ride on its back, and that would save my joints from wearing out.”

”I'll try it!” cried the boy, jumping up. ”But I wonder if I can remember the words old Mombi said, and the way she held her hands up.”

He thought it over for a minute, and as he had watched carefully from the hedge every motion of the old witch, and listened to her words, he believed he could repeat exactly what she had said and done.

So he began by sprinkling some of the magic Powder of Life from the pepper- box upon the body of the saw-horse. Then he lifted his left hand, with the little finger pointing upward, and said: ”Weaugh!”

”What does that mean, dear father?” asked Jack, curiously.

”I don't know,” answered Tip. Then he lifted his right hand, with the thumb pointing upward and said: ”Teaugh!”

”What's that, dear father?” inquired Jack.

45

”It means you must keep quiet!” replied the boy, provoked at being interrupted at so important a moment.

”How fast I am learning!” remarked the Pumpkinhead, with his eternal smile.

Tip now lifted both hands above his head, with all the fingers and thumbs spread out, and cried in a loud voice: ”Peaugh!”

Immediately the saw-horse moved, stretched its legs, yawned with its chopped-out mouth, and shook a few grains of the powder off its back. The rest of the powder seemed to have vanished into the body of the horse.

”Good!” called Jack, while the boy looked on in astonishment. ”You are a very clever sorcerer, dear father!”

Line-Art Drawing

46 Full page line-art drawing.

47 The Awakening of the Saw-horse

The Saw-Horse, finding himself alive, seemed even more astonished than Tip.

He rolled his knotty eyes from side to side, taking a first wondering view of the world in which he had now so important an existence. Then he tried to look at himself; but he had, indeed, no neck to turn; so that in the endeavor to see his body he kept circling around and around, without catching even a glimpse of it. His legs were stiff and awkward, for there were no knee-joints in them; so that presently he b.u.mped against Jack Pumpkinhead and sent that personage tumbling upon the moss that lined the roadside.

48

Tip became alarmed at this accident, as well as at the persistence of the Saw-Horse in prancing around in a circle; so he called out:

”Whoa! Whoa, there!”

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