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"Well!" said the Old Man-in-the-Moon, blowing clouds of smoke from his pipe, "that's over. Now here's some more pennies. Be careful this time," he warned him. And from his sack he drew forth another great handful of gold pennies. How they did shine! But as Marmaduke reached for them, Jack Frost jiggled his elbow with his icicle whip and again they rolled over the edge of the moon.
The Man-in-the-Moon now raised himself still higher to obtain a better view of affairs. But the Man-in-the-Moon was not the only spectator. From the high cliffs of the shore, and especially from the great promontory of Flamborough Head, the scene was witnessed by crowds of the islanders. Any rustic might be pardoned his curiosity in view of the spectacle, presented.
On, with her tail spread out behind her, and her legs sprawling in the sky, came old Black-eyed Susan, straight towards them. Jack Frost and Marmaduke jumped back; the Old Man-in-the-Moon moved a little too. They were afraid she would land on their toes. But she didn't. "She's still pretty chipper," observed the old man. "That's a great jump. Most beats the record"
"You've just been in bed all the time." "I'm not telling any stories," said his brother stoutly. "I tell you, I have been to visit the Old Man-in-the-Moon." But Jehosophat wouldn't believe him. "That's a whopper," said he. Marmaduke turned to his friend, the Toyman. "I have been there, haven't I?" "Where?" said the Toyman. "To see the Old Man-in-the-Moon."
There stood the grinning Man-in-the-Moon, his head just dodging into view over the rim of the sea: Mephistopheles prompter of the stage. Aided now a little by the planet, one of the consorts of the Richard, the Pallas, hovering far outside the fight, dimly discerned the suspicious form of a lonely vessel unknown to her. She resolved to engage it, if it proved a foe.
Why, that was hundreds of years ago! You can't be as old as all that." But Jack only smiled a superior smile "Sure I am. Why I'm as old as the world!" "Old as that Man-in-the-Moon?" continued Marmaduke, and the odd little fellow replied: "Just as old." Marmaduke looked up at the moon sailing far above them.
So take your tea, ma'am, in comfort, and trust to me. Mrs. Hale did trust in Dixon more than in Margaret. Dixon's words quieted her for the time. Margaret poured out the tea in silence, trying to think of something agreeable to say; but her thoughts made answer something like Daniel O'Rourke, when the man-in-the-moon asked him to get off his reaping-hook.
They came back in the old creaking buckboard with Methuselah the old, old white horse, and the Toyman. No sooner had they jumped to the ground than Marmaduke asked, very proudly: "Where do you think I've been?" "You've been sick." Marmaduke shook his head. "That's not what I mean," he said. "I've been to see the Old Man-in-the-Moon." "Now you're telling stories" jeered Jehosophat.
Though it was dark still it must have been near morning. The moon was just going down behind the Church-with-the-Long-White-Finger, that finger which always kept pointing at the sky. The Old Man-in-the-Moon looked very tired and peaked after sitting up so late. There were so many of the wagons and so many horses.
"Good evening, you mischief-maker," replied the Man-in-the-Moon. "What are you up to now?" "Oh, I've brought one of the little earth children to see you. This is Marmaduke Green. He's been sick, so I thought I'd give him a ride." "Oh, ho! That's it. You do do someone a good turn now and then, after all." Then the old man turned to Marmaduke. "Howdy," he said, "I hope you'll get better very soon."
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