The High Mountains

"WE must be going faster than a railway train," said George.

"We're going faster than twenty trains," replied the witch. "In a minute or two we shall catch up the daylight.... Ah, there you can see it already!" And she pointed to a speck of light toward which they were travelling at lightning speed.

The light grew brighter and brighter, and at last they shot into the most dazzling sunshine, and there, ahead of them, were the lovely mountains with their snowy tops all aglow. They were travelling high up above the land, and the only thing to be seen was a tremendously tall tower which stood erect in the middle of the plain.

"Blow the horn!" cried the witch, and Alexander barked "Wu-uff!" three times, while Golden Girl miaowed like ten railway engines all blowing off steam at the same time. The tower suddenly came to life, and, to George's astonishment, as they drew closer he saw that it was a giant holding out a hand nearly as big as a station platform.

They flew straight on and alighted gently on the outstretched hand, and then the engines stopped. George looked behind him and saw two large cats, as black as coal, sitting at the end of the broom.

"There, you see!" said the witch. "You never would have guessed."

"I haven't guessed now," replied George. "Did those two cats drive the machine along?"

"Of course!" laughed the witch. "That's why it's called a catoplane. If you wait until we start again you'll see how it's done." Then, turning, she called out: "Good-morning, friend! Are you quite well to-day?"

"Good-morning!" replied the giant in a deep voice which rumbled and rolled like thunder. "I'm fairly well, thank you. What brings you here?"

"We're just giving George and Alexander a lift. George is following his fortune, you know."

"Ah, to be sure!" said the giant. "I remember hearing about it the last time the storks passed this way. They generally bring me some news of what is going on down below there."

George looked up at him with wide-open eyes. It isn't every day that one gets a chance of seeing a live giant, except in a circus—and even then they are disappointing, for they are not really a little bit like the picture which is shown outside. No circus would be big enough to hold this giant. He looked as if he were quite a mile long. His face was as big as an enormous moon, but he looked quite kind and smiled all the time.

"Are you off to the mountains?" he asked. "I expect you'll find Him there. He's not been very busy lately, but He's expecting you, I'm sure."

"Who's 'Him,' please?" asked George.

"Wait and see," replied the witch. "Little boys should always wait, and then—perhaps—they will see."

There seemed to be a great deal of waiting in this country, but George was learning to be patient. Alexander was busy talking to the cat, and the witch was whispering in the giant's ear, as he had bent down his head quite close to her.

"I wonder why he stands there all by himself," thought George. "He must feel very lonely with his feet down ever so far below him and his head in the clouds. I wonder if he ever goes to bed, and how does he get enough to eat? I shouldn't like to be as big as that."

"He wants to know all about you, you see," said the witch to the giant. George gave such a start! He had forgotten that she was there. How had she been able to read his thoughts?

"I'm a witch, my dear, and can tell everything," smiled the witch, answering his thoughts. "I can see right inside your little head if I want to. If I couldn't, I shouldn't be a witch at all."

"Well, it's rather a long story to tell you all about myself," began the giant. "It would take weeks and weeks. Even then we shouldn't have finished, for then there would be the story of all the weeks during which you had been listening to me."

"But I should know all about that," said George. "You would have been telling me the story, of course, and I should have been here."

The giant thought for a moment. "Yes ... but then I should have to tell you the story of how I told you the story ... and even then it wouldn't have an end, for——"

"You're half asleep!" cried the witch. "We can't wait to hear any more just now. You can tell it to George by and by."

"It's always by and by," grumbled the giant. "I've been trying to tell some one for years and years, and just as I'm going to begin it's always time to go somewhere and do something. Where's the dragon?"

"Playing with his tail, or else fast asleep, I expect," said the witch. "I never in all my life knew such a lazy creature. He's only awake when there's a chance of a game. If he comes along after we've gone, tell him your story."

"It's no use. He just jumps about and never listens. The last time he was here he played with my boots and bit a great piece out of one of them. He said he was sorry, but I've had a sore toe ever since. You wouldn't believe what a lot I have to put up with," and the poor giant looked as if he were going to cry.

"There, there!" said the witch soothingly. "You shall come with us if you're good, only don't cry. Remember, the last time you flooded the whole country and gave all of us dreadful colds. And what a bother it was making extra handkerchiefs for you."

"Oh, may I come with you?" cried the giant. "I should like that! I get such pins and needles in my feet standing here."

"Why do you stand here?" asked George.

"To look out, of course," said the witch; and then, as she saw George was going to ask another question, she gave the order to start.

The two black cats curled their tails round the end of the broom and then began to turn round and round in the air.

"Doesn't it make them dreadfully giddy?" asked George.

"No, of course not," said the witch. "It might do so if they were ordinary cats—but they're not. Listen to them purring."

What George had imagined was the throbbing of an engine was indeed the purring of the two cats as they whirled round in opposite directions. The witch was riding straight toward the mountains, and the giant with huge strides was keeping close by their side. He nodded to them from time to time, and George waved his hand in reply.

He was really a nice giant, and it was just as well to keep him cheerful and happy, for it would be very disagreeable to have a flood.

The mountains came nearer and nearer, and George thought he had never seen anything so splendid in all his life. Even the giant looked quite small beside them.

"Are we going right to the top, the very tip-top of that mountain?" asked George, pointing.

The witch did not answer for a moment. Then she turned to him and said: "Sing!"

"What shall I sing?" asked George in surprise, for he only knew some old nursery rhymes, and wasn't quite certain if he could remember the words or not.

"Listen to the music," answered the witch. "That will tell you the words."

True enough, there was music in the air all around them, as if the trees, the water, and the wind were all playing together. George listened, and then, to his surprise, began to sing all about the thoughts which he had been turning over in his mind.