Trot turned to look at him, and her sweet face was grave and curious

"I wonder who ," she said

"My name is Pessim," said he, with an air of pride "I'm called the Observer,"

"Oh What observe ? " asked the little girl

"Everything ," reply, in more surly tone Then Pessim drew back with startled exclamation and looked at some footprints sand "Why, good gracious me ! " he cried in distress

"What's the matter now ? " asked Cap'n Bill

"Someone has pushed the earth in ! Don't it ?

"It isn't pushed in far enough to hurt anything," said Trot, examining the footprints

"Everything hurts that isn't right," insisted the man " earth were pushed in mile, it great calamity, wouldn't it ? "

"I s'pose so," admitted the little girl

"Well, here pushed in full inch ! That's twelfth of foot, or little more than millionth part of mile Therefore one-millionth part of calamity -- Oh, dear ! How dreadful ! " said Pessim in wailing voice

"Try to forget it, sir," advised Cap'n Bill, soothingly "It's beginning to rain Let's get under your shed and keep dry "

"Raining ! really raining ? " asked Pessim, beginning to weep

" ," answered Cap'n Bill, drops began to descend, "and I don't see to stop it -- although I'm some observer myself "

"No; 't stop it, ," said the man " very busy just now ? "

"I won't be after I get shed," replied the sailor-man

"Then do me favor, please," begged Pessim, walking briskly along behind them, for they were hastening shed

"Depends on what ," said Cap'n Bill

" take my umbrella down shore and hold it over the poor fishes till it stops raining I'm afraid they'll get wet," said Pessim

Trot laughed, but Cap'n Bill thought the little man was poking fun at him and so he scowled upon Pessim in way that showed angry

They reached the shed before getting very wet, although the rain was now coming down in big drops The roof shed protected them and while they stood watching the rainstorm something buzzed in and circled around Pessim's head At once the Observer began beating it away hands, crying out:

"A bumblebee ! bumblebee ! The queerest bumblebee I ever saw ! "

Cap'n Bill and Trot both looked at it little girl said in surprise:

"Dear me ! It's wee little Ork ! "

"That's what , sure enough," exclaimed Cap'n Bill

Really, it wasn't much bigger than big bumblebee, and when it came toward Trot she allowed it to alight on her shoulder

"It's me, all right," said voice in her ear; "but I'm in an awful pickle, just the same ! "

"What, our Ork, then ? " demanded the girl, much amazed

"No, I'm my own Ork But I'm the only Ork ," replied the tiny creature

"What's happened ? " asked the sailor, putting his head close to Trot's shoulder to hear the reply better Pessim also put his head close, Ork said:

" remember that when I left you I started to fly over the trees, and just as I got side forest bush that was loaded down most luscious fruit imagine The fruit was size of gooseberry and of lovely lavender color So I swooped down and picked off one in my bill and ate it At once I began to grow small feel myself shrinking, shrinking away, and it frightened me terribly, I lighted ground over happening In few seconds I had shrunk size you now see me; but there I remained, getting no smaller, indeed, but no larger certainly dreadful affliction ! After I had recovered somewhat shock I began to search so easy one's way when creature is so small, but fortunately I spied you here shed and came at once "

Cap'n Bill and Trot were much astonished story and felt grieved poor Ork, but the little man Pessim seemed it good joke He began laughing when he heard the story and laughed until he choked, after which he lay down ground and rolled and laughed again, while the tears of merriment coursed down his wrinkled cheeks

"Oh, dear ! Oh, dear ! " he finally gasped, sitting up and wiping his eyes " too rich ! It's almost too joyful true "

"I don't see anything funny ," remarked Trot indignantly

" 'd had my experience," said Pessim, getting upon his feet and gradually resuming his solemn and dissatisfied expression of countenance

The same thing happened "

"Oh, did it ? And how did you happen island ? " asked the girl

"I didn't come; the neighbors brought me," replied the little man, with frown recollection "They said quarrelsome and fault-finding and blamed me because them all the things that went wrong, or never were right, and because them how things So they brought me here and left me all alone, saying that if I quarreled with myself, no one else made unhappy Absurd, wasn't it ? "

"Seems ," said Cap'n Bill, "those neighbors did the proper thing "

"Well," resumed Pessim, "when myself King island obliged to live upon fruits, and many fruits growing here that I had never seen before I tasted several and found them good and wholesome But one day I ate lavender berry -- Ork did -- and immediately I grew so small that scarcely two inches high very unpleasant condition and like the Ork I became frightened walk nor very far, for every lump of earth in my way seemed mountain, every blade of grass tree and every grain of sand rocky boulder For I stumbled around in an agony of fear Once tree toad nearly gobbled me up, and if I ran out shelter bushes the gulls and cormorants swooped down upon me Finally I decided to eat another berry and become nothing at all, since life, to one as small as , had become dreary nightmare

"At last small tree that bore the same fruit I had eaten The berry was dark purple instead of light lavender, but otherwise quite similar Being unable to climb the tree, obliged to wait underneath it until sharp breeze arose and shook the limbs berry fell Instantly I seized it and taking last view world -- as I then thought -- I ate the berry in twinkling Then, to my surprise, I began to grow big again, until I became former stature, and so since remained Needless , never eaten again lavender fruit, nor do any beasts or birds that live island eat it "

They had all three listened eagerly amazing tale, and when finished the Ork exclaimed:

" , then, deep purple berry antidote lavender one ? "

"I'm sure of it," answered Pessim

"Then lead me tree at once ! " begged the Ork, " tiny form I now have terrifies me greatly "

Pessim examined the Ork closely

" ugly enough ," said he "Were you any larger dangerous "

"Oh, no," Trot assured him; "the Ork our good friend Please take us tree "

Then Pessim consented, although rather reluctantly He led them right, the east side island, and brought them near edge grove which faced the shore ocean Here stood small tree bearing berries of deep purple color The fruit looked very enticing and Cap'n Bill reached up and selected one that seemed especially plump and ripe

The Ork had remained perched upon Trot's shoulder but now it flew down ground so difficult for Cap'n Bill to kneel down, wooden leg, little girl took the berry and held it close Ork's head

"It's too big into my mouth," said the little creature, looking fruit sidewise

"You'll have sev'ral mouthfuls of it, I guess," said Trot; is what the Ork did He pecked soft, ripe fruit bill and ate it up very quickly, because good

Even before he had finished the berry see the Ork begin to grow he had regained his natural size and was strutting before them, quite delighted transformation

"Well, well ! What of me now ? " he asked proudly

" very skinny and remarkably ugly," declared Pessim

" poor judge of Orks," reply "Anyone that I'm much handsomer than those dreadful things called birds, which are all fluff and feathers "

"Their feathers make soft beds," asserted Pessim "And my skin would make excellent drumheads," retorted the Ork "Nevertheless, plucked bird or skinned Ork of no value to himself, so we needn't brag usefulness after dead But sake of argument, friend Pessim, I'd like what good , were you not alive ? "

"Never mind that," said Cap'n Bill "He isn't much good as "