avebeenunited…”

    Suddenlyavoiongthedangandsingingfigurescriedout,“Outsiders!Thereareoutsidersatthemouthofthecavepeepingin!”Aburstofuproarandotionfollowedasthesetinyfigurestransformedfromui-coloreddiamondsquicklyfoundtheirseeminglypreordainedpqueuesandhastilyjumpedintotheirownwoodenbox.Thetopsofdozensofboxesautomaticallyclosedwithabangandinnotimethecavetiedofalltracesofthepartyingfigures,withnotasinglediamondremaining.ItwasonlythenthatVioandMr.FingersawDwarfMickeysittinginthemiddleofthecave,sopletelysousedthathecouldhardlykeephisdazedandblurryeyesopeiarastuddedwithahugerubywhichheworeonhisheadwasaskewbuthekeptdrinkingfromthepotinhishand.Thenhespoke,

    “Soyouarehere.Ikmustbeyoutwo,VioandMr.Fihediamondsyouhavestolenfrommehavealleback.Theyhavereturned,withnotasingleonemissing…”DwarfMickeystoodupandwalkedshakilytowardsawoodenbox.Proppinghimselfwithhisarms,hevaulteduptheboxandsatonit.Tiltinghishead,hetookanotherswingfromhispotofwine.HelookedatVioandsaid,

    “Itwasagreatideatostoreallmytreasuresinthiscave.Whehquakestruck,thecavesanktothebottomoftheke,whichwaswhyheryounorIcouldfinditallthistime.Ithoughttheyhadgedbacktostarsaurheirptheskies.ThankheavenstheyresurfadIrecoveredmylonglosttreasuretroveintheKingdomofDreams.That’sgreat.Mydutyisdone…Youtwobetterleave…”Hetookanotherswingandmuttered,“Yes,it’sagreatideatosireasuretrovetothebottomofthewater.Noonewilleverbeabletogettheirhandsonthemagain.Well,nowthatIhavefoundthemagain,myjobisdone.IwillremainwiththematthebottomofSunMooilltheendoftime.That’sagreatidea.Goon,youtwo.Youhadbetterleave.”Viohungherheadshylylikeanaughtygirlwhohadbeencaughtdoingabadthinganddidnotknowwhattosay,butMr.Firiedtodissuadehimsaying,

    11

    “Heyyouoldman,youreallytakethingstoohard!Howcouldyousinktothebottomofthekewithyourtreasures?Whowillbemypanionanddrinkwithme?”DwarfMickeyinterruptedhimbeforehefinishedspeaking.Gringathimhesaidgruffly,

    “Shutup.Saynomore.Youtwobettergetgoing.Doyoureallywanttosinktothebottomofthewaterswithme?”Mr.FingerandDwarfMickeyhadbeengoodfriendsandoftencrackedjokesateachother.Mr.Fiookgreatpleasureteasingtheolddwarfuntilthetterwasreallyriled,sohethoughtnothingofmakingtheoldmanmad.Buthealsokhattheoldmanwasastraightarrowandalwayssaidwhatwasonhismind.Hesaidwhathemeantandoncehismind,nothingcouldswayhim.Suddenlythecaveshudderedaobesinking.VioandMr.Fingerlookedateachotherandwithoutawordbentonesgfromthesinkingcave.Bothturnedandranoutofthecave,rusheddoweps,jumpedintotheirlittleoe,dashedthroughthewaterfalndrowedfortheoppositeshoreasfastastheycould.Behindthemcamethesoundofahugecrash,butuime,itwasnotfollowedbyanyndslidesortsunamisothetwoofthemwereabletoreachtheoppositeshoresafely.

    Itwasthecrackofdawn;thesun’srayshadjustbeguntopeepouti.ItsgoldenraysgraduallyspreadovertheearthandnaturallyshoneonCharina’slittlebackyard.AsCharinaandDimitrisatbeforetheFrenchdoorsofthelivingroom,hereyeskeptroamingtowardstheblueballoonsoftlyfppinginthebreeze,hopingfornewsfromtheKingdomofDreams.Dimitrilookedverysolemn,his

avebeenunited…”

    Suddenlyavoiongthedangandsingingfigurescriedout,“Outsiders!Thereareoutsidersatthemouthofthecavepeepingin!”Aburstofuproarandotionfollowedasthesetinyfigurestransformedfromui-coloreddiamondsquicklyfoundtheirseeminglypreordainedpqueuesandhastilyjumpedintotheirownwoodenbox.Thetopsofdozensofboxesautomaticallyclosedwithabangandinnotimethecavetiedofalltracesofthepartyingfigures,withnotasinglediamondremaining.ItwasonlythenthatVioandMr.FingersawDwarfMickeysittinginthemiddleofthecave,sopletelysousedthathecouldhardlykeephisdazedandblurryeyesopeiarastuddedwithahugerubywhichheworeonhisheadwasaskewbuthekeptdrinkingfromthepotinhishand.Thenhespoke,

    “Soyouarehere.Ikmustbeyoutwo,VioandMr.Fihediamondsyouhavestolenfrommehavealleback.Theyhavereturned,withnotasingleonemissing…”DwarfMickeystoodupandwalkedshakilytowardsawoodenbox.Proppinghimselfwithhisarms,hevaulteduptheboxandsatonit.Tiltinghishead,hetookanotherswingfromhispotofwine.HelookedatVioandsaid,

    “Itwasagreatideatostoreallmytreasuresinthiscave.Whehquakestruck,thecavesanktothebottomoftheke,whichwaswhyheryounorIcouldfinditallthistime.Ithoughttheyhadgedbacktostarsaurheirptheskies.ThankheavenstheyresurfadIrecoveredmylonglosttreasuretroveintheKingdomofDreams.That’sgreat.Mydutyisdone…Youtwobetterleave…”Hetookanotherswingandmuttered,“Yes,it’sagreatideatosireasuretrovetothebottomofthewater.Noonewilleverbeabletogettheirhandsonthemagain.Well,nowthatIhavefoundthemagain,myjobisdone.IwillremainwiththematthebottomofSunMooilltheendoftime.That’sagreatidea.Goon,youtwo.Youhadbetterleave.”Viohungherheadshylylikeanaughtygirlwhohadbeencaughtdoingabadthinganddidnotknowwhattosay,butMr.Firiedtodissuadehimsaying,

    11

    “Heyyouoldman,youreallytakethingstoohard!Howcouldyousinktothebottomofthekewithyourtreasures?Whowillbemypanionanddrinkwithme?”DwarfMickeyinterruptedhimbeforehefinishedspeaking.Gringathimhesaidgruffly,

    “Shutup.Saynomore.Youtwobettergetgoing.Doyoureallywanttosinktothebottomofthewaterswithme?”Mr.FingerandDwarfMickeyhadbeengoodfriendsandoftencrackedjokesateachother.Mr.Fiookgreatpleasureteasingtheolddwarfuntilthetterwasreallyriled,sohethoughtnothingofmakingtheoldmanmad.Buthealsokhattheoldmanwasastraightarrowandalwayssaidwhatwasonhismind.Hesaidwhathemeantandoncehismind,nothingcouldswayhim.Suddenlythecaveshudderedaobesinking.VioandMr.Fingerlookedateachotherandwithoutawordbentonesgfromthesinkingcave.Bothturnedandranoutofthecave,rusheddoweps,jumpedintotheirlittleoe,dashedthroughthewaterfalndrowedfortheoppositeshoreasfastastheycould.Behindthemcamethesoundofahugecrash,butuime,itwasnotfollowedbyanyndslidesortsunamisothetwoofthemwereabletoreachtheoppositeshoresafely.

    Itwasthecrackofdawn;thesun’srayshadjustbeguntopeepouti.ItsgoldenraysgraduallyspreadovertheearthandnaturallyshoneonCharina’slittlebackyard.AsCharinaandDimitrisatbeforetheFrenchdoorsofthelivingroom,hereyeskeptroamingtowardstheblueballoonsoftlyfppinginthebreeze,hopingfornewsfromtheKingdomofDreams.Dimitrilookedverysolemn,his