The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot, The Shoe King's Son, Catherine Besterman [ebooks children's books free txt] 📗

Johnny suddenly felt very courageous. He was ready to face the most dangerous adventures. He wanted to leave as soon as possible for the coral island, so he turned his attention to the problem of shipbuilding.

"Barnac told me," he said to the cats, "that sometimes seagoing cats from foreign ships come to see him. Perhaps one of you used to go to sea."

A gray, furry cat stepped forward and miaowed in a deep voice, "I spent many days and many months and many years on many different ships. On steamboats, on sailboats, on barges and ferries. I lived in ports, I lived on docks. I am a sailor by profession. In his incredible and immeasurable cleverness, Barnac assigned me to accompany you in case you needed my help."

"Grand," said Johnny delightedly. "You bears fetch wood right away while we draw the plans for our ship. We must figure the length of every plank we need, calculate the number of nails, decide on the width and depth of our ship."

"The water line! The water line! That's the most important thing of all. And next to it, the length of the mast and the width of the sails."

"Well, what kind of ship shall we build?"

The cat pulled at his whiskers, which made him look like an old sea captain, and said, "We could build an Egyptian galley, a Roman trireme, a Spanish caravel, a galiot, a corvette, a frigate, a tartan or a clipper. All of these are seagoing ships. And long ago they were used for distant journeys. If we built a galley, we would, of course, expect Mr. Longfoot to row day and night, night and day, as slaves always did on Egyptian, Greek or Roman ships. Pirates sailed in galiots. Smugglers sailed on tartans or frigates. And Columbus discovered America in a caravel and "

"But we are not Egyptians, or Romans or Greeks," interrupted Johnny. "Nor are we pirates or smugglers or Christopher Columbus. So forget about your tartans, clippers and corvettes, learned Captain, and remember: Mr. Longfoot is my uncle and no one will make him row day and night, night and day."

"Nobody," repeated Uncle Lucas, with deep satisfaction.

"Gentlemen," said the cat, "I wanted only to show that I know about all kinds of ships. We will build a big, strong barge with two good sails. That's all."

The cat started to explain how to build this ship, and Johnny listened carefully for two days. In the meantime, the bears worked hard, bringing big trees to the shore. The dogs barked at the waves to tease them. The waves beat on the shore. The giant bear politely ate up all the honey offered him by the cats. And Uncle Lucas, paying no attention to anyone, sunned his skinny body for hours.

At the end of the two days Fuzzy and his two companions were seen approaching in the distance, heavily loaded.

"What are they carrying?" Uncle Lucas asked curiously.

"Linen for sails, hammers, nails and saws," Johnny explained joyfully. "Good old Fuzzy!"

Fuzzy greeted his friends gaily. He nodded rather coolly to Uncle Lucas, and started to unpack his load. He had indeed brought everything they needed: lots of linen for sails, carpenter's tools, nails, tar and ropes.

"Excellent! Wonderful!" miaowed Captain Cat. "Now we can build a strong and fast ship."

Everyone congratulated Fuzzy and everyone was happy. Only Uncle Lucas was silent. He peered intently at the supplies spread on the beach.

"What's the matter, Uncle?" asked Johnny. "You're looking at all these things as if you'd like to eat them up."

Uncle Lucas opened his mouth wide and let out a high-pitched scream. "This linen! This linen! These nails! This tar! Everything is mine! Mine! Mine!"

"What do you mean?" asked Johnny.

"What do I mean?" Uncle Lucas shouted in such a terrible voice that everyone drew back.

"Fuzzy knows what I mean! I had this poor supply stored in my basement to save for my old age. Fuzzy stole everything. And I'll have him put in jail, hanged or shot."

Fuzzy lifted his heavy paw and growled menacingly. "Wait a minute. You can't say that about me. I didn't steal them. I borrowed all these things. They were uselessly rotting, moldering and rusting in his basement. I bor-row-ed them."

And everyone repeated in chorus: "He bor-row-ed them."

"I knew at once there must be some misunderstanding," said Johnny. "No one wanted to cheat you, dear Uncle. You always imagine such dreadful things. Fuzzy just borrowed these things from you. Think how happy you'll feel, knowing that thanks to you we'll all travel so comfortably."

But Uncle Lucas became even angrier. "I won't be happy! I've never lent so much as a pin to anyone in my life. You'll bend the nails when you drive them into the wood. The linen will be torn by the wind and ruined by the water."

Uncle Lucas threw himself down on his treasures and hugged them tightly to his heart.

Johnny didn't know what to do. Of course the things belonged to Uncle Lucas, and he could do with them as he wanted. But on the other hand, they needed all these things so badly. Johnny looked at the bears, the dogs and the cats as if to ask their help.

"We will take them from him by force," said the giant bear threateningly.

"Let's take them by a trick," said the cats, smiling slyly.

The dogs didn't say a word. They pretended to listen to the roar of the waves.

"I'm always having to make such weighty decisions." Johnny sighed. "And, after all, my trade is to fix shoes and not to lead strange expeditions across stormy seas. Barnac sent you cats along to help me, so now you settle this matter with Uncle Lucas. What we do about the sails, nails and tar is your master's business, not mine."

Captain Cat approached Uncle Lucas and said: "It's all a misunderstanding. Let's start all over again. Let's put it this way. I meet Mr. Lucas Longfoot at the seashore. He's loaded with all these things. And now I want to buy them from him with real, good money."

At this Uncle Lucas got up, put his hand to his ear and listened carefully.

"I'll pay you," continued the sly cat, "four bags of gold, four bags of precious stones and four bags of ermine for the linen, nails and tools and other things brought by Fuzzy."

Uncle Lucas got pink, then red, then purple with joy. Shaking the cat's paw heartily, he shouted happily: "Oh, noble cat! You are not like my terrible nephew or this dishonest Fuzzy. Now you're talking business. I agree. Of course I agree, because it means good business for me. Take all the things."

"This cat must be crazy," muttered Fuzzy.

"Well, now, give me the gold, the precious stones and the ermine," said Uncle Lucas, jumping for joy on his skinny legs. "I don't even want to go to this coral island of yours. I want to go back to my estate and count my treasures for the rest of my life. I'll listen to the jingle of gold and carefully caress my furs. Hurry up. Give me all these marvels."

"Sorry," said the cat calmly. "All these treasures don't belong to me, but to my master, Barnac. And they're all on the island. You can understand that I can't carry such immense quantities of gold and gems with me."

Uncle Lucas could understand that. But he was not pleased. "How can I be sure you'll pay me?" he asked suspiciously.

"We'll sign an agreement," answered the cat. "Here's permission from Barnac for me to sign in his name."

He showed Uncle Lucas the permission, which was written on a piece of rat's skin.

"I agree. What else can I do?" sighed Uncle Lucas. "I've always had a soft heart and can't refuse anybody. But because of the delay, you'll have to pay double. That means eight bags of each: gold, gems and ermine. Barnac will still be rich."

All the animals were angered by this uncommon greediness. The giant bear roared, and it was evident he wanted to attack Uncle Lucas. And the dogs snapped at his legs.

But Captain Cat held up his paw to command silence and said very calmly: "That doesn't matter. On the contrary, I think that for your great kindness you deserve ten times more. You will be paid forty bags of gold, gems and ermine."

"That's too much! There are not that many treasures in the world!" said Uncle Lucas in a trembling voice. And he pinched himself to prove all this wasn't a dream.

"Well, in any case, I'm ready to sign such an agreement in Barnac's name," said the cat, still more calmly. "Barnac is immensely rich and it's a trifle to him."

Mr. Longfoot didn't answer. Breathing heavily, he quickly wrote his name on the rat's skin.

The cat scratched his own name underneath and handed the skin over to Uncle Lucas.

"Now all this linen and the other things belong to us," said Captain Cat.

"Oh, yes," answered Uncle Lucas. "Now you can do what you want with them. Build our barge quickly so I can get to the island and get my treasures."

"We'll start building my barge right away," said the cat in a strange voice.

And they went to work immediately. Even Uncle Lucas lent them a hand. Thanks to the giant bear's tremendous strength, the work went fast. It was a magnificent spectacle indeed: all the big furry animals chopping and sawing wood, building the barge, carrying the mast, and growling as they worked.

Johnny worked too, taking orders from Captain Cat. His job was to sew the sails and calk the barge with tar. As a matter of fact, he thought, if a person knows how to make shoes, it's no problem to build a barge. A barge is just a big wooden shoe.

Finally the mast was in place and the barge rolled gently in the waves near the shore -- shiny with tar, her snow-white sails spread proudly, her broad deck gleaming in the sun. There were even some cabins below decks to make traveling more comfortable.

"What name shall we give the ship?" asked Captain Cat.

"Her name will be The Dancing Bear," said Johnny, after thinking awhile, "as proof of our deep gratitude to all the bears that helped us build her."

The bears were very proud and happy. Right away they performed a nice dance on the sand.

"And now," said the giant bear, "take advantage of this wonderful weather and leave at once. We will go back to our mountains. Don't forget us. Come again. But your uncle, dear Johnny, is banned forever, because he is stingy and mean. We can't look at him without anger."

"What do I care?" exclaimed Uncle Lucas, although he was very much ashamed. "I am now as rich as a king and I can do without the company of simple mountain bears. Let's go."

Not paying any attention to the others, he hurried to the barge. But there was a surprise awaiting him. All the cats were standing on deck in a row, guarding the ship. And Captain Cat, with his front paws outstretched, stopped Uncle Lucas as he started to come aboard. "Sorry, but this is my barge. I mean, she belongs to my master, Squire Barnac."

"So what?" asked Uncle Lucas, astonished. "I have to come on board to sail to the coral island to get my treasures."

"This is my barge," said the cat stubbornly. "And if you want to go, you will have to pay."

"That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Uncle Lucas. "Neither Johnny nor the dogs are paying for the trip."

"That's my business, not yours," answered the cat. "But you will have to pay if you want to go."

Uncle Lucas was furious. But thinking of the tremendous treasure awaiting him on the island, he had to agree, although reluctantly.

"Your greediness amazes me," he said. "I didn't expect this after all your kindness and cleverness. How much must I pay for this little crossing? I want the cheapest cabin, and no food."

"On my ship there is only one