THE MAGIC CAKE

THE MAGIC CAKE

As the last drum beat died away in the distance, the Gnome turned to Ned and said: "Come, let us hasten, for I am rather hungry, and you no doubt are in need of nourishment also."

Ned obeyed willingly, for he had tasted nothing since breakfast and was now as hungry as a healthy youngster should be.

At the farther end of the cavern was an inclined plane, very much like the chutes at Coney Island.

Carefully seating Ned at his side the Gnome said: "Now hold tight, and hold your breath and hold your tongue—in fact, hold everything you've got—for we are going to take a swift shoot to the bottom of the mountain and you'll find out what the word swift means if you never have before!"

At this they began to move, and in another moment they were traveling as fast as a bullet from a gun.

The wind, whistling by, cut Ned's cheeks like little sharp needles; his hair stood out behind like feathers on a speeding arrow.

They were going so fast it was almost impossible to breathe.

Presently a tiny light appeared in the distance, and he saw that they were now on a level, although still going at a tremendous rate of speed.

In another moment they shot through the little round hole of light, which turned out to be the opening at the other end, and he and the Gnome landed safely on a big soft bunker of moss in the midst of a beautiful forest.

Birds were singing in the treetops and little rabbits were skipping on the soft carpet of the woodland.

Pretty flowers sent forth a delicious perfume and a brook close at hand rippled over the pebbly bottom of its bed.

"Wait," cried the Gnome, as Ned leaned over to drink the cool water. "Wait; I have for you the most delicious drink if you will restrain your impatience a moment longer."

Ned obeyed and followed the Gnome along a narrow path until they came to a small clearing, where the blue sky smiled down upon them.

In the center of the spot was a monstrous watermelon, standing up on end, the thick vine supporting it like a strong round barrel stave.

A large wooden spigot protruded from one side and over it leaned a Gnome, who had climbed upon the vine in order to reach the handle.

Ned's little companion lifted a goblin cup to catch the drops of delicious looking pink juice which began to drip slowly from the spigot when the Gnome carefully turned the handle.

"Careful, now," commanded the Gnome, as he handed the brimming goblet to Ned. "See that you spill not a drop of the precious nectar.

"Good, is it?" he inquired, seeing the sparkle in Ned's eyes and hearing the smack on his lips as the last drop disappeared. "Pretty good, eh?"

"Better'n soda water," replied Ned; "lots better."

The little Gnome at the spigot smiled. "I grew the melon," he said with pride. "It's the largest so far in Gnomeland. But next year I'm going to grow even a bigger one!"

"How do you make them grow so large?" inquired Ned, hoping he would be invited to have another glass of the juice.

"Not another drop!" said Ned's little friend. "A second goblet and you would be so hungry you could eat stones."

"Come with me," said the small Gnome guide. "We must eat."

Ned eagerly followed him, and they pressed forward at a rapid walk until they came to a queer little hut, from which issued a most delicious odor of sponge cake.

Around the door, or, more properly, what appeared to be one, but which was in fact but a small opening, stood several goblins, evidently awaiting orders from someone.

As Ned drew near he perceived that instead of a hut it was in reality a huge oven, in which something very delicious was being baked.

"Minions!" called out Ned's friend, "is not the goblin cake ready?"

"Yes, sire!" responded several voices, and in another moment the oven was taken apart and removed from the most delicious looking sponge cake that Ned had ever seen. A soft, warm brown color made it most tempting to the eyes, and the delicious smell made Ned so anxious to commence eating that he could with difficulty restrain himself.

"Help yourself," cried his little friend, and without a moment's hesitation Ned pulled off a piece of cake and eagerly commenced.

"Begone!" commanded the Gnome to the small bakers, who still stood around curiously watching their cake disappearing down the mouth of a mortal as rapidly as its owner could cram it in; "begone and leave us to enjoy the cake alone!"

At this they turned away and descended the steep hill which lay to the right and disappeared below.

"Be careful," admonished the Gnome, as Ned showed no signs of finishing, "you may eat too much. Gnome cake, while most delicious, is more filling than that of mortal make!"

But Ned paid no heed. Already he had eaten a great hole in the cake and, finding the inside warm and flaky, he squeezed himself in.

It was much easier to eat the inside, as it was softer, and the crust had already grown quite hard.

He was so busy eating and, I'm sorry to say, so greedy, that he did not notice that as he ate away the interior of the sponge cake the outside gradually grew tighter, and the opening which he had made at the beginning of his feast, and through which he had crowded, became smaller and smaller, until finally it closed altogether.

When Ned perceived this, and it was some time after, I assure you, he was indeed frightened. He pounded on the walls of his sponge cake prison and called loudly to the Gnome, but for some time he heard nothing.

Finally, after frantically running around and around inside the huge cake ball, he thought he heard the voice of his small friend. He pressed his ear close to the wall and listened.

Sure enough, he could just hear the words, "Hold on tight to one side, and brace your feet," and the next moment he perceived that the cake was in motion.

Slowly at first, but in a few minutes the great cake ball began to revolve faster and faster.

Ned was terrified at first, as it was with great difficulty that he kept his body from playing battledore and shuttlecock. The greater the speed of the huge mass, however, the less inclination there was to bounce about, and he soon found himself literally glued, as it were, to one side.

While thus traveling in this novel way, he began to entertain some fear as to what would happen should an obstacle be encountered, and by some strange coincidence no sooner had, the idea come than it was followed by a terrific crash!

The crust of the cake ball broke into a thousand pieces, and Ned landed safely some distance from the spot, still clinging to a huge piece of sponge cake, which acted like a cushion between him and the ground.

Looking anxiously around, after wiping some stray crumbs from his eyes, he saw his little friend, the Gnome, running frantically down the steep incline, which, luckily for Ned, had been the cause of his liberation.

Finding him unhurt, the Gnome sat down on the piece of cake to rest himself and regain his breath before speaking.

When he did, however, what he said caused Ned to run quickly over to the brook to look at himself in the water.

To his dismay, what the Gnome had said was, indeed, too true. Ned was nearly as broad as he was high.

The cake he had eaten had evidently occupied the same space inside of him as it had inside the brown crust.

"What am I ever going to do?" said Ned.

"'Twas a lucky think I kept you from drinking another gobletful of the watermelon juice," answered the Gnome. "Otherwise you might have eaten the whole cake, and then you might have been twice as large as you are now."

"I don't think there is anything to laugh at," said Ned, as his small friend burst into a hearty peal of laughter.

"Of course you don't," replied the Gnome, "you can't see yourself. If you could, though—oh, my!" and he again burst into peals of laughter.

Ned waited a few moments and then asked: "Well, what are we going to do?"

"Don't worry, Ned, dear," replied his little friend, touched by his good nature and feeling sorry for him, "don't worry. The watermelon juice made the sponge cake swell. All that is necessary now is to take the antidote, and I know where it can be found without any trouble."