Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO A WATERY SURPRISE Mollie and Peter were flung off the chair into the water. Binky grabbed the back of the chair, and reached his hand out to the children. They clambered back on to the chair, which was bobbing about on the waves, soaking wet. Binky turned to Mollie. 'What did I tell you?' he said angrily. 'Didn't I say it was Disappearing Island? Now see what's happened! It's gone and disappeared, and we've fallen into the sea! A nice pickle we are in- all wet and shivery!' Mollie went red. How she wished she hadn't wanted to go to Disappearing Island! 'Well, I didn't know it was going to disappear so suddenly,' she said. 'I'm very sorry.'

'Not much good being sorry,' said Peter gloomily, squeezing the water out of his clothes. 'How are we going to get to land? As far as I can see there is water all round us for miles! The chair's wings are wet, and it can't fly.' The three of them were indeed in a dreadful fix! It was fortunate for them that the chair was made of wood, or they would not have had anything to cling to! They bobbed up and down for some time, wondering what to do. Suddenly, to their great surprise, a little head popped out of the sea. 'Hallo!' it said. 'Are you wanting help?' 'Yes,' said Binky. 'Are you a merman?' 'I am!' said the little fellow. The children looked down at him, and through the water they could see his fish-like body covered with scales from the waist downwards and ending

in a silvery tail. 'Do you want to be towed to land?' 'Yes, please,' said Binky joyfully.

'That will cost you a piece of gold,' said the merman. 'I haven't any with me, but we will send it to you as soon as we get home, promised Binky. The merman swam off and came back riding on a big fish. He threw a rope of seaweed around the back of the chair and shouted to Binky to hold on to it.

Then the fish set off at a great speed, towing the chair behind it with Binky and the children safely on it! The merman rode on the fish all the way, singing a funny little watery song. It was a strange ride!

Soon they came to land, and the children dragged the chair out of the water on to the sunbaked sand. 'Thank you,' they said to the merman. 'We will send you the money as soon as we can.' The merman jumped on the fish again, waved his wet hand, and dived into the waves with a splash.