Chapter Ten (part c)

"Wow!" whispered Rachael after they'd gone. "Are those guys ever mean! We're lucky they didn't catch us spying on them. They probably would've hammered us flat!"

"Yeah," said Jamie. 'Was I ever scared! Weren't you?"

"Scared?" said Rachael. "Well, I wouldn't say I was scared exactly. I was maybe nervous a little, but... "

"I was scared like anything," said Jamie and he looked quite excited. "You were scared too, weren't you Jenny?"

"A little," she admitted reluctantly.

"Boy, is that wolf really in for it!" said Jamie.

"Yeah," said Rachael. "I bet those dwarves don't ever let up till they get what they want."

Jennifer knew it was true and she felt a little sad. She wished she had done something instead of just hiding.

"I told you dwarves were real!" Jamie told his sister. "You didn't believe me, but you were wrong all along."

"Yeah, well what if I was?" said Rachael. "What I want to know is what's with this source stone they were talking about? I thought the place we were going to was for finding new- moon stones?"

"Maybe you find source stones there too," said Jamie.

"Those source stones must be pretty powerful," said Rachael. "They probably have more magic than even the new-moon stones. If the dwarves get one of them we're in for a lot of trouble. Those guys are crazy! I mean with guys like that, who needs to go to the zoo!"

When they got back to the wagon they found that the porcupine had already returned. He was sorting through a pile of assorted odds and ends that were certainly odd and mostly quite ended.

"I took that badger for a ride down the slide and make no mistake!" he said as he threw it all into the back of the wagon. "Look at all the stuff I got! A tin can, three clothes pins, a second-hand nail well-bent for hammering around corners, two broom handles, some pine needle tea and a doorknob. Could've had the door too, but what do I want a door for? What's with the horse? Somebody swat him over the head with a two-by-four?"

"He was talking about bags and he fell asleep. What'd he want to do that for?" asked Jamie.

"He likes to dream when he's hungry," said the porcupine. "And he's always hungry so he dreams a lot."

"Well, I'm hungry too," said Jamie. "Can we eat soon?"

"Certainly," said the porcupine. "What have you got?"

Jamie opened up the pack and looked inside.

"We've got sandwiches and carrots and celery and apples," he said. "And there's a paper bag... "

He took it out. The paper made a crackling sound as he opened it, and the horse's ears suddenly shot up straight in the air, rotating there like radar.

"Hey look!" said Jamie. "There's sticky buns!"

The porcupine put his paw over Jamie's mouth, but it was too late. The horse was suddenly wide awake and staring at them. There was a strange glint in his eyes, as if he had just thought of an outrageous joke and wanted to play it on someone.

"Did someone mention sticky buns?" he asked.

"No!" said the porcupine and he glared at Jamie. "And we won't mention them again, will we?"

"But I'm sure I heard sticky buns!" said the horse.

"You were just dreaming a dream," said the porcupine.

"I was?" said the horse and he looked terribly sad.

"But why can't he have one?" whispered Jamie.. "There's plenty in the bag, we've got lots!"

The porcupine groaned. The horse was ecstatic.

"Lots? Of sticky buns?" he asked. "How many is lots?"

"I think there's a dozen," said Jamie.

"A whole dozen?" whispered the horse and his tone was almost reverent. "Is that a dozen like in ... twelve?"

"Of course it is you yo-yo," said Rachael.

"Twelve sticky buns, I've never even seen that many before!" cried the horse. "Not all in one place, not all at one time! He only gives them to me one at a time!"

"That's for your own good," explained the porcupine. "That's so you don't become a blimp."

"And anyway you can't eat all twelve," said Jennifer.

"I can't?" said the horse.

"No," said Jamie. "They're to share."

"You eat your sticky buns your way and I'll eat them mine," said the horse and he winked at Jamie. "Sticky buns!" he cried and he winked at everyone else. "Sticky buns!" he shouted and he shook and shivered with delight.

"Here now," protested the porcupine. "If we're going to have lunch you'll have to drive us closer to the stream."

But the horse didn't seem to care. He started to prance, kicking up his heels like a colt in early spring. The wagon began to pitch about alarmingly.

"Look out or you'll put us all in the ditch! " cried the porcupine. "You won't get any at all if you keep this up!"

The horse stopped in mid-sticky and looked back at him.

"I won't?" he asked in horror.

"No."

"No sticky buns?"

"No nothing unless you behave." the porcupine told him.

"No sticky buns," repeated the horse in a hollow voice and he turned back to front and stood completely still.

"That's better," said the porcupine. "No more fooling around. I don't want to hear one peep out of you."

The horse turned his head slowly and looked at the porcupine with such a grave expression that it was hard to look back at him. There was, however, still a mad glint in the corner of one eye.

"Peep!" he said in a deep, throaty whisper. "Peep-peep!"

He turned and began to pull the wagon off down the road at a pace somewhere between a series of standing broad jumps and a cantering cantaloupe, punctuating each bump with a loud peep-peep.

The porcupine sighed and looked over at Jamie. "You shouldn't have mentioned the sticky buns," he said. "It's a sure way to start a one-horse stampede."