“What we’d like,” said Trot, “is to stay here, cozy an’ peaceable, till we can find a way to get home to the Earth again.  Your country is much nicer than the Blue Country, and we like you pretty well from what we’ve seen of you, so if you’ll let us stay, we won’t be any more trouble to you than we can help.”

They all gazed upon the little girl curiously, and one of them said, “How strangely light her color is!  And it is pink, too, which is in her favor.  But her eyes are of that dreadful blue tint which prevails in the other half of Sky Island, while her hair is a queer color unknown to us.  She is not like our people and would not harmonize with the universal color here.”

“That’s true,” said another.  “The three strangers are all inharmonious.  If allowed to remain here, they would ruin the color scheme of the country, where all is now pink.”

“In spite of that,” said Coralie, “they are harmless creatures and have done us no wrong.”

“Yes they have,” replied a nervous little Sunrise man, “they wronged us by coming here.”

“They could not help doing that,” argued Coralie, “and it is their misfortune that they are here on Sky Island at all.  Perhaps if we keep them with us for a while, they may find a way to return safely to their own country.”

“We’ll fly through the sky by-and-by—­ki-yi!” yelled the parrot with startling suddenness.

“Is that true?” asked a Pinky seriously.

“Why, we would if we could,” answered Trot.  “We flew to this island, anyhow.”

“Perhaps,” said another, “if we pushed them off the edge, they could fly down again.  Who knows?”

“We know,” answered Cap’n Bill hastily.  “We’d tumble, but we wouldn’t fly.”

“They’d take a fall—­
And that is all!”

observed the parrot, fluttering its wings.  There was silence for a moment while all the Pinkies seemed to think deeply.  Then the Queen asked the strangers to step outside while they counseled together.  Our friends obeyed, and leaving the room they all entered the courtyard and examined the rows of pink marble statues for nearly an hour before they were summoned to return to the little room in Tourmaline’s palace.

“We are now ready to vote as to your fate,” said the pretty Queen to them.  “We have decided there are but two things for us do to:  either permit you to remain here as honored guests or take you to an edge of the island and throw you over the bushes into the sky.”

They were silent at hearing this dreadful alternative, but the parrot screamed shrilly,

“Oh, what a dump!  Oh, what a jump! 
Won’t we all thump when we land with a bump?”

“If we do,” said Cap’n Bill thoughtfully, “we’ll none of us know it.”

ROSALIE THE WITCH

CHAPTER 16

Trot and Button-Bright had now become worried and anxious, for they knew if they were tossed over the edge of the island they would be killed.  Cap’n Bill frowned and set his jaws tight together.  The old sailor had made up his mind to make a good fight for his boy and girl, as well as for his own life, if he was obliged to do so.