ven as she spoke, the Magic Plant was covered with big red apples,
growing on every branch, and Cap'n Bill hesitated no longer. He
grabbed with both hands and picked two apples, while Trot had only time
to secure one before they were gone.

"It's curious," remarked the sailor, munching his apple, "how these
fruits keep good when you've picked 'em, but dis'pear inter thin air if
they're left on the bush."

"The whole thing is curious," declared the girl, "and it couldn't exist
in any country but this, where magic is so common. Those are limes.
Don't pick 'em, for they'd pucker up your mouth and--Ooo! here come
plums!" and she tucked her apple in her apron pocket and captured three
plums--each one almost as big as an egg--before they disappeared.
Cap'n Bill got some too, but both were too hungry to fast any longer,
so they began eating their apples and plums and let the magic bush bear
all sorts of fruits, one after another. The Cap'n stopped once to pick
a fine cantaloupe, which he held under his arm, and Trot, having
finished her plums, got a handful of cherries and an orange; but when
almost every sort of fruit had appeared on the bush, the crop ceased
and only flowers, as before, bloomed upon it.

"I wonder why it changed back," mused Trot, who was not worried because
she had enough fruit to satisfy her hunger.

"Well, you only wished it would bear fruit 'for a while,'" said the
sailor, "and it did. P'raps if you'd said 'forever,' Trot, it would
have always been fruit."

"But why should MY wish be obeyed?" asked the girl. "I'm not a fairy
or a wizard or any kind of a magic-maker."

"I guess," replied Cap'n Bill, "that this little island is a magic
island, and any folks on it can tell the bush what to produce, an'
it'll produce it."

"Do you think I could wish for anything else, Cap'n and get it?" she
inquired anxiously.

"What are you thinkin' of, Trot?"

"I'm thinking of wishing that these roots on our feet would disappear,
and let us free."

"Try it, Trot."

So she tried it, and the wish had no effect whatever.

"Try it yourself, Cap'n," she suggested.

Then Cap'n Bill made the wish to be free, with no better result.

"No," said he, "it's no use; the wishes only affect the Magic Plant;
but I'm glad we can make it bear fruit, 'cause now we know we won't
starve before the Wizard gets to us."

"But I'm gett'n' tired standing here so long," complained the girl.
"If I could only lift one foot, an