-apple and made but little effort to conceal her disappointment. Max
accepted bits of pine-apple, out of politeness, and hid them among the
feet of the guests so that nobody's feelings should be hurt.

'I don't know how we're to get back to the island,' said Philip next
day, 'now we've lost the _Lightning Loose_.'

'I think we'd better go back by way of Polistopolis,' said Lucy, 'and
find out who's been opening the books. If they go on they may let simply
anything out. And if the worst comes to the worst, perhaps we could get
some one to help us to open the _Teal_ book again and get the _Teal_
out to cross to the island in.'

'Lu,' said Philip with feeling, 'you're clever, really clever. No, I'm
not kidding. I mean it. And I'm sorry I ever said you were only a girl.
But how are we to get to Polistopolis?'

It was a difficult problem. The head-man could offer no suggestions. It
was Brenda who suggested asking the advice of the Great Sloth.

'He is such a fine figure of an animal,' she said admiringly; 'so
handsome and distinguished-looking. I am sure he must have a really
great mind. I always think good looks go with really great minds, don't
you, dear Lucy?'

'We might as well,' said Philip, 'if no one can think of anything else.'

No one could. So they decided to take Brenda's advice.

Now that the Sloth worked every day it was not nearly so disagreeable as
it had been when it slept so much.

The children approached it at the dinner hour and it listened patiently
if drowsily to their question. When it had quite done, it reflected--or
seemed to reflect; perhaps it had fallen asleep--until the town clock
struck one, the time for resuming work. Then it got up and slouched
towards its machine.

'Cucumbers,' it said, and began to turn the handle of its wheel. They
had to wait till tea-time to ask it what it meant, for in that town the
rule about not speaking to the man at the wheel was strictly enforced.

'Cucumbers,' the Sloth repeated, and added a careful explanation. 'You
sit on the end of any young cucumber which points in the desired
direction, and when it has grown to its full length--say sixteen
inches--why, then you are sixteen inches on your way.'

'But that's not much,' said Lucy.

'Every little helps,' said the Sloth; 'more haste less speed. Then you
wait till the cucumber seeds, and, when the new plants grow, you select
the earliest cucumber that points in the desired direction and take your
seat