The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-04
THE POPPY BOAT

Boat, he said graciously. The Poppy
Boat is his, and it travels between here
and the Land of Dreams Thomas has
such queer notions about dreams. He
thinks among other things, that you can
always choose the people who are going
with you, and he never fails to make up
his own party every night. This night
he chose me, which was a great honor.
And I'll wait for YOU at the Bridge"
he added, as his mother drew him cut
of the room. The Bridge is just where
you begin to think that in few minutes
you viii be asleep. Thomas always plans
to meet his D. ;amland guests at the
Bridge, but sometimes they are so long
in coming that he has to 90 on without
them.
l thought perhaps ne would not wait
for me tonight. because first / had TO
talk a little with his father and then his
mother came and talked to me; and after
all that / had TO go home and get ready
for the journey-and it was late-Oh! 50
latc-before l came 10 the Bridge
But although Thomas was impatient,
he waited for me.
And where are we going frst?"
asked him.
To the Baby Land" he said his face
aglow, TO ind a baby sister," And so
We started off.
The Poppy Boat is like a poppy flower.
You sit in the middle, and then, if you
are cold, you draw the petals up over
your head. The river * blue and quiet
and there are many other Poppy Boats
which are gliding around here and there,
all over it. One Of them drifted up by
US. In the middle OF it was something
very tiny and very fair. I held my
breath when 1 saw what it was. Thorn
as, / whispered, shes from the Baby
Land. Perhaps she's a little sister
Thomas waved his hand to her. and she
waved hers back, very prettily So
Thomas guided his boat until it came
closer 10 hers. ! wish You could have
seen her boat. It WAS pink-not red, like
ours-and the petals were sort and satiny
and 50 delicately shaded. And they were
drawn up close around her as il she felt
that the night was cold.
Thomas leaned over gently and pushed
the petals back. Are YOU Il baby sis
ter he demanded eagerly.
She nodded a baby head at him. I'm
just going home, she told him
We are just going there. too" he as
sured her Come on along home with
us She said she would. and Thomas
dapped his hands.
Let's find my mother and tell her" he
suggested.
Shes around here somewhere" And .
Thomas held his hand out TO the little
sister. who put a dear baby hand into
his. And so the two boats came together /,
and We drifted on.
DO you know where your mother goes /
in her Poppy Boat?' I asked Thomas.
He thought a moment. Sometimes she /
goes with me- he said. and sometimes (
with father. Sometimes she goes where .
they build houses. and sometimes where /
they make dresses. and sometimes
Ii she goes 10 SO many places. we'll
have 70 hunt all over to find her" 1 said
and 50 we better begin right away"
Thomas drew his forehead into Fuckers.
which means that he is thinking hard.
Dresses first he announced. finally,
''she's been talking about them"
Sure enough, 50 she had and TO me, that
very night DO you know where they
mako dresses l asked the baby sister.
Yes, she did. and if we wanted 10 go
there. all we had TO do was to say
Dresses, Three dresses To dresses ]
want to co. and then we'd be there; but
II we didn't say it just right-if we should
get it ali mixed up and say. for instance.
Dresses, Two dresses, Three dresses /
want to co. or -Four dresses" or any
thing like that there was no telling whore
you'd go to- the baby sister said
Thomas picked it UP Immediately, with
put hit trouble. and before she had
fairly finished telling me about it. he had
said the whole thing. jus5 exactly right.
and was drifting away from me in his
boat. and I was floating away from him
In another boat which had mysteriously
appeared under me from somewhere.
Thomas. Thomas" / cried to him in
7ismay. Five dresses, SIX dresses, All
he dresses YOU want. Thomas. if you'll
1nly come back But he had gone SO
lar that l could only just see him, a wee
little speck on the edge of tbs water, next
20 the sky. ana ] was all alone.
Then I raked my brain 10 think how II
vas You said those things about dresses.
3ut l couldn't remember The more I
ried 10 remember the more I forgot.
Presently / even forEot what IL was 1 was
rying 10 remember. and just drifted
along. not thinking OF anything in par
ocular. I met several people I knew.
9ut nobody was going IN my direction.
And after while the river narrowed
Iutil it was just a thread. the trees came
Town closer TO the edge and ! could hear
he singing of birds and the chirpng Of
.rickets and all sorts Of land sounds.
Then suddenly. bat gently. my boat push
Il up on the shore and stopped.
do / set out now" I asked OF nobody
n particular And nobody answered. so
got out. anyway.
! had only to take one sood look about
ne TO he sure that l was in pleasant
,lace; flowers were under my feet; the
ky was blue above my head; the air was
weet and sunny, Yet was not content
d
Whatever is the matter with me-"
colded myself Here / am. in "a lovely
lace. clothed and in my l stopped
aysclf Immediately. That's Just exactly
-" I exclaimed. Clothes is Just what !
want Let me see-what was that
santed TO say oh. yes-I have it now
md / shouted tTiumrhantly. Clothes. )
'hree clothes To clothes / want 20 so.
md away 1 went again in my Popsy
Boat.
had not vet remembered about
'homas or his mother. or the baby sister :
was simply interested in the scenery
: went alon%- There were heaps Of I
ark thinSs along the coast that looked
Ike rocks. It's a roekbound Cosst' I
Explained u myself I've heard NJ such