The Further Adventures Of Gobbolino And The Little Wooden Horse

9 SOOTICA’S PLAN

Gobbolino and the little wooden horse stood looking at each other in great perplexity and even despair. Their legs felt weak with terror at Sootica’s suggestion, and even the little wooden horse could think of nothing positive to say.

"If we left her now," Gobbolino said at last, "we could be back in the forest before dark! But what would become of my poor sister? And then there are the bats! We have promised to help them. How can we be so selfish as to abandon them now, to help ourselves? If they can’t use the caves they will fly back to the village and harass the priest and the congregation. Surely we can’t allow that to happen?"

The little wooden horse could only shake his head very sorrowfully. The whole plan filled him with dread and foreboding.

He did not doubt that Sootica really did long to leave the witch and become an ordinary cat, like her brother, but even if her escape was successful and they all arrived safely home, would she really make a kitchen cat after her long training in a witch’s cave? And even more important than that, what awful risks did his friend Gobbolino run in taking her place? What would the witch do if she caught him at it? He began to shiver in all his little wooden legs.

But Gobbolino was making plans, and the more positive the plans the braver he felt about coming to a decision.

"You and Sootica must start for home the moment the sun rises over the top of the mountain," he announced. "In that way you can be at the river by midday, avoiding the village. Then, if the witch is still asleep as my sister supposes, I will leave the cave and follow you. Once we are across the water we shall all be safe."

"I shall not go with your sister Sootica," said the little wooden horse with outraged dignity. "I shall wait and come with you!"

"Oh, no!" said Gobbolino. "Because my sister will not be safe until she has crossed the stream, and while she is still this side of the bank the witch can still catch her, if by any unlucky chance she finds out the trick we are playing on her. You must go with her, and swim her across on your back as you did me."

"But she can swim herself! Witches' cats can swim!" protested the little wooden horse. "Witches may not be able to cross spring water, but their cats can! And I’m not going from here while you are still in danger!"

At the word "danger" Gobbolino shivered again, but he tried to disguise his fears.

"You must think of your dear old friends waiting for you!" he told the little wooden horse. "If anything happens to me you can explain it when you come to Uncle Peder and his wife, and they will tell the farmer and his family. Why, they may even take in my sister Sootica for my sake!"

But the little wooden horse would not hear of leaving the Hurricane Mountains without Gobbolino.

"We will think about it in the morning!" he said, still very troubled, and side by side they lay down to sleep until dawn.

They slept so long and so late after their adventures of the day before that they forgot to wake up in time to climb the peak and meet Sootica on her return from her excursion with the witch. In fact, daylight was streaming into the cave, and the little wooden horse was just congratulating himself that it was now too late to carry out Sootica’s horrid plan, when the cat herself tore into the cave, bursting with indignation.

"Ahl So you are still here!" she cried in triumph. "I thought you must be gone! Coward and humbug!" she spat at Gobbolino. "You said you had come to save me, and already you have left me to my fate!"

"Oh no, sister! Oh no! Indeed I have not!" cried Gobbolino, springing up and rubbing the sleep out of his beautiful blue eyes. "I am ready! I am ready!"

"Stop!" cried the little wooden horse, but Sootica pushed past him and collected some black mould from the rocks at the side of the cave.

"Give me your paw, brother!" she commanded, and in a minute or two Gobbolino’s paws were all as black as one another.

"Keep your eyes half shut," she told him. "Look out through the slits as I do! My mistress has been asleep for half an hour already, the morning is well on its way. We have no time to lose. Follow me!"

The little wooden horse protested in vain. Gobbolino ran out of the cave after his sister Sootica, and together they galloped up the steep mountain path to the crest. The little wooden horse was not far behind them. But they had not gone far before the witch’s cat rounded on him:

"Go back! Go back!" she hissed. "Your wooden wheels make such a noise my mistress will wake up and hear you coming! You must stay a long way behind us, or else not come at all!"

Very crestfallen the little wooden horse fell back, turning his wooden wheels very carefully so as to make no noise at all. His heart ached unbearably to see his friend Gobbolino disappearing round a corner of the path far above his head, just one pace behind his sister Sootica. He dared not hurry, for fear of waking the witch, and it seemed to him that the two little cats had been gone for hours on end when suddenly Sootica appeared, coming towards him on the path just above his head.

Very crestfallen the little wooden horse fell back

She passed him like a streak of summer lightning, her eyes shining with green fire.

"I’m off!" she cried with a wild laugh of triumph. "And my brother has taken my place… all curled up by the side of my mistress the witch! I’ll meet you both on the far side of the stream, after midday! Don’t venture any higher up, my friend, if you value your life. If my mistress catches sight of you there’s no saying what she may do to the pair of you! At midday, with luck, my brother will join you in the cave below, and you can both follow me to the river! Be careful! Be very careful! Goodbye! Goodbye!"

She was gone, and the little wooden horse was left alone on the mountain path, terrified by the thought of what might happen to Gobbolino if either of them were seen by the witch.

He decided to do as Sootica suggested, and wait in the cave below until midday. It was not so long, after all, and yet it seemed a thousand years ahead.