The Magic Meadow Read Free

head. “I never saw one till I found ’em growing all around me at that place.”
    â€œBrick, it’s a dandelion! But it’s winter here, and you won’t find one growing anywhere in this part of the country till next spring. Do you realize what this means?”
    Charlie Pill gulped excitedly. “I know what it means. It proves he sure enough did go there!”

2
    SCOUTING TRIP
    By the clock on the opposite wall it was long past midnight, though Brick hardly noticed it. In the sudden realization of what had happened, everybody began to talk at once, and Nurse Jackson sank down into the nearest chair, slowly shaking her head while she stared at the battered dandelion.
    â€œWell!” she said, still shaking her head. “Well! It’s almost too much for a poor body to accept—but here’s the proof, right here in my hand.” She got up and passed the dandelion over to Princess and Lily Rose, who were begging for it. Then she sat down again. “It really gets me,” she went on. “The more I think about it, the more it gets me. Brick, you actually teleported! ”
    â€œI—what?” he said uncertainly, wondering about the word.
    â€œYou teleported. That’s what you did. I’ve read of it being done, but I never believed it till now. I sure wish I knew where you went! Have you any idea?”
    â€œIt—it was to that place we’d been imagining,” he told her. “That’s all I know. Only, it’s not an imaginary place at all. It’s absolutely real. ”
    â€œOh, I don’t doubt that for an instant,” she said quickly. “You brought back an absolutely real dandelion, and I’m sure the birds and the grasshopper you saw were just as real. But where is this place? Somehow I think it’s important to know.”
    She paused, then asked, “Brick, what else did you see besides what you’ve told us?”
    â€œWhy, I—I’m not sure. It all happened so quickly. And the grass was so high I couldn’t see much, except right in front of me. I was on the side of a little hill, it seemed like. Some of the flowers were different. I mean, they had white petals and long stems.…”
    â€œProbably daisies,” said Nurse Jackson. “What about trees? Did you notice any?”
    Brick frowned. “Why, I did see some trees! I’ve just remembered. They were over on the other hill, just across that little stream. But things were sort of misty and I couldn’t tell much about ’em.”
    â€œMisty?” Princess echoed curiously. “It was misty over there?”
    â€œWell, a little. I mean, it seemed to be clearing because the sun was just cutting through it, real warm and bright. It was so bright it was dazzling.”
    Everyone was silent a moment. Suddenly Charlie Pill burst out, “The whole thing’s crazy! It just now hit me. Can’t you see how crazy it is?”
    â€œWhat’s so crazy about it?”
    â€œWhy, the sun! Don’t you get it? The sun! It’s in the middle of the night here—but where you went it’s bright daylight!”
    â€œWhat of it?” said Princess. “That’s no crazier than going from winter to summer. I think it’s wonderful!”
    â€œIt’s wonderful,” Nurse Jackson affirmed, “but it is sort of crazy. I just can’t figure it out.” She carried the dandelion from Lily Rose to Diz Dobie, then sat down and shook her head again. “Brick,” she went on, “at first I thought you’d teleported to some place in the South. Georgia, maybe, or even Florida. That would explain the flowers and the warm sun. And also the quail. But if it’s night here, it would be night there too. It would be night everywhere except on the other side of the globe, in Europe and Asia.”
    She stopped, then said, “I’d sure like to pin this down. Brick, think hard. Was the sun