thataloudonemoretime!...”Emmanuel’sbodyboweddowntothewaistinpainashecriedoutloud,

    “Ow…ow…Lookyouguys,thatismyverygoodluck!That’soheadvantagesofhavingawife…”Thefourmenwhohadjustbeenfightingtogetherburstintoughter.Mr.Kaffeewalkedoverandagasapeacemakerseparatedthetwosaying,

    “Alright,alljokingaside,let’ssettledownandtalkaboutsomethingserious.”TurningtoEmmanuelhesaid,“Afteryouweretakenawaybythatwhite-beardeddwarfandbroughtbacktotheKingdomofDreams,weneversawhimagain.IfheisstillhereintheKingdomofDreams,couldyoutakeustohimsowecouldhaveagrandreunion?Wehaven’tseenhimforalongtimeandreallymisstheolddwarf!”

    “YoumeanthatoldguyDwarfMickey?”Emmanueskedwipingathisbloodynose.

    “He’sdownthere”hesaidpoihewatersurface.Hisaudienceseemedmystifiedanddidnotuandwhathemeant.ViothentoldthemofhowDwarfMickeygatheredtogetherallthediamondsandpreciousgemsscatteredalroundtheworldintoohensankwiththemtothebottomoftheke.EveryonesighedandMr.Kaffee’seyesweresadandsorrowfushesaid,

    “HowcouldastrongaianlikeDwarfMickeythrowhimselfintothewaterjustlikethat?It’sreallypuzzling.Whywouldhedothat?”

    19

    “Why?”saidEmmanuel,revertingagaintohisnormalcheekyself.“Noreasonatall.Perhapshediditjustforfun!Maybeheishidingdowntheresomewhereierandwhenyouguyshavefottenalbouthim,hewouldclimbuptotheshoresneakilyandscareyoualltodeath.Itwouldbefun…”Mr.Kaffeekhelittlefellowwasjestinginhisownfoolishmanneranddidnotpayanyattentiontohim.Lookingatthesurfaceofthewaterhisexpressionsuddenlygedtooneoffearandpointingatsomethingierheasked,

    “Lookyouguys!Whatisthat?”

    Thecalmsurfaceofthekebrokeshasargeheadrosefromuhewater.Itdidnotappeartobehuman,butratherlikethatofsomestrangemonster,withasingurhornoopofitsheadandafacemadeindistinctbythesemitransparentmembracoveredit.Butthefacebehindithadonlyonehugeeyeseemedtoshihbrilliantiyasitlookedaround.Mr.Kaffeeandhislittlegroupoffriendssteppedbackrehension,butIleenandViorantowardsthekewavingtheirhands,shoutingandscreamingwithexcitementahatmonster-likeheadkeptmovingslowlyaelytowardsshore.Thidheavyshouldersappeared,followedbyamuscurchestthattainedendlessenergy.Asittinuedwalkingslowingupthebanks,apowerfulwaistwasseenthatthoughslimcouldemaciateunimagirengthwhentwistinginmotion.Mr.KaffeerealizedthatthismustbethelegendaryCyclopsthathehadheardsomuchaboutbuthadneverbeforeseen.Suddenlyanurebrokewaterwithlongpigtailwoundarouhroat,theendofwhichwaschedbetweeeeth.ItwasDeannawhoseskillsuerwereparabletoanymermaid.AsCyclopswalkedhecarefullytookoffthesemitransparentmembraneonhisfadhaoDeanna.Thetwoofthemwalkedslowlyupthebanksofthekewhichslopedgentlyupwardsverygradually,afactthatwouldbeveryhelpfulteroheyraisedthegoldpathebottomoftheke.Cyclopswaswetthroughandthroughthoughitwashardtotellwhetheritwasfromthekewaterorhisow.IleenandViorusheduptohim,eachholdingontooneofhisarmsandtheyswarmedtowardstheopenfire.Cyclops’shugeeyegnquisitivelyatMr.Kaffeeandhislittlegroupandthenheproudlymovedhistallmuscurbodyonwithoutgivinganyaowledgement.NeverbeforeinhislifehadMr.Kaffeebee

thataloudonemoretime!...”Emmanuel’sbodyboweddowntothewaistinpainashecriedoutloud,

    “Ow…ow…Lookyouguys,thatismyverygoodluck!That’soheadvantagesofhavingawife…”Thefourmenwhohadjustbeenfightingtogetherburstintoughter.Mr.Kaffeewalkedoverandagasapeacemakerseparatedthetwosaying,

    “Alright,alljokingaside,let’ssettledownandtalkaboutsomethingserious.”TurningtoEmmanuelhesaid,“Afteryouweretakenawaybythatwhite-beardeddwarfandbroughtbacktotheKingdomofDreams,weneversawhimagain.IfheisstillhereintheKingdomofDreams,couldyoutakeustohimsowecouldhaveagrandreunion?Wehaven’tseenhimforalongtimeandreallymisstheolddwarf!”

    “YoumeanthatoldguyDwarfMickey?”Emmanueskedwipingathisbloodynose.

    “He’sdownthere”hesaidpoihewatersurface.Hisaudienceseemedmystifiedanddidnotuandwhathemeant.ViothentoldthemofhowDwarfMickeygatheredtogetherallthediamondsandpreciousgemsscatteredalroundtheworldintoohensankwiththemtothebottomoftheke.EveryonesighedandMr.Kaffee’seyesweresadandsorrowfushesaid,

    “HowcouldastrongaianlikeDwarfMickeythrowhimselfintothewaterjustlikethat?It’sreallypuzzling.Whywouldhedothat?”

    19

    “Why?”saidEmmanuel,revertingagaintohisnormalcheekyself.“Noreasonatall.Perhapshediditjustforfun!Maybeheishidingdowntheresomewhereierandwhenyouguyshavefottenalbouthim,hewouldclimbuptotheshoresneakilyandscareyoualltodeath.Itwouldbefun…”Mr.Kaffeekhelittlefellowwasjestinginhisownfoolishmanneranddidnotpayanyattentiontohim.Lookingatthesurfaceofthewaterhisexpressionsuddenlygedtooneoffearandpointingatsomethingierheasked,

    “Lookyouguys!Whatisthat?”

    Thecalmsurfaceofthekebrokeshasargeheadrosefromuhewater.Itdidnotappeartobehuman,butratherlikethatofsomestrangemonster,withasingurhornoopofitsheadandafacemadeindistinctbythesemitransparentmembracoveredit.Butthefacebehindithadonlyonehugeeyeseemedtoshihbrilliantiyasitlookedaround.Mr.Kaffeeandhislittlegroupoffriendssteppedbackrehension,butIleenandViorantowardsthekewavingtheirhands,shoutingandscreamingwithexcitementahatmonster-likeheadkeptmovingslowlyaelytowardsshore.Thidheavyshouldersappeared,followedbyamuscurchestthattainedendlessenergy.Asittinuedwalkingslowingupthebanks,apowerfulwaistwasseenthatthoughslimcouldemaciateunimagirengthwhentwistinginmotion.Mr.KaffeerealizedthatthismustbethelegendaryCyclopsthathehadheardsomuchaboutbuthadneverbeforeseen.Suddenlyanurebrokewaterwithlongpigtailwoundarouhroat,theendofwhichwaschedbetweeeeth.ItwasDeannawhoseskillsuerwereparabletoanymermaid.AsCyclopswalkedhecarefullytookoffthesemitransparentmembraneonhisfadhaoDeanna.Thetwoofthemwalkedslowlyupthebanksofthekewhichslopedgentlyupwardsverygradually,afactthatwouldbeveryhelpfulteroheyraisedthegoldpathebottomoftheke.Cyclopswaswetthroughandthroughthoughitwashardtotellwhetheritwasfromthekewaterorhisow.IleenandViorusheduptohim,eachholdingontooneofhisarmsandtheyswarmedtowardstheopenfire.Cyclops’shugeeyegnquisitivelyatMr.Kaffeeandhislittlegroupandthenheproudlymovedhistallmuscurbodyonwithoutgivinganyaowledgement.NeverbeforeinhislifehadMr.Kaffeebee