welfth of a foot,
or a little more than a millionth part of a mile. Therefore it is
one-millionth part of a calamity--Oh, dear! How dreadful!" said Pessim
in a wailing voice.

"Try to forget it, sir," advised Cap'n Bill, soothingly. "It's
beginning to rain. Let's get under your shed and keep dry."

"Raining! Is it really raining?" asked Pessim, beginning to weep.

"It is," answered Cap'n Bill, as the drops began to descend, "and I
don't see any way to stop it--although I'm some observer myself."

"No; we can't stop it, I fear," said the man. "Are you very busy just
now?"

"I won't be after I get to the shed," replied the sailor-man.

"Then do me a favor, please," begged Pessim, walking briskly along
behind them, for they were hastening to the shed.

"Depends on what it is," said Cap'n Bill.

"I wish you would take my umbrella down to the shore and hold it over
the poor fishes till it stops raining. I'm afraid they'll get wet,"
said Pessim.

Trot laughed, but Cap'n Bill thought the little man was poking fun at
him and so he scowled upon Pessim in a way that showed he was angry.

They reached the shed before getting very wet, although the rain was
now coming down in big drops. The roof of the shed protected them and
while they stood watching the rainstorm something buzzed in and circled
around Pessim's head. At once the Observer began beating it away with
his hands, crying out:

"A bumblebee! A bumblebee! The queerest bumblebee I ever saw!"

Cap'n Bill and Trot both looked at it and the little girl said in
surprise:

"Dear me! It's a wee little Ork!"

"That's what it is, sure enough," exclaimed Cap'n Bill.

Really, it wasn't much bigger than a big bumblebee, and when it came
toward Trot she allowed it to alight on her shoulder.

"It's me, all right," said a very small voice in her ear; "but I'm in
an awful pickle, just the same!"

"What, are you our Ork, then?" demanded the girl, much amazed.

"No, I'm my own Ork. But I'm the only Ork you know," replied the tiny
creature.

"What's happened to you?" asked the sailor, putting his head close to
Trot's shoulder in order to hear the reply better. Pessim also put his
head close, and the Ork said:

"You will remember that when I left you I started to fly over the
trees, and just as I got to this side of the forest I saw a bush that
was loaded down with the most luscious fruit you can imagine. The
fruit was about the size of a gooseberry and of a love