50 STORIES OF EARTH AND SKY 



No, when any one gets rather near to where the 

 north end of that axle is buried, Wabeno beats his 

 drum, Wabasso, the White Rabbit, leaps from 

 his snowy form and wakes Peboan, and quickly 

 they bury every bit of food. Then Kabibonokka 

 rushes by, and together they go to rivet icy fetters 

 around all the passages to that axle's end. So he 

 who really finds it must have outwitted Winter, 

 the Ice King, the North Wind in his own for- 

 tress, Famine, and Wabeno, the Magician." 



" They aren't outwitted yet, that's very certain," 

 said Anne, with a sigh of relief that there was no 

 immediate danger of the earth's running off the 

 track from a bent axle. " Now please tell me 

 how you came to be a second-class affair, and if 

 all the stars go about as you do." 



" The Sun is the only star in the particular 

 family of Skyland to which my earth and I be- 

 long. The other Suns, that House People call 

 stars, are so far away in other sky countries that 

 they seem very small, though they may really 

 be bigger than our own Sun, I've heard it said, 

 and you must know one hears a great many tales 

 going to and fro in Skyland during a life as long 

 as mine." 



" Do all those far-away Suns have families to 

 rule the same as our Sun ? " 



