CHAPTER TEN -- THE RIVER

There where the road ended, windy paths just wide enough for a VW branched and branched again through the woods.

Miss Morgan didn't know what to expect, the way things had been going. The kids, who were tired of being crowded in the car, wanted to walk with the Redcoats, and Miss Morgan was too tired to chase them all down. So she just drove very slowly, taking this path, then that, at random.

Miss Prysby was bewildered by the prince turning into a frog. She didn't know how to explain it. She just sat in the car, and Mr Newman sat beside her.

On the way to the river, the woods were full of wild flowers, Mr Newman started asking her about them, and the kids started picking them and bringing them back to the car. Soon she was teaching the whole class about flowers.

Kathy picked daisies and pulled off petals. "He loves me. He loves me not ..". But no matter which way it came out, she picked another one and did it again.

Gaynell stuck forgetmenots all through her hair.

Linda S. picked sunflowers and stuck some on the sides of the car to give it flower power. She gave a big one to Mr Newman. It was almost as tall as he was. He stuck it in a buttonhole, and the stem went all the way down through his left pantleg and into his shoe, and the sunny top was up by his right ear.

When they arrived at the river, Miss Morgan asked Cindy for the fishbowl. "Prince, I mean, Mr Frog, Prince Frog," Miss Morgan asked, "now where do we go from here?"

But the frog didn't answer. He just croaked and hopped out of the fishbowl into the river.

"No, please don't go away without telling us..". she pleaded.

Then Mrs O'Rourke, who had been getting along swimmingly with the frog, croaked too and jumped in after him.

"No, not Mrs O'Rourke, too," cried Miss Morgan.

Mr Shermin said, "I must admit, I'm feeling a bit amphibian myself. One can get awfully lonely in a fishbowl".

"Please, Mr Shermin," said Miss Morgan. Please stay. How could we ever find our way out of the woods without you?"

"Who's that guy over there on the raft?" asked Donny.

"All aboard!" the stranger hollered.

Timmy walked right up to him and asked, "Are you Huckleberry Finn?"

"No, Charon's the name?" he replied, "Mr Charon the ferryboatman. Where do you want to go?"

Miss Morgan answered, "We want to go home".

And the Redcoat Sergeant asked, "Could you please tell us 'ow to get 'ome from 'ere?"

"Home or Ome," Mr Charon answered, "I wouldn't want to go either place myself. But then everyone to his own taste, and either way it's quite an undertaking; so I guess you'll need me to take you under".

"Under where?" asked Miss Morgan.

"Under the world, of course. I'm the undertaker. Mr Charon's the name".

"But why should we go under the world?" she asked. "We just want to go home".

"Do you know where you are or how you got here or where to go next?"

"No, that's why I asked you".

"Yes, yes, the same old story, but if I understand, it doesn't do you any good. You've got to understand yourself; so I've got to take you down under the world so you can stand under it and understand it. That's my job. Let's get on with it. But first you'll have to pay the toll".

"Toll?"

"Yes, of course. Do you think I work for nothing? That'll be one magic coin please".

"But..". began Miss Morgan.

"Mister," asked Donny, "do you know Achilles the Heel?"

"Of course, son," answered Mr Charon.

"And the three-headed dog?"

"You mean the underdog?"

"Underdog?"

"Yes, Sir Berus is his name. He guards the Underworld. He makes sure that nobody gets in without paying the toll".

"This guy's the real thing, Miss Morgan," said Donny. "We'd better give him the magic coin".

"What magic coin?" asked Miss Morgan.

"He means the one Mr Shermin flips to tell us which way to go," explained Eugene.

"Mr Shermin, do you think you could... ?" asked Miss Morgan.

"Yes, Miss Morgan," Mr Shermin answered. "No trouble. No trouble at all".

Mr Shermin gave his magic coin a big flip with his flipper, and it flew right out of the fishbowl, onto the ground, and stood on end. So Miss Morgan drove the VW straight ahead onto the ferryboat. The kids all ran aboard, then the Redcoats. Then Mr Charon gave a big push with his pole, and the raft went speeding down the river.