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The little man shook his bald head.
"Can't imagine, my dear," he replied.
They heard the sudden twittering of a bird, but could not find the
creature anywhere. Slowly they walked along the path toward the nearest
cottage, the piglets racing and gambolling beside them and Jim pausing
at every step for another mouthful of grass.
Presently they came to a low plant which had broad, spreading leaves, in
the center of which grew a single fruit about as large as a peach. The
fruit was so daintily colored and so fragrant, and looked so appetizing
and delicious that Dorothy stopped and exclaimed:
"What is it, do you s'pose?"
The piglets had smelled the fruit quickly, and before the girl could
reach out her hand to pluck it every one of the nine tiny ones had
rushed in and commenced to devour it with great eagerness.
"It's good, anyway," said Zeb, "or those little rascals wouldn't have
gobbled it up so greedily."
"Where are they?" asked Dorothy, in astonishment.
They all looked around, but the piglets had disappeared.
"Dear me!" cried the Wizard; "they must have run away. But I didn't see
them go; did you?"
"No!" replied the boy and the girl, together.
"Here,--piggy, piggy, piggy!" called their master, anxiously.
Several squeals and grunts were instantly heard at his feet, but the
Wizard could not discover a single piglet.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Why, right beside you," spoke a tiny voice. "Can't you see us?"
[Illustration: "ARE THERE REALLY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM?"]
"No," answered the little man, in a puzzled tone.
"We can see you," said another of the piglets.
The Wizard stooped down and put out his hand, and at once felt the small
fat body of one of his pets. He picked it up, but could not see what he
held.
"It is very strange," said he, soberly. "The piglets have become
invisible, in some curious way."
"I'll bet it's because they ate that peach!" cried the kitten.
"It wasn't a peach, Eureka," said Dorothy. "I only hope it wasn't
poison."
"It was fine, Dorothy," called one of the piglets.
"We'll eat all we can find of them," said another.
"But _we_ mus'n't eat them," the Wizard warned the children, "or we too
may become invisible, and lose each other. If we come across another of
the strange fruit we must avoid it."
Calling the piglets to him he picked them all up, one by one, and put
them away in his pocket; for although he could not see them he could
feel them, and when he had buttoned his coat he knew they were safe for
the present.
The travellers now resumed their walk toward the cottage, which they
presently reached. It was a pretty place, with vines growing thickly
over the broad front porch. The door stood open and a table was set in
the front room, with four chairs drawn up to it. On the table were
plates, knives and forks, and dishes of bread, meat and fruits. The meat
was smoking hot and the knives and forks were performing strange antics
and jumping here and there in quite a puzzling way. But not a single
person appeared to be in the room.
"How funny!" exclaimed Dorothy, who with Zeb and the Wizard now stood in
the doorway.
A peal of merry laughter answered her, and the knives and forks fell to
the plates with a clatter. One of the chairs pushed back from the table,
and this was so astonishing and mysterious that Dorothy was almost
tempted to run away in fright.
"Here are strangers, mama!" cried the shrill and childish voice of some
unseen person.
"So I see, my dear," answered another voice, soft and womanly.
"What do you want?" demanded a third voice, in a stern, gruff accent.
"Well, well!" said the Wizard; "are there really people in this room?"
"Of course," replied the man's voice.