All the boys were eager to ride Hurry.
The ostrich traveled unbelievably quickly from Rockburg to Falconhurst.
His speed led the boys to quarrel over who should own him.
So I had to step in and end the arguing.
"Hurry belongs to Jack," I said.
"Jack weighs less than Fritz or Ernest, so he is more suited to ride the bird.
And Franz is not yet strong enough to manage such a fast animal."
Fritz started to protest. "But Father—"
"And," I continued. "Jack was the one who captured him and named him.
But you may all practice riding him occasionally.
And anyone may ride him in an emergency."
"Thank you, Father," said Jack. "But you must make me some goggles.
Sometimes Hurry goes so fast that I have to shut my eyes to protect them from the wind."
"Really?" I said. "I must do no such thing."
"Why not?" Jack looked at me with amazement.
"First because you cannot tell me I 'must' do anything.
And second because you are perfectly capable of making goggles yourself."
"I guess I do need an indoor activity," said Jack.
Indeed our outdoor activities were coming to an end.
Great black clouds and violent storms marked the beginning of another rainy season.
Rockburg was a more spacious and pleasant place to spend the winter than Falconhurst.
And we had many activities to keep us busy.
Still the time dragged for all of us.
"Let's build a kayak," said Fritz one day.
"I've often longed for a more manageable boat than the canoe or the sailboat."
"Oh yes, Father!" pleaded Ernest.
"I've read about the kayaks that people build in Greenland."
All the boys were immediately enthusiastic about the idea.
But my wife was not.
"'Your chances of drowning are already great enough with the canoe and the sailboat," she declared.
"This is going to be a very safe boat," I reassured her.
We started our boat-building by constructing a frame of whalebone.
Then we used bamboo to strengthen the sides and build the deck.
That covered the whole length of the boat, leaving only a small square hole to sit in.
We were totally caught up in our work.
By the time the kayak was complete, the rainy season was over.
The kayak was just narrow enough to fit through our front door.
We completed its construction in the open air.
"That's a funny-looking boat," said little Franz.
"Do you really think it will float?"
"Look," said Fritz. "It's so light that I can pick it up with one hand."
"It still seems awfully fragile to me," said my wife.
Before she would allow him to try the kayak, she insisted on making him a special swimsuit.
"I don't want him to drown if his boat is punctured by a sharp rock," she explained.
"The kayak won't break like a soap bubble," I said with some exasperation.
But I agreed to help her make the swimsuit.
My wife said that Fritz needed a jacket, pants, and cap.
We made these garments from linen and then lined them with another piece of fabric.
Everything was then coated with rubber.
We left a small hole, so that the garments could be inflated by blowing air between the linen and the lining.
At last it was time for Fritz to take the kayak on a test voyage.
We all gathered on the beach.
I got out the canoe so my wife could see we were ready to rescue him if needed.
Fritz stepped into the kayak and began to inflate his swimsuit.
Fritz soon puffed up so that we could hardly recognize him.
The boys shouted with laughter. Even my wife could not resist a smile.
"You look so funny!" cried little Franz.
The kayak floated lightly on the bay as Fritz began to paddle.
First he darted straight ahead.
Then he turned to the left and circled to the right.
Finally he flipped on his side while his mother uttered a shriek of terror.
"Oh no!" she cried.
But Fritz quickly righted himself.
"All is well!" he shouted to us over the water.
"It may be just a tiny boat," I said to my wife.
"But it's a sturdy one, and it won't sink."
"Hooray for Fritz and the kayak!" yelled Jack.
The other boys shouted their approval too.
Fritz raised his arm in salute and turned the kayak away from shore.
We watched him for a few minutes, and then suddenly I realized something dreadful.
The tide was carrying him out to sea!
"Ernest! Jack!" I said.
"Help me launch the canoe. We must rescue your brother."
We pushed off from shore.
My wife wrapped her arms around little Franz and said, "I knew an accident would happen in that horrid soap bubble."