Chapter One
The Magical Umbrella
Button-Bright hadn't been on any unusual adventures in quite some time. Not that he couldn't have had them if he wanted...
After all, this young lad has in his keeping a magical umbrella, which could take him anywhere in the world.
He'd already visited several fairy lands such as Mo and Oz, and he figured they most both exist somewhere in the southern hemisphere of our world.
For that was exactly the kind of things Button-Bright wanted to know. He had a most curious mind, and was rather Stoic in demeanor. A surprising qualiy perhaps, when found in someone so young.
Button-Bright didn't like to get over-excited like many boys his age, even though he enjoyed adventure from time to time.
His mother had begged him to stop going off on these adventures for months at a time. You see- she'd had no idea where the boy kept vanishing off to.
That was why the Magical Umbrella had been sitting in a closet collecting dust, while Button-Bright devoted himself to being an ordinary boy for a change.
However, it was currently winter- and that made Button's motivation to attempt normalcy go right out the window.
Philadelphia was always cloudy and depressing in winter, and Button-Bright found that presently- he'd like nothing better than an adventure to cure these.
Then he remembered the promise he'd made his mother, and resolved to be a good lad.
However, there would be no hope of that. Button-Bright was going to learn that soon enough.
One particularly cloudy day in January, his mother informed him that his cousin Gary would be staying with them awhile.
Button-Bright and Gary had almost nothing in common, and soon enough- that was to be the cause of his getting out the umbrella again.
Gary was the exact opposite of Button-Bright. He wasn't Stoic and thoughtful. He was talkative and full of himself.
If it could be said that Button-Bright's constant curiosity was a fault, than certainly Gary's pontificating tendencies were even more so!
Gary arrived one morning toward the end of January. From the moment his cousin deboarded the train- Button knew this was going to be a particularly unpleasant visit.
"You're so short still," Gary informed Button-Bright loftily during the car ride home. "I keep telling you to eat more leafy green vegtables, and drink more milk."
Button-Bright bit at his bottom lip rather harshly to keep himself from snapping at his cousin this early in the game.
The next few days would be no better...
Gary tormented Button-Bright nearly every hour of each day.
He airily informed his cousin that he built lincoln log houses wrong, and threw a football incorrectly.
Button-Bright had about reached the end of his rope. He was going to tell his cousin exactly what was on his mind for a change.
"You know what Gary?" Button-Bright quipped irritably. "I've always thought that you don't know nearly half the things you claim to. One doesn't get to know things by acting like they already understand."
Gary had a light chuckle at this.
"Ah!" he sighed airily. "My poor cousin Button! Still trying to play philosopher..."
Then Gary's smile turned particularly snide.
"Or should I call you Saladin?" he goaded Button-Bright on. "It's no wonder you're so backwards! You're not even properly American..."
Button-Bright was absolutely furious, and any other boy might have risen to Gary's bait and attacked.
However, the uniquely wise Button-Bright knew it wasn't smart to answer a fool according to his folly.
Instead, he headed straight for the closet where he kept his special umbrella.
Right now he was just about convinced to use it and magic himself away somewhere. His mother would understand if she really knew what Gary made him feel.
Unfortunately for him, Gary had followed him to the umbrella hiding place like a meddling little sneak.
No sooner had Button-Bright retrieved it, and Gary wrestled it from his grip.
"Hey!" Button-Bright shouted. "That's my umbrella!"
Gary only laughed in quite a mean way and ran out the front door, holding the umbrella just out of Button-Bright's reach, and making the younger boy attempt to jump for it.
Then something happened that was the last thing either one of them expected.
A strong gust tore through Philadelphia's streets and blew the umbrella so hard, it was suddenly forced open.
Gary found himself being raised into the air, and was just a little shocked.
Button-Bright seized his moment and grabbed hold of Gary's ankle, finding himself floating now.
"Let go!" Gary snapped.
"Give me my umbrella first," Button-Bright ordered flatly.
Gary could have given it to his cousin, but he wanted to prolong his fun and be spiteful a little longer.
"I'll never let it go," he said with hostility.
"Then I won't let your ankle go," Button-Bright retorted.
That was how it came to be that the two young lads floated higher and higher, pulled upward and across the sky by the umbrella.
"Couldn't let you go now if I wanted," Button-Bright said with a slight hitch of nervousness at how they were presently.
"I suppose not," Gary agreed reluctantly.
...and so- all the two of them could do was float along as the umbrella carried them toward an unknown destination.