Isabel in Sproutland

Chapter 3: The Caucus Race

Barney: Oh, the sailor's life is the life for me, how I love to  sail on the bounding sea, and I never never ever do a thing about the  weather for the weather never ever does a thing for me. Oh, a sailor's  life is a life for me, tiddle um (prrt, prrt) tiddle dum dum dee! And I never ne... ahoy! And other nautical expressions! Land ho, by Jove!
Duck: Where away, Barney?
Isabel: Barney?
Barney: Three points to starboard. Follow me, me hearties! Have you at port no time at all now, ha ha! Oh...
Isabel: Mister Barney!
Barney: Johoho, and a bottle of sea, we love each time...
Isabel: Please! Please help me! ... Um, pardon me, but uh, would you  mind helping me? Please? Yoo Ho! Yoo Ho! Help me! Please! Help me!
Barney: Forward, backward, inward, outward, come and join the  chase! Nothing could be drier than a jolly caucus-race. Backward,  forward, outward, inward, bottom to the top, never a beginning there can  never be a stop to skipping, hopping, tripping, fancy free and gay, I  started it tomorrow and will finish yesterday. Round and round and round  we go, and dance for evermore, once we were behind but now we find we  are be-forward, backward, inward, outward, come and join the chase!  Nothing could be drier than a jolly caucus-race. For backward...I say! You'll never get dry that way!
Isabel: Get dry?
Barney: Have to run with the others! First rule of a caucus-race, you know!
Isabel: But how can I...
Barney: That's better! Have you dry in no time now!
Isabel: No one can ever get dry this way!
Barney: Nonsense! I am as dry as a bone already.
Isabel: Yes, but...
Barney: All right, chaps! Let's head now! Look lively!
Isabel: The Blue Duck! Mister Duck! Mi- mister Duck!
Blue Duck: Oh, my goodness! I'm late! I'm late!
Isabel: Oh, don't go away! I'll be right back!
Blue Duck: I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!
Barney: Don't step on the fish!
Isabel: Mister Duck! Oh, mister Duck! Oh dear, I'm sure he came  this way. Do you suppose he could be hiding? Hmmm... not here. I wonder...  No, I suppose he must have...