Mr. and Mrs. Fearless have disappeared, but the four Fearless children don't know it until 'The Messenger' arrives to tell them. - and to help them. "The door opened slowly. An Umbrella Man stood there with some bread on a tray. The boys rushed him, pushed him over and the children all rushed out as fast as they could. Into a ring of Umbrella Men looking very angry. The children came to a scrambled halt in the middle of the circle. There was no way out. Suddenly there was a blinding flash of lightning, a very loud thunderclap and a whooshing noise. The children looked around half-dazzled - and gaped. Standing next to them was a man dressed in white clothes which seemd to shimmer. He was smiling. The rain had stopped. The Umbrella Men seemed frozen; they did not move. The children clutched each other. The man in white looked around him, at the Umbrella Men, and then at the children, 'Hello', he said."