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THE SEVENTH HOLIDAY BOOK

THE SEVENTH HOLIDAY BOOK

By

LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & CO., LTD.

MADE AND PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY PURNELL AND SONS, LTD., PAULTON (SOMERSET) AND LONDON

LIST OF CONTENTS
Oh, Bother Granny!
Illustrations: Grace Lodge Story: Sunny Stories No.413 Sep 19, 1947

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Is Your Name Here? The Tiresome Teddy Bear

Illustrations: Vera Rice-Jay Story: Sunny Stories No.416 Oct 31, 1947

20 21

Now, Tell Me My Name The Grabbit Chair

Illustrations: Robert Wilson Story: Sunny Stories No.419 Dec 12, 1947

30 31

Mr. Storm-Around
Illustrations: Helen Jacobs Story: Sunny Stories No.420 Dec 26, 1947

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A TRICKY PUZZLE FOR YOU Giants Round the Corner

Illustrations: William J. Gale Story: Sunny Stories No.416 Ovt 31, 1947

47 48

A Bassket For Sweets On Firework Night

Illustrations: Robert MacGillivray Story: Sunny Stories No.416 Oct 31, 1947

53 54

A Riddle Me Ree Sulky Susan

Illustrations: Mary Brooks Story: Sunny Stories No.235 Jul 11, 1941

61 62

A Present from the Clockwork Mouse

Illustrations: Helen Haywood Story: Sunny Stories No.415 Oct 17, 1947

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CAN YOU DO THIS? The Magic That Wouldn't Stop

Illustrations: Mary Brooks Story: Sunny Stories No.415 Oct 17, 1947

80 81

A Page For A Wet day The Secret Door

Illustrations: Frederick Parker Story: Sunny Stories No.411 Aug 22, 1947

88 89

He Wouldn't Buy a Ticket

Illustrations: Helen Jacobs Story: Sunny Stories No.414 Oct 3, 1947

105

WHO CAN DO THIS CROSSWORD PUZZLE? The Good Luck Morning

Illustrations: Robert Wilson Story: Sunny Stories No.412 Sep 5, 1947

115 116

Naughty Jack Bo
Illustrations: Grace Lodge Story: Sunny Stories No.358 Jul 13, 1945

122

A Teaser Mrs. Chatter Goes on Talking

Illustrations: Hilda Mc Gavin Story: Sunny Stories No.371 Jan 11, 1946

129 130

He Wanted to be King
Illustrations: Vera Rice-Jay Story: Sunny Stories No.389 Sep 20, 1946 Quite an easy puzzle

139

148

All the Way to Santa Claus

Illustrations: Robert Mac Gillivray Story: Sunny Stories No.395 Dec 12, 1946

149

Simple Simon Goes Shopping

Illustrations: William J. Gale Story: Sunny Stories No.357 Jun 29, 1945

157

Hey-Diddle-Dee
Illustrations: Lilian Chivers Poem: Specially Written

164

He Wouldn't Brush His Hair

Illustrations: Andrew Wilson Story: Sunny Stories No.290 Dec 4, 1942

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"I'm Coming to Live With You!"

Illustrations: Frederick Parker Story: Sunny Stories No.390 Oct 4, 1946

173

Hidden vegetables Don't Be Such a Baby!

Illustrations: Mary Martin Story: Sunny Stories No.410 Aug 8, 1947

183 184

Half and half The Train That Wouldn't Stop

Illustrations: Helen Haywood Story: Sunny Stories No.426 Mar 19, 1948

194 195

Dust-wrapper and colour plates by Hilda Boswell Endpapers designed by Cicely Steed Colour Plates by S.W.Purvis.

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Philip and Margaret lived quite near to their Granny's house. Granny was a little old lady who walked with a stick because she had a bad leg. She was Daddy's mother, and often came to see them all. Philip and Margaret were asked to tea at Granny's once a week. The old lady baked special biscuits for them, and made special peppermint sweets, but they weren't always very nice about going to Granny's. " Oh, bother! " Philip would say. " Mother, need I go to-day? I do want to go and sail my ship with Harry." " You can do that to-morrow," Mother would answer. " You know how Granny likes to see you. And, Margaret dear, be sure to offer to run any errand for Granny. You know she can't get about much with her bad leg." " Oh, bother Granny! ' said Margaret, when Mother had gone. We're always having to do things for her. It's a pity we're the only grandchildren that live near her. George and Jane are lucky to live too far away to have to waste time on her." " Yes, they are," said Philip, gloomily. " And, you know, it's Granny's birthday soonwe'll have to take some of our money from our moneybox and buy her a present. And I was saving up for a watch! " Granny's a nuisance," said Margaret. But Granny wasn't really a nuisance. She was a dear little old lady, kind and gentle, and she loved Philip and Margaret very much. She was sad when they seemed sulky and cross the next time they came to see her.

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" No thank you," said Philip, when she offered him some biscuits, " I'm tired of those." And Margaret said she didn't like peppermints any more. They ran off at the very earliest moment, just as Granny was getting out the snap cards. What a shame! Now the next day Granny had a letter that pleased her very much. It was from her other son, and he said that he had bought a house not far from Granny, and he and his wife, and George and Jane, his children, were coming to live there the very next week! Granny was so overjoyed that she put on her hat, found her stick, and went tap-tapping along to the house where Philip and Margaret lived to tell the good news. The family were sitting out in the garden, and Mother was shelling peas. Margaret and Philip hadn't offered to help. They never did! Just as Granny was going to step out into the garden to call to them, Mother gave a little err of annoyance.

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" Oh dear! I quite forgot to take Granny her coatthe one I got from the cleaners for her yesterdayand I know she wants to wear it tomorrow. Margaret dear, will you go and get it and slip up the road with it? " " Oh, Mother \ You know I want to finish this book! " said Margaret. " You're always telling me to do this and that for Granny. She's a nuisance." "Margaret! How rude and unkind! " said her mother, shocked. " Philip, will you take the coat then? Granny's so sweet and kind to you both, surely you can do little things for her now and again." " Oh, bother Granny! " said Philip, and shut his book with a slam. ' You make us go and have tea with her every week, and we have to keep on doing this and . . ." " Philip, one more word from you and I shall tell your father," said his mother, grieved and upset. :' I had no idea you were not fond of Granny. I'm ashamed of you both."

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Poor Granny! She heard every single word. She couldn't believe her ears. She stood on the step behind them only a yard or two away, and nobody knew she was there. The old lady turned and went quietly away. A tear trickled down her cheek. So the children thought she was a bother! They didn't love her. She was just a nuisance. How was it she hadn't guessed that before? She went home, leaving her news untold. She cheered up a little when she thought of George and Jane coming to live near her. Perhaps they wouldn't think she was such a nuisance. Dear, dear, she must never ask Margaret and Philip to do anything for her again. She couldn't even ask them to come to tea, now that she knew it was a bore to them. She remembered how they had refused her biscuits and home-made sweets last time. " Oh dearto think I'm such a nuisance and didn't know it!" said poor Granny. Well, after that Granny didn't ask Margaret and Philip for anything.

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She didn't even ask them to tea each week. Mother thought it was because she was helping her other son and his wife to settle into their new home. " I expect she's offered to have George and Jane for a bit till their parents are settled in," said Mother. " She was out when I went yesterday gone to see how the new house was getting on. Quite an excitement for Granny." ' Jolly good thing Granny's got somebody else to fuss round," said Philip to Margaret when they were alone. " Now we needn't bother! " So they neither of them went near Granny at all. Then one day George and Jane came to tea. At teatime they told Philip's mother that Granny was taking them to the Zoo the next day. : ' We were hoping that Philip and Margaret were coming too," said Jane. ' They haven't been asked," said Mother, looking a bit puzzled. " In fact, I don't think Granny has asked them to her house, even, for quite a long time." " We go there to tea twice a week," said Jane. "We do love it. We didn't know Granny very well before, and she's the only Granny we've got. Isn't she a darling old lady? ': " Yes, she's very kind," said Mother. " She always makes us something exciting," said George. " Yesterday we had little gingerbread men, and on Friday she's making us jelly. And
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did you know she's given us that little man who nods his head? Jane loved it so much that she made her have it." And she gave George a lovely spade," said Jane. :* But he deserved it, Aunt, because he went and weeded her front garden beautifully. He did it for a surprise. I suppose Philip and Margaret are going to Granny's party on Saturday? It's her birthday and she's having a cake with seventy-two candles onfancy that! ' Philip and Margaret felt more and more uncomfortable, and Mother felt more and more surprised. Why, Granny was seeing far more of George and Jane than she had ever seen of Philip and Margaretand how very, very nicely the children talked of their Granny. No wonder she asked them so often, and gave them treats. The days went on, and Granny didn't ask Philip and Margaret to her birthday party, or even to tea, or to see her. They took her little presents, but she was out. She wrote them a little note of thanks each, but that was all. It was a lovely birthday party, George told Philip. " There was a conjurer! " he said. "Fancy an old lady thinking of a conjurer for a party! She told us to bring two school friends and we did. Why didn't you come? Don't you like Granny? We think she's a darling." Philip went red. He was feeling very much ashamed of himself now, and so was Margaret. They could see very well how much nicer George and Jane were to Granny than they had ever been. They had taken her kindness for

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granted, had hardly ever thanked her for anything, and had been very rude. " Wellwe used to think Granny was a bit of a nuisance," said Philip, at last, seeing that George was expecting him to answer. " Gracious! How horrid of you! She's such an old lady and she's your Granny I " said Jane in shocked tones. " Oh, wellit's a good thing we like herwe can do some of the things you don't want to do. Does she know you think she's a nuisance? I think she must know, because she never, never asks you to do anything for her now, does she ? " No," said Margaret. " I don't expect she loves us any more, now you've come. You're so much nicer to her." When Jane and George had gone, Philip looked at Margaret. " This is awful," he said. " I feel terribly mean. But we can't possibly start fussing round Granny again now because she'll only think it's because we're jealous of George and Jane." " All the same, I'm going to do something ! " said Margaret. " I can't bear feeling mean like this. I know! Let's get up early every single

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morning before Granny is up and go round to her kitchen garden and weed it ! She won't know who's done it and we won't tell herbut it will be a way of making up for being horrid." So, every morning at seven o'clock, the two children went secretly round to Granny's. They weeded her kitchen garden really well. They didn't know that Granny, who always woke early, watched them each morning from her bedroom window. One morning, just as they were slipping away at eight o'clock, Granny called them. They went to her, red in the face. "Well, my dears, I've been watching youand you're very kindbut why do you bother with an old lady who is just a nuisance ? You see, I couldn't help hearing what you both said about me one day in your garden and I do see that I'm a nuisance to you." " Oh, Granny, you're not \ It was only us that were so horrid! " said Margaret. " You're not a nuisance to George and Janethey love you.

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And you're not a nuisance to us, either. It was just that we were horrid and selfish." " So we've been trying to make up for itbut we didn't mean you to know it was us," said Philip. " We came each morning. Can we go on coming? '' " Yesif you will come to tea next time George and Jane come," said Granny, looking suddenly very happy. " And if you will come to the Zoo with meand let me give you some of my new chocolate buns to taste." " We'd Jove to! " said Margaret, giving Granny a hug. " And please, please, Granny, let us run your errands sometimes and not always George and Jane. We do want to as well." So now Granny has four grandchildren she loves, and who love her. She thinks she's very luckybut all four think they're luckier still to have such a kind, gentle old lady for a granny!

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Is Your Name Here ?

Here are six ordinary children's namesbut I have mixed up the letters of each name, just to puzzle you a bit. For instance, take the mix-up " I land ". If you sort out the letters you will see that they make the name Linda. Now see if you can find out all the others. 1. 2. 3. 4. Larches. To Mash. Great Ram. More rays. 5. 6. 7. 8. Lace Him. Not Any. I ran, Ma! An odd L

Wellhow many have you found? If you solved them all, you are brilliant. If you solved six, you are very clever. If you solved four, you are bright. If you solved none, you didn't try very hard!

Answer on page 46
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Benny the bear was very tiresome. He hadn't got a tail and he wanted one. He kept on saying that he wanted one, and all the toys were tired of hearing him. " I want a tail! Why shouldn't I have a tail? The toy monkey has one, and so has the horse. The pink cat has one, and so has the black dog. Even the clockwork mouse has a tail, and what he wants with such a nice long one I really don't know! It's wasted on him." " It isn't," said the clockwork mouse, crossly. " It is," said the bear. " It isn't" said the mouse. " It is," said Benny, loudly. The clockwork mouse ran off to a corner. All the toys knew that the bear would go on saying " It is " for hours. He always did. So it was a wise thing to run away and say no more. " Bears don't have rails/' said the golliwog. " They do," said Benny. " They don't," said the'golly. ' They DO! " said Benny. The golliwog ran off and turned his back on the bear. He was just impossible. The teddy bear looked longingly at the toy monkey's tail. It was such a lovely long one. Why shouldn't the monkey spare half for him? He went up to Micky the monkey and spoke to him. '' Micky! You have such a long tail that it must get in your way sometimes, let me have half of it, you'd feel glad to be without a long tail."

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" I shouldn't," said Micky. " You would," said Benny. " I should not," said Micky. " You WOULD! " said Benny. The monkey turned his back and said no more. And then Benny did a dreadful thing. He fetched a pair of scissors and snipped off half of Micky's long tail! The monkey gave such a yell that all the toys hurried up at once. " You wicked bear! " cried the golliwog. " You bad teddy! " shouted the monkey. Benny tried to stick the halftail behind him, but the toys pulled it away. The big doll fetched a needle and cotton and began to sew the snipped tail together again. The monkey cried bitterly. "It will never be the same again! " he wept. "Never! Never! " Benny wasn't a bit sorry. He saw the clockwork mouse in the corner and went up to him. " You don't need your tail! " he said. " What does

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a mouse like you want with a tail? You don't hang yourself up by it as Micky the monkey does. You don't wag it like the dog does. Give it to me! " He pulled hard at the little mouse-tail. It came off with a snap and the mouse gave a squeal. " My tail's off! He's pulled it off! Oh, oh, I do feel dreadful. I'm cold without my tail. He's pulled it off! ' Benny walked about the nursery holding the mouse-tail behind him, seeing how it looked. The toys ran and took it from him. In the fight a bit of the tail was pulled off, and when the little clockwork mouse at last got it back again it was shorter than before. He was very sad. " I shall look funny with such a short tail! I shall feel funny, too. Oh, you wicked bear! ' The toys looked angrily at Benny. This was getting very serious. Nobody's tail would be safe if Benny went on like this! The golliwog and

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the doll felt glad they had no tails to be pulled off. The black dog and the pink cat looked round at their own tails to make sure they were safe. The pink cat sat down hard on hers, and the black dog backed into the door of the doll's house, so that his tail was safely in the hall. " I shall get a tail somehow," said the tiresome bear. " I shall, so there! " " You will not! " said the golly, who was busy sticking the mouse's tail on again. "I will! "said the bear. " You will not!" said the golly. " I WILL! " said Benny, and everyone felt certain that he would. Tiresome people so often get their own way. It was very annoying. The golliwog sat and thought hard. He was very good at thinking, and out of his thoughts there came a little plan. He went to tell it to the others. " We'd better give Benny a tail! " he said. " If we don't he'll steal one again, and make somebody unhappy. We'll give him oneand make him tired of it very quickly! " " How? " asked the big doll. ' You'll see," said the golly. He went off to the string-box and pulled out quite a long bit of string. He took the scissors and snipped it into three bits. Then he got the big doll to hold the bits for him whilst he

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knotted them at the top, and then plaited them neatly. He knotted them again at the bottom, so that the plait wouldn't come undone. " There! " he said. " That will make a fine tail! " He called the bear to him. " Look, Benny," he said, " here is a fine tail for you. It is nice and long and strong, and I daresay if you are good-tempered it will grow a fine wag in it. Shall I get the big doll to sew it on for you? ' " Oooh, yes! " said Benny, in delight. ' My word, it's splendid, isn't it? Hurry, big doll, and sew it on." The big doll did sew it on, very firmly indeed. The bear was terribly pleased with it. It hung down behind him exactly like a real tail, and he could even swing it a little from side to side. "It's the finest tail in the nursery! '' said the bear, boastfully. " It isn't," said the monkey, and he hung himself upside down on his, swinging from a chair-back very gracefully.

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" It is," said the bear. The monkey frowned and went to the golliwog. " Why do you give him a tail? " he asked. " It only makes him worse than ever." " Wait till he's asleep," whispered the golly. So the toys waited. And, as soon as Benny was fast asleep, the golly did a very queer thing. He climbed up to the nursery cupboard, where Nurse kept the nursery jam and honey and sugar and biscuitsand he dipped the spoon into the honey! He climbed down carefully and went to the sleeping bear. He dabbed honey on Benny's new tailall down it, sweet honey that smelt fine. Then back he went with the spoon. Now, the next day, as Golly very well knew, the children were going to take their toys into the garden and give them a picnic. That was what Golly was waiting for ! The toys were all taken out in a bunch and set on the grass. Then the children ran back to get the tea-things. " Get up and show the birds your tail, Benny," cried the golly. So the bear got upbut no sooner had he walked more than a few steps than the bees smelt the honey on his tail! " Zzzzzzzz! " Down flew a honey-bee at once, and settled on Benny's tail! " Zzzoooom! Down flew anotherand anotherand another. Benny squealed and ran away down the path. The bees flew after him, buzzing loudly.

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" Go away, go away! " shouted Benny. " ZZZZoooom! " hummed the bees, and buzzed all round him. Soon there were twenty or more, trying to settle on his tail to take the honey. Benny couldn't understand it, for he had no idea that the golly had dabbed his tail with honey. He ran here and there, squealing. " They're after your tail, Benny, they're after your tail! " shouted the golly. " Sit down on it! " So Benny sat down on his tail, but the bees buzzed round him all the more, trying to get at the honey. He got up and ran away again, trying to hit the bees as they flew near. One stung him on the nose, and he began to sob. "Oh, I'm stung! Oh, the bees are after me! Oh, Golly, Golly, cut off my tail, quickly! Please, please do! The bees will sting me to death." He ran to the golliwog. But Golly shook his head. " No, Benny," he said. " You wanted a tail. You took the monkey's tail, and the mouse's,

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too. Now we've given you one of your own. You must keep it." " I don't want a tail, I don't want a tail," wailed Benny. " Take it away. Oh, oh, there are two bees on it now. Quick, pull my tail off, Golly. PULL IT OFF! " " NO! " said Golly. " You wanted a tail, you've got one, and you can keep it. Don't be tiresome! " " You'd only want another tail if we took away the one you've got," said the big doll. " I wouldn't," said the bear. " You would," said the doll. " I WOULDN'T," said Benny. The big doll said no more, but turned away. The bear ran after her, a score of bees buzzing round him. " I'm sorry I talked like that, I'm sorry I took other people's tails, I'm sorry I'm such a tiresome bear! " he wept. " Take this tail away and give me another chance. I'll be better, I promise I'll be better."

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" Well, we'll see," said the big doll. She took hold of the bear's tail, and pulled at it hard, till all the stitches broke, and the tail came away. She threw it to the bees, who at once fastened on it, sipping the honey eagerly. The bear gave a yell, because it hurt him to have his tail pulled off like that. He rubbed himself, sat down and wept loudly. " You're a baby," said the golly. " I'm not," wept the bear. " You ARE! " said the golly. And for once in a way the bear didn't answer back again. He sat and watched the bees on his old tail. It was all very strange. Bees didn't go after anyone else's tail. Why should they go after his? He saw the golly and the big doll laughing together, but they wouldn't tell him why. " I suppose it's because I'm just a tiresome bear," thought Benny, sadly. " Well, I won't be tiresome any more. I won't! I won't! " But you will, Benny, you will, you will !

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Answer see page 46

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Every day old Mother Din-Dan went off to work for this one and that one. She was a kind old woman, and she didn't mind what she did. She would take Mrs. Jinky's baby out for a walk. She would look after Old Man Downy. She would shop for Dame Totter, who had a bad foot. She used to shut her cottage door but not lock it when she went out to work. Surely nobody would rob a poor old woman ! But somebody did. Somebody slipped in when she was out, sat in her chair, read her paper, and ate her biscuits from the tin. Who was it? Nobody knew! Nobody saw anyone walk up the little garden path at all. But each day when Mother Din-Dan came home she saw that her paper was moved, two or three more biscuits were taken from her tinand once she saw that the Somebody had made himself a cup of tea and hadn't even washed up the cup and saucer and teapot! " It's too bad," said the old woman. ;' It really is. I've so little money for biscuits and teaand here's somebody taking mine without asking! The next time, the Somebody went into the larder and ate a little jamtart. Mother Din-Dan could have cried because she had made that for her supper when she came home very hungry. She hurried out to Mrs. Honey, the Bee-woman, who lived just across the road. " Mrs. Honey! ' she cried, " will you just keep an eye on my front gate, please, and watch who goes in when I'm out? Every day somebody slips in and sits in my chair and reads my paper and eats my food. If I find out who it is I'll hand him over to Mr. Plod, the policeman."

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" I'll watch for you," promised Mrs. Honey. " And if I see the scoundrel I'll call after him, and tell him I know who it is! And I'll run around to Mr. Plod's myself and fetch him." Well, Mrs. Honey sat at her window knitting all day long, watching for people to come down the street and turn in at Mother Din-Dan's front gate. But she didn't see anyone, though once or twice the gate swung open and back. "Must be the wind," thought Mrs. Honey, looking up when she heard the click-click. " There's nobody gone in or out! " But will you believe it, when Mother Din-Dan came in that day, tired out and hungry, she saw that somebody had been sitting in her chair again, Somebody had read her paper and thrown it on to the floor, and Somebody had eaten the little meat-pie in the larder and two of her ginger biscuits from the tin on the mantelpiece. What a shame! "Well, I tell you, Mother Din-Dan, nobody has been into your cottage at all," said Mrs. Honey. " I sat by my window all the day and watched. Not even the postman went in." " Then whoever it is must make himself invisible," said Mother Din-Dan. " That's it! The little pest! I wonder who it is? 'J " You'll never catch anyone who's invisible," said Mrs. Honey. " Never." " Oh, yes, I will, if it takes me all day to think out a way! " said Mother Din-Dan. So she thought very hard when she went out to work the next day, and by tea-time she had planned how to catch that wicked little thief. She went to her old sister, Dame Sharp-Eyes, and told her all about the thief. " He's invisible, so I can't catch him, nor anyone else either," she said to her sister. " But your Grabbit chair can catch him, sister! The one with the arms and hands! Will you lend it to me? ': They both looked at the queer old chair in the corner.

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It had once been a magic chair, but now the magic was worn out. It had curious big hands at the ends of its arms, carved in wood. " If you'd just rub a little magic into the arms and hands," whispered Mother Din-Dan, " so that if anyone but me sits down in it the magic will work, and the hands will grab the person sitting in the chairwhy, then I'll be certain to catch the thief who goes to my house every day." " Why don't you lock the door of your cottage? " asked Dame SharpEyes, who didn't very much want to lend her magic Grabbit chair. " I haven't had a key for years," said Mother Din-Dan, " and, anyway, I want to catch the thief." " Very well. I'll rub a little magic into the Grabbit chair's arms and hands," said Dame Sharp-Eyes. " Then if anyone but you sits in it, it will grab the person and not let him go." So she rubbed a little yellow magic into the arms and hands of the Grabbit chair. It creaked a little and sighed. What! More work to do when it was so old! Mother Din-Dan carried it home to her cottage. She put her own chair up in her bedroom, and stood the Grabbit chair in its place. She put soft cushions there, and then looked round to see if the thief had been along that day. " Yes! All my little jam-tarts gone! Oh, wait till I catch him! " The next day she set off to work as usual and the Grabbit chair was left standing on the hearth-rug. And presently the thief came in quietly at the door. He went to the larder, and a little chocolate cake lifted

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itself in the air and disappeared. The invisible thief had taken it and eaten it! Then the thief went to the Grabbit chair. He sat down and opened the paper. Now for a little read. The magic in the chair began to work. The arms suddenly closed round the person in the chair and the hands held him tight. Oooooh! " Let go! " squealed the thief. " Let go! Oh, what is it? " The chair said nothing. It just held on with its hands and arms. The person in the chair wriggled and struggled, but it wasn't a bit of use. He was properly caught. " If you don't let me go I'll get up and run out of the cottage! " said the thief, at last. " Yes, and take you with me, too! ' The chair didn't make a sound. It just held on. The thief stood up and the chair rocked forward, but it didn't let go. Oh no, it held on tightly because it was quite enjoying itself now. The thief was frightened. How could he get rid of this awful chair? It would never do for Mother Din-Dan to come home and find the chair grabbing someoneand besides, the thief became visible again at night, and then everyone would know who he was! " I'm going out of the back door," said the thief, fiercely, to the chair. " Let go! If you don't, you'll have to come with me! " Well, the chair didn't mind that! It held on as tightly as ever. The thief staggered to the door, and the chair, holding on to him, came too, bumping along behind him. Bump-bump, bumpity-bump!

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Out of the back door they went. Down the garden-path to the lane at the end of the garden. Out into the lane. And there the chair met Mr. Hammer, the carpenter. He was most amazed to see an empty chair, with arms folded across itself, bumping along down the lane! " Hey! Stop! Why, it's an old Grabbit chair! " he cried. " Where are you going? " But the chair didn't stop, of course, because the thief, who was still in it, was hurrying away as fast as ever he could, dragging the chair behind him. " I'd better hide in the wood," thought the thief. " I'll have a crowd after me if I go along like this." So he hid in the wood until dark, and then he made his way unseen to his house at the end of the village. A very big house indeed, for the thief was no other than Mr. Bom-Bom, the mean and powerful goblin who frightened everyone in the village. He staggered into Ins sitting-room and sat back in the Grabbit chair. And now he could be seen, because the magic he used to make himself invisible each day was wearing off! What a mean-looking goblin! What cross eyes and what a disagreeable mouth! Ah, Bom-Bom, it's not a bit of good struggling! The Grabbit chair will never let go!

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All night long Bom-Bom had to sit in the chair and it was very uncomfortable. When the morning came, he was very, very frightened. " I'll have to drag this Grabbit chair behind me for the rest of my life! " he groaned. " Oh, what shall I do? Perhaps the magic will wear out and it will loosen its arms." But it held Bom-Bom tightly all the day, and Bom-Bom got very tired indeed of dragging the heavy old chair about wherever he went. And so, when evening came, he dragged it down to Mother DinDan's cottage, to beg her to use the spell that would loosen the arms. How ashamed he was! What a dreadful thing he had done, to go and rob a poor, hard-working old woman! And now everyone would know. Mother Din-Dan was sitting in her cottage with Mr. Plod, the policeman, because she felt quite sure the thief would have to come along soon to beg her to loosen the chair's arms. And, sure enough, there was the chair, dragging up the front path. "Why! It's Mr. Bom-Bom inside it! " cried Mother Din-Dan. " Oh, shame on you, Bom-Bom! You wicked, mean old fellow! Mr. Plod, take him away and then tell the Grabbit chair to go back to my sister." Well, Mr. Bom-Bom was hauled off to the police-station by the chair, with Mr. Plod walking beside him, chuckling. When BomBom was safely in prison, the chair hopped off to Dame Sharp-Eyes, very pleased with itself. Nobody ever walked into Mother Din-Dan's house again when she was out. As for BomBom, he was so ashamed of himself that he sold his house, sent twenty pounds to Mother Din-Dan and disappeared. People do say that there are still a few Grabbit chairs left, but they are usually only to be found in old, old shops. You'll always know a Grabbit chair by the carved wooden hands at the ends of the arms. I do hope you find one some day.

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Mr. Storm-Around was a terrible nuisance. He lived in Cheery Village, and he upset everyone with his silly tempers. He was always stamping about and shouting, and the people in the village were really afraid of him. He had arrived one morning, with a very big bag, and taken Little Cottage, not far from the duck-pond. He had come from a very hot country, and he was as brown as an acorn. He kept grumbling because Cheery Village wasn't as hot as the land he had come from. "Well, go back to it, then," said Keeky, the chief of Cheery Village. " Why don't you? It's autumn now, and fairly warm. It will be really cold in the winter." " Then I shall get in thousands of logs," said Mr. Storm-Around, and set about cutting down some of the nicest trees in the woods. " You mustn't do that! " said Keeky. " We like those trees." Mr. Storm-Around flew into a rage. He shot up to twice his height which was a very alarming habit he had when he was cross. He began to shout. " I SHALL DO WHAT I LIKE! I AM VERY POWERFUL. BE CAREFUL! " Keeky went off in a hurry. Dear meMr. Storm-Around must know a lot of magic if he could make himself twice the size like that. Suppose he made himself into a giant and trod on Cheery Village? That wouldn't be nice at all. The winter came. Mr. Storm-Around shivered and shook in spite of

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his log fires. Then the snow came. He had never seen snow before and he was astonished to see everywhere covered with a soft white blanket. He went to get water from his well. It was frozen! He could get no water at all because of the hard layer of ice on top. " What's this? Someone's been putting glass on my well! All right. I'll get water from the pond, then!" But the pond was covered with ice, too! Mr. Storm-Around stared at it in a fine temper. He shot up to twice his size, and glared around him. He saw Keeky and a few others looking at him. " Look here! You've been messing about with spells of some sort. You've put this horrid white stuff all over the place, and you've put glass on my well and on the pondyes, and even in these puddles, too. How dare you! ' " We haven't," said Keeky, timidly. " That's snowand this is ice. I suppose where you came from you didn't have either." " Well, if you didn't put it here, who did? " roared Mr. StormAround. Keeky didn't know. "It just comes," he said. " The snow falls out of the sky and the ice appears on the water. It happens all of a sudden." " Oh, it does, does it? " said Mr. Storm-Around angrily. " Well, see that it goes, will you? I'm not going to walk about in this horrible slushy stuff, nor am I going to put up with glass on my well. You must remove it all."

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" Take it away yourself," said Keeky. " If you're as powerful as you make out, you can surely do that." " Well, I can't," said Mr. Storm-Around. " And what is more, if you don't take it away I shall trample Cheery Village under my big feet. See? " He stalked away. Keeky looked at everyone in despair. " What are we to do? " he said. " Nobody can take away snow or ice from all over the village! " We could sweep the snow away from around Mr. Storm-Around's house," said somebody. " And we could pour hot water down his well so that it would melt the ice. Fancy calling it glass! He's really very silly." " Yes. That wouldn't matter if he wasn't so very big," said Keeky. "He's quite ready to trample down our village in a temper, I can see that! Well, we'd better sweep away the snow round his house, and melt the ice in his well. Then perhaps he will be satisfied."

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So twelve of the villagers went to sweep away the snow, and three of them poured boiling water down the well to melt the ice. By the time night came there was no snow near Mr. Storm-Around's house or garden, and he could draw water from his well again. "Just in time, too! " he grumbled. " I'd just made myself big enough to tread on every house and smash it up!" " Nice fellow, isn't he? " said Keeky to the others, in a whisper. They laughed. Mr. Storm-Around was just about the most unpleasant person they had ever met! They were all very tired when they went home, but pleased to think that Mr. Storm-Around wouldn't fly into a rage and spoil their lovely little village. But alas! The next morning when everyone awoke they saw that there had been a fresh fall of snow! The whole village was deeper than ever in snow, and ice was thicker on the pond than before. " Now what will Mr. StormAround say? " groaned Keeky. Well, he said a lot. That is, he shouted till the chimney-pots trembled on the roofs, and he stamped till every house shook. " Look at this! " roared Mr. Storm-Around, pointing to his house and garden. " Roof thick with snowgarden deep in itglass on my well again! I tell you I won't have it. Get rid of it at once." " We can't," said Keeky in despair. " It would take far too long to clear it all away for youand as fast as we unfreeze the water it would freeze up again."

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" Unless it's all gone by the day after to-morrow, I'll make myself six times my size and do a dance over the village! " said Mr. Storm-Around, and he meant it. The villagers held a hurried meeting. What in the world could they do? This was dreadful. One of them looked up at the sky. It had been very grey and heavy, but now it looked a little lighter. The wind, too, seemed a little warmer. " You know," said Jinks, the pixie, who was looking up at the sky, " you know, I believe there is better weather coming. I shouldn't be surprised if the snow's all gone by the day after to-morrow." Keeky looked hopefully at him. " Really? Let's go to the old weatherman in the next village, and ask him. He'll know! ' So they went to old Look-at-the-Sky, the weather-man, and asked him. He nodded his head. " Yes, yes," he said, " the weather is on the change! Not to-night, but to-morrow night the change will come. Warm winds will blow from the south. The snow will melt away. The ice will vanish. Ah, it's like magic when the weather changes all in a hurry." " Yeslike magic . . ." said Keeky, beginning to think hard. " I say! If what the old weather-man says is true, and we could be absolutely sure that the snow would go and the ice would melt to-morrow night, we could play a wonderful trick on Mr. Storm-Around and frighten him terribly! " " How? " asked everyone, and even old Look-at-the-Sky stopped gazing upwards for a minute and stared at Keeky.

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" Well, listen," said Keeky. " I could dress up as a great enchanter. I could go along and bang at Mr. Storm-Around's door and tell him I'm going to get rid of the ice and snow for him that nightand when it does all go before morning, and he thinks I'm very powerful indeed, I'll threaten to make him vanish, too, for being so horrid to Cheery Village! " " And he'll be so scared of you that he'll run away and perhaps never come back! " cried Jinks. " It's a marvellous idea, Keeky! ' So, on the night after, there came a terrific banging at Mr. StormAround's door. He leapt up in a fright. Whoever could this be? He opened the door. Outside stood somebody in a flowing red cloak and a high enchanter's hat. It was Keeky, of course, all dressed up, but Mr. StormAround didn't know that. " Good evening," said Keeky, in a very deep voice. " I've come in answer to the villagers' call for someone powerful enough to remove the ice and snow from this village." " Oheryes," said Mr. Storm-Around. " Won't you come in? ': " Certainly not," said Keeky. " I hear that you are not at all a nice person. I should hate to come into your house. I shall do my magic outside." " How dare you talk to me like that? ': shouted Mr. Storm-Around.

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Keeky at once pointed his stick at him and began to jabber a string of peculiar words. Mr. Storm-Around went pale. " Stop! " he said. " I didn't mean it. Do your magic on the ice and snow, not on me. But I warn you, Enchanter, that if you don't remove all this mess, I shall catch you and put you down my well! ' " Watch me do the magic! " said Keeky, and he went into the garden with his cloak blowing out around him. Mr. Storm-Around followed him. Then Keeky did the most extraordinary things. He leapt about in the snow. He took handfuls of it and threw it into the air. Quite a lot of it went down Mr. Storm-Around's neck, but he didn't dare to say a word. All the time Keeky shouted out words that sounded very magic indeed. Then he broke some ice from a puddle and threw that all round him, too. Two big pieces hit Mr. Storm-Around, but he still didn't say a word. At last Keeky stopped. There you are," he said, " I've done the spell. To-morrow morning all the ice and snow will be gone. Good evening! '

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He skipped off, giggling; and in the night, when the wind turned very warm indeed, there came a gurgling and a bubbling everywhere as the snow melted into water. The ice vanished, too, and when Mr. Storm-Around awoke and looked out of his window there was not a scrap of snow or ice to be seen! He quite thought that it was all because of Keeky! " Wonderful fellow! Very, very powerful," said Mr. Storm-Around in great admiration. " I'd like him for my friend." Keeky arrived at the door a little later. He banged loudly. Mr. StormAround opened it, his face all smiles. " Wonderful! " he said. " Marvellous! I should like to be friends with a person like you, Enchanter." Keeky looked as black as a thunder-cloud. " Ho! " he said. " You would, would you? Well let me tell you that I wouldn't be friends with a horrid creature like you if I was given all the magic in the world to play

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about with! I've come to tell you that I've been hearing bad things about youand I think it's about time I madejyw disappear, too! I can easily use the same spell as I used for the ice and snow." " Good gracious! Don't do that! " cried Mr. Storm-Around in alarm. " I'm going for my breakfast now," said Keeky, " but after that I'll be back. I don't like doing magic before breakfast because it takes away my appetitebut you'll see me here afterwards, ready to say the spell to get rid of you! Aha! Oho! I'm going to have some fun! ' Trying not to giggle, Keeky hurried off. He felt certain that Mr. Storm-Around would run away at once! He wouldn't wait for anyone to come back and weave a spell on him! Everyone peeped from their windows to see what Mr. Storm-Around would do when Keeky was out of sight. He rushed out and got a barrow from his shed. He piled all kinds of things into it. He packed two large bags and a small one.

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He put everything on his barrow and then set oflf down the street at top speed. He wasn't going to wait till Keeky had had his breakfast. Not he! "Good old Keeky! Clever old Keeky! " said everyone that day. " Storm-Around's gone and he'll never come back. You can take his house for yourself, Keeky. You deserve it! ' So Keeky moved into it at once because he felt perfectly certain that Mr. Storm-Around had gone for ever. And so he had! Answer to Puzzle on Page 20 1 Charles. 2. Thomas. 3. Margaret. 6. Anthony. 7. Marian. 8. Donald. 4. Rosemary. 5. Michael.

Answer to Puzzle on Page 30 Needle.

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Answer see page 121

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Tom and Leonard were the two most annoying boys in the whole school. The girls were afraid of them, and the boys disliked them. They were always playing silly tricks on the girls, bringing mice to school to scare them, and hiding round corners to jump out at them. They fought the boys, because both Tom and Leonard were big and strong, and liked using their fists. " They're a perfect nuisance! " said Jack, who was getting tired of hearing his little sister complain of being jumped out on, on her way to school. " We shall have to do something about them." But what? Tom and Lennie were always together, and they were a horrid pair to tackle. They didn't seem to care for anything or anyone. What was to be done? And then Jessie thought of something. " Can't we give them such a fright that they'll be afraid to do things to us? " she said. " My mother says that bullies are always cowards at heart so we might be able to scare them." " Yes. Then we could laugh at them and point our fingers at them, and jeer just as they do to us," said Harry. " It would teach them a lesson. But how are we going to frighten them? Are they frightened of anything? I don't think so." There was a silence. " Wouldn't they even be afraid of giants? " said a little girl. Everyone laughed. " Well," said Jack, " I daresay they would be, if we could produce any. But we can't. I don't believe there are any giants nowadays."

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" I can make myself into a giant," said the little girl, unexpectedly. Everyone stared at her in surprise. " What do you mean? " said Harry. " WellI'll show you," said Katie, and she got up. " I only live next door, so I won't be long. I'll make you laugh! ' She hurried off. In three minutes' time the children heard a curious tap-tapping noise, and round the corner camea giantess! They all leapt to their feet in surprise. Then they laughed. Katie was walking on stilts, very cleverly indeed. She had put on a very long skirt, so that the stilts were partly hidden. " Oh, Katie! Can you walk on stilts? You never told us! " cried the children. " I've got a pair, and so have my two big brothers and my sister," said Katie. " We can all walk on them very well indeed. And what I'm wondering is, shall I get them to come with me one evening when it's dark, and hide round a corner, waiting on our tall stilts, and give Tom and Leonard a really terrible fright? Surely they will think we are giants! " " Oh, yesit's a wonderful idea! " cried Harry, and everyone agreed. So they began to work out a plan. Katie's two big brothers and sister, and Katie, too, should wrap sheets round themselves to make their legs look very, very long, and should wait round a dark corner on their stilts for Tom and Leonard. " You know, Tom and Lennie always wait round Brown's Corner to jump out at me and Pam," said Janet. " I know what we'll do. We'll come walking down, so that they'll think just us two girls are comingand then we'll pop into

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the hedge and Katie and the others on stilts can take our place. What a terrible shock for Tom and Lennie! " " Serve them right," said Jack. " It will give them the sort of shock they are always giving other people. It will be a ^al lesson to them. How I shall laugh! I shall hide myself somewhere to watch." " My house is just opposite that corner," said Kenneth. " You can all come and watch from the windowexcept those who are in the performance! " Well, two evenings later, when it was just beginning to get dark, Tom and Lennie were watching round a corner for Pam and Janet to come along. The little girls always went to a sewing meeting that night, and the boys knew it. Tom peeped round and saw the little girls coming. " They're coming! " he said to Lennie. " What a fright we'll give them! " But Janet and Pam had slipped aside into the hedge, and out of the hedge had come four enormously tall figures! They were Katie and her family on stilts! They stalked down to the cornerand out at them jumped Tom and Lennie! What a fright the two boys got! " Who are these two bad boys? " said one of Katie's brothers, in a deep, hollow voice. " Let's eat them." " I could do with a meal," said another brother in an even deeper voice. ** Giants want good meals! " Tom and Lennie gave shrieks of horror and fled down the road. ''*No, no! Don't eat us! No, no! "

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The giants went after them tap-tapping on the pavement, almost collapsing with laughter. As for the children watching from Kenneth's window, they rolled about with glee. How wonderful the giants had looked in the twilight! How fast Tom and Lennie had run away! Next day Tom and Lennie seemed very quiet indeed. They didn't tease anyone, or do any bullying at all. " What's the matter? " said Harry to them. ' Have you had a fright? You didn't see the giants, did you? ' "Giants! Yeswe did see some last night," said Tom, growing pale. " What do you know about them? ' " Oh, nothing muchbut we know they were after bad boysboys who bully and tease," said Ham-. " Katie knows them quite well," said Janet. ' I shouldn't be surprised if she told them to lie in wait for you." " I did," said Katie, with a squeal of laughter. " And they said they

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had a lovely time frightening you. But they couldn't catch you to eat you." " Do theydo they really eat boys then? " asked Lennie, scared. " Why not let them catch you next time, and then you'll see if you're eaten or not," said Katie. " You see, they are only after horrid children, so it's no good us waiting about for them. They're after you two boys." Well, that was quite enough for Tom and Lennie. They turned over a new leaf, and were quite different. Jessie's mother had been quite right when she said that bullies are always cowards at hearttheir fright taught them a lesson, and they never scared or bullied anyone again. I would have loved to see those " giants ", wouldn't you? Wasn't it a good idea of Katie's?

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Do you know that you can make dear little baskets out of thick paper? Thin cardboard is even better if you want a stronger basket. Mark off squares on a piece of paper about 8 inches wide by 6 inches long, as shown. Cut where you see the dark lines. Now fold up the cut-out middle squares, and fold squares next to them so that they go across the cut-out squares, as you will see has been done in the drawing of the basket. You can keep the end-squares in place by using gummed paper, or paper fasteners. Make a handle from a strip of the thick paper or cardboard, and fold over as shown, keeping the ends in place by gummed paper or paper fasteners. Now put sweets inside. If you use coloured paper the basket will look very pretty. You can easily make a dozen of these for a birthday party tea-table.

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Jinky the gnome came rushing down the village street, shouting at the top of his voice: " The Green Goblin has got Pippy and Tickles and Hoho! He's caught them and taken them to his castle! " Everyone came running out to hear the bad news. " That goblin! We've had nothing but bad luck ever since he came to our village," said Dame Shuffle. " However are we to rescue Pippy and the others? " said Old Man Spectacles. " He'll shut them up in his castle and keep them prisoners for always. He'll never let them out, never! ' " We're none of us safe nowadays," said Mother Bonnet. " That goblin! I'd like to have him here this very minute. I'd give him such a whacking with my stick." " You wouldn't. You'd run to your cottage, shut the door, and bolt it," said Dame Shuffle. " We're all scared of him, and that's the truth." " Yes, we are," said Jinky. " But scared or not, somehow we've got to rescue our friends." But that wasn't going to be easy! The green goblin locked them up in his castle on the hill outside the village, and wouldn't let them out at all. They had to help him with his spells, cook his meals, sweep his floors and make his bed. How they hated it! A little mouse lived in a hole behind the kitchen wall. Pip asked him to take a note to Jinky for him. The mouse disappeared with it, and faithfully delivered it to Jinky.

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Jinky read the note. " Please, please think of some way to save us. We can't even get out into the garden and if we did there is a high wall round. What can we do? Please do think of some way to save us." Jinky showed the note to everyone, and the village held a meeting about it. " Now, we must all think hard," said Jinky. " Shut your eyes, everyone, and think." They were sitting there with their eyes shut when they heard a bang. It made them jump. They all opened their eyes and gazed round. A little elf called Tricky was trying his hardest not to laugh. Jinky pounced on him. ' Was it you that made that bang? What was it? You naughty elf, making us all jump like that! ' " Please, Jinky, it was only a firework," said Tricky, trying to wriggle away. :' It's Guy Fawkes' Day soon, you know, and I've got some fireworks. Boys and girls have them on Firework Night, so I didn't see why I shouldn't have some, too." Jinky shook the elf hard and he cried. But then an idea slipped into Jinky's mind and he dropped the little elf and began to think about it. " I say!" he said at last. " I say, I've got an idea! I don't know if it will work. But if it does it will get the missing pixies out into the goblin's gardenand with a bit of luck, right over the wall, too! ' " What's your idea? " cried everyone, excited. " Tell us, Jinky." " Well," said Jinky, " we'll send a fine big box of fireworks to the green goblin. I don't expect he'll know what they are, so the pixies will tell They were sitting there with their eyes shut when they heard a bang. It made them jump.

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him. They can offer to set them off for himand when the rockets go flying up into the air they can go with them high over the wall! " " Oh! What a very, very good idea! " said Dame Shuffle. "Couldn't be better," said Old Man Spectacles. "We'll try it!" said Mother Bonnet. " But we must send a message by the mouse to tell the pixies what we are doing. Then they will know what they must do, too." So they sent a note by the mouse: " The green goblin will receive a present of fireworks. You can explain what they are and offer to set them off in the garden. " Hold on to the rockets and go up into the air with them. You will soon be over the wall and back again with us! ' When the three pixies got this note they were very excited. They kept an eye on the green goblin's post, and one day they saw him with a big brown-paper parcel. " What is that, Master? " asked Hoho. The green goblin pulled off the paper and string. He stared at the gaily covered lid of the box and then he opened the box. " What are these? " he said, in surprise, when he saw the collection of squibs, Catherine wheels, Roman candles, rockets and other things. " Fireworks for Firework Night," said Hoho. " Surely you have heard of Firework Night, Goblin? It is a night of bangs and pops and bonfires everywhere. It is really a treat belonging to the world of boys and girls, but some of us Little Folk like to share it too." " But what happens to these things? " said the goblin, picking up a rocket.

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" Be careful! " shouted Hoho, making the goblin drop the rocket in alarm. " Unless you know how to use those fireworks you may damage yourself. Be careful! ' " When is Firework Night? " asked the goblin. " To-morrow," said Pippy. " How I wish we were going to be at home, and set off fireworks and light a bonfire." " Ohdo you know how to set these things off then?" asked the goblin, eagerly. " You shall set them going for me to-morrow night." " But you won't let us go out into the garden," said Tickles. " We can't let them off indoors." " Well, I'll let you go out to-morrow night," said the goblin. " But I shall put magic into the high wall so that not one of you can climb it and escape! ' " We shan't try to climb it," said Hoho, and winked slyly at the other two pixies. " We'll just have fun setting off the fireworks. You can watch from the window, Master. You'll be quite safe indoors! '

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So the next night the three pixies hurried out into the garden with the fireworks, and plenty of matches. " We'll set off the Catherine wheels first," said Hoho. " They will please the goblin. Then the Roman candles. Then some coloured fire." So they began. The wheels whizzed round like circles of flame, and the goblin cheered. He liked the Roman candles, too, though he jumped when they began, and almost ran to hide himself under the bed. He thought everything was wonderful. He kept knocking on the window and shouting, " More! More! ' " Now for the rockets," said Tickles. " Here they are. Almost as big as we are ourselves. Now see what I'm going to do. I'll put a big one here with its stick in the ground. And another one over here. And the third one here." " Shall we each go to one and hold it? " asked Hoho. " Yes. I'll come and light yours first, Pippy," said Tickles. " Then yours, Hoho. And when you have both flown safely up into the air, I'll light my own and follow you. Now, don't be frightened when the rocket bursts into stars. Keep hold of the stick and let it take you safely over the wall, up into the air, and then down to the ground outside! ' He did just as he said. First he lighted Pippy's rocket and up it went with a terrific WHOOOOSH! Then he lighted Hoho's, and up went that pixie too.

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And then he lighted his own. WHOOOOSH! He flew up as well, and the watching goblin cheered and yelled. Each rocket burst into a great shower of coloured stars. After that there was silence. No more fireworks. No more bangs and pops. No more shouts from the pixies in the garden. They were not there! The goblin got bored. He threw up the window. " Get on with the fireworks! What's the matter with you? There are plenty more rockets." There was no answer. In a rage the goblin ran out into the garden. There was nobody there! He hunted everywhere with his big lantern, but the pixies had gone. Where? How? It was the biggest puzzle the green goblin had ever known. He caught sight of a big glare down in the village. Good gracious, whatever could it be? Was a house on fire? He hurried down to the village to see. It was, of course, the bonfire built to burn the guyand you can imagine what guy the villagers

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were burning! Yes, it was a green goblin guy, of course, as like the real goblin as one pea is to another. Before he reached the bonfire, what did the goblin see but the three pixies dancing about like mad, overjoyed at being free once more! They had fallen to earth outside the wall, with the rocket-sticks, and had scampered down to the village to join the fun. The goblin gave a roar. " Hi, you ! Come back to my castle at once! " There was a howl of fright from everyone. The goblin ran after the three pixies and came up to the bonfire. What was that sitting in a chair in the middle of the flames, burning away merrily? The green goblin stared at the guy in dismay. " It's me! I'm in that chair in the flames! They're burning me, the green goblin! Oh! Oh, I'll soon be burnt to nothing! Let me go, let me go! " "He thinks he's the goblin in the fire! He thinks he's looking at himself! " goggled Hoho. " Run, green goblin, run! Before you're burnt to bits! " The green goblin ran. How he ran! You couldn't see his legs, he ran so fast. He didn't stop running till he got to the Land of Goodness Knows Where, and there he stayed. He looked at himself all over. Was he burnt? Was he all right? He'd never, never, go back to that pixie village again! He didn't. So the pixies took the castle for their own, and they give parties in it whenever anyone has a birthday. When is yours? Let them know and maybe they'll send you an invitation!

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Answer see page 121

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Susan was a sulky little girl. You know what sulky means, don't you? It's when you are cross and won't smile or talk nicely and your mouth turns down instead of up. Well, Susan was nearly always like that. Everyone called her Sulky Susan. " Susan's in the sulks again !" her friends said, when they saw her mouth turning down. " Look at her! Poor old Susan! ' One day an old man met Susan running down the lane. She didn't look where she was going and she bumped into him, bang! He was quite astonished, and so was Susan. : ' Little girl, you should really look where you are going," said the old man. " You might have hurt yourself and me too." Now any other child would have said, " Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll look next time." But not Susan! Oh no! She didn't say a word, but just went into one of her sulks. She stared up at the old man, her mouth sulky and her forehead one big frown. " Bless us all! " said the old man, laughing. " Where did you get that dreadful face, little girl? " That made Susan sulk even moreand then she saw something that made her heart begin to beat rather fast. The old man had pointed earsand behind his glasses his eyes shone green. Susan knew enough fairy-tales to know that this old man wasn't an ordinary fellow. No, he must belong to the fairy folk.

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She had better be careful! She was just going to run away when the old man took her arm. She tried to wriggle off but it was no use. ' Now I'd just like you to meet someone," he said in a very pleasant voice. :i Come along. She lives not far away." Susan had to go with him. He turned down a runny crooked street that Susan had never seen before and knocked on the door of a house. A girl about fourteen years old opened the door. Susan thought she had a most unpleasant face. She frowned at them, and spoke in a sharp voice. " What do you want? : " Only to see you for a moment," said the old man. : Susan dear this is Susan Hill, aged fourteen. Do you like her? Now Susan Hill was Susan's own name. Wasn't it queer? Susan stared at the big girl and thought she was simply horrid. She looked so very

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cross. She had pretty hair, golden like Susan's, and a dimple in her chin, just like Susan's, too. Her nose was larger than Susan's but it was just the same shape. In fact, she might have been Susan's bigger sister. " Well, if you've finished staring at me I'll shut the door," said Susan Hill in a cross voice, and she slammed the door hard. The old man turned to Susan. " Did you like her? " he asked. " Not a bit," said Susan, still sulking. " Well, there's someone else I'd like you to meet, too," said the old man, and he took Susan down another street. He called to a young woman who was hanging out clothes in a garden. She was about twenty-one, and from the back she looked pretty and young, for she had fine yellow hair that was like a golden mist round her head. The old man called to her. " Come and meet a little friend of mine." The young woman turned and what a shock Susan got. She wasn't at all pretty from the front, because her face was so sulky and cross. Her mouth turned down and she had three wrinkles across her pretty forehead. "This young woman is called Susan Hill," said the old man to little Susan. " Shake hands." " I haven't time to waste bothering with children! " said the young woman crossly. " I've all these

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things to peg up on the line." Susan stared at the cross young woman, puzzled. She was so like the young girl she had just seen, but olderand her name was Susan Hill, too. How funny! " Do you like her? " asked the old man. " No," said Susan. " She's so cross-looking. I thought she was going to be so pretty and nice from the back, but from the front she was horrid." " You're right," said the old man. " There seem to be a lot of people living about here with the same name as mine," said Susan. " Are there any more? ': " I can show you two more if you like," said the old man. " Look, here comes one! " Down the street came a rather fat and ugly woman. She would not have been so ugly if only she had smiled, because her hair was so pretty and soft round her face, and there was a dimple in her chin that could have gone in and out when she smiled. But she really was a most unpleasant

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woman, for she had lines from her nose to her chin, her mouth was turned right down, and she frowned all the time. Susan thought she was horrid. :' It's funny that none of the Susan Hills are married," she said. " Not so very funny really," said the old man. " Nobody likes sulky people, or unkind people, do they? So why should anyone want to marry them? I wouldn't." Susan began to feel a little uncomfortable. She thought that all this was very queer indeed. She wished she could go home. " Where is the other Susan Hill? " she asked, after they had walked a good way. " There she is, coming along tap-tap-tapping with a stick!" said the old man. Susan lookedand, dear me, she nearly ran away in alarm! A most cross-looking old dame was coming along the road. Her face was thin and wrinkled, her mouth was cross, her eyes had almost disappeared under the wrinkles that had come with frowning. " That's Susan Hill," said the old man. " How do you like yourself all through your life, Susan? It is yourself you have been looking at, you know . . . Susan Hill, aged 14. Susan Hill aged 21. Susan Hill aged 45, and Susan Hill aged 70. Do you think you will like to be her? " Susan stared at the old man in horror. " It can't be me! " she cried. "It can't! Oh, don't let me be like that! " " I can't help you, my child," said the old man. " You can only help yourself. You have the prettiest golden hair that is meant to frame a smiling face. You have blue eyes that should twinkle, and a pretty mouth that should turn up and not down.

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And you have a dimple in your chin that should always be there, all your life long. You make your own face, you know. Look at yours in the glass and see what it is like now! ' Susan looked up at the old man's green eyes, twinkling behind his glassesand then a very strange thing happened. She wasn't looking into those green eyesshe was looking into her own eyes! She was in her own bedroom, looking into her own little mirror. She saw her sulky face. She saw her eyes drooping at the corners. She saw her cross mouth turning down. She saw a very ugly little girl. " Now let's see the difference when I smile! " said Susan to herself. So she smiled into the glass. And the ugly child turned into a pretty one at once! The blue eyes lighted up and shone. The dimple danced in and out. The frown went. The mouth curved upwards and showed Susan's pretty white teeth. " It's like magic! " thought Susan. " Just like magic. My own magic.

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That old man said I could make my own faceand I will make it, too! I'll make it sweet and smiling, happy and prettynot like the faces of those dreadful Susan Hills he showed me. And I'll begin from this very, very minute!" So downstairs danced Susan, smiling all over her face. Her mother was too surprised to speak for a moment. Then she cried out in pleasure. " What's happened to you, child? I've never seen you look so sweet before! " WellI saw Susan yesterday, and she's a darling, with her twinkling eyes and her upturned mouth. And she'll still be a darling, no matter how old she grows. I hope you will, too! Go and look into the mirror when you are wearing a sulky faceand smile at yourself. You will be astonished at the magical change!

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There were not many toys small enough to get right into the dolls' house, because it was rather a little one. The golliwog couldn't possibly get in, and neither could the teddy bear. None of the big dolls could get through the door, and the pink cat could only get her head in. But the clockwork mouse could run in and out as he pleased, because he really was very small. The dolls' house dolls loved him. There were three of them. There was Fuzzy-Wuzzy, with very frizzy hair. There was Pinky, with a very pink face. And there was Smiley, who was very pretty indeed, and always had a nice smile for everyone. Now, the clockwork mouse was very fond of Smiley. She was the smallest of the three, and sometimes rode on his back. She wore a little red frock with a yellow sash and she had no other clothes at all. Fuzzy-Wnzey and Pinkv have plenty," she told the mouse. "They've got some in a wardrobe upstairs in our dolls' house. But they won't lend me any of them. And, you know, I would so like to wear a hat! ' '' A bat! ' said die mouse, surprised. ; But why? I've never worn a hat in m. life, and I certainly don't want to." " Oh, well, you're only a mouse," said Smiley, " and everyone knows that mice don't wear hats. But dolls do. And it's a great pity I haven't got one. You see, when the others are asked out to parties, they always put their hats onand I feel silly without one." ' Well, I think you'd look silly with one," said the clockwork mouse.

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' Fuzzy-Wuzzy does. Just think how she looks with that silly little hat stuck on top of her frizzy hair! " ' Well, I do so want one," said Smiley. " But I know I shall never, never get one! ' Now, the week after that it was Smiley's birthday. The toys were all fond of the little smiling doll, and they planned to give her presents she would like. " I shall give her the brooch I got out of the Christmas crackers," said the golliwog. That was a really lovely present! " And I shall give her half the ribbon that's tied round my neck," said the pink cat. " She'll like that." " And I shall give her a little marble I found at the back of the toy cupboard," said the teddy bear. That was nice of him, because he loved the little marble himself, and played with it like a ball. " Oh dearwhat shall I give her? " said the clockwork mouse. " I haven't got a single thing of my own." " Give her your key! " said the bear, with a giggle. " Don't be silly. What would be the use of that? " said the mouse. " She doesn't wind up! " " Well, give her your tail, then," said the golliwog. " Or your whiskers! '

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" You're just being stupid," said the mouse, offended. " You know that dolls don't wear tails or whiskers. Nowif I had a bat\ I'd love to give her that, because she wants one so badly. I suppose you don't know where I could get a hat? ': " Of course not," said the bear. " There aren't any hats here at all, except the ones the big dolls have got, and the ones belonging to Fuzzy and Pinky. But you couldn't give Smiley one of those. There would be a dreadful fuss." " I know," said the mouse. " Oh wellI suppose I shall think of something! ' He ran off. He thought he would go and have a chat with his friend the little house-mouse who lived down the hole in the wall. He was a small grey-brown fellow with very fine whiskers. Ill talk to Whiskers," said the clockwork mouse to himself. "Perhaps he will have a good idea for a birthday present." He went to the hole and squeaked for Whiskers. Whiskers came up smelling of cheese. " I'm just having my dinner," he said. " Have a

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crumb of cheese? What are you looking so gloomy about? Somebody trodden on your tail? ': " No," said the clockwork mouse. " I'm trying to think of a birthday present for Smiley, thats all, and I can't. It's rather worrying. You see, everybody is giving her something niceand I would like to give her something she would like the best of all. I am so fond of her, Whiskers." " Wellwhat about a bit of bacon rind? " said Whiskers. " I can find a bit of that." " Oh, Whiskersyou always say bacon rind or cheese whenever I ask you for ideas," said the clockwork mouse. " That wouldn't do at all." " Well, you think of something, then," said Whiskers. " What does Smiley want most of all? ': " She wants a hat!" said the clockwork mouse. " But that's just the one thing I can't get."

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" A hat " said Whiskers. " Well, there's one down my hole." The clockwork mouse stared at Whiskers as if he really couldn't believe his ears. A hat down the mouse-hole? Impossible! " Are you sure you know what a hat is? " he asked his friend at last. " Of course I do. It's something dolls and children wear on their heads, goodness knows why! " said Whiskers at once. " I tell you, there's one down my hole." " But what's a hat doing down your hole? " said the clockwork mouse, astonished. " How should I know? " said Whiskers. " It just came there. It rolled down. I left it, because there was nowhere to put it, and J didn't want to wear it." " What's it like? " asked the clockwork mouse, feeling sure that no hat had ever rolled down Whiskers' hole. " It's small and round and made of silver," said Whiskers. " Then it isn't a hat," said the clockwork mouse. " I thought it wasn't." " It is, I tell you," said Whiskers. " I'll fetch it, then you'll see." He disappeared. He came back carrying something in his mouth. He dropped it at the feet of the clockwork mouse. ' There you are! A very nice little hat. It only wants a bit of ribbon round it, and it would suit Smiley well! "

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The clockwork mouse looked at it. He didn't know what it wasbut really it was Mother's thimble! She had dropped it one day when she was sewing, and it had rolled and rolled, and then gone down the mouse-hole. But Mother didn't know. She had hunted everywhere for it, and so had Sally. " Oh, Mother, what a pitythe silver thimble Granny gave you long ago! " Sally had said. "It's lost! But surely it will turn up somewhere when the room is cleaned." But it didn't, because it was down the mouse-hole. And now here it was back in the nursery again, and the clockwork mouse hadn't the least idea what it was. " Wellit looks as if it might do for a hat! " he said. " It would just fit Smiley. I'll hunt about for a bit of ribbon to tie round it. One of the big dolls might give me a piece." "Good-bye, then," said Whiskers, and went back to his dinner of cheese. The clockwork mouse managed to get a narrow piece of yellow ribbon from one of the big dolls. He tied it neatly round the silver thimble in a bow. It really looked very nice. Then he thought of something else. He climbed up to the window-sill and waited for the robin to come along. He always came early in the morning. " I say, Robin," said the clockwork mouse, when he saw him, " could you possibly let me have a small red feather to trim a hat with? Do, please!" The robin didn't mind a bit. He pulled a tiny red feather from his breast and gave it to the mouse.

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" Oh, thank you," said the mouse, and went back to the thimble-hat. He stuck the feather into the ribbon. Dear me, what a wonderful hat! He did hope that Smiley wouldn't think it was too heavy to wear. He hid the hat just inside the mouse-hole so that nobody would guess his secret. He waited impatiently for Smiley's birthday to come, and at last it did. All the toys gave her their presents. She was delighted with the bear's marble. " It's my nicest present of all! " she said. And then the clockwork mouse came up with his present. " Many happy returns of the day, Smiley ! " he said. " Here's my present. You always said you wanted a hat, so here's one for you. I hope it fits." "Oh! A hat\ The very thing I've longed for!" cried Smiley, and fitted it on her head at once. Really, she looked sweet in it. The feather waved about as she walked. " It's beautiful; I feel very, very grand! " she said. " I shall wear it all day. It's my most beautiful present."

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The clockwork mouse was so pleased. He went red with joy right to the very tip of his tail. And when Smiley kissed him on each of his ears he felt as happy as if he was having a birthday too! But Smiley didn't wear the hat all day. It was too heavy! You see, it was made of silver, and it was much heavier than an ordinary hat. What a pity! " I shall just have to take it off for a bit," said Smiley, and she did. But when she saw that the mouse looked rather sad, she put it on again. "I'd better wear it when he's about," she thought, for she had a kind little heart, " else he'll be upset and think I don't like it." Now, one morning she was wearing her hat when Mother and Sally came into the nursery so quickly that Smiley had no time to take it off. So there she sat in the dolls' house with her thimble-hat on, hoping that Sally wouldn't peep in and see her.

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"Come here! See what I've got! The most beautiful hat in the worldand all because of you, mouse!"

But Sally did. She stared at Smiley in surprise and took her out of the dolls' house. :' Look, Mummy/' she said. " -whatever is Smiley wearing? It's a hat of some son." " Good gracious! " said Mother, " it's my lost silver thimble. However did it get on Smiley's headall trimmed up with ribbon and a tiny feather, too. Well, I am glad to have it again. I've missed it very much." And to Smiley's dismay Mother took the hat off her head, stripped away the feather and the ribbon, and put the thimble on her finger to help her in her sewing. " Oh, Motherlook at poor Smileyshe's very upset," said Sally. " She's not smiling any more." " Well, I'll make her another hat, out of bits and pieces, and put a grander feather in," said Mother. So she set to work and made a most beautiful little hat. You can see it in the picture. Smiley looked really lovely in it. When Mother and Sally had gone from the room, Smiley poked her head out of the dolls' house and called to the clockwork mouse. " Come here! See what I've got! The most beautiful hat in the worldand all because of you, mouse! " You look lovely," said the mouse, :' I should be so proud if you would come for a walk with me. Oh, Smiley, youve got a new hat, and Sally's mother has got her thimble back, and I've got the nicest little doll friend in the world. Aren't we all lucky! '

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Answer see page 128

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The goblin Big-Toes often went to help the enchanter, Mighty-One. He was very useful to him, because he was good at getting some of the things the enchanter needed for his spells. He always knew where the reddest poppies were, the biggest dewdrops and the finest spider-thread. One day the enchanter made a curious spell. " Now, be careful not to get any of it on to yourself," he said to Big-Toes. " It's a spell to make you bigger." " Ooh! What would happen, then, if I got some on me?" said BigToes. " You'd go on growing and growing; you'd split all your clothes, you'd find your head sticking out of the roof, and you'd scare everyone into fits," said Mighty-One. " Isn't there a word to stop the magic in the spell, then? " asked BigToes. " Oh yes. If you say ' Jumping pigs ' it stops at once," said the enchanter. " But don't you try any funny tricks now, Big-Toes, because you know what a bad memory you've got. You'd only forget the word to stop the magic, and then you'd be in a fine fix! ' " Oh, I shan't use the magic spell," said Big-Toes. " I'd be afraid of growing into a giant. Now, master, what shall I do with it? " " I want to use it this afternoon," said Mighty-One. " I want my hens to lay me bigger eggs, so I'm going to dab a little of the spell on to each one, stop the magic when it's made the hens twice as big, and then throw away the restjust in case you should think you'd like to try it yourself."

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Well, Mighty-One made his hens twice the size, and they looked very peculiar. He dabbed a little of the curious blue magic on to each hen, said: : Bigger, bigger, bigger! Bigger, bigger, bigger! " And, hey presto! they grew twice the size and had twice as loud a cluck! " There," said the enchanter, pleased. " Now they will lay lovely big eggsas big as a swan's! I shall enjoy them for breakfast." " They're still growing! " said Big-Toes. " Aren't you going to make them stop ? " " Yes. They're big enough now, I think," said Mighty-One, and he said the words that stopped them getting any bigger: " Jumping pigs! ' At once they stopped growing and began to peck about with their big beaks. The enchanter poured the rest of the spell on to the ground. It didn't make the ground grow any larger, because he didn't say " Bigger, bigger, bigger! ' The spell just ran away into the earth like water.

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" Wash out the bottle. We can use it again," said Mighty-One, and tossed it to Big-Toes. But, you know, when BigToes came to wash it out he saw that there were two or three drops of the blue spell at the bottom of the bottle! He looked at them. What a waste to wash them away without using them! " I think I'll take the home and give Little-T:;: i surprise! " thought Big-Toes. Little-Toes was his brother, who ker: house for him. ' There's enough of the spell to use on something. It would be fun! ' So he took the bottle home with a few drops of blue magic in it. Little-Toes was most excited when his brother showed it to him. " What shall we do with the magic? What do we want to make bigger? " " I know!" said Big-Toes, looking at the bowl in which their goldfish, Finny, swam round and round and round. " We've often said we'll get Finny a bigger bowl, but we never have. Let's make his bowl bigger for him! He'll be so pleased. We could make it three times the size, couldn't we?" " Oh yes. That's a very good idea," said Little-Toes, pleased. He was very fond of the goldfish. ' Finny would love that. Go on, Big-Toes use the magic and make the bowl bigger." So Big-Toes went to the bowl with the almost-empty bottle of blue magic. He didn't like to rub the magic on with his finger in case his finger also grew bigger when he made the spell. So he tilted up the bottle for the magic to run out on to the edge of the glass bowl. But it ran down the side of the bowl into the water! It made a little blue spot there, and Finny, thinking that it was something Big-Toes was

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giving him to eat, swam up at once and gulped the little drop of blue magic into his big mouthjust as Big-Toes was saying: " Bigger, bigger, bigger! Bigger, bigger, bigger! ' So, of course, instead of the bowl growing big, Finny began to grow. The goblins were watching for the bowl to begin getting larger, so they didn't notice that the fish was growingand then suddenly they did! They clutched one another in fright! " The magic has got into Finny! He's growing instead of the bowl! ' cried Big-Toes. " Well, stop him quickly, then! " said Little-Toes. " He'll soon be too big for the bowl." Big-Toes stared at Finny, opened his mouth to say the words that would stop the goldfish from growing any moreand didn't say anything at all! Instead, he went red in the faceredder and redder and redder! And the goldfish went on growing. Little-Toes gave Big-Toes a sharp nudge. " Say the words, quick! What's the matter with you, Big-Toes? Say the words! " " I'veI've forgotten them! " said Big-Toes. " Oh dear! " : ' Oh, Big-Toes! How dare you use magic when you don't know how to stop it! I'm going to get the bath and fill it with water. Finny's too big for his bowl already! Do, do think of the words!" cried Little-Toes, in alarm, running to fill the tin bath with water. "What are the words like? "

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" They'rethey'relet me seeit's something like leaping cats or bounding dogs," said poor Big-Toes. ''' Oh dear. Let me think. You think, too, Little-Toes." " Capering goats! Springing giraffes! Fidgety elephants! Dancing hippopotamuses! Flying bears! ' " No, nothey're not right. Oh, my, look at Finny. He's as big as the bath already. What are the words! I'll try now! Trotting ducks! Galloping mice! Cantering hedgehogs! Scampering slugs! But, nohe couldn't think of the right words at all, and neither could Little-Toes. And Finn-, the goldfish, went on growing. He grew as big as the bath. He grew bigger still. He grew right out of the bath and lay gasping on the floor, an enormous, gold, shining fish. He thrashed his tail about and knocked Little-Toes right over. " Oh, dodo think of the words to stop the magic," sobbed Little-Toes. " Soon Finny won't be able to breathe, because he's a fish and he can't breathe air. I'll keep pouring, water over his head." So, whilst Little-Toes poured water over Pinny's head, Big-Toes kept shouting out all kinds of words that he hoped were the right ones. " Bounding pandas! Scurrying J snails! Leaping earwigs! But not one of them was right, of course! And poor Finny grew and grew and grew. He grew as big as the room, and his head smashed the glass of the

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Window and stuck out into the garden. All the passers-by were astonished and frightened. Finny couldn't breathe out of water, and when he saw the duck-pond not far off he thought he would try to flop over to it. So he began to thrash about with his tail to try and get out of the window. Over went the table and chairs. Down went the clock! The bookcase was smashed. The two goblins were knocked over a dozen times. They were both crying now, and they couldn't think of any other words to say at all! Finny at last got out of the window. He bounded over the grass like a great, golden seal, knocked down the little front gate, and made his way to the pond. He went in with a splash, and began to breathe properly at last. Now, the enchanter Mighty-One happened to be passing at the same time, and he was most amazed to see an enormous fish suddenly cross the road and disappear into the duck-pond. Then he was almost knocked down by the two goblins rushing after it.

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Big-Toes saw him and caught his arm. " Please, please, Mighty-One, say the words to stop the magic that makes things grow. I've used some on Finny and he won't stop growing! Oh, please! ' "Jumping pigs!" said Mighty-One, and Finny stopped growing. " Make him his right size, please, please do," begged Big-Toes. But Mighty-One frowned and shook his head. "No, certainly not. See what disobedience and a bad memory have done for you! Perhaps this will teach you a lesson, Big-Toe!" And he swept on his way without another word. So the two goblins never got back their goldfish, and had to spend a long time mending all their broken furniture. Finny still lives in the pond, and the children of the village love to feed him, and see his great golden head rise out of the water. And when they see Big-Toes hurrying down the village street what do you think they call after him? ' Jumping pigs, BigToes! Don't forget jumping pigs!"

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"We shall be dreadfully bored, staying with Great-Aunt Hannah," said Dick gloomily. " She's nice and kindbut there's absolutely nothing to do at Westroofs." " What's the house like? " asked Lucy. " You've been there, DickRobin and I haven't." " Well, it's awfully oldand rather dark insideand there's a big room called the library, which is lined from floor to ceiling with the dullest books you ever sawand at night the ivy taps on the window-pane and makes you jump! " said Dick. " Here we are! " said Robin, peering out of the car window as they swung through a pair of enormous old gates. " My wordit is an old house look at the ivy covering it from roof to ground." Aunt Hannah was waiting to welcome them. She was a dear old lady, with snow-white hair, pink cheeks, and a very kind smile. " Welcome to Westroofs! " she said. " I do so hope you won't find it dull, my dears. But when I heard that your mother was ill, I really thought it would be a kindness to her to have you here for a while." The three children felt sure that they would be very dull indeed at Westroofs. There were no horses to ride, no dogs to take for a walk, and not even a cat with kittens to play with.. Still, if only the weather was fine, they could go for walks and explore the country round. But the weather wasn't fine. When they awoke the next morning the rain was pouring down, and it went on all day long. The children roamed

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about the house, not daring to play any exciting games in case they disturbed Aunt Hannah, who jumped at any sudden shout or stamping of feet. Next day it was still raining, and the children felt quite desperate. " I've never been so bored in my life," groaned Dick. " Whatever can we do? Let's go out in the rain." But Aunt Hannah was afraid they would get wet and catch cold. " No, don't go out," she said. " Wouldn't you like to go and look at the books in the library? There are some that belonged to my great-grandfather when he lived at Westroofs. Very, very interesting." The children didn't feel as if Aunt Hannah's great-grandfather's books would be at all interesting, but they were much too polite to say so. They went into the big, dark library and switched on the middle light, for it was a very dull day. " There must be hundreds and hundreds of books here that nobody ever reads or wants to read," said Dick, looking at the crowded, dusty shelves.

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" Here's one that I'm sure nobody has ever read' History of Edward Lucian, born 1762, in the parish of Elham!' Why, half the pages are still uncut. Poor Edward Lucian! ' " Lucian is our family name. Perhaps he was a great-great-greatancestor of ours," said Robin. " Look, here's a ladder in this corner. Whatever is it for? " " To climb up to the topmost shelves I should think, if anyone should ever want a book from there," said Lucy. " Let's put it up. We'll see what kind of books they kept on the top shelf. Do you suppose there are any story-books at all? ': " Shouldn't think so," said Robin, putting the ladder up by the shelves of books. " Well, here I go. If I see anything exciting, I'll toss it down." Up he went. The top shelf was covered with thick grey dust. It flew into the air as Robin pulled out one or two books and made him sneeze. The sneeze made him drop a book, and it almost fell on Lucy's head. " Look out, idiot! " said Lucy, as the book crashed to the floor. It fell half-open, and something flew out of the pages. " There! One of the pages has got loose," said Lucy. "I'll put it back in its right place." But when she picked it up, she saw that it was not a loose page but an old, old letter, written on a half-sheet of paper in curious old-fashioned writing. She could hardly make out a word. She held it out to Dick. " Look at this old letter," she said. " All the s's are f's. It's impossible to read."

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Robin came down the ladder. He too looked at the queer letter. He and Dick began to spell it out slowly. " ' To-dayI went throughthe Secret Door. I have hid my new top there, and the stick I cut from the hedge. William shall not have them. He knows not the way throughthroughthe Secret Door. He is notnot allowed in the SadSad'what is this word?oh, ' Saddle'. ' He is not allowed in the Saddle Room, and knows not the Secret Panel there.' " The writing ended at that point. The three children were suddenly seized with a great excitement. They stared at one another, feeling rather breathless. : ' It's not a letterit must be part of a diary or somethingkept by someonea boywho lived here years and years ago! ' " And he had a brother called William. And William didn't know about a secret panel in the saddle-room, or about a secret door. Golly! Let's go and explore! We might find them! ' " Where's the saddle-room? Oh, I knowit's the little room at the side of the house, near where the old stables used to be. And it's got panelling all round the walls, I remember! Quick, let's go! ' Forgetting all about putting the ladder back in its corner, or the book back in its place, the children ran out of the dark library, down long passages, and came to the saddle-room. It was a low, dark room, set round with squared oak panels. Even now there were two or three old saddles hanging on nails, and a crop lay on a shelf. The rest of the room contained chairs and tables turned out from other rooms. It was plainly a kind of store-room now.

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" Nowwhich would be the secret panel? " said Dick, looking round the walls. :' Golly, isn't this exciting? Where shall we try first? Not on that wall, because it's almost covered by that big old picture. Let's try over here by the fireplace." " How do we look for a secret panel, and what does it do? " asked Lucy. " Do we press or push or what? : " A secret panel was usually put into a wall of panelling to conceal a cupboard, or some son of secret way out or in," said Dick. "We must press each one, and jiggle it, and see if we can make one move." Dick began to knock round the walls. ' Thud, thud, thud." " I might hear if one panel sounds hollow," he said. I: it did, I'd know it might be the secret one." But none of them sounded hollow. It was most disappointing. "Perhaps the panel is behind that big picture after all," said Dick. '" Let's move it." But they couldn't. It was much too heavy. They gazed round the little room in despair. Then Dick went to where a saddle hung on a great nail, and took it down. " I haven't tried this panel," he said, and knocked on it. It sounded hollow! " It must be the one! " cried Lucy, and they all pushed at the brown, polished panel, and banged on it. But nothing happened. In desperation Dick caught hold of the big nail and pulled at it.

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And then, before their eyes, the panel slid downwards a little, and then sideways, quite soundlessly. Behind it was a dark space. The children stared breathlessly. " We've found it! We've found the secret panel. What's in the hole?" Dick sped off for his torch, and soon the children were peering into the hole left by the sliding panel. There didn't seem anything to see at all just a hole, dark and empty. " Wellif that isn't disappointing! " said Robin. " Just a hole. And anyway, where's the secret door we read about? There's no door here. Nobody could get through this hole." Dick put his hand right into the dark hole and groped round. His hand suddenly found what seemed to be a handle or knob of some kind. He pulled it. Behind the children came a sudden grating noise, then a terrific crash. They all jumped violently, very frightened. They looked round, scared. " It's that big picture. It fell off the wall," said Dick. " And, my goodnesslookthere's a space behind it. It's the secret door! ' The children stared in delight. There was an opening in the panelling where the great picture had been, an opening big enough to get through! Where did it lead to? " When I pulled that knob in the hole here it must have worked

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something that opened the secret door," said Dick. " And when it opened, the picture had to fall, of course. Golly, it did make me jump! " A deep sound suddenly boomed through the house. " The gongit's dinner-time! " said Lucy, with a groan. ' Just as we have found this exciting secret door! ' " Better shut it up again," said Dick. " We won't say a word to Aunt Hannah about it till we've explored a bit. We might find family treasure, or something. You never know! ' Visions of glittering jewels, bags of silver and gold, boxes of coins, flashed into the minds of the children. It was very hard to pull at the knob inside the hole and see the secret door shut itself, when they so badly wanted to go through it. They couldn't lift the heavy picture up again, so they left it standing against the wall. Then they went to wash their hands. Aunt Hannah beamed at them as they took their places at the table. " Well," she said, " it has stopped raining at lastand I have arranged a treat for you this afternoon." The children looked blank. A treat? The only treat they wanted was to go through that secret door! Why had the rain stopped? They didn't want to leave the house now. "I've telephoned to Farthingtonthat's our nearest big town, you know," said Aunt Hannah, " and I've got tickets for the circus there, for you. A car is coming at half-past two, and you shall have a late tea at a very nice shop in Farthington that has chocolate eclairs and meringues." Now, ordinarily this would have been a simply glorious treat, but not to-day! Still, as it was all arranged, the children could Only say thank you, and go!

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" We'll have to explore this evening," said Dick gloomily. :' I can hardly wait! What a pity the circus couldn't have been to-morrow." It was a lovely circus, and the tea that followed was glorious. Aunt Hannah came too and seemed to enjoy everything very much. " Now, when we get home, we will all have a quiet game of cards : together," she said. " I don't want you to get over-excited to-night, after such an exciting afternoon." So once again exploring had to be put off, and the children played Happy Families and Snap till bedtime. It was terribly disappointing. Just as Lucy was about to fall asleep in her bed that night, the two boys came cautiously into her room. " Lucy! Are you awake? We're going to go through that secret door now, to-night! We simply can't wait. Do you want to come, or will you be frightened, because it's night? '' " Of course I want to come! " said Lucy, wide awake immediately. " I'll put on my dressing-gown at once. Oh, how super ! I never, never thought you'd go to-night! ' Trembling with excitement, Lucy followed the two boys downstairs and along the passages that led to the saddle-room. Dick pulled at the nail that opened the secret panel. It swung aside as before. He put in his hand and pulled at the knob behind. With a grating noise the secret door opened in the panelling nearby, and the children stared into the gaping hole. Dick shone his torch there. " A short passage, then steps," he said, in excitement. " Come on! "

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He climbed through the secret door, and the others followed. The passage was very short, and ended at some narrow, very steep stone steps that led downwards. Dick felt hot with excitement. Where did they lead to? He went down cautiously, afraid of falling. The others followed. There were fifteen of these steps, then they ended, and another passage came in sight. : We must be below ground now! " said Dick. " Here's another passage leading away from the house. I do wonder what it used to be for? " : ' Oh, most old houses had secret passages or hiding-places," said Robin. ;c People in olden days often needed to hide their treasures from enemiesor even to hide themselves. Golly, isn't it darkand the roof's so low just here that I have to bend my head." It was very weird, walking along the narrow, musty passage so far underground. It curved about to avoid rocky parts. Then suddenly Dick came to a standstill.

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' Blow! There's been a fall here! Look. The roof has fallen in and we can't get by." The others crowded up to him and looked over his shoulder. " Yes, we can get by," said Robin. " We can kick away the rubble at this side, look, and make a way through. It's easy." They did manage to make their way through and then, covered with dust, they came to a small underground room! An old bench stood at one side, and a crock for water. On a rough shelf was a dust-covered top and a queer curved stick. The children gazed at them in delight. " The top and the stickwhich that boy of long ago hid from brother William," said Dick, at last. " How weird. He never came to fetch them again." They stood in silence, looking round the bare little roomand then Robin gave an amazed cry. He bent down and picked up something, " Look," he said, " do looka cigarette end !" So it was. The others could hardly believe their eyes. " How did it get here? Who has been here? And when? ': As they stood there they suddenly heard a noise. It seemed to come from above their heads. They looked up and saw that the roof seemed to have a hole in it.

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And then, even as they looked, the end of a rope appeared, and the rope itself slid through the hole and touched Dick on the shoulder. He shut off his torch at once. " Someone's coming! But what are they doing here? It's almost midnight. They must be up to something queer! ' " Get back to where that fall of rubble is," whispered Robin. ' We can squeeze through again, and stay at the other side and listen. Quick! " With beating hearts the three hurried to the mass of rubble, squeezed through as quietly as they could, and then stood waiting in the dark, listening and peering through the cracks in the heap of rubble that stretched from floor to roof. Someone slid down the rope. Then a torch flashed on. " Come on, Bill," said a voice. " Buck up with the stuff!" The man took a candle from his pocket, and set it on the wooden bench. He lighted it, and the children saw by its flickering flame that the man in the underground room was thick-set and very short. As he stood there, waiting, something fell through the hole in the roof, and the man caught it deftly. Then another package came, looking like a sack of something, and then another. A muffled voice sounded down the hole. " That's all, Shorty. Come on up. We'll fetch it to-morrow." Shorty hauled himself up the rope, after blowing out the candle. Then there was silence. The children waited for a while, then cautiously made their way back to the underground room again. There were now three sacks there, tied up at the necks.

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" They're full of something hard," said Dick, feeling them. " Got a knife on you, Robin? " Nobody had, because they all wore dressing-gowns. Robin managed to untie one of the sacks. It was full of little jewel boxes. Lucy opened one, and gasped. Inside was a most beautiful necklace, that glittered brilliantly in the light of the torch. All the other boxes contained jewellery too. "Looks like the result of a very successful robbery! " said Dick. ' What a wonderful place to hide it! I suppose the burglars didn't know there was another way to this room besides that hole in the roof. What shall we do? Drag the sacks back to the house? " " Oh yes" said Lucy. " They will be such a surprise for Aunt Hannah. I'd love to see her face when she sees all these. And it would be too awful to leave them here, in case those men came back and got them! ' So, puffing and panting, the children dragged a sack each through the rubble and up the passage to the stone steps. Up the steps they went, and along to the secret door. They dumped the sacks in the saddle-room, and sat down, panting and excited. " You go and wake Aunt Hannah, Lucy," said Dick. So she went up to her great-aunt's room and knocked on the door. " What is it? " came Aunt Hannah's startled voice. " Oh, you, Lucy. Is somebody ill? "

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" No. But, Aunt Hannah, do put on your dressing-gown and come down to the saddle-room," begged Lucy. " To the sadd/e-toomin the middle of the night! " said Aunt Hannah, beginning to think it was all a dream. " Dear, dearwhatever's happening! ' Soon she was down in the saddle-room, astonished to see the sacks there, and even more astonished to see the secret door. " Good gracious! " she said. " So you've found that! The door has not been used for agesand has been forgotten so long that nobody ever knew where it wasexcept you children, apparently! Well, well, well now tell me what's been happening." So they told herand when they showed her what was in the sacks Aunt Hannah could hardly believe her eyes. She gasped and blinked, and couldn't find a word to say. " I suppose we'd better ring up the police, hadn't we? " said Dick. " We could hand these to them and tell them about the burglars' plan to go to the underground room tomorrow nightand they could catch them beautifully! ' The police were amazed, and very pleased. " Hoso it was Shorty and Bill, was it? " said the Inspector. " Well, we've been wanting them for a very long time! The stolen goods all belong to the Duchess of Medlingtonmy word, she'll be glad to have them back! Smart work, children!" " Well, it was all because of William's brother, really/' said Lucy, and the Inspector stared at her in surprise. William's brother? Whatever was the child

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" Now you really must go to bed, children," said Aunt Hannah. " It's two o'clock in the morning. Shocking! No more finding of secret doors and underground rooms and stolen goods to-night, please. Off to bed with you!" " Well," said Dick, as they got into bed at last, " we thought this would be the dullest place in the world to stay atbut it's given us a most exciting adventure." So it hadand it was even more exciting when the Inspector telephoned the next night to say that he had got Bill and Shorty all right. "You can't think how astonished they were when they found that their sacks had vanished out of that hole! " chuckled the Inspector. " And they were even more amazed when my men popped down on top of them." " Wish I'd been there," said Dick. " I say, Aunt Hannahdo you think I might have that long-ago boy's top? It still spins beautifully." " Of course," said Aunt Hannah. " And Dick can have the walkingstick, cut so many years ago from the hedge. And as for Lucy, she can have this tiny brooch which has been sent to her by the Duchess herself! There you are, Lucynow you will none of you ever forget the adventure of the secret room! "

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Mister Scrimp was very mean with his money. When he went to market he always haggled with Dame Plump over her lovely butter, and beat her down a penny or two. And he would never pay Mother Silver-Top what she asked for her eggs. " He's a mean old thing," said everyone in Apple-Tree Village. " He never even gives a penny to a child, or remembers anyone's birthday. Nasty old Scrimp." Scrimp spent his money on himself. He liked beautiful things, which was rather queer because he had an ugly nature and a cold heart. : ' I'll buy that lovely picture," he would say, and he would give quite a lot of money for the picture he wanted. "I'll buy that carpet! " "I'll buy that mirror! It's so beautiful." :' I'll buv that tea-set with the apple-blossom all round it. It's lovely." ' They were the sort of things he said, and his cottage was soon full of really lovely treasures. How he polished and cleaned them! He was proud of them but when he asked people in to see them he never even offered them a cup of tea! " Fancy that now! " said kind Dame Plump. " I went in to see that new vase he has boughtand a beautiful thing it is, tooand I took him a pat of my best butterand though the kettle was boiling on the hob and he'd got a whole plate of sugar biscuits set out for his tea, he never so much as offered me a crumb! '

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Disgusting," said everyone. " Well, wellhe'll be sorry some day. That's not the way to get friends round you. He soon won't have a friend in Apple-Tree Village! " Mister Scrimp didn't mind that. Friends meant that he would have to give them tea or a cup of cocoa or offer them a bun. He didn't like that. Let everyone keep away! Then he would have more money to spend on lovely things for himself. Now, Mister Scrimp had an old mother who lived some miles away, in Cherry-Tree Village. She was about the only person he was fond of, and he went to see her once a week. But he didn't take her any presents oh, no! What, pick some flowers from his garden, or spend sixpence on the peppermint sweets she loved! Of course not! " You buy a pat of my butter to take to that poor old mother of yours," Dame Plump said to him once. But Mister Scrimp didn't even answer. Spend his money on butter for his mother! What next! One day, when he was polishing a new and very beautiful tray he had bought for himself, a man drew up outside in a cart. He was on his way to the market. He called to Mister Scrimp. " Hey, Mister Scrimp. I've got a message for you from Cherry-Tree Village. I've just come from there. Your poor old mother is very ill. Oh, very ill indeed, and she's calling out for you all day long. You'd better pack and go." " Oh dear, oh dear! " said Mister Scrimp, in dismay. " My poor old mother! She seemed all right last week. Is she in bed? Of course, said the man, clicking to the horse. She

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had a bad fall two days ago. You'd better get along there quickly if you want to see the poor old lady alive." Mister Scrimp was very upset. He ran to his next door neighbour, Mrs. Kindly. " Oh, what shall I do? My old mother is very ill. I must go to her. But what about my hens? ' " Now, now, don't you worry a bit," said Mrs. Kindly, sorry to see Mr. Scrimp's pale face. " I'll see to your hens for you. You pack your bag and go. I'll pop in each day and dust round and keep all your treasures nice for you. You go straight away now, Mister Scrimpand take a bunch of flowers from my garden for the old lady, and this packet of sweets. Maybe she'll be better when she sees you." Mister Scrimp picked a bunch of flowers from Mrs. Kindly's garden, but he didn't pick any from his own. His mother would think these were from him. He would just tell her that Mrs. Kindly had sent the sweets, but not say anything about the flowers. He packed his bag quickly.

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Before he had finished, many of the villagers came to tell him that they were sorry to hear about his old mother. " Mothers are very precious," said Dame Plump. " You take care of yours. She's been a good mother to you. Give her this bit of butter with my love." " And don't you worry about all your beautiful things! " said Mrs. Kindly. " We'll look after them for you. Now cheer up, Mister Scrimp, and give your mother our best wishes." Mister Scrimp caught the next bus to Cherry-Tree Village. He found his old mother very ill indeed. She was so pleased to see him, and took his hand in hers. " I'm glad to see you, son," she said. " You will stay with me, won't you? Oh, what lovely flowersand these sweets, tooand the butter! Why, you must love me after all! You've never brought me anything before, you know, son, and I've worried because I thought your heart was like a stone. Nobody can be happy with a cold heart. But yours must be warm after allbecause look at the things you've brought me! " Mister Scrimp didn't like to say that they were not from him, so he just held his mother's hand and nodded. :' Now just you lie and rest, Mother," he said. " I'll stay with you till you're better." His old mother looked at him happily. Why, her son couldn't be the mean, cold-hearted person that nobody seemed to like. Hadn't he left

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his nice cottage and all its beautiful things to come to her? Hadn't he brought her flowers and presents? When her friends came in to see her, the old lady talked about her son. " He's so kind," she said. " So generous. Left his nice cottage and all his treasures to come and be with me. Brought me so many presents, too do you see those lovely flowers? They must have been the best in the garden." The carter who had brought the message to Mister Scrimp cametoseeher, too. The old lady told him the same thing. He went back to Apple-Tree Village and repeated it to everyone. " Well, would you think mean old Mister Scrimp was so nice after all?" said Dame Plump. " It just shows how you can make a mistake about people." Mister Scrimp didn't buy his mother any more flowers. He didn't give a penny to any of the children who brought little gifts from their mothers. He wouldn't give a sixpence towards a present for the village nurse, who came every day to see his old mother.

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And when someone came collecting at the door for a fund to buy things for somebody in Apple-Tree Village, his own town, he slammed the door in the surprised woman's face. " What nonsense! " he said to his mother, when he told her about it. " Collecting for somebody in my village! They've all got plenty of money. I won't give a penny! " " Didn't you even find out who it was for? " said the old lady. " It might be for someone who is in real need of it, son." " There's nobody in need of it!" said Mister Scrimp. "I ought to know, oughtn't I? " And then somebody came round selling tickets. " It's for a Fair that is being held at Apple-Tree Village," explained the little woman with the tickets. " You see, they are doing their best to get a large sum to give to this person who has lost ..."
"Well I never! Collecting for that person again! Who is she, I'd like to know! I'm from Apple-Tree Village myself, and I tell you this, I wouldn't buy a ticket to help anyone there. So don't come here again! " Now, when his mother was better, Mister Scrimp packed his bag again, said good-bye and went. He caught the bus and came to Apple-Tree Village. The Fair was on, and flags were up. There was even a roundabout. " Come and buy a ticket! " called a child. " Come and have some fun! "

"Buy a ticket! " snorted Mister Scrimp. "What nonsense. Hey, Dame Plump, a word with you, please. What's all this about getting a fund for somebody in the village? They even came bothering me at Cherry-Tree Village to buy tickets! Such nonsense! "

Dame Plump looked at Mister Scrimp, and for a little while she didn't say anything. " Well, Mister Scrimp," she said at last, " I will tell you about this man. You know him quite well. He went away, feeling troubled and
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anxious over something, and we were sorry for him. And whilst he was away thieves broke in and stole almost everything from his cottage. They just left the kitchen stove and a broken chair and old sofa. Nothing else." " Wellhe's still got something left," said Mister Scrimp, impatiently. "Quite enough! " " Perhaps you are right," said Dame Plump. ' Well, Mrs. Kindly was very upset and started this fund, and we thought we'd run a Fair too, and all the money we made we would put towards buying furniture for the cottage so that when this poor man came back he would at least find a bed, a table and things like that." "What nonsense! " said Mister Scrimp. ': Let him work a bit and earn money to buy them himself. Silly, soft-hearted lot you are. I wouldn't buy a ticket to help. I'm a sensible man. Where does this fellow live? " " In your street," said Dame Plump. " Well, Mister Scrimp, I'm glad to have your advice. You really think we are foolish to be generous and kind over the matter? What do you think we ought to do with the money we've collected? "

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" Oh, use it yourselves! " said Mister Scrimp impatiently. " Buy anything you want. But don't ask me for help! " He stalked off down the street. Dame Plump followed him a little way behind. He came to his cottage, and put his key in the front door. He opened itand then he stared in the utmost dismay! The hall was empty. The hall-chair was gone, the mat was gone, the umbrella-stand wasn't there! The stair-carpet was gone. Mister Scrimp went into his sitting-room and looked round in horrified surprise. There was only a broken chair and an old sofa in it. Nothing else at all. Gone were his beautiful mirror, his lovely vase, his bright carpet, his gay tea-set. In horror Mister Scrimp went into the other rooms. They were empty. The thieves had done a thorough job and had taken everything worth takingand dear me, there had been a lot of valuable things in Mister Scrimp's cottage for robbers to take! " I've been robbed! I've got nothing left! " groaned Mister Scrimp, sitting down heavily on the old sofa. " I've no money either, for I spent it all on my treasures. I'm a poor, miserable fellow who has been robbed of everything he possesses! " Dame Plump came in with Mrs. Kindly. They both looked rather stern. " Mister Scrimp, we are sorry you have had to come back to such a desolate, empty cottage," said Mrs. Kindly. " You can see what has happened. We were so sorry about it that we started a fund for you, and wanted to run a Fair so that we could buy new things for you with the money."

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" But now that we know you think such an idea is all nonsense, we will certainly do as you say, and spend the money on ourselves," said Dame Plump. " What a mean creature you are, Mister Scrimp! You wouldn't even buy a ticket to help someone in needand now you discover that it wasjear&lfwc wanted to help, I expect you'd like to change your mind! " The two women went out. Mister Scrimp groaned. If only he hadn't been so mean! The people of Apple-Tree Village must have got such a lot of money for him. They could have bought him all his furniture. Now he only had the sofa, the chair and the kitchen stove. Mrs. Kindly came in that evening after the Fair. Mr. Scrimp had dug up some potatoes from his garden and was trying to boil them on the stove in an old tin. " Mister Scrimp," said Mrs. Kindly, " we collected over a hundred pounds. But we are going to spend it on the children of this village, and lay out a playground for them with swings and sand-pits. I'm sorry we

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couldn't spend it on you, but we don't feel that someone as mean as you should have any money." " You're right," said Mister Scrimp. " I'm ashamed of myself. I should have been warm-hearted and generous when I heard of someone whose goods had been stolenI can tell you, Mrs. Kindly, I know what it's like now to feel poor and unhappyI'd give anything to have a little kindness shown me, but I shan't get any. And it serves me right! " Mrs. Kindly looked at him, trying to cook his potatoes in a tin. " You come along and have supper with me," she said. " Mr. Kindly will lend you a few things, I'm sureanother chairan old beda bit of mat for your feet. You come along." " Well, I was never so glad of a bit of" kindness in my life! " said Mister Scrimp. " Do you mean it? Mrs. Kindly, you warm my cold heart! ", " Do I?" said Mrs. Kindly. " Now you listen to me, Mister Scrimp. See that your heart keeps warm, and do a bit of kindness to others. Lovingkindness is the biggest thing in the world. You try it! " So Mister Scrimp is trying it, and he says Mrs. Kindly is quite right it is the biggest and best thing in the world!

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I expect you all know how to do a crossword puzzle, but if you don't, ask your mother to explain to you, and then see if you can solve it. Time yourself, and then ask a friend to solve it. See who is the quicker of the two. Clues Across 1 A nice hot drink. 6. Six balls at cricket. 7. These are parts of a church. 9. Harvests. 11. A mixed-up bird. 12. Short for Royal Academy. 13. An enemy agent. Clues Down 1. A kind of eel. 2. Shape of an egg. 3. An illness. 4. Oddities. 5. Half my name. 8. A game you play (cards). 10. Cunning. SOLUTION SEE PAGE I32

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The Good Luck Morning began quite suddenly. It happened when Toppy was coming back from taking a message for his aunt. He was skipping along merrily, and was just bending down to take a stone out of his shoe, when he saw a book lying on the ground. He forgot about the stone in his shoe and picked up the book. Inside was written, " This book belongs to Dame Spillikins." " I'll take it over to her," said Toppy, and went off to her cottage. ''' She must have dropped it." Dame Spillikins was simply delighted to have her book back. '* Why, it's my book of spells, Toppy! " she said. " You're sure you haven't peeped inside and read some of the spells? " " No, Ma'am, of course not," said Toppy. " I've just baked some meat pies," said Dame Spillikins, turning to her oven. " You sit down for a minute, Toppy, and I'll give you one for your kindness." Toppy sat down, beaming. " I'm in luck! " he said to the old dame. " I really am." He ate the warm meat pie, and finished every crumb. e< Most delicious! " he said to Dame Spillikins. " Thank you very much. Now I must be getting along." So off he went. Before very long he saw little Mother Fly-Around. She had a magic broomstick that was the envy of everyone in the town. She didn't bother about buses or trainsshe just sat on her broomstick, told it where to go, and it went.

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Toppy had always longed for a ride on the wonderful broomstick, but he had never had one. He watched little Mother Fly-Around land in her garden and get off the broomstickand then he saw that she had dropped her shopping-basket, and everything had rolled out. He ran in at the gate at once. " I'll pick them up for you, Mother FlyAround. Don't you worry! ' And in a trice he had picked everything up and popped it back into her basket. Mother Fly-Around was pleased. " You're a nice, good-mannered little creature," she said to Toppy. " Would you like a little ride on my broomstick? " Well! Toppy could hardly believe his ears. Why, Mother Fly-Around never lent her broomstick to anyone. What a bit of luck! " Oh, yes, please" said Toppy, thrilled, and he got on it, riding it astride like a horse. " Take me to the market and back! " he ordered, and at once the stick rose into the air and made off to the market. It was the loveliest feeling Toppy had ever had in his life, riding a broomstick! " This is certainly my Good Luck Morning," he thought. " Hey, broomstick, you're going a bit too fast. Whoooooosh! " Down he went again to Mother Fly-Around's. " Thank you very much," he said. " I did enjoy that." Off he went again, on his way back to his aunt's. Soon he met Twinkles carrying a large box of chocolates. " Hallo, Toppy," said Twinkles. " Look what my uncle has just given me! Take three! ' " Oooooh! " said Toppy, as Twinkles took off the lid and showed rows of enormous chocolate

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' Thank you. More good luck. I don't know what's the matter with me this morning, but I keep on and on having good luck." " Well, you must have got something lucky on you," said Twinkles, looking at him closely. :c Have you got a lucky feather in your hat? No. Have you got a lucky button on? No. Well, I don't know what's making you lucky then. Did you pick a four-leaved clover to-day? " " No," said Toppy. " I've never found one in my life, though I've always wanted to. I simply can't imagine why I'm lucky to-day." He went skipping on his way, and then felt the stone in his shoe again. " I really must take it out," he thought, and bent down to take off his shoe. And there on the ground, just under his nose, was a little pearl necklace! " Look at that now! " said Toppy, in amazement, forgetting all about taking off his shoe. " A pearl necklace! Whatever next! I must take it along to the police-station and see if anyone has lost it."

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Soon he was showing it to Mr. Plod, the policeman. " My word! Where did you find it? " said Mr. Plod. " It belongs to Lady Silver-Toes. There is a reward of five gold pieces offered to the finder. Here you are, Toppy. Go and spend them." ' Well, would you believe it! " said Toppy, in astonishment. " Five gold piecesall for picking up a necklace I saw under my nose! There's no end to my luck this morning! ' Off he went, eager to get back to his aunt and tell her all about his Good Luck Morning. She was in the garden, weeding. She waved to him as he came in. ' Toppy! I've left some hot ginger cakes on the table for you and the postman has brought a parcel. It's from your grandmother, so it's sure to be something nice." "Well, wellwhat good luck is following me! " thought Toppy, pleased. He popped a ginger cake into his mouth, and cut the string round the parcel. Out came a box, and in the box was just what Toppy had longed

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for for weeks. It was a magic top which, once it was set spinning, would go on without stopping, and would hum a little song all the time. Some of the pixies already had them and Toppy had longed and longed for one. " Look! A magic top! " he cried, running out to his aunt. " Lucky boy! " she said. " But you wait till you hear all that has happened to me this morning," said Toppy. "LookAuntlook at all these gold pieces. I've had nothing but good luck all the morning." His aunt listened whilst he told her everything. " It's most peculiar," she said. " There's something you've got on you somewhere, Toppy, that is bringing you this good luck. Whatever can it be? " But Toppy couldn't think what it was. He looked up and down himself, but he was just the same as usual. It was most extraordinary. " I'll just go and put these gold pieces into my money-box," he said, and he turned to go indoors. Then he felt the stone in his shoe again, and stopped. " Bother! I've never taken that silly stone out I've not had a minute to think about it! It's the only bit of bad luck I've had to-day." He took off his shoe. Inside was a sharp little stone, roughly in the shape of a star, and a very bright blue in colour. Toppy picked it out of his shoe and threw it high in the air. It fell in the road somewhere. " What was that? " said his aunt. " A stone out of my shoe," said Toppy, putting his shoe on again. " It's been bothering me all morning. Now, Aunt, I'm going to look out for some more good luck!

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" Well, ToppyI'm afraid you won't get it," said his aunt. " I know what has brought you all your good luck this morningthat little blue stone in your shoe! It was a good luck stone." Toppy stared at her in dismay. " Was it? Are you sure? Oh my, oh my, I've thrown it away into the road. Goodness knows where it's gone. Oh, AuntI've thrown my good luck away! " " What a thing to do! " said his aunt. " Go and look for it before anyone else finds it, silly." But Toppy couldn't find that tiny stone though he spent hours looking in the road. Wasn't it a pity? It's somewhere about still, I expect, so it you get a stone in your shoe, do have a look at it before you shake it away. You might as well have a Good Luck Morning, too, if you can get it!

Answer to Puzzle on Page 47 1. Ten, net. 2. Pat, tap. 3. Won, now. 4. Tip, pit. 5. Spot, tops. Answer to Puzzle on Page 61 Plum Pudding.

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Jack Bo is a funny name, isn't it? He was a boy about nine years old, and his real name was Jack Brown. But the other children called him Jack Bo. I don't know if you can guess why. It was because he was always hiding in corners and jumping out at people. Then he shouted " BO! " in a loud voice. This made people jump in fright, and Jack Bo thought it was very funny. It made him laugh. He liked to do it to small children, to old people, and to timid people like little Miss Shy. Small children were very frightened. They ran off in tears, their hearts beating fast, when Jack leapt out from behind a door and shouted "BO! " Old people were angry, but Jack Bo could always run away from them before they could catch him. Timid people almost fell over in fright when he jumped out at them. So, you see, Jack Bo was a very good name for him. His mother tried to stop him jumping and booing, but she couldn't. The only person he really didn't dare to do it to was his fatherand that was because his father had a long and quick arm to catch bad boys, and a very hard hand for spanking them. Now, one day the Brownies in the wood were very upset. They had led such a peaceful, happy life till thenbut now three witches and two enchanters had come to live in the wood, and the Brownies were afraid of them.

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" How can we make them go away? " said Bron, the chief Brownie, gloomily. " They make powerful spells that smell horrid. They are frightening away the little rabbits, who are our friends. And not one of us dares to go about alone in the wood in case a witch or an enchanter catches him." " We must frighten them away! " said Jinky at once. He was a very small Brownie, but he was always full of ideas.
" How? Nothing we could do would frighten them. You know that," said Bron scornfully.

" Well, I know a boy called Jack Bo who frightens simply everybody\ " said Jinky. " He does really. He scares old people and young people, he makes them go quite pale with fright; and, as for the children, they all run away! " " Really? What does he do to frighten them? " asked the Brownies, looking at Jinky. " He hides behind doors and round corners, and waits for people to come by. Then he jumps out at them and cries 'BO!'" said Jinky. "You've no idea how it scares people. It makes their hearts jump terribly." " Well, if he could do that to the witches and the enchanters they would surely soon go away! " said Bron. "I'm sure they couldn't bear that. Let's get this boy. We will pay him well." So, to Jack Bo's enormous surprise, he was one day taken to the woods by a little band of Brownies. They were very polite and kind to him, but he didn't at all know what they wanted till he was brought in front of the chief Brownie, Bron

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" Jack Bo, you can help us," said Bron. " And we will pay you well for your help. We will pay you a shilling a day." That was a lot of money to Jack Bo. He looked eagerly at the Brownies. " What do you want me to do? " he said. " We want you to scare away three witches and two enchanters who have come to this wood," said Bron. ' We want you to hide behind trees and jump out at them when they pass by, and shout' BO! ' just as you do to boys and girls, and other people." " Butbut I should be scared of witches and enchanters," said Jack Bo. " Oh, you'll frighten them well, and they'll run away," said Bron. "Now, you do this for us and we will pay you money." " I don't want to," said Jack Bo. "Why don't one of you do it? " " We're not used to jumping out at people and scaring them," said Jinky. " We've always been taught that it is bad manners. But you are used to it. So we want you to." " Well, I don't want to," said Jack Bo, and he looked round, halfexpecting to see witches and enchanters coming along. Bron spoke very sternly. " I'm afraid that what you want or don't want doesn't matter. You have to do as you are told about this. You're the only boy we know that jumps out and shouts ' BO! ' so we want you. You will stay here in this wood, and will not be able to go home, or to have anything to eat, till you have scared all the witches and the enchanters."

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Jack Bo tried to run away. But there was a spell on him and he could not get out of the wood. For once in a way he had to do something he was scared of doing! " Now hide behind this tree. Old Green-Eyes the witch is coming!" said Bron, suddenly, and he pushed Jack Bo behind a tree. Jack waited, his heart beating. He saw an old dame coming along, with a black cat on her shoulder, He suddenly jumped out at her. " BO! " he shouted, and the old witch jumped in fright. But her black cat wasn't afraid. He leapt from her shoulder and scratched Jack Bo down his left cheek. How he howled! The witch fled away, and the Brownies were pleased. ''' I don't like doing this," wept Jack Bo, mopping his bleeding cheek with his hanky. " Look what the cat did to me! ' " Sh! There's High-Hat the Enchanter coming now! " whispered Jinky. "Quick, get behind this tree. ' BO! ' at him as loudly as you can! He hasn't got a cat."

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The Enchanter came slowly along, his great cloak sailing out behind him, his tall pointed hat gleaming. The Brownies dug their bony hands into Jack to make him jump out and shout " BO ! " So he leapt, and shouted "BO! " but he felt very frightened indeed. The Enchanter was afraid too. He shouted two or three magic words and disappeared at once into thin air, with a tremendous BANG that made Jack jump almost out of his skin, and sent him flying through the air. He came down with a bump and banged his head against a tree. He sat up, crying loudly. " The Enchanter's gone for good," said Bron, pleased. " What are you making such a fuss about, Jack Bo? Just a bump on the head? Pooh! " Poor Jack had a dreadful day. The Brownies would not give him any food at all till he jumped out and frightened all the people they wanted to send out of their wood. Jack could see that he would starve there for days if he didn't do what he was told. " It isn't quite so funny frightening people who can frighten me" he thought. " After all, old and timid people and small children can't do anything back when I scare them. But I never know what these witches and enchanters are going to do." The next witch he frightened was a very small one, with the brightest green eyes you ever saw. Just as Jack was leaping out at her she saw him. She grabbed him hard and looked at him. "Oho! "she said. "Do you live here? Well, I'm not going to live in a wood where a nasty little Jack-in-the-Box like you lives. She made a face at Jack.

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" Not I! I'm goingbut before I go, here's something for you! " And she turned Jack Bo upside down and gave him the smartest spanking he had ever had in his life. How he yelled! But the Brownies were very pleased. " That's another witch gone," they said. " You are well worth your money, Jack Bo! " " You may be very pleased, but I'm not! " wept Jack. " I shan't be able to sit down comfortably for a week. The witch had a dreadfully hard hand. Let me go! ' " Not till you've frightened away the last two, Jack Bo," said Bron. " One more witch and one more enchanter, and you can go! ' Now, soon the last witch and enchanter came along together, talking hard. The Brownies pushed poor Jack behind a tree again. He shivered and shook, for he was very scared indeed. As the witch came by, with the tall Enchanter beside her, out he jumped, crying " BO! " as he always did. The witch screamed. The Enchanter stopped and looked angry. Then he chased Jack Bo! He chased him through the trees, and whenever poor Jack hid behind one, up came the Enchanter behind him and leapt at him and cried " BO! " in a most terrifying voice. " I'll teach you to jump out and' BO! ' " he cried. " I'll show you what it's like. BO! BO! BO! " Jack Bo couldn't get out of the wood because of the magic spell the Brownies had put on him, so the Enchanter had a fine time. Then he

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suddenly caught Jack, took hold of him by his shorts and jersey, and flung him right out of the wood. Jack landed in a little stream not far from his home. He sat up in the water and looked round. He was wet and frightened and hurtbut at any rate he was out of that wood. And he would never, never go into it again! How dare those Brownies get him there and make him do their work for them, turning out of the wood the people they didn't like? It was too bad. " But I suppose if I hadn't had the habit of scaring people they wouldn't have thought of using me," said Jack Bo, trying to squeeze the water out of his clothes. " So in a way it's my fault." Do you suppose he ever scared anyone again, or jumped out and cried " BO! " ? Poor old Jackhe got more frights than he gave in the Brownies' wood, didn't he! I wish I'd been there to see it all. Answer to Puzzle on Page 80 Sunset. Solution to Crossword Puzzle on Page 115 ACROSS. 1 Coffee. 6. Over. 7. Naves. 9. Gleans. 11. Rkal. 12. R.A. 13. Spy. DOWN. 1 Conger. 2. Oval. 3. Fever. 4. Freaks. 5. En. 8. Snap. 10. Sly.

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Answer see page 163

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Mrs. Chatter was like her name. She talked and chattered all day long. She couldn't bear to listen to other people. She loved to do all the talking herself! One day she went to do her shopping, taking with her her big bag. She meant to go to the grocer's, the butcher's and the dairyand what a lot of talking she would do at each place! Now, when she was just going into the grocers someone came up to her. It was Mrs. Look-Round, her next-door neighbour. " Oh, Mrs. Chatter! " said Mrs. Look-Round. " As I was . . . ; " Good morning, Mrs. Look-Round! " said Mrs. Chatter. :' Now if it isn't nice to see you! When I passed your house this morning I wondered if you were at home, because your blinds were drawn over your windows and I thought to myself, ' Aha! Either Mrs. Look-Round is away, or else she's lying in bed late, and . . ."' " Mrs. Chatter, excuse my interrupting you, but I simply must tell you . . ." began Mrs. Look-Round. " No, don't you bother to tell me why your blinds were drawn!" said Mrs. Chatter. " I'm not one for poking my nose into other people's business, and never was. No, I let other people manage their own affairs. Why, even when my own sister went and bought a house that was as damp as damp could be and I knew it, I didn't interfere, all I said to her was ..." " Yes, I know," said Mrs. Look-Round, " but Mrs. Chatterabout your hens . . ."

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" Dear, dear, don't say they've been disturbing you with their clucking, Mrs. Look-Round!" said Mrs. Chatter, beginning all over again. " I know they're noisy, but they're such good egg-layers I don't mind them cackling and talking about it. Such lovely brown eggs they lay. I always say a brown egg tastes nicer than a white one, just as a brown teapot makes better tea than any other colour. That reminds meI must buy some tea this morning and ..." " Mrs. Chatter, the wind must have blown down . . ." began poor Mrs. Look-Round again. But once more Mrs. Chatter interrupted her. " Oh, what a wind it was last night, to be sure! It blew down my chimney, it rattled my windows and I didn't get a wink of sleep. I thought of the poor sailors at sea, and I said to myself,' Ah, I must get on with my knitting to-morrow and knit some more scarves for the poor fellows!' How do you like my new scarf, Mrs. LookRound? My son sent it to me, the one that lives over at..."

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It was your son that built your hen-house for you, wasn't it? " Mrs. Look-Round interrupted again, beginning to feel that she never would be able to say what she wanted to say. " Well, Mrs. Chatter, he'll be very sorry to see ... " " Ah, you're right! " sighed Mrs. Chatter, " he'll be right down sorry to see me looking so tired. I've been doing my spring-cleaning, you know, and my, how that tires you! Fancy you noticing how tired I looked. Why, do you know ..." "Well, I didn't mean that exactly," began Mrs. Look-Round, again. " I meant that as your son had built your hen-house for you, and given you your fine hens ..." " Yes, that he did, the generous boy," said Mrs. Chatter. "He's got a hundred hens himself, you know, Mrs. Look-Round. And the ducks and turkeys and geese he keeps! Well, he always was fond of birds. I always had to let him keep a canary when he was small. He had a nice gilt cage on a stand, and my, how that bird . . ." " Yes, yes," said Mrs. LookRound. " But Mrs. Chatter, what I want to tell you is that the roof of..." " Roof! Don't talk to me about roofs!" cried Mrs. Chatter. "I'm tired of them! Do you know, I had two tiles off last month and the rain came in, and spoilt the carpet in my best bedroom. I had to put pails everywhere to catch the drips. Why, I hadn't a pail to put the chicken-food in, and . . ."

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" Yes, well, I wanted to say a word about your chickens," began Mrs. Look-Round again, speaking impatiently. " This morning they . . ." " Now don't you go complaining about my poor harmless chickens! " said Mrs. Chatter. " I know that once one of them got into your garden and pecked at your cabbage plants, but I paid you for it, didn't I? I'd have thought you would have forgotten all about that by now. Well, well! Hi, Mrs. Trot-About, what do you think? Here's Mrs. Look-Round reminding me of that one hen of mine that got into her garden years ago and pecked her cabbage! Some folks do have small minds to be sure . . ." " I wasn't going to talk about that at all," cried Mrs. Look-Round. " I'd forgotten it. All I wanted to say was that it's a shame not to go down the garden and feed your chickens before you go out, because if you don't how can you see if. . ." " Well, to think of you trying to teach me how to keep chickens! " cried Mrs. Chatter, and she turned to Mrs. Trot-About again. " Did you ever

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hear such a thing, Mrs. TrotAbout? Why, I've kept chickens for years and here's Mrs. Look-Round, that's never kept even so much as a duckling, trying to tell me what to do! She'll be telling me how to boil eggs next! " " I shan't," said Mrs. LookRound, in a huff. " You won't have any to boil soon! All I wanted to say ..." " So you think I ill-treat my chickens so much that they won't lay me any eggs! " almost shouted Mrs. Chatter. " Well, I must say you're a nice neighbour to have! I don't like you, Mrs. Look-Round, no, that I don't. You remind me of my Aunt Jemima who does nothing but make rude remarks to me whenever she sees me. And you remind me of. . /' '' Now you listen whilst I remindyou of something! " suddenly shouted Mrs. Look-Round. " Let me remind you that the roof of your henhouse wanted seeing toand let me remind you of the storm of wind last night! And let me remind you that if roofs blow off, hens will get out and wander around. And let me remind you of the gap in your hedge at the bottom of your garden, and remind you of the gypsies that live in the field there . . ." Mrs. Look-Round paused for breath. Mrs. Chatter gave a scream. " Are my hens loose? Have they gone into that field? You bad, wicked woman, Mrs. Look-Round, not to tell me at once, directly you saw me! " ' Well, I came after you to tell you, but I could hardly get a word in! ' said Mrs. Look-Round. " Here you've stood with your silly chatter,

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whilst your hens have been wandering loose for ages! It's your own fault if the gypsies have taken them! ' " Nine good hens! " said Mrs. Chatter, mournfully. " Oh, you horrid creature, Mrs. Look-Round, not to tell me at once. I'll never forgive you, never! ' She hurried back home, still talking. When she went into her backgarden, she saw that the roof and one of the wooden walls of her henhouse had been blown down, and the hen-house and run were empty. No hens were to be seen anywhere. Mrs. Chatter hurried to the hedge at the bottom of her garden and looked into the field. No hens there eitheronly three dark gypsies talking together. Mrs. Chatter called to them. " Have you seen my hensbrown ones with nice, big, red combs, and happy clucking voices? You must have seen themyes, and you must have taken them, too! I'll go and get the policeman and get him to come and find out. I know you sly gypsies. I'll . . ." The gypsies grinned and said not a word. They had heard Mrs. Chatter before. They never bothered to try and interrupt her. They went into their caravan. Outside was a big stew-pan. Mrs. Chatter felt absolutely certain that one of her hens was already cooking in it. She went back up her garden, tears falling down her cheek.

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" That horrid Mrs. Look-Round! Fancy not telling me my hens were loose! Talking about this and that all the time, and never mentioning that my roof was off and my hens loose! I'll never speak to her again." She saw Mrs. Look-Round in her own back garden and she called to her. " Mrs. Look-Round I'm so angry with you that I'm never going to speak to you again, never! ' "I wish I could believe it! " said Mrs. Look-Round, pegging up a tablecloth on her line. " That would be too good to be true. It's your own tongue that lost your hens for you, Mrs. Chatter, yes, your own tongue." " Well now, what's the matter with my tongue! " cried Mrs. Chatter, quite forgetting she was never going to speak to Mrs. Look-Round again. " It's as good as yours any dayand I tell you this, Mrs. Look-Round ..." Well, wellshe's off again, so we'd better go. Poor Mrs. Chatter what a tongue she's got! I hope I never grow one like it!

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The toy-shop stood in the very middle of the little village street. It was small, and the door rang a little tinkling bell when the children opened it. It was a very nice little shop indeed. All the walls had shelves, and on the shelves sat the toys. On the floor stood little milk-carts, wooden horses on wheels, and prams for dolls. On the counter were tiny toys that only cost a few pennies each. It really was a most exciting shop and the children loved it. Some toys didn't stay long at the shop. No sooner did the shopwoman have them in than they were sold and went to their new homes. But other toys stayed a long time. There was a teddy bear who was such an ugly pink colour that nobody wanted to buy him. There was a very expensive curly-haired doll that could open and shut her eyesbut she cost so much money that nobody had bought her. There was a black golh'wog whose coat had got very dirtyso the boys and girls passed him over, and always bought the golliwogs who were clean. The toys knew one another well. At night they sighed and stretched themselves, and climbed off the shelves to play. When new toys came they were polite to them and showed them all round the toy-shop. The little rocking-horse would give them a ride, and one of the toy engines would rush round the shop floor with them. It was always fun when new toys came to the shop. One day, three new toys came. One was a most polite bear who could

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stand up and bow most beautifully when he was wound up. He went on bowing till his clockwork ran down. Another toy could play a tune when its handle was turned round and round. It was a little musical box. The third toy was a doll. The toys had never seen such a doll before. It was a king-doll, dressed in a long blue cloak over a gold tunic, with a shining sword at his side and a crown that looked like gold on his head. He really was most magnificent. The toys waited eagerly for the night to come. They wanted to wind up the bear and see him bow. They wanted to listen to the little musical box when the handle was turned. And they badly wanted to talk to the king-doll and ask him if they might borrow his crown for a bit, and see how they each looked in it. When the night came and the shop was shut and empty, the toys came alive. The street-lamp outside shone in and lighted up the shop. One by one the toys yawned and slid down from the shelves and the counter. The king-doll got up and stood tall and straight. He looked very grand. He wound up the bear who at once began bowing to him. He bowed and bowed, walking backwards as the king-doll walked forwards. The king-doll came to the little new musical box. He turned the handle and a tune came tinkling out. " Do you know what tune that is? " said the king-doll, in rather a haughty voice. " That's ' God Save the King!' And I'm the king of this toyshop. You should all bow to me, just as this little teddy bear is bowing."

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The toys stared at him. They didn't want to bow to the king-doll. They didn't even know him yet. But the clockwork mouse felt a bit afraid of the shining sword, so he bowed his little nose to the ground. ' Why don't you bow? " said the king-doll, pointing his sword at the golliwog in the dirty coat. ' Well," said the golliwog, " we've already got somebody who's head of the toy-shop, you know. We can't have two heads," :< Of course we can't," said the king-doll. :' I shall be head from now on. Bow to me, please! ' " I don't see why we should," said the expensive curly-haired doll. "We've never had to bow to the doll who has always been queen of the toyshop. At leastshe doesn't call herself queen, but she's our head, all the same." "Where is this person? " said the king-doll in a nasty kind of voice. A small doll came forward. She wasn't at all pretty, but she had a very nice smile. She was dressed like an old country-woman, in a black But the clockwork mouse felt a bit afraid of the shining sword, so he bowed his little nose to the ground.

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skirt and blouse, with a lovely shawl over her shoulders. Her black, straight hair was plaited and wound tightly round her head. On it she wore a little white mopcap. She looked rather a queer little doll, and she had been in the toyshop for three years. Nobody had bought her because she wasn't pretty, and her clothes were so plain. She didn't open and shut her eyes, like the expensive doll. The king-doll stared at her in surprise./ " Well, I did at least think your queen would be somebody good-looking and well-dressed," he said scornfully. :c Fancy making this creature your queenshe's no more a queen than that dirty golliwog is! Nowjust look at me! I really do look like a king! I'm grand. I'm magnificent. I wear a crown and a sword." " You do look very grand," said the sailor doll, walking up to him. "I wouldn't mind having you for a king. I expect the soldiers would rather like it, too. They want to do a bit of parading and saluting! " " Well, I'm not going to be disloyal to our kind little queen," said the dirty golliwog. " She may not look much like a queenbut she does look after us so well! She always sews on any buttons of ours that fall off, and she once sewed up a hole in the elephant's body, when he began to leak sawdust. And she even put back the tail of the rocking-horse when a naughty child pulled it loose." " Pooh! Fancy a queen doing things like that! " said the king-doll, in a scornful voice. " That's more like an ordinary mother. Nobody expects queens or kings to do things like that."

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" I'm not really a queen," said the black-haired doll, in a soft voice. " I don't want to be. It's just an idea the toys have got. You can certainly be king. You look like one, and I expect you'll behave like one. I know I don't behave like a queen. I'm too ordinary." " Yes. You're very ordinary," said the king-doll. " All right. I'll be king. Please remember, everyone, that you must bow when you meet me, or curtsey if you're a doll, and you must walk backwards when you leave me." " Walk backwards*. " said the golliwog. " We shall bump into things! What a silly idea! " " I shall cut off your head if you talk to me like that," said the kingdoll angrily, and he swung his shining sword. The golliwog was afraid. He bowed low and tried to walk backwards. He fell over the clockwork mouse at once. " There you are! " he said. " Sorry, mouse. I knew I should fall over somebody. Such a silly . . ." The king-doll frowned and the golliwog fled away to a corner. The black-haired doll curtsied to the king and walked backwards to the golliwog to comfort him. Then began an exciting but unpleasant time for the toys in the shop. They seemed to be bowing or curtseying all the time. One of them had to play " God Save the King " on the musical box, whenever the king came

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by. They all had to walk backwards in the king's presence, and it was surprising what a lot of falling over there was, and bumping and bruising. The soldiers paraded every night. They saluted. They wheeled left and right. They marched round and round the king, who took their salutes very proudly. Then the king-doll decided to have three special servants every night. Each toy was to take his turn. The toys didn't like it much, because the king worked them very hard indeed. The king forbade anyone but himself to ride in the toy train or on the rocking-horse. He said that a king must have a horse and a royal train of his own. The toys grumbled about that, and the king heard them. He slashed at the golliwog and cut a big hole in his coat. "Oh! You nearly cut me I" said the golliwog. " How unkind you are! " He ran off to the black-haired doll, and he cried black tears when he told her what had happened. " Now don't worry," she said. " I'll mend your coat. And just see that you keep out of the king's way for a while." The clockwork mouse came to her to have his nose kissed, because the king had smacked it. One of the soldiers came because his arm had cracked with so much saluting. She mended it with glue out o a Little tube. The sailor doll came crying because the king had scolded him and taken away his sailor hat. " I forgot to take it off when the king came by," wept the sailor doll. " Now I haven't got a hat. The king pushed it down the mouse-hole."

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" I will make you a new hat out of a piece of paper," said the blackhaired doll, and she did. It really suited the sailor doll very well. Soon the toys grew very tired of their new king. He wasn't kind. He worked them hard. They were tired of bowing and walking backwards. They wanted to play each night, not be his special servants. One by one they deserted him and went to play by themselves in dark corners. The king-doll was angry and hurt. What peculiar toys, not to want a fine fellow like him for their king! Who else had a blue cloak, a gold tunic, a crown and a sword? Even the bowing bear had gone off somewhere and couldn't be found. And there was nobody to wind up the musical box and play " God Save the King ". It was too bad. The king-doll decided to go over to one of the dark corners and give the toys there a fright. So away he went, creeping along a shelf to a corner. He jumped down suddenly, meaning to frighten the toys he thought were just belowand oh, my goodness me, he fell straight into a bucket of water that the shop-woman had left ready to clean the floor in the morning!

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The king was almost drowned. He lost his sword in the water. As he climbed out, his crown dropped off on to the floor. Then he caught his cloak on something and tore it. He was very unhappy. The toys stood round and laughed at him. :' Serves you right for coming sneaking after us! " said the dirty golliwog. ' You don't look like a king now\ " said the clockwork mouse with a giggle. " You've lost your crown! " said the bowing bear. " And your sword, too. Hurrah! You were a silly king." Somebody came up and pushed the toys aside. It was the blackhaired doll. The king looked at her and then he sneezed. " A-tish-oo! ' " Oh dear! Did you fall into the water? " said the black-haired doll. " You're soaked! Come with me quickly, and I'll put you to bed and dry your things for you. Hurry! ' The king-doll was so pleased to hear a kindly voice that he almost cried. He followed the blackhaired doll to her corner. She had a doll's-bed there, and she turned the covers back quickly. * Undress," she said. ' Wrap yourself up in my nice warm shawl. I'll bring you a hot drink. Poor thing, how wet you are! Never mind I'll look after you." It was lovely to be in the soft doll's-bed with the warm blue shawl round him. It was lovely to be fussed over, and have a nice hot drink. " I suppose you couldn't kiss me good night, like you do the clockwork mouse? ': said the king, sleepily, quite forgetting how grand and haughty he was. The little doll kissed him and tucked him up. " Now, you

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other toys, go away and play quietly and let him sleep," she said. " He's caught a bad cold, I'm sure." The toys did as they were : told. ' Isn't the black-haired doll a darling? " whispered the bowing bear to the mouse. " I shall bow to her in future." The little doll dried the king's clothes and mended his torn cloak. She looked after the king well. He thought she was the dearest, kindest toy he had ever seen. He felt very much ashamed of having made himself king and saying she was not a queen. :< I suppose she isn't a real queen," he thought, " but she's queen of all our hearts. I see that. She's a better queen than I am a king! " When he got up he went to look for his crown, and he found it. But he didn't put it on. What do you think he did? He went to find the little black-haired doll, and knelt down humbly before her. " I'm not a proper king," he said. " But you're a proper queenthe queen of all our hearts, mine as well, because you are so kind and good. Please wear my crown! ' The toys cheered. The soldiers shouted. The little doll blushed red. :' Oh, dear! A crown wouldn't suit me at all! " she said. But the king-doll put it onand, dear me, she looked really beautiful in it. : ' I shall only wear it on Sundays," she said. " I'll be your mother-doll all the week and your queen on Sundays." So she isand I wish you could see her wearing the crown. She really does look lovely!

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Answer see page 182

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There was a tremendous noise in the castle of Santa Glaus. The workers there were getting thousands of toys ready for Christmas. Tops were humming, toy ducks were quacking, rocking horses were rocking, trains were rattling round and round rails, and teddy bears were practising their growls. Everywhere you went you could see and hear the toys being made ready by the workers of Santa Glaus. Now one of the little workers was a brownie called Slick. He was the one that taught the Jack-in-the-Boxes to jump straight out of their boxes on their springs, and make people jump. Nobody liked him very much. He didn't always tell the truth, and he was rather sly. " I don't trust him," said one brownie to another, as they worked hard with all the toys. " Santa Glaus ought to get rid of him." But Slick was such a very good worker that Santa Glaus didn't want to send him away. This was a pity, because Slick had a very daring plan in his mind. He meant to steal the sack of toys that Santa Glaus was going to take out with him on Christmas night! This sack was a very magic one. It was a big one, of course, but it was magic, because although it looked as if it could hold about a hundred toys, actually it could hold as many as Santa Glaus meant to give away on Christmas night! Slick had found out all about this. He had asked Mr. Hessian, who always made each year's sack, how Santa Glaus got the toys there. " It's easy! " said Mr. Hessian, busy sewing at the big sack. He sewed a bit of

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magic into every stitch. " On Christmas night a whistle is blown, and all the toys stand up. Then they march out of their different toy-rooms in a long line, and walk straight into the sack. It doesn't matter how many there are, they can all go in. Then Santa Claus ties up the neck of the sack, and goes off with it in his sledge." That was all that Slick wanted to know. Now he knew what to do! " I'll pretend that there is to be a practice march into the sack this year," he said to himself. " And I'll be the one to hold the sack open for the toys to march in! Then I'll tie up the sack, drag it to my motor-car, and drive off with it into the Land of Boys and Girls. I'll sell the toys to all the toy-shops and make a lot of money! How easy! ' So, some time before Christmas, Slick pretended to all the toys that there was to be a practice march into the sack. " When I blow my whistle, you must all come," he said. He blew his whistle. At once the bears got up and marched growling to
the sack. The ducks waddled and quacked. The trains rushed in at top speed and so did all the toy motor-cars. The dolls walked in and the golliwogs went with them. The balls rolled along, the tops spun themselves there and even the bricks somehow hopped, skipped and jumped along. As for the toy soldiers, they marched smartly behind their captain who, with his sword drawn, saw them all carefully into the big sack.

It really was a sight to see. " It's only a practice march," whispered the dolls to one another. "We shan't be in this smelly sack very long! '

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But, to their great dismay, Slick tightly tied up the neck of the sack and began to drag it along the floor to the back door, where he had his motor-car waiting! Nobody heard the cries of the toys. It really was very easy for Slick to steal them all. In two minutes the big castle was quite silent, for not a toy was left. No growling, no clattering, no rocking, no quacking. The toys were all crowded together in the magic sack, hundreds and hundreds of them, being driven off to be sold in our land. The captain of the soldiers soon guessed that something was wrong. He yelled out to Slick. " Hi! What are you doing with us? Where are you taking us? Let us out! I shall complain to Santa Claus! ' Slick laughed loudly. ' You'll never see him again. You're going to toy-shops for people to buy. You won't be put into children's stockings! ' The toys were scared and upset. They all began to talk at once and the tops hummed so loudly that it was difficult to hear what was being said. " Silence! " said the captain of the toy soldiers, in a loud voice. " I have a plan. Please listen, all of you." The toys became quiet. The captain spoke in a low voice. "' I am not going to be sold in a toy-shop! I mean to go back to Santa Claus. I have a sharp sword, toys, and I am going to cut a hole in this sack. I and my soldiers will escape through this, and any of you that like to follow us can do so. We will lead you back to Santa Claus! ' He then cut a large hole at the back of the sack. He marched out with his soldiers, and they found themselves at the back of the car. It was not going very fast, because there was snow on

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the ground, and Slick was driving slowly in case he skidded. One by one the soldiers dropped to the snowy ground and all the toys followed them. Soon the sack was quite empty but Slick didn't know that. Oh, no, he drove on and on, thinking that he still had hundreds of toys behind him! It was about six o'clock in the evening. They were in a big town, and they could see houses all round them. What should they do next? ' There's a policeman! Shall we ask him the way back to Santa Claus?" whispered a big doll. So they made their way in a long line over the snow to the big policeman. But when he saw this strange collection of tiny things moving towards him, he was afraid. He couldn't see that they were only toys, he thought they must be rats, and he ran off to the police station. " Rat-poison! " he said to himself. " I must get some somewhere! What a plague of rats we've got in this town, to be sure! ' " He's run away," said the captain, crossly. " Lookhere's somebody elsetwo people. Oh, they're children! ' Sure enough, two children were coming along in the snowy night. The soldiers followed their captain to a lamp-post, and there the children saw them, a long line of little shining toys. " Look, Bettytoy soldiersand oh, my goodness, there are dolls too and bears and golliwogshundreds of them. Are we dreaming? " " We must be, Tom," said Betty. " But it's a lovely dream. Listen this little soldier is speaking to us! ' '' Do you know the way to Santa Claus? " the captain was asking, in a little, high voice. :' Somebody stole us away from his castle to-night, and we want to go back."

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Well, of course, Betty and Tom made the same answer that you would have made. " We don't know! We know he lives in a castle somewhere in a snowy land where reindeer live, but we couldn't possibly tell you the way!" " Good gracious! But we really must get back! " said a big doll, in alarm. " It's almost Christmas time and we're the toys that Santa Claus puts into children's stockings! We're not shop toys. " A reindeer could tell us the way," said the captain. :e All reindeer know the way to the land of Santa Claus. You don't happen to have a pet reindeer we could ask, do you? " " Oh, no! " said Betty, with a laugh. " But there are reindeer at the London Zoo, and that's not very far away from here. This is London, you know." " Is it really? " said the captain, who had never in his life heard of London. " Could you possibly take us to this Zoo, and let us talk to the reindeer? " " It's shut now," said Tom. " But we could take you to the gates, and as you are so small you could easily slip through the railings. We'll take you to the gates that are nearest the reindeer house." "I don't know how to thank you," said the captain. " I shall certainly tell Santa Claus all about you when we get back, and I will ask him to bring you a special lot of toys this Christmas to reward you for your help." " What are your names? " asked the big doll, as they all walked down the street through the snow. " I'm Tom and my sister is Betty," said Tom. '' I say, this is a funny thing to happen! I do wonder if I'm dreaming it! ' After some time they came to the gates of the big London Zoo. It was quite easy for the toys to slip through the railings. They called good-bye and went into the dark

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grounds of the Zoo. They heard a wolf howling, and they heard owls hooting. And then they smelt the familiar smell of reindeer! The captain sniffed hard. " I smell them," he said. " Their house must be somewhere near here. Come along." So, through the Zoo, along the snowy paths, went a long, long line of toys, all behaving very well except the golliwogs, who began to throw snowballs at one another, and even threw one at a surprised bear who had wandered out into his open-air enclosure to see what the long line of tiny creatures could be. They came to the reindeer house at last and they all slipped through the railings. The reindeer were asleep. There were two of them, and the captain woke them up by poking them with a sharp end of his sword. They woke up with a jump. " Who's that? " said one reindeer. " Reindeer, do you know Santa Claus? " asked the captain. " Of course," said the reindeer. " I used to live not far from his castle. I always hoped I'd be chosen to draw his sledge, but I never was. I even practised galloping through the sky, you know, like his sledge reindeer do. But I wasn't fast enough." " Reindeer! Somebody stole all of us Christmas toys from the castle of Santa Claus," said the captain earnestly. " But we escaped. And now we want to get back. Could you possibly, possibly, tell us the way?" " Well, you want to go the sky-wayit's much shorter than any other way," said the reindeer. " See that big star there? Well, you go straight

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for that, but at midnight you steer by those three stars to the right . . . and..." The listening toys groaned. " We can't fly through the sky!" said the big doll. " Oh, reindeer, have you forgotten how to gallop through the air? Could you could you possibly take us on your back, do you think? Think how grateful Santa Claus would be to you." The reindeer began to get excited. The second one did, too. They tried to remember the spell that had to be used for galloping in the sky over the big London Zoo, whilst the toys watched from below in delight ! One of the keepers saw the reindeer in the sky, but he didn't believe it. ' There's something wrong with my eyes," he said. Reindeer in the sky, indeed ! Why, I'll be believing in Santa Claus next ! " So he didn't do anything about them at all, which was a very good thing. It wasn't long before the toys were all climbing on to the reindeers' backs. They were not only on their backs, but on their necks and noses and tails and underneath ! There were so very many toys, you see. They all managed to get on at last and then off they went! It was most exciting to gallop through the sky. There was no sound of hoofs, of course. The toys had to cling on tightly because the reindeer went so fast. At last they arrived at the castle of Santa Claus, and the reindeer stamped up the steps puffing and blowing and feeling very important. And down the steps came Santa Claus and all his workers in the greatest surprise and delight. " Why did you run away, toys? Where have you been? " cried Santa Claus. " Who are these fine reindeer? "

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The captain of the toys explained, and there was such an excited humming and quacking and squeaking and growling all around that Santa Claus could hardly hear. " That wicked Slick! " he cried. " I'll have him punished! And I'll reward both Betty and Tom, and these two reindeer as well. Reindeer, what reward would you like? ': " Oh, please, Santa Claus, may we help to draw your sledge on Christmas Eve? " begged the reindeer. " We could gallop here from the Zoo." " Right! " said Santa Claus. " Come along on Christmas Eve at about eight o'clock, so that I can get you ready. And nowwhat about these children, Betty and Tom? I'd better take them an extra fine lot of presents, I think. What is their address, captain? ': Well, will you believe it, nobody knew! " I forgot to ask for it," said the captain. " And I don't know their surnames, either. Oh dear, how will you reward Betty and Tom now, Santa Claus? " " I'll have to look up all the Bettys and the Toms in my Christmas book," said Santa Claus, " and I'll leave all of them some extra fine toys. That's the only thing I can do! Now come along to bed, each of you. You must be tired out." Well, that is the story of how all the Christmas toys were stolen, and how they got back safely to Santa Claus. I hope your name happens to be Betty or Tom. If it is, you'll be lucky this year, won't you?

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" Now, Simple Simon," said his mother. : You try and be a sensible boy to-day and help me. I am really busy/' " Yes, Mother," said Simple Simon. "I won't do a single thing wrong." " Put the kettle on the gas-stove to boil," said Mother. " That's the first thing you can do." So Simon did. After a while his mother called to him, " Is that kettle boiling yet, Simon? " Simon went to see. " No, Mother," he shouted. " It's not." " Is there steam coming out of the spout? " called his mother. " No," said Simon. " There isn't." " " Funny! " said his mother. " It's ages since you put it on to boil." She came out to see if it had begun to boiland she looked first at the kettle and then at Simon. " Did you expect the kettle to boil if you didn't light the gas? " she : said. ' Simon, either you don't use your brains, or you haven't got any. I can't make up my mind which," " I'm sorry, Mother," said Simon, and lighted the gas. But his mother was still cross with him. Simon didn't like that. He went to her. " Mother, tell me to do something else for you," he said. " I'll do that really well, I truly will." " There's nothing you don't make a muddle over," said his mother, crossly.

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" I could go and do some shopping for you," said Simon. " You went shopping on Wednesday, and what did you do? " said his mother. " You took your shoes to the fish-shop to be mended! " " Well, there was a notice up that said ' Soles for Sale '," said Simon. " How was I to know that the soles they meant were fish? You told me to get new soles put on my shoes." " And yesterday I sent you for some soap and you brought home a tin of soup," said his mother. " Well, I thought you said soup," said Simon. " Mother, do let me go shopping again. I promise I'll be very sensible." " All right," said his mother. " Go to the grocer's, and bring back the groceries. There will be a box of matches, a box of custard powder, a bottle of vinegar, and a half a pound of butter. Now don't break the bottle of vinegar, and don't spill the custard powder." " Mother, I won't," said Simon, earnestly. " You shall see what a very good sensible boy I can be." " The custard powder is important," said Mother. " I want it for our dinner. Go along now, and take the basket." Simon trotted off happily. It was nice to be trusted. Very nice. He would be so sensible. He would bring back everything, and nothing would be spilt or sat on. He went to the grocer's and got all the goods. He put them into his basket. Yesthe box of matches, the box of custard powder, the bottle of vinegar, the butter. Good! " I'll go home through the fields," he said to himself. " It will be nice to walk by the stream. The buttercups are out,

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toothey will look so pretty." So Simon started off home, and climbed over the stile to go through the buttercup field. He walked through the buttercups, and came to the stream. Then he happened to look down to his legs, and he was very upset. " My shoes and my socks are covered with yellow powder! " he said. " I must have spilt the custard powderand Mother asked me not to. Oh dear, oh dear! What a nuisance." He set down his basket and brushed off the yellow powder. He didn't know it was pollen powder from the buttercups! He stood and wondered what to do. Should he tell his mother he had spilt some? She would be very cross. But she would be crosser still if he didn't tell her, and she found the box half empty. " I'd better tell her," said poor Simon, with a sigh. " Oh dearI suppose the lid came off the box." He set off home again, going through the buttercups once more, and, of course, the buttercup pollen spilt all over his shoes and socks again! Simon didn't know he had left his basket behind him by the stream. He was so anxious to get home and tell his mother, that he forgot to pick it up and bring it. Oh dear! He got home and ran to find his mother. He saw that his legs were all yellow again, and he began to cry. "Mother! Don't be cross. I've spilt

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the custard powder all over my legs! Look!" His mother looked. It did seem like custard powder. She was cross. " How did that happen? Where's the basket? The lid must have come off the custard powder, and the powder must have trickled out through the cracks of the basket. Careless boy! Where's the basket, Simon? ': " OhI've left it by the stream! " said Simon, suddenly remembering. " Oh, Mother, I've left it behind. But how could I have spilt custard powder over my legs, then, if I didn't have the basket? I brushed my shoes and socks clean, I know I did." " Go and get the basket," said his mother, crossly. " Someone else will find it. Hurry, Simon! ' Simon hurried, puzzling about how the custard powder could have got on his legs again, when he wasn't carrying the basket. He came to the stream and oh, what a good thing, there was the basket! He went to pick it up. He thought he would see if the lid of the custard bad come off, so he tipped everything out. The box of matches w> rolled down the bank to the water, and fell in, plop! " Bother! " said Simon, and fished out the box. It was dripping wet. He put it back into the basket. He sat down to brush off the powder from his legsand, oh dear, what was that underneath him? The butter, of course! " Why did you have to be just underneath me? ': said Simon angrily to the butter. A wasp smelt the butter and flew down to see what it was. Simon slapped at it. The wasp stung him. Simon howled loudly, but there was no one to comfort him. He looked at his hand where the

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wasp had stung him. He remembered that his mother put vinegar on wasp-stings, so he opened the bottle, and poured it all over his hand. " There! " he said. " What a good thing I had some vinegar with me. Now my hand won't swell up." He put the squashed butter, the empty bottle of vinegar and the custard powder back into the basket with the wet match-box. Then he set off home once more and was dismayed to see his legs covered with yellow powder again. " I should think every bit of the custard is spilt now," he thought. " What will Mother say? " He called her, feeling very sorry for himself. " Mother, where are you? I found the basket, and here it is." " Oh, good boy! " said his mother, pleased, and came to get it. She took out the matches. " Gracious, Simon, they're wetno use at all! They'll never strike now! What in the world have you done to them? "

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" Well, you see, they fell into the river," said Simon. His mother took out the butter and looked at it. " I suppose you sat on it, after I'd begged you not to! " she said. " Well, Mother, it happened to be underneath me when I sat down," said Simon. " I didn't mean to sit on it. It just let itself be sat on." " I see," said his mother. :' And look herewhat about this bottle of vinegar? It's empty! ' " Oh, yes, Mother; you see, a wasp stung me and I poured the vinegar over my hand," said Simon. ' I thought that was clever of me, to remember to put vinegar on a sting." " Well it wasn't very clever to put the whole bottle," said Mother crossly. " And now here's the custard powder. I suppose the box will be empty! " Simon stared dolefully at the box. But to his enormous surprise, when his mother opened it, it was chock-full! " Well, look there! " said Mother. " After all the fuss you made about having custard powder all over your shoes and socks, and rushing home without the basket to tell me, you didn't spill any after all! ' " But, MotherI did! Look at my legs! " said Simon, and he showed her them. " Isn't that custard powder? ' His mother looked very carefully. Then she laughed.

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To his enormous surprise, when his mother opened it, it was chock-full!

" It's buttercup powder," she said. : You walked through the buttercups, didn't you? Well, they always spill their yellow pollen on you if you brush against them. You didn't spill the custard powder at all." " Well, I'm a very good boy then, after all ! " said Simon, pleased. " Oh, no, you're not! " said his mother. ' Who wetted the matches? Who sat on the butter? Who used up all my vinegar? A silly, naughty boy did that! You tell me his name? " But Simon didn't want to. He went out by himself, and told the buttercups what he thought of them. " Spilling your custard powder all down my legs! " he said to them. " You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! ' They nodded their golden heads at him. They didn't care! Poor old Simple Simon, he never can get things right. Answer to Puzzle on Page 129 Waist, Waste.

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" Gordon, you haven't brushed your hair again! " said Mother. " Oh, Motheryou always fuss so about my hair! " grumbled Gordon. " It's always: ' You haven't washed your handsyou haven't brushed your hairyou haven't wiped your feet! ' " That will do, Gordon," said Daddy. " Go and brush your hair at once. And if you forget again, after Mother has told you, I shall not give you your Saturday sixpence." Gordon went off sulkily and brushed his hair. He had the kind of hair that really does need to be well brushed. It stuck out all over the place, and had to be brushed and brushed before it looked neat and tidy. :t Horrible hair! Tiresome hair!" said Gordon, and he flattened it down with his brush. Then he went back to the breakfast-table and sat down. " Please don't sulk, Gordon," said Mother. " You've no idea how unpleasant your face looks when it sulks." Gordon still looked sulkybut when he saw Daddy's eye on him, over the top of the newspaper, he decided that he had better be sensible. He remembered to brush his hair at dinner-time, and at tea-time, too. But when supper-time came he quite forgot! He arrived at the supper-table looking like a golliwog. Mother cried out when she saw him. " Gordon! What have you been doing to your hair! It looks like a hedgehog's back! " " Well, I've brushed it," said Gordon, telling a naughty story. " It must have got like that coming downstairs! '

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That made Daddy cross. "You know what I said to you this morning, don't you? " he said sternly. " I said if you forgot again, you'd have to go without your Saturday sixpence. Well, I shall keep my word. You will have no sixpence tomorrow morning and the punishment is as much for telling a silly story as for disobeying Mother ! ' Gordon was upset. He hadn't thought that Daddy had really meant what he said. The tears came into his eyes and he looked at Daddy to see if he would change his mind. " It's no good looking at me like that," said Daddy. "I just think you're a cry-baby, that's all. I'm not pleased with you." After supper Gordon went out into the garden to put away his bicycle. It was still daylight. Gordon put his bicycle into the shed and shut the door with a bang. He was in a temper. " I meant to buy some sweets tomorrow and I wanted my new SUNNY STORIES, too," he said, out loud. " Oh, bother my hair! I hate my hair! I wish I hadn't got hair like mine! Silly, stupid hair! ' " Well, let me do something about it for you," said a voice from somewhere nearby. Gordon looked about in surprise. He suddenly saw an ugly little fellow looking at him from under a laurel bush. Gordon thought it must be an imp or a goblin. " Well, what can you do about it? " said the boy. " If you can do something which will stop me having to brush my hair half a dozen times a day, I'd be very glad. I'll give you my old bicycle bell, if you will. It still rings." " Right! " said the goblin, eagerly. " Where is it? "

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Gordon found it and gave it to the ugly little fellow. He stared up at Gordon out of bright green eyes. :' I'm going to say a spell," he said. :' Stand still a minute, please. When the spell is over, you will never have the bother of brushing your hair again." " Good! " said Gordon, and he stood perfectly still. His heart beat rather fast, for it was really very exciting to have such a thing happen to him. " Imminy, pimminy, high in the air, Off and away with your tiresome hair! : chanted the little fellow. And Gordon felt a prickling and a tickling of his headand to his enormous surprise he saw hundreds of dark brown hairs flying into the air and aw He put his hand up to his head. It was bald and bare! He stared in dismay at the goblin. " Now you'll never have to bother about brushing your hair again! ' said the goblin with a smile. " Isn't that good ! Aren't you pleased? ': Gordon didn't answer. He rushed indoors and went to look at himself in the glass in the hall. How dreadful he looked! He hadn't a hair on his head. It was pink and bareand felt very cold indeed! " Oh dear! How terrible I look! " said poor Gordon. " What will Mother say! Whatever will all the boys at school say? I shall be laughed at

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all day long. I can't bear it. Oh, why did I grumble about brushing my hair? It's far more dreadful to have no hair to brush! " The paper-boy came to the door and threw the paper on to the mat. The hall-door was open and the boy saw Gordon. He stared at him in surpriseand then he threw back his head and laughed loudly. " Hallo, Baldy! " he said. " What have you done with your hair? " Gordon ran into the garden again. He was frightened and upset. How silly that goblin was! Gordon hadn't meant him to take away his hair. He had only wanted hair that would look neat without being brushed. " I wonder where the goblin is," thought the boy. " If I could find him, I'd make him give me back my hairor get me some new hair, anyway." He heard a ringing of a bell, and he knew it was the sound that his old bicycle bell made. He looked under the laurel bush and there he saw the goblin againbut this time he had a little friend with him, exactly like himself! He was showing him the bell, and the two of them were taking turns ringing it. " Hie, goblin! " cried Gordon. " I want my hair back! I can't bear to have my head like this. Please give me back my hair! ' The goblin peeped out from the bush with bright sharp eyes. "How you do change your mind! " he said. "First you hate your hairand then almost at once you want it back again. Wellmy friend here knows a spell to get it backbut he won't do it unless you give him a nice little bell like mine." Gordon stared down in dismay. Both the little fellows looked up at him with sharp green eyes. They meant to drive a bargain with Gordon.

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" All right," said the boy at last. " I'll give you my new bicycle bell though I don't want toafter you've got back my hair, not before." " Well, stand still whilst I say the spell," said the second goblin. " I hope it will be your hair that comes back. It might be somebody else's, you know." Gordon stood still. The goblin began to chant: " Imminy, pimminy's what I said, Hair, come back to the poor bald head! ' And, sure enough, through the air, thousands of little hairs came flying. They came back to Gordon's head and settled there. They grew once more and there was the boy with a good thatch of hair again, feeling very pleased. " I'll get you the bicycle bell," said Gordon, and rather sadly he unscrewed the nice bright new bell from his bicycle handle and gave it to the eager, green-eyed goblin. What a ringing there was under the laurel bush then! Both bells rang madly as the two goblins tried them over and over again. Gordon went indoors and looked at himself in the glass. Yes he looked better now but what was this? He looked closely at himself in the glassand do you know what he saw? He had got all his own hair back againand a tiny bit of somebody else's too! But instead of being dark brown, the somebody else's was golden! So just at the right side of Gordon's head was a little golden patch in his dark hair. Wasn't it queer? " Oh, well, never mind, I expect It Will grow dark,

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thought the boy. " My goodness meI'll never forget to brush my hair again. I'm so glad to have it back. And to think I've lost both my bicycle bells, and my Saturday sixpence, too, through being so silly about my hair!" Mother was surprised at two things next day. She couldn't imagine how it was that Gordon had got a funny little golden bit in his hairand she couldn't think why the little boy brushed his hair so well all of a sudden. " I suppose it was because Daddy punished you," she said. " Wellif it makes you remember, it will be worth it. But I do wish I knew how that funny golden bit came there, Gordon." Gordon didn't tell her because he was rather ashamed of himself. I wonder if you'll ever meet him. You'll know him if you do, because that golden bit never grew dark again! It's still there in his brown hair, like a small patch of magic sunlight!

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The Grumpy Goblin slammed his gate and went off down the road looking as black as thunder. A crowd of pixies and brownies called after him. ' Don't you ever come back here again! Don't you dare! We shall give your cottage to somebody else, and all your furnitureand if you show your face here again we'll turn you into a grasshopper! ' Grumpy didn't dare to answer back. He went off with big steps, a bag of belongings rolled up in a red handkerchief, and tied to a stick which he carried over his shoulder. He had been very bad indeed. He had lived for two years in his little cottage, and each night when it was dark he had gone out and stolen things belonging to other people. Soon his cottage was full of stolen goods. There was Witch Wimple's best arm-chair. There was Father Tick-Tock's chest-of-drawers. There was Tippitty's clock and Dame Twinkle's best teapot. Grumpy never asked anyone to his cottage at all. He knew quite well that if he did, the folk of the village would see the things he had stolen. But one night he made a great mistake. He stole the kettle belonging to Mother Flip-Flap. He didn't know it was a whistling kettle that she had just bought at the market. He popped it on his kitchen stove, filled with water, to make himself a pot of tea the very next day. And when it was boiling that kettle whistled its lid off!

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You really should have heard it. It sounded like a train going through a tunnel, and it made everyone in the village jump in fright. Mother Flip-Flap heard it of courseand she knew what it was. "My kettle! My stolen kettle! It's whistling! Now I shall know who the thief is! " She ran out into the road. She soon traced the loud whistle to the Grumpy Goblin's cottage. Then she called everyone to her and they all marched to Grumpy's house and burst open the door. Grumpy was trying to stop the kettle from whistling. When he saw the village folk marching in, he was full of horror. But it was too late to hide away the things he had stolen. " My arm-chair! " cried Witch Wimple. " My clock! " cried Tippitty. " My chest-of-drawers! ' cried Father Tick-Tock. " You rogue, Grumpy! You thief! You robber! ' And with that everyone fell upon Grumpy and gave him a dozen hard spankings so that he wouldn't be able to sit down for at least a week. Then they turned him out of his cottage. And that was how it was that Grumpy was leaving the village in disgrace, with just a shirt and a pair of socks wrapped in his hanky, and not a penny in his pocket. Serves him right, too! He was very angry. He wondered if he would have to work for his living. He couldn't bear

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to do that. But somehow he would have to get food to eat and a bed to sleep on. He walked on for miles and miles, wondering what to do. And then an idea came into his head. If he could get hold of a nice, gentle brownie, who had a dear little comfortable cottage somewhere, he would go and live with him. He would frighten him dreadfully, so that he would have to take him home. And once in his home, nobody would be able to get Grumpy out. Ho-ho, that really was a very fane plan. After a long time he came to a little village. Perhaps a gentle brownie lived somewhere near here. He would find out. Then he might have a soft, warm bed that night and a very line meal He went into a little inn, just as the night was falling. There were a lot of pixies, brownies, goblins and elves there, talking and laughing together. " Hallo, stranger," said one. ' Where do you come from? ' " From a long way, to seek a friend," said Grumpy.

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" What's his name? " asked a pixie. " I can't remember," said Grumpy. " But I can tell you what he is like. He is kind and gentle and generous and he has a comfortable little cottage, soft beds and keeps a good table. Is there anyone like that living here?" " Oh, you must mean the brownie Heyho," said a goblin. "He's the kindest fellow; and so generous. He'd give the coat off his back to anyone in trouble." " Yes, but only if he deserved it," said an elf. " He's a good, kind fellow, but he isn't foolish. Ah, if Heyho is your friend, you'll be sure of a bed and a meal to-night, goblin! " " He must be the one I'm seeking," said Grumpy, delighted to hear all this. " Where does he live? " " He's gone to market," said the pixie. " But he will be passing through the wood yonder in about half an hour. He has a dear little wife who is a wonderful cook. She will be cooking him a fine dinner to-night because he has been away all day." " This is better and better! " thought Grumpy. " A gentle, generous brownieand a good cook for a wife! I'll go and live there without a doubt. Just the sort of home I want." He got up. " I'll go and meet my friend Heyho," he said. " I'll wait in the wood for him. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see me. Good night, all." The people in the inn watched him go. " Well, I wouldn't like that goblin to be a friend of mine," said the innkeeper. " He's got a nasty mean face."

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" I hope he really is a friend of Heyho's," said an elf. " I wouldn't like him to set on Heyho and rob him." " Heyho can look after himself all right," said the pixie. " He may be kind and gentle, but he's got brains. He's as sharp as a dozen needles." Grumpy went to wait in the wood for Heyho. In about half an hour's time the brownie came along, humming, thinking of the good dinner that would be waiting for him. He jumped when Grumpy suddenly caught hold of him. " Listen, Heyho! " said Grumpy. " I'm a poor goblin with no home and no food. I'm coming to live with you. I know you're kind and generous." Heyho stopped and swung his lantern so that he could see Grumpy's face. He didn't like it. "I don't know you," he said. " Oh, Heyho, have you forgotten your old, old friend? " said Grumpy. " Well, well, to think I should have come all this way to see you and you don't remember me! ' " I certainly don't," said Heyho. " And what is more, I don't mean to take you home with me. I don't like the look of you." Grumpy began to frown. He caught hold of Heyho's elbow and held it so tightly that Heyho couldn't get free. " How dare you talk to me like that? I tell you I'm coming to live with you, whether you like it or not.

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And if you make any trouble I've a spell here that I bought from Witch Green-Eyes to turn you into a jumping frog at the first full moon." Heyho knew that spell and he didn't like it. He didn't like anything about this goblin either. His voice, his face, his clothes, his manner they were all nasty. But the goblin might know some powerful spells, and he might use them. Heyho was afraid to defy him and run away. " Well, Heyhoare you going to take me home with you? " said Grumpy. " I want to know your nice little wife. I want to know you too. I shall enjoy living in your house. Come alonglead the way." Heyho suddenly grinned to himself. All right. He would lead the way. But it wouldn't be quite the way that Grumpy hoped. " Well, come along," said Heyho, and swung his lantern in front of him. " We mustn't be late." " Good," said Grumpy, and took his arm. " I knew you were sensible as well as kind."

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Heyho went along through the wood. He went across a field. He climbed over a stile. He went up a hill. At the top of it was a cottage built of white stone. Lamplight shone through the red curtains. A delicious smell came out of the open window. : ' Oho! So this is where you live! " said Grumpy, pleased. ' Very nice, too. Do we knock? ': " Yes. Bang very loudly," said Heyho. " I'm just going to hang up my lantern. I'll be with you in a moment." He slipped away to the side, leaving Grumpy on the door-step. But it wasn't Heyho's door-step. Oh no, Heyho's cottage was a mile away, near the wood! This was Mister StampAbout's house and Mister StampAbout was well known to be the worsttempered gnome that had ever lived in that district! But Grumpy thought it was Heyho's cottage. He lifted his hand, found the knocker and rapped on it. " Rat-a-tatta-tat! ' A cross voice called out, " Go away! " Grumpy was surprised and annoyed. He knocked again, almost breaking the knocker off. " Rat-a-tatta-tat! " Go away! " barked the voice again. But Grumpy didn't. He kicked the door. He hit it with his fistsand then it occurred to him to turn the handle. The door opened! Grumpy rushed in, eager to find the person

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who had told him to go away. Aha, he would soon put him into his place, whoever he was! Some visitor of Heyho's, he supposed. He bumped into Mister Stamp-About, who had suddenly lost his temper. Mister StampAbout caught hold of Grumpy and shook him hard. Grumpy struggled and kicked out. Stamp-About dragged him into the kitchen and sat him down hard in a chair. Then he pulled him up again and sat him down hard, and did it again and again till Grumpy hadn't any breath left at all. " I'll teach you to come banging at my door! I'll teach you to kick my paint! I'll . . . I'll . . . I'll . . ." The Grumpy Goblin was simply amazed at all this. Where was Heyho? Where was his nice little wife? Who was this horrible, badtempered fellow, as strong as an ox and as fierce as a lion? " If you don't stop hurting me, I'll turn you into a green frog," gurgled Grumpy, at last finding his breath. Mister Stamp-About lost a bit more of his temper.

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He took some milk off the table and poured it down the goblin's neck. He plastered strawberry jam all over his face. He even emptied a cherry pie over his hair. Then he took up a rolling-pin and really set about Grumpy. But Grumpy couldn't stand any more. With a dreadful yell he rushed to the window, which was open. Stamp-About caught him by the belt, gave him a good pounding with the rolling-pin, and then threw him with all his might out of the window. Grumpy sailed up into the air. He sailed quite a long wayand then he fell with a loud splash into the duck-pond! When he crawled out, shivering, he saw Heyho on the bank, swinging his lantern, and looking to see who it was in the pond. " Oh, it's you," said Heyho, feeling rather upset when he saw the terrible mess that Grumpy was in. ';i Did Stamp-About give you a bad time? You shouldn't have banged on the door so hard. I meant you to be punished but perhaps not quite so much as you have been. I feel quite sorry for you. Perhaps you had better come home with me for the night after all." " Go home with you! I should think not! " cried poor Grumpy, shaking himself like a dog. " Whose house would you take me to next? No thank you! I'll find a haystack and sleep under it to-night. I'm not going to live with anyoneor even stay a night! '

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And much to Heyho's relief, he went off in the darkness to find a haystack. Heyho laughed. ' What a shock for him to find Mister Stamp-About in the cottage instead of my dear little wife! " he said. " Well, wellmaybe he has learnt a very good lesson to-night." Grumpy had. He's at work nowyes, and really working hard. He doesn't steal any more. He works for the innkeeper in the village, sweeping, scrubbing and gardening. But there are two people he won't even say good-day to. You can guess who they are. YesHeyho, and Mister Stamp-About! Answer to Puzzle on Page 148 Hide; Ride; Rice; Rick; Rock; Sock; Sack; Pack; Peck; Peek; Seek.

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Answer see page 193

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In the toy-shop there were hundreds of toys. There were big and little dolls' houses, toy cars and trains of all kinds, balls, tops and marbles. There were four shelves full of dolls, and three shelves full of toy animals. On one shelf, where the animals lived, was a furry kitten. He was black, with green glass eyes, four little white feet and a long black tail. He was a lively little thing, and romped about wildly at night when all the toys came alive. But oh, what a baby he was! He howled if he bumped his nose. He tried to walk through the mirror and visit himself. He could never remember anything he was told, and he didn't try to. There was a white cat on the shelf with him and she spoilt him dreadfully. She licked him clean each night, though he should have done this for himself. She borrowed a comb from the big blue-eyed doll and combed out the long hairs in the kitten's tail. " There! " she said proudly. " Blackie, you are the prettiest toy kitten in tie world." ' And the stupidest," said the big teddy bear. " If you didn't spoil and fuss Blackie so muck Ke;d try to think for himself. As it is, you think for him and do everything for him so he's just as stupid as can be! ' " He ought to go to school," said the black golliwog. " I hear that the sailor doll, who is really very clever, is thinking of starting a class for the youngest toy animals. Blackie had better go."

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" Oh, no! He's too little! " said the white cat, and cuddled Blackie close to her. " He's not too little! You're keeping him a baby! " said the bear. " It's disgraceful. He simply doesn't know a thing and he hasn't any manners at all. He just does whatever he likes." " Well, perhaps he had better go to school then," said the white cat. " And I'll go with him and help him." The teddy bear and the golliwog went to see the sailor doll. ' You start your school, Sailor," said the bear, " and get all the young toy animals to itespecially that spoilt little black kitten. But don't you let the white cat come! Just see if you can't make Blackie think for himself a bit." So Sailor started his school, and Blackie arrived the first night with the puppy dog, Jinks, the little piglet, Porky, the baby doll and the clockwork mouse.

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" Now, when you come to me you must all shake hands or paws," said Sailor. He held out his hand to Jinks, who put up his right paw politely. But when it came to Blackie's turn he put up his left paw. " No, no," said Sailor. " Don't you even know your right paw from your left? Dear, dear, what a baby! This is your right paw. Now go and stand at the back of the row. Everyone must come up again and shake hands in the right way." But did Blackie remember which was his right paw? Of course not! Up went the left one again. " You are not trying to remember what I tell you," he said. " You must remember to-morrow, or I shall spank you." Blackie, crying bitterly, went back to the shelf where the white cat sat. " Sailor was angry with me," he mewed. " I don't know my right paw." The golliwog laughed loudly. " When I was small I was taught that my right hand was the one I write with, and the hand that was left was my left. Easy! " " It's not easy, you horrid golliwog," said the kitten rudely. " I don't know how to writeso how do I know which is my right paw? You're silly." " It will do you good to be spanked," said the golliwog. " You're a cheeky little kitten. You'll never remember a thing, but when you've had about six spankings you'll find that your memory gets much better! " " Oh, how unkind you are to Blackie! " said the big white cat, and she cuddled him. " Never mind, BlackieI will see that you know your right paw from your left. Don't take any notice of that unkind golliwog, with his dirty

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" My face may be black, but it isn't dirty," said the golliwog angrily, but the white cat took no notice. She began to lick Blackie all over. " That's rightfuss him and spoil him and make him a bigger baby than ever! " said the bear. " You wait till Sailor sees him to-morrow! ' " Now, Blackie, you must tell me exactly what Sailor said you were to do tomorrow night, when you go to his school," said the big white cat, when she had finished washing Blackie. " He said I was to take a clean hanky," said the kitten. " But I know I shall lose it on the way." " No, you won't. I'll tie a ribbon round your neck and pin the hanky neatly to it," said the white cat. ' Then you cannot possibly lose it. What else did he say? " " He said I must know which paw to shake hands with," said Blackie. " But I shan't know that. I shall never, never remember." " Yes you will, Blackie, dear," said the white cat. " I'll tie a ribbon round your right paw and all you will have to do is to look at your paws and shake hands with the one that has the ribbon on it." " How kind and clever you are! " said the kitten. So the next night the white cat tied a ribbon round Blackie's neck and pinned a little hanky tightly to it. Then she tied another ribbon round his right paw in a very neat bow. " There you are," she said. " Now go and play for a while till it's time for school."

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The kitten went off. He found Porky and began to play all kinds of games with the pigletand in the middle of them the bow on his paw came undone. " Oh, dear," he said, " I can't tie a bow. What shall I do ? ' " Can't tie a bow! " said the golliwog, who was watching. " What a baby you are! Come here, I'll tie it." Blackie went to the golliwog. The golly undid the ribbon, took it off and shook it out. Then very solemnly, with a twinkle in his eye, he put the ribbon on againthis time on the left paw! " There you are," he said. " Time for school! Go along or you'll be late." So Blackie ran off to Sailor and, of course, when the time came to shake hands he put up his left paw at once. " WRONG! " bawled Sailor. " That's your left paw." " 'Tisn't," said Blackie. " It's my right. Look at the ribbon on it." "A spanking for not shaking hands properly and for being rude! " said Sailor, and a spanking poor Blackie got, the first he had ever had in his life. It was a terrible shock to him, and he cried bitterly. " Stop sniffing," said Sailor crossly. " Use your hanky. I suppose you've forgotten that, too! ' !i I've g-g-g-got one," sniffed Blackie. But alas, he couldn't use it because it was pinned so tightly to the ribbon round his neck. So he went on sniffing. "One more sniff and you'll get one more spank," said Sailor, who was trying to teach Porky his ABC.

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The golliwog and the bear were pleased to see that Blackie had got a spanking at last. " We'll untie that ribbon of his each night, and put it on the wrong paw," said Golly. " Perhaps when he finds it doesn't help him, he'll begin to think for himself. Tying a ribbon round his paw to teach him his right hand indeed! ' So the next night Golly stopped Blackie and told him his ribbon was not tied very well. " I can make a better bow than that," he said, and he took off the ribbon and tied it round one of Blackie's back legs! And when Blackie's turn came to shake hands with his teacher, he looked to see which of his paws had the ribbon on itand up went his hind paw to shake hands with Sailor! Sailor was very angry indeed. " Oh, so you think you'll be cheeky, do you ?" he said. :' Another spanking, then! My goodness, you've been spoilt, Blackie. But it won't do to act that way with me! ' Blackie was scared and puzzled.

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The blue ribbon idea didn't seem to be working. He told the white cat he didn't want it on any more, but she insisted that he must. So the nex: night once again she tied it round his right paw. And once again the bear and the golliwog untied itbut this time, with many giggles, they tied it on the end of the kitten's thick black tail! Will you believe it, Blackie offered his tail to Sailor when it was his turn to shake hands! He saw the ribbon on it, and without thinking an further, he turned himself round, stood with his back to Sailor, and stuck out his tail to him. " WHAT'S THIS NOW? " roared Sailor. " More rudeness. Right! I'll shake your tailand you with it! ' And to Blackie's horror, Sailor caught right hold of his tail and shook it violentlyso violently that Blackie was swung to and fro and was at last shaken right off his feet. Then up he went into the air and suddenly click his tail came right off in Sailor's hand! " Ho! " said Sailor, looking at the tail. " Your tail has come off. Serves you right for being so silly. I'll keep it till you use your brains a little and begin to thinkand the first thing you must think about is which is your right paw. It's that one, see? Now go into the corner and think hard." Blackie put his right paw into his mouth to stop his crying and to remember which one it was.

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He had no tail now, he thought sadly. The white cat might be very cross if he went to her without his tail. He didn't want to go back to the shelf. He thought he had better stay in his corner and try to think hard for himself. It wasn't a bit of good letting the white cat think for him. He never, never got the right paw up to shake hands with Sailor. An idea came into his head. He wouldn't have a ribbon any more. He would have a Smell on his paw! Nobody could tie or untie that. It would always be there, and when he wanted to know which was his right paw he had only to smell all of them, and the one with the Smell would be the one. And nobody would know. They would think he really had learnt which was his right paw. So, instead of going back to the toy-shelf, to be fussed over by the white cat, Blackie went to the big, blue-eyed doll. "Please," he said, shyly, "I to know you have a bottle of lovely scent. Could you possibly spare me a tiny drop? " " Dear me, how polite you are, all of a sudden! " said the doll, in surprise. " Of course I'll let you have some, if you ask like that. Where do you want it? " " On this paw, please," said the kitten, so the doll tilted up her bottle, and a drop went on to Blackie's paw. It smelt simply delicious. " Now I shall always know which paw is my right one," thought Blackie. He kept smelling his paw to make sure the scent was still there.

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Well, the next night Blackie put up the right paw at once. He had smelt all his paws to make sure he had the right one, and the Smell was still there. Sailor was pleased. " Ah, you are trying to be good and use your brains. I am pleased with you, Blackie." How sweet it was to hear such words from Sailor! Blackie did his very best to do what he was told that night, and to his great surprise he found that he could think quite well if he tried. " I have got brains," he thought. :< It was only because the white cat spoilt me so and made such a baby of me that I couldn't use my brains. I won't let her spoil me any more! I'll go with the golliwog and the bear instead, and let them see I want to be big." So he did, and they began to like Blackie very much indeed. In fact, one night the bear sewed the kitten's tail on for him again, and he was very pleased. " Golly and Bear," said Blackie, suddenly. " I have a sad confession to make to you. You think I used my brains to remember which is my right paw. But I didn't. Do you know what I did? I got the big doll to put some of her scent on my right paw, so that I should always know by the smell which it was. I do hope you won't be too ashamed of me now I've told you that." The bear and the golly laughed till they cried. " You little silly! " said the bear. " Didn't you have to use your brains to think of a good idea like that? Because it really was a very good idea. Ah, you've got brains all right, if you'll only use them! But I can't smell the scent on your paw.

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" Dear me, neither can I," said Blackie, smelling his paw hard. should be there, because I know this is my right paw." " He knows it, he knows it!" laughed the bear to the golly, don't go and get any more scent, Blackie. You don't need it now. Shake hands! " And solemnly Blackie held up his right paw and shook hands with the golly and the bear. He was pleased. ' We're friends," he said. ; You won't fuss me and spoil me like the white cat didbut I don't want a friend like that, do I ? ': " Nobody ought to want a friend of that sort!" said the bear. done, Blackie. You're really growing up. One of these days you'll be sensible enough to be soldand how you'll love a home of your own! ' So he willand I wouldn't mind buying him, would you? Answer to Puzzle on Page 183 .1. Tomato. 2. Turnip. 3. Radish 4. Bean. 5. Pea. 6. Sprout.

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Answer see page 204

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In the nursery of the Princess Marigold was a toy train. It was a very fine one indeed. It was made of wood, painted all colours. It didn't run on lines; it trundled wherever it liked, round and round the nursery. It was rather a magic train. In the cab of the red engine was a little knob. When Princess Marigold pressed the knob, the train began to run along, pulling the carriages behind in a long string. And it would go on running until the princess said the word " Hattikattikooli." Then the train would stop suddenly and stand absolutely still until the knob in the engine's cab was once again pressed. Marigold had great fun with the train. She set all her dolls and toys in it, pressed the knob, and off they went, trundling up and down. Sometimes she opened the door of her nursery and the train would rattle all down the passage and back, startling the king very much if he met it suddenly round a corner. Now there were two small pixies who lived just outside the palace walls in a pansy bed. They were Higgle and Tops, and how they loved that little toy train. One day they climbed up the ivy, right up the wall, and in at the princess's window to see the train running. They sat hidden behind a big doll on the window-sill, watching for the train to start. Marigold put the golliwog into the cab of the engine to drive it. She put all the Noah's Ark animals into two of the carriages, her black doll and teddy bear in the next one, and all the skittles in the rest. Higgle

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and Tops nearly fell off the window-sill trying to see what she did to start up the engine. " She pressed a little knob! " whispered Higgle into Tops' ear, making him jump. " She did! That's how you start it! " " I know. I saw," said Tops. " Oh, Higgle, if only the princess would go out of the room for a bit we could have a ride in that train! ' And will you believe it, somebody called Marigold at that moment, and she ran out of the room, closing the door behind her in case the train ran out. In a moment Higgle and Tops were down on the floor, running across to the moving train. Higgle got hold of the golliwog. " Get out! " he cried. " You can't drive for toffee! Let me drive! " The golliwog pushed Higgle away. The black doll began to shout. The bear tried to get out of his carriage to go to the golliwog's help. When Tops began to pull at the golliwog, too, he just had to fall off the engine. Then Higgle and Tops leapt into the cab and began to drive. Oh, how lovely! They drove round and round the nursery at such a tremendous speed that three of the skittles fell out, and the kangaroo in one of the front carriages was frightened and jumped out in a hurry. " Stop! " called the black doll. " You'll smash us all up! Stop, I tell you!" But Higgle and Tops had never driven a train before in their lives and weren't going to stop! No, they went faster and faster and faster. And when Marigold came back she was When Tops began to pull at the golliwog, too, horrified to see her little train tearing by like a mad

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thing with all the toys hanging on for dear life and shouting in fright. " Hattikattikooli! " she cried, and the train stopped so suddenly that everyone was shot into the air, and fell in a heap on the hearthrug. The pixies shot out, too, and ran behind the doll's house to hide. They were trembling with excitement. " Golliwog! " said Marigold, sternly, looking round for the indignant golliwog. " Golliwog! Is that how you drive the train when I am out of the room? For shame! Behind the doll's house there was a little mouse-hole. Higgle nudged Tops. " Look! A mouse-hole! We'd better get down it before the toys come after us. They'll be dreadfully angry. So down the mouse-hole they both crept. It was very small, and they had to crawl on their tummiesbut, goodness me, it led right to the garden! That was a bit of luck for Higgle and Tops. When the toys came to look for them behind the doll's house, meaning to give them a really hard smacking for their naughtiness, they were not

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there. ' Just wait! " the golliwog shouted down the mouse-hole. " Just wait, you two! Next time you come we'll give you such a spanking! ' Higgle and Tops talked and talked about the train. How lovely it was to drive! If only it was theirs! What long journeys they could go! What adventures they could have! " Let's borrow it," said Higgle, at last. ' Tops, we simply must drive it again. Let's go tonight and get it. We can creep up the mouse-hole. We know how to start it. Do let's." " I'd love to," said Tops at once. " Oh, Higgle! Think of driving that train up and down hill, all across the countryside and everywhere! ' Well, that night the two of them went up the mouse-hole again, and into the nursery. The train was standing quietly in the corner. The toys were all at the other end, dancing to the musical-box. The golliwog was turning the handle, and nobody was looking round at all. " Now's our chance! " whispered Higgle, and the two pixies made a rush for the train. They got into the cab, pressed the knoband off they went! The toys stopped dancing in fright and surprise. The train rushed by them and out of the open nursery door. Gracious! Where could it be going? " It's those pixies! They've taken our train! How dare they! " cried the black doll in a rage. But there was nothing to be done about it. The train was gone. It flew down the passage, bumped down a hundred stairs, ran to the garden doorand out it went into the garden! " Here we go! " yelled Higgle, in delight. " Where to? We don't know and we don't care! Go on, train, go on, faster, faster, faster!"

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All that night the train sped over fields and hills, through valleys and towns. When the dawn came, it turned to go back. Higgle and Tops had no idea at all where they were. They were just enjoying going faster and faster. The train hurried back over the hills and fields. " I saylook! " said Higgle, suddenly. Tops lookedand there, not very far in front of them, were two red goblins, fighting hard. The pixies were very frightened indeed of goblins. " Stop the train," said Higgle. " We don't want the goblins to see it. They'll catch it for their own." " I can't remember the word to stop it," said Tops. " You say it, Higgle." But Higgle couldn't remember it either! Oh, dear! Now they would never be able to stop the train! It flew on towards the fighting, yelling goblins, and knocked them both flat on their backs. The pixies just had time to see an open sack filled with shining jewels as they passed. Then the train shot into a cave, bumping against the wall, buried itself in the earth and stopped with a shudder and a sigh. Its wheels went round still, but the train didn't move. It couldn't! Higgle and Tops were thrown out. They sat in the dark cave trembling. They didn't dare to go out, in case the goblins saw them. Outside, the shouting still went on. " You knocked me flat! " cried one goblin to another. ' Take thatand thatand that! '

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The second goblin howled. "Don't! Don't! I'll go away now, really I will. You can have everything yourself."

There was the sound of running footsteps. One of the goblins had gone. " Oho! " said the other. " He's gone. Well, I shall hide all the goods and keep guard over them. He may come back. I don't trust him! ' Higgle and Tops were sitting in the middle of the cave, still trembling, when something hit them hard. They jumped. Goodness, it was a glittering necklace! The goblin must have thrown it into the cave. " A necklace!" whispered Higgle. " A real beauty! Where have they stolen it from? ': Blip! A ring hit Tops and another hit Higgle on the shoulder. Then came a perfect shower of jewellery, falling all about the cave thud, blip, crash! It soon looked like a treasure-cave, and Higgle and Tops didn't know where to go to avoid being hit as the goblin threw everything into the cave to hide it. " My word! " whispered Tops at last. " I believe all this belongs to the queen herself, Princess Marigold's mother. Imagine it, Higgle! Those goblins must have broken in and stolen all this last night." " Wellhow are we to get it back to the palace? " asked Higgle. "Look outside therethe goblin is sitting at the entrance to this cave, guarding his treasure. We'll never get past him carrying all this. He'd catch us at once."

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" We can't stay here for ever though," said Tops. " It's cold and uncomfortableand I'm getting hungry. Think of something, Higgle. Use your brains." " Use yours! " said Higgle. So they sat and thought and the only noise in the cave was the sound of the train wheels still going round and round, though the train could not move. " I know! " said Higgle at last. " Let's pull the train out of the earth it's buried in, and go out in that. We can pile the jewels in the carriages." " And they'll all be jerked out, silly! " said Tops. " I'll tell you what we'll do! " said Higgle, getting excited. " We'll wind all the necklaces and bracelets and chains round the wheels. They'll keep on then. And we'll drop the rings down the engine funnel. They'll stay on there all right. Come on, Tops! ' They set to work. They wound the shining necklaces and bracelets and chains round and round the wheels. Then they dropped all the rings down the funnel. The train looked very gay indeed when they had finished with it. " I guess a train was never dressed up like this before! " said Higgle, pleased. " Now come on, Topshelp me to pull it out of this earth. Steady on! Jump in as soon as we've got it free, because it will shoot

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out of the cave at top speed. It's still going, you know! We haven't thought of the word to stop the wheels turning yet! " At last they got the engine out of the earth, and it stood upright. The wheels turned swiftly. Higgle and Tops jumped into the cab just as the train began to move. It went twice round the cave and then shot out of the entrance full speed ahead, its wheels glittering and gleaming in the morning sun. How it shone with all its jewels! The goblin stared open-mouthed at this sudden, extraordinary appearance of what looked to him like a glittering snake. The train rushed over his legs and made him yell. Before he could grab it, it disappeared, shining brilliantly. The pixies laughed. " That was a fine idea of ours. We've escaped with all the jewels without being caught!"
The train didn't need to be told to go to the palace. It longed to be home! It shot off and soon came to the garden. It couldn't find any door

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open and raced up and down the paths like a mad thing. The king and queen saw it and stared in amazement as it ran by them. " What is it? It's all shining and glittering," said the king. " It's as bright as those lovely jewels of yours that were stolen during the night, my love! " Princess Marigold appeared. " Mother! Did you know my magic train was stolen? It's gone! ' At that moment the train shot back again up the path, shining brilliantly with the jewels round all its wheels. Marigold gave a squeal. " Hattikattikooli! Hattikattikooli! ' Thankfully the train stopped just by her. She knelt down and looked at the wheels. "Mother! It's brought back all your stolen jewels! Do look! " Higgle and Tops got out of the engine and bowed. " We brought them back to you," said Higgle grandly. " The two goblins stole them and hid them in a cave." " Dear mehow very clever and brave of you," said the queen, pleased. " You shall have a reward. I will give you a sackful of gold all for yourselves." " Thank you, Madam! " said the pixies, beaming. Now they would be rich. ' We will take the train back to the nursery for you when you have taken all your jewels from the wheels and the funnel."

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They ran it back to the nursery, feeling very grand. The toys gazed at them in rage. Those pixies! They had taken the train all night! " Good morning," said Higgle, stepping out. " We have an adventure to tell you. Listen! " He told them all that had happened. The toys listened. " And," said Higgle at the end, " as a reward for bringing back the jewels, we are to get a sack of gold. Ha, a fine reward! " " Have your reward if you like," said the golliwog, seizing the pixies in his black hands. " But let me tell you thisyou're having a punishment, too, for taking our train. Why, you might never have brought it back. Six spanks each with the doll's hairbrush. Fetch it, Teddy." Well, the pixies got their rewardbut they also had their punishment, too, which was quite as it should be. They were so pleased to be rich that they gave a fine party to all the toys, and everybody went for a ride round the nursery, driven by the pixies. They forgot the word that stopped the train, of coursebut that didn't matter because all the toys knew it. They yelled it out loudly. Let me see what was it? Dear me, I've forgotten it, too! Do you remember? : Have your reward if you like," said the golliwog, seizing the pixies I his black hands.

Answer to Puzzle on Page 194 Cup; Board; Cupboard.

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Enid Blyton

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Enid Blyton

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