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THE SEVENTH HOLIDAY BOOK

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THE SEVENTH HOLIDAY BOOKBy

LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & CO., LTD.

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

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

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Is Your Name Here? The Tiresome Teddy BearIllustrations: Vera Rice-Jay Story: Sunny Stories No.416 Oct 31, 1947

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Now, Tell Me My Name The Grabbit ChairIllustrations: Robert Wilson Story: Sunny Stories No.419 Dec 12, 1947

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

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A TRICKY PUZZLE FOR YOU Giants Round the CornerIllustrations: William J. Gale Story: Sunny Stories No.416 Ovt 31, 1947

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A Bassket For Sweets On Firework NightIllustrations: Robert MacGillivray Story: Sunny Stories No.416 Oct 31, 1947

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A Riddle Me Ree Sulky SusanIllustrations: Mary Brooks Story: Sunny Stories No.235 Jul 11, 1941

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A Present from the Clockwork MouseIllustrations: Helen Haywood Story: Sunny Stories No.415 Oct 17, 1947

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CAN YOU DO THIS? The Magic That Wouldn't StopIllustrations: Mary Brooks Story: Sunny Stories No.415 Oct 17, 1947

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A Page For A Wet day The Secret DoorIllustrations: Frederick Parker Story: Sunny Stories No.411 Aug 22, 1947

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He Wouldn't Buy a TicketIllustrations: Helen Jacobs Story: Sunny Stories No.414 Oct 3, 1947

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WHO CAN DO THIS CROSSWORD PUZZLE? The Good Luck MorningIllustrations: Robert Wilson Story: Sunny Stories No.412 Sep 5, 1947

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

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A Teaser Mrs. Chatter Goes on TalkingIllustrations: Hilda Mc Gavin Story: Sunny Stories No.371 Jan 11, 1946

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

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All the Way to Santa ClausIllustrations: Robert Mac Gillivray Story: Sunny Stories No.395 Dec 12, 1946

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Simple Simon Goes ShoppingIllustrations: William J. Gale Story: Sunny Stories No.357 Jun 29, 1945

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Hey-Diddle-DeeIllustrations: Lilian Chivers Poem: Specially Written

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He Wouldn't Brush His HairIllustrations: 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

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Hidden vegetables Don't Be Such a Baby!Illustrations: Mary Martin Story: Sunny Stories No.410 Aug 8, 1947

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Half and half The Train That Wouldn't StopIllustrations: Helen Haywood Story: Sunny Stories No.426 Mar 19, 1948

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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. And15

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 4620

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