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THE EIGHTH HOLIDAY BOOK

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THE EIGHTH HOLIDAY BOOKBy

LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & CO., LTD. AND C.A PUBLICATIONS,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 CONTENTS1. "I Dare You To!" Illustrations: Hilda McGavin Story: Safety Fun No.4 1950 Make a carol singers lantern 2. Too Good to Be True Illustrations: Robert MacGillivray Story: Sunny Stories No.422 Jan 23, 1948 The flowers in my garden 3. Mr. Big-Hat's Button Illustrations: Grace Lodge Story: Sunny Stories No.393 Nov 15, 1946 4. Wagger Goes to the Show Illustrations: Raymond Sheppard Story: Sunny Stories No.407 Jun 20, 1947 5. Clickety-Clock Illustrations: Grace Lodge Story: Sunny Stories No.425 Mar 5, 1948 A Christmas stocking puzzle 6. The Other Little Boy Illustrations: Cicely Steed Story: Sunny Stories No.319 Jan 14, 1944 An old Chinese puzzle 7. It's Just a Dream Illustrations: F. Stockes-May Story: Sunny Stories No.438 Sep 3, 1948 8. Two Good Turns Illustrations: Mary K. Lee Story: Sunny Stories No.421 Jan 9, 1948 A train from corks, matchboxes and paper clips 9. Little Lucky Man Illustrations: Dorothy Hall Story: Sunny Stories No.420 Dec 26, 1947

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A few dates for you 10. Think Hard, Boatman Illustrations: Mary Brooks Story: Sunny Stories No.418 Nov 28, 1947 Make a Pretty Flower for your dress 11. Tubby Makes a Mistake Illustrations: Grace Lodge Story: Sunny Stories No.370 Dec 28, 1945 12. What Happened on Christmas Eve Illustrations: Robert MacGillivray Story: Sunny Stories No.419 Dec 12, 1947 Make this little toy mouse 13. A Spell for a Lazy Boy Illustrations: Dorothy Hall Story: Sunny Stories No.335 Aug 25, 1944 A hidden words puzzle 14. It's Going to Rain! Illustrations: Cicely Steed Story: Sunny Stories No.409 Jul 25, 1947 15. Adventure in the Afternoon Illustrations: Mary K. Lee Story: Sunny Stories No.437 Aug 20, 1948 16. It Serves You Right, Jumbo Illustrations: Mary Brooks Story: Sunny Stories No.437 Aug 20, 1948 A desk for your dolls house 17. The Little Chatterbox Illustrations: Mary K. Lee Story: Sunny Stories No.321 Feb 11, 1944 Can you do this? 18. Mrs. Muddle's Scarf Illustrations: Hilda McGavin Story: Sunny Stories No.384 Jul 12, 1946

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19. The Monkey's Tail Illustrations: F. Stockes-May Story: Sunny Stories No.439 Sep 17, 1948 Who is this? 20. "Isn't He a Coward!" Illustrations: Eileen Thornley Story: Sunny Stories No.388 Sep 6, 1946 Charming little animals for you to make 21. The Spanking Umbrella Illustrations: Raymond Sheppard Story: Sunny Stories No.322 Feb 25, 1944 Make an observation balloon 22. Spears for Impies Illustrations: Hilda Boswell Story: Sunny Stories No.376 Mar 22, 1946 23. The Boy Who Never Put Things Back Illustrations: Marjorie L. Davies Story: Sunny Stories No.359 Jul 27, 1945

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I DARE you to! " said Geoffrey to Bill. The two boys were standing outside old Mr. White's cottage. It had a funny old-fashioned bell-pull, and when you pulled the handle you could hear a bell jangling somewhere in the little house. " Go onpull it! I dare you to! " said Geoffrey. He was always daring somebody to do something sillyand nearly all the boys were silly enough to take his dares. " PoohI would dare a lot more tnan just pulling a bell! " said Bill, scornfully. He ran up to the front door and gave the bell-rope a terrific pull. To his horror it came away in his hand, and at the same time there was a loud jangling noise inside the house. " Run!" shouted Geoffrey. " You've broken the rope, you idiot! Run!" Bill ran for all he was worth. Old Mr. White was a hot-tempered fellow, and he was getting very tired of mischievous children who tugged at his bell-pull. Whatever would he say to somebody who broke it? Bill fled down the street, feeling ashamed of himself for running away. But that afternoon, when Geoffrey told the other boys how Bill had taken his dare, and not only pulled at old Mr. White's bell but had actually tugged the rope in two, Bill found himself quite a hero! He forgot that he had been ashamed of running away, and he began to boast. " That was nothing! I'd take a bigger dare than that! " " I dare you to ride down Langham Hill without your bike brakes on! " said Geoffrey at once.

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"Right!" said Bill. " Don't be such an ass," said Derek, the head-boy of the class. " You'll have an accident. That hill is too steep to ride down without brakes on." " There's hardly any traffic down that hill," said Bill. " I shan't have an accident, don't worry. I've got all my wits about me. It'll be grand sailing down there at top speed." The boys all went to see him take the dare and ride down Lang-ham Hill. It really was a very steep hill indeed, but perfectly straight, and had a good level stretch at the end. Very little traffic used it, because it was too steep. It certainly looked quite safe. " Here goes! " said Bill, and got on his bike. Whooooooosh I Down he went, twenty miles an hour, thirty, forty ...! " As fast as a motor-bike!" said the boys, admiringly. " Look at him!" Bill sped down the hill, enjoying the wind in his hair and the swiftness of his bicycle. What a ride! He came up on the level stretch and the bicycle sped along there too and then gradually slowed down. Bill leapt off and waved to the boys who were now running down the hill towards him. Then he rode to meet them, pedalling leisurely along. " Jolly good! " said Geoffrey. " What did it feel like? " " Grand," said Bill. " I'd do it again any time. Anyone want to dare me again? " " We'll think of another dare for you, not the same one," said Geoffrey. " There's nobody as brave as you, Bill." " And nobody as silly! " thought Derek, the head-boy, but he didn't say it out loud. Bill was so pleased with all the back-thumpings and praise he was having that he certainly wouldn't like being called silly.

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Well, that was the beginning of many other dares. Bill was dared to ride home one night without lights, and he did, though he met the policeman and was rather scared when he was shouted at. He rode all the way home from school holding on to the tail of a van because Geoffrey dared him to. The van-man saw him and yelled at him, but Bill wasn't going to spoil his dare, and he didn't lose hold of the van till he came to the road where he lived. Hahe'd shown the boys how brave he was. He was Dare-devil Bill, afraid of nothing. Certainly Bill was a very clever cyclist. He was always in perfect control of his bicycle, which was a real beauty. It had cost nearly twenty pounds, and had been a very special birthday present from his mother and father and grandmother. Its brakes were perfect, its lamp was beautiful, and his red rear-light always shone out splendidly. Bill could ride so slowly on it that it almost looked as if he were going to fall off, but he never did. He could ride sitting on the saddle, with his feet up on the handlebars to steer instead of his hands. There was no end to the tricks he could do. " There aren't many dares left for Dare-devil Bill," said the boys at last. " He's done everything." " I bet he wouldn't dare to ride across the traffic lights when they showed red," said Harry. " Nobody would dare to do that."

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" Nobody would be idiot enough," said Derek. " Hie, Bill," shouted Geoffrey, " I've got another dare for you. Would you dare to ride against the traffic-lightsgo across when they show red instead of green? " " You bet! " said Bill at once. " That's easy. Which traffic lights? Choose difficult ones, or it will be no fun." " All right. Ride over the crossing at the end of the High Street," said Geoffrey. " On the way home from morning school. We'll watch! I bet you'll be nippy enough to get over before anyone knows whatyou'redoing." Bill was there at the High Street crossing, after morning school, standing with his bike, waiting for the lights to turn red. The boys stood a little way off, watching. Many people were walking up and down the pavement women-shoppers, hurrying men, and small children on their way home to dinner. None of them guessed what Bill was going to do. The lights turned red against him. Bill leapt on his bike. He rode straight across the road against the lights, with cars hooting at him and drivers shouting. He was nippy. He kept his wits about him as usual. He was soon at the other side, perfectly safe, and he sailed off into a side-street in case by any chance a policeman had seen him riding against the lights. He didn't hear a crash behind him. He didn't hear screams. He didn't see the crowd that gathered round a little girl on the ground. He rode home whistling cheerfully, thinking what a clever, courageous fellow he was. He went to school that afternoon as usual, expecting to be praised for his daring and patted on the back. He looked for Geoffreybut Geoffrey

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wasn't there. He looked at the other boys and grinned cheerfully. But nobody grinned back. The boys looked away from him. Nobody spoke to him. " What's up? " said Bill, puzzled. " Where's Geoffrey? " " Haven't you heard what's happened? " said Derek. " When you rode across the road, against the lights, a car jammed on its brakes so as to avoid youand it swung across on to the pavement and knocked down a little girl. She was taken to hospital." Bill went white. " Who was it? " he said, almost in a whisper. " Anyone I know? " " Yes. It was Geoffrey's little sister, Bets," said Derek. Then he burst out angrily at Bill. " You and your idiotic dares! You think you're so clever, don't you, showing off all the fat-headed things you can do, breaking all the rules of the road, and getting off scot-free yourself! Look at youthinking yourself no end of a fellowand that poor little Bets dying in hospital! You're a wormno, you're even worse than a worm."

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Bill sat down suddenly. He felt queer and ill. Betslittle Bets dying in hospitalwhy, she had only come to tea the day before yesterday, and he had shown her how to do a jigsaw puzzle. He was fond of Bets, with her round red face and golden curls. " It isn't true," said Bill with a groan. " Say it isn't true." " It is true," said Derek. " That's why Geoffrey isn't here this afternoon. He's at the hospital with his mother and father. Imagine what he feels like! It's all because he dared you to do that silly trick that this awful thing has happened to his sister. But you're all rightnothing's happened to you! You can still go on taking silly dares, and doing fat-headed things, and bringing trouble to other people." " Don't," said Bill, feeling sick. " We're all to blame," said Harry. " We all enjoyed seeing him take the daresand we patted him on the back like anything. We should have smacked his head instead. Poor little Bets! I keep thinking of her. She she was right under the car, and she screamed." Bill got up, looking as white as a sheet. He went straight to the headmaster's study and walked in without knocking. The headmaster looked up in surprise. " Sir," said Bill, " I'm in great trouble. It's about Geoffrey's little sister, Bets. Please, sirshe's not dying, is she? " " I don't know," said the Head. " She's badly hurt. I can only hope it wasn't one of the boys of this school who rode against the lights and caused the accident." " I was the boy," said Bill clutching at the desk. " What shall I do, sir? Tell me what

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to do. Tell me something I " The headmaster looked at Bill in horror. He got up and spoke sternly. " The first thing to do is to report to the police. Come with me." That was a terrible afternoon. In a dream, Bill went to the policestation and gave all the details of the stupid dare to a stern policeman. He went home and his mother listened in terror and distress to the tale. His father was telephoned for and came home too. " Mother, what about Bets? Will she die? " said Bill desperately. His father telephoned the hospital. " Bets is out of danger," he said thankfully. " She'll recoverbut she has a broken arm and leg besides cuts and bruises. Oh, Billhow could you do this? What unhappiness you've brought on yourself and us, and little Bets and her family! " " I can never, never make up to Bets for this," thought Bill. " I must go and see her every day at the hospital. I must take her flowers and toys and dolls and everything I possibly can. But where can I get the money? I've only about two shillings." He got the money. He got a great deal of money. Because, you see, he sold his magnificent bicycle and spent every penny on Bets. She's better now, though she still limps a little. She loves Bill for being so kind. Bill can't understand why Bets is fond of him. He thinks she should hate himand Geoffrey too. " After all, we nearly killed you between us," he tells Bets. " That was the most terrible afternoon of my life, I can tell you; it's changed me into A different person altogether! " And a very good thing too! What do you think?

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BINKIE and Tigger were cross. Their Aunt Work-a-Lot had just turned them out of her house without even a slice of bread and butter for their dinner! " Mean old thing! Just because we didn't dig up her garden for her! "said Binkie. " And she said we hadn't swept the back-yard," grumbled Tigger. "What's the matter with the back-yard? Why can't it be dirty? All this fuss about being clean and tidy and working hard for a living! " They were walking beside the river. It flowed calmly along in the sunshine and looked very peaceful. " It's a pity we were born pixies," said Binkie gloomily. " Why couldn't we be a river? Just flowing along because it can't do anything else. No cross aunt to make it rush here and there and do silly jobs." " I'm hot," said Tigger, and he flung himself down beside the water. " Here's a nice, warm, cosy little cove, Binkie. Let's bask in the sun." " We're supposed to go and fetch potatoes from the farm," said Binkie, but he sat down beside Tigger all the same. " Ah-h-h-h! How nice to be somewhere that Aunt Work-a-Lot isn't." They took off their shoes and stockings and put their feet into the warm water. Then they lay back, tipped their pixie caps over their ears, and talked lazily. " What we want is some good luck," said Binkie. " Just a little bit of good lucklike finding a shillingor some wonderful spell."

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" I could do with finding some dinner," said Tigger dolefully. " I had hardly any breakfast. I'm terribly hungry. We are very badly treated, Binkie. We deserve a great big piece of good luck, not a little bit." Now a good way up the river was Mr. Hey-There, the goblin. He had rowed all the way up against the stream, panting and puffing. He knew of a nice place to fish. He had brought a very fine lunch with him, a rubber sheet to sit on, a big umbrella in case it rained, and two fat books to read if the fish didn't bite. Aha! Mr. Hey-There meant to have a very nice day indeedplenty to eat, plenty to drink, plenty of fish to catch (he hoped) and books to read if he didn't. He came to the place he wanted. He flung the boat's rope over a tree stump and jumped out. He took with him his fishing-rod, meaning to get it ready first of all. Then he grunted crossly. Three cows were staring at him from just nearby. He didn't like cows. He didn't like anything that came and breathed down his neck whilst he was fishing. It frightened the fish in the water, and it made him feel very uncomfortable. He was always afraid that the horse or cow breathing over him might begin to nibble his hair, thinking it was grass. So what did Mr. Hey-There do but address the cows very sternly and tell them to go away at once. " Hey, there! " he shouted. "Shoo, go away!'" The cows chewed hard as they stood staring at him and didn't budge an inch. So Mr. Hey-There had to chase them. First he chased one cow away,, and then another, and then the third. By the time he had chased the third

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away to the other end of the field, the first two had come back to his fishing rod and were staring at it as if they thought it might be good to eat. So Mr. Hey-There had to begin his chasing all over again. It took a lot of time and was most annoying. But the most annoying thing of all was still to come. When at last he had got all the cows at the other end of the field, and was back where he had left the boat, there was no boat! It had gone. It simply wasn't therenor were his lunch, his books, his umbrella or his rubber sheet to sit on. Only his fishing-rod waiting for him. Mr. Hey-There stamped so hard on the bank in his rage that all the fish in the water nearby rushed off as if sharks were after them. " It's gone! " raged Mr. Hey-There. " Floated off down the river by itself. Now I've got to walk miles down the bank to find it! What a day! All because of those three cows that came to breathe down my neck." The boat had indeed gone off by itself. The rope hadn't been made fast to the tree stump and had simply slid into the water. So the river had

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taken the boat, and it was now floating back gently and peacefully all the way it had come. In fact, it floated right down to the little cove where Binkie and Tigger were lying, with their feet dabbling in the warm water. The current took the boat into the cove, and it bobbed over to the lazy pixies. They didn't see it because they were lying on their backs in the sun. They were still talking about good luck. " Some people have it and some people don't," Binkie was saying. " It's not fair." " Aunt Work-a-Lot always says that good luck comes to people who work for it," said Tigger gloomily. " Oh, Binkie, wouldn't it be nice to have a great big bit of good luck something like a wish that came true? " " If I had a wish, I'd wish for a jolly big lunch right away this very minute," said Binkie. Just at that moment the boat bumped gently against his toes. He thought it was Tigger's feet bumping him. " Don't," he said. " Don't what? " asked Tigger in surprise. " Don't push my feet," said Binkie. "I'm not," said Tigger, and just then the boat pushed quite hard against all their four feet in the water. " Don't! " they both said at once. " Leave my feet alone! " Tigger sat up crossly. He suddenly saw the boat. "I say, Binkie! Look here! It's a boat! "

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Binkie sat up, too. " A boat! Golly! There's no one in it. Oh, Tigger, do you think it's been sent to us? " " Who would have sent it? " said Tigger. " Don't be silly." " It might be a bit of good luck suddenly arrived! " said Binkie. " Boats never come without people in them. This must be a magic boat, a good luck boat! A boat full of good things for us! Oh, Tigger! " Tigger pulled the boat into the cove. " My goodnesslook at this basket of food! " " Oh! " said Binkie, overcome with joy. " My wish has come true. Don't you remember how I wished for a jolly good lunch, Tigger? I'll share it with you." " You'll share it? " said Tigger indignantly. " I should think you will! It isn't yours. It's ours. The boat came to both of us." " All right, all right," said Binkie, and he took the big basket of food out of the-, boat. There were two ginger-beer bottles beside it. " Look at those! " Tigger said joyfully. " Our favourite drink! " " What else is there? " asked Binkie. " A rubber sheet for us to sit on. How very thoughtful! I did think the grass was a bit damp, didn't you, Tigger ? And looktwo lovely, fat story-books to read when we've finished our dinner! " " And even an umbrella in case it rains," said Tigger. " It might quite easily rain. Oh, Binkie, it looks as if somebody has planned a really lovely day for usplenty to eat and drink, a ground sheet to sit on,

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books to read, and an umbrella in case it rains. This must be the big piece of good luck we've been talking about." They took everything out of the boat. They spread the ground sheet on the grass, poked the umbrella down a rabbit-hole to keep it safe, put the books beside them, and opened the dinner-basket. Chicken sandwiches! My favourite! " said Binkie in delight. " Egg and tomato! My favourite! " said Tigger joyfully. " Plum cake! Currant buns! Chocolate biscuits! Oh, Binkie, if this is the lunch you wished us, I must say you know what to wish for! " They ate every single thing in the basket. They drank the ginger-beer out of the bottles. They were just going to settle down in the sunshine to read their books when two cows came down to the water. " Go away, cows," said Binkie. " Go to another part of the river to drink. This is our bit. Oh, look, Tigger, that cow is eating the paper bags. Shoo, cow, shoo! " The cows wouldn't shoo, so the two pixies got up to chase them away. They ran up the river bank, shouting and yelling. The cows lumbered slowly away. A little way up the river bank Binkie and Tigger met an angrylooking goblin. It was Mr. Hey-There, still looking for his boat. He called to Binkie and Tigger:

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" Hey, there! I want to ask you something." Binkie and Tigger didn't like goblins. They turned away and began to walk back to their cove. Mr. HeyThere put his two heavy hands on their shoulders. " Now then! You'll answer my questions if I want you to." " Certainly, sir," said Binkie in a fright, not liking the feel of the goblin's knobbly fingers at all. " I'm looking for a boat," said Mr. Hey-There. " Oh," said Tigger at once. ' We've got one we can hire out to you, goblin." " I'm not looking for one to hire," said Mr. Hey-There. " I'm looking for my own boat. And for my dinner that was in it." " D-d-d-dinner? " stammered Binkie, feeling rather faint all of a sudden. " Yes, dinner," said Mr. Hey-There crossly. " Have you never heard of dinner before? My dinner was chicken sandwiches, egg and tomato sandwiches, plum cake, currant buns, chocolate biscuitsand gingerbeer." " Waswas it really? " said Tigger, stammering too. " What's the matter with you two pixies? " said Mr. Hey-There. " Stammering and stuttering and looking so silly! Have you seen my boat? " " Wellwe don't know if it was your boat," began Binkie, wishing he was a hundred miles away. " If you'd take your knobbly hands off our shoulders, goblin, we could lead you to where we know there is a boat." ' You'll lead me to it with my hands on your shoulders," said Mr. HeyThere, beginning to feel there was something queer about all this. " Now quick march! ' And quick-march it had to be! Down to the cove went all threeand then Mr. Hey-There stood and gazed at his empty dinner-basket, his books, Mr. Hey-There put his two heavy hands on their shoulders.

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his ginger-beer bottles and his rubber sheet. He saw the handle of his umbrella sticking out of the rabbit-hole. He saw his boat, still nosing into the little cove. ' You've eaten my dinner! How dare you! You little thieves! You greedy, dishonest robbers! Now, you get into that boat and row me all the way up-stream to the police station. Go onget in. Bring that umbrella. It will do to poke you with when you row too slowly! " roared Mr. HeyThere. And into that boat Binkie and Tigger had to climb, and row it slowly for a whole mile up the river to where the little stone police station stood. How they panted and puffed! Mr. Hey-There wouldn't allow them even a minute's rest. If one or other of them stopped rowing he would poke them with the end of his umbrella. " Thieves and robbers," he kept saying. He wouldn't listen to a word that Binkie and Tigger said. " We thought it was a wish come true when your boat came," cried Binkie. " We thought it was a piece of good luck. We did really." How they panted and puffed ! Mr. Hey-There wouldn't allow them even a minute's rest.

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Answer on page 130

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DAME Pippy, I want you to turn out my big cupboard," said Mr. BigHat, the wizard. " Yes, Mr. Big-Hat," said Dame Pippy. She came in to work for the wizard every day. She was a little bit afraid of him because he knew such powerful magic. When he was making spells she always locked herself away in the kitchen. " You never know when he's going to use thunder and lightning in his spells, or a dozen black cats," she said to her friends. " And my! What a temper he's got! I never dare to peep into any of his books, or even so much as open his desk! ' " I should think not, Dame Pippy! " said Mother Woolly, her friend. " That wouldn't be very honest. It never does to peep and pry, or to take even the smallest thing that belongs to anyone else! ' " As if I would! " said Dame Pippy crossly. " My word, I'm scared even to dust, with all the magic about that place! " When she turned out Mr. Big-Hat's cupboard Dame Pippy found a lot of interesting things. There were big, old books of forgotten spells. There were bottles of queer-smelling liquids that changed colour as she looked at them. There were boxes of strange powders that made her sneeze if she opened them. " My word! There must be a lot of old magic about this cupboard! " thought Dame Pippy. " And isn't it dusty! Now, what's in this tin that rattles so ? "

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She cautiously opened the tin. Inside was a collection of buttons. You should have seen them! There were all sizes and shapes and colours red and blue and green and yellow, round and squareand oblong, big and small. " The pretty things! " said Dame Pippy, and she ran her fingers through them. " I'd like to have these buttons in my work-basket! That's where they ought to be, not in this dusty old cupboard, where no one will ever see them or use them." But she didn't dare to take the tin of buttons and put it into her workbasket. Dear me! Mr. Big-Hat might fly into one of his dreadful tempers if she did such a thing as that! She was just shutting down the lid when she saw a very bright red button, perfectly round, with five little holes in the middle of it. She looked at it. " Now I do believe that would match the missing button on my old man's red dressing-gown," she thought. " Yes, I do believe it would!" She took it out and put it back again. Then she took it out again. " Mr. Big-Hat would never, never miss a little red button like that," she thought to herself. " Why, I don't suppose he even knows there's a whole box of buttons here. It would be silly of me not to take this little button, now I've seen it. I'm sure it would match perfectly, and it's just the right size." Without thinking any more about it, Dame Pippy took the round red button from the box and slipped it into her apron pocket. Then she shut the box, put it back on its shelf and went on cleaning out the cupboard.

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When she got home that night she took out her husband's dressinggown and put the little red button against the other buttons. But, alas, it didn't match at all! It wasn't a bit the same colour. Bother! She put it on the table and left it there. Soon Mother Woolly came in for a chat and she saw the button there. " My! Do you want that? " she said. " I believe it would just match the buttons on the jersey of the little boy next door. He's lost one." "Well, take it," said Dame Pippy, though she knew quite well she had no right to say that at all! It wasn't hers to giveand it hadn't been hers to take, either! Mother Woolly stayed for a while and then went home, taking the button with her. Dame Pippy forgot all about it till the next day. Then she got a horrid shock. " When you turned out that cupboard of mine, did you happen to see a tin of buttons? J: asked Mr. Big-Hat. Dame Pippy went red. " Y-yyes, sir," she said. "Good! " said Mr. Big-Hat. " I hoped they would be there. Get the tin for me, will you, Dame Pippy. I want a special button out of it." Dame Pippy went to get the tin. Oh, my goodness! How she hoped it wouldn't be that silly little red button that Mr. Big-Hat wanted! He took the tin from her and emptied ah1 the buttons on to his table. "It's a scarlet button," he said. "Quite round.

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With five little holes in the middle. A very, very special button, for use in a very powerful spell. It's a button off the dress of one of the cleverest witches that ever lived. Must be chockful of magic. Now, where is it? " Dame Pippy couldn't say a word. Her knees shook. That button! She knew it wasn't there. She had given it to Mother Woolly. Oh why, why had she been so foolish as to take it? "Queer!" said Mr. Big-Hat in a cross voice. " It doesn't seem to be here. Dame Pippy, it must have rolled out into the cupboard. You will please go and lookand go on looking in that cupboard till you find it. It is most important" " Y-y-y-y-yes, sir," stammered poor Dame Pippy. She went off to the room where the cupboard stood. What was the use of looking? She knew the button wasn't there. But she dared not tell the wizard. No, no, she'd rather run away and never come back! She heard him putting his big iron pot on his fire to boil. Ah, that meant he was beginning to make a spell. He would be busy for quite a while. She would have time to rush out to Mother Woolly's and get back that button! Dame Pippy slipped out of the back door, still trembling. She saw that the smoke from Mr. Big-Hat's chimney had suddenly turned yellow. That meant he was making a very powerful spell indeeda spell that might want that scarlet button! She must be quick! She banged on Mother Woolly's door. " Did you give that red button to the little boy next door? " she cried. " I want it back! "

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" Yes, I gave it to his mother," said Mother Woolly. " Why? " But Dame Pippy did not wait to answer. She ran next door and banged on the door there. " Funny! " thought Mother Woolly. " She's come out without her coat or hat and in her old working slippers. And it's raining! ' " Could I have that red button Mother Woolly gave you? " begged Dame Pippy when the woman of the house came to the door. " Did you put it on your boy's jersey? " " No. It didn't match," said the woman. " I gave it to John to play with. Johnny, what did you do with that button? " " I gave it to my cousin Ella," said John. " She said she had lost one of her red tiddlcy-winks, so I thought the button would do instead. She lives up the hill, Dame Pippy." " Oh dear! " said Dame Pippy, and tore up the hill in the rain, her hair getting wetter and wetter. She came to the house of Johnny's cousin Ella and banged on the door. " Have you got that red button that John gave Ella? " she asked. " I need it back. It's most important." " Oh, Ella was playing tiddley-winks with it, when Mr. Too-Tall came in," said Ella's mother. " And he said he would like to have the button to sew on a red belt he hasit was just the right size. I gave it to him." " Oh, my\ " said poor Dame Pippy. " Mr. Too-Tall lives miles away and it's pouring with rain. Why didn't I bring an umbrella! " Off she went again, her shoes quite, soaked through, her breath coming in pants and puffs. Mr. Too-Tall lived in the woods. Dame Pippy got

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there at last and asked Mr. TooTall please, please to give her back the red button. "Well, I sewed it on a red belt I had and gave it to my sister Katie," said Too-Tall. " I've no doubt she will give it to you if you ask her. How wet you are! Wait a minute and I'll lend you an umbrella." But Dame Pippy couldn't wait. She rushed off again to Mr. TooTall's sister Katie, who lived at the edge of the wood. But she had gone to a workingmeeting, so Dame Pippy had to toil all the way across the fields to Mrs. Busy's house, where the workingmeeting was being held. " Bless us all! How wet you are!" said Dame Busy. "And look at your shoes! Come in and tell me what you want." Dame Pippy panted out what she had come for. She looked for the belt on Katie's waist. But it wasn't there. "I'm so sorrybut the red button came off the belt whilst I was walking here," said Katie. " TooTall didn't sew it on properly. So off came the button and down dropped my belt. I picked up the beltbut I couldn't find the button. It dropped somewhere by the stile." Almost crying now with the wet and the cold, poor Dame Pippy stumbled off to the stile to look for the dropped button. And after she had gone down on her hands and knees and crawled about in nettles and grass and other weeds for half an hour, she actually found the scarlet button.

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Tears of relief ran down her cheeks. She had got it at last. She ran all the way back to Mr. Big-Hat's, hoping that he hadn't yet finished his spell. But he had. The chimney smoke was no longer yellow. Mr. Big-Hat was standing with his finger on the bell in his work-room, ringing and ringing for Dame Pippy. Why didn't she come? It was long past his dinnertime. He was hungry. Where was Dame Pippy ? " R-r-r-r-r-r-ring! " went the bell, as Dame Pippy staggered in through the back door. She ran straight to Mr. Big-Hat's work-room, panting, her hair dripping wet and her clothes soaking. " Oh, sir ! I've been looking for that button! " she said. " And I've got it! " She held out her hand with the scarlet button lying in the palm. But Mr. Big-Hat didn't take it. " I made a mistake," he said. " It wasn't that red button I needed after all. It was a blue one. I don't want that red one. There's no magic in it." Well! After all she'd done, to think it was the wrong button! Dame Pippy threw her wet apron over her head and sobbed loudly. Mr. Big-Hat was astonished. He saw how wet Dame Pippy was. What had she been doing? " I've been all over the place for that red button," sobbed Dame Pippy. " And now you don't want it." " But why did you go all over the place? " asked Mr. Big-Hat, even more astonished. " It was in the cupboard, surely? "

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" It wasn't. I wanted a red button to match one missing from my old man's dressing-gown," sobbed Dame Pippy. "And I tookjour red button. It would be the one you asked for! And then you didn't want it after all. Atish-oo! A-tish-oo! " " You have caught a dreadful cold," said Mr. Big-Hat. " Oh, Dame Pippy, it would have been so much better to have confessed that you had taken the button when I asked you for it this morning! " " It would have been better not to have taken it at all! " said Dame Pippy, tears pouring down her cheeks. " Now you'll tell me to go. Now I shan't be able to work for you any more. Nobody will let me work for them. I shall lose all my friends. How dreadful for such big things to happen to me because of one tiny red button! " " Yes, Dame Pippyit's surprising how often big sorrows come out of small sins," said Mr. Big-Hat sadly. " But, cheer upthis time the big things are not going to happen. You have punished yourself enough, without my punishing you, too. Go and get some dry things on and some dinner for usand I'll make a fine big spell to stop you having a very bad cold! " Well, dear me, Dame Pippy suddenly felt much better after that. She rushed out to get some dinner for poor, hungry Mr. Big-Hat. She'd been silly and wrong and not very honest but she'd be better now. She'd never so much as take a pin. Then Mr. Big-Hat made her a spell to cure a bad coldand he put into it the red button, which turned out to have some quite good magic in it. So, as Mr. Big-Hat said, it was a good thing Dame Pippy found it after all!

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M'UMMY, there's to be a garden-party at the Hall, in the grounds, next month! " said Terry, coming in with his sister Alice and his dog Wagger. " Can we go? " " There's to be all kinds of fun," said Alice. " There's a donkey to give rides, and all sorts of competitions, and swings and ice-creams. We can go, can't we, Mummy? " " Yes, of course," said Mummy. " You must start saving up your money at once, then you will have a nice lot to spend." " And, Mummy, there's a baby-show," said Alice. " Isn't it a pity we haven't got a baby, because then it might win a prize at the baby-show. I expect Mrs. Brown's baby will win. It's the fattest baby I ever saw." " Oh, it isn't always the fattest babies that are the best ones," said Mummy. " Well, I'm afraid you can't take a baby. You're my baby, Alice, and you're seven! " Let's put Alice in for the baby-show," said Terry with a grin. " I'm not a baby," she said. " Oh, there's a dog-show too. We're going to put Wagger in for that. What sort of a dog is he, Mummy? There are classes for fox-terriers, and spaniels, and pekes. What is Wagger? " Wagger isn't any special kind of dog, I'm afraid," said Mummy. He's what we call a mongreljust a mix-up of a dog. He's not pure-bred like the fox-terrier next door. He's a very ordinary, rather ugly mongrel." Mummy!" said both children in horror. " He's not ugly! He's beautiful."

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" Well, darlings, you think he's beautiful because he's yours and you love him," said Mummy. " But he isn't really beautiful. His tail is too long. He's too big. His ears aren't quite right. He'd never win a prize at a dogshow." Wagger looked up at the children and wagged his long plumy tail. They stared down at him, looking into his bright eyes. " I didn't know he was a mongrel," said Alice. " I didn't know he was a mix-up dog. I thought he was the nicest dog I ever knew. I still think so." " So do I," said Terry and he gave Wagger a stroke on his head. " And I'm going to take him to the garden-party even if all the dogs there turn up their noses at him! He'd hate to be left behind." " Well, don't put him into the dog-show," said Mummy. " Everyone would laugh at him, he's such a peculiar-looking dog. Yes, I know he's a darling, and faithful and lovingbut he is ugly! " The children went out, with Wagger jumping beside them. They simply couldn't see that he was ugly at all. " He's got the nicest eyes! " said Terry. " And the loveliest ways," said Alice. " Does it matter so much that he's a mongrel? Oh dearit's a shame he can't go in for the show." " Well, he mayn't be the most beautiful dog, but he's the happiest and healthiest," said Terry. " We look after him much better than they look after their dog next door." " Yes, we do," said Alice. " Wagger always has good meals and fresh water every day. And we bath him properly, and brush his coat well every morning. And he has good warm straw in his kennel in the winter, and lots and lots of walks all the year round."41

" Wuff," said Wagger, licking Alice's hand. " He understands every word we say," said Alice, and she hugged him. He licked her face all over. " Don't be upset because Mummy said you were ugly," said Alice. "We think you're lovely, Wagger." " Wuff," said Wagger happily. He wagged his long tail so fast that it could hardly be seen. The children saved up their money that month. They ran errands and weeded the garden, and cleaned Daddy's bicycle, and whatever they were paid they put into their moneyboxes. Soon they had quite a lot of money. " It's the garden-party tomorrow," said Alice to Terry one day. " Mummy's washed my blue frock for me. And you've got new shorts to wear." " We ought to make Wagger look nice too," said Terry. " Let's give him a bath with plenty of soap and warm water. And we'll brush his coat till it shines." " I wish we could clean his teeth too," said Alice. " His teeth always do look white and clean," said Terry. " He wouldn't like you to do that. I wish we had a new collar for him. His is old and rather dirty-looking." " Well, that won't matter," said Mummy. "He's not going in for the dog-show, so he doesn't need to be all dressed up in new collars and ribbons. So long as he is clean and

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healthy, that's all that matters when you take him out with you. Get out the little tin bath if you want to wash him." They bathed Wagger between them. He was as good as gold. He never made a fuss about being washed like the dog next door did. He just stood in the warm water and let himself be soaped all over. He even shut his eyes so that the soap wouldn't get into them. He was as clever as that! The children rinsed him and dried him. Then they took turns at brushing his thick, silky coat. It was rather curly, and it was fun to see the curls come up under the brush. They even brushed his big ears and his long tail. He looked very fine indeed when they had finished with him. He capered about in delight, barking. " I still think he's beautiful," said Alice, looking at him. " He's such a happy-looking dog. His eyes are so bright, and his tail is so waggy. Wagger, you're a darling!" Wagger licked her and pranced off again. He was certainly a very lively dog, always ready for a walk or a game. Next day the children set off to the garden-party, with Wagger at their heels, freshly brushed. They paid their sixpences at the gate and ran to have a ride on the little grey donkey. Wagger ran beside the donkey all the way round the garden and back. Then they had ice-creams, and Wagger licked up all the bits that dropped on the ground. After that they went to have a swing, and Wagger waited on the ground below, because he didn't like swinging. Then they all went to see the babies at the show, and Alice was glad she wasn't the judge, because she thought all the babies were as nice as one

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another. Terry didn't like them so much. He said they made too much noise, and their faces were ugly when they screwed them up to cry. Then they had another ice-cream each, and spent some money trying to fish prizes out of a pretend fish-pond with a little fishing-rod. But they weren't lucky, and couldn't hook a single prize! Wagger watched solemnly, and once he wuffed as if to say " I'm sure I could hook a prize if I had a chance! " Then a bell rang, and someone called out that the dog-show was about to begin. Everyone with dogs hurried to the big tent. What fine dogs there were, to be sure. Terriers dancing about on neat little legs. Pekes, with their snub noses, looking rather haughtily around. Scottics and Sealyhams barking loudly with excitement. Really, it was all very thrilling! " We'll go in and see the show," said Terry. " But we'd better leave Wagger outside, as we can't show him. It's a shame! Poor Wagger. He can't help being a mongrel." They tied Wagger up outside the tent and went in. There was a ring of sawdust inside, and here people walked their dogs round and round when

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they were showing them. The children watched, and the judges, sitting nearby, made notes and talked in low voices to each other. Then they called out which dogs won the first prize and second prize. The fox-terrier who belonged to the family next door won second prize and got a red ticket. His owner, a big boy called Ray, was delighted. '' See, Terry," he said, as he passed him. " I've got second prize for Nobby. Pity your dog's such an awful mongrel! " Then one of the judges got up to speak. " We have now awarded all the prizes for the various breeds of dogs," he said. " But there is one special prize to come, for which any dog can be entered, whatever breed he is. This is a prize given for the best-kept and healthiest dog. Please bring your entries to the ring one by one." So one by one the dogs were all brought up. Ray brought his Nobby too, proudly wearing the red ticket marked " Second " in his collar. And then a dog walked into the ring all by himself! The children gasped. It was Wagger! Somehow he must have wriggled himself free and come to find Alice and Terry. He walked into the ring of sawdust, looking all round for them. The judges thought he was entered for the competition. One put his hand on Wagger's collar and looked at his teeth. Wagger didn't mind at all. He just wagged his tail hard. The judges ran their hands over his coat. They looked at Wagger's eyes. They lifted up his feet and felt down his legs. Wagger barked joyfully. He thought they were making a nice fuss of him.

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Wagger was the last dog in the ring. One of the judges looked round the tent and called out loudly: " Who owns this dog? Will he please come forward? " Rather scared, Alice and Terry went into the ring. Wagger greeted them with loud barks, licks and jumps. " Wewe didn't mean..." began Alice. But the judge interrupted her. " Ah, so you own this lovely dog," he said. " Well, I am pleased to say that we shall award him the prize for being the healthiest and best-kept dog in the show. His coat, his teeth, his spirits are all first-classa very fine specimen of a dog, and most intelligent." And, to the children's enormous surprise, one judge handed Terry a white ticket marked " FIRST " in big letters, and another judge handed him a new collar for Wagger, and a big box of chocolates for themselves! " Oh, thank you," said the children, and Terry said, " Buthe's only a mongrel, you know." " Any dog can enter for this kind of competition," said the judge, smiling. " It's for the best-kept, healthiest dogno matter what kind he is,

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pure-bred or mongrel. You deserve the prize for keeping your dog in such good condition." Wagger barked and licked the judge's hand. The children turned away in delight, and bumped into Ray, who was holding Nobby on a lead. " We've got a First," said Terry, beaming. " Oh, RayWagger's got a First, and Nobby's only got a Second. I've never had such a surprise in my life." " Let's go home now," said Alice. " I want to tell Mummy. Let's go quickly. And we'll give Mummy the box of chocolates, because it was she who taught us how to keep Wagger so well and happy." So they left the garden-party and tore home to tell Mummy the good news. She was just as surprised and delighted as they were. She hugged them all, Wagger too. " We must all share the chocolates," she said. " Wagger, you look fine in your new collar. Really, you look beautiful! " " He does, he does! " said Terry. " And he's going to have his share of the chocolates, just for once. Three cheers for old Wagger, the best dog in the show! " ' Wuff, wurff, wuff!" said Wagger, three times, and made everyone laugh. Really, he's a very clever dog indeed! " We must all share the chocolates," she said. " Wagger, you look fine in your new collar. Really, you look beautiful ! "

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was a clown. He was a toy clown and he could be wound up by turning a key in his back. He was called Clickety-Clock because that was the noise he made when he danced about and turned head-over-heels when he was wound up. " Clickety-clockety-clickety-clockety," he went, and all the toys loved to watch him. He was a comical little fellow and they liked him very much. He lived with the two golliwogs, the black teddy-bear, the three dolls, the blue, rather dirty cat and the old wooden horse in the toy cupboard. They all belonged to Maribelbut, dear me, she was growing up fast and she didn't play with the toys in the cupboard much nowadays! She liked reading books and sewing and playing tennis. She hardly ever took out the golliwogs or the bear, and she hadn't wound up the clockwork clown for weeks. " I think, Maribel," said Mother one day, " I do really think it's about time you turned out some of your toys for the hospital children. They would love them, and, you know, you hardly ever play with them now." " Oh, MotherI know I don'tbut I still love them! " said Maribel. " I do really." " Well, just choose one or two toys then," said Mother. " I'll take them with me when I go on Wednesday."

CLICKETY-CLOCK

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Maribel went to look at her toys. " I can't give away you gollies yet," she said, and the golliwogs were glad. " I've loved you so much. And, Teddy-Bear, you are going to live with me always, till I get married and give you to my own children. Then I shall always have you. Blue Cat, you got grubby because I played with you so much. You came to bed with me every night for ages and I can't part with you." The blue cat was so pleased that she could have danced for joy. Maribel looked at the wooden horse. " Nice old Dobbin! " she said. " You've given all my toys rides for me and I can't give you away! What about you three dolls? Well, Angela, you're my baby doll and you'd be miserable if you left me. And, Gillian, you're a darling, with your sweet face and smileI'll never part with you. But what about you, Marigold ?" Marigold stared back at her. She was a beautifully dressed, vain little doll, who had felt very cross lately because Maribel hadn't taken her out in the pram and shown her to everyone. She hoped she would be sent to the hospital. She was sure she would be the most fussed-over doll there! " You shall go, Marigold," said Maribel. " I've never liked you very much, somehow, but you're a lovely doll. And, Clickety-Clock, I suppose you'd better go too. I really am too old for clockwork toys now." Poor Clickety-Clock! His little clownface still smiled, but in his heart he was very, very miserable. What, go away from the place he loved, and from his corner in the toy-cupboard? Leave the gollies and the bear, who were his friends? Never see the dirty blue cat again, and hear her stories of how Maribel used to suck her blue ears when she was a baby in her pram? He couldn't bear it. Maribel wound him up for fun, and he danced, clickety-clock, and he turned head-over-heels, clickety-clock, but all the time he was feeling very unhappy indeed.

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" I'm going on Wednesday, I suppose," he said to the others that night. " Oh, how I shall miss you all! I shall like to amuse the little sick children but I'm sure my heart will break when I remember that I shall never see you or Maribel again!" " You're silly! " said the vain little doll. " Instead of being poked away in the cupboard where nobody sees us, we shall be played with and made a fuss of all day long. I'm glad I'm going." ' Well, we're glad you're going too," said the bigger golliwog of the two. " But we just can't bear losing the clown. He's a darling. Some people are darlings and some are not. You're notbut Clickety-Clock is." Monday came, Tuesday came. Oh dear, the very last day at home among his friends for Clickety-Clock! He felt he really couldn't smile any more. At night he sat dolefully among his friends and they couldn't cheer him up at all. They were sitting there, talking sadly, when the biggest doll heard a noise. " What's that? " she said sharply.

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They all listened. " Only the rain," said the blue cat. " It certainly sounds like water. But it isn't the rain," said the bear, pricking up his little black ears. " Well, what is it then? " said the wooden horse. " It's a drip, drip, drip, gurgle, gurgle, gurgle noisewater of some kind! " The golliwog suddenly felt a drip on his head and then suddenly another. " Good gracious! Water is dripping from the ceiling! " he cried. " A pipe must have burst up in the loft. We shall all be drowned! The house will be flooded! And, oh dear, everyone is asleep! " " Clockwork clownyou must go and wake up Maribel!" said the blue cat. " We'll wind you up. You must go out of the door, along the landing, and into Maribel's room, and there you must dance and tumble, and make a noise to wake her up. Then she'll hear the drip-drip-drip and get help." " All right," said Clickety-Clock. " I do hope I don't meet the kitchen cat with her big claws. I feel a bit afraid of going along that dark landing, too. I wish I were braver." " You are brave," said the blue cat, beginning to wind him up. " It's always brave to do something you're frightened of. Didn't you know that ? " " R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! " went his clockwork as the blue cat wound him up. Then he was ready to go. He went clicking across the floorclickety-clock-clickety-clock. Out of the door and across the dark landing. And, oh dear me, Maribel's door was shut! Think of that! Clickety-Clock couldn't possibly go in. Now what was he to do? He heard a little sound from the room next to Maribel's. Her mother and father slept there, and her father was making some tiny snores, because he was lying on his back.51

Clickety-Clock was afraid of Maribel's father. He was so big and had such a deep voice, and when he was cross the whole house knew it. He had sometimes made Maribel cry when he scolded her, and the toys trembled when he came into the nursery. But the door into his bedroom was open! The clown could easily go there and dance and tumble and click. Did he dare to? Suppose Maribel's father woke up, turned on the light, and saw him? He might be very angry indeed to think that a clockwork clown should dare to come into his bedroom at night and dance. Stillsomething had to be done! The drip-drip-drip was still going on. The nursery might be flooded out soon. The clown felt that he simply must save his friends and stop the house from being spoilt. So he danced into Maribel's father's bedroom. He danced as fast as he could, kicking up his clickety-legs. He turned head-over-heels seven times running, choosing a wooden part of the floor, between rugs, so that he would make a lot of noise. And soon he heard a creak as somebody sat up in bed and said: " What in the world is that noise? " Clickety-Clock was so scared that he ran under the bed and hid! Then the voice went on: " Good graciousis that water I hear? Yes, it is. There must be a burst pipe up in the roof! Jane, wake up! ' Maribel's mother woke with a jump, and the two of them rushed up to the loft. Yes, there was a burst pipe! Water was pouring out of it! Oh dear!

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Soon the water was turned off at the main, and pails had been set to catch the drips. " Just in time! " said Mother. " The nursery is pretty wet now it would have been flooded out by morning! What woke you, John?" " A funny clicking noise," said Maribels father. " Can't understand it. It wasn't the water, I know that." Maribel, of course, had been enjoying all the excitement, for she had woken up when she heard her parents going to the loft. She had been into the wet nursery to see if her toys were all right. They all seemed safe but where was Clickety-Clock? He had disappeared. " Have you seen the clockwork clown? " she asked her mother. " He's gone." Mummy was putting her slippers back under the bed. One touched the clown and he gave a little click. Mother looked under the bed. " Good gracious! Your clown is here! However did he get there? " Maribel pulled him out and set him on the floor. His clockwork wasn't quite run down, and he gave a little clicking dance. " That's the noise I heard," said Daddy. " That's what woke me up! " "Mother! Daddy! The toys must have heard the water dripping and they sent ClicketyClock to wake us up!" cried Maribel. " They did, they didand he came, the brave little thing! Oh, Clickety-Clock, you shan't go away. I shall keep you for ever and ever! " Wellwhat a lovely bit of news for Clickety-Clock to hear! He couldn't believe his ears! Maribel took the vain doll, two puzzles and three books to the hospital. But the clockwork clown was left with his friends. " I'm glad I was brave," he said, beaming round at the others. " Look what a fine reward I've got. Oh, I do feel so happy." And he did a special dance for them all, and turned head-over-heels seventeen times.53

You should have seen himclickety-click, clickety-clock, clickety-click, clickety-clock!

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RONNIE was a very naughty little boy. He was rude and unkind to his Mother, and he would have been rude to his Father if he had dared to be. He was rude to the cook, and he always put out his tongue at the little girl next door. " Ronnie! Why do you behave so badly ?" his Mother would say. " You make me very sad. I can't believe that you are my little boy when you do things like that." Ronnie banged the door when he was in a temper. He kicked the legs of his chair when he was cross at table. He turned up his nose at all the things he didn't like, and shouted for the things he did like. " One day, Ronnie, I shall get another little boy," said his Mother. " I don't think you are a very nice little boy to have. If you go on behaving like this I think I shall have to look out for another little boy." " All right," said Ronnie. " I don't care." He felt quite certain that his Mother didn't mean it. It was just one of the things that grown-ups said but didn't mean at all. So you can just imagine his enormous astonishment when he came home from school one day to find another little boy with his Mother! This little boy was a bit bigger than Ronnie, and he was fair instead or being dark. His smiling face was freckled all over. " Who are you?" said Ronnie.55

" I'm Dan," said the other boy. " You go away," said Ronnie fiercely, " or I'll fight you! "

" I'm bigger than you, and I've learnt boxing, so I should win," said Dan. " Dan! " called Ronnie's Mother. " Will you come and help me for a minute? " " Coming! " called Dan, and rushed off at once. Ronnie's Mother was sorting out silver paper for salvage. She was smoothing out the pieces till they were flat and then packing them into a box. " I'll help you. I'd love to," said Dan. " Thank you, Dan," said Ronnie's Mother and smiled at him. Ronnie rushed up at once. " I'll do it," he said. " No, Ronnie," said his Mother. " I've so often asked you to do this little job for me, and you've grumbled and never done it. Now Dan and I will do it." " I'll do it," said Ronnie again. " You do what your Mother tells you! " said Dan. " She and I can do this nicely together. You go and play." " Who's this horrid boy? " Ronnie demanded, turning to his Mother. " Send him away." " Certainly not," said his Mother. " Dan has no Mother at all. He has never had all the things you have hadthe joy of helping his Mother, having her kiss him good night, telling her his troubles, looking after her when she is tired, sharing everything with her. You don't want those things, Ronnie, and you said you wouldn't mind if I got another little boy." " What about me! " said Ronnie, feeling terribly angry and hurt.56

" Well, you can do what you like," said his Mother. " You can go to Dan's home for a bit, if you likeor you can go to boarding-schoolor you can stay here if you don't interfere with Dan. He is going to look after me now and help me." Ronnie could hardly believe his ears. He stared at his Mother and frowned at Dan. Then he fled from the room and slammed the door so that the house shook. He went to find his Father. " I don't want this Dan in my house," he stormed. " I won't have Mother looking after him! " " My dear Ronnie, surely you can see that Dan is the kind of boy who will look after your Mother, and not expect her to look after him all the time! " said his Father. " It's your own fault. I don't blame your Mother for choosing another little boy. She's a darling, and so kind and jolly. She's wasted on you-"but a boy like Dan knows what a treasure she is, and will love her with all his heart. I must say I rather like Dan myself." Ronnie felt as if he was in a dream. How awful to come home and suddenly find another boy there, taking his place, and everyone liking him! " Don't you like me, Daddy? " he asked, his voice beginning to tremble. " Don't you love me? " " I love you, because you are my son," said his Father, " but I can't say I like you very much, Ronnie. Why should I? You are rude and selfish and unkind. I shall always love you and back you up, but whether I like you or not depends on yourself and your own behaviour."57

Ronnie ran upstairs to his room. He was so angry and upset and shocked that he sat in a chair and sobbed. He sobbed loudly, but his Mother didn't come to him. He heard voices in the garden, and saw his Mother and Dan there, his Mother showing Dan where the logs were kept. " If you would bring me in twelve every day, Dan, that would be a great help," she said. ' " I'd love to," said Dan, and slipped his hand inside Ronnie's Mother's arm. Ronnie sobbed again. How often had his Mother asked him if he would bring logs up each day for her fire and he hadn't bothered to remember? Now this horrible boy was going to remember and never once forget! Ronnie saw Dan carrying logs. He was alone. Ronnie rushed down to him in the garden and shouted at him. " You leave those logs alone! That's my job." " Now now," said Dan. " I promised your Mother I'd take some in. I say, isn't she a lovely Mother to have? I wish I had one like that. She's so kind and loving. I'd do anything in the world for her! "

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" You go away or I'll fight you," said Ronnie fiercely. Dan laughed. Ronnie hit him hard on the shoulder. Then he suddenly saw a very different Danand felt one too! Dan hit out with his fists, first the right

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and then the leftand Ronnie found himself on his back, his chin smarting and his left car tingling. " I warned you not to fight me," said Dan, picking up a log and walking to the house. Ronnie picked himself up and ran howling to his Mother. But she sided with Dan. " Don't be a baby," she said. " And don't howl like that. I have a headache." Ronnie howled all the more. Dan looked fierce again. " Did you hear what your mother said? " he asked. " I won't have her worried when she's got a headache. If you want to make a noise, go outside! " And to Ronnie's enormous rage, Dan took hold of his arm and pushed him out into the hall! " Thank you, Dan dear," he heard his Mother say. "I really can't bear that noise." Ronnie went to his room and stayed there till supper. He didn't go down to tea. He thought his Mother would come up to him, but she didn't. So he went without tea. He heard everyone laughing and talking downstairs in the dining-room. He pictured to himself Dan offering his Mother the jam and the cake, looking after her all the time. They didn't want Ronnie. He was just a horrid, selfish, rude boy. Nobody wanted him!

He went down to supper. " Hallo, Ronnie! " said his Father, and the others smiled at him. They didn't say anything at all about his missing his tea. Dan talked to Ronnie's Father and Mother happily and made all kinds of jokes. He really was a very jolly, kindly boy, and Ronnie would have liked him very much at any other time. He was very sweet to Ronnie's Mother and looked after her all the time. " I must say it's nice to see a boy with good manners," said Ronnie's Father, beaming at Dan.60

At bedtime Dan went to bed in the spare room. Ronnie undressed gloomily. He couldn't think what he was to do. This boy seemed to have come to live there. He certainly was a nice boy, just the kind his Mother lovedjust the kind any mother would love! " And I'm just the kind any mother would dislike, I suppose!" thought Ronnie. He got into bed and waited for his Mother to come and say good night to him. But she didn't come. She went to tuck up Dan. Ronnie heard her say: " Oh, Dan, what a hug! You've almost taken my breath away! " For the next few days Dan made things very pleasant indeed for Ronnie's Mother and Father. He was such a jolly boy, and always so willing to do anything for anyone. Even the cook sang his praises, and as for the little girl next door, she thought Dan was wonderful because he had made her a doll out of a fir-cone and an oak-apple and twigs!

Ronnie didn't try to fight Dan again. He knew that was no use. He didn't try sulking or howling, because if he sulked no one took any notice of him, and if he howled Dan pushed him out of the room. So for once in a way he was a quiet, polite boy, and sometimes even played with Dan. Dan talked a lot about Ronnie's Mother. " Isn't she marvellous! " he said to Ronnie. " Of course, you've had her all your life, but I've never had a mother. Mine died when I was a day old. I tell you, it's wonderful to have someone like a mother, looking so sweet and being so kind and loving always." Ronnie looked at his Mother. She did look sweet, sitting there sewing, her dark, curly head bent, and her brown eyes following her needle. Ronnie suddenly felt as if he badly wanted to do something for her. " But I suppose she would much rather let Dan do anything for her," he thought. All the same, he went over to his Mother and put his hand in hers. She looked up, surprised. " Would you like me to do anything for you, Mother? " asked Ronnie. " Do you want anything fetched? Would you like another cushion? ': " Yes, I would," said his mother. Ronnie fetched another cushion. " Thank you, dear," she said and smiled at him. Ronnie wanted to hug her, but he was afraid she wouldn't like him to, now she had Dan.

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The next day Ronnie fetched and carried everything he could for his Mother, and Dan looked at him in astonishment. " I say! " said Dan that evening, " I believe you could look after that nice Mother of yours properly if you really want to." " Of course I could! " said Ronnie indignantly. He looked at Dan and went red. " I don't like the way you've taken my Mother away from me," he said. " I know I was beastly to her beforeI see that, now I've watched how you behave to her, and I can see how much she likes you, and I don't wonder. Are you going to live here always? " " Well, I'd rather like to get back home soon," said Dan. " I've got a sister at home who wants a bit of looking afterbut I don't want to leave your Mother unless you are going to make her happy. I really do love her, and even if I go home I shall often come and see her. I wish she were mine. I can't think why you don't love her. I think she's a darling." " I do love her," said Ronnie fiercely. " You go back home, Dan, and

come again in a week's time. You just see if I can't look after my own Mother and love her just as you domore, because I'm her own boy and you're not! "63

" All right," said Dan. " I'll go. But listen, Ronnie. If you make her unhappy I'll come back again! " Dan went the next day, and he often comes back to see Ronnie and Ronnie's Mother. She always looks happy now and tells Dan what a fine boy Ronnie isand, strange to say, Ronnie and Dan are great friends! " You'll never get another little boy now, will you, Mother? " Ronnie says at night, when his Mother kisses him good night. And she always says the same thing. " Never, Ronnie! You're the only one I want! " And that's very nice for them both, isn't it?

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and Heyho had been sent shopping by their Aunt Minnie. They had a long list, and they were cross about it. " Our basket will be awfully heavy," said Tippy gloomily. " Bother Aunt Minniealways sending us out on errands! " Heyho looked at the list. " Potatoesthey're always heavy. Plums they're heavy tooand I bet we'll have wasps round us all the way home! A sponge cakewell, that would be all right if we could carry it inside us instead of in our basket! " Tippy grinned. Then he nudged Heyho. " Look outthere's Mr. Plod, the policeman. We'd better go another way. He's been cross with us ever since we crossed the road when the lights were red and made all the cars hoot at us." " I don't like Mr. Plod," grumbled Heyho. " Always scowling at us. Always complaining to Aunt Minnie whatever we do. I wish I could throw something at him." " Sh! " said Tippy. " He might hear you. I don't like Mrs. Surly either. I'm sure she'd spank us if she could. Just because we threw our empty ice-cream cartons into her garden! " " Well, I suppose we should have put them into the litter-bin," said Heyho, " only it was such a long way to it. Horrid old woman. I'd like to throw something at her too." This was a very naughty way to talk, of course. They went on chattering like this till they got to the shops. They bought the potatoes andTIPPY

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the plums, and got a very nice cake indeed, with icing on the top and three cherries in the middle of the icing. " Now the basket is frightfully heavy," said Heyho with a groan. " Are you carrying your fair share, Tippy? My arm is almost pulled out of its socket." They left the little village and went on down a country lane. And then they had their first surprise. Just round the first corner they met a big brown bear! Tippy and Heyho almost dropped the basket in surprise. They trembled as the bear came towards them. It waved its paw, did a queer little clumsy dance, and went past them down the lane. " Did you see what I saw, Heyho ? " said Tippy in a frightened voice. " I saw a bear," said Heyho. " And he waved his paw at us! " " I don't like it," said Tippy. " Come on, let's go on quickly, before it comes back. What are people thinking of to let bears wander about like dogs! "

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They went onand round the next corner they had their second surprise. They met a baby elephant, waving its trunk, ambling along in a very carefree sort of manner. "Oooh!" said Tippy, clutching Heyho. "Now there's an elephant! Can you see one too, Heyhoa baby one? " " Yes," said Heyho, watching the creature go past him down the lane. " What's happening, Tippy? Are we dreaming? " " I think W C must be," said Tippy. " You always meet things like bears and elephants and lions and tigers round corners in dreams." " Well, I hope we don't meet a tiger or a lion," said Heyho nervously. " I don't like this. And how is it we are dreaming the same dream? It's queer." " We're not really," said Tippy. " I expect I'm dreaming the dream, and you happen to be in it, that's all. You must be part of my dream." " I'm not" said Heyho indignantly. " I'm having this dream, too. I saw the bear and the elephant just as much as you did! " " Lookthere's a kangaroo jumping over the hedge in the next field! ' said Tippy, startled. " Fancy me dreaming a kangaroo too! " " Yesit really is a kangaroo," said Heyho in amazement. " I do hope we really are dreaming, Tippy." " Don't be so sillyof course we are," said Tippy. " Did we ever meet wild creatures like this before when we went shopping for Aunt Minnie? It's just a very real and peculiar dream. I shall wake up in a minute and turn over in bed and tell you all about it. See if I don't."T

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" Oh, Tippythere's a lion! " said Heyho, clutching at Tippy's arm. "Quick, let's hide!" " No," said Tippy boldly. " It's only a dream lion. I'm going to shout ' BO ' at itand it'll run away! " So he shouted " BO " at the lionand, dear me, it looked extremely startled and turned tail and ran away! " There you arewhat did I say ? " said Tippy. " It's a dream, all this! Come on, Heyho, let's enjoy ourselves. Let's be naughty! We shall soon wake up, and it won't matter a bit." " Welllet's eat this lovely cake first then," said Heyho. " It will probably taste just as nice in this dream as it does when we're awake." So they ate the cake. It was delicious! The icing melted in their mouths. " Wellfor a dream-cake that was simply delicious," said Tippy. "I'm sorry we didn't buy two. I say, Heyhowe needn't bother to take these potatoes and plums home to Aunt Minnie, as it's only a dream we're having. Let's do something naughty with them! " " Oooh, yes," said Heyho. " Let's throw some plums at Mrs. Surly's chimney-pot! I bet I'll hit it before you do ! " So the two of them went back to Mrs. Surly's cottage. They began to throw plums up at the rather crooked little chimney-pot. But, of course, neither of them hit it. The plums went right over the low roof of the cottage and fell into the garden behind.

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Mrs. Surly was there, hanging out her washing. She was very surprised indeed when ripe plums began to fall all round herand very angry when one hit her on the head and burst. ' What's all this! " she shouted, and ran to see who was throwing the plums. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw it was Heyho and Tippy. She picked up her stick and ran at them, shouting. They giggled. " All the same, we'd better run," said Heyho. " A stick might hurt, even in a dream. Good-bye, Mrs. Surly!" They rushed off, back to the village, laughing. Mrs. Surly simply couldn't understand their behaviour. She put on her bonnet and set off to complain to their Aunt Minnie about them. Aha! Aunt Minnie would deal with them all right! The mischievous pair caught sight of Mr. Plod, the policeman, walking slowly down the street. "Quicksee if we can knock off his helmet with potatoes!" cried Tippy. " It's only a dream; we shall wake up before he catches us! We might as well have some fun." So they aimed two large potatoes at Mr. Plodand Tippy's potato hit his helmet and knocked it right over his nose! He swung round at once, in a great rage. When he saw Tippy and Heyho dancing round in joy, he stared in astonishment. What! They had actually dared to throw potatoes at him, the village policeman!

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He shook his fist at them angrily. "You just wait, you little wretches!" he cried. "I'll come round for you this evening! If it wasn't that I'm warning everyone to keep indoors for a few hours, till a bear, an elephant, a kangaroo and a lion are caught, I'd come after you now! I only hope you'11 meet all the animals that have escaped from the travelling circusyou'll get a fine fright then! " Tippy and Heyho heard all this and when Mr. Plod had finished they looked very frightened indeed. Mr. Plod disappeared round the corner on his way to warn more people of the escaped circus animals, and Heyho and Tippy looked at one another in the greatest alarm. " Tippy," said Heyho in a very small voice, " it's not a dream after all. Those animals were realthey were the escaped ones." " Yes," said Tippy, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. "And we've eaten that cake." "And thrown plums at Mrs. Surly," said Heyho, still more alarmed. " And knocked Mr. Plod's helmet crooked," said Tippy, sniffing hard. " Fancyit's not a dream after all. Whatever are we going to do? " ' We shall have to explain to Aunt Minnie that we really and truly thought we were in a dream," said Heyho. " Well, it's the truth," said Tippy, cheering up a little. " She ought to believe us if we are telling the truth." But, alas, Aunt Minnie didn't believe a word of it!

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'" Pretending to me that you thought you were in a dream, and so you ate my cake! " she snorted, " You go along and empty your money-boxes and go straight back and buy another cake. And what's all this about throwing plums at Mrs. Surly? She's been round here complaining about you again. I suppose you thought you were still in a dream when you threw the plums! " ' Yes," said Heyho and Tippy. " You might believe us, Aunt Minnie, when we tell the truth." " If you want people to believe you, you shouldn't tell naughty stories as you so often do," said Aunt Minnie. "Who said they hadn't broken that jug yesterday ? That was a story, wasn't it? How am I to know this isn't a story, too? Now, you go straight round to Mrs. Surly's and apologise, and then go and buy another cake with your own money." "But she'll spank us with her stick," said Tippy,beginning to cry again. " You pretend it's just a dream then," said Aunt Minnie. " You're good at that, it seems to me! " But, alas, it wasn't any good pretending it was a dream when Mrs. Surly whacked them with her stick. And the worst of it is they haven't yet seen Mr. Plod. But he won't forget to go round to Aunt Minnie's about those potatoes, and goodness knows what will happen to Tippy and Heyho then! They are being so very, very good now that Aunt Minnie simply can't

understand it! I wonder how long it will last!

Jimmy and Karen live in America, and with great patience they have encouraged these timid Chipmunks to feed from their hands. Karen is especially delighted, because she has coaxed one to her lap.

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was the little donkey belonging to Mr. Johns. Sam was the little boy who lived at the greengrocer's shop and helped his Father to weigh the potatoes, and set out the cabbages and apples in neat rows. Neddy passed by the shop each day. Sam was always ready for him with a bit of carrot or half an apple. " You spoil that donkey of Mr. Johns," grumbled his Father. " He's a lazy, stubborn little thing. Sometimes he stands still in the middle of the street and won't budge an inch." " Mr. Johns isn't kind to him," said Sam. " He shouts at him and beats him. If I were a donkey I'd stand still in the middle of the road sometimes, if my master was unkind to me." " Oh, you would, would you? " said his Father. " Well, you'd get beaten even harder if I were your master. Donkeys like that don't deserve kind words and pats. Now, you go and get on with your work. Fold up all those sacks and stack them neatly in the corner." Neddy came up the hill by the shop the next day, and Sam flew out to give him an apple. But Mr. Johns wouldn't let the donkey stop for it. "He's been stubborn again! " he shouted angrily. " Backed into a gate and broke a bit off the back of the cart. He's not to have any treats. Come up, there! You bad fellow! ' Sam was sad. Neddy was sad too, because he did like an appleand, more than that, he liked the loving words Sam spoke to him and the feelNEDDYClive watches closely as Hazel patiently coaxes this little New Zealand wallaby to eat from her band. The tiny baby in his Mother's pouch seems very curious; perhaps he would like a piece!

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of Sam's hands on his neck. Ah, if only he had a master like that boy! He'd never be stubborn again. The winter came. The weather grew colder and colder. Snow came, and it froze. More snow came, and that froze too, till the roads were like slippery ice. Cars could no longer go up the hill by Sam's shop. But the little grey donkey still came, sliding and slipping, pulling the heavy cart up the hill. " It's a shame," thought Sam, watching. " Poor little thingit's terribly hard not to slip just here, where the hill is so steep. Neddy will break his legs one day! " The next day the donkey stopped outside the shop. Mr. Johns lashed him with the whip. " Go on with you! What's the matter ? You're the laziest animal there ever was." Neddy started off again, but his feet slipped all the time. Sam watched him, terrified that he would fall and break a leg. Mr. Johns whipped him again. Sam darted into the shop. He went to where the pile of sacks was, in a corner. He rushed out with them. He went to the donkey and flung a sack under his feet. Then he put another in front of him, and a third one higher up. He made a whole pathway of sacksand the little donkey found firm footing on them and pulled the cart safely up the steepest bit. He looked round gratefully at Sam. Nice boy, kind boy! his big donkey-eyes said. " He could have got up without all that," shouted Mr. Johns grumpily. " Always making a fuss of Neddy! I tell you he's just a lazy, stupid beast, and I'd be glad to get rid of Mm! "

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Next day the frost was harder than ever. Sam was waiting with the sacks, and he made the same path for Neddy as the day before. The little donkey didn't slip at all. He was very pleased. It was Wednesday and a half-holiday for Sam. What should he do? " I think I'll go down to the pond, Dad," he said. " Not the one all the boys go to, because that's so crowded and I do want a good slide. I'll go to Bolter's Pondthat won't be crowded at all." He went to Bolter's Pond, and there were only two boys on it, trying it. " It's quite hard! " they yelled to Sam. " Come and try." The boys soon left, and Sam thought he would to make a really good long slide. Soon he had a real beauty, and enjoyed himself immensely. And thenand then there suddenly came a loud CRACK! And the ice split right across as Sam was sliding. He couldn't stop himself and slid straight into the crack, where the water was showing black below. In he went and gasped with the icy cold. He caught hold of the freezing edges of the ice and shouted loudly: " Help! Help! Save me! "

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But there was nobody near to hear, nobody at all. The boys had gone home. Bolter's Pond was in a lonely spot. "Help! Help! Oh, save me!" cried poor Sam. Somebody heard him thensomebody had been put into his shed a good distance away from the pond for the night. It was Neddy! He pricked up his long donkey ears when he heard the far-away voice calling. Why, that sounded like Sam's voice! What was the matter with him? The donkey stood and listened. He felt uneasy. Why was Sam calling? Neddy knew how to undo his door, and he undid it now, jerking the catch up with his nose. He pushed the door and it opened. He galloped over the frosty hillside towards Sam's voice. He was puzzled when he came to the pond. Sam's voice came from the middle of it! But he could only see Sam's head and shoulders. Why didn't the boy come to him as usual? " Neddy! Oh, Neddy! " called Sam in a weak voice. " I can't hold on much longer. Save me! ' But Neddy didn't dare to tread on the ice. He gave a frightened little bray and galloped awayaway to the greengrocer's shop he knew so well. Where was Sam's Father? He must come! He must come! Sam's Father was amazed to see Neddy walk right into his shop, and even more astonished when the donkey firmly caught hold of his sleeve and pulled him towards the door. " Look, wife," he cried, " this donkey's mad! He's trying to take me somewhere."

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" Then go, go! " cried his wife, suddenly feeling that something must be wrong. " Go where he takes you! ' And Sam's Father went with Neddydown the hill, across the field to Bolter's Pond. And when he got there, he heard Sam's faint voice: "Help! Help me! " " Goodness me, it's Sam gone through the ice!" cried his Father and ran for a ladder. He brought one back quickly, laid it flat on the ice and pushed it towards Sam. The boy caught hold of the last rung and dragged himself feebly out of the icy-cold water. His Father pulled the ladder to the bank and carried the boy home, the donkey following closely. Sam caught a terrible cold and was in bed for two weeks. And every day, when Mr. Johns passed by, he let the donkey look in at the bedroom window to see how Sam was getting on! Ah, Neddy was a hero now! He had had his picture in all the papers. " Brave Donkey Saves His Little Friend! " And do you know what Sam's Father is going to do? It's a secret, so don't tell Sam yet, if you should happen to know him. His Father is going to buy Neddy and give him to Sam for his birthday! Won't Sam be pleased! ' Two such friends ought to be together," says Sam's Father. And I think he's right; don't you ?

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Margery had a tiny little man out of a Christmas cracker. He was so small that he wasn't much taller than a pin! " Oh, look \ " cried Margery in delight, as he fell out on to the table. " A teeny little mandressed in blue and whitewith the tiniest smile on his face! " She held him up. " Look, Mummy, isn't he sweet? I know he's a lucky man! " Well, it did really seem as if the little man was lucky, because all kinds of things began to happen to Margery after that. She had invitations to four parties and a pantomime. She found a shilling she had lost. She was given a big box of chocolates by an uncle who had never given her anything before. " I'm sure it's this tiny man who's bringing me luck! " said Margery to Jack, her brother. " Ever since I've had him nice things have been happening to me. Oh, little lucky man, I shall keep you safe. I should hate to lose you. You might take your good luck away with you! ' " Lend him to me," said Jack, who had not had very good luck that week. Daddy had spanked him for being cheeky. He had lost a sixpence Mummy had given him for shopping, and he had broken a jug. " No. You're so careless," said Margery, holding the little lucky man tightly. " You'd lose him! You always lose everything, Jack. You even lost your new ball the day after you had it." " You're really mean," said Jack. " You won't even spare me a day's good luck! Well, one day I'll get your little lucky man, and I'll hide himONCE

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where you can't find him and take him about with me. Then, maybe, all kinds of nice things will happen to me, too! " " You're not to take him away from me! " cried Margery. " You'll only lose him. I shall be so upset then." Well, Margery simply would not lend Jack her lucky man, and, really, it wasn't very surprising, because Jack was certainly a very careless boy. He was always breaking his toys, and had lost his two new handkerchiefs, as well as his ball. But Jack felt certain that if only Margery would lend him the lucky man even for a day he might find everything he had lost, and get some more good luck besides. He grumbled about it to his Mother. " I do think Margery might lend me the lucky man. Then things would go right for me, too. I'd get extra presents, and not lose things or break things." Mummy laughed. " Oh, good luck doesn't come to Margery because of her lucky man, though she thinks it does. It comes because she's a careful, thoughtful child, who keeps her things nicelyand it comes because she's generous and kind, so that people want to give her presents. You act the same as Margery, Jack, and things will go right for you, too." Margery kept her lucky little man on a tiny silver chain round her neck. She only took him off when she washed, and then she was careful not to put him in a place where Jack could find him. Jack was cross and sulky about it. He was more and more determined to get that little lucky man if he could! When his birthday came, he had a lovely surprise. His

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belonged to his cousin and was very rusty and shabby. When Jack saw his new bicycle he could, hardly believe his eyes! "Oh, Mummy! Daddy! What a wonderful present! Thank you! " "Keep it nice, Jack," said Mummy. " It looks so beautiful now." " Can I ring the bell, Jack? " asked Margery. She rang it. " Ting-aling! " It made a very loud noise indeed. The bicycle had a basket on the front and a saddle-bag full of tools at the back. It really was a beauty. Jack went for rides on it every day. He kept it very clean and bright, because he was so proud of it. Then he ran into another boy's bicycle and scratched some of the brightness from it. " Oh dear! What a bit of bad luck! " said Jack in alarm. " I hope I'm not going to have more bad luckI'm not a very lucky person, really. Wouldn't it be awful if I smashed up my lovely new bike! " He was so worried that he went to Margery again. " Margery, I believe I'm going to have a bit of bad luck again. Please lend me your little lucky man to put in my saddle-bag, so that I don't spoil my new bicycle."

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" No," said Margery. " I never will ! " " Mean thing! " said Jack and went off sulkily. He wondered what Margery did with her little lucky man now. She didn't wear it round her neck any more. The teacher at school had said that no child was to wear necklaces, so Margery had stopped wearing him except at week-ends. Jack watched to see what Margery did with the little lucky man whilst she was at school. He soon found out! She put him into the little teapot belonging to her dolls' tea-set. That was a very good hiding-place indeed. Jack would never, never have thought of it. He let Margery go to school before him one morning, and then he ran to the playroom, took out the teapot, and lifted out the little lucky man. He put back the teapot and ran to his bicycle. He must hide that little man somewhere on his bicycle! Somewhere that Margery would never find. Then the little man would bring him luck, and his bicycle wouldn't have silly accidents and be spoilt. Where should he hide it ? Not in the saddle-bag. Margery would certainly look there. Not in the basket. He would be far too easily seen. Where, then? Jack had a sudden idea. He unscrewed the top off his bell. He put the tiny little lucky man in the bottom part of the bell, and then screwed the top on again. He rang the bell. " Ting-a-ling-a-ling! " Yes, it was quite all right, even with the little man inside it. Aha! Margery would never, never find him now. Jack rode off to school, delighted to think that he would have a little good luck himself because he had got Margery's lucky man.

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Well, it certainly was very queer, but things did go very well for Jack that morning. He was top in arithmetic, he got full marks for dictation, and he jumped higher than anyone else at gym. He did feel pleased. When he got home that morning he told his Mother all about his good luck. Margery looked sharply at him. Then she went to the playroom and took out her dolls' teapot. She looked inside. No lucky man there! She ran to Jack. " You've taken my lucky man! You horrid, mean boy! Give him back at once. Where is he? " "Shan't tell you," said Jack. " I'm going to keep him for one whole day. I'll give him back to you tonight. Surely you can spare him just for one day, you mean girl? " " I know where he is! Somewhere on your bicycle! " cried Margery, suddenly guessing. " I'll find him! I'll find him! " She ran to Jack's bike. He followed her, feeling quite certain that she would never find the little man. Margery looked in the basket and in the saddle-bag. Jack stood by, grinning broadly. Margery felt very angry indeed. " Well, he won't bring you any luck, so there! " she said, almost crying. " He won't, he won't! " " He has alreadyand he'll bring me lots more! " said Jack. And you know, it was very strange, but that afternoon Jack kicked three goals at football, found the shoes he had lost at school the term before, and was asked out to a party the next day. What luck !

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On the way home he had to call and get some shoes from the cobbler's for his Mother. He put his bicycle against the outside of the shop and went in. He had to wait whilst the cobbler looked in the rows of mended shoes for his Mother's pair. And would you believe itwhen he got outside again, his b