Last Term at Malory Towers
Page 26
Winks stayed behind and they had to go back and fetch him. He had done a very surprising thing. He had picked six of the biggest balloons and had got enough string from the brownie to tie each of them to the big goldfish. And just as Chinky and the children reached the Balloon Tree again they saw Winks set the goldfish free in the wind—and the breeze took hold of the balloons and carried goldfish and all high up in the air.
"Oh, Winks!" said Mollie. "Now look what you've done!"
Winks grinned. "Just a little surprise for the goldfish," he said. "Thank goodness I've got rid of him."
Well, what can you do with a brownie like that? The others gave him up in despair and walked on again. The Wishing-Chair followed them closely, as if it was a bit afraid of the Island of Surprises.
Round the next corner was another surprise. There were a dozen small motor cars that seemed to go by magic. "Come and race, come and race!" chanted a little goblin. "The winner can choose his own prize!"
The prizes were as exciting as the little cars. There was a purse that always had money in it no matter how many times you took it out.
There was a little clock that didn't strike the hour, but called them out in a dear little voice. "It is now twelve o'clock!" And there was a teapot that would pour out any drink you liked to men¬tion.
"Ooooh—do let's try a race!" cried Winks, and he leapt into a fine blue car. "I want one of those
prizes!
They all chose cars. The goblin set them in a row and showed them how to work them. "Just press hard on these buttons, first with one foot and then with the other," he said. "Now—are you ready —one, two, three, GO!"
And off they went. Winks bumped into Chinky and both cars fell over. Mollie's foot slipped off one button and her car stopped for a moment or two. But Peter shot ahead and won the race, whilst all the little folk cheered and clapped.
"Choose your prize," said the goblin. Peter chose a little dish with a lid. It was a wonderful dish. Every time you lifted the lid there was some titbit there—a sausage or a bar of chocolate or an orange, or an ice-cream—something like that. Pe¬ter thought it would be very useful indeed to keep in the playroom.
They had a wonderful time that day. Once the surprise was not very nice. They went to sit down for a rest on some dear little rocking chairs. The chairs at once began to rock as soon as everyone was sitting in them—and they rocked so violently that everyone was thrown roughly out on the ground.
The goblin in charge laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. "Not a very pleasant surprise," said Mollie, picking herself up and running after her balloon, which was blowing away. "Funny to watch, I dare say—but not funny to do!"
They kept having titbits out of the Titbit Dish, but Mollie wished there were more ice-creams. So it was a lovely surprise when they came to a big public fountain, which had a tap labelled: "lee- cream Tap. TURN AND SAY WHAT KIND."
Mollie turned it at once. "Chocolate ice-cream," she said, and out came a stream of chocolate cream that ran into a small cornet underneath and froze at once.
"Oh, look!" cried Peter. They had come to the little field, and in it were big white swans waiting to take people for flights in the air.
"Shall we have a fly?" said Peter. "Do you think the Wishing-Chair will be jealous if we do?"
"I think one of us had better stay down on the ground with the chair, whilst the others are having a turn at flying on the birds," said Mollie. "Just in case it flies off in a huff, you know."
So Mollie sat in the Wishing-Chair whilst the others chose swans and rose up in the air on the backs of the beautiful white birds.
When it was Winks' turn to sit in the Wishing- Chair and stay with it, whilst the others rode on the swans, he thought he would get the chair to chase the swans and make them fly faster!
And up went the Wishing-Chair into the air and began to chase the swans, bumping into their tails and creaking at them in a most alarming manner. One swan was so startled that it turned almost up¬side down trying to get away from the Wishing- Chair—and the rider on its back fell headlong to the ground.
It was a witch! Fortunately she had her broom¬stick with her and she managed to get on that as
she fell.
She was so angry with Winks! She called the Wishing-Chair to the ground at once and scolded Winks so hard that he tried to hide under the chair in a fright. Mollie, Peter and Chinky flew down at once, angry, too, because of his mischievous trick.
"Ha, Chinky!" said the angry witch, "is this brownie a friend of yours? Who is he?"
"He's Winks," said Chinky.
"What—Winks, who turned his grandmother's pigs blue?" cried the witch. "I thought he was at Mister Grim's school. Well—it's time he was back there. Swan, come here!"
A big white swan flew down to her. The witch picked up Winks as if he were a feather and sat him firmly down on the swan's back.
"Now," she said to the swan, "take Winks to Mister Grim's school and deliver him to Mister
Grim himself."
"Oh, no, oh, no!" wailed Winks. "Mollie, Pe¬ter, don't let me go."
"You'll have to, Winks," said Mollie. "You re¬ally are too naughty for anything. Try to be good this term, and perhaps you'll be allowed to spend your next holidays with Chinky and us. Good-bye."
"But I shan't get enough to eat! I always have to go without my dinner!" wailed Winks.
Peter couldn't help feeling sorry for him. "Here —take the Titbit Dish," he said, and pushed it into Winks' hands. "You'll always have something nice to eat, then."
Winks' tears dried up at once. He beamed. "Oh, thank you, Peter—how wonderful! Now I don't mind going back a bit! I'll be as good as anything. I'll see you all next holidays. Good-bye!"
And off he went on the swan, back to Mister Grim's school for Brownies, hugging the Titbit Dish in joy.
"He's very, very naughty, and I can't help think¬ing that Mister Grim's school is the only place for him," said Mollie. "But I do like him very much, all the same."
"Look, the sun's going down," said Chinky sud¬denly. "We must go. They say the Island of Sur¬prises always disappears at sunset, and we don't want to disappear with it. Quick—it's disappear¬ing already!"
So it was! Parts of it began to look misty and dream-like. The children and Chinky went to the Wishing-Chair at once. "Home, Wishing-Chair," said Mollie. "Quick, before we all disappear with the Island. That witch has vanished already!"
And home to the playroom they went. They heard Mother ringing the bell for bedtime just as they arrived.
"Oh dear—our very last adventure these holi¬days, I'm afraid," said Mollie. "Chinky, you'll take the chair to your mother's won't you, and take great care of it for us? You know the date we come back home from school. Be here in time to welcome us!"
"We'll slip in and say a last good-bye before we leave for school," promised Peter. "Don't be lonely without us, Chinky, will you? And couldn't you go and see Winks once or twice at school—in the Wishing-Chair—just to cheer him up?"
"I'll see if my mother will let me," said Chinky. "She doesn't like Winks, you know. Anyway, he will be quite happy with the Titbit Dish, Peter. It was nice of you to give it to him."
"Good-bye, Wishing-Chair," said Mollie, pat¬ting it. "You've taken us on some wonderful ad¬ventures this time. Be ready to take us again next holidays, won't you?"
The chair creaked loudly, as if it, too, were say¬ing good-bye. The bedtime bell rang again, this time quite impatiently.
"We must go!" said Mollie, and she gave Chinky a hug. "We are lucky to have you and a Wishing-Chair, we really are! Good-bye!"
Good-bye, too, Mollie, Peter, Chinky, Winks and the Wishing-Chair. We'll see you all again some day, we hope!
THE ADVENTURES OF THE WISHING CHAIR
"Oh, Peter, to think we've got a magic chair—a wishing-chair!"
Mollie and Peter have a big secret; in their play¬room is a magic Wishing-Chair which can grow wings and take them on flying adventures. They res
cue Chinky the pixie from a giant's castle, visit Disappearing Island, and go to a party at Magi¬cian Greatheart's castle.
THE MYSTERY OF THE BURNT COTTAGE
Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip, Bets and Buster the dog turn detectives when a mysterious fire destroys a thatched cottage in their village. Calling them¬selves the 'Five Find-Outers and Dog' they set out to solve the mystery and discover the culprit. The final solution, however, surprises the Five Find- Outers almost as much as Mr Goon the village po¬liceman.
This is the first book in the Mystery series.
Enid blyton
THE ENCHANTED WOOD
"Up the Faraway Tree, Jo, Bessie and me!"
Jo, Bessie and Fanny move to the country and find an Enchanted Wood right on their door¬step! And in the wood stands the magic Far¬away Tree where the Saucepan Man, Moon- Face and Silky the elf live. Together they visit the strange lands which lie at the top of the tree and have the most exciting adventures—and narrow escapes!
More magical stories can be found in The Magic Faraway Tree and The Folk of the Faraway Tree.
Enid Blyton
THE MA GIC FARA WA Y TREE
Dick thought it would be dull in the country with Jo, Bessie and Fanny. But that was before he found the magic Faraway Tree! The four children have the most extraordinary adventures with the Saucepan Man, Moon-Face and Silky the elf. They only have to climb through the cloud at the top of the huge tree to be in the Land of Spells, or Land of Topsy-Turvy, or even the Land of Do-As-You-Please!
EGMONT
Ov'e. S'/ortes C<-fe
These stories first published in Adventures of the Wishing-Chair, Siunix Stories and Enid Blyton Omnibus, bv George Newnes 1937/38/52 This edition published 2005 by Dean, an imprint of Egmont Books Limited 239 Kensington High Street, London W8 6SA
Text copyright 1937, 1938, 1952 Enid Blyton Ltd Illustrations copyright r 2001 Enid Blyton Limited Illustrations by Deborah Allwright
Enid Blyton's signature is a registered trademark of Enid Blyton Limited. A Chorion company
ISBN 0 6035 6202 7
3579 10 8642
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
Printed and bound in Singapore
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner.
CONTENTS
THE WITCH'S CAT1
THE DEAR-ME GOBLIN7 THE ADVENTURE OF THE GREEN ENCHANTER 15
PETER'S OWN ADVENTURE20
THE OLD, OLD MAN25
TOPSY-TURVY LAND31
THE CHAIR RUNS AWAY AGAIN38
THE LAND OF SCALLY-WAGS47
THE PRINCE'S SPELLS55
THE LAST ADVENTURE OF ALL64
HOME FOR HALF-TERM74
CREE-EE-EAK82
AN ADVEN TUROUS NIGHT90
LAND OF WISHES98
SANTA CLAUS AND THE WISHING-CHAIR107
MORE ABOUT THE WISHING-CHAIR122
THE END OF THE ADVENTURE1 30
THE WITCH'S CAT
ONE afternoon Mollie and Peter were talking to Chinky the pixie in their playroom. Mollie was sitting in the magic chair, knitting as she talked. She was making a warm scarf for Chinky, who often used to go out at night and talk to the fairies in the garden. It was still very cold, and Mollie was afraid he would get a chill.
Peter and Chinky were not looking at Mollie at all - and then a dreadful thing happened! The chair grew its red wings all of a sudden, spread them out, and flew straight out of the open door! Yes - with Mollie in it, all alone! Peter and Chinky gave a shout of dismay, and rushed after it. They were too late - the chair rose over the trees, and the last they saw of Mollie was her pale anxious face looking over the arm at them.
"I say! The chair oughtn't to do that!" said Peter. "Now what are we to do?"
"We can't do anything," said Chinky. "We must just hope that the chair comes back safely, that's all."
Mollie had the surprise of her life when the chair rose up so suddenly. She wondered where in the world it would take her to. It flew a long way, and when it came down Mollie saw that a very thick dark wood lay beneath her
Mollie peeped into the cottage, and inside she saw an old witch.
The chair squeezed its way through the trees, and Mollie crouched down in the chair, for the branches scratched against her face. At last she was on firm ground again, and she jumped off the chair to see where she was. She saw, not far off, a beautiful little cottage, and to her surprise, there were pink and red roses out all around it - which was very astonishing, for it was only the month of February.
"Perhaps a fairy lives there," thought Mollie, and she went up to the cottage.The door was shut, but there was a light in the window. Mollie thought she had better peep into the cottage and just see who lived there before she knocked at the door. So she did - and inside she saw an old witch, standing before a curious fire whose flames were bright purple, stirring something in a big green pot.
"Ooh!" thought Mollie. "It's a witch. I don't think I'll go in'"
Suddenly the witch looked up - and she saw Mollie peeping in. In a trice, she threw down the ladle she was using and ran to the door.
"What are you spying on me for?" she shouted, in such a rage that her face went red as a sunset. "Come here! Let me see who you are! If you are a spy, I'll soon deal with you!"
"But I'm not!" said poor Mollie. She thought she had better run away, so she turned - but the witch caught hold of the sleeve of her frock.
"You go indoors," she said, and pushed Mollie into the cottage. She slammed the door and went back to her green pot, which was now singing a curious tune to itself, and puffing out pale yellow steam.
"Go and help the cat to make my bed," ordered the witch. "I won't have you peeping round whilst I make this spell!"
Mollie looked round for the cat. There was one in the corner, busily washing up some dishes in the sink. It was a black cat, but its eyes were as blue as forget-me-nots. How strange!
The cat put down the tea-cloth and ran into the next room. There was a bed there, and the two set to work to make it. As they were in the middle of it, the witch called sharply to the cat:
"Puss! Come here a minute! I need your help."
The cat at once ran to her - and Mollie took the chance to look round. She saw that the bedroom window- was open. Good! It wouldn't take her long to slip out of it and run back to her chair!
She climbed out - but in doing so she knocked over a big vase on the window-sill. Crash! The witch at once guessed what was happening. She rushed into the bedroom, and tried to get hold of Mollie's leg - but she was too late! Mollie was running between the trees!
"Cat! Chase her! Scratch her! Bring her back at once!" yelled the witch.
The blue-eyed cat at once leapt out of the window and rushed after Mollie. How they ran! Mollie reached the wishing-chair, jumped into it, and cried, "Home, quickly!"
It rose up - but the cat gave an enormous leap and jumped on to one arm of the chair. Mollie tried to push it off, but it dug its claws into the arm, and wouldn't leave go.
"You horrid creature!" said the little girl, almost in tears. "Get off my chair!"
But the cat wouldn't move. The chair rose higher and higher. Mollie wondered what she should do if the cat flew at her - but it didn't. It crawled down into the chair, hid behind a cushion there, and seemed to go to sleep!
After a while Mollie saw that she was near her own garden. She was glad. The chair went down to the playroom, and Peter and Chinky rushed out excitedly. Peter hugged Mollie, and so did Chinky. They had been so worried about her.
Mollie told them her adventure. "And the funny thing is," she said, "the witch's cat is still in the chair! He didn't scratch me - he hid behind the cushion!"
Chinky ran to the chair and lifted up the
cushion - yes, there was the cat! It opened its great blue eyes and looked at Chinky.
The pixie stared hard at it. Then he ran his hands over the cat's sleek back, and shouted in surprise.
"Come here, children, and feel! This isn't a proper witch's cat! Can you feel these bumps on its back?"
Sure enough, Peter and Mollie could quite well feel two little bumps there.
"This cat was a fairy once," said Chinky, in excitement. "You can always tell by feeling along the back. If there are two bumps there, you know that that was where the wings of the fairy grew, once upon a time. I say! I wonder who this fairy was!"
"Can't we change the cat back into its right shape?" asked Peter, in great excitement.
"I'll try!" said clever Chinky. He drew a chalk circle on the floor, and then put a chalk square outside that. He stood between the circle and the square, and put the cat in the middle. Then he told the children to pour water on the cat whilst he recited some magic words.
Both children poured water on the silent eat, zchilst Chinky chanted a string of strange zrords.
Peter got a jug of water, and Mollie got a vase. Both children poured water on the silent cat, whilst Chinky chanted a string of strange words.
And then a most peculiar thing happened! The cat grew larger - and larger. The bumps on its back broke out into a pair of bright blue wings. The cat stood upright on its hind legs - and suddenly the whole of the black fur peeled away and fell off - and inside was the most beautiful fairy that the children had ever imagined!
He had the brightest blue eyes, and shining golden hair, and he smiled in delight at Chinky.
"Thank you!" he said. "I am Prince Merry, brother to the Princess Sylfai. The witch caught me and changed me into a cat at the same time as she caught my lovely sister. She sold her to the Green Enchanter, and she is still a prisoner."
"Oh, your highness!" cried Chinky, bowing low before the beautiful prince. "It is such an honour to have returned you to your right shape. What a good thing Mollie flew to the witch's house!"
"It certainly was!" said Prince Merry. "I suddenly saw she had a wishing-chair out in the wood, though, of course, the witch didn't know that! I was determined to come with her in the magic chair - but I only just managed it! It is the first time I have had a chance to escape from the witch!"