“This is buried treasure all right!”
Billy Blunt was red with excitement.
Milly-Molly-Mandy wanted to jump and shout, but she was too busy.
The lid was awfully heavy. They tried to lever it up, but they couldn’t.
“You’ll have to tell your father and mother, won’t you?” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, at last.
Billy Blunt dropped the spade and dashed indoors. And presently Mr Blunt came out, in his apron, and walked over to their hole.
He took one look.
“That?” he said. “Whatever will you be up to next? That’s only the cover of the drain!” When he could stop laughing he added, “Just as well you unearthed it, though – there might have been trouble if the authorities knew it had got covered over. Don’t know how it happened.”
“But look, Dad. I found this –” Billy Blunt showed his piece of money. “We thought there might be some more. It’s quite ancient, isn’t it? The blacksmith said Georgian.”
Mr Blunt scraped with his pocket knife a moment. Then he fished a few coins from his trousers’ pocket, picked out a penny and handed it over with the other. “There’s your same Georgian coin,” he chuckled, “King George V – only a bit cleaner. Yours looks as if it’s been on the bonfire!”
Well! It was all very disappointing. But anyhow, those two pennies bought two fine peppermint humbugs from Miss Muggins’s shop. And, sucking away together, Billy Blunt and Milly-Molly-Mandy both agreed it had really been quite fun while it lasted.
But they hoped the excavators up on Hooker’s Hill were having better luck!
14
Milly-Molly-Mandy Has an Adventure
Once upon a time, one Saturday afternoon, Milly-Molly-Mandy had quite an adventure.
There was a special children’s film showing at the cinema in the next village, and Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan were going to it, by bus, quite by themselves!
“Keep together, and don’t talk to strangers,” said Mother, giving Milly-Molly-Mandy the money for the cinema and for the bus, there and back.
“But supposing strangers speak to us?” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.
“Always answer politely,” said Mother, “but no more than that.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy set off from the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, down the road with the hedges each side to the Moggs’s cottage where little-friend-Susan was waiting for her. And they walked on together to the crossroads, feeling very important, to catch the bus.
There was plenty of time, but they thought they had better run the last part of the way, to be on the safe side. But nobody was waiting at the crossroads, so they wondered if they had missed the bus after all.
Then one or two people came up and waited, so it couldn’t have gone. And presently it came in sight.
And just as everybody was getting on who do you suppose came along and got on too? – Why, Billy Blunt!
Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan took their seats and paid their half-fares, and pocketed the change carefully (three pennies for Milly-Molly-Mandy, a threepenny piece for little-friend-Susan). And then they sat looking out of the windows to make sure they didn’t get carried past the cinema.
Billy Blunt had made for a seat right in front, looking as if he were quite used to doing this sort of thing by himself. (But he couldn’t have been, really!) He managed to be first to get off the moment the bus stopped, so they didn’t actually see if he went into the cinema.
Inside, it was so dark you couldn’t recognize anybody. Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan held hands tight, not to lose one another.
It was all very exciting.
And so was the film. They wished it needn’t end. When it was all over it seemed funny to come out into daylight again and find the same ordinary world outside.
They saw Billy Blunt coming away, talking with another boy. So they walked straight to the bus-stop and began waiting. (The bus ran every hour, and if one had just gone they might be a long time getting home.)
Suddenly little-friend-Susan said loudly, “My money!” and began rummaging in her coat-pocket.
Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Why? Where?” and began rummaging in her own. (But her three pennies were safe all right.)
“My threepenny piece!” said little-friend-Susan; “I had it here . . .”
She looked in her right-hand pocket, then in her left, then in her hands. Then Milly-Molly-Mandy looked.
Then they looked on the pavement, and in the gutter.
“You must have dropped it in the cinema, Susan,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “Let’s go back and ask.”
“But I didn’t,” said little-friend-Susan. “I felt it in my pocket as we came out.”
So they looked all along the pavement. But still they couldn’t find it.
“Well, we’ve just got to walk home,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, at last. “You can’t go by yourself. We’ll have to walk together.”
“It’s too far to walk,” said little-friend-Susan, nearly crying.
Just then Billy Blunt came up to join the queue. Milly-Molly-Mandy said to him, “She’s lost her money!”
Billy Blunt didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing.
A gypsy woman standing near with a baby and big basket said, “There now! Lost your money, have you, ducks?”
Milly-Molly-Mandy said again, “We’ve got to walk home.”
Billy Blunt said, “It’s too far.” Then he said, “Here, have mine. I’ll manage.”
But Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan said together, “You can’t walk that far all by yourself!”
The gypsy woman began fumbling under her apron for her purse.
“I may have just a spare copper or two,” she said. “Where does the little lady live? I’ll call on her ma, and she can pay me back some day!”
Milly-Molly-Mandy, remembering what Mother had said, answered politely, “No, thank you very much!” – when at that moment the bus came in sight.
“SHE’S LOST HER MONEY!”
“Here!” said Billy Blunt, holding out his money.
Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan didn’t like to take it. They couldn’t think what to do.
An old truck laden with empty cans and things was coming rattling down the road. It overtook the bus and was just clattering past the bus-stop when Milly-Molly-Mandy suddenly started waving her arms wildly at it.
“Cyril, stop! Cyril!” she shouted.
The truck slowed down, and a tousled head looked back from the driver’s seat.
“It’s Cyril!” Milly-Molly-Mandy told the others, excitedly. “He drives things to the station for Uncle sometimes!” She ran forward. “Oh, Cyril! May I ride home with you?” she asked.
“You may not,” said Cyril. “In that get-up? – I’d have your ma after me. Anyhow, I’m not going by your house today – only to the crossroads.”
Little-friend-Susan pulled at Milly-Molly-Mandy’s sleeve.
“But, Milly-Molly-Mandy! You know we’ve got to keep together!”
The bus was drawing up. People were beginning to get on.
Billy Blunt asked Cyril quickly, “Can you take me?”
“If you want,” said Cyril. “But hop on quick.”
The bus was tooting for him to get out of the way.
Billy Blunt pushed his money at little-friend-Susan, saying, “Go on – hurry!” Then he clambered into the truck beside Cyril, helped by Cyril’s very grubby hand, and off they went rattling down the road.
“Now then, you two!” the bus-driver called out of his small side-window, “are you coming with us or aren’t you? We haven’t got all day, you know.”
And Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan (full of smiles) rushed to scramble on to the bus. And off they went, after the truck, down the road, and along the winding leafy lanes.
Billy Blunt was waiting at the crossroads to see them arrive. He looked quite pleased with himself! (He had an oily smear down one leg, and his han
ds were black.)
“I got here quicker than you did,” was all he said, when they thanked him.
And – do you know! – that threepenny piece of little-friend-Susan’s was found, after all!
It had worked through a small hole in her coat-pocket down into the lining. And she was able to work it out again and pay Billy Blunt back the next day.
15
Milly-Molly-Mandy on Bank Holiday
Once upon a time, one fine day, Milly-Molly-Mandy couldn’t think what to do with herself.
It felt as if something specially nice should be done, as it was a Bank Holiday. But Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty all said they were busy, and everywhere would be so crowded today, and they preferred to stay at home.
“Why not go and play with little-friend-Susan?” said Mother, getting out jam-pots ready for jam-making.
“Get yourself some sweets, if the shop’s open,” said Father, feeling in his trousers’ pocket.
So Milly-Molly-Mandy called to Toby the dog and wandered down the road with the hedges each side, to the Moggs’s cottage.
Little-friend-Susan was outside, minding her baby sister.
They both had clean frocks and their hats on.
“Hullo, Milly-Molly-Mandy!” said little-friend-Susan. “It’s Bank Holiday today. Father’s going to take us all out on the red bus. I wish you were coming too!”
So did Milly-Molly-Mandy. But as she wasn’t she called to Toby the dog and wandered on down to the village.
Miss Muggins’s shop had its blind half-down over the toys and sweets in the window. But Milly-Molly-Mandy tried the handle, just in case, and Miss Muggins’s Jilly peeped through the collarettes and gloves hanging across the glass of the door.
When she saw who was there Miss Muggins’s Jilly stooped and said through the letter-box slit:
“We aren’t open today, Milly-Molly-Mandy. It’s Bank Holiday. My aunty’s taking me to my granny’s, by the red bus.”
(Toby the dog was so surprised at a voice coming from the letter-box that he barked and barked!)
But next moment the door was unlocked, and Miss Muggins’s Jilly (in her best white hat) stepped outside, followed by Miss Muggins herself (in her best black).
As she locked the door behind her and put the key in her bag Miss Muggins said:
“Good morning, Milly-Molly-Mandy. Now we mustn’t delay, or we shall miss the bus.”
And Milly-Molly-Mandy, holding Toby the dog, watched them go hurrying down to the crossroads, where several people were standing waiting.
The red bus arrived just as Mr Moggs, carrying the baby, and Mrs Moggs, with little-friend-Susan, came running and waving by the short-cut across the fields, only just in time. Everybody scrambled aboard; the bus gave a “ping!” and off they all went, away into the distance.
And you wouldn’t believe how empty the village felt!
There was only Mr Smale the grocer (in his shirtsleeves) reading a newspaper at his doorway, and Milly-Molly-Mandy standing with Toby the dog, wondering what to do next.
“HULLO!” HE SAID, GRINNING
There didn’t seem to be anything.
Then, round the corner by the forge, who should come along but Billy Blunt, carrying an old rusty tea-tray under his arm!
“Hullo!” he said, grinning.
“Hullo!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, rather dolefully. “It’s Bank Holiday today.”
“I know,” said Billy Blunt. “And I mean to have one. You can come along if you want.”
“Where to?” asked Milly-Molly-Mandy. “What are you going to do? What’s that thing?”
“It’s a tea-tray,” said Billy Blunt. “I found it on Mr Rudge’s junk-heap. I shall put it back when I’ve done. Come on if you’re coming.”
So, feeling very curious, Milly-Molly-Mandy and Toby the dog followed him.
They walked to the crossroads, then up the steep hilly road beyond. Presently they climbed a low fence and through a lot of brambles and things, till they came out on a high meadow looking down on the village.
“Here’s the place.” said Billy Blunt.
And he solemnly placed his tray on the ground and sat on it. And with a few shoves and pushes he went sliding down over the grass, faster and faster down the bank, leaving Milly-Molly-Mandy and Toby the dog shouting and barking behind him, till at last he came to a stop by the hedge at the bottom of the meadow.
“How’s that?” he said triumphantly, as he climbed panting back to the top again, dragging the tray. “Want a go? You have to mind out for the nettles by the hedge . . .”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy sat on the tray, and Billy Blunt gave her a good shove. And off she went down the bank, with the wind in her hair and Toby the dog racing alongside, till she spilled over in the long grass just short of the nettles.
Then Billy Blunt took several more turns till he was quite out of breath, and Milly-Molly-Mandy had another go.
They only stopped at last because it began to feel like dinner-time. They were very hungry and very warm (and rather grubby too!).
“Well!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, as they started homeward, “this is a proper Bank Holiday, isn’t it?”
“Well,” said Billy Blunt, “I think Bank Holidays are meant so that people in banks can stop counting up their money. It’s not this sort of bank really, you know.”
“This is the sort of Bank Holiday I like best, anyhow,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.
16
Milly-Molly-Mandy Does an Errand
Once upon a time Milly-Molly-Mandy went on an errand to the village. (It was only to get a tin of cocoa which Mother had forgotten to order.)
When she came to the grocer’s shop Mr Smale the grocer was outside his door, opening up a box of kippers. (Kippers do smell rather kippery, so Milly-Molly-Mandy guessed Mr Smale preferred to keep them outside – where people passing could see them too: he didn’t often sell kippers.)
While Milly-Molly-Mandy waited till he had done, someone came out of the baker’s shop next door, carrying a heavy shopping-basket and an umbrella, as well as a loaf of bread.
It was one of the Miss Thumbles, who lived in a cottage by the duck-pond. There were two Miss Thumbles, sisters, both so alike that the only way Milly-Molly-Mandy could tell them apart was that one always seemed to wear a hat, even to go in the garden. That was Miss Thumble. The other one, of course, was the Other Miss Thumble.
But today, being rather cold and windy, this Miss Thumble wore a warm woolly scarf tied over her grey hair. So Milly-Molly-Mandy really couldn’t be sure whether she were Miss Thumble or the Other Miss Thumble.
Seeing the newly opened box of kippers, Miss Thumble (or perhaps it was the Other Miss Thumble) stopped and said:
“Dear me! I should like a couple of those – my sister does enjoy a nice grilled kipper for her tea! But how I’m going to manage to carry everything . . .”
Mr Smale quickly clapped two flat glistening brown kippers together and went into the shop to wrap them up. So Milly-Molly-Mandy said:
“Shall I carry your bread for you?”
And she took it, while Miss Thumble thankfully put her basket down on the step to find her purse, and went inside to pay.
As Milly-Molly-Mandy waited there, with the loaf of bread and the basket, who should look over the Blunts’s garden gate opposite but Billy Blunt! He came out and strolled across the road, hands in pockets.
“Hullo! That’s not your basket,” said Billy Blunt.
“No,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “It’s Miss Thumble’s. I’m helping to carry her things.”
“You can’t carry that,” said Billy Blunt.
“Yes, I can,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “Some of it.”
“It’s too heavy,” said Billy Blunt.
Milly-Molly-Mandy rather hoped he was going to offer to help too. But he only turned and went back in at the garden gate, just as Miss Thumble came out of the shop.
She thanked Milly-Molly-Mandy for keeping an
eye on her basket, and tried to find room in it for the parcel of kippers. But one thing and another kept falling out – potatoes and cheese and a big round cabbage – rolling about on the pavement.
Milly-Molly-Mandy picked them up, very nearly dropping the loaf at the same time.
“Here, give ’em here,” said Billy Blunt.
He had come out again, pulling his little old box-on-wheels with him.
Putting the heavy basket into it, with all the odd potatoes and kippers and things, he set off hauling it along the road, past the forge and round by the duck-pond, Milly-Molly-Mandy following hugging the loaf, and Miss Thumble stumping after them looking as pleased as anything!
By the little cottages they stopped, and Miss Thumble rattled the letter-box of one. And presently the door opened; and there was the other Miss Thumble, wearing felt slippers and a hat. (So Milly-Molly-Mandy knew she must be Miss Thumble, and the first one was the Other Miss Thumble.)
They all helped to pile the things on to the kitchen table, and both the Miss Thumbles were very grateful at having so much kind help.
“I know my sister finds the shopping very heavy at times,” said Miss Thumble.
“But I don’t usually have quite so much to carry all at once!” said the Other Miss Thumble.
She opened one of the packages for her sister to offer the visitors each a biscuit before they left. And though Billy Blunt wasn’t too keen on oatmeal biscuits he took one and said thank-you nicely, and so did Milly-Molly-Mandy. (She liked all kinds of biscuits – but some more than others, of course!)
They walked, munching together, back with the empty cart as far as the Blunts’s gate.
SAT DOWN TO ENJOY THEIR KIPPERS
Billy Blunt said, “We’d better see if they’d like us to carry their shopping for them other times.”
“Yes, let’s!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “They haven’t anyone to run errands for them.”
More Milly-Molly-Mandy Page 8