Alice and Alfie and the magic windmill

by Lloyd Jennings

  Alice asked the cats, “Do you know what a kite is?” The cats answered, “Yes, it is a piece of cloth with a string on it. It has a handle and it flies in the sky.”

  Alfie said, “We have never seen them in the sky before. Are they magic?”

  The cats replied, “No, the children in the park play with them.”

  “Then that is where we will go.” said Alice.

  The cats asked, “Can we come too?” And so off they went to the park and with a squeak, squeak, squeak the mice went too.

  The rag dolls and their friends followed the pathway through the woods to the park. They heard children playing on the slide and the swings and the seesaw. Up on the hill there were other children and they were playing with their kites. They all sat down on the bench watching the kites fly. Alice said, “They are so magic, you know. Look at the way they go up and down and from side to side.”

  The cats answered, “Talking about side to side, shall we go on the seesaw now the children have gone?”

  Alfie said, “Yes let’s.” But the sign on the gate said ‘NO PETS!’

  Within a moment the cats jumped on the seesaw and up and down they went. Alice jumped onto the swing and Alfie ran up the steps to the slide and when he got to the top, he shouted, “Here I go, where I stop, I do not know.” He slid down the slide and ended up on his bottom. After a while Alice said, “Where are the mice?” The cats looked around but said they could not see them. Alfie was worried and cried, “I can’t hear them squeaking.” So the cats set off to find them.

  Some children were playing with their kites and then later their mummies and daddies came to take them home. Alice said, “Let’s go up on the hill when they have gone.” Alfie followed Alice. The wind was blowing very hard. By the time they got to the top of the hill they could hardly stand up.

  Over in the woods they could hear a little girl crying, so they went over to see what the matter was. The rag dolls hid behind a tree, her kite had blown away and landed in a tree. Her daddy told her that he would buy her a new one as it was too far up the tree for him to reach.

  After the little girl and her daddy had gone Alfie said to Alice, “I wish we could get the kite down.”

  Alice said, “I cannot reach it. The kite is too far up.” Suddenly out of the bushes ran the mice followed by the cats. Alice said, “Stop, stop! Look, there is a kite up in the tree. Please get it down for me?” The cats ran up the tree and in no time the kite was floating down to the ground.

  Alice and Alfie walked with the animals up to the top of the hill. They laid the kite out on the grass and Alfie ran with it. It went up, up and away. The cats said,” Fly, fly, fly like a butterfly.” All of a sudden the wind dropped and the kite fell to the ground and Alice started to cry. The moon was high above and saw what happened. He shouted to the wind, “Alice and Alfie’s kite is no longer in flight, so blow and blow with all your might.”

  The wind blew and blew but Alfie was not watching the kite and it started to move. Alice shouted, “Quick, catch the kite,” but the cats missed it. Alfie jumped but also missed it and as it passed him by, the mice jumped on the handle and it went up high. The mice were flying in the sky. It was so funny!

  Alice and Alfie and the two cats stood and scratched their heads. Alice said, “How are we going to get them down?”

  “It looks like they will have to stay up there all night,” replied the cats.

  The mice were squeaking and squeaking. Alice shouted up to the moon, “Please help us. The mice are on the kite and they could be up there all night.” The moon shouted to the wind, “Will you stop blowing, please?”

  The wind shouted back “Make your mind up. Do you want them to go up or down?”

  “Let them down” the moon replied. The wind began to drop and the kite started to fall and with a big bang they came down to the ground.

  The mice thanked the wind and they packed the kite up and Alice said, “We can come another day.”

  They all walked back to the magical windmill and they were all so tired they fell straight to sleep. Later that night the moon tapped on the window and said to

  Alice and Alfie, “Kites are nice, but not for mice. Nichole sends her love from her shining star above.”

  “Alice, I can’t wait for another windy day.”

  It was a lovely sunny morning and the birds were singing and for once the dreaded cock bird had gone away, so the alarm clock didn’t go off. The windmill sails began to move. Alice said to Alfie, “Look, the windmill has started to work.” and the wind blew and blew.

  Jacques was in the mill making some flour. He had a friend with him called Kimmy, the lady from down the road. She was going to be making cakes all day. Alice heard her say to Jacques that there was a cake competition tomorrow on the village green and the winner would receive a big silver cup and some chocolates.

  Alice and Alfie lay at the top of the stairs listening to them. Jacques said he was not going to bake but he would go and help her at her cottage. Off they went, flour bags and all.

  Alice and Alfie crept downstairs and there in the corner were the mice eating cheese. Alice said, “You have both got dirty knees, so go and wash them please.”

  Alfie cried, “Shall we try to bake a cake to take to the village green?”

  Alice replied, “Yes, yes please but how do we make a cake, Alfie?” The cats came running in and said it is as easy as one, two, three. Alice asked the cats to show her how it was done. They looked in the cupboards for the ingredients and everything was there apart from the flour. They went into the mill but there was none there.

  Alfie said, “I have watched Jacques grind the flour. Let us do it.”

  Alfie started the wheels and Alice went outside and asked the wind to blow, blow, blow, and he did. They put the grain onto the big stones and it started to grind and grind until they had the flour. Alice ran back outside and told the wind to stop blowing, he said, “Thank goodness for that, I was out of breath.”

  Alice went back into the kitchen and the cats were playing on the magic carpet. They were rolling over and over and playing with the mice. That was so nice.

  Alice put the flour in a big bowl when the door opened and in walked Mr. Mole. He had heard they were making cakes and decided to help. He had also brought along a very good mate, Mr. Snake.

  The water went into the bowl, the butter too, and then the currents and cream and they mixed and mixed and mixed. All of a sudden Mr. Mole fell into the bowl and the flour went up into the air and covered the mice and the cats too. They all ran round the kitchen singing, “We’re making cakes, so please let’s be mates and clean the plates.”

  The cakes went in the oven till they were done and out they came one by one. They looked so good the cats said, “I think we should”

  Alice shouted, “No, no, no we’re taking them to the show, to win the cup and the chocolates too.” Alfie took the cakes upstairs to the bedroom and hid them in the cupboard. The kitchen looked a mess.

  Alice and Alfie asked the cats to leave, but the mice stayed and helped clean up and with a squeak, squeak, and they soon had the place looking like home, but before they could dry up the pots and pans and wash their feet and hands the door opened and there was Jacques.

  The rag dolls fell to the floor fast asleep. Jacques called out, “What has been going on? Pots and pans and dirty hands, I can’t remember making this mess. It must be the windmill’s magic.”

  “Never mind, I am going to bed. I have worked hard today making bread and cakes with Kimmy and friends.”

  Alice and Alfie were left on the floor but after Jacques had gone they jumped up and went to bed.

  The next morning they put their cakes into a bag and climbed down the ladder at the side of the window. They ran across to the barn and put the cakes in the bucket in the back of Jacques’ van. Jacques came out and started the van. He was whistling and singing, “Kimmy’s going to win the cup and the chocolates too.”

  Alice whispered to Alfie, “Oh
no she’s not.”

  Jacques drove to the village green and there was a big white tent with a sign saying CAKE COMPETITION.

  Alice and Alfie ran round to the back of the tent. They lifted up the side sheet and went inside. There were so many tables. There were tables with bread, cakes, jams and pickles and there in the corner they saw Kimmy putting her cakes on a table. She had written a little note. It said, “Kimmy’s jam tarts with fresh cream.”

  Alice said to Alfie, “Quick, go and get a pen over there on that table,” and Alice wrote:

  Magic windmill delights

  made by Alice, Alfie and friends

  The people at the competition spent all morning looking at the cakes and pies and were amazed by the windmill delights. The afternoon arrived and the whole village was there, mice and all. Mr. Owl and Mr. Mole had dug a hole. They sat under the table with all the other animals.

  The place was packed and later the prizes were being presented. The third prize went to Mr. Baker and his mince pies. He was lucky to get a prize because the blackbirds had eaten all his steak pies, leaving just one mince pie. Second prize went to Jacques’ friend Kimmy for her lovely jam tarts with fresh cream.

  The crowd went quiet and then someone called out “Who is the winner?” The judge said the first prize goes to the village windmill. Jacques came first for his fruit cakes. He stood and rolled his eyes, thinking I never made those fruit cakes. However he still went up to collect his prize, one lovely silver cup and a large box of chocolates. He said, “Thank you so much, I don’t know what to say, I must have dreamt I made them the other day.”

  Jacques drove home and sat in front of the roaring log fire and he said, “Thank you magic windmill for letting me win the cake competition on the village green.”

  Alice and Alfie thought it was great to see the silver cup above the fireplace and Alfie said, “I would love to make a mess in the kitchen another day.”

  “Another day maybe,” replied Alice, “but now it is time for bed.”

  As they went off to sleep, the stars were shining bright and the moon whispered, “Nichole said sleep tight and let tomorrow be just as bright.”

  Alice woke Alfie and said, “Quick, quick, Jacques is going to the village to deliver some flour to the baker.”

  Alfie replied, “Let’s go with him and spend some time in the village.”

  They climbed down the ladder, ran to the barn, leapt into the back of Jacques’ van and then jumped into the bucket they always sat in.

  Jacques backed the van up to the mill and started loading the flour bags. The wind was blowing and the sails of the windmill were going round and round. He got into the van and off they went. As Jacques drove down the road and through the woods, Mr. Owl flew past crying “to-wit-ta-woo,”

  Alice called back, “Twit to you too!”

  They reached the village bakery and Jacques got out of the van and went to have some breakfast at a café.

  Alice and Alfie jumped out of the back of his van and sat at the bus stop watching as the village came alive.

  The rag dolls watched the postmaster at the post office and the village policeman, who was saying hello to everybody. Alice turned to Alfie and said, “Look across the road. There is a library. They ran up to the window and could see it was full of books. The rag dolls crept inside and started looking at all the lovely books. Alice kept talking to Alfie and the librarian kept telling them to sssh and be quiet. Alfie said, “That man is very rude. I think we should leave.” and with that they went back across the road to the bus stop.

  As they sat at the bus stop they heard children’s voices coming from around the corner. As the children came into sight, the rag dolls fell to the floor. A little girl whose name was Michelle saw them and picked them both up and cried, “Wow! They’re mine.” All her friends hurried to her and said they liked her two new friends and so she put them into her school bag and waited for the bus to arrive.

  So Alice and Alfie were off to school. They peeked out of the top of the bag and as the bus came to a halt, they saw the school. The children got off the bus and went to their classrooms. The little girl took the rag dolls to her first lesson which was English. Alice listened to the teacher but Alfie was fast asleep in the warm bag. Later they were taken to the next lesson which was maths. The little girl kept telling the rag dolls that when she got home she was going to show them to all her friends. Alice just looked at Alfie and winked. Sometime later the bell rang and all the children went outside for their playtime. The little girl popped her bag into her desk. It was very dark in there and Alice was frightened.

  Alfie very slowly pushed open the desk lid. They both looked around and seeing nobody was there they jumped out. In front of them there was a big blackboard with white sticks of chalk lying on a ledge. The two rag dolls began drawing on the board. Alfie drew the windmill and the ducks on the river whilst

  Alice wrote a message to all the children in the school. ‘Have a good day and be very cool because learning is the only rule.’

  Just as they had finished the school bell went ‘rrrrinngggg! so they jumped back into the desk before the girls and boys returned moments later. The children came running back into the classroom. They were making so much noise but had to calm down when their teacher came in. The young man stared at the blackboard and said, “Who did all this drawing and writing?” The children all sat there looking at the blackboard and nobody answered him. The teacher told them that he would award a gold star to the child who had done this work as it was very good. The whole class shouted together, “It was me! It was me!” The teacher knew it wasn’t all of them, so he said to them I want you all to draw me a windmill and write me a story and the best one will get the gold star.

  Inside the desk Alice and Alfie laughed and laughed, because they could hear what was happening. The little girl was finding it difficult to draw a windmill, let alone write a story. She was so upset she asked the teacher if she could go to the toilet. Alice quickly drew the windmill again and Alfie made up a short story and slipped it onto the desk. When the little girl came back, there on her desk was the windmill drawing and the story too.

  At that moment the teacher walked around the classroom and collected all the drawings and stories. He sat at his desk and looked at them all and it was

  Alice and Alfie’s drawing and story that won the gold star. The little girl could not believe it but she didn’t say anything. Then the bell rang for dinner break.

  The classroom was empty again and Alice and Alfie climbed out of the desk.

  The rag dolls sat at the window and watched the children playing in the school playground. The girls were playing hopscotch, jumping and singing and the boys were playing football. Some other boys and girls were playing tag, where they had to run away from each other and then one child had to run and catch them.

  The games were fun but not for Alice and Alfie; they could only watch.

  The bell rang again and all the children ran back to their classrooms. Alice and Alfie didn’t have time to go back to Michelle’s desk, so they jumped into the nearest one. When Michelle returned and found that the rag dolls had gone she cried and cried. The teacher told her that she should not have bought the rag dolls into the classroom, so it was her own fault for losing them.

  The bell rang for the end of the day. All the children took their school bags out of their desks and all went to catch the school bus, except for one little girl whose name was Danielle; her bag was the one Alice and Alfie had jumped into.

  The little girl stood outside the school gate and Alfie whispered to Alice, “I don’t know where we are going to end up.” Then along came an old van and driving it was Jacques’ friend the baker. He said to Danielle, “Have you had a good day?”

  Danielle replied, “Yes, daddy.”

  He said, “We have got to go a different way home tonight and call into the windmill because I need some more flour to make some more bread.” So off they went.

  The baker and h
is daughter drove back to the windmill and went inside to see Jacques. Alice and Alfie quickly jumped out of the van and ran round to the back of the windmill, up the ladder and into their bedroom. They sat on the windowsill and Alfie said, “What luck! That little girl was the baker’s daughter,”

  Alice replied, “Lucky, lucky, lucky.”

  The rag dolls went off to sleep and that night the moon shone down on the windmill. He tapped on the window, “How was school today? I saw you having fun and next time I would like to come.” he said. “Nichole’s star is shining bright, so you both have sweet dreams tonight.”

  Jacques was downstairs having his breakfast when there was a knock at the door. He opened the door and to his surprise it was his sister, Chantal. She said, “It’s that time of year again, Jacques, I have come to do the spring clean.”

  Jacques answered, “Yes, it does need doing.”

  Chantal sat in the kitchen and Jacques made her a cup of coffee. She told him, “I have come to stay for a couple of days, if that is O.K.” Jacques replied, “Of course you can stay. I will be out of your way as I am going to be busy in the mill today. The bakery has put in an extra order for flour. They are making hot cross buns for Easter and extra bread for the village market.”