Blinky Bill
Page 21
Just when the fun was at its height — for Mrs Wombat had suddenly swayed backward, and finding no branch to support her, had nearly fallen head over heels out of the tree, had it not been for Mr Wallaby grabbing her around the leg and saving her from certain death — Mrs Grunty and her son Snubby came padding through the bush. Mrs Grunty had a scowl on her face. She was clearly annoyed. Hurrying along to the foot of the tree, she demanded in a loud voice to know the reason of such “goings on” in the bush. Splodge hurried out of his office.
“Anything I can do for you, Mrs Grunty?” he politely asked.
“These larrikins — all this noise and cackle — what’s the meaning of it?” Mrs Grunty asked, spluttering with indignation.
“That’s our guest house,” Splodge explained pointing to the multitude up in the tree.
“I wish I had a chopper — I’d give them all a bump if I had,” Mrs Grunty snarled.
“How about going up and having some dinner?” Splodge said soothingly. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“Me-go-up-there!” Mrs Grunty gasped. “Take my Snubby up there where that bold cub of a Blinky is. Shame on you all,” she shouted.
“Go up and have some dinner,” Splodge repeated. “We’re all going to have a hop in the moonlight afterwards.”
“Oh — oh! How scandalous!” Mrs Grunty could hardly speak with horror.
“You’ll have the time of your life,” Splodge said, laughing at the top of his voice, and gradually edging Mrs Grunty and Snubby over towards the basket, without her noticing what was happening.
Still arguing loudly and protesting strongly about everything, Splodge managed to get her right up to the edge of the basket, then without a beg pardon or gentle argument he gave her and Snubby a quick push and head over heels the pair of them lay flat in the basket.
“A-hoy!” Splodge yelled, as he rushed out with the rope. Up shot the basket, yells and screams coming from its occupants, while those in the tree all leaned out to see what the noise was about.
“She’s stuck!” Blinky called at the top of his voice, and stuck she was.
In mid-air the basket was rocking violently, while Mrs Grunty walloped about inside, only making the basket swing more dangerously, as she clawed at one side and then the other.
“Sit down!” Blinky shouted, amid cheers and yells from the onlookers. One kookaburra had the impudence to fly down and perch on the handle of the basket, laughing loudly as it almost tumbled upside down. Mrs Grunty made a wild lunge at the bird and out she fell — but not altogether; her wild grabbing at the side of the basket saved her from the final plunge to earth.
“Oh — how dreadful. How ghastly!” she moaned as she flopped back into safety, and then to everyone’s surprise fainted on top of Snubby.
Splodge in the meantime worked terrifically with the rope. In his lightning-like rush he had tangled the rope round a short tree and there it stuck, refusing to move until he backed and whipped it loose. That was the sign for further excitement, for, as the rope freed itself, the basket came with a rush down to earth again. “Bump!” it landed. Snubby gave a little squeal and popped his head over the side, while Mrs Grunty gave a deep sigh and opened her eyes. The bump had bumped her back into consciousness.
Splodge rushed over to the basket and fanned Mrs Grunty with a bunch of leaves, bringing the colour back to her face.
“You scoundrel!” she snarled. “Help me out of this trap at once.”
Every animal that could climb down the tree came with amazing speed, and all rushed over to Mrs Grunty.
Willing paws helped her to her feet, while Mrs Koala waved a few of her very best gum-tips under her friend’s nose.
It had the desired effect. Mrs Grunty grabbed the leaves and ate them immediately.
“Poor soul!” Mrs Koala said sympathetically.
“Don’t speak! Please don’t address me,” Mrs Grunty replied weakly.
“I’ll take her home,” Splodge said to Mrs Koala; but Mrs Grunty overheard him.
“You’ll do no such thing,” she snapped. “You’re the cause of it all. And where’s my Snubby?” She suddenly remembered her son.
Snubby was enjoying himself at the moment, being made a great fuss of by Nutsy, who offered him as many leaves as he could swallow.
“Let him stay for the hop,” Nutsy pleaded, as Mrs Grunty ordered him home.
“Yes — do!” everyone begged.
“It’ll be the end of him,” Mrs Grunty sighed. “The end of my discipline — the end of his childhood.”
“Nonsense,” Mrs Koala said softly. “Let him play with Nutsy, she’s the sweetest little bear.”
“Oh, very well, very well,” Mrs Grunty sighed. “I wish I’d brought my knitting. It’s a waste of time sitting around and doing nothing.”
“But you’re going to dance,” Mrs Koala replied with a cheerful smile.
“Nonsense!” Mrs Grunty remarked shortly. “The very idea —”
Already the frog quartette were tuning up their drums and croakers, while Walter Wombat, who was generally considered the finest band conductor in the bush, was sitting in a corner all by himself, working up his deep gump, gump, gumps. Piping crickets sounded their notes, and then, without further notice, a butcher bird started to carol. That was the signal for all to commence. Walter Wombat sprang to his feet. “Gump — gump — gump,” he grunted waving a stick in his front paws. Down it came with a crash on a rock, splitting it to smithereens.
“Pests and bothers!” he exclaimed, hastily grabbing another stick that lay at his feet.
“Whacko! Let her rip!” he shouted and once more raised his baton above his head.
“Look out for the splinters!” Blinky shouted; but Mr Walter Wombat was too much of a gentleman to even pretend he heard this rude remark. The band started. Everyone jumped to his feet, grabbing the partner who happened to be nearest. Then as the music suddenly changed into “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic”, laughs and shouts started the greatest and happiest dance ever seen in the bush. Round and round the foot of the old gum-tree the animals danced, hopped and flew. Old Mr Wombat grabbed Mrs Grunty before she had time to protest, and Splodge rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly when he spied these two fox-trotting, if you please. Mrs Koala waltzed with Mr Kangaroo, or tried to. His big feet would get in the way until he ended up by seizing her around the waist and whirling around with her in mid-air. Splodge danced with Mrs Wallaby and caused quite a sensation when both of them exhibited new steps to the audience. Splodge explained that the new dance was called “The Zoo Rush”.
Nutsy danced with Snubby, until Blinky butted in and then all three decided to have a dance on their own. On the outskirts of the other dancers, these three little bears tumbled and hopped, laughed and pranced, until Mrs Koala and Mrs Grunty joined in. Alone the little bears danced, and if ever you’ve tried to imagine a teddy bears’ picnic, just close your eyes for a moment at present, turn on the music of that famous melody and you just can’t help seeing them as plain as daylight. The dear little cuddly bears.
This happy dance was the means of many bush friendships being made, and more important still it was the cause of Mrs Grunty becoming quite gay and hospitable. Ever after, she and Snubby paid regular visits to Mrs Koala, while Blinky and Nutsy were overjoyed to have another playmate. The last peep I had of Blinky before I left the bush, was to see him instructing Snubby how to use a catapult, and Nutsy how to make frogs hop when they didn’t want to.
The End
Copyright
Angus&Robertson
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia
First published in Australia by Angus & Robertson Publishers in 1939
This edition published in 2010
by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited
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Copyright © HarperCollinsPublishers 1939
The right of Dorothy Wall to be identified as
the author of this work has been asserted under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Wall, Dorothy, 1894–1942
The complete adventures of Blinky Bill / Dorothy Wall.
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Koala—Juvenile fiction.
A823.2
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