The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook

by Joyce Lankester Brisley

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy had done yet another of the nice things and spent her penny, but still she had her penny.

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy took her penny down to the little village shop and bought some sweets, lovely big aniseed balls, that changed colour as you sucked them.

  She would not eat one until she got home, and then gave one to Grandpa and one to Grandma and one to Father and one to Mother and one to Uncle and one to Aunty. And then she found there were six for herself, so she ate them, and they were very nice.

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy had done another of the nice things and spent her penny. But she still had one penny from the mustard-and-cress.

  Then she went to Grandpa, and asked him please to put it in the bank for her.

  And then she went to Uncle.

  “Uncle,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “I’ve done everything with my penny that everybody said, but you. And though I can’t buy a little baby duckling yet, I’ve got a penny saved towards it, in the bank.”

  And it was not very long before Milly-Molly-Mandy had saved up to three pence; and then Uncle let her have a little yellow baby duckling all for her own.

  3

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Meets her Great-Aunt

  Once upon a time, one fine evening, Milly-Molly-Mandy and her Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty were all sitting at supper (there was bread-and-butter and cheese for the grown-ups, and bread-and-milk for Milly-Molly-Mandy, and baked apples and cocoa for them all), when suddenly there came a loud bang-bang! on the knocker.

  “Run, Milly-Molly-Mandy,” said Mother. “That sounds like the postman!”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy jumped down from her chair in a great hurry and fetched the letter, which was for Mother. Then she climbed on her chair again, and everyone looked interested while Mother opened it.

  It was from someone who called Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Mother “Dear Polly,” and was to ask if that someone might spend a few days with them, and it finished up, “Your affectionate Aunt Margaret.”

  Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty were quite pleased, and Milly-Molly-Mandy was pleased too, although she did not know who it was until Grandma said to her, “It is my sister Margaret, your great-aunty, who is coming.” Then Milly-Molly-Mandy was very interested indeed.

  “Is she my great-aunty and your sister too?” she asked Grandma.

  “Yes, and she’s my sister-in-law,” said Grandpa.

  “And my aunty,” said Mother.

  “And my aunty-in-law,” said Father.

  “And my aunty-in-law too,” said Aunty.

  “And my aunty,” said Uncle.

  “Fancy!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “She’s all that, and she’s a great-aunty too! I would like to see her!”

  “THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE POSTMAN!”

  The next day Milly-Molly-Mandy helped Mother make up the spare room bed.

  “I could wish the spare room were a little bigger,” said Mother, and Milly-Molly-Mandy looked around gravely, and thought it really was rather small for a great-aunty. But she went and fetched some marigolds from her own little garden, and put them in a vase on the chest of drawers, for she knew there was lots of room for love, even if there was not much for great-aunties.

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy helped Father bring the big armchair out of the best parlour into the room where they always sat. Milly-Molly-Mandy was glad it was such a big chair – it really looked quite large enough even for a great-aunty.

  Then Mother cooked some big fruit cakes and some little seed cakes and some sponge cakes and a whole lot of other things, and Milly-Molly-Mandy (who helped to clean up the cooking bowls and spoons) supposed a great-aunty must take quite a lot of feeding.

  As soon as ever the last bowl was scraped Milly-Molly-Mandy ran down the road to tell little-friend-Susan the news.

  Little-friend-Susan was walking on the wall, but she jumped down as soon as she saw Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “Oh, Susan!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “you know my Aunty?”

  “Yes,” said little-friend-Susan.

  “Well,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “she’s just a usual aunty, but I’ve got a great-aunty coming to stay with us!”

  Little-friend-Susan, being a best friend, was just as interested as Milly-Molly-Mandy, and it was soon settled that next morning she should come and play in Milly-Molly-Mandy’s garden, so that she might see Great-Aunty Margaret for herself.

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy ran back home to dinner.

  After dinner Mother and Grandma and Aunty and Milly-Molly-Mandy hurried through the washing-up, and tidied the cottage, while Father put the pony in the trap. And then they changed their dresses, while Father drove to the station.

  And then Milly-Molly-Mandy, in her clean frock, kept running to the gate to see if the pony-trap were in sight yet.

  And at last it was – and Milly-Molly-Mandy was so excited that she raced into the cottage and jumped up and down, and then she ran out to the gate again, and opened it wide.

  The pony trotted up to the gate and stopped, and Father got down first. And then he took down Great-Aunty Margaret’s great basket. And then he helped down Great-Aunty Margaret her own self!

  And what do you think Great-Aunty Margaret was like?

  She was a little, little, white-haired lady, in a black bonnet and dress spotted with little mauve flowers, and she had a kind little face with pink cheeks.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was so surprised, it was all she could do to mind her manners and not stare.

  Great-Aunty Margaret was soon seated in the great armchair, and instead of filling it, as Milly-Molly-Mandy had expected, why – there was heaps of room for Milly-Molly-Mandy there too! And instead of eating up all the big fruit cakes and the little seed cakes and the sponge cakes and other things, there was lots for everybody in the family, including Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  And as for the spare room being too small, it looked almost big, because Great-Aunty Margaret was such a little lady.

  When Great-Aunty Margaret saw the flowers on her chest of drawers she said gently:

  “Why, Millicent Margaret Amanda, I believe that is your doing! Thank you, my dearie!”

  “Oh, Great-Aunty Margaret!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, reaching to kiss her again. “I do like you! Would you mind if I showed you to Susan this evening, instead of making her wait till tomorrow?”

  4

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Goes Blackberrying

  Once upon a time Milly-Molly-Mandy found some big ripe blackberries on her way home from school. There were six great beauties and one little hard one, so Milly-Molly-Mandy put the little hard one in her mouth and carried the others home on a leaf.

  She gave one to Father, and Father said, “Ah! That makes me think the time for blackberry puddings has come!”

  Then she gave one to Mother, and asked what it made her think of. And Mother said, “A whole row of pots of blackberry jam that I ought to have in my store-cupboard!”

  Then she gave one to Grandpa, and Grandpa said it made him think, “Blackberry tart!”

  And Grandma said, “Blackberry jelly!”

  And Uncle said, “Stewed blackberry-and-apple!”

  And Aunty said, “A plate of blackberries with sugar and cream!”

  “My!” thought Milly-Molly-Mandy, as she threw away the empty leaf, “I must get a big, big basket and go blackberrying the very next Saturday, so that there can be lots of puddings and jam and tarts and jelly and stewed blackberry-and-apple and fresh blackberries, for Farver and Muvver and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty – and me! I’ll ask Susan to come too.”

  So the very next Saturday Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan set out with big baskets (to hold the blackberries) and hooked sticks (to pull the brambles nearer) and stout boots (to keep the prickles off) and old frocks (lest the thorns should catch). And they walked and they walked, till they came to a place where they knew there was always a lot of blackberries – at the proper time of year, of course. />
  But when they came to the place – oh, dear! – they saw a notice-board stuck up just inside a gap in the fence. And the notice-board said, as plain as anything:

  MILLY-MOLLY-MANDY AND LITTLE-FRIEND-SUSAN SET OUT

  TRESPASSERS

  WILL BE

  PROSECUTED

  Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan knew that meant ‘You mustn’t come here, because the owner doesn’t want you and it’s his land.’

  Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan looked at each other very solemnly indeed. Then Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “I don’t s’pose anyone would see if we went in.”

  And little-friend-Susan said, “I don’t s’pose they’d miss any of the blackberries.”

  And Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “But it wouldn’t be right.”

  And little-friend-Susan shook her head very firmly.

  So they took up their baskets and sticks and moved away, trying not to feel hurt about it, although they had come a long way to that place.

  They didn’t know quite what to do with themselves after that, for there seemed to be no blackberries anywhere else, so they amused themselves by walking in a dry ditch close by the fence, shuffling along in the leaves with their stout little boots that were to have kept the prickles off.

  And suddenly – what do you think they saw? A little ball of brown fur, just ahead of them among the grasses in the ditch.

  “Is it a rabbit?” whispered little-friend-Susan. They crept closer.

  “It is a rabbit!” whispered Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “Why doesn’t it run away?” said little-friend-Susan, and she stroked it. The little ball of fur wriggled. Then Milly-Molly-Mandy stroked it, and it wriggled again.

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy exclaimed, “I believe it’s got its head stuck in a hole in the bank!”

  And they looked, and that was just what had happened. Some earth had fallen down as bunny was burrowing, and it couldn’t get its head out again.

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan carefully dug with their fingers, and loosened the earth round about, and as soon as bunny’s head was free he shook his ears and stared at them.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan sat very still, and only smiled and nodded gently to show him he needn’t be afraid, because they loved him.

  And then little bunny turned his head and ran skitter-scutter along the ditch and up the bank, into the wood and was gone.

  “Oh!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “we always wanted a rabbit, and now we’ve got one, Susan!”

  “Only we’d rather ours played in the fields with his brothers and sisters instead of stopping in a poky hutch,” said little-friend-Susan.

  “And if we’d gone trespassing we should never have come here and found him,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “I’d much rather have a little rabbit than a whole lot of blackberries.”

  And when they got back to the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, where Milly-Molly-Mandy lived, Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty all said they would much rather have a little rabbit running about in the woods than all the finest blackberries in the world.

  However, the next Saturday Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan came upon a splendid place for blackberrying, without any notice-board; and Milly-Molly-Mandy gathered such a big basketful that there was enough to make blackberry puddings and jam and tarts and jelly and stewed blackberry-and-apple and fresh blackberries for Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty – and Milly-Molly-Mandy too.

  And all the time a little rabbit skipped about in woods and thought what a lovely world it was. (And that’s a true story!)

  5

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Goes to a Party

  Once upon a time something very nice happened in the village where Milly-Molly-Mandy and her Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty lived. Some ladies clubbed together to give a party to all the children in the village, and of course Milly-Molly-Mandy was invited.

  Little-friend-Susan had an invitation too, and Billy Blunt (whose father kept the corn-shop where Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Uncle got his chicken feed), and Jilly, the little niece of Miss Muggins (who kept the shop where Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Grandma bought her knitting-wool), and lots of others whom Milly-Molly-Mandy knew.

  It was exciting.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy had not been to a real party for a long time, so she was very pleased and interested when Mother said, “Well, Milly-Molly-Mandy, you must have a proper new dress for a party like this. We must think what we can do.”

  So Mother and Grandma and Aunty thought together for a bit, and then Mother went to the big wardrobe and rummaged in her bottom drawer until she found a most beautiful white silk scarf, which she had worn when she was married to Father, and it was just wide enough to be made into a party frock for Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  Then Grandma brought out of her best handkerchief box a most beautiful lace handkerchief, which would just cut into a little collar for the neck of the party frock.

  And Aunty brought out of her small top drawer some most beautiful pink ribbon, all smelling of lavender – just enough to make into a sash for the party frock.

  And then Mother and Aunty set to work to cut and stitch at the party frock, while Milly-Molly-Mandy jumped up and down and handed pins when they were wanted.

  The next day Father came in with a paper parcel for Milly-Molly-Mandy bulging in his coat pocket, and when Milly-Molly-Mandy unwrapped it she found the most beautiful little pair of red shoes inside!

  And then Grandpa came in and held out his closed hand to Milly-Molly-Mandy, and when Milly-Molly-Mandy got his fingers open she found the most beautiful little coral necklace inside!

  And then Uncle came in, and he said to Milly-Molly-Mandy, “What have I done with my handkerchief?” And he felt in all his pockets. “Oh, here it is!” And he pulled out the most beautiful little handkerchief with a pink border, which of course Milly-Molly-Mandy just knew was meant for her, and she wouldn’t let Uncle wipe his nose on it, which he pretended he was going to do!

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was so pleased she hugged everybody in turn – Father, Mother, Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle and Aunty.

  AT LAST THE GREAT DAY ARRIVED

  At last the great day arrived, and little-friend-Susan, in her best spotted dress and silver bangle, called for Milly-Molly-Mandy, and they went together to the Village Institute, where the party was to be.

  There was a lady outside who welcomed them in, and there were more ladies inside who helped them to take their things off. And everywhere looked so pretty, with garlands of coloured paper looped from the ceiling, and everybody in their best clothes.

  Most of the boys and girls were looking at a row of toys on the mantelpiece, and a lady explained that they were all prizes, to be won by the children who got the most marks in the games they were going to have. There was a lovely fairy doll and a big teddy bear and a picture-book and all sorts of things.

  And at the end of the row was a funny little white cotton-wool rabbit with a pointed paper hat on his head. And directly Milly-Molly-Mandy saw him she wanted him dreadfully badly, more than any of the other things.

  Little-friend-Susan wanted the picture-book, and Miss Muggins’ niece, Jilly, wanted the fairy doll. But the black, beady eyes of the little cotton-wool rabbit gazed so wistfully at Milly-Molly-Mandy that she determined to try ever so hard in all the games and see if she could win him.

  Then the games began, and they were fun! They had a spoon-and-potato race, and musical chairs, and putting the tail on the donkey blindfold, and all sorts of guessing games.

  And then they had supper – bread-and-butter with coloured hundreds-and-thousands sprinkled on, and red jellies and yellow jellies, and cakes with icing and cakes with cherries, and lemonade in red glasses.

  It was quite a proper party.

  And at the end the names of prize-winners were called out, and the children had to go up and receive their prizes.

 
And what do you think Milly-Molly-Mandy got?

  Why, she had tried so hard to win the little cotton-wool rabbit that she won first prize instead, and got the lovely fairy doll! And Miss Muggins’ niece Jilly, who hadn’t won any of the games, got the little cotton-wool rabbit with the sad, beady eyes – for do you know, the cotton-wool rabbit was only the booby prize, after all!

  It was a lovely fairy doll, but Milly-Molly-Mandy was sure Miss Muggins’ Jilly wasn’t loving the booby rabbit as it ought to be loved, for its beady eyes did look so sad, and when she got near Miss Muggins’ Jilly she stroked the booby rabbit, and Miss Muggins’ Jilly stroked the fairy doll’s hair.

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Do you love the fairy doll more than the booby rabbit?”

  And Miss Muggins’ Jilly said, “I should think so!”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran up to the lady who had given the prizes, and asked if she and Miss Muggins’ Jilly might exchange prizes, and the lady said, “Yes, of course.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy and the booby rabbit went home together to the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, and Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty all liked the booby rabbit very much indeed.

  And do you know, one day one of his little bead eyes dropped off, and when Mother had stuck it on again with a dab of glue, his eyes didn’t look a bit sad any more, but almost as happy as Milly-Molly-Mandy’s own!

  6

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Enjoys a Visit

  Once upon a time Milly-Molly-Mandy was invited to go for a little visit to an old friend of Mother’s who lived in a nearby town. Uncle was to take her in the pony-trap on Saturday morning on his way to market, and fetch her on Sunday evening, so that she should be ready for school next day. So Milly-Molly-Mandy would spend a whole night away from home, which was very exciting to think of. But just a day or two before she was to go, Mother received a letter from her friend to say she was so sorry, but she couldn’t have Milly-Molly-Mandy after all, as a married son and his wife had come unexpectedly to pay her a visit.