He took the dart from the floor, looked at it for a moment and did not even notice that it was a Christmas card. But he noticed that the dart was made from a page of a school drawing album. And this made him even angrily.
When he came into the common room the boys understood from his expression that Mr Wilkins was not happy. For a moment he looked at the paper chains which were hanging from wall to wall. Then he said, "Which of you silly little boys is throwing pieces of paper into the staff room?" The boys were surprised. "Oh, but, sir, you don't understand..." Jennings began.
"So it was you, wasn't it? Jennings, as usual," Mr Wilkins interrupted him. "How dare you throw waste-paper into the staff room! Do you think it's a waste-paper basket?"
"That wasn't waste-paper, sir," said Jennings. "It was a sheet of my drawing album that I've done a Christmas card on - specially for you, sir."
"To put you in a good mood, sir," said Darbishire.
"What did you say, Darbishire?" "I mean we wanted to make you happy." Mr Wilkins was surprised. Now he began to see it all in a different light.
"I see. I didn't understand it was a Christmas card," he said in a kind voice. "Thank you very much! But I've told you often enough, Jennings, that exercise-books and drawing albums cost a lot of money to..."
At that moment an unhappy thing happened. Mr Wilkins made a wide sweep with is arm and broke a paper chain above his head. At once paper chains fell on him like a rain of flowers. He began to drop paper chains from his shoulders on to the floor when he saw something that made him stop dropping paper chains on the floor. Like all the homemade decorations, the piece which Mr Wilkins "held in his hand was made from strips of paper and then coloured. But the red and blue colours could not hide the words on the paper. And Mr Wilkins read: "Wool is the chief product of Australia."
Mr Wilkins became angry again. "What does this mean?" he asked angrily. "How dare you silly little boys to use your exercise-books to make these silly decorations?"
"It's not my exercise-book, sir," said Temple.
"It's not mine, either. I only used old newspapers, sir," said Atkinson.
"But it's the exercise-book of some boy in Form Three," said Mr Wilkins. "So whose exercise-book is it?"
"Please, sir, I think that piece is from my exercise-book," said Jennings.
"You silly little boy!"
"But it was my old exercise-book, sir," Jennings explained, "and I didn't need it any more because it was the end of the term, sir."
Mr Wilkins nearly danced with anger. "Of course, you'll need it again," he exclaimed. "If you finished the exercise-book it doesn't mean that you can throw it away. You must keep it and use it all your school life... And here is a term's work on the geography of Australia, and you tear it to make these silly decorations!"
"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't think," said Jennings.
"You never think, Jennings," said Mr Wilkins. "You must be punished for what you have done." Mr Wilkins stopped for a moment and thought of a punishment. "You will stay away from the party this afternoon."
The boys were shocked.
"Oh, sir, please, sir, let him go to the party, sir," asked' Darbishire. "It's Christmas, sir."
"Be quiet, Darbishire!" said Mr Wilkins. "And you, Jennings, can spend the time on something useful. You can tidy the stationery cupboard." Mr Wilkins went to the door, but before he left the common room he turned to Jennings again and said, "Maybe it will teach you not to tear valuable exercise-books another time!"
"It's not fair!" examined Darbishire when Mr Wilkins shut the door.
"Not fair at all," agreed Temple.
"And all this after you had tried to be decent to him," said Venables.
"And sent him a Christmas card," said Atkinson.
"Well, we can't do anything about it," Jennings said in a sad voice and went out of the common room.
Chapter Forty-One
Jennings finds Mr Wilkins' fountain-pen
The stationery cupboard was not a cupboard at all. It was a small room at the end of the corridor.
Two days before Mr Wilkins had been 1 here and made up a list of the stationery f which he needed for next term. But he had no time to tidy the shelves. So when Jennings opened the door of the little room he saw exercise-books, rulers, pens, pencils and boxes of chalk scattered on the shelves and on the floor.
He began to work. Soon Darbishire's face appeared in the doorway.
"I'll help you if you like, Jen," he said. "But only till the party starts, of course." "Thank you, Darbi," said Jennings. "Of course, if there is something nice to eat at the party I'll try to take it out for you in my pocket," said Darbishire.
For some minutes they worked without saying a word. They put the books in rows and gathered together rulers and erasers.
And then Jennings made his great discovery... At the back of a shelf behind a box of chalk he found a fountain-pen. He knew whose fountain-pen it was when he saw it.
"Look what I've found!" he cried and waved the pen under his friend's nose.
"Why are you so happy? It's only an old fountain-pen," said Darbishire.
"But don't you know whose pen it is? It's Old Wilkie's!"
"That's right," said Darbishire. "It's the fountain-pen that he always uses when he corrects our exercise-books."
"But that isn't all," said Jennings. "he had lost it and was very angry when he couldn't find it."
"He doesn't deserve to get it back, if you ask me."
"Maybe not, but - well, I can't confiscate it like he confiscated my penknife," Jennings answered. Then he thought for a moment.
"If I give him back his pen he may be in a good mood and he may let me go to the party. What do you think, Darbi?"
"You never know with Old Wilkie. But we can try. Let's go and find him. The party may start any minute now."
They put the rest of the books back on the shelves. Jennings put the fountain-pen in his pocket and the boys went to the door. When Jennings closed the cupboard door a bright idea came into his head.
"Listen, Darbi, I have a wonderful idea," he exclaimed. "I'm not going to give the fountain-pen to Old Wilkie now."
"Why not?"
"Come to the dormitory with me and I'll tell you all about it."
At that moment the school bell began to ring. Along the corridor the doors opened and boys hurried to the party in the dinning hall.
"But I can't come now," said Darbishire. "I'm going to the party, Jen, even if you are not."
"We'll both go to the party, if you do what I tell you." Jennings took his friend by the arm and they hurried to Dormitory 4.
"I don't want to give Old Wilkie his fountain-pen when he is angry. He'll take it and say nothing," Jennings explained. "The right time to do it is during tea. He'll be in a good mood then."
"Yes, of course. Wait till he begins to drink his tea and then come into the dining hall and give him his fountain-pen as a Christmas present. A good plan, Jen! He will have to let you stay at the party then."
"That is not all, Darbi, it won't be me who comes into the hall - it'll be Father Christmas!"
"Father Christmas?"
"When everybody sits down at tea there
• will be a knock on the door. Everybody will ; look round and I shall come in in a red robe and white beard. I shall walk straight up to Mr Wilkins and give him his fountain-pen back - as a present from Father Christmas."
"You are right, Jen. Even Old Wilkie can't be so bad as to ask Father Christmas to leave the room," said Darbishire. "But where are you going to get the robe and the beard? You haven't got much time, you know."
Jennings, as usual, had a ready answer. He went to his bed and took from it a bright red blanket.
"I can put it over by head and pin it under by chin."
"And what about your beard?" asked Darbishire.
"Cotton wool! Matron has got a lot of it," answered Jennings.
* * *
It must be said that Mr Wilkins was going to let Jennings be pre
sent at the party. He was also going to. give him back his penknife.
But on his way to the stationery cupboard he heard the bell and at that very moment he met Mr Carter.
"You haven't dressed up yet," said Mr Carter.
"Dressed up?" asked Mr Wilkins in surprise.
Then he, remembered. Oh, yes, of course! That Father Christmas business! He had had so many things to do in the last days that he had forgotten about it.
"You know. Carter, I think you'll be a better Father Christmas," said Mr Wilkins. "I don't think I can do it well."
"Nonsense! You'll be a wonderful Father Christmas," said Mr Carter. He took Mr Wilkins by his arm and led him to the staff room. And now Mr Wilkins quite forgot about Jennings.
"I think it will be better if you dress up here where the boys won't see you", Mr Carter said as he closed the staff room door. "I want it to be a surprise."
Unwillingly Mr Wilkins put on a red robe and a long white beard.
"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Mr Carter. "I tell you, Carter, I shall be happy when the party is over," said Mr Wilkins.
"Well, well!" said Mr Carter. "You stay here till all the boys have gone into the dining hall to tea. Then go to the kitchen and wait by the door, which leads into the dining hall. Then I'll announce that an important visitor has arrived. When you hear this you'll knock on the door and come into the hall."
"All right," said Mr Wilkins in a sad voice.
Chapter Forty-Two
Two father Christmases at one party
It was quiet in Dormitory 4 and though all the boys were in the dining hall Jennings and Darbishire were speaking in whispers.
"They've just sat down for tea," said Darbishire.
Jennings pinned the red blanket under his chin, and Darbishire began to glue cotton wool to Jennings' face.
"I only hope that it will not drop in the middle," said Darbishire.
"Oh, it will be all right in the middle. But the pieces on the sides..."
"Oh, I don't mean the middle of the beard, I mean the middle of the party."
"You will wait by the door," Darbishire said to Jennings when they left the dormitory. "I'll go first. Then you'll knock and open the door."
"And if Old Wilkie gets angry again, or my beard drops and everybody laughs!"
"You'll be all right, Jen. Have you got the fountain-pen?"
"Yes, it's in my pocket."
"That's all right, then. Let's hope for the best."
Jennings would have been surprised to know that he was not the only person who was worrying about the part which he had to play... But then, he could not know that, at that moment. Mr Wilkins in a red robe and white beard was hiding behind the kitchen door ready to go in from the other end of the dining hall.
* * *
As usual, there was a Christmas tree in the dining hall. After tea there were usually games and singing, and then a concert which was organized by the boys themselves. But this time Mr Pemberton had decided to show a film.
The party had been going for the minutes when Darbishire went into the dining hall and hurried to his place where his plate of cheese and tomatoes was waiting for him.
"Where have you been?" asked Venables.
"I can't tell you now," answered Darbishire. "It's a secret."
He looked at the top table where Mr Wilkins usually sat... and his eyes opened wide in surprise... Mr Wilkins wasn't there! He looked round the hall. Mr Wilkins wasn't anywhere in the hall!
"That is the end of our plan," Darbishire said to himself. "What will old Jen do when he comes into the hall? It's too late now to warn him. It's too late to do anything. I can only wait and see what will happen."
At that moment Mr Carter rang the bell.
"You'll be interested to hear that an important visitor has promised to come and join us this evening," he announced with a smile. "I think that our guest has already arrived and is waiting to come in."
Mr Carter coughed loudly... and Mr Wilkins knocked on the door.
All heads turned at the sound and so only some of the boys heard some taps which came from the door at the other end of the room. But Darbishire heard them and knew too well what they meant.
Then the door from the kitchen opened and the boys saw Father Christmas standing in the doorway.
There was a gasp of surprise and delight. But even a greater surprise followed... Because at the same moment that Mr Wilkins was coming into the dining hall from the kitchen, the door at the far end of the dining hall opened and a little figure in a red blanket and with cotton wool round its face came in.
The two Father Christmases stopped and stood looking at each other in surprise. All the boys turned their heads from one end of the dining hall to the other like spectators at a tennis match.
"What's going on?" asked Atkinson. "Two Father Chrismases."
"Well, why not?" said Temple. "I think they mean Big Father Christmas and Little Father Christmas, or maybe Father Christmas and Grandfather Christmas."
Mr Wilkins began to walk. Jennings began to walk too.
Slowly, the teacher and the boy walked till they met in the middle of the dining hall by the Christmas tree.
Mr Wilkins recognized Little Father Christmas at once.
"Well, well! I've never expected to meet another Father Christmas here," said Mr Wilkins.
"I didn't expect to meet you, either, sir... I mean I didn't want to come here because of... of what you said, sir," Jennings explained. "But I came for a moment to give you a Christmas present, sir."
And Little Father Christmas put his hand into his pocket and then gave Big Father Christmas a fountain-pen.
The Big Father Christmas looked in surprise. Then he took the present.
"My fountain-pen!" he exclaimed. "How wonderful! That's very kind of you, Jennings - or - Father Christmas! Thank you very much for finding it."
"That's all right, sir," said Little Father Christmas.
"Now let me see if I can give you a present," said Big Father Christmas, and he took Jennings' penknife and gave it to its owner. "Please, take this little present with my best wishes."
"Oh, thank you, sir,-I mean Father Christmas, sir."
There was a burst of applause from the boys in the dining hall.
There was still one important thing that Jennings wanted to say. Now was the time, he decided.
"I think I must go now, sir," he said. "I only wanted to give you your pen. You see, I found it in the stationery cupboard, and you said I must stay and tidy it..."
"I see what you mean," said Big Father Christmas smiling through his bear. "That was very careless of me. And now I can't ask my little brother to leave the party. So, please, stay and join us this evening."
"Oh, thank you, Father,- I mean, thank you, sir,- Father Christmas, sir."
Jennings was going to hurry to his table, but Mr Wilkins said, "Wait a minute, Jennings, or Father Christmas. We Father Christmases must say our greetings to all these people who have come here. So, let's do it together, shall we?"
"Yes, sir," said Jennings.
And the two Father Christmases said together, "A very merry Christmas to you all."
After a burst of applause Jennings took off his blanket and beard and sat down at the table to eat his cheese, tomatoes and cakes.
FB2 document info
Document ID: 2012-02-25-18-52-00-515-0250
Document version: 1
Document creation date: 26.02.2012
Created using: my_Make_FB2 software
Document authors :
White Cat (w_cat)
About
This file was generated by Lord KiRon's FB2EPUB converter version 1.1.5.0.
(This book might contain copyrighted material, author of the converter bears no responsibility for it's usage)
Этот файл создан при помощи конвертера FB2EPUB версии 1.1.5.0 написанного Lord KiRon.
(Эта книга может содержать мат�
�риал который защищен авторским правом, автор конвертера не несет ответственности за его использование)
http://www.fb2epub.net
https://code.google.com/p/fb2epub/
Jennings and His Friends Page 15