Mr Badger and the Magic Mirror (2 page)
Once in his office, there was the diary to be checked and mail to be read. A postcard from Miss Pims, Mr Badger's assistant, had arrived from Spain. âHaving a lovely holiday in the sun. Back soon,' it said.
It was a postcard, from Miss Pims.
Lucky Miss Pims
, thought Mr Badger. For a moment, he imagined how nice it would be to escape the cold London winter. Not that he thought about it for very long. He had things to do.
F
irst of all, Mr Badger had to make sure that everything in the hotel was spick and span. That meant fires lit to keep the rooms warm and cosy; fresh flowers arranged nicely in vases; pictures hung straight on walls; cushions fluffed up on sofas in the hotel foyer; and the starched tablecloths and pale-pink napkins folded and laid on tables in the dining room, ready for morning tea.
Mr Badger wanted a closer look.
Most importantly, Mr Badger needed to see how the new mirror was looking. He proceeded up the stairs, noting that the workmen had gone and Sir Cecil's mirror was now in place. He paused for a moment. It looked splendid. Mr Badger had thought he knew every single piece of furniture in the hotel, but he had never seen
this
mirror before.
âHmm,' he said, studying the mirror so closely that the end of his nose brushed against the glass and left a little smudge.
The image in the mirror looked foggy and unclear. Was it because of the mirror's age? Or was it Mr Badger's warm breath on the cold surface?
Mr Badger straightened his bow-tie and adjusted his vest and scarlet coat.
It was certainly not an ordinary mirror.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something odd about this mirror.
He reached for a nearby chair and, dusting the soles of his shoes, carefully climbed onto the seat. Then he gently touched the surface of the mirror with his white-gloved paws.
âRemarkable!' Mr Badger said softly to himself.
He looked around; there was no one in sight. Who knows what made Mr Badger do what he did next? Even he couldn't have explained it if you'd asked â but, extending a foot, he stepped off the chair and leaptâ¦right in through the mirror.
W
hat a thrilling discovery
, thought Mr Badger as he felt a delicious warm breeze on the other side of the mirror.
As a little badger, he had read about magic mirrors in books. And that's where he believed they belonged. Well, that was where he
had
believed they belonged, until now.
Mr Badger had never expected to discover one at the Boubles Grand Hotel! Let alone be able to climb into or actually
through
one.
Now in front of him was an astonishing sight. Tall pink columns shaped like palm trees reached up to a ceiling that looked like the sky.
Mr Badger thought it was incredible.
Directly in front of Mr Badger was an enormous castle surrounded by a moat. Long coloured flags fluttered from towers popping up above the battlements. At the very top was a huge slide that curled around and around, then disappeared down into the castle through the roof. Nearby was a beach with clear yellow sand. And on the beach sat a bright tin bucket and spade, next to a small sandcastle. Mr Badger could see a trail of footprints going back and forth from the sandcastle to the big castle. There were extra-big footprints mixed in with the smaller ones.
Mr Badger cupped his ear and listened to the gentle sound of waves splashing against the shore.
How marvellous! Fancy finding a place like this. Better still, to find it right here in the Boubles Grand Hotel!
He could hardly wait to show Miss Pims when she arrived back from her holiday â and what a place to bring Berenice, baby Badger and Mrs Badger, too!
Now, though, it was time for Mr Badger to do some exploring on his own.
M
eanwhile, back on the other side of the mirror, Lady Celia Smothers-Carruthers had arrived for morning tea with Sylvia, her beloved little granddaughter.