The Wishing-Chair Again (17 page)

“Oh—you've borrowed them from my biggest doll, Winks,” said Mollie. “You might have asked permission first. I should have said, 'No, certainly you can't have them.'”

“Yes. I felt sure you wouldn't let me,” said Winks. “That's why I didn't ask you. I'll take great care of them, Mollie, I really will. Your doll doesn't mind a bit.”

“Of course she doesn't. She hates wearing gloves!” said Mollie. “Well, I don't blame her. I don't like wearing them myself. Now, do take care of them, Winks, please.”

They went out of the garden gate and looked round. Where was that short cut now? How queer! They couldn't find it at all! But Winks spotted it for them
.

“I've better eyes for strange things than you have,” he said. “I can see a little shining path in the grass that you can't see. Follow me.”

“Well, you must be right,” said Peter, as Winks led them straight over the grass to the same trees on the same sunny hillside as they had seen the day before. “And there's the little silver door!”

Cinders opened it as they came near. Winks shot in so quickly that he hadn't time to scratch the brownie, though he did try!

Mr. Spells was there, surrounded by papers and old books of all kinds. “My mother is still asleep in bed,” he said. “I'm glad you're early. We can start off straight away.”

“Oh—have you found out where the Wandering Castle is?” asked Mollie, in delight. “Did your magic books tell you?”

“They helped,” said Mr. Spells. “And Cinders and I did a little Find-Out Spell we know. Wandering Castle is now on the island belonging to Giant Small-One, Twisty's brother.”

“Giant Small-One—that's a funny name,” said Mollie.

“Not really,” said Mr. Spells. “He's small for a giant, that's all. Well, we'd better start.”

“But how can we get to an island?” said Peter. “We haven't a Wishing-Chair to fly over the sea!”

“That doesn't matter,” said Mr. Spells. “Cinders has been getting my ship ready. Haven't you noticed it out there?”

He pointed to the window that so surprisingly looked out on the sea. The children stared in wonder and delight. A most beautiful ship rocked gently on the calm blue sea, a picture of loveliness with its big, white sails.

Mollie cried out in joy “Oh—what a beauty! And it's called
The Mollie!
”

“Just a little compliment to you,” said Mr. Spells, smiling. “Also it's supposed to be lucky to sail in a ship bearing one of the passengers' names. Well—shall we set off? The wind is just right.”

Cinders opened the window. Just outside was a stone ledge, with steps leading down to a tiny jetty. Cinders went first and helped Mollie down politely. Winks waited till last. He was afraid of Cinders' claws.

They all stepped aboard the beautiful white-sailed ship. Mr. Spells took the tiller.

“Blow, wind, blow. And on we will go over the waters blue,” he sang, and the white ship leapt forward like a bird.

“Is that a spell you sang?” said Mollie.

“Oh, no—just a little song,” said Mr. Spells. And he began to sing again, whilst the ship sailed lightly over the blue waters. The children and Winks enjoyed it very much. Mollie trailed her hand in the water. So did Winks—but his came up as blue as ever! He sat as far away from Cinders as possible.

“Did we bring any food?” asked Mollie, suddenly.

“No,” said Mr. Spells, and everyone at once looked rather gloomy. “Enchanters don't need to,” he went on. “I always carry a spell in my pocket that I use when I need any food. Is there anything you fancy at this particular moment, Mollie?”

“Well—it would be nice to have an ice-cream—if it's possible,” said Mollie.

“I knew she was going to ask that,” said Peter. “I'd like an iced strawberryade, please, Mr. Spells.”

Soon they were all eating and drinking, as the ship sped on and on. Cinders had a plate of fish and chips and Mr. Spells made him go right to the other end of the ship to eat them. “I wish you wouldn't always ask for fish and chips,” he complained. “Really, Cinders, you always smell of food nowadays.”    

For two hours the ship sailed on—then Cinders gave a shout. “Land ahoy! It's the island, Mr. Spells, sir.”

“Aha!” said the enchanter. “Now we must be a bit careful.” They all looked hard at the island that was rapidly coming nearer as the ship sped over the water. It didn't look very big. It was crowded with tall buildings, some of them looking like palaces, some like castles.

“Which is the Wandering Castle, I wonder?” said Mollie.

“Can't possibly tell,” said Mr. Spells. “Now here we go towards this little jetty. We'll land there. You'll have to watch out a bit, because several giants live here and you don't want to be trodden on like ants.”

Mollie didn't like the sound of this much. She determined to keep very close to Mr. Spells. Cinders was left with the ship, much to Winks' relief. They all set off up an extremely wide street.

“We shall be all right if we keep to the narrow pavements that run beside the walls of the building,” said Mr. Spells, guiding them to one. “There are plenty of small folk living here, as well as giants.”

So there were—pixies and brownies and goblins and elves—but there were also giants, and Mollie suddenly saw a most enormous foot, followed by another one, walking down the street! She shrank close to Mr. Spells.

When the giant came by the children tried to see up to the top of him, but he was too tall. “That's a large-sized giant,” said Mr. Spells. “I know him—nice fellow called Too-Big. Here's a smaller one.”

It was exciting and extraordinary to see giants walking about. Mr. Spells guided them to a palace not quite so tall as some of the buildings.

“This is where Giant Small-One lives—the giant the island belongs to,” he said. “Come along—we will ask him whereabouts his brother's Wandering Castle is. Don't be afraid. I am much more powerful than he is and he knows it.”

They went up a long, long flight of steps. At the top was a big open door, leading into a vast hall. At the end of the hall sat a giant—-but he was such a small one that he wasn't more than twice the size of the enchanter himself!

“Advance, Mr. Spells, and pay your respects to Giant Small-One,” boomed an enormous voice from somewhere.

And Mr. Spells boldly went forward. Now to find out what they all wanted to know!

MR. SPELLS made a small bow. “Greetings, Giant Small-One,” he said. “I see you have not yet found a spell to make you Tall-One instead of Small-One. I come to ask you a question. We want to find your brother, Giant Twisty. Is Wandering Castle on your island?”

“I believe so,” said the voice of Giant Small-One, rather a feeble voice for a giant. “Go to High Hill and you will see it there. Why does Mr. Spells, grand enchanter, want my brother?”

“That is my own business,” said Mr. Spells. The children thought he was very bold indeed to speak to a giant like that.

“Pray stay to a meal,” said Small-One, and he clapped his big hands, making a noise like guns cracking. “I have few guests as important as you.”

“Thank you, no,” said Mr. Spells. “Our business is urgent. We will go.”

He turned to go. He walked back to the children and Winks, and they made their way to the door. But it was shut! They couldn't open such a big door themselves, so they had to go all the way back to Small-One and ask for a servant to open the door.

It took a long time to find a servant, which was strange, considering how many there had been in the hall a few minutes before. “He is delaying us,” said Mr. Spells angrily. “He wants to get a message to his brother before we reach him, to warn him that we are on his track!”

At last a servant was found, the door was opened and they all trooped down the endless steps. They made their way down the street, came into a wide lane, lined with hedges as high as trees, and then found a sign-post that said ‘To High Hill.’

“There's High Hill,” said Peter, pointing across the fields to a very tall hill. “There are quite a lot of buildings on it. I wonder which is Wandering Castle?”

They came to High Hill at last and toiled up it. They met a small pixie running down, and Mr. Spells hailed her.

“Hey, little pixie! Where's Wandering Castle?”

“Let me see, now—I saw it yesterday,” said the little pixie. “Yes, I remember now. It's in the Silver Buttercup Field, sir.”

“
Silver
Buttercups!” said Mollie, astonished. “I've never heard of those. I don't think I should like them. The golden ones are just right.”

“I agree with you,” said Mr. Spells, guiding them round a big house. “But some enchanters are very silly—always trying out novelties, you know. Well, here we are—here is Silver Buttercup Field.”

So it was. Silvery buttercups nodded in a great shimmering carpet. “Beautiful, but washed-out looking,” said Mr. Spells. “The thing is—where's Wandering Castle? It's certainly not here!”

It wasn't. The field was completely empty—but there was a vast square space in the middle of it where no buttercups grew. “That's where it
was,”
said Winks, pointing to it with a very blue hand.

“Yes—it's wandered away again,” said Mr. Spells, annoyed. “Small-One got a message to his brother in time—whilst we were trying to get that door open. Well, where has it wandered to now?”

“Please, sir, I know!” said a small goblin, running up. “It's gone to Loneliness! I don't know if you know that country, sir. It's over the sea to the east— a very, very lonely place, where nobody ever goes if they can help it. It is going to hide itself there till you've given up looking for Twisty and his castle.”

“How do you know all this?” demanded Mr. Spells.

“Because I was lying resting in these buttercups when a servant from Giant Small-One came running up to warn Twisty that you were after him,” said the goblin. “And I heard Twisty say where he was going.”

“Right. Thank you very much,” said Mr. Spells. “Come along, children—back to the ship. We must sail off to Loneliness at once. Twisty could easily hide himself in that strange, desolate land without anyone finding him for years.”

“Oh, dear—we really must find him, because of Chinky,” said Mollie. They went back to the ship. Cinders was so pleased to see them back so soon that he quite forgot to try and scratch Winks as he got on board. They set off again, the wind filling the sails and making the ship fly like a bird. She rocked up and down lightly as she went, and the children began to feel very sleepy.

They fell asleep, and Winks would have done the same, but he was afraid to because of Cinders. Mr. Spells awoke them after a time. “Mollie! Peter! We're here. Wake up, both of you.”

They sat up in the ship. It was moored to a small pier. Mollie looked out on the land of Loneliness. It was a gloomy, desolate place, with enormous trees growing in thick masses. “There are forests and forests of those,” said Mr. Spells, looking as gloomy as Loneliness looked. “How we shall ever know where the Wandering Castle is, I can't imagine!”

They landed, and walked towards the nearest forest of trees. Just as they got there they heard a voice shouting furiously.

“No peace anywhere! None at all! I come here, where nobody ever goes—and what comes walking almost on top of me but a castle! A CASTLE! Just when I thought I was going to sleep alone in peace!”

And out of the trees burst Chinky's cousin, Sleep-Alone! He was just as surprised to see the children and Winks and Mr. Spells as they were to see him.

“Sleep-Alone! Oh, Sleep-Alone, you're just about the
only
person who would come here!” cried Peter. “Where is that castle you've been complaining about? It's Giant Twisty's, and he's got Chinky a prisoner there.”

“Good thing, too,” grumbled Sleep-Alone. “Mischievous creature, always coming and disturbing me at night!”

“Listen, Sleep-Alone,” said Mr. Spells. “If you will lead us to that castle, we plan to rescue Chinky and the Wishing-Chair—and we will turn the wicked Twisty out of his castle. Then it will be empty, in the middle of the land of Loneliness. And
you
shall have it for your own! Think of being alone there, with no one to wake you at night, no one to bother you!”

Sleep-Alone listened to all this in delight. What, have a large empty castle all to himself, with a thousand rooms to sleep in—lost in the middle of a forest in the land of Loneliness? Wonderful!