The Wishing-Chair Again (21 page)

“Oh, yes, please do,” said Mollie at once. “It would be a nice return for all your help. You'll have to go to Chinky's mother to borrow it when we're at school. He keeps it there.”

“Thank you,” said the witch, and off she went. Chinky turned to Winks. “We were silly to quarrel like that,” he said. “I'm sorry I turned you into a bad smell, Winks. Go and wash. I still think you smell a bit horrid.”

So he did—and it was two or three days before he smelt like a brownie again. You just can't meddle with spells, you know!

“YOU know,” said Mollie to Chinky, “we've only one more day before we go back to school. Mother has already sent off our trunks.”

“Oh dear,” said Chinky, sadly. “The holidays have simply flown! I do wish you didn't have to go to school.”

“Well—we love being at home—but we really do love school, too,” said Peter. “It's great fun, you know—and it's so nice being with scores of boys and girls who are our own age. I'm awfully glad we do go to boarding-school, really, though, of course, I'm sorry to say goodbye to Mother and Daddy and you and the garden and Jane and the Wishing-Chair, and everything.”

“We never went to the Land of Goodness Knows Where,” said Mollie. “I'd like to go before we leave for school.”

“Wishing-Chair, you
might
grow your wings quickly,” said Peter, looking at the chair standing quietly in its place. “You really might!”

And, dear me, for once in a way the chair was most obliging and began to grow them! Unfortunately the children didn't notice that it was actually doing what it was told, and they went out into the garden to play.

The next thing that happened was the chair flying out of the door of the playroom, its wings flapping strongly! Luckily Chinky caught sight of it, or goodness knows where it would have gone by itself. He felt the swish of the big wings, and looked up. The chair was just passing by his head!

He gave such a yell that Mollie and Chinky jumped in fright. They turned, to see Chinky making a tremendous leap into the air after the chair. He caught one leg and held on. “Help! Help!” he yelled to the children. “Come and help me, or the chair will go off with me like this.”

However, the chair went down to the ground, and allowed Chinky to sit in it properly. Mollie and Peter ran up eagerly.

“Gracious! Whatever made us leave the playroom door open?” said Peter. “The chair might have flown off anywhere and not come back. We shall really have to get a watch-dog for it.”

“It was lucky I just saw it,” said Chinky. “Well now—shall we go to the Land of Goodness Knows Where or not? Is there anywhere else you'd like to go?”

The children couldn't think of anywhere else, so the chair was told to go there. It flew off in the right direction at once. It was a lovely, clear day, with hardly any cloud at all. The children and Chinky could see down below them very clearly indeed.

“Go lower, Chair,” said Chinky. “We'd like to see the places we're flying over.” The chair obediently flew down lower still, and then Chinky gave a shout.

“Look—there's Winks! Isn't it Winks?”

It was. He, too, saw the chair and waved madly. “Shall we take him with us?” said Chinky. “Or is he too naughty, do you think?”

“Well—it's his last chance of coming with us for a long time,” said Mollie. “We said we'd let him come with us once more, didn't we, before he goes back to Mister Grim's school. We'll take him.”

So they ordered the chair to go down to the ground to fetch Winks. He was simply delighted. He clambered on to it at once.

“Did you come to fetch me?” he said. “How nice of you.”

“Well, actually we weren't fetching you,” said Chinky. “The chair suddenly grew its wings, flew out into the garden, and I just managed to grab it in time. You weren't with us, so we didn't think of taking you. It was a bit of luck just catching sight of you like that. Winks, you must try and be good today—don't spoil our last adventure by being silly or naughty, please. We're going to the Land of Goodness Knows Where.”

“That's a silly land,” said Winks. “Why don't you go somewhere more exciting—the Land of Birthdays, or the Land of Treats, or the Village of Parties— somewhere like that.”

They were just passing over a big blue lake. They came to an island in the middle of it, and as they flew over it a surprising thing happened. Fireworks went off with a bang, and coloured stars burst and fell all round the chair. It was startled and wobbled dangerously, almost upsetting the children.

“Gracious!” said Mollie. “What a surprise! What island is that?”

“Oh! “ cried Chinky, in great excitement, “I do believe it's the Island of Surprises! Isn't it, Winks? I really think it is.”

“Yes,” said Winks, peering down. “It is! Look out, here comes another rocket or something. My word —what a lovely shower of coloured stars! You've got one in your hair, Mollie—it looks fine!”

Mollie shook it out. “Can't we go to this island?” she said. “It really sounds most exciting. The Island of Surprises! Chinky, let's go.”

“Right,” said Chinky. “Mind you, the surprises may not all be nice ones—but if you're willing to risk that, we'll go.”

“Of course we'll go!” said Winks. “Chair, go down to the island at once, please.”

Down went the chair, dodging another rocket. It landed on a patch of green grass, which at once changed into a sheet of water! The chair almost sank, but just managed to get itself out in time, and flew to a little paved courtyard.

“First surprise,” said Chinky, with a grin. “We shall have to be careful here, you know. Winks, you mustn't be an idiot on this island—you'll get some unpleasant shocks if you are.

“Can we leave the chair here?” said Mollie doubtfully. “It would be a horrid surprise if we found it gone when we came back for it.”

The chair creaked and flew towards Mollie. “It says it's not going to leave us! “ said Chinky, with a grin. “Very wise of it. Right, Chair, you follow us like a dog, and we'll all be very pleased.”

So the chair followed them closely, much to the surprise of all the little folk they met.

The first really nice surprise came when they saw a table set out in the sunshine, with empty dishes and plates in a row. The children, Chinky and Winks stopped to look at them. “Is there going to be a party or something?” said Peter.

A small goblin came up and sat himself down on the form by the table. He stared earnestly at the plate and dish in front of him. And, hey presto, on the dish came a large chocolate pudding, and on his plate came a big ice-cream to match. He began to eat, beaming all over his ugly little face.

“Oooh,” said Winks at once, and sat down at the table. So did the others. They all stared hard at their dishes and plates. What surprise would come?

Mollie got a pile of sausages on her dish and some fried onions on her plate. Peter got a big trifle on his dish and a jug of cream on his plate. Chinky got strawberries on his dish and found his plate swimming in sugar and cream to go with them. They looked to see what Winks had got. That bad little brownie, of course, had been tricky as usual. He had put
two
plates and
two
dishes in front of him!

But he wasn't looking at all pleased! On one dish had appeared a wonderful-looking pie — but when he cut the crust there was nothing in the pie. On the other dish had appeared a chocolate cake—and, as we know, that was the one cake that poor Winks simply couldn't bear to eat. On one plate had come some steaming cabbage and on the other two prunes. How the others laughed!

“A pie with nothing in it—a cake he hates—cabbage—and prunes! Oh, Winks, what a horrid surprise. It serves you right for being greedy! “ cried Chinky.

Winks was cross. He hit Chinky with his spoon. Then he had another surprise. The spoon turned into a snake and wriggled most alarmingly in his hand. Winks dropped it with a yell. It slithered into the pie-dish and disappeared. Winks got up from the table at once.

“Serves you right, Winks, serves you right! “ said Chinky again. Winks stood sulkily whilst the others tucked into their exciting food. Mollie was sorry for him and offered him a sausage—but he was so afraid that would change into a snake, too, that he didn't like to take it.

The next surprise was also a very nice one. They finished their meal and then suddenly heard the sound of loud music coming from round the corner. They hurried to see what it was.

It was a roundabout! There it stood, decorated with flags that waved in the wind, going round and round and round, the music playing gaily. How lovely!

“How much is it to go for a ride on this roundabout” asked Chinky, feeling in his pocket.

“Oh, nothing!” said the pixie in charge of it. “It's just a nice surprise for you. Get on when it stops.”

When the roundabout stopped, the children saw that there were all kinds of animals and birds to ride, and each of them went up and down as well as round and round. The brownies, goblins and pixies who had had their turns got off, and the children, Chinky and Winks looked to see which animal or bird they would choose to ride.

“I'll have this pony,” said Mollie, who loved horses and always wanted one of her own. She climbed on to a dear little black pony.

“I'll have this camel,” said Peter. “It's got two humps, and I'll ride between them!”

Chinky chose a snow-white gull with outstretched wings that flapped as the roundabout went round. Winks chose a big goldfish. Its fins and tail moved in a very life-like manner. Winks cut himself a little stick from the hedge nearby. “Just to make my fish swim well on the roundabout,” he said to the others as he climbed on.

“No whipping allowed!” shouted the pixie in charge. “Hey, you—no whipping allowed!”

The roundabout started off again. The music blared gaily, the animals and birds went round and round and round, up and down, flapping their wings and fins, nodding their heads and waving tails—all very exciting indeed.

And Winks was disobedient—he whipped his goldfish with his stick! “Gee up!” he cried. “Go faster! Flap your wings, waggle your tail!”

Then he got such a shock. The goldfish suddenly shot right off the roundabout through the air and disappeared! The roundabout slowed down and came to a stop. The pixie in charge looked very angry.

“He whipped his goldfish and I told him not to. You heard me tell him! Now I've lost the goldfish, and my master will be very angry with me.”

“Oh
dear
!” said Mollie, getting off her pony. “I'm so very sorry. Winks did promise to be good. Where has he gone, do you think?”

Then there suddenly came the sound of a terrific splash, and a loud wail came on the air. “That's Winks,” cried Peter, beginning to run. “Whatever has happened to him?”

THE yells went on and on and on. “Help me! I'm drowning! Help, help, HELP!” The children and Chinky tore round the corner. The sea lay in front of them, blue and calm. The goldfish was swimming about in it, looking enormous. Winks was splashing and struggling in the water, and every time he tried to wade out, the goldfish bumped him with his nose and sent him under.