The Wishing-Chair Again Part 2

Mr. Spells picked up the tiny goblin, took a matchbox off the mantelpiece, popped him into it, shut the box and put it back on the mantelpiece.

aHe won't cause me any trouble when he wakes up!a he said. aNo, not a bit! Well, goodbye. I'm glad this has all ended wella"but I do wish that chair was mine.a The children waved goodbye and the chair rose into the air.

aShall we go home?a said Peter. aNo,a said Mollie, suddenly remembering the satchel of sandwiches and cake that Peter still carried. aWe'll take c.h.i.n.ky off for the day, picnicking! We deserve a nice peaceful day after such a thrilling adventure.a aRight!a said Peter, and c.h.i.n.ky nodded happily. aWishing-Chair, take us to the nicest picnic spot you know! a And off they flew at once, to have a very happy day together.

Off on Another Adventure!.

FOR a whole week the children, watched and waited for the Wishing-Chair to grow its wings again. It didn't sprout them at all! The wings had vanished as soon as it had arrived safely back in the playroom, after a lovely picnic out on the hillsa"and not a single one had grown again.

aI hope its magic isn't getting less,a said Mollie, one day, as they sat in the playroom, playing ludo together. It was their very favourite game, and they always laughed at c.h.i.n.ky because he made such a fuss when he didn't get ahomea before they did.

As they sat playing together they felt a welcome draught. aOh, lovely! A breeze at last!a said Mollie thankfully. aI do really think this is just about the hottest day we've had these holidays!a aThe wind must have got up a bit at last,a said Peter. aBlow, wind, blowa"you are making us lovely and cool.a aFunny that the leaves on the trees aren't moving, isn't it? a said c.h.i.n.ky, shaking the dice in the thrower. aI hope I throw a sixa"I do so badly want one.a Mollie looked out of the open door at the trees in the garden. They were perfectly still! aBut there isn't a breeze,a she said, and then a sudden thought struck her. She looked round at the Wishing-Chair, which was standing just behind them.

aLook!a she cried. aHow silly we are! It isn't the winda"it's the Wishing-Chair that has grown its wings again. They are flapping like anything!a So they were. The children and c.h.i.n.ky sprang up in delight. aGood! We could just do with a lovely cool ride up in the air today,a said Peter. aWishing-Chair, we are very pleased with you!a The Wishing-Chair flapped its wings very strongly again and gave a creak. Then c.h.i.n.ky noticed something.

aI say, looka"it's only grown three wings instead of four. What's happened? It's never done that before.a They all stared at the chair. One of its front legs hadn't grown a wing. It looked rather queer without it.

c.h.i.n.ky looked at the chair rather doubtfully. aDo you think it can fly with only three wings?a he said. aThis is rather a peculiar thing to happen, really. I wonder if we ought to fly off in the chair if it's only got three wings instead of four.a aI don't see why not,a said Mollie. aAfter all, an aeroplane can fly with three engines, if the fourth one stops.a The chair gave a little hop up in the air as if to say it could fly perfectly well. aOh, come along! a said c.h.i.n.ky. aWe'll try. I'm sure it will be all right. But I wish I knew what to do to get the fourth wing to grow. Something has gone wrong, it's plain.a They got into the chair, c.h.i.n.ky as usual sitting on the back, holding on to their shoulders. The chair flew to the door.

aWhere shall we go?a said c.h.i.n.ky.

aWella"we never did get to the Land of Goodness Knows Where after all,a said Mollie. aShall we try to get there again? We know it's a good way away, so it should be a nice long flight, very cool and windy high up in the air.a aWe may as well,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aFly to the Land of Goodness Knows Where, Chair. We saw it on the mapa"it's due east from here, straight towards where the sun risesa"you go over the Tiptop Mountains, past the Crazy Valley and then down by the Zigzag Coast.a aIt sounds exciting,a said Mollie. aOh, isn't it lovely to be cool again? It's so very hot today.a They were now high up in the air, and a lovely breeze blew past them as they flew. Little clouds, like puffs of cotton wool, floated below them. Mollie leaned out to get hold of one as they pa.s.sed.

aThis is fun,a she said. aI think we're very, very lucky to have a Wishing-Chair of our own, that will take us anywhere we wish to go. c.h.i.n.ky, is there a land of ice-creams? If so, I'd like to go there sometime!a aI don't know. I've never heard of one,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aThere's a Land of Goodies though, I know that. It once came to the top of the Faraway Tree, and I went there. It was lovelya"biscuits growing on trees, and chocolates sprouting on bushes.a aOha"did you see Moon-Face and Silky and the old Saucepan Man?a asked Mollie, in excitement. aI've read the books about the Faraway Tree, and I've always wished I could climb it.a aYes, I saw them all,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aSilky is sweet, you'd love her. But Moon-Face was cross because somebody had taken all his slippery-slip cushionsa"you know, the cushions he keeps in his room at the top of the tree for people to sit on when they slide down from the top to the bottom.a aI wouldn't mind going to the Land of Goodies at all,a said Peter. aIt sounds really fine. I almost wish we'd told the chair to go there instead of the Land of Goodness Knows Where.a aWell, don't change its mind for it,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aIt doesn't like that. Look, there are the Tip-Top Mountains.a They all leaned out to look. They were very extraordinary mountains, running up into high, jagged peaks as if somebody had drawn them higgledy-piggledy with a pencil, up and down, up and down.

aA goat would have a good time jumping about in those mountains, but n.o.body else,a said Peter.

On they went, through a batch of tiny little clouds but Mollie didn't try to catch any of these because, just in time, she saw that baby elves were fast asleep on them, one to each cloud.

aThey make good cradles for a hot day like this,a explained c.h.i.n.ky.

After a while, Mollie noticed that c.h.i.n.ky was leaning rather hard on her shoulder, and that Peter seemed to be leaning against her, too. She pushed them back.

aDon't lean so heavily on me,a she said. aYou make me hot.a aWe don't mean to,a said Peter. aBut I seem to be leaning that way all the time! I do try not to.a aWhy are we, I wonder?a said c.h.i.n.ky. Then he gave a cry. aWhy, the chair's all on one side. No wonder Peter and I keep going over on to you, Mollie. Looka"it's tipped sideways!a aWhat's the matter with it?a said Mollie. She tried to shake the chair upright by swinging herself about in it, but it always over-balanced to the left side as soon as she had stopped swinging it to and fro.

They all looked in alarm at one another as the chair began to tip more and more to one side. It was very difficult to sit in it when it tipped like that.

aIt's because it's only got three wings!a said c.h.i.n.ky, suddenly. aOf coursea"that's it! The one wing on this side is tired out, and so the chair is flying with only two wings really, and it's tipping over. It will soon be on its side in the air!a aGracious! Then for goodness sake let's go down to the ground at once,a said Mollie, in alarm. aWe shall fall out if we don't.a aGo down to the ground, Chair,a commanded Peter, feeling the chair going over to one side even more. He looked over the side. The one wing there had already stopped flapping. The chair was using only two wingsa"they would soon be tired out, too!

The chair flew heavily down to the ground and landed with rather a b.u.mp. Its wings stopped flapping and hung limp. It creaked dolefully. It was quite exhausted, that was plain!

aWe shouldn't have flown off on it when it only had three wings,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aIt was wrong of us. After all, Peter and Mollie, you have grown bigger since last holidays, and must be heavier. The chair can't possibly take us all unless it has four wings to fly with.a They stood and looked at the poor, tired Wishing-Chair. aWhat are we going to do about it?a said Peter.

aWella"we must try to find out where we are first,a said c.h.i.n.ky, looking round. aAnd then we must ask if there is a witch or wizard or magician anywhere about that can give us something to make the chair grow another wing. Then we'd better take it straight home for a rest.a aLook,a said Mollie, pointing to a nearby sign-post. aIt says, 'To the Village of Slipperies.' Do you know that village, c.h.i.n.ky?a aNo. But I've heard of it,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aThe people there aren't very nicea"slippery as eelsa"can't trust them or believe a word they say. I don't think we'll go that way.a He went to look at the other arm of the sign-post and came back looking very pleased.

aIt says 'Dame Quick-Fingers',a he said. aIsn't that good?a aWhy is it good?a asked Mollie, in surprise.

aOh, didn't you knowa"she's my great-aunt,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aShe'll help us all right. She'll be sure to know a spell for growing wings. She keeps a pack of flying dogs, you know, because of the Slipperiesa"they simply fly after them when they come to steal her chickens and ducks.a aGoodnessa"I'd love to see some flying dogs,a said Mollie. aWhere does this aunt of yours live?a aJust down the road, round a corner, and by a big rowan tree,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aShe's really nice. I dare say she'd ask us to tea if we are as polite as possible. She loves good manners.a aWella"you go and ask her if she knows how to grow an extra wing on our chair,a said Mollie. aWe'd better stay here with the chair, I think, in case anyone thinks of stealing it again. We can easily bring it along to your aunt's cottage, if she's in. We won't carry it all the way there in case she's not.a aRight. I'll go,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aI won't be long. You just sit in the chair till I come backa"and don't you let anyone steal it.a He ran off down the road and disappeared round a corner. Mollie and Peter sat down in the chair to wait. The chair creaked. It sounded very tired indeed. Mollie patted its arms. aYou'll soon be all right once you have got a fourth wing,a she said. aCheer up.a c.h.i.n.ky hadn't been gone very long before the sound of footsteps made the children look round. Five little people were coming along the road from the Village of Slipperies. They looked most peculiar.

aThey must be Slipperies,a said Peter, sitting up. aNow we must be careful they don't play a trick on us and get the chair away. Aren't they queer-looking?a The five little creatures came up and bowed low. aGood-day,a they said. aWe come to greet you and to ask you to visit our village,a

The Slipperies Play a Trick!.

PETER and Mollie looked hard at the five Slipperies. Each Slippery had one blue eye and one green, and not one of them looked straight at the children! Their hair was slick and smooth, their mouths smiled without stopping, and they rubbed their bony hands together all the time.

aI'm sorry,a said Peter, abut we don't want to leave our chair. We're waiting here with it till our friend c.h.i.n.ky comes back from seeing his Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers.a aOh, she's gone to market,a said one of the Slipperies. aShe always goes on Thursdays.a aOh dear,a said Peter. aHow tiresome! Now we shan't be able to get a fourth wing for our Wishing-Chair.a aDear mea"is this a Wishing-Chair?a said the Slipperies, in great interest. aIt's the first time we've seen one. Do let us sit in it.a aCertainly not,a said Peter, feeling certain that if he let them sit in the chair they would try to fly off in it.

aI hear that Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers has some flying dogs,a said Mollie, hoping that the Slipperies would look frightened at the mention of them. But they didn't.

They rubbed their slippery hands together again and went on smiling. aAh, yesa"wonderful dogs they are. If you stand up on your chair, and look over the field yonder, you may see some of them flying around,a said one Slippery.

aReally!a said Mollie, thrilled. aPeter, let's stand up in the chair and see if we can see the dogs.a They stood on the seat of the chair. The Slipperies cl.u.s.tered round them. aNow look right down over that field,a began one of them. aDo you see a tall tree?a aYes,a said Mollie.

aWell, look to the right of it and you'll see the roof of a house.a aYes,a said Mollie again.

aAnd then to the right of that and you'll see another tree,a said the Slippery.

aCan't you tell me exactly where to look?a said Mollie, getting impatient. aI can't see a single flying dog. Only a rook or two.a aWell, now look to the left and...a began another Slippery, when Peter jumped down from the chair.

aYou're just making it all up,a he said. aGo on, be off with you! I don't like any of you.a The Slipperies lost their smiles, and looked nasty. They laid hands on the Wishing-Chair.

aI shall whistle for the flying dogs,a said Peter suddenly. aNow let me seea"what is the whistle, ah, yes...a And he suddenly whistled a very shrill whistle indeed.

The Slipperies shot off at once as if a hundred of the flying dogs were after them! Mollie laughed.

aPeter! That's not really a whistle for flying dogs, is it?a aNo, of course not. But I had to get rid of them somehow,a said Peter. aI had a feeling they were going to trick us with their silly smiles and rubbing hands and odd eyesa"so I had to think of some way of tricking them instead. Wella"they've gone. Good riddance to them.a aI wish c.h.i.n.ky would come,a said Mollie, sitting down in the chair again. aHe's been ages. And it's all a waste of time, his going to find his Great-Aunt, if she's at the market. We shall have to go there, I expect, and carry the chair all the way.a aWhy, there is c.h.i.n.ky!a said Peter, waving. aOh, good, he's dancing and smiling. He's got the spell to make another wing grow.a aThen his Great-Aunt couldn't have gone to market! a said Mollie. aHey, c.h.i.n.ky! Have you got the spell? Was your Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers in?a aYesa"and awfully pleased to see me,a said c.h.i.n.ky, running up. aAnd she gave me just enough magic to make another wing grow, so we shan't be long now.a aFive Slipperies came up, and they said your Great-Aunt always goes to market on Thursdays,a said Mollie.

aYou can't believe a word they say,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aI told you that. My word, I'm glad they didn't trick you in any way. They usually trick everyone, no matter how clever they may bea aWell, they didn't trick us,a said Peter.

aWe were much too smart for thema"weren't we, Mollie?a aYes. They wanted to sit in the chair when they knew it was a Wishing-Chair,a said Mollie. aBut we wouldn't let them.a aI should think not,a said c.h.i.n.ky. He showed the children a little blue box. aLooka"I've got a smear of ointment here that is just enough to grow a red wing to match the other wings. Then the chair will be quite all right.a aWell, let's rub it on,a said Peter. c.h.i.n.ky knelt down by the chaira"and then he gave a cry of horror.

aWhat's the matter?a said the children, in alarm.

aLooka"somebody has cut off the other three wings of the chair! a groaned c.h.i.n.ky. aCut them right off short. There's only a stump left of each.a Mollie and Peter stared in horror. Sure enough the other three wings had been cut right off. But how? And when? Who could have done it? The children had been with the chair the whole time.

aI do think you might have kept a better guard on the chair,a said c.h.i.n.ky crossly. aI really do. Didn't I warn you about the ways of the Slipperies? Didn't I say you couldn't trust them? Didn't I . . .a aOh, c.h.i.n.kya"but when could it have been done?a cried Mollie. aI tell you, we were here the whole of the time.a aStanding by the chair?a asked c.h.i.n.ky.

aYesa"or on it,a said Peter.

aOn it! Whatever did you stand on it, for?a said c.h.i.n.ky, puzzled. aTo stop the Slipperies sitting down?a aNoa"to see your Great-Aunt's flying-dogs,a said Peter. aThe Slipperies said they were over there, and if we would stand up on the chair seat we could just see them flying around. But we couldn't.a aOf course you couldn't.a said c.h.i.n.ky. aAnd for a very good reason, tooa"they're all at the cottage with my Great-Aunt. I saw them!a aOha"the dreadful story-tellers! a cried Mollie. aPetera"it was a trick! Whilst we were standing up there trying to see the dogs, one of the Slipperies must have quietly snipped off the three wings and put them in his pocket.a aOf course!a said c.h.i.n.ky. aVery simplea"and you're a pair of simpletons to get taken in by such a silly trick.a Mollie and Peter went very red. aWhat shall we do?a asked Peter. aI'm very sorry about it. Poor old chaira"one wing not grown and the other three snipped away. It's a shame.a aThank goodness c.h.i.n.ky has the Growing Ointment for wings,a said Mollie.

aYesa"but I've only got just enough for one wing,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aOne wing isn't going to take us very far, is it?a aNo,a said Mollie. aWhatever are we going to do?a aI shall have to ask Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers for some more growing ointment, that's all,a said c.h.i.n.ky, gloomily. aAnd this time you can come with me, and bring the chair too. If I leave you here alone with it. you'll get tricked again, and I shall come back and find the legs are gone next time, and I can't even grow wings on them!a aIt's not nice of you to keep on and on about it, c.h.i.n.ky,a said Mollie, lifting up the chair with Peter. aWe're very sorry. We didn't know quite how clever the Slipperies were. Oooha"horrid creatures, with their odd eyes and deceitful smiles.a They followed c.h.i.n.ky down the road and along a lane. Soon he came to his Great-Aunt's cottage. It was very snug and small. To Mollie's enormous delight, five or six little brown dogs, rather like spaniels, were flying about the garden on small white wings. They barked loudly and flew to the three of them.

aNow, nowa"these are friends of mine,a said c.h.i.n.ky, and patted the nearest dog, which was flying round his head. aDon't lick my ears too mucha"I haven't brought a towel with me!a It was strange to have the little dogs sailing about the air like gulls! One flew up to Mollie and rested its front paws on her shoulder. She laughed, and the dog licked her face. Then off it flew again, and chased after a sparrow, barking madly.

Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers came to the door, looking-surprised. aWhy, c.h.i.n.kya"back again so soon!a she said. aWhat's happened?a c.h.i.n.ky told her. aSo you see, Great-Aunt, now that the poor chair has lost all its wings, I'm afraid that the Growing Ointment you gave me won't be enough,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aI'm so sorry.a aWell, wella"it takes a very clever person to see through the Slippery ways,a said his Great-Aunt. aYou'd better come in and have tea now you're all here. I've got some treacle tarts in the oven, they'll be just ready.a This sounded good. The children put down the Wishing-Chair and Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers got the little treacle tarts out of the oven. aThere you are,a she said. aGet your fingers nice and sticky with those! I'll go and make some more Growing Ointment for you. It won't take long.a She disappeared, and the children sat and munched the lovely treacle tarts. aBest I've ever tasted,a said Peter. aI do like your Great-Aunt, c.h.i.n.ky.a Just at the moment she came back, with a fairly large jar. She handed it to c.h.i.n.ky. aThere you are. Use that and see what happens. But remember, you can only use it once on anything. The spell doesn't act twice. It's no good trying to use the ointment another time on the chair, to make it grow wings, because it won't be any use.a c.h.i.n.ky dipped his finger into the jar of ointment. It was curious stuff, bright yellow with green streaks in it.

He rubbed some on to a chair leg and immediately a most wonderful wing sprouted out, big and strong!

aI saya"it isn't red, as it always is!a cried Mollie. aIt's green and yellowa"and a much bigger wing than before. I say, chair, you will look grand. Make another wing come, c.h.i.n.ky.a Soon the Wishing-Chair had four grand green and yellow wings, much bigger than its old red ones. It waved them about proudly.

aYou'd better get in the chair and go before it tries its new wings out by itself,a said Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers. So in they all got, c.h.i.n.ky on the back, as usuala"and off they went!

aHome, Chair, home!a cried everyone, and it rose high in the air, and flew off to the west. aGoodbye and thank you very much,a cried c.h.i.n.ky and the children, and Great-Aunt waved till they were out of sight.

aWell, that was quite a nice little adventure,a said Peter. aAnd the chair's got some wonderful new wings. I do hope they'll always grow like this in future a"big and strong, and all green and yellow!a

Mollie and the Growing Ointment.

THE children were very pleased with the chair's beautiful new green and yellow wings. aThey're much better than the little red ones it used to grow,a said Peter. aYour Great-Aunt's Growing Ointment is marvellous stuff, c.h.i.n.ky. I only hope the chair will grow its wings much oftener now.a The green and yellow wings disappeared, of course, as soon as they were all safely at home again. The chair stood still in its place, looking quite ordinary. The children patted it.

aGood old Wishing-Chair. Grow your wings again soon. You haven't taken us to the Land of Goodness Knows Where yet, you know!a The chair didn't grow its wings again that week. Friday came, Sat.u.r.day, Sunday, Monday. The children grew tired of asking c.h.i.n.ky if the chair was growing its wings yet.

On Tuesday a spell of rainy weather began. It really was too wet to play any games out of doors at all. The children went down to their playroom day after day to play with c.h.i.n.ky, and that was fun. But on Friday c.h.i.n.ky said he really must go and see how his dear old mother was.

aI haven't seen her since I came back to you with the chair,a he said. aI must go today.a aOh, bother! We shall have to do without you,a said Mollie. aJust suppose the chair grows its wings, c.h.i.n.ky, and you're not here.a aWell, that's easy,a said c.h.i.n.ky, with a grin. aSimply sit in it and wish it to go to my mother's. She will be very pleased to see you, and then we can all three of us go adventuring somewhere.a aOh, yesa"we'll do that, if only the chair grows wings,a said Peter. aWell, goodbye, c.h.i.n.ky. Will you be back tonight?a aYes,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aI'll be sleeping on the old sofa as usual, don't worry. I'm not taking my wand with me, by the way, so keep an eye on it, will you?a c.h.i.n.ky had just bought a new wand, a very useful one that had quite a bit of magic in it. He was very proud of it, and kept it in the cupboard with the toys and games.

aYesa"we'll look after it for you,a said Peter. aAnd we won't use it, we promise.a aI know you won't,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aWell, see you tonight.a Off he went to catch the bus to his mother's cottage, dressed in his mackintosh and sou'wester. The children felt decidedly dull when he had gone.

aGame of ludo, Mollie?a said Peter.

aNo. I'm bored with ludo today,a said Mollie. aAnd with reading, and with my dolls, and with your railway...a aWell, you're not going to be very good company, then,a said Peter, taking down a book. aI'll read. You can tell me when you've finished being bored with everything and we'll think up an exciting game.a Mollie lay down on the rug and shut her eyes. What a pity it had rained and rained so long. Even if the Wishing-Chair grew its wings, it wouldn't be much fun going out in the rain. They would have to take an umbrella with them.

Mollie opened her eyes and looked out of the window. Why, the sun was shininga"and yet it was still raining. There ought to be a rainbow, then!

She looked out of the playroom door to see and, sure enough, there was a rainbow arching over the sky, a very brilliant one indeed.

aI say, Peter, look at this rainbow,a said Mollie. aIt's glorious. Oha"wouldn't it be lovely to fly off to a rainbow in the Wishing-Chair! If it looks as beautiful as this far away, whatever would it look like very near to us? Oh, I do wish the Wishing-Chair would grow its wings this very afternoona"then we could really go to the rainbow.a Peter took no notice. He was deep in his book. Mollie felt cross. Peter really might answer her when she spoke! She wandered round the room and opened a little cupboard where c.h.i.n.ky kept some of his things. There on the shelf was the jar of Growing Ointment that Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers had given him to make the wings of the Wishing-Chair sprout again.

Mollie took down the jar and opened the lid. There was plenty of ointment lefta"yellow with streaks of green in it. She wondered if perhaps it would make the chair's wings grow again, although c.h.i.n.ky's Great-Aunt had said it only acted once on anything.

aI'll try it,a thought Mollie. aAnd I won't tell Peter! If the wings grow, I'll fly off in the Wishing-Chair without him, and go to c.h.i.n.ky's alone. That will serve him right for not answering when I speak to him!a She went over to the Wishing-Chair and rubbed a little of the ointment on one of the front legs. Nothing happened at all. She couldn't feel even a tiny bud of a wing beginning to grow.

She tried the ointment on another chair leg. That was no good either. Oh, wella"the growing ointment certainly didn't act twice. Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers was right.

Then a wonderful thought came to Mollie. Why shouldn't she try a little of the magic ointment on something else? She looked round. Her dolls, for instance! Oh, if only she could make wings grow on Rosebud, her prettiest doll. That would be really wonderful.

Feeling very excited, Mollie took her doll Rosebud from her cot. She rubbed a little of the green and yellow ointment on to her backa"and, hey presto, wing-buds began to forma"and little green and yellow wings sprouted out on the doll's back.

And she suddenly left Mollie's knee and flewa"yes, flewa"round the playroom. She flew near Peter and he felt the wind of her little wings. He looked upa"and his eyes almost dropped out of his head as he saw Rosebud flying gaily round the room!

aI say,a he said. aI saya"looka"I say!a Mollie laughed in delight and tried to catch the doll as she flew past. aI've put some of the Growing Ointment on her back,a she said. aYou knowa"what c.h.i.n.ky's Great Aunt gave him for growing wings on the Wishing-Chair. And Rosebud grew wings!a aWell, I never!a said Peter in amazement, and they both watched the flying doll flap her little wings and go round and round the room.

aI saya"do you think my engine would grow wings, too?a said Peter suddenly. He had a wonderful clockwork engine, a perfect model that he was very proud of.

aOh, yesa"let's try and see,a said Mollie. So they got the engine and Peter smeared a little of the ointment on to it. It sprouted out small wings at once!

It flew from Peter's hand and joined the doll. The children laughed till their sides ached to see the two toys behaving like this. They really did look extraordinary.

And then Mollie and Peter went quite mad with the ointment. They smeared it on to a top and that flew round the room, spinning as it went! They smeared the skittles and they all shot round and round, some of them b.u.mping into one another in the air.

They made some of the little toy soldiers fly, and they even gave the bricks in their brick box wings to fly with. All these things flapped their way round the room, and Mollie and Peter screamed with laughter as they tried to dodge the flying toys.

Mollie went to the toy cupboard to see if any toy was there that could be made to fly as well. She picked up c.h.i.n.ky's new wand and put it on one sidea"but, dear me, her fingers were smeared with the Growing Ointment and the wand at once grew tiny, graceful green and yellow wings, too! It flew out of the cupboard and joined the flying toys.

aOh deara"there goes the wand,a said Mollie. aI do hope c.h.i.n.ky won't mind. I just touched it by accident with the ointment smeared on my fingers, and it grew wings.a aLooka"I've made the teapot fly,a said Peter, and roared with laughter to see it flapping its way round the room. aLook at the skittles colliding again.a The wind suddenly blew the door wide open. Then a dreadful thing happened. Rosebud the doll, the railway engine, the skittles, the bricks, the top, the teapot, the wand, in fact everything that had grown wings shot straight out of the open door, flew down to the bottom of the garden and vanished!

aOoooh!a said Mollie in fright.

aThey've gone,a said Peter, and rushed to the open door. But he could see nothing. No Rosebud was there, no engine, nothing. They had all vanished into the blue.

aOh deara"shall we get them back?a said Mollie. aWhy did I ever begin to smear the Growing Ointment on anything? It was a very silly idea. Now I've lost Rosebud.a aAnd what about my lovely model engine?a said Peter. aAnd I saya"c.h.i.n.ky's magic wand has gone, too!a They stared at one another in dismay. c.h.i.n.ky's new wand, that he had saved up for and was so proud of! It had grown wings and now it had flown out of the door and vanished, too. This was dreadful.

aWe shall have to tell c.h.i.n.ky when he gets back tonight, and ask him if we can possibly get the things back,a said Mollie. aIf we knew where they had gone we could go and fetch them. Do you suppose they've gone to Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers?a They said no more to one another, but sat solemnly side by side, hoping and hoping that the things would fly back as unexpectedly as they had flown away. But they didn't.

c.h.i.n.ky came back at half-past six, looking very merry and bright, and bringing a big chocolate cake from his mother. He stopped when he saw their doleful faces.

aWhat's up?a he said. aAnything happened?a They told him, and c.h.i.n.ky listened in astonishment. He leapt to his feet when they spoke about his wand.

aWHAT! You don't mean to tell me you were silly enough to meddle with my wanda"surely you didn't make my wand grow wings, too!a aIt was an accident,a said poor Mollie. aI must have had some of the ointment on my fingers when I moved ita"and so it grew wings, too. I'm so sorry, c.h.i.n.ky.a aWhere have the things gone, c.h.i.n.ky?a asked Peter.

aI don't know,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aI haven't the least idea. All I can say isa"the next time the Wishing-Chair grows its wings, we'll have to tell it to go wherever the toys have gonea"but goodness knows where it will take us to!a

Off to Find the Toys.