Magic Faraway Tree (9 page)

 

   
Dick took a big Toffee Shock, for he was rather a greedy boy. He popped it into
his mouth and sucked hard. It tasted most delicious. But it seemed to get bigger
and bigger.

 

   
Dick tried to tell the others this, for it surprised him very much. But the Toffee
Shock was now so big that he could hardly talk.
"Ooble, ooble, ooble!" he said.

 

   
"What language are you talking, Dick?' asked Moon-Face, with a giggle.

 

   
Dick looked really alarmed. His toffee was now so enormous that he could hardly
find room in his mouth for it. And then suddenly it exploded -and his mouth was
quite empty.

 

   
"Ooooh!" said Dick, opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish.
"Oooh!"
"Don't you like your sweet?" said Silky, trying not to giggle. "Well,
spit it out if you like, and have another."
"It's gone!" said Dick. Then he saw the others laughing, and he guessed
that Toffee Shocks were not quite the usual kind of sweets. He began to laugh,
too. "Goodness, that did frighten me!" he said. "I say, wouldn't
I like to give the master at my old school a Toffee Shock!"
Moon-Face looked at his clock. "Old Saucepan is a long time," he said.
"It's half-past three now, and he promised to be really quick."
"Hallo-here's somebody coming now," said Moon-Face, hearing footsteps
on the ladder that led up through the cloud. "Perhaps if s old Saucepan.
But I can't hear his kettles clanking!"
Down the ladder came a wooden soldier. He saluted as he went past.

 

   
"Hie, hie!" shouted Moon-Face suddenly. "Wait a minute! How is
it that you live in the Land of Goodies?"
"I don't," said the wooden soldier, in surprise. "I live in the
Land of Toys."
"What! Is the Land of Toys up there now?" cried Moon-Face, standing
up in astonishment.

 

   
"Of course!" said the soldier. "The Land of Goodies doesn't arrive
till next week."
"Goodness!" groaned Moon-Face, as the soldier disappeared down the tree.
"Old Saucepan has made a mistake. He's gone to the Land of Toys instead of
to the Land of Goodies. I expect he is hunting everywhere for nice things to bring
down to us-he's such a dear old stupid that he wouldn't know it wasn't the right
land."
"We'd better go and tell him," said Silky. "You children can stay
here till we come back, and then we'll have a nice tea of Pop Biscuits and Google
Buns. Help yourself to Toffee Shocks whilst we are gone."
"We'll come too," said Bessie, jumping up. "The Land of Toys sounds
exciting. I wish we'd brought Peronel, our doll. She would have loved to visit
the Land of Toys."
"I suppose it isn't at all a dangerous land!"' said Jo. "Just toys
come alive?"
"Of course it's not dangerous," said Silky.

 

   
They all went up the ladder. They were very anxious to see what the Land of Toys
was like. It was exactly as they imagined it!
Dolls' houses, toy sweet shops, toy forts, toy railway stations stood about everywhere,
but much bigger than proper toys. Golliwogs, teddy bears, dolls of all kinds,
stuffed animals and clockwork toys ran or walked about, talking and laughing.

 

   
"I say! This is fun!" said Bessie. "Oh, look at those wooden soldiers
all walking in a row!"
The children stared round, but Moon-Face pulled their arms.

 

   
"Come on," he said. "We've got to find out where the old Saucepan
Man has got to! I can't see him anywhere."
The six of them wandered about the Land of Toys. Clockwork animals ran everywhere.
A big Noah's Ark suddenly opened its lid and let out scores of wooden animals
walking in twos. Noah came behind, humming.

 

   
The Saucepan Man was simply nowhere to be seen. "I'd better ask someone if
they've seen him," said Moon-Face at last. So he stopped a big golliwog and
spoke to him.

 

   
"Have you seen a little man hung about with kettles and saucepans?"
he asked.

 

   
"Yes," said the golliwog at once. "He's bad. He tried to steal
some sweets out of the sweet shop over there."
"I'm sure Saucepan wouldn't steal a thing!" said Jo angrily.

 

   
"Well, he did," said the golliwog. "I saw him."
"I know what happened," said Moon-Face, suddenly. "Old Saucepan
thought this was the Land of Goodies. He didn't know it was the Land of Toys.
So when he saw the sweet shop he thought he could take as many as he liked. You
can in the Land of Goodies, you know. And people must have thought he was stealing."
"Oh, dear," said Silky, in dismay. "Golliwog, what happened to
the Saucepan Man?"
"The policeman came up and took him off to prison," said the golliwog.
"There's the policeman over there. You can ask him all about it."
The golliwog went off. The children, Moon-Face and Silky went over to the policeman.
He told them it was quite true what the golliwog had said Saucepan had tried to
take sweets out of the sweet shop, and he had been locked up.

 

   
"Oh, we must rescue him!" cried Jo at once. "Where is he?"
"You must certainly not rescue him," said the policeman crossly. "I
shan't tell you where he is!"
And no matter how much the children begged him, he would NOT tell them where he
had put poor Saucepan.

 

   
"Well, we must just go and look for him ourselves, that's all," said
Jo. And the six of them wandered off through the Land of Toys, shouting loudly
as they went.

 

   
"Saucepan! Dear old Saucepan! Where are you?'
14-An Exciting Rescue.

 

   
The children, Moon-Face and Silky went down the crooked streets of the Land of
Toys, calling the old Saucepan Man.

 

   
"Of course, Saucepan is very deaf," said Jo.

 

   
"He might not hear us calling him, even if he were locked up somewhere quite
near."
They went on again, shouting and calling. The toys hurrying by stared at them
in astonishment.

 

   
"Why do you keep calling 'Saucepan, Saucepan'?" asked a beautifully
dressed doll. "Are you selling saucepans, or something?"
"No," said Jo. "We're looking for a friend."
Just then Silky heard something. She clutched Jo's arm. "Sh!" she said.
"Listen! Do listen!"
Everyone stood still and listened. Then, floating on the air came a well-known
voice, singing a silly song:
"Two trees in a teapot, Two spoons in a pie, Two clocks up the chimney. Hi-tiddly-hie!"
"It's Saucepan!" cried Jo. "Nobody but Saucepan sings those silly
songs. Where is he?"
They looked all round. There was a toy fort not far off, but, of course, much
bigger than a proper toy fort. The song seemed to come from there.

 

   
"Two mice on a lamp-post, Two hums in a bee. Two shoes on a rabbit. Hi-tiddly-hee!"
Jo laughed loudly. "I never knew such a stupid song in my life," he
said. "I can't think how
old Saucepan can make it up. It's coming from that fort. That's where he is locked
up."
Everyone looked at the red-painted fort. Soldiers walked up and down on it. A
drawbridge was pulled up so that no one could go in or out. When a soldier wanted
to go out the drawbridge was let down and the soldier stepped over it. Then it
was pulled up again.

 

   
"Well, Saucepan is certainly in there," said Moon-Face. "And, by
the way, don't call to him, any of you. We don't want the guards to know that
there are any friends of his here -else they may guess we'll try and rescue him."
"Oh, do let's try and let him know we're here," said Bessie. "He
would be so very, very glad. He must feel so worried and unhappy."
"I know a way of telling him we are here, without anyone guessing we are
friends of his," said Jo suddenly. "Listen."
He stood and thought for a moment. Then he raised his voice and sang a little
song:
"Two boys in the high-road, Two girls in the street, Two friends feeling
sorry. Tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet!"
Everyone roared with laughter. "It's very clever, Jo," said Dick. "Two
boys-Saucepan will know that's you and me-two girls-that's Bessie and Fanny-two
friends, Silky and Moon-Face! Saucepan will know we're all here!"
A frightful noise came from the fort-a clanging and a banging, a clanking and
crashing. Everyone listened.

 

   
"That's old Saucepan dancing round madly to let us know he heard and understood,"
said Jo. "Now the thing is-how are we going to rescue him?"
They walked down the street, talking, trying to think of some good way to save
poor Saucepan. They came to a clothes shop. In it were dolls' clothes of all sorts.
In the window was a set of sailor's clothes, too. Jo stared at them.

 

   
"Now, I wonder," he said. "I just wonder if they've got any soldier's
clothes. Moon-Face, lend me your big purse if it's got any money in."
Moon-Face put his large purse into Jo's hand. Jo disappeared into the shop. He
came out with three sets of bright red soldier's uniforms, with big, black, furry
bearskins for hats.

 

   
"Come on," he said in excitement. "Come somewhere that we shan't
be seen."
They all hurried down the street and came to a field where some toy cows stood
grazing.

 

   
They climbed over the gate and went behind the hedge. "Dick, see if this
uniform will fit you," said Jo. "I'll put this one on."
"But Jo-Jo-what are you going to do?" asked Bessie in surprise.

 

   
"I should have thought you could have guessed," said Jo, putting on
the uniform quickly. "We're going to see if we can march into the fort and
get old Saucepan out! I should think they will let down the drawbridge for us
if we are dressed like soldiers."
"Is this third suit for me?" asked Moon-Face, excitedly.

 

   
"No, Moon-Face," said Jo. "I didn't think you'd look a bit like
a soldier, even if you were dressed like one. You must stay outside and look after
the girls. This third suit is for old Saucepan. The soldiers wouldn't let us take
him out of the fort all hung round with kettles and saucepans! They would know
it was the prisoner and would stop him. He'll have to take off his kettles and
things and dress in this. Then, maybe we can rescue him quite easily."
"Jo, you are really very, very clever," said Silky.
Jo felt very pleased. He buckled his belt, and put on his black bearskin. My word,
he did look grand! So did Dick.

 

   
"Now we're ready," said Jo. "Moon-Face, if by any chance Dick and
I are caught, you must take the girls safely back to the Tree. See?"
"I see," said Moon-Face. "Good luck, boys!"
Everyone went out of the field and walked back to the fort. When they got near
it, Dick and Jo began to march very well, indeed. Left, right, left, right, left,
right!
They came to the fort. "Soldier, let down the drawbridge!" yelled Jo,
in his loudest and most commanding voice. The sentinel peered over the wall of
the fort. When he saw two such smart soldiers, he saluted at once, and set to
work to let down the drawbridge. Crash! It fell flat to the ground, and Dick and
Jo walked over it into the fort.

 

   
Creak, creeeee-eak! The drawbridge was drawn up again. Jo and Dick marched right
into the fort. Soldiers saluted at once.

 

   
"I wish to talk to the prisoner here," said Jo.

 

   
"Yes, captain," said a wooden soldier, saluting. He took a key from
his belt and gave it to Jo. "First door on the right, sir," he said.
"Be careful. He may be fierce."
"Thanks, my man," said Jo, and marched to the first door on the right.
He unlocked it and he and Dick went in and shut the door. Saucepan was there!
When he saw the two soldiers, he fell on his knees.

 

   
"Set me free, set me free!" he begged. "I did not mean to steal
the sweets. I thought this was the Land of Goodies."
"Saucepan! It's us!" whispered Jo, taking off his helmet so that Saucepan
could see him plainly. "We've come to save you. Put on this uniform, quick!"
"But what about my kettles and saucepans?" said Saucepan. "I can't
leave them behind."
"Don't be silly. You'll have to," said Jo. "Quick, Dick, help him
off with them."
The two boys stripped off every pan and made Saucepan dress up in the red uniform.
He trembled so much with excitement that they had to do up every button for him.

 

   
"Now march close to us and don't say a word," said Jo, when Saucepan
was ready. His kettles and saucepans lay in a heap on the floor. He fell over
them as he scrambled across to Jo and Dick. Jo opened the door. All three marched
out, keeping in step. Left, right, left, right, left, right!
The other soldiers in the fort looked up but saw nothing but three of their comrades
-or so they thought. Jo shouted to the sentinel:
"Let down the drawbridge!"
"Very good, captain!" cried the sentinel, and let it down with a crash.
Jo, Dick and Saucepan marched out at once. Left, right, left, right, left, right.

 

   
Moon-Face and the girls could hardly believe that the third soldier was old Saucepan.
He did look so different in uniform, without his pans
hung all round him. Silky flew to hug him.

 

   
And then the sentinel of the fort yelled out in a loud voice: "I believe
that's the prisoner! I believe he's escaped! Hie, hie, after them!"
"Goodness! Run! run!" cried Jo, at once. And they all ran. How they
ran! Soldiers poured out of the fort after them, golliwogs and teddy bears joined
in the chase, and dolls of all kinds pattered behind on their small feet.

 

   
"To the hole in the cloud!" shouted Jo. "Run, Bessie; run, Fanny!
Oh, I do hope we get there in time!"
15-A Shock for the Toys.

 

   
How the children and the others ran! They knew quite well that if they were caught
they would be put into the toy fort-and then the Land of Toys would move away
from the Faraway Tree, and goodness knew how long they might have to stay there!
So they ran at top speed. Fanny fell behind a little, and Jo caught her hand to
help her. Panting and puffing, they raced down the streets of the Land of Toys,
trying to remember where the hole led down through the cloud to the Faraway Tree.

 

   
Jo remembered the way. He led them all to the hole-and there was the ladder, thank
goodness! "Down you go!" cried the boy to Silky, Bessie
and Fanny. "Hurry! Get into Moon-Face's room quickly."
Down the girls went, and then Dick, Moon-Face, Saucepan and Jo. Jo only just got
down in time, for a large golliwog, with very long legs, had almost caught them
up-and as Jo went down he reached out and tried to catch Jo's collar.