Blyton Enid 406 Sunny Stories Mr Pink Whistle and the Eggs

8/8/2019 Blyton Enid 406 Sunny Stories Mr Pink Whistle and the Eggs

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(Mr. Pink-whistle is a funny little man with pointed ears, half a brownieand half human. He can make himself invisible if he wants to. He goes about theworld putting wrong things right.}

ANNABELLE had five hens. Granpa had given them to her on her lastbirthday, when they were quite small. Now they were big, and just beginning to

lay. Annabelle was delighted. " Mummy, you shall have an egg for your

breakfast every day !" she said. " And so shall Daddy. And I will take two round

to Granny and Granpa every day, and there will be one egg for my breakfast,

too. You will lay me five eggs, won't you, little red hens ? "

The five hens looked at Annabelle and clucked. They liked this little girl

who fed them each day, gave them fresh water, and cleaned out their house three

times a week. They liked the way she talked to them, too. So they all clucked

back, and Annabelle knew quite well what they said.

" They say they will certainly lay me five eggs every day," she told her

mother.

They did. Each morning when Annabelle went to look in the nesting-

boxes there were five smooth brown eggs. Not very big ones, because the hens

were very young, but, oh, how delicious they tasted !

Daddy and Mummy had one each day. So did Annabelle. She took two

round to Granny and Granpa, always the biggest two, because it was Granpa

who had given her the little red hens.

And then one morning when Annabelle went to look for the eggs there

was not a single one! All the nesting-boxes were empty. What a shock for

Annabelle. She stared at the empty boxes and then at the hens." Why haven't you laid me any eggs ? " she said.

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Mr. Pink-whistle and the Eggs

The hens clucked loudly. " Cuck-cuck-cuck, we did, we did ! " they said.

" You didn't," said Annabelle. " There aren't any at all. Please lay me

some to-morrow."But there weren't any the next day either. Annabelle couldn't understand

it. " Perhaps someone is taking them," she thought. " Oh, dear, what a horrid

thing to do."

The next day there were no eggs again. Annabelle cried bitterly. " It's a

shame ! " she said to the hens. " I am sure somebody is stealing your eggs. It's a

shame ! You are my own hens, and you lay beautiful eggs that are mineand

now somebody else is taking them."

A big black cat with green eyes was wandering by, not far from the hen-

house. It stopped when it heard Annabelle crying, and listened to what she said.

Then it ran off quickly to its master. The cat was Sooty, Mr. Pink-

whistle's own cat. It mewed for its master, and Mr. Pink-whistle came hurrying

from the kitchen, where he was busy cleaning out his larder.

"A job for you to do, Master!" mewed Sooty. "You leave the larder to me.

I'll clean it all right! I've found a better job for you to do than that."

" What is it ? " asked Mr. Pink-whistle. " Is it something I can put right ? I

haven't done a job like that for some time."

" Yes, you can put it right, I expect," said Sooty, and told Mr. Pink-

whistle what had happened to Annabelle. " She's such a dear little girl," said

Sooty. " And somebody is really being very unkind, Master, to steal all hereggs."

" I'll soon put that right!" said Mr. Pink-whistle, briskly. " Where does she

live ? Oh, not very far away. That's good."

Now, the next morning, just as it was beginning to get light, Mr. Pink-

whistle went out. He made his way to Annabelle's house. Just as he turned in at

her front gate he made himself invisible. Hey, presto ! One moment he was

there, and the next he was not. At least, he was, but nobody could see him.

He went down the garden to the hen-house. Scamp, the dog, heard him

and smelt him, but couldn't see him. He growled a little in fright but didn't bark.Mr. Pink-whistle went right to the bottom of the garden, where a tall

hedge stood. Just beside it was the hen-house. Mr. Pink-whistle had a look

round. Nobody about just yet. He opened the hen-house door and felt in the

nesting-boxes. Four eggs alreadyand a hen sitting in the fifth box !

He went out and shut the door softly. Then he stood on the path and

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waited in the dim light. He felt

certain that the thief would soon be

coming along, whoever he was.Then, very softly and silently,

so that even Scamp's sharp ears heard

no sound, somebody came through a

gap in the hedge. Pink-whistle

looked at him. Dear, dearwho ever

would have thought him to be the

thief?

" It's Mr. Smarmy," said Pink-

whistle to himself. " He goes to

church. He sings hymns very loudly

indeed. He always shakes his head

and looks shocked when he hears of

someone who has done wrong. And

all the time he is taking little

Annabelle's eggs ! "

Mr. Smarmy was well-dressed

and neat. Even coming through the

hedge had not made him untidy. He

tiptoed to the henhouse, opened thedoor, and felt about for eggs. One, two, three, four, five. Good! He put them

carefully into his five pockets, and then went out. He backed through the hedge,

and pulled the branches together behind him. He was gone.

" So it's Mr. Smarmy," said Pink-whistle again. " I never did like him.

Always so down on other people. Always finding fault with his gentle little

wife. Always pretending to be so good and proper. Dear, dearwhat a very

horrid fellow, to be sure. I never did like deceitful people. Now what's to be

done ? "

Pink-whistle went off to his own home. He went to his larder and lookedin the egg-rack. There were six eggs there. He took five of them. He went back

to the hen-house and popped them into the nesting-boxes. " Now Annabelle

won't be disappointed!" he said. " And to-morrow I'll play a nice little trick on

Mr. Smarmy."

The eggs were white ones, not brown. Annabelle was most astonished

when she found them that morning. " Look, Mummy!" she said.

" There are eggs this morning all rightbut they are white, not brown.

Isn't that funny ? "

Now, that day Mr. Pink-whistle spent in a very queer way. He made

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Mr. Pink-whistle and the Eggs

five magic eggs, and how he chuckled as he made them. Sooty watched

him and chuckled too.

Early the next morning Mr. Pink-whistle went along to Annabelle's hen-house again. There were five brown eggs there. He put them carefully into his

pocket, and then put five magic eggs into the nesting-' boxes instead. Then, quite

invisible, he waited for Mr. Smarmy to come along. The thief came silently

through the hedge. He went into the hen-house and put the eggs carefully into

his five pockets. Then he went out again.

Mr. Pink-whistle chuckled once more. He waited till Mr. Smarmy had

gone, then he popped back into the hen-house and put the brown eggs from his

pocket into the nesting-boxes. Annabelle would find them there, quite safely.

Then he went home to breakfast. Sooty had got it ready for him. The big

black cat laughed when he heard what his master had done.

" One of the magic eggs will go POP very loudly indeed," said Mr. Pink-

whistle. " One will burst and make a very horrible smell. One will mew like a

cat. One will cluck like a hen, and the last one will grow tiny legs and run all

over Mr. Smarmy."

Sooty giggled, and when a cat giggles it sounds very funny indeed. " I

wish I was going to see all that," said

Sooty.

"Well, I'm going to!" said Mr.

Pink-whistle. " I want to see Mr.Smarmy taught a lesson. It's quite time

he was ! "

Now, Mr. Smarmy, after he had

taken the eggs, went to his sister Lucy's

for breakfast. He didn't give her any of

the eggs. Oh, no ! He was going to take

those home, after he had done his work

that day, and ask his wife to make a

nice fat omelette for him." I've got a busy day, Lucy," he

said. " Got to see a lot of important

people. Mustn't be late at the office.

The first meeting is at half-past nine."

Mr. Smarmy arrived there at just

before half-past nine. But he

MR. PINK-WHISTLE TOLD SOOTY' WHAT

HEHADDONE.Sunny Stories

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couldn't take any of the eggs out of his pockets., because two of the men he

was going to meet had already arrived.

" Good morning ! " said Mr. Smarmy. " Nice and early ! Aha ! Here are theothers, too ! "

Soon seven men were sitting down round the tableand an eighth, whocould not be seen, was standing opposite Mr. Smarmy. That was Mr. Pink-whistle,

of course, who had made himself invisible, and was at the meeting unknown to

anyone.

The meeting began. Mr. Smarmy wanted to ask the six men round him tolend him money for his business, so he was very polite indeed. Everyone listened to

him quietlytill the first egg went POP." POP !". It burst with a loud noise, rather like a paper bag when it is blown

up and goes bang. Everyone jumped and looked at Mr. Smarmy. He looked

alarmed. " What was that ? " he said." It sounded as if it came from somewhere about you," said one man. " Good

gracious, look! What's that mess trickling out of one of your pockets ? Looks like

egg ! "It was egg, of course. Mr. Smarmy looked down in disgust at the yellow

mess that was seeping out of his pocket. How horrible ! That egg must have beenbad, to blow up like that!

He tried to wipe the mess away with his clean handkerchief. Then another

egg began its magic work. It mewed like a cat! " Mew-ew-ew-ew ! Mew-ew-ew-

ew! "

" There's a cat somewhere," said one of the men. ""Sounds as if vou've got it

on your knee, Mr. Smarmy.

" Mew - ew - ew - ew ! " Mr.

Smarmy jumped up in alarm, for the

noise came from somewhere about

him, there was no doubt of that. And

then the mewing egg went off with a

pop just as the other one had done !

Everyone jumped at the POP,

and stared at another yellow messcoming from a pocket the other side

of Mr. Smarmy's coat. " Is this some

kind of a joke? " asked a man.

" Nono ! I assure you I can't

imagine what is happening ! " saidpoor Mr. Smarmy, " Oh, dear there

goes another one ! "

I CANT IMAGINE WHAT IS POP ! " Another egg burst,

HAPPENING! SAID SMARMY;Mr. Pink-whistle and the Eggs

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and this time there was such a terrible smell that everyone got out their

handkerchiefs at once. " Pooh," said one of the men. " Smarmy, do you often

carry bad eggs about ? I hope you are not a bad egg yourself! Pooh! What a

fearful smell."

Mr. Smarmy was most distressed. This meeting was not going at all well.Blow those eggs ! He wished he hadn't taken them that morning. They must all

be bad ones. He heard a little chuckle close to his ear and turned in alarm.

It was Mr. Pink-whistle, but, of course, Mr. Smarmy couldn't see him.

Pink-whistle was having a lovely time. What a joke ! It was nice to see a horrid

person like Mr. Smarmy getting into trouble like this.

The meeting went on again, after Mr. Smarmy had tried to clean himself

up. And then the fourth egg began to cluck like a hen. It went off very loudly

indeed.

" Cuck-cuck-cuck-cuck-cuck ! Cuck-cuck-cuck-cuck-cuck! CUCK-

CUCK!"

" Good gracious ! He's got a hen in his pocket now ! " cried one of themen. " Smarmy, what is the meaning of this ? Is this the way to get us to lendmoney to youto play idiotic tricks of this kind ? "

" Sir, I assure you-----" began poor Mr. Smarmy, clutching in alarm at

the egg that was clucking, but before he could finish it went POP, too !

And then there was another yellow mess to be cleared up!

" Do you always carry bad eggs about with you ? " asked one of the men.

" Have you any more ? If so, I advise you to remove them from your pockets,

Smarmy. We've had enough of eggs this morning."Sunny Stories

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" There's one more," said poor Smarmy, putting his hand into a pocket. "

I'll take it out. Ohit's running away from me ! Oh, it's gone down my trouser

leg ! Now it's running up again ! It's inside my vest. It's tickling me. It's got legs,

I'm sure!"All the men stared at Mr. Smarmy in amazement. The egg had grown

legs, just as Pink-whistle had said it would, and was running about all over him.

He kept clutching at it, but it always slipped away somewhere else.

" He's mad," said one of the men, getting up. " Well, I didn't come here to

have egg-tricks played on me. I'm not putting any money into a business run by

a man who plays silly conjuring tricks with eggs that pop and mew and cluck

and grow legs. Not I! "

" Nor I! " cried all the others, and they got up to go. Mr. Smarmy stared at

them in dismay. " Please, please wait! " he cried. " This is the last egg. Do wait!

"

POP ! The last egg burst, tooand that was enough for the men. They

went out of the room, talking loudly about people who seemed to think it was

funny to play tricks with bad eggs. Mr. Smarmy was left alone, with a burst egg

trickling down his leg.

He groaned. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up in surprise,

to see Mr. Pink-whistle looking sternly down at him. It made Mr. Smarmy jump

to see him there so suddenly.

" This is what happens to people who steal eggs from a little girl's hens,"

said Mr. Pink-whistle. " Bad things always come from bad deeds. None of thosemen will lend you the money you want. It serves you right."

Mr. Smarmy groaned again and buried his face in his hands. " It does, I

know it does," he said. " I'm a deceitful fellow. I pretend to be so goodand yet

I am mean enough to take eggs belonging to a little girl's hens. I deserve all this.

I don't know who you are, or how you know about it, or why those eggs behaved

like thatI only know I'm ashamed and sorry."

" That's good," said Mr. Pink-whistle, pleased. " Very good. What about

buying a beautiful doll for the little girl, and putting it in the henhouse for her to

find to-morrow, to make up for the eggs you took, Mr. Smarmy ? And whatabout trying to be as good and proper as you are always pretendingto be ? Ifyou are really sorry, you can do that, too."

And then away went Mr. Pink-whistle to tell Sooty all that had happened.

But you may be sure he will be hiding, unseen, in the hen-house on the morning

when there is a beautiful new doll waiting for Annabelle. She will be so

surprised and pleasedand dear old Pink-whistle wants to see her happy face.

He really is a kind old thing, isn't he ?

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I SHALL stamp on your engine, if you don't stop upsetting my dolls'cups of tea ! " said Joan, crossly.

" You just dare! " said Keith. " Anyway, I wouldn't keep moving your silly

cups of tea if you didn't keep having your dolls' party just where I want to put my

lines ! You're doing it on purpose."

" I'm nor! " said Joan.

" You are," said Keith. " You're a nasty, horrid girl. If you were a boy I'd hityou."

" Pooh ! " said Joan. " You wouldn't dare to if I was a boy ! I'd hit you back,

and down you'd go, plop! I'm stronger than you are. You're a baby."Keith went red. He fixed some lines together angrily, and then put them

down roughly just where Joan was having her dolls' tea-party. Over went all the

cups again, spilling out the water she had filled them with. And over went the milk-

jug and teapot, too.

Joan leapt up angrily. She went over to where his clockwork engine stood,and, oh dearshe stamped on it! Yes, stamped so hard that it

OH, YOU WICKED GIRL ! CRIED KEITH.

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was broken. The funnel fell off, the wheels broke, and the whole engine

was spoilt.

Keith sprang up in a rage. " Oh, you wicked girl to do that to my bestengine ! See what /'// do then ! "

And, to Joan's horror, he stamped on her dolls' teapot, and it broke into

dozens of little pieces.

Then both children burst into howls, and Mother came running in to see

whatever the matter was. With sobs and howls they told her.

" I see," she said gravely. " You were playing Tit for Tatyou be horrid

to me and I'll be horrid to you ! You smash something of mine and I'll smash

something of yours! Now go to your rooms, both of you."

They went, crying loudly. Mother went to speak to Keith. " What a pity to

smash Joan's beautiful teapot," she said. " Yes, I know she stamped on your

train. But you know how much she loved her tea-set and now she can't play

with it any more, because she can't pour out cups of tea."

Then Mother went to Joan. " How could you stamp on something that

Keith loved so much ? " she said. " Oh, I know he broke your teapot but just

think how proud he was of his first clockwork train, and how he saved up for it,

and how he has shared it with you so generously. Don't think of your teapot

think of Keith's engine."

After a while Joan's anger died down, and she did as A*o:her said. She

thought of Keith's poor, broken engine. He had been so proud of it. It had takenhim five months and three days to save up for it. Now it was broken.

And Keith began to think of Joan's teapot. She did so love having parties

and pouring out the tea with that teapot. It poured exactly like a real big teapot

did. And whenever Mother let Joan have lemonade to pour out, Joan always

poured a cup for him, too. He wished he hadn't broken it. This Tit for Tat

business was horrid.

Then an idea came into Keith's mind. He went into the nursery and picked

up all his carriages and trucks. He went out with them. He knew that Billy, his

cousin, hadn't nearly enough trucks. Perhaps he would like to buy his from him.They weren't any good now, without an engine to pull them. When he had the

money he would go and buy Joan a new teapot!

And after a while an idea came into Joan's head, too. Her tea-set wasn't

any use now, because it had no teapot. She knew Katie wanted more cups and

saucers with her tea-set, because she had broken so many. If she would buythem from Joan, then Joan could go to the toyshop and buy Keith a new engine !

So she went into the nursery and packed up the rest of her tea-set, jug and

all. Then off she went to Katie's. .-.-

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Tit for Tat

" WHAT ARE THESE PARCELS ? " ASKED MOTHER.

At tea-time there was a parcel on Keith's plate and one on Joan's. Mother

looked surprised. " What are these ? " she said.Keith undid his and found a new clockwork engineand Joan undid hers

and found a new teapot. They stared in surprise. Mother at once knew what hadhappened.

" Why, it's anotherkind of Tit for Tat." she cried. " But a much nicer one.

Keith has sold his trucks to buy you a teapot, Joanand Joan has sold her cups and

saucers to buy you an engine, Keith ! "

" Oh, thank you, Keith!" said Joan, " but, oh, dear, now I haven't any cups to

use with the teapot! "" Thank you, Joan," said Keith, " and / haven't any trucks for my engine to

pull! "Then everybody laughed. " I don't think we'll play at Tit for Tat any more,"

said. Joan. " It doesn't work out right. But you are nice to think of buying me a new

teapot, Keith ! "

" Well, maybe if you don't play Tit for Tat any more, I'll buy you new trucks

and new cups and saucers," said Moiher. " Deat me, what silly children you are

but you're nice ones, too ! "So they were ! Don't you think so ?

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Their Wishes Come True!

71. " I wish for a pair of wings that will fly/' said Biddy. And, hey presto,

there was a pair on her shoulders!

72. Up went Biddy into the air, shouting with delight. " I'm flying, look, I'mflying ! " (To be continued.')

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(Fenella has come to live with her Uncle Ursie and Aunt Lou in Mr. CarlCrack's circus. She is getting to know all the circus folk and the animals. Shelives in a red caravan with her uncle and aunt. She is excited because the circusis giving a show that night, and as she has never been to a circus in her life

Fenella is looking forward to it.}

CHAPTER VIIGETTING READY FOR THE SHOW

EVERYONE was busy and excited that day. Even the animals seemed toknow that the circus was giving a grand show that evening. The elephantstrumpeted dozens of times, the horses whinnied and neighed, the dogs barked,

Cackles hissed and cackled, the bears grunted and the monkeys chattered in little

high voices. As for the chimpanzees, they were quite mad, and Mr. Holla had

to speak to them very sternly indeed.

" What have they done ? " asked Fenella, seeing Grin and Bearit putting

their hands over their faces like children who have been scolded.

" Grin found a bucket of water and threw it all over Bearit," said Mr

Holla. " Soaked him through. Then Bearit got the empty bucket and tried to put

it on Grin's head. And all the time Aggie was looking for her bucket of water.She was cross. So was I, when I saw Bearit's clothes dripping wet! "

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Fenella laughed. The chimps took a look at her through their fingers, for

their hands still covered their faces. Then Grin made a chattering noise and took

her hand. She didn't mind at all.

" He likes you," said Mr. Holla. " He wants you to go for a little walk with

him. I saw you with Bobbo in your arms this morning. Do you like him ? "" Oh, he's a darling," said Fenella. " And I like Clump, toohe's so fat

and clumsy."

" Chimps are much better than bears," said Mr. Holla, half jealously. "

Got more brains in their feet than bears have in their big heads. You watch what

Grin and Bearit do in the ring to-night! You'll be surprised.''

Fenella watched everything and everyone that day, rather shy, but very

thrilled to be part of the camp. She kept out of Mr. Crack's way. Indeed,

everyone did if they possibly could, for he was strung up to such a pitch of

excitement that he almost lost his voice through shouting orders all over the

field. His whip cracked, his top hat flew off twice in the wind and he stamped

about in his enormous Boots like a giant!

" Don't you be afraid of him," said Uncle Ursie, when he saw Fenella skip

out of the way and hide under a caravan when Mr. Crack came roaring by. "

He's always like this on show-days. Can't help it. He'll be all right afterwards."

Aunt Lou was now doing a few last-minute jobs that had turned up

unexpectedlya button to sew on to Malvina's beautiful costume, a tear to

mend in Mr. Groggy's clown dress, a black bobble to put on Micko's hat. Fenella

offered to help, but her aunt shook her head.

" No," she said, her needle flying in and out. " I can do these few things.You go and watch the circus getting ready. Look at the gate over therethe

people are already lining up to get in. They know that Mr. Carl Crack's circus is

a fine one to see ! "

" It's the best in the world ! " said Fenella, making up her mind that it

really must be. She watched the circus folk parading about, looking suddenly

very different now that they had got on their beautiful, gay circus clothes. How

grand they lookedand how very lovely Malvina was. She was one of the trick-

riders, and when she came by Fenella looked in wonder at the glittering stars in

her hair and the smaller ones sewn on to her lovely dress.The clowns were all dressed up now, too. Mr. Groggy looked extremely

funny, for he had put on a false nose that was longer and bigger than even Uncle

Ursie's. He had put big white rings all round his eyes and painted his mouth red,

making it most enormous. He carried his bunch of big balloons, and also his

peculiar chair.

The other clowns were ready, too, and Mr. Wriggle, the acrobat, was in a

tight-fitting suit of shining gold. He saw Fenella and winked at her.

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" I wish you'd watch me tread on my

head," he said, in a pleading voice. " Look,

I" just do this and . . ."To Fenella's alarm, he twisted

himself over backwards and his head

appeared under his left arm. She stared in

horror.

" No, don't tread on your head. Don't

do anything like that, Mr. Wriggle. I don't

like it."

" Well, well, well! How do you like

this, then ? " cried Mr. Wriggle in a gayvoice, and threw himself over on to his

hands. He walked on them very fast indeed,

his legs waving in the air.

" Oh, that's very clever," said

Fenella. "I'd like to do that! Oh, here'sWillieand Cackles. Willie, you lookfine! And, oh, doesn't Cackles look sweet ? "

The goose looked like Mother Goose

in the nursery rhyme books. She had on a

dear little bonnet with a feather in it, andwore a red shawl. Under her wing she

carried a shopping-basket. She cackled as if

she was very pleased with herself. Indeed,

she was, because there was nothing she

enjoyed better than dressing up with Willie

and waddling after him in the ring.

Willie looked very grand indeed. He

had on a shining white suit, with a cloak

edged with bright red. His round white hathad a red feather in it, very long and wavy.

He looked quite a different boy.

" You look like a prince," said

Fenella, admiringly. " Oh, Cackles, how doyou carry your basket so nicely ? "

WILLIE AND CACKLES LOOKED VERYGRAND INDEED.

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Getting Ready for the Show

" I clip it to her wing. Look, there's the clip," said Willie, showing Fenella

a big white clip that fastened the basket under Cackles's wing. " I say, here's

your uncle. He wants you for something."Fenella hardly knew her uncle at first when she saw him. He, too, had put

on his grand circus clothes and looked quite different. He wore Russian dress,

with big top-boots, a red coat with a belt, red breeches tucked into his boots and

a tall, round, black fur cap. His big nose seemed to suit him now. He smiled at

Fenella.

" Well, how do you like us when we're properly dressed ? Hold Bobbo for

me for a minute, will you ? He's getting so excited that he won't be able to do a

thing when he gets into the ring."

Fenella held her arms out gladly for the little bear, who was whimpering

with excitement. He sensed all the preparations and felt all the eagerness of the

hurrying circus folk, and it was too much for his baby mind. He cuddled against

Fenella gladly.

" You're a darling," she said. " Don't shiver so, Bobbo; it's very warm to-

night."

" He's shivering with excitement, not cold," said Willie. " Some of the

dogs get like that. They love all the

thrill of the show. Bouncer gets so

excited sometimes that he shivers

from head to foot. But he's quite allright as soon as he gets into the ring."

Mrs. Connie passed by with her

monkeys, and Fenella didn't know her

! No wonder, for she had left off her

old .draggled skirt and shawl and had

dressed herself in a frilly skirt, short

to her knees, and a gay little blue coat.

She wore a bright golden wig, and

was talking gaily to her little troupe ofmonkeys. Each of them was in his or

her circus dress and looked very smart

indeed.

" Is that really Mrs. Connie ? "

said Fenella, in amazement. " But she

looks young now! And she lookedawfully old before."

" Doesn't matter what you look

like in the daytime, in the camp," .BOBBOCUDDLEDUPTOFENELLA

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said Uncle Ursie, " but at night, when the show is on, we must all be

young and gay and strong. Look at the people pouring in now. We shall take a

lot of money to-night. Mr. Crack will be pleased to-morrow."" Where shall I sit ? " asked Fenella. " In the front row of the seats ? Oh, I

do hope I can, then I shall see everything."

" In theseats \ Don't be so silly," said Willie. " Fancy one of us in a seat \You'll be behind the curtains with us of course, Fenny. You'll see us all go in, in

our turn. You belong to the circus now, you know."

A' bell rang. All the circus folk still outside the big top hurried towards it.

It was almost time for the show to begin. Hundreds of people were now in the

great tent, waiting eagerly. The smell of animals rose on the air, and Fenella

wrinkled up her nose. She would soon get used to that smell, and not even notice

it. The town children, waiting impatiently on the benches in the big tent, smelt it

too, and began to clap loudly, for they wanted the show to begin.

Fenella went behind the g^eat red curtains that hung at one end of the

tent, through which the performers appeared to do their turns. In the space

beyond the curtains were the circus folk, the horses and other animals, all

getting into order and waiting impatiently for Mr. Crack to give the signal.

" We all parade round first," Willie told her. " Fric, Frac and Malvina go

with a string of houses, and then Mr. Crack, in his golden carriage, drawn by

Malviria's own six snow-white ponies. Then all of us, one after another."

Mr. Crack's voice rose above the noise. " Fric ! Lead the parade."And then, with a great blare of trumpets, Mr. Carl Crack's Stupendous

Circus began. The big red curtains were swung aside, and through them cantered

some of the magnificent circus horses, shining like satin, their proud heads

tossing great plumes as they went.

Fric and Frac were dressed as Red Indians with great feathered head-

dresses. Their faces were painted in brilliant colours, and they looked very grand

and rather frightening. The children in the audience clapped and shouted wildly

when they saw them. They thought they were real Red Indians. Fric and Frac

gave some blood-curdling yells as they rode round, guiding the string of horses.Then came the six snow-white ponies, the foremost one ridden by the

beautiful Malvina. They drew a glittering coach in which sat a most resplendent

Mr. Crack, bowing this way and that as everyone cheered him.

His carriage stopped. He got out, a big glittering figure, his whip in his

hand. He took off his grey top hat and bowed. He called out in a tremendous

voice :

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Getting Ready for the Show

'ON WITH THE SHOW ! " CRIED MR. CARL CRACK.

" Ladies and gentlemenwelcome to Mr. Carl Crack's Grand Circus. On

with theshow \ "And then, tumbling over and over came the clowns and Mr. Wriggle, the

acrobat, Mrs. Connie and her monkeys, Mr. Holla and his two chimpanzees,

looking very fine in circus clothes, Mr. Tiny and the three elephants, Uncle

Ursie and the bears, Willie and Cacklesthe whole string of circus performers,

dressed in their finest clothes, bowing and smiling, yelling delightedly at all theshouts and claps and stamps of applause.

Yes, the circus had begunand to a little girl peering through the

curtains, her heart beating fast, it was the most exciting moment of her life.

Yesterday she had been a small girl all alonenow she was one of this big

circus family. She belonged to them all and they belonged to her. What fun,

thought Fenella, oh, what fun!

(Next timeFenella Sees the Circus.)

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THERE was once a toy duck who couldn't quack. But he could cluck! "

Cluck-luck-luck-luck-luck! " he would say, and all the toys would laugh at him.

" You sound like a hen ! Why don't you quack? Who ever heard of a clucking

duck ? "

The duck didn't like being laughed at. He tried his hardest to quack, but it was

no good, he couldn't. He practised for hours each night till the other toys got really

cross with him. But all he managed to do was to cluck even more loudly than before.

" Do stop your clucking," said the biggest doll, crossly. " It's really driving me

mad ! You'll have to leave this toy cupboard if you don't do one of two things."

" What are they ? " said the toy duck mournfully. " Well, you should either turn

yourself into a hen and keep your cluckor you should stay a duck and find a quack

somewhere," said the big doll. " One thing or the other. I don't care which. But if you

are going to be a clucking duck, then please get out of our toy cupboard."

The duck was upset. How could he help it if he hadn't a quack ?

Hadn't he practised and practised ? He went into a corner and moped.

Two little imps came up from the mouse-hole. They often came to the nursery

to do errands for the toys. When they heard about the duck moping by himself they

went to find him. " Duck ! If we can get you a quack, or turn you into a hen, will you

give us the ribbon off your neck ? " said the first imp.

" It's such a lovely colour," said the second imp. " It would make beautifulscarves for us."

" Oh, yes! You can have my ribbon with pleasure ! " said the duck, cheering up,

" if only you'll turn me into a hen to match my cluckor find me a quack. I do feel so

silly, clucking hard when I'm a duck."

" Right," said the imps and went off. But as they went down the mouse-hole'

they began to quarrel." I think I shall make my bit of ribbon into a sash for my new suit,

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The two imps began to quarrel

WHO ARE YOU ? " ASKED THE GOLLIWOG.

imps, carrying their new spells very carefully indeed, went to find the

duck. He was asleep at the back of the toy cupboard. The imp; scowled at one

another when they met.

"I've got the spell!" said the first. " / shall take the ribbon."" NoI've got the spell," said the second. " The ribbon is mine."

The duck had no ribbon on at all. He had taken it off, folded it up

carefully and put it into a box, ready to give to the imps if they helped him.

They had to wake him up. " Here's the spell! " cried hi first imp. " Drink

it, duck ! Where's the ribbon ? Give it to meall of it."

" No, noyou drink my spell! " cried the second imp. " / want theribbon."

" Don't squabble," said the duck, sleepily. " I'll drink both spells and

you can each have half the ribbon. It's in that box over there."The first imp darted at the box and rushed off with it. The second imp tore

after him. The duck looked after them in surprise. Then he drank what was in

both the little bottles.

He tried to quack, but he still clucked. '' I suppose the spell doesn't act

just, yet," he thought. " In the morning I shall wake up and have .such a nice

surprise."

And sure enough, in the morning, he found that he could quack beauti-

fully. He was simply delighted. He quacked so loudly that all the toys came to

hear him. They stared at him in silence." Who are you ? " said the golliwog, at last.

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" Don't be silly. I'm the duckand I've got a quack at last," said {he duck,

crossly.

The Duck Who Clucked

" But you're not a duck. You're a hen with a quack !'.' said the bear. Then

he suddenly went off into a squeal of laughter. " Oh, I know what's happened !

Those two imps gave you two different spellsone to make you turn into a. hen

and the other to make you quackso instead of being a clucking duck, you

are now a quacking hen ! "

And all the toys laughed till they ached. But the poor duck-hen was very

sad indeed. He Was worse off than everand he had lost his ribbon too. Bother

those two imps!

The only thing that cheers him up is that the new quack is wearing out and

he thinks the cluck is coming back. So, after all, he may be a hen with a cluck.

Wasn't he unlucky!

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HALLO, CHILDREN !I'm not really a pet, because nobody likes to cuddle somebody so prickly as

me. But all the same, I live at Green Hedges, and when Rufus and Bimbo are not

looking I go and drink their milk.

Rufus caught me one day and was angry. But I just curled up in a ball and

lay still, and he couldn't do anything to me at all.

Still, I was sorry that he was cross because I'd drunk his tea. So I found a fewtasty slugs and a beetle or two, and left them on his plate for him to eat. I thought

he'd be so pleased.But he wasn't.

A nice little cuddle fromPRICKLES

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Documents

Blyton Enid 406 Sunny Stories Mr Pink Whistle and the Eggs