then, when there was nobody there, Sooty whispered to Pink-Whistle.
"Now's the time to begin, Master—I can see Sam watching from that doorway."
Mr. Pink-Whistle slipped out of his hiding-place and began to walk down the dark street. Sam saw him—and thought he was a child, because Pink-Whistle was small. He raced out of the doorway and ran behind Pink-Whistle. Just as he was about to bump him, Pink-Whistle swung round with his armful of holly!
"Ooooooh! Ow!" yelled Sam, finding his face and hands pricked with the sharp holly. "What is it? Oooh, I'm hurt!"
He stopped to nurse his hands and feel his face. Whatever had that child been carrying? Then he saw the Wobbly-Man coming along. At least, he could just make out someone waddling towards him—who was it? Ah, perhaps it was old Fatty, who was in the form above him! Sam grinned.
He rushed at the Wobbly-Man and gave him an enormous bump. The Wobbly-Man wobbled over sideways and then wobbled back so violently that he gave Sam a sharp knock that nearly sent him flying! Sam was most surprised—and very angry.
"Don't you dare to fight me!" he said. "I'll shove you right over, see?"
And he gave the Wobbly-Man another tremendous push that made him wobble to and fro very fast indeed.
Sam watched him, a sturdy wobbling shadow in the dark street. Why didn't Fatty fall over? He pushed hard again, but all he could do was to make the Wobbly-Man wobble faster and faster.
"You're not Fatty!" cried Sam, suddenly frightened. "You're not!
Who are you? I don't like you. Stop wobbling, do stop wobbling. I won't push you again, I promise."
But, of course, the Wobbly-Man had to wobble, no matter where he went, and Sam watched him wobble away into the darkness, wondering whatever he was.
"Funny!" said Sam to himself. "Very, very funny. Most peculiar.
Anyone would think that that fellow couldn't walk, the way he wobbles as he goes. I don't like it. I'll just give someone else a good shove, and I'll go home."
So he waited. The next person that came down the dark street was a tall man. Sam didn't dare to run and bump into him—no, tall men had a habit of reaching out and giving him a jolly good shake!
Ah—here was someone coming—someone short, with a silly top-hat on his head. Sam grinned. Whoever it was that was coming was walking very near the holly hedge—it would be fun to push him right into it. Let someone else feel what it was like to be pricked all over! Sam's hands were still sore with the scratches they had had.
Of course, it was Mr. Balloon this time! Pink-Whistle had set the spell going in the boots, and the long-shaped balloon, dressed in old top-hat, old coat and boots was now walking down the street.
"It's just a silly old tramp," said Sam, catching sight of him in the light of a lamp. "I'll give him such a shock—one of my very BEST BUMPS!"
So he ran from the doorway where he stood and bumped into the Balloon-Man. He shoved him hard against the holly hedge—and all the prickles ran into the balloon. BANG!
Sam nearly jumped out of his skin. He stared at where the old tramp had just stood—but he had completely disappeared! Sam couldn't see the top-hat, boots and coat lying in a little heap half-under the hedge.
"Ooooh! He's gone! He went BANG and disappeared!" howled Sam.
"What have I done? What's happened! Help! Help!"
The Wobbly-Man, who had wobbled back on the other side of the road, and had joined up with Pink-Whistle again, laughed till he cried.
Pink-Whistle laughed too, and Sooty ran to collect the hat, boots and coat.
Other children heard Sam's calls for help and ran up to him. "What's the matter? What's up?"
"I bumped into somebody and got pricked ail over, look!" said Sam, and he was actually crying! "And then I bumped into somebody else, and he wobbled over and wobbled back and hit me—he was horrid! And then I bumped into a silly old tramp with a top-hat—and he went BANG and disappeared. I'm frightened!"
"Serves you right," said a
"Now's the time to begin, Master—I can see Sam watching from that doorway."
Mr. Pink-Whistle slipped out of his hiding-place and began to walk down the dark street. Sam saw him—and thought he was a child, because Pink-Whistle was small. He raced out of the doorway and ran behind Pink-Whistle. Just as he was about to bump him, Pink-Whistle swung round with his armful of holly!
"Ooooooh! Ow!" yelled Sam, finding his face and hands pricked with the sharp holly. "What is it? Oooh, I'm hurt!"
He stopped to nurse his hands and feel his face. Whatever had that child been carrying? Then he saw the Wobbly-Man coming along. At least, he could just make out someone waddling towards him—who was it? Ah, perhaps it was old Fatty, who was in the form above him! Sam grinned.
He rushed at the Wobbly-Man and gave him an enormous bump. The Wobbly-Man wobbled over sideways and then wobbled back so violently that he gave Sam a sharp knock that nearly sent him flying! Sam was most surprised—and very angry.
"Don't you dare to fight me!" he said. "I'll shove you right over, see?"
And he gave the Wobbly-Man another tremendous push that made him wobble to and fro very fast indeed.
Sam watched him, a sturdy wobbling shadow in the dark street. Why didn't Fatty fall over? He pushed hard again, but all he could do was to make the Wobbly-Man wobble faster and faster.
"You're not Fatty!" cried Sam, suddenly frightened. "You're not!
Who are you? I don't like you. Stop wobbling, do stop wobbling. I won't push you again, I promise."
But, of course, the Wobbly-Man had to wobble, no matter where he went, and Sam watched him wobble away into the darkness, wondering whatever he was.
"Funny!" said Sam to himself. "Very, very funny. Most peculiar.
Anyone would think that that fellow couldn't walk, the way he wobbles as he goes. I don't like it. I'll just give someone else a good shove, and I'll go home."
So he waited. The next person that came down the dark street was a tall man. Sam didn't dare to run and bump into him—no, tall men had a habit of reaching out and giving him a jolly good shake!
Ah—here was someone coming—someone short, with a silly top-hat on his head. Sam grinned. Whoever it was that was coming was walking very near the holly hedge—it would be fun to push him right into it. Let someone else feel what it was like to be pricked all over! Sam's hands were still sore with the scratches they had had.
Of course, it was Mr. Balloon this time! Pink-Whistle had set the spell going in the boots, and the long-shaped balloon, dressed in old top-hat, old coat and boots was now walking down the street.
"It's just a silly old tramp," said Sam, catching sight of him in the light of a lamp. "I'll give him such a shock—one of my very BEST BUMPS!"
So he ran from the doorway where he stood and bumped into the Balloon-Man. He shoved him hard against the holly hedge—and all the prickles ran into the balloon. BANG!
Sam nearly jumped out of his skin. He stared at where the old tramp had just stood—but he had completely disappeared! Sam couldn't see the top-hat, boots and coat lying in a little heap half-under the hedge.
"Ooooh! He's gone! He went BANG and disappeared!" howled Sam.
"What have I done? What's happened! Help! Help!"
The Wobbly-Man, who had wobbled back on the other side of the road, and had joined up with Pink-Whistle again, laughed till he cried.
Pink-Whistle laughed too, and Sooty ran to collect the hat, boots and coat.
Other children heard Sam's calls for help and ran up to him. "What's the matter? What's up?"
"I bumped into somebody and got pricked ail over, look!" said Sam, and he was actually crying! "And then I bumped into somebody else, and he wobbled over and wobbled back and hit me—he was horrid! And then I bumped into a silly old tramp with a top-hat—and he went BANG and disappeared. I'm frightened!"
"Serves you right," said a
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