led off.
"Why the swimming bath?" said Fanny. "Listen, policeman -we haven't
got bathing costumes."
"Oh, you naughty story-teller!" said the policeman nearest to her.
And to Bessie's tremendous surprise she found that she had on a blue and white
bathing costume-and all the others had bathing suits, too. It was most extraordinary.
They came to the swimming bath-but there 70
was no water in it at all. "Get in and swim," said the policeman.
"There's no water," said Dick. "Don't be silly." And then,
very suddenly, all the policemen began to cry-and in a trice the swimming bath
was full of their tears!
"This sort of thing makes me feel funny," said Jo. "I don't want
to swim in tears. Quick, everyone-push the policemen into the bath!"
And in half a second all the policemen were kicking feebly in the bath of tears.
As the children watched they changed into blue fishes and swam away, nicking their
tails.
"I feel as if I'm in a dream," said Dick.
"So do I," said Jo. "I wish I could get out of it. Oh, look-there's
an aeroplane coming down. Perhaps we could get into it and fly away!"
The aeroplane, which was small and green, landed near by. There was nobody in
it at all. The children ran to it and got in. Jo pushed down the handle marked
UP.
"Off we go!" he said. And off they went!
10.
A Few More Adventures
Everyone was very pleased to be in the aeroplane, because they thought they could
fly away from the Land of Dreams. After a second or two Bessie leaned over the
side of the aeroplane to see how high they were from the ground. She gave a loud
cry.
"What's the matter?" asked Jo.
"Jo! This isn't an aeroplane after all!" said Bessie in astonishment.
"It's a bus. It hasn't got wings any more. Only wheels. And we're sitting
on seats at the top of the bus. Well! I did think it was an aeroplane!"
"Gracious! Aren't we flying, then?" said Jo,
"No -just running down a road," said Fanny.
Everyone was silent. They were so disappointed. Then a curious noise was heard.
Splishy-splash! Splash! Splash!
The children looked over the side of the bus-and they all gave a shout of amazement.
"Jo! Look! The bus is running on water! But it isn't a bus any more. Oh,
look-it's got a sail!"
In the greatest astonishment everyone looked upwards- and there3 billowing in
the wind, was a great white sail. And Jo was now steering with a tiller instead
of with a handle or a wheel. It was all most muddling.
"This is certainly the Land of Dreams, no doubt about that," groaned
Jo, wondering whatever the
ship would turn into. "The awful part is-we're awake-and yet we have to have
these dream-like things happening!"
An enormous wave splashed over everyone. Fanny gave a scream. The ship rocked
to and fro, to and fro, and everyone clung tightly to one another.
"Let's land somewhere, for goodness' sake!" cried Dick. "Goodness
knows what this ship will turn into next-a rocking-horse, I should think, by the
way it's rocking itself to and fro."
And do you know, no sooner had Dick said that than it did turn into a rocking-horse.
Jo found himself holding on to its mane, and all the others clung together behind
him. The water disappeared.
The rocking-horse seemed to be rocking down a long road.
"Let's get off," shouted Jo. "I don't like the way this thing keeps
changing. Slip off, Moon-Face, and help the others down."
It wasn't long before they were all standing in the road, feeling rather queer.
The rocking-horse went on rocking by itself down the road. As the children watched
it, it changed into a large brown bear that scampered on its big paws.
"Ha!" said Jo. "We got off just in time! Well-what are we going
to do now?"
A man came down the road carrying a green-covered tray on his head. He rang a
bell. "Muffins! Fine muffins!" he shouted. "Muffins for sale!"
"Oooh! I
"Why the swimming bath?" said Fanny. "Listen, policeman -we haven't
got bathing costumes."
"Oh, you naughty story-teller!" said the policeman nearest to her.
And to Bessie's tremendous surprise she found that she had on a blue and white
bathing costume-and all the others had bathing suits, too. It was most extraordinary.
They came to the swimming bath-but there 70
was no water in it at all. "Get in and swim," said the policeman.
"There's no water," said Dick. "Don't be silly." And then,
very suddenly, all the policemen began to cry-and in a trice the swimming bath
was full of their tears!
"This sort of thing makes me feel funny," said Jo. "I don't want
to swim in tears. Quick, everyone-push the policemen into the bath!"
And in half a second all the policemen were kicking feebly in the bath of tears.
As the children watched they changed into blue fishes and swam away, nicking their
tails.
"I feel as if I'm in a dream," said Dick.
"So do I," said Jo. "I wish I could get out of it. Oh, look-there's
an aeroplane coming down. Perhaps we could get into it and fly away!"
The aeroplane, which was small and green, landed near by. There was nobody in
it at all. The children ran to it and got in. Jo pushed down the handle marked
UP.
"Off we go!" he said. And off they went!
10.
A Few More Adventures
Everyone was very pleased to be in the aeroplane, because they thought they could
fly away from the Land of Dreams. After a second or two Bessie leaned over the
side of the aeroplane to see how high they were from the ground. She gave a loud
cry.
"What's the matter?" asked Jo.
"Jo! This isn't an aeroplane after all!" said Bessie in astonishment.
"It's a bus. It hasn't got wings any more. Only wheels. And we're sitting
on seats at the top of the bus. Well! I did think it was an aeroplane!"
"Gracious! Aren't we flying, then?" said Jo,
"No -just running down a road," said Fanny.
Everyone was silent. They were so disappointed. Then a curious noise was heard.
Splishy-splash! Splash! Splash!
The children looked over the side of the bus-and they all gave a shout of amazement.
"Jo! Look! The bus is running on water! But it isn't a bus any more. Oh,
look-it's got a sail!"
In the greatest astonishment everyone looked upwards- and there3 billowing in
the wind, was a great white sail. And Jo was now steering with a tiller instead
of with a handle or a wheel. It was all most muddling.
"This is certainly the Land of Dreams, no doubt about that," groaned
Jo, wondering whatever the
ship would turn into. "The awful part is-we're awake-and yet we have to have
these dream-like things happening!"
An enormous wave splashed over everyone. Fanny gave a scream. The ship rocked
to and fro, to and fro, and everyone clung tightly to one another.
"Let's land somewhere, for goodness' sake!" cried Dick. "Goodness
knows what this ship will turn into next-a rocking-horse, I should think, by the
way it's rocking itself to and fro."
And do you know, no sooner had Dick said that than it did turn into a rocking-horse.
Jo found himself holding on to its mane, and all the others clung together behind
him. The water disappeared.
The rocking-horse seemed to be rocking down a long road.
"Let's get off," shouted Jo. "I don't like the way this thing keeps
changing. Slip off, Moon-Face, and help the others down."
It wasn't long before they were all standing in the road, feeling rather queer.
The rocking-horse went on rocking by itself down the road. As the children watched
it, it changed into a large brown bear that scampered on its big paws.
"Ha!" said Jo. "We got off just in time! Well-what are we going
to do now?"
A man came down the road carrying a green-covered tray on his head. He rang a
bell. "Muffins! Fine muffins!" he shouted. "Muffins for sale!"
"Oooh! I
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