feel exactly as if I could eat a muffin," said Bessie. "Hie,
muffin-man! We'll have six muffins."
The muffin-man stopped. He took down his tray from his head and uncovered it.
Underneath were not muffins, but small kittens!
The muffin-man seemed to think they were muffins. He handed one to each of the
surprised children, and one to Moon-Face and Saucepan. Then he covered up his
tray again and went down the road ringing his bell.
"Well, does he suppose we can eat kittens?" said Bessie. "I say-aren't
they darlings? What are we going to do with them?"
"They seem to be growing," said Jo in surprise. And so they were. In
a minute or two the kittens were too heavy to carry-they were big cats!
They still went on growing, and soon they were as big as tigers. They gambolled
playfully round the children, who were really rather afraid of them.
"Now listen," said Jo to the enormous kittens, "You belong to the
muffin-man. You go after him and get on to his tray where you belong. Listen-you
can still hear his bell! Go along now!"
To everyone's surprise and delight the great animals gambolled down the road after
the muffin-man.
"He will get a surprise," said Dick with a giggle. "I say -don't
let's buy anything from anyone else. It's a bit too surprising."
"What we really ought to do is to try and find the hole that leads from this
land to the Faraway Tree," said Jo seriously. "Surely you don't want
to stay in this peculiar land for ever! Gracious, we never know what is happening
from one minute to another!"
"I feel terribly sleepy again," said Moon-Face, yawning. "I do
wish I could go to bed."
Now, as he said that, there came a clippitty-cloppitty noise behind them. They
all turned-and to their great amazement saw a big white bed following them, tippitting
along on four fat legs.
"Golly!" said Dick, stopping in surprise. "Look at that bed! Where
did it come from?"
The bed stopped just by them. Moon-Face yawned.
"I'd like to cuddle down in you and go to sleep," he said to the bed.
The bed creaked as if it was pleased.
Moon-Face climbed on to it. It was soft and cosy. Moon-Face put his head on the
pillow and shut his eyes. He began to snore very gently.
This made everyone else feel dreadfully tired and sleepy, too. One by one they
climbed into the big bed and lay down, snuggled together. The bed creaked in a
very pleased way. Then it went on its way again, clippitty-clopping on its four
fat legs, taking the six sleepers with it.
Now what had happened to Silky? Well, she had found Dame Washalot, Mister Watzisname
and the Angry Pixie, and had told them how the others had fallen asleep in the
Land of Dreams.
"Gracious! They'll never get away from there!" said Watzisname anxiously.
"We must rescue them. Come along."
Dame Washalot put a wash-tub of water on her head. The Angry Pixie picked up a
kettle of water. Watzisname didn't take anything. They all went up to the ladder
at the top of the tree.
"The Land of Dreams is still here," said Silky when her head peeped
over the top. "I can't see that horrid Sandman anywhere. It's a good chance
to slip up and rescue the others now. Come on!"
Up they all went. They stared round the field of poppies, but they could see none
of the others at all.
"We must hunt for them," said Silky. "Oh, my goodness, look at
that great brown bear rushing along! I wonder if he knows anything about the others."
She called out to him, but he didn't stop. He made a noise like a hen and rushed
on.
The four of them wandered on and on -and suddenly they saw something most peculiar
coming towards them-something wide and white.
"What in the world can it be?" said Silky in wonder. "Goodness
me-it's a BED!"
And so it was-the very bed in which the four children and Moon-Face and Saucepan
were asleep!
"Oh, look, look, look!" squealed Silky. "They're all here! Wake
up,
muffin-man! We'll have six muffins."
The muffin-man stopped. He took down his tray from his head and uncovered it.
Underneath were not muffins, but small kittens!
The muffin-man seemed to think they were muffins. He handed one to each of the
surprised children, and one to Moon-Face and Saucepan. Then he covered up his
tray again and went down the road ringing his bell.
"Well, does he suppose we can eat kittens?" said Bessie. "I say-aren't
they darlings? What are we going to do with them?"
"They seem to be growing," said Jo in surprise. And so they were. In
a minute or two the kittens were too heavy to carry-they were big cats!
They still went on growing, and soon they were as big as tigers. They gambolled
playfully round the children, who were really rather afraid of them.
"Now listen," said Jo to the enormous kittens, "You belong to the
muffin-man. You go after him and get on to his tray where you belong. Listen-you
can still hear his bell! Go along now!"
To everyone's surprise and delight the great animals gambolled down the road after
the muffin-man.
"He will get a surprise," said Dick with a giggle. "I say -don't
let's buy anything from anyone else. It's a bit too surprising."
"What we really ought to do is to try and find the hole that leads from this
land to the Faraway Tree," said Jo seriously. "Surely you don't want
to stay in this peculiar land for ever! Gracious, we never know what is happening
from one minute to another!"
"I feel terribly sleepy again," said Moon-Face, yawning. "I do
wish I could go to bed."
Now, as he said that, there came a clippitty-cloppitty noise behind them. They
all turned-and to their great amazement saw a big white bed following them, tippitting
along on four fat legs.
"Golly!" said Dick, stopping in surprise. "Look at that bed! Where
did it come from?"
The bed stopped just by them. Moon-Face yawned.
"I'd like to cuddle down in you and go to sleep," he said to the bed.
The bed creaked as if it was pleased.
Moon-Face climbed on to it. It was soft and cosy. Moon-Face put his head on the
pillow and shut his eyes. He began to snore very gently.
This made everyone else feel dreadfully tired and sleepy, too. One by one they
climbed into the big bed and lay down, snuggled together. The bed creaked in a
very pleased way. Then it went on its way again, clippitty-clopping on its four
fat legs, taking the six sleepers with it.
Now what had happened to Silky? Well, she had found Dame Washalot, Mister Watzisname
and the Angry Pixie, and had told them how the others had fallen asleep in the
Land of Dreams.
"Gracious! They'll never get away from there!" said Watzisname anxiously.
"We must rescue them. Come along."
Dame Washalot put a wash-tub of water on her head. The Angry Pixie picked up a
kettle of water. Watzisname didn't take anything. They all went up to the ladder
at the top of the tree.
"The Land of Dreams is still here," said Silky when her head peeped
over the top. "I can't see that horrid Sandman anywhere. It's a good chance
to slip up and rescue the others now. Come on!"
Up they all went. They stared round the field of poppies, but they could see none
of the others at all.
"We must hunt for them," said Silky. "Oh, my goodness, look at
that great brown bear rushing along! I wonder if he knows anything about the others."
She called out to him, but he didn't stop. He made a noise like a hen and rushed
on.
The four of them wandered on and on -and suddenly they saw something most peculiar
coming towards them-something wide and white.
"What in the world can it be?" said Silky in wonder. "Goodness
me-it's a BED!"
And so it was-the very bed in which the four children and Moon-Face and Saucepan
were asleep!
"Oh, look, look, look!" squealed Silky. "They're all here! Wake
up,
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