The Book of Brownies (The Enchanted World) by Enid Blyton Page B

grateful,’ said the little girl, nodding her brown curls.
    ‘We’ll help you,’ said Hop, wondering how they could.
    When the little girl had gone the brownies jumped into bed and were soon fast asleep.

Their Adventure in the Land of Clever People (continued)
    When morning came, the brownies woke up very hungry. They pressed a few knobs and got a simply lovely breakfast of porridge, honey and cocoa.
    ‘Now we’d better think of some riddles,’ said Hop. ‘All be quiet and think hard.’
    So they thought hard. Hop thought of one first.
    ‘What pillar is never used in building?’ he asked.
    ‘Don’t know,’ said the others.
    ‘Why a
cater
pillar, of course,’ said Hop, with a chuckle.
    ‘Very good indeed!’ said Skip. ‘Listen, I’ve got one now. What walks on its head all day?’
    ‘Tell us!’ said the others.
    ‘The nail in your shoes!’ chuckled Skip. ‘Now, Jump!’
    ‘What lion is loose in the fields?’ asked Jump.
    ‘I know!’ cried Hop. ‘The
dande
lion!’
    ‘Right!’ said Jump. ‘Listen, what’s that?’
    It was a bell ringing.
    ‘It must be to call us to the market-place,’ said Hop. ‘Come on.’
    They all raced outside, and saw a great stream of solemn, fat little people going down the street. The brownies joined them, and soon came to a wide market-place. The people arranged themselves
in straight rows. A clock struck nine.
    Trumpets blew, and down the steps of the Town Hall came the Very Wise Man. He had bigger spectacles than anyone else, and a very,
very
big head.
    Then began the examination. First the Very Wise Man asked his riddle, and then a Clever Person answered it and asked his.
    On went the Very Wise Man to the next person.
    ‘Everybody answers all right,’ whispered Hop. ‘No one’s getting scolded.’
    Just then the Very Wise Man came to the little girl who had spoken to the brownies the night before. She couldn’t answer her riddle, and she was sent off to be scolded by the Ogre who
lived in a little house nearby.
    Then came the brownies’ turn.
    ‘What pillar is never used in building?’ asked Hop, rather shaky at the knees.
    ‘Pooh – a caterpillar!’ said the Very Wise Man.
    ‘What walks on its head all day?’ asked Skip nervously.
    ‘Pooh – nail in your shoe,’ said the Very Wise Man.
    ‘Er-er – what lion is loose in the fields?’ asked Jump, almost forgetting his riddle, when he felt the Very Wise Man’s eyes on him.
    ‘Pooh – a dandelion,’ said the Very Wise Man. ‘Very feeble. Now answer me this – Why is a toasting-fork?’
    ‘Why is a toasting-fork?’ said Hop, puzzled. ‘It doesn’t make sense, does it?’
    ‘Off to the Ogre’s!’ roared the Very Wise Man. Poor Hop went off to join the little girl.
    ‘Now
you
,’ said the Very Wise Man to Skip. ‘Why is a garden-rake?’
    ‘But
that
doesn’t make sense either,’ said Skip. ‘It isn’t a proper riddle.’
    ‘Off to the Ogre’s!’ roared the Very Wise Man again. He turned to Jump.
    ‘Why is a porcupine?’ he asked.
    ‘
I
don’t know,’ said Jump.
    ‘Off to the Ogre’s!’ shouted the Very Wise Man, and went on asking the Clever People more riddles which they seemed to answer perfectly.
    The brownies were well scolded by the Ogre, who was a solemn little man with soft eyes and a sharp voice.
    They were very angry about it.
    ‘It’s all nonsense,’ said Hop crossly. ‘He didn’t ask fair riddles. I’ll jolly well ask him to do something he can’t do, and then we’ll get away
from here.’
    ‘Well, if you can do that,’ said the little girl, drying her tears, ‘don’t forget to take me with you.’
    All that day the brownies wandered about the Land of Clever People with the little girl. It was a very solemn, proper land, and nobody laughed or skipped or ran.
    Poor Skip and Jump were sent to the Ogre twice for not making a rhyme when they spoke. They felt sorrier than ever that they had left Fairyland. Little tubby policemen seemed to be