Part 2 (1/2)

Mr. Spells picked up the tiny goblin, took a matchbox off the mantelpiece, popped him into it, shut the box and put it back on the mantelpiece.

aHe won't cause me any trouble when he wakes up!a he said. aNo, not a bit! Well, goodbye. I'm glad this has all ended wella”but I do wish that chair was mine.a The children waved goodbye and the chair rose into the air.

aShall we go home?a said Peter. aNo,a said Mollie, suddenly remembering the satchel of sandwiches and cake that Peter still carried. aWe'll take c.h.i.n.ky off for the day, picnicking! We deserve a nice peaceful day after such a thrilling adventure.a aRight!a said Peter, and c.h.i.n.ky nodded happily. aWis.h.i.+ng-Chair, take us to the nicest picnic spot you know! a And off they flew at once, to have a very happy day together.

Off on Another Adventure!.

FOR a whole week the children, watched and waited for the Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair to grow its wings again. It didn't sprout them at all! The wings had vanished as soon as it had arrived safely back in the playroom, after a lovely picnic out on the hillsa”and not a single one had grown again.

aI hope its magic isn't getting less,a said Mollie, one day, as they sat in the playroom, playing ludo together. It was their very favourite game, and they always laughed at c.h.i.n.ky because he made such a fuss when he didn't get ahomea before they did.

As they sat playing together they felt a welcome draught. aOh, lovely! A breeze at last!a said Mollie thankfully. aI do really think this is just about the hottest day we've had these holidays!a aThe wind must have got up a bit at last,a said Peter. aBlow, wind, blowa”you are making us lovely and cool.a aFunny that the leaves on the trees aren't moving, isn't it? a said c.h.i.n.ky, shaking the dice in the thrower. aI hope I throw a sixa”I do so badly want one.a Mollie looked out of the open door at the trees in the garden. They were perfectly still! aBut there isn't a breeze,a she said, and then a sudden thought struck her. She looked round at the Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair, which was standing just behind them.

aLook!a she cried. aHow silly we are! It isn't the winda”it's the Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair that has grown its wings again. They are flapping like anything!a So they were. The children and c.h.i.n.ky sprang up in delight. aGood! We could just do with a lovely cool ride up in the air today,a said Peter. aWis.h.i.+ng-Chair, we are very pleased with you!a The Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair flapped its wings very strongly again and gave a creak. Then c.h.i.n.ky noticed something.

aI say, looka”it's only grown three wings instead of four. What's happened? It's never done that before.a They all stared at the chair. One of its front legs hadn't grown a wing. It looked rather queer without it.

c.h.i.n.ky looked at the chair rather doubtfully. aDo you think it can fly with only three wings?a he said. aThis is rather a peculiar thing to happen, really. I wonder if we ought to fly off in the chair if it's only got three wings instead of four.a aI don't see why not,a said Mollie. aAfter all, an aeroplane can fly with three engines, if the fourth one stops.a The chair gave a little hop up in the air as if to say it could fly perfectly well. aOh, come along! a said c.h.i.n.ky. aWe'll try. I'm sure it will be all right. But I wish I knew what to do to get the fourth wing to grow. Something has gone wrong, it's plain.a They got into the chair, c.h.i.n.ky as usual sitting on the back, holding on to their shoulders. The chair flew to the door.

aWhere shall we go?a said c.h.i.n.ky.

aWella”we never did get to the Land of Goodness Knows Where after all,a said Mollie. aShall we try to get there again? We know it's a good way away, so it should be a nice long flight, very cool and windy high up in the air.a aWe may as well,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aFly to the Land of Goodness Knows Where, Chair. We saw it on the mapa”it's due east from here, straight towards where the sun risesa”you go over the Tiptop Mountains, past the Crazy Valley and then down by the Zigzag Coast.a aIt sounds exciting,a said Mollie. aOh, isn't it lovely to be cool again? It's so very hot today.a They were now high up in the air, and a lovely breeze blew past them as they flew. Little clouds, like puffs of cotton wool, floated below them. Mollie leaned out to get hold of one as they pa.s.sed.

aThis is fun,a she said. aI think we're very, very lucky to have a Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair of our own, that will take us anywhere we wish to go. c.h.i.n.ky, is there a land of ice-creams? If so, I'd like to go there sometime!a aI don't know. I've never heard of one,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aThere's a Land of Goodies though, I know that. It once came to the top of the Faraway Tree, and I went there. It was lovelya”biscuits growing on trees, and chocolates sprouting on bushes.a aOha”did you see Moon-Face and Silky and the old Saucepan Man?a asked Mollie, in excitement. aI've read the books about the Faraway Tree, and I've always wished I could climb it.a aYes, I saw them all,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aSilky is sweet, you'd love her. But Moon-Face was cross because somebody had taken all his slippery-slip cus.h.i.+onsa”you know, the cus.h.i.+ons he keeps in his room at the top of the tree for people to sit on when they slide down from the top to the bottom.a aI wouldn't mind going to the Land of Goodies at all,a said Peter. aIt sounds really fine. I almost wish we'd told the chair to go there instead of the Land of Goodness Knows Where.a aWell, don't change its mind for it,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aIt doesn't like that. Look, there are the Tip-Top Mountains.a They all leaned out to look. They were very extraordinary mountains, running up into high, jagged peaks as if somebody had drawn them higgledy-piggledy with a pencil, up and down, up and down.

aA goat would have a good time jumping about in those mountains, but n.o.body else,a said Peter.

On they went, through a batch of tiny little clouds but Mollie didn't try to catch any of these because, just in time, she saw that baby elves were fast asleep on them, one to each cloud.

aThey make good cradles for a hot day like this,a explained c.h.i.n.ky.

After a while, Mollie noticed that c.h.i.n.ky was leaning rather hard on her shoulder, and that Peter seemed to be leaning against her, too. She pushed them back.

aDon't lean so heavily on me,a she said. aYou make me hot.a aWe don't mean to,a said Peter. aBut I seem to be leaning that way all the time! I do try not to.a aWhy are we, I wonder?a said c.h.i.n.ky. Then he gave a cry. aWhy, the chair's all on one side. No wonder Peter and I keep going over on to you, Mollie. Looka”it's tipped sideways!a aWhat's the matter with it?a said Mollie. She tried to shake the chair upright by swinging herself about in it, but it always over-balanced to the left side as soon as she had stopped swinging it to and fro.

They all looked in alarm at one another as the chair began to tip more and more to one side. It was very difficult to sit in it when it tipped like that.

aIt's because it's only got three wings!a said c.h.i.n.ky, suddenly. aOf coursea”that's it! The one wing on this side is tired out, and so the chair is flying with only two wings really, and it's tipping over. It will soon be on its side in the air!a aGracious! Then for goodness sake let's go down to the ground at once,a said Mollie, in alarm. aWe shall fall out if we don't.a aGo down to the ground, Chair,a commanded Peter, feeling the chair going over to one side even more. He looked over the side. The one wing there had already stopped flapping. The chair was using only two wingsa”they would soon be tired out, too!

The chair flew heavily down to the ground and landed with rather a b.u.mp. Its wings stopped flapping and hung limp. It creaked dolefully. It was quite exhausted, that was plain!

aWe shouldn't have flown off on it when it only had three wings,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aIt was wrong of us. After all, Peter and Mollie, you have grown bigger since last holidays, and must be heavier. The chair can't possibly take us all unless it has four wings to fly with.a They stood and looked at the poor, tired Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair. aWhat are we going to do about it?a said Peter.

aWella”we must try to find out where we are first,a said c.h.i.n.ky, looking round. aAnd then we must ask if there is a witch or wizard or magician anywhere about that can give us something to make the chair grow another wing. Then we'd better take it straight home for a rest.a aLook,a said Mollie, pointing to a nearby sign-post. aIt says, 'To the Village of Slipperies.' Do you know that village, c.h.i.n.ky?a aNo. But I've heard of it,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aThe people there aren't very nicea”slippery as eelsa”can't trust them or believe a word they say. I don't think we'll go that way.a He went to look at the other arm of the sign-post and came back looking very pleased.

aIt says 'Dame Quick-Fingers',a he said. aIsn't that good?a aWhy is it good?a asked Mollie, in surprise.

aOh, didn't you knowa”she's my great-aunt,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aShe'll help us all right. She'll be sure to know a spell for growing wings. She keeps a pack of flying dogs, you know, because of the Slipperiesa”they simply fly after them when they come to steal her chickens and ducks.a aGoodnessa”I'd love to see some flying dogs,a said Mollie. aWhere does this aunt of yours live?a aJust down the road, round a corner, and by a big rowan tree,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aShe's really nice. I dare say she'd ask us to tea if we are as polite as possible. She loves good manners.a aWella”you go and ask her if she knows how to grow an extra wing on our chair,a said Mollie. aWe'd better stay here with the chair, I think, in case anyone thinks of stealing it again. We can easily bring it along to your aunt's cottage, if she's in. We won't carry it all the way there in case she's not.a aRight. I'll go,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aI won't be long. You just sit in the chair till I come backa”and don't you let anyone steal it.a He ran off down the road and disappeared round a corner. Mollie and Peter sat down in the chair to wait. The chair creaked. It sounded very tired indeed. Mollie patted its arms. aYou'll soon be all right once you have got a fourth wing,a she said. aCheer up.a c.h.i.n.ky hadn't been gone very long before the sound of footsteps made the children look round. Five little people were coming along the road from the Village of Slipperies. They looked most peculiar.

aThey must be Slipperies,a said Peter, sitting up. aNow we must be careful they don't play a trick on us and get the chair away. Aren't they queer-looking?a The five little creatures came up and bowed low. aGood-day,a they said. aWe come to greet you and to ask you to visit our village,a

The Slipperies Play a Trick!.

PETER and Mollie looked hard at the five Slipperies. Each Slippery had one blue eye and one green, and not one of them looked straight at the children! Their hair was slick and smooth, their mouths smiled without stopping, and they rubbed their bony hands together all the time.

aI'm sorry,a said Peter, abut we don't want to leave our chair. We're waiting here with it till our friend c.h.i.n.ky comes back from seeing his Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers.a aOh, she's gone to market,a said one of the Slipperies. aShe always goes on Thursdays.a aOh dear,a said Peter. aHow tiresome! Now we shan't be able to get a fourth wing for our Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair.a aDear mea”is this a Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair?a said the Slipperies, in great interest. aIt's the first time we've seen one. Do let us sit in it.a aCertainly not,a said Peter, feeling certain that if he let them sit in the chair they would try to fly off in it.

aI hear that Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers has some flying dogs,a said Mollie, hoping that the Slipperies would look frightened at the mention of them. But they didn't.

They rubbed their slippery hands together again and went on smiling. aAh, yesa”wonderful dogs they are. If you stand up on your chair, and look over the field yonder, you may see some of them flying around,a said one Slippery.

aReally!a said Mollie, thrilled. aPeter, let's stand up in the chair and see if we can see the dogs.a They stood on the seat of the chair. The Slipperies cl.u.s.tered round them. aNow look right down over that field,a began one of them. aDo you see a tall tree?a aYes,a said Mollie.

aWell, look to the right of it and you'll see the roof of a house.a aYes,a said Mollie again.

aAnd then to the right of that and you'll see another tree,a said the Slippery.

aCan't you tell me exactly where to look?a said Mollie, getting impatient. aI can't see a single flying dog. Only a rook or two.a aWell, now look to the left and...a began another Slippery, when Peter jumped down from the chair.

aYou're just making it all up,a he said. aGo on, be off with you! I don't like any of you.a The Slipperies lost their smiles, and looked nasty. They laid hands on the Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair.

aI shall whistle for the flying dogs,a said Peter suddenly. aNow let me seea”what is the whistle, ah, yes...a And he suddenly whistled a very shrill whistle indeed.

The Slipperies shot off at once as if a hundred of the flying dogs were after them! Mollie laughed.

aPeter! That's not really a whistle for flying dogs, is it?a aNo, of course not. But I had to get rid of them somehow,a said Peter. aI had a feeling they were going to trick us with their silly smiles and rubbing hands and odd eyesa”so I had to think of some way of tricking them instead. Wella”they've gone. Good riddance to them.a aI wish c.h.i.n.ky would come,a said Mollie, sitting down in the chair again. aHe's been ages. And it's all a waste of time, his going to find his Great-Aunt, if she's at the market. We shall have to go there, I expect, and carry the chair all the way.a aWhy, there is c.h.i.n.ky!a said Peter, waving. aOh, good, he's dancing and smiling. He's got the spell to make another wing grow.a aThen his Great-Aunt couldn't have gone to market! a said Mollie. aHey, c.h.i.n.ky! Have you got the spell? Was your Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers in?a aYesa”and awfully pleased to see me,a said c.h.i.n.ky, running up. aAnd she gave me just enough magic to make another wing grow, so we shan't be long now.a aFive Slipperies came up, and they said your Great-Aunt always goes to market on Thursdays,a said Mollie.

aYou can't believe a word they say,a said c.h.i.n.ky. aI told you that. My word, I'm glad they didn't trick you in any way. They usually trick everyone, no matter how clever they may bea aWell, they didn't trick us,a said Peter.

aWe were much too smart for thema”weren't we, Mollie?a aYes. They wanted to sit in the chair when they knew it was a Wis.h.i.+ng-Chair,a said Mollie. aBut we wouldn't let them.a aI should think not,a said c.h.i.n.ky. He showed the children a little blue box. aLooka”I've got a smear of ointment here that is just enough to grow a red wing to match the other wings. Then the chair will be quite all right.a aWell, let's rub it on,a said Peter. c.h.i.n.ky knelt down by the chaira”and then he gave a cry of horror.

aWhat's the matter?a said the children, in alarm.

aLooka”somebody has cut off the other three wings of the chair! a groaned c.h.i.n.ky. aCut them right off short. There's only a stump left of each.a Mollie and Peter stared in horror. Sure enough the other three wings had been cut right off. But how? And when? Who could have done it? The children had been with the chair the whole time.

aI do think you might have kept a better guard on the chair,a said c.h.i.n.ky crossly. aI really do. Didn't I warn you about the ways of the Slipperies? Didn't I say you couldn't trust them? Didn't I . . .a aOh, c.h.i.n.kya”but when could it have been done?a cried Mollie. aI tell you, we were here the whole of the time.a aStanding by the chair?a asked c.h.i.n.ky.

aYesa”or on it,a said Peter.