The Magic Faraway Tree Read online

  "We promise, Jo," said Bessie. And so it was settled. They would go to the Enchanted Wood that night and climb the Faraway Tree to see their friends.

  It was exciting to slip out of bed at half-past eleven and dress. It was very dark because there was no moon.

  "We shall have to take a torch," said Jo. "Are you girls ready? Now don't make a noise, or you'll wake Mother."

  They all crept down stairs and out into the dark, silent garden. An owl hooted nearby, and something ran down the garden path. Bessie nearly squealed.

  "Sh! It's only a mouse or something," said Jo. "I'll switch on my torch now. Keep close together and we shall all see where we're going." In a bunch they went down the back garden and out into the little lane there.

  The Enchanted Wood loomed up big and dark. The trees spoke to one another softly. "Wisha, wisha, wisha," they said. "Wisha, wisha, wisha!"

  The children jumped over the ditch and walked through the wood, down the paths they knew so well. The wood was full of fairy folk going about their business. They took no notice of the children. Jo soon switched off his torch. Lanterns shone everywhere and gave enough light to see by.

  They soon came to the great dark trunk of the Faraway Tree. A rope swung down through the branches.

  "Oh, good!" said Dick. "Is Moon-Face going to pull us up?"

  "No," said Jo. "We'll have to climb up-but we can use the rope to help us. It's always in the tree at night to help the many folk going up and down."

  And indeed there were a great many people using the Faraway Tree that night. Strange pixies, goblins and gnomes swarmed up and down it, and brownies climbed up, chattering hard.

  "Where are they going?" asked Dick in surprise.

  "Oh, up to the Land of Do-As-You-Please, I expect," said Jo. "And some of them are visiting their friends in the tree. Look -there's the Angry Pixie! He's got a party on to-night!"

  The Angry Pixie had about eight little friends squashed into his tree-room, and looked as pleased as could be. "Come and join us!" he called to Jo.

  "We can't," said Jo. "Thanks all the same. We're going up to Moon-Face's."

  Everyone dodged Dame Washalot's washing water, laughed at old Watzisname sitting snoring as usual in his chair, and at last came to Moon-Face's house.

  And there was nobody there! There was a note stuck on the door.

  "We waited till midnight and you didn't come. If you do come and we're not here, you'll find us in the Land of Do-As-You-Please.

  "Love from "SILKY AND MOON-FACE." "P.S. -DO come. Just think of the things you want to do -you can do them all in the Land of Do-As-You-Please!"

  "Golly!" said Dick, longingly, "what I'd like to do better than anything else is to ride six times on a roundabout without stopping!"

  "And I'd like to eat six ice-creams without stopping!" said Bessie.

  "And I'd like to ride an elephant," said Fanny.

  "And I should like to drive a motor-car all by myself," said Jo.

  "Jo! Let's go up the ladder!" begged Fanny.

  "Oh, do, do let's! Why can't we go and visit a really nice land when one comes? It's just too mean of you to say we can't."

  "Well," said Jo. "Well-I suppose we'd better! Come on!"

  With shrieks and squeals of delight the girls and Dick pressed up the little ladder, through the cloud, A lantern hung at the top of the hole to give them light-but, lo and behold! as soon as they had got into the land above the cloud it was daytime! How extraordinary! The children stood and gazed round it. It seemed a very exciting land, rather like a huge amusement park. There were roundabouts going round and round in time to music. There were swings and see-saws. There was a railway train puffing along busily, and there were small aeroplanes flying everywhere, with brownies, pixies and goblins having a fine time in them.

  "Goodness! Doesn't it look exciting?" said Bessie. "I wonder where Moon-Face and Silky are."

  "There they are-over there-on that round-about!" cried Jo. "Look-Silky is riding a tiger that is going up and down all the time-and Moon-Face is on a giraffe! Let's get on, too!"

  Off they all ran. As soon as Moon-Face and Silky saw the children, they screamed with joy and waved their hands. The roundabout stopped and the children got on. Bessie chose a white rabbit. Fanny rode on a lion and felt very grand. Jo went on a bear and Dick chose a horse.

  "So glad you came!" cried Silky. "We waited and waited for you. Oh-we're off! Hold tight!"

  The roundabout went round and round and round. The children shouted for joy, because it went so fast.

  "Let's have six rides without getting off!" cried Jo.

  So they did -and dear me, weren't they giddy when they did at last get off. They rolled about like sailors! "I feel like sitting down with six ice-creams," said Bessie. At once an ice-cream man rode up and handed them out thirty-six ice-creams. It did look a lot. When Jo had divided them all out equally there were six each. And how delicious they were! Everybody managed six quite easily.

  "And now, what about me driving that railway engine!" cried Jo, jumping up. "I've always wanted to do that. Would you all like to be my passengers? Well, come on, then!" And off they all raced to where the railway train was stopping at a little station.

  "Hi! hie!" yelled Jo to the driver. "I want to drive your train!"

  "Come along up, then," said the driver, jumping down. "The engine is just ready to go!"

  12

  The Land of Do-As-You-Please

  Jo jumped up into the cab of the engine. A bright fire was burning there. He looked at ail the shining handles and wheels.

  "Shall I know which is which?" he asked the driver.

  "Oh, yes," said the driver. "That's the starting wheel-and that's to make the whistle go-and that's to go slow-and that's to go fast. You can't make a mistake. Don't forget to stop at the stations, will you? And oh-look out for the level-crossing gates, in case they are shut. It would be a pity to bump into them and break them."

  Jo felt tremendously excited. Dick looked up longingly. "Jo! Could I come too?" he begged. "Do let me. Just to watch you."

  "All right," said Jo. So Dick hopped up on to the engine. The girls, Moon-Face and Silky got into a carriage just behind. The guard ran up the platform waving a green flag and blowing his whistle.

  "The signal's down!" yelled Dick. "Go on, Jo! Start her up!"

  Jo twisted the starting wheel. The engine began to chuff-chuff-chuff and moved out of the station. The girls gave a squeal of delight.

  "Jo's really driving the train!" cried Bessie. "Oh isn't he clever! He's wanted to drive an engine all his life!" The engine began to go very fast-too fast. Jo pulled the "Go Slow" handle, and it went more slowly. He was so interested in what he was doing that he didn't notice he was coming to a station. He shot right through it!

  "Jo!" cried Dick, "you've gone by a station. Gracious, the passengers waiting there did look cross-and oh, look, a lot of them in our train wanted to get out there!"

  Sure enough quite a number of angry people were looking out of the carriage windows, yelling to Jo to stop.

  Jo went red. He pulled the "Stop" handle. The engine stopped. Then Jo pulled the "Go Backwards" handle and the train moved slowly backwards to the station. It stopped there and Jo and Dick had the pleasure of seeing the passengers get out and in. The guard came rushing up.

  "You passed the station, you passed the station!" he cried. "Don't you dare to pass my station again without stopping!"

  "All right, all right," said Jo. "Now then-off we go again!"

  And off they went.

  "Keep a look-out for stations, signals, tunnels and level crossings, Dick," said Jo. So Dick stuck his head out and watched.

  "Level crossing!" he cried. "The gates are shut! Slow down, Jo, slow down!"

  But unluckily Jo pulled the "Go Fast" handle instead of the "Go Slow" and the train shot quickly to the closed gates of the level-crossing. Just as the engine had nearly reached them a little man rushed out of the cabin near by and flung the gat
es open just in time!

  "You bad driver!" he shouted as the train roared past. "You might have broken my gates!"

  "That was a narrow squeak," said Jo. "What's this coming now, Dick?"

  "A tunnel," said Dick. "Whistle as you go through in case anyone is walking in it." So Jo made the engine whistle loudly. It really was fun. It raced through the dark tunnel and came out near a station.

  "Stop! Station, Jo!" cried Dick. And Jo stopped. Then on went the train again, whistling loudly, rushing past signals that were down.

  Then something happened. The "Go Slow" and the "Stop" handles-wouldn't work! The train raced on and on past stations, big and small, through tunnels, past signals that were up, and behaved just as if it had gone mad.

  "I say!" said Dick in alarm, "what's gone wrong, Jo?"

  Jo didn't know. For miles and miles the train tore on, and all the passengers became alarmed. And then, as the train drew near a station, it gave a loud sigh, ran slowly and then stopped all by itself.

  And it was the very same station it had started from! The driver of the train was there, waiting.

  "So you're back again," he said. "My, you've been quick."

  "Well, the engine didn't behave itself very well," said Jo, stepping down thankfully. "It just ran away the last part of the journey. It wouldn't stop anywhere!"

  "Oh, I dare say it wanted to get back to me," said the driver, climbing into the engine-cab. "It's a monkey sometimes. Come along and drive it again with me."

  "No, thank you," said Jo. "I think I've had enough. It was fun, though."

  The girls, Moon-Face and Silky, got out of their carriages. They had been rather frightened the last part of the journey, but they thought Jo was very clever to drive the train by himself.

  They all left the station. "Now what shall we do?" said Moon-Face.

  "I want to ride on an elephant," said Fanny at once.

  "There aren't any," said Bessie. But no sooner had she spoken than the children saw six big grey elephants walking solemnly up to them, swaying a little from side to side.

  "Oh, look, look!" yelled Fanny, nearly mad with excitement. "There are my elephants. Six of them! We can all have a ride!"

  Each elephant had a rope ladder up its left side. The children, Moon-Face and Silky climbed up and sat on a comfortable seat on the elephant's backs. Then the big creatures set off, swaying through the crowds.

  It was simply lovely. Fanny did enjoy herself. She called to the others. "Wasn't this a good idea of mine, everybody? Aren't we high up? And isn't it fun?"

  "It is fun," said Moon-Face, who had never even seen art elephant before, and would certainly never have thought of riding on one if he had. "Oh, goodness-my rope ladder has slipped off my elephant! Now I shall never be able to get down! I'll have to ride on this elephant all my life long!"

  Everybody laughed-but Moon-Face was really alarmed. When the children had had enough of riding they all climbed down their rope ladders-but poor Moon-Face sat up high, tears pouring down his fat cheeks.

  "I tell you I can't get down," he kept saying. "I'm up here for good!" The elephant stood patiently for a little while. Then it got tired of hearing Moon-Face cry. It swung its enormous trunk round, wound it gently round Moon-Face's waist, and lifted him down to the ground. Moon-Face was so surprised that he couldn't speak a word.

  At last he found his tongue. "What did the elephant lift me down with?" he asked.

  "His nose!"

  "No, his trunk," said Jo, laughing. "Didn't you know that elephants had trunks, Moon-Face?"

  "No," said Moon-Face, puzzled. "I'm glad he didn't pack me in his trunk and take me away for luggage!"

  The children roared with laughter. They watched the big elephants walking off.

  "What shall we do now?" said Jo. "Dick, what do you want to do?"

  "Well, I know I can't do it -but wouldn't I just love to have a paddle in the sea!" said Dick.

  "Oooh-that would be nice!" said Fanny, who loved paddling too. "But there isn't any sea here."

  Just as she said that she noticed a sign-post near by. It pointed away from them and said, in big letters, "TO THE SEA."

  "Goodness!" said Fanny. "Look at that! Come on, everyone!" Off they all went, running the way that the signpost pointed. And, after going round two corners, there,-sure enough, was the blue, blue sea, lying bright and calm in the warm sunshine! Shining golden sands stretched to the little waves.

  "Oh, goody, goody!" cried Dick, taking off his shoes and socks at once. "Come on, quickly?' Soon everyone was paddling in the warm sea. Moon-Face and Silky had never paddled before, but they loved it just as much as the children did. Dick paddled out so far that he got his shorts soaking wet.

  "Oh, Dick! You are wet!" cried Bessie. "Come back!"

  "This is the Land of Do-As-You-Please, isn't it?" shouted Dick, dancing about in the water and getting wetter than ever. "Well, I shall get as wet as I like, then!"

  "Let's dig an ENORMOUS castle!" cried Moon-Face. "Then we can all sit on the top of it when the sea comes up."

  "We can't," said Silky, suddenly looking sad.

  "Why not? Why not?" cried Jo in surprise. "Isn't this the Land of Do-As-You-Please?"

  "Yes," said Silky. "But it's time we went back to the Faraway Tree. This land will soon be on the move-and nice as it is, we don't want to live here for ever."

  "Gracious, no," said Jo. "Our mother and father couldn't possibly do without us! Dick! Dick! Come in to shore! We're going home!" Dick didn't want to be left behind. He waded back at once, his shorts dripping wet, and his jersey splashed, too. They all made their way to the hole that led down through the cloud to the Faraway Tree.

  "We did have a lovely time," sighed Jo, looking back longingly at the gay land he was leaving behind. "It's one of the nicest lands that has ever been at the top of the Tree."

  They all felt tired as they crowded into Moon-Face's room. "Don't fall asleep before you get home," said Moon-Face. "Take cushions, all of you."

  They went down the slippery-slip, yawning. They made their way home and fell into bed, tired out but happy. And in the morning their mother spoke in surprise to Dick.

  "Dick, how is it that your shorts and jersey are so wet this morning?"

  "I paddled too deep in the sea," said Dick-and he couldn't think why his Aunt Polly said he was a naughty little story-teller!

  13

  The Land of Toys

  One afternoon Silky came to see the children as they were all working hard in the garden. She leaned over the gate and called to them.

  "Hallo! I've come to tell you something!"

  "Oh, hallo, Silky dear!" cried everyone. "Come along in. We can't stop work because we've got to finish clearing this patch before tea."

  Silky came in. She sat down on the barrow. "The old Saucepan Man wants to give a party," she said. "And he says, will you come?"

  "Is it his birthday?" asked Jo.

  "Oh, no. He doesn't know when his birthday is," said Silky. "He says he hasn't got one. This is just a party. You see, the Land of Goodies is coming soon, and Saucepan thought it would be a fine idea to go there with a large basket and collect as many good things to eat as he can find, and then give a party in Moon-Face's room, so that we can eat all the things."

  "That sounds fine!" said Dick, who loved eating good things. "When shall we come?"

  "To-morrow," said Silky. "About three o'clock. Will you be all right?"

  "Oh, yes," said Bessie: "Mother says we've been very good this week, so she is sure to let us come to the Saucepan Man's party to-morrow. We'll be there! When is Saucepan going to get the goodies to eat?"

  "To-morrow morning," said Silky. "He says that the Land of Goodies will be there then. Well, good-bye. I won't stay and talk to-day, as I said I'd make some Pop Biscuits and Google Buns for the tea to-morrow as well. I might make some Toffee Shocks, too." Silky went. The children talked joyfully of the party next day.

  "Hope there will be treacle pudding," said Dick
.

  "Treacle pudding! At a tea-party!" said Bessie.

  "Well, why not?" said Dick. "It's most delicious. I hope there will be pink and yellow jelly, too."

  Everyone felt excited when the next afternoon came. Mother said they might go, but she wouldn't let them put on their best clothes.

  "Not if you are going to climb trees," she said. "And Dick, please don't get your clothes wet this time. If you do, you'll have to stay in bed all day whilst I dry them."

  The children ran to the Enchanted Wood. They had to climb up the tree in the ordinary way, for there was no rope that day. Up they went, shouting a greeting to the owl in his room, to the Angry Pixie, and to Dame Washalot.

  They reached Moon-Face's house. He and Silky were setting out cups and saucers and plates ready for all the goodies that Saucepan was going to bring back. Silky handed a bag round. "Have a Toffee Shock?" she said.

  Now, all the children except Dick had had Toffee Shocks before, and, providing you knew, what the toffee did it was all right. But if you didn't, it was rather alarming.

  A Toffee Shock gets bigger and bigger and bigger as you suck it, instead of smaller and smaller -and when it is so big that there is hardly room for it in your mouth it suddenly explodes-and goes to nothing. Jo, Bessie and Fanny watched Dick as he sucked his Toffee Shock, nudging one another and giggling.

  Dick took a big Toffee Shock, for he was rather a greedy boy. He popped it into his mouth and sucked hard. It tasted most delicious. But it seemed to get bigger and bigger.

  Dick tried to tell the others this, for it surprised him very much. But the Toffee Shock was now so big that he could hardly talk. "Ooble, ooble, ooble!" he said.

  "What language are you talking, Dick?' asked Moon-Face, with a giggle.

  Dick looked really alarmed. His toffee was now so enormous that he could hardly find room in his mouth for it. And then suddenly it exploded -and his mouth was quite empty.

  "Ooooh!" said Dick, opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish. "Oooh!"

  "Don't you like your sweet?" said Silky, trying not to giggle. "Well, spit it out if you like, and have another."