They liked those meetings!
One day, when they had been having a meeting, they saw Timmy Biggs hanging about by the Blunts’s fence, alone. And when Billy Blunt purposely wandered over that way Timmy Biggs said to him, “I say – I suppose you wouldn’t let me join your gang? I don’t like that other one – I’d rather join yours. Could I?”
Billy Blunt told him he’d have to think about it and ask the others.
So he did, and they agreed to let Timmy Biggs join, if he promised to keep the rules. So he joined, and they started a rounders team on the waste ground near the school.
Then two of the other boys took to hanging round watching, as if they wanted to join in. And presently they spoke to Billy Blunt.
“We don’t like our gang much; we’re tired of it,” they said. “It was his idea.” And they pointed at the third boy, who was sauntering by himself down the lane. He had been their gang leader.
With seven of them now they could play rounders splendidly, with Billy Blunt’s bat, and Milly-Molly-Mandy and Miss Muggins’s Jilly taking turns to lend their balls. The cycle-shed was too small now to hold their meetings, so they used it as a place to put the gang belongings in or to write important notices.
Not long after, just as the whole gang was going to begin a game, Milly-Molly-Mandy and Billy Blunt and little-friend-Susan began whispering together, and glancing at where the once-leader of the other gang was sitting under a tree, watching them (but pretending not to), because he had nothing much else to do.
When they had finished whispering Billy Blunt walked over to the tree.
“If you want to join in, come on,” he said.
“Well, I don’t mind,” said the boy. And he got up quite quickly.
They had a grand game with so many players, and they worked up a very fine team indeed.
And do you know, when, a few weeks later, the time came for those three visiting boys to leave the village and go back home, nobody felt so very pleased to see them go.
And Milly-Molly-Mandy and Billy Blunt and little-friend-Susan and Miss Muggins’s Jilly and Timmy Biggs would have been quite sorry, only that now they could just manage to squeeze into the cycle-shed to have their private meetings again!
6
Milly-Molly-Mandy Finds a Nest
Once upon a time, one warm summer morning, Uncle came quickly in at the back door of the nice white cottage with the thatched roof and shouted from the kitchen, “Milly-Molly-Mandy!”
Milly-Molly-Mandy, who was just coming downstairs carrying a big bundle of washing for Mother, called back, “Yes, Uncle?”
“Hi! quick!” said Uncle, and went outside the back door again.
Milly-Molly-Mandy couldn’t think what Uncle wanted with her, but it had such an exciting sound she dropped the big bundle on the stairs in a hurry and ran down to the passage, But when she got to the passage she thought she ought not to leave the big bundle on the stairs, lest someone trip over it in the shadow; so she ran back again in a hurry and fetched the big bundle down, and ran along to the kitchen with it. But she was in such a hurry she dropped some things out of the big bundle and had to run back again and pick them up.
But at last she got them all on to the kitchen table, and then she ran out of the back door and said, “Yes, Uncle? What is it, Uncle?”
Uncle was just going through the meadow gate, with some boards under one arm and the tool-box on the other. He beckoned to Milly-Molly-Mandy with his head (which was the only thing he had loose to do it with), so Milly-Molly-Mandy ran after him down the garden path to the meadow.
“Yes, Uncle?” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.
“Milly-Molly-Mandy,” said Uncle, striding over the grass with his boards and tool-box, “I’ve found a nest.”
“What sort of a nest?” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, hoppity-skipping a bit to keep up with him.
“Milly-Molly-Mandy,” said Uncle, “I rather think it’s a Milly-Molly-Mandy nest.”
Milly-Molly-Mandy stopped and stared at Uncle, but he strode on with his boards and tool-box as if nothing had happened.
Then Milly-Molly-Mandy began jumping up and down in a great hurry and said, “What’s a Milly-Molly-Mandy nest, Uncle? What’s it like, Uncle? Where is it, Uncle? DO-O tell me!”
“Well,” said Uncle, “you ought to know what a Milly-Molly-Mandy nest is, being a Milly-Molly-Mandy yourself. It’s up in the big old oak-tree at the bottom of the meadow.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy tore off to the big old oak-tree at the bottom of the meadow, but she couldn’t see any sort of a nest there, only Uncle’s ladder leaning against the tree.
Uncle put the boards and tool-box carefully down on the ground, then he settled the ladder against the big old oak-tree, then he picked up Milly-Molly-Mandy and carried her up the ladder and sat her on a nice safe branch.
And then Milly-Molly-Mandy saw there was a big hollow in the big old oak-tree (which was a very big old oak-tree indeed). And it was such a big hollow that Uncle could get right inside it himself and leave quite a lot of room over.
“Now, Milly-Molly-Mandy,” said Uncle, “you can perch on that branch and chirp a bit while I put your nest in order.”
Then Uncle went down the ladder and brought up some of the boards and the toolbox, which he hung by its handle on a sticking-out branch. And Milly-Molly-Mandy watched while Uncle measured off boards and sawed them and fitted them and hammered nails into them, until he had made a beautiful flat floor in the hollow in the big old oak-tree, so that it looked like the nicest little fairy-tale room you ever saw!
Then he hoisted Milly-Molly-Mandy off the branch, where she had been chirping with excitement like the biggest sparrow you ever saw (only that you never saw a sparrow in a pink-and-white striped cotton frock), and heaved her up into the hollow.
And Milly-Molly-Mandy stood on the beautiful flat floor and touched the funny brown walls of the big old oak-tree’s inside, and looked out of the opening on to the grass down below, and thought a Milly-Molly-Mandy nest was the very nicest and excitingest place to be in the whole wide world!
Just then whom should she see wandering along the road at the end of the meadow but little-friend-Susan!
“Susan!” called Milly-Molly-Mandy as loud as ever she could, waving her arms as hard as ever she could. And little-friend-Susan peeped over the hedge.
At first she didn’t see Milly-Molly-Mandy up in her nest, and then she did, and she jumped up and down and waved; and Milly-Molly-Mandy beckoned, and little-friend-Susan ran to the meadow-gate and couldn’t get it open because she was in such a hurry, and tried to get through and couldn’t because she was too big, and began to climb over and couldn’t because it was rather high. So at last she squeezed round the side of the gate-post through a little gap in the hedge and came racing across the meadow to the big old oak-tree, and Uncle helped her up.
And then Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan sat and hugged themselves together, up in the Milly-Molly-Mandy nest.
Just then Father came by the big old oak-tree, and when he saw what was going on he went and got a rope and threw up one end to Milly-Molly-Mandy. And then Father tied an empty wooden box to the other end, and Milly-Molly-Mandy pulled it up and untied it and set it in the middle of the floor like a little table.
Then Mother, who had been watching from the gate of the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, came and tied an old rug to the end of the rope, and little-friend-Susan pulled it up and spread it on the floor like a carpet.
Then Grandpa came along, and he tied some fine ripe plums in a basket to the end of the rope, and Milly-Molly-Mandy pulled them up and set them on the little table.
Then Grandma came across the meadow bringing some old cushions, and she tied them to the end of the rope, and little-friend-Susan pulled them up and arranged them on the carpet.
Then Aunty came along, and she tied a little flower vase on the end of a rope, and Milly-Molly-Mandy pulled it up and set it in the middle of the table. And now the Milly
-Molly-Mandy nest was properly furnished, and Milly-Molly-Mandy was in such a hurry to get Billy Blunt to come to see it that she could hardly get down from it quickly enough.
Mother said, “You may ask little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt to tea up there if you like, Milly-Molly-Mandy.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan ran off straight away, hoppity-skip to the Moggs’s cottage (for little-friend-Susan to ask Mrs Moggs’s permission), and to the village to Mr Blunt’s corn-shop (to ask Billy Blunt), while Uncle fixed steps up the big old oak-tree, so that they could climb easily to the nest.
UP IN THE MILLY-MOLLY-MANDY NEST
And at five o’clock that very afternoon Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt were sitting drinking milk from three little mugs and eating slices of bread-and-jam and gingerbread from three little plates, and feeling just as excited and comfortable and happy as ever they could be, up in the Milly-Molly-Mandy nest!
7
Milly-Molly-Mandy Goes for a Picnic
Once upon a time Milly-Molly-Mandy was going for a picnic.
It was a real, proper picnic. Father and Mother and Uncle and Aunty were all going too, and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt (because it wouldn’t seem quite a real, proper picnic without little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt).
They were going to take the red bus from the crossroads to a specially nice picnic place, where Milly-Molly-Mandy hadn’t ever been before because it was quite a long way off. (The nicest places often do seem to be quite a long way off, somehow.)
Grandpa and Grandma weren’t going. They said they would rather stay at home in the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, and keep house and milk the cows if the picnickers weren’t back in time.
MILLY-MOLLY-MANDY WAS GOING FOR A PICNIC
It was a quiet, misty sort of morning, which looked as if it meant to turn out a fine hot day, as Father and Mother and Uncle and Aunty and Milly-Molly-Mandy (and Toby the dog) set off down the road to the village, carrying the picnic things.
When they came to the Moggs’s cottage little-friend-Susan (in a clean cotton frock) was ready and waiting for them at the gate.
And when they came to Mr Blunt’s corn-shop Billy Blunt (in a new khaki shirt with pockets) was ready and waiting for them by the side-door.
And when they came to the crossroads the red bus was already at the bus-stop. And as, of course, it wouldn’t wait long for them, they all had to run like anything. But they just caught it, and climbed inside.
Father took the tickets.
Let’s see: Father and Mother and Uncle and Aunty – that’s four grown-up tickets. And little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt and Milly-Molly-Mandy – that’s three half-tickets. (Father had asked the bus-conductor as they got on, “Do you mind the dog?” And the bus-conductor didn’t, so Toby rode under the seat for nothing.)
Milly-Molly-Mandy said to little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt as the bus went rattling along: “You haven’t been to this place before, have you?” (hoping they hadn’t).
Billy Blunt said: “Once. But I don’t remember it. I was young then.”
Little-friend-Susan said: “No. But my father and mother went a long time ago, and they say it’s a nice place, and there’s a wishing-well there, and you can drop a pin in and wish.”
Billy Blunt said: “Don’t believe in wishing-wells. Can’t make things come true. Not if they aren’t really.”
And Milly-Molly-Mandy said: “Oh, neither do I. But it’s fun to pretend!”
And little-friend-Susan thought so too.
When they came to the next village (where the bus turned round ready to go back again) they all had to get out and walk. Father and Mother and Uncle and Aunty walked in twos, and Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt walked all in a bunch. And Toby the dog ran here and there, snorting into holes and getting his nose muddy. (He did enjoy it!)
The sun shone hot now, and they began to get quite thirsty. But Mother said: “We’re nearly there, and then you can have a nice drink at the well!” And Aunty gave them some fruit-sweets wrapped in coloured papers.
Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan put their sweet-wrappers into their baskets, and Billy Blunt put his into one of his shirt pockets, to throw away when they got home.
Father said: “Well, anyone can see you’ve been properly brought up!”
He wished everyone who used that path did the same. He kept poking other people’s bits of sweet-paper and orange-peel into the hedge with his stick as he went along, because they made the path look so nasty.
Mother said: “I think a place ought to look nicer because we’ve been there, not nastier!”
And Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan thought the same. Billy Blunt found a stick, and helped to poke the litter away too.
At last they came to the specially nice picnic place. And it really was almost like a fairy glen, with daisies and buttercups, and grassy slopes, and trees to climb, and a little stream running through the middle.
But – other people must have been there for picnics too, for – would you believe it? – they had left paper bags and egg-shells and litter everywhere. (And it almost spoiled everywhere, I can tell you.)
“Oh, dear!” said Father and Mother and Uncle and Aunty, looking all about.
“Where’s the wishing-well?” asked Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt, looking all about too.
Father led the way to where some big, old trees were stooping round as if trying to hide something. And in behind them Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt saw a deep round hole in a wet rock which was simply covered over with beautiful green ferns and moss. And water, sparkling like crystal and cold as ice, was dripping down into it over the mossy rocks at the back.
It really did look just like a wishing-well!
Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt leaned over to see if they could see any pins lying at the bottom.
But – other people must have been there too, and – would you believe it? – they had thrown in old tins and ice-cream cartons and litter, and there it was all lying under the water that was clear as crystal and cold as ice.
“Oh, dear!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt. “Oh, dear, oh, dear!”
For you couldn’t think of dropping a pin in and wishing there. You couldn’t even have a drink.
Then Father said: “Mates, there’s a spot of work to be done around here. We’d better get busy.”
And he fished up some rusty tins out of the well with his stick.
Then Billy Blunt fished out some wet papers and cartons with his stick. And Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan picked up bits of silver-paper and bus-tickets scattered about. And Father buried it all down a hole under a rock, where it couldn’t be seen.
The well didn’t look clear now, but Father said it would soon settle and be crystal clear again, as a wishing-well should be. So they thought they had better wait before making their wishes.
Meantime Mother and Aunty had chosen the best spot for the picnic, so Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt got busy collecting all the scraps of paper lying about, and Uncle put a match to them. (He took good care to do it where nothing else could catch fire or hurt the growing things, because, of course, when you have roots like trees and plants you can’t move out of the way when you’re getting hurt!) Billy Blunt collected bits of broken glass too, lest Toby the dog should cut his paws, and Father buried it safely.
By then it was time for the picnic, so they all washed their hands in the little stream running through the middle, and sat down to enjoy themselves.
They had hard-boiled eggs, and brown bread-and-butter, and cheese, and tomatoes, and buns and a big jam-tart. And to drink there was hot tea from a Thermos for the grown-ups, and cold milk for the young ones. And they were all so thirsty they drank up every drop. (Toby the dog drank all he wanted from the little stream.)
When everyone had quite done they packed everything tidily away in their baskets to take home with them, all their empty bottles and wrapping-papers and string.
And then Father gave a great sigh of satisfaction, and lay back in the sunshine and put his hat over his face. And Mother sat in the shade and took up her knitting. And Uncle pulled out his newspaper with the crossword puzzle. And Aunty opened her nice new lady’s magazine.
But Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt (and Toby the dog) all wanted to be up and doing. So they ran about, paddling in the little stream and climbing the trees and playing hide-and-seek. And wherever they went they tidied up until there wasn’t a bit of litter to be seen.
“Well!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, looking about when it was almost time to go. “This picnic place looks ever so much nicer now we’ve visited it! I should think the next people would be pleased.”
“I wish,” said little-friend-Susan, “everybody would leave nice places nice when they visit them.”
That made Billy Blunt remember something. And he said:
“We never made our wishes at the wishing-well.”
So they all three rushed over to the wishing-well. And there it was, clear as crystal and cold as ice right down to the bottom, as a wishing-well should be. Mother gave them a cup, and they all drank, and filled up their bottle.
“Dropping just a pin in won’t spoil it now, will it?” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.
“We can’t make a proper wish without a pin,” said little-friend-Susan.
“Won’t make any difference anyhow,” said Billy Blunt.
But he looked a bit disappointed, all the same, when Mother could find only two pins, which she gave to Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan. But then Father found one under his coat lapel, and handed it to Billy Blunt. And Billy Blunt looked quite pleased as he took it!
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