The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook

by Joyce Lankester Brisley

  Milly-Molly-Mandy had to try very hard not to feel dreadfully disappointed, for she had never been away from home by herself before, and she had been looking forward to it so much.

  “Never mind, Milly-Molly-Mandy,” said Mother, when Saturday morning arrived and Milly-Molly-Mandy came down to breakfast looking rather solemn, “there are nice things happening all the time, if you keep your eyes open to see them.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Yes, Muvver,” in a small voice, as she took her seat, though it didn’t seem just then as if anything could possibly happen as nice as going away to stay.

  But while Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty and Milly-Molly-Mandy were at breakfast Mrs Moggs, who was little-friend-Susan’s mother, came round in a great hurry without a hat. And Mrs Moggs told them how some friends who had to go to the town on business, had offered her a seat in their gig. And as Mrs Moggs’ mother lived there Mrs Moggs thought it was a nice opportunity to go and see her, only she didn’t like leaving Susan alone all day, Mr Moggs being out at work.

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy’s mother said, “Let her come round here, Mrs Moggs. Milly-Molly-Mandy would like to have her. And I don’t suppose you’ll be back till late, so she’d better spend the night here too.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was pleased, and Mrs Moggs thanked them very much indeed, and they all wished Mrs Moggs a nice trip, and then Mrs Moggs ran back home to get ready.

  “Where will Susan sleep? In the spare room?” asked Milly-Molly-Mandy, making haste to finish her breakfast.

  “Yes,” said Mother, “and you had better sleep there too, to keep her company.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was very much pleased at that, for she had never slept in the spare room – her cot-bed was in one corner of Father’s and Mother’s room.

  “Why, Muvver!” she said. “I can’t have a visit of my own, but I’ll just be able to enjoy Susan’s instead, shan’t I? P’r’aps it’ll be almost quite as nice!”

  She helped to wash up the breakfast things, and to make the spare room bed, and to dust.

  And then she was just looking out of the window, thinking how nice it would be for Susan to wake up in the morning with a new view outside, when what did she see but little-friend-Susan herself, trudging along up the road with a basket on one arm and her coat on the other. So she ran down to the gate to welcome her in.

  And though Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan met almost every day, and very often spent the whole day together, somehow it felt so different to think little-friend-Susan was going to stay the night with Milly-Molly-Mandy that they couldn’t help giving an extra skip or two after they had kissed each other.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy took her to see Mother, and then they went up to the spare room to unpack little-friend-Susan’s basket.

  They put her nightgown and brush and comb and toothbrush and slippers in their proper places, and decided which sides of the bed they were going to sleep – and they found each wanted the side that the other one didn’t, which was nice – though of course Milly-Molly-Mandy would have given little-friend-Susan first choice, anyway.

  UNPACKING LITTLE-FRIEND-SUSAN’S BASKET

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy showed little-friend-Susan round the room, and let her admire the fat silk pin-cushion on the dressing-table, and the hair-tidy that Aunty had painted, and the ornaments on the chest of drawers – the china dogs with the rough-feeling coats, and the little girl with the china lace skirt.

  And while they were looking at the fretwork bracket which Father had made for Mother before they were married, Aunty came running up to say Uncle was just going to drive to market, and they might go with him if they were quick.

  So they scrambled into their coats and hats, and Milly-Molly-Mandy ran to ask Mother in a whisper if she might take a penny from her money box to spend in town. And soon they were sitting up close together beside Uncle in the high pony-trap, while the little brown pony (whose name was Twinkletoes) trotted briskly along the white road.

  Little-friend-Susan hadn’t been for many drives. Milly-Molly-Mandy often went, but she enjoyed this one much more than usual, because little-friend-Susan was so interested and pleased with everything.

  Billy Blunt was whipping a top outside his father’s corn-shop as they drove through the village. They waved to him, and he waved back. And a little farther on Miss Muggins’ niece, Jilly, was wheeling her doll’s pram along the pavement, and called out, “Hello, Milly-Molly-Mandy! Hello, Susan!”

  And then they drove along a road through corn fields, where the little green blades of wheat were busy growing up to make big loaves of bread – which is why you must never interrupt them by walking in the corn, even if you see a poppy.

  When they came to the town there were crowds of people everywhere, shouting about the things they had to sell. And Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan followed Uncle about the marketplace, looking at all the stalls of fruit and sweets and books and fish and clothes and a hundred other things.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy spent her penny on a big yellow sugar-stick for little-friend-Susan, who broke it carefully in two, and gave her half.

  When Uncle had done his business he took them to have dinner at a place where all the tables had marble tops, which made such a sharp clatter unless you put your glass down very gently. There were crowds of people eating at other tables round about, and a lot of talking and clattering of cups and plates. It was very exciting. Little-friend-Susan was having a splendid holiday.

  When they had finished Uncle paid the bill and led the way back to where Twinkletoes was waiting patiently, munching in his nosebag. And off they drove again, clippety-cloppety, with Uncle’s parcels stowed under the seat.

  And when they got near home it did seem queer for Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan to go straight past the Moggs’ cottage and not have to stop and say goodbye to each other. They squeezed each other’s hand all the rest of the way home to the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, because they felt so pleased.

  When bedtime drew near they had their baths together, just as if they were sisters. And then Milly-Molly-Mandy in her red dressing-gown, and little-friend-Susan in Grandma’s red shawl, sat in front of the fire on little stools (with Toby the dog on one side, and Topsy the cat on the other), while Mother made them each a lid-potato for their suppers.

  First Mother took two well-baked potatoes out of the oven. Then she nearly cut the tops off them – but not quite. Then she scooped all the potato out of the skins and mashed it up with a little salt and a little pepper and a lot of butter. And then she pushed it back into the two potato-skins, and shut the tops like little lids.

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan were given a mug of milk and a plate of bread-and-butter, and one of the nice warm lid-potatoes. And they opened the potato-lids and ate out of them with little spoons.

  They did enjoy their suppers.

  And when the last bit was gone Mother said, “Now, you two, I’ve set the candle in your room, and I’ll be up to fetch it in ten minutes.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan kissed goodnight to Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty, and stroked Toby the dog and Topsy the cat. And then they went upstairs to bed, hopping and skipping all the way, because they were so pleased they were going to sleep together in the spare room.

  And next day, when Mrs Moggs came round to tell how she had enjoyed her trip, and to fetch Susan, Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Thank you very much indeed, Mrs Moggs, for Susan’s visit. I have enjoyed it!”

  7

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Goes Gardening

  Once upon a time, one Saturday morning, Milly-Molly-Mandy went down to the village. She had to go to Mr Blunt’s corn-shop to order a list of things for Uncle – and would Mr Blunt please send them on Monday without fail?

  Mr Blunt said, “Surely, surely! Tell your uncle he shall have them first thing in the morning.”

  And then Milly-Molly-Mandy, who loved the
smell of the corn-shop, peeped into the great bins, and dug her hands down into the maize and bran and oats and let them sift through her fingers. And then she said good-bye and came out.

  As she passed the Blunts’ little garden at the side of the shop she saw Billy Blunt’s back, bending down just the other side of the palings. It looked very busy.

  Billy Blunt was a little bigger than Milly-Molly-Mandy, and she did not know him very well, but they always said “Hullo!” when they met.

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy peeped through the palings and said, “Hullo, Billy!”

  Billy Blunt looked round for a moment and said, “Hullo!” And then he turned back to his work.

  But he didn’t say, ‘Hullo, Milly-Molly-Mandy!’ and he didn’t smile. So Milly-Molly-Mandy stuck her toes in the fence and hung on and looked over the top.

  “What’s the matter?” Milly-Molly-Mandy asked.

  Billy Blunt looked round again. “Nothing’s the matter,” he said gloomily. “Only I’ve got to weed these old flower-beds right up to the house.”

  “I don’t mind weeding,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “Huh! You try it here, and see how you like it!” said Billy Blunt. “The earth’s as hard as nails, and the weeds have got roots pretty near a mile long.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy wasn’t quite sure whether he meant it as an invitation, but anyhow she accepted it as one, and pushed open the little white gate and came into the Blunts’ garden.

  “WHAT’S THE MATTER?” MILLY-MOLLY-MANDY ASKED

  It was a nice garden, smelling of wallflowers.

  Billy Blunt said, “There’s a garden fork.” So Milly-Molly-Mandy took it up and started work on the other side of the flower-bed which bordered the little brick path up to the house. And they dug away together.

  Presently Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Doesn’t the earth smell nice when you turn it up?”

  And Billy Blunt said, “Does it? Yes, it does rather.” And they went on weeding.

  Presently Milly-Molly-Mandy, pulling tufts of grass out of the pansies, asked, “What do you do this for, if you don’t like it?”

  And Billy Blunt, tugging at a dandelion root, grunted and said, “Father says I ought to be making myself useful.”

  “That’s our sort of fruit,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “My Muvver says we’d be like apple-trees which didn’t grow apples if we didn’t be useful.”

  “Huh!” said Billy Blunt. “Funny idea, us growing fruit! Never thought of it like that.” And they went on weeding.

  Presently Milly-Molly-Mandy asked, “Why’re there all those little holes in the lawn?”

  “Dad’s been digging out dandelions,” said Billy Blunt. “He wants to make the garden nice.”

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “There’s lots of grass here, only it oughtn’t to be. We might plant it in the holes.”

  “Umm!” said Billy Blunt, “and then we’ll be making the lawn look as tidy as the beds. Let’s!”

  So they dug, and they turned the earth, and they pulled out what didn’t belong there. And all the weeds they threw into a heap to be burned, and all the tufts of grass they carefully planted in the lawn. And after a time the flower-beds began to look most beautifully neat, and you could see hardly any bald places on the lawn.

  Presently Mr Blunt came out of the shop on to the pavement. He had a can of green paint and a brush in his hand, and he reached over the palings and set them down among the daisies on the lawn.

  “Hullo, Milly-Molly-Mandy!” said Mr Blunt. “Thought you’d gone home. Well, you two have been doing good work on those beds there. Billy, I’m going to paint the water-butt and the handle of the roller some time. Perhaps you’d like to do it for me? You’ll have to clean off the rust first with sandpaper.”

  Billy Blunt and Milly-Molly-Mandy looked quite eager.

  Billy Blunt said, “Rather, Dad!” And Milly-Molly-Mandy looked with great interest at the green can and the garden-roller. But she knew she ought to be starting back to dinner at the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, or Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty would be wondering what had become of her. So she handed her garden fork back to Billy Blunt and walked slowly to the gate.

  But Billy Blunt said, “Couldn’t you come again after dinner? I’ll save you some of the painting.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy gave a little skip and said, “I’d like to, if Muvver doesn’t want me.”

  So after dinner, when she had helped with the washing-up, Milly-Molly-Mandy ran hoppity-skip all the way down to the village again. And there in the Blunts’ garden was Billy Blunt, busy rubbing the iron bands on the water-butt with a sheet of sandpaper.

  “Hullo, Billy!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “Hullo, Milly-Molly-Mandy!” said Billy Blunt.

  He looked very hot and dirty, but he smiled quite broadly. And then he said, “I’ve saved the garden-roller for you to paint – it’s all sandpapered ready.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy thought that was nice of Billy Blunt, for the sandpapering was the nasty, dirty part of the work.

  Billy Blunt got the lid off the can, and stirred up the beautiful green paint with a stick. Then all by himself he thought of fetching a piece of newspaper to pin over her frock to keep her clean. And then he went back to rubbing the water-butt, while Milly-Molly-Mandy dipped the brush carefully into the lovely full can of green paint, and started work on the lawn mower.

  The handle had a pattern in wriggly bits of iron, and it was great fun getting the paint into all the cracks. And you can’t imagine how beautiful and new that roller looked when the paint was on it.

  Billy Blunt had to keep leaving his water-butt to see how it was going on, because the wriggly bits looked so nice when they were green, and he hadn’t any wriggly bits on his water-butt.

  By the end of the afternoon you ought to have seen how nice the garden looked! The flower-beds were clean and trim, the lawn tidied up, the water-butt stood glistening green by the side of the house, and the roller lay glistening green on the grass.

  And when Mr Blunt came out and saw it all he was pleased!

  He called Mrs Blunt, and Mrs Blunt was pleased too. She gave them each a banana, and they ate them sitting on one of the corn-bins in the shop.

  And afterwards Billy Blunt buried Milly-Molly-Mandy in the corn, right up to the neck. And when he helped her out again she was all bits of corn, down her neck, and in her socks, and on her hair. But Milly-Molly-Mandy didn’t mind a scrap. She liked it.

  8

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Keeps Shop

  Once upon a time Milly-Molly-Mandy was walking home from school with some little friends – Billy Blunt, Miss Muggins’ niece Jilly, and, of course, little-friend-Susan. And they were all talking about what they would like to do when they were big.

  Billy Blunt said he would have a motor-bus and drive people to the station and pull their boxes about. Miss Muggins’ Jilly said she would curl her hair and be a lady who acts for the pictures. Little-friend-Susan wanted to be a nurse with long white streamers, and push a pram with two babies in it.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy wanted a shop like Miss Muggins’, where she could sell sweets, and cut pretty coloured stuff for people’s dresses with a big pair of scissors. And, “Oh, dear!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “I wish we didn’t have to wait till we had growed up!”

  Then they came to Miss Muggins’ shop, and Jilly said “Goodbye,” and went in.

  And then they came to Mr Blunt’s corn-shop which was only a few steps farther on, and Billy Blunt said “Goodbye,” and went in.

  And then Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan, with their arms round each other, walked up the white road with the fields each side till they came to the Moggs’ cottage, and little-friend-Susan said, “Goodbye” and went in.

  And Milly-Molly-Mandy went hoppity-skipping on alone till she came to the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, where Mother was at the gate to meet her.

  Next day was Saturday, and Milly-Mol
ly-Mandy went down to the village on an errand for Mother. And when she had done it she saw Miss Muggins standing at her shop door, looking rather worried.

  And when Miss Muggins saw Milly-Molly-Mandy she said, “Oh, Milly-Molly-Mandy, would you mind running to ask Mrs Jakes if she could come and mind my shop for an hour? Tell her I’ve got to go to see someone on very important business, and I don’t know what to do, and Jilly’s gone picnicking.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran to ask Mrs Jakes. But Mrs Jakes said, “Tell Miss Muggins I’m very sorry, but I’ve just got the cakes in the oven, and I can’t leave them.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran back and told Miss Muggins, and Miss Muggins said, “I wonder if Mrs Blunt would come.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran to ask Mrs Blunt. But Mrs Blunt said, “I’m sorry, but I’m simply up to my eyes in house-cleaning, and I can’t leave just now.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran back and told Miss Muggins, and Miss Muggins said she didn’t know of anyone else she could ask.

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Oh, Miss Muggins, couldn’t I look after the shop for you? I’ll tell people you’ll be back in an hour, and if they only want a sugar-stick or something I could give it them – I know how much it is!”

  Miss Muggins looked at Milly-Molly-Mandy, and then she said: “Well, you aren’t very big, but I know you’re careful, Milly-Molly-Mandy.”