Comet in Moominland (18 page)

'Now there's some life in him,' said Sniff laughing. 'But he wouldn't run two steps if the comet were after him.'

'Yes, the comet,' said Moominmamma anxiously. 'The Muskrat says that it will fall in my kitchen garden this evening. It's most annoying because I've just weeded it.'

'I suggest that we hold a meeting about it in Moomin-house,' said the Snork. 'I mean - if you don't mind of course.'

'No, no, of course not,' said Moominpappa. 'Come along in. Make yourselves at home!'

'There are some fresh ginger-nuts,' said Moominmamma, slightly flurried, putting out the new coffee cups with roses and lilies on them.
'What
a good thing you came home in time dears!'

'Did you get the telegram that the house-troll sent?' asked Sniff.

'Yes,' said Moominpappa, 'but the letters were all topsy-turvey, and most of it was just exclamation marks. The house-troll was obviously too nervous to send off any telegrams.'

Just then Moominmamma leaned out of the window and cried 'Coffee!' and they all trooped inside, except the Hemulen. He was busy spreading out all his stamps and sorting them into different piles, and he only muttered crossly that he hadn't time.

'Well,' said the Snork, 'now we can come to the point. Unfortunately I have lost the exercise book where I had written down exactly what to do about escaping from comets, but one thing stands out as clear as the nose on my face, and that is that we must find a sheltered place to hide in.'

'You make such a fuss about it all,' said his sister. 'It's quite simple. All we have to do is to creep into Moomin-troll's cave and take our most precious belongings with us!'

'And lots of food,' said Sniff. 'And it's
my
cave, by-the-way!'

'Good gracious me!' exclaimed Moominmamma. 'Have you got a cave all of your own?'

This set Moomintroll and Sniff off on a long description of how they had found the cave, what a wonderful cave it was, and how it was an absolutely perfect hiding place. They both talked at the same time, each trying to speak louder than the other, and the result was that Sniff upset his coffee cup on the table cloth.

'Really!' exclaimed Moominmamma in exasperation. 'It's obvious that you've all been living like hooligans while you've been away. Sniff, you had better eat on the mat. And the cake basin is in the sink - you can take it with you if you like.'

Sniff dived under the table covered with confusion, and the meeting continued.

'I've always believed in letting everybody do his bit,' said the Snork pompously. 'We must all carry our things up to the cave as soon as possible, because it's three o'clock already. Perhaps my sister and I could carry the bedclothes?'

'That will be fine,' said Moominmamma. 'I'll take the jam. Sniff dear, will you start emptying the drawers of the bureau, because all those things must be packed.'

So began the biggest running and carrying and packing you ever saw. Moominpappa filled the wheelbarrow, and Moominmamma bustled about looking for string and newspaper. (It was like being evacuated to the country in wartime with only a few hours' notice.)

Over and over again Moominpappa pushed the wheelbarrow through the wood to the beach and unloaded it on the sand. Then Moomintroll and Snufkin hoisted everything up to the cave on a rope.

Meanwhile the others were collecting all that it was possible to move in the house, down to the door-handles of the cupboards and the cords of the blinds.

'I don't intend to leave a single thing for that old comet,' muttered Moominmamma, pulling the bath-tub through the door.' Snork, dear, do run and pull the radishes in the kitchen garden, and Sniff, you can carry the cake up to the cave, but be very careful with it!'

Moominpappa came puffing up with the wheelbarrow. 'Hurry up, all of you!' he said. 'It will soon be getting dark, and the hole in the roof of the cave still has to be blocked up.'

'Yes, yes,' said Moominmamma. 'Coming directly. I just want the shells round my rhubarb bed. And the best of the roses.'

'No,' said Moominpappa decidedly, 'we'll leave
those
behind anyway. Now get into the bath my dear, and I'll wheel you up to the cave. Where is the Hemulen?'

'He's counting his stamps,' said the Snork maiden. 'Nothing else seems to interest him.'

'Hullo! Hemul!' shouted the Snork. 'Hurry up for goodness sake. The comet will be here in a minute and then your stamps will most certainly be lost.'

'Oh, heaven preserve me!' exclaimed the Hemulen, and hopped straight into the bath-tub, where he sat firmly with his stamp album, refusing to budge.

Then the whole party set off on the last journey up to the cave. It was gloomy and desolate on the shore, with the great gap that had been the sea in front of them, the dark red sky overhead, and behind, the forest panting in the heat. The comet was very near now. It glowed white hot and looked enormous as it rushed towards Moomin Valley.

'Where's the Muskrat?' Moominmamma suddenly asked in a horrified voice.

'He wouldn't come,' answered Moominpappa. 'He said it was unnecessary and undignified for a philosopher to rush about like this. I had to leave him, but I let him keep the hammock.'

'Oh, well,' sighed Moominmamma. 'It's difficult to understand philosophers. Out of the way now children, pappa is going to hoist up the bath.'

Moomintroll, Sniff and Snufkin heaved and shouted up in the cave, while Moominpappa and the Snorks pushed and gave orders from the sand, and the bath wobbled up and down, slipped and was heaved up again, until at last it was on the ledge outside the cave.

Moominmamma had been sitting on the sand all this time mopping her forehead, and now she gave a great sigh and exclaimed: 'What a move!'

The Hemulen, of course, had taken no part in the removal of the bath apart from sitting in it. He had already crept into the cave and was arranging his stamps. 'Always some fuss and hurry,' he muttered, 'if only I could make out what's come over them all.'

And while it got hotter and hotter and darker and darker the hands of the clock slowly crept nearer to seven.

They couldn't get the bath through the opening of the cave, and the Snork wanted to hold a meeting about it, but as there wasn't time for that they decided to hoist it right up to the roof to stop up the opening there.

Moominmamma made beds for them all on the soft sandy

floor of the cave and lit the lamp, while Snufkin hung a blanket up in front of the door.

'Do you think that will be enough protection?' asked Moomintroll.

Snufkin pulled a bottle out of his pocket and waved it triumphantly. 'Have you forgotten the underground sun-oil I got from the fire-spirit?' he asked. 'The last drop is just enough to paint the outside of the blanket, and then twenty comets won't be able to burn it up!'

'It won't stain the blanket I hope?' asked Moominmamma anxiously.

Just then they heard a sniffing and rustling outside the cave, and a nose poked under the blanket, then came two black eyes and then a whole Muskrat.

'Oh!' exclaimed Sniff. 'You came after all Uncle Muskrat?'

'Yes, I found it difficult to think down there in that heat,' said the Muskrat, lumbering off to a corner with great dignity.

'Now we're ready,' said Moominpappa. 'What's the time?'

'Twenty-five past seven,' said the Snork.

'Then we've got time to taste the cake,' said Moominmamma. 'Sniff, where did you put it?'

'Somewhere over there,' said Sniff, pointing to the corner where the Muskrat was sitting.

'Where?' asked Moominmamma. 'I can't see it. Musk-rat, have you seen a cake anywhere?'

'I don't bother myself over things like cakes,' said the Muskrat, twisting his moustache solemnly. 'I don't see them, taste them or feel them in any way, ever.'

'Yes, but where in the world has that cake got to?' said Moominmamma in despair. 'Sniff, you can't have eaten it all on the way?'

'It was too big,' said Sniff innocently.

'So you ate some of it!' screamed Moomintroll. 'Come on, own up!'

'Only the star on the top,' said Sniff, 'and that was rather hard.' He crawled under the mattress and hid himself.

'Miserable children,' said Moominmamma, sitting down on a chair and suddenly feeling rather tired.

The Snork maiden looked sharply at the Muskrat. 'Would you mind moving a moment, Uncle Muskrat?' she asked.

'Here I sit and here I stay,' said the Muskrat.

'There you sit on our cake,' said the Snork maiden.

Then the Muskrat got up, and oh dear, you never saw such a mess as there was on his bottom. And as for the cake...

'That was unnecessary anyhow!' piped Sniff.

'My cake too,' groaned Moomintroll. 'In my honour!'

'Now I shall be sticky for the rest of my life I suppose,' said the Muskrat bitterly. 'I only hope I can bear it like a man and a philosopher.'

'Be quiet all of you,' cried Moominmamma. 'It's still the same cake - just a different shape that's all. Now bring up your plates and we'll share it out all the same.' And she

cut the squashed cake into nine equal pieces and doled it out. Then she filled a basin with warm water and told the Muskrat to sit down in it.

'This has completely disturbed my peace,' he complained. 'A philosopher should be protected against the rude happenings of everyday life.'

'Never mind,' said Moominmamma, consolingly. 'You'll soon feel better.'

'But I
do
mind,' said the Muskrat peevishly. 'Never any peace...' And he mumbled on.

It grew hotter and hotter in the cave. They all sat in separate corners, and waited. Now and again there was a sigh or somebody passed an obvious remark. Otherwise there was silence.

Suddenly Moomintroll jumped up.

'We've forgotten the silk-monkey!' he cried.

'So we have,' said Moominmamma. 'What a dreadful thing! I saw her only yesterday chasing crabs.'

'She must be rescued,' said Moomintroll decidedly. 'Does anybody know where she lives?'

'She doesn't live anywhere,' said Moominpappa. 'I'm afraid she must be left to her fate. We haven't got time to look for her.'

'Oh, please don't go, dear Moomintroll!' entreated the Snork maiden.

'I must,' he answered. 'I'll be back. And don't worry!'