The Book of Brownies (The Enchanted World) (15 page)

‘Hip-hip-hurrah!’ shouted everyone.

‘Don’t let us have any more speeches,’ begged Peronel. ‘Let’s get to the feast. I’m sure the brownies are hungry!’

The brownies were really much too excited to feel hungry, but they were always ready for a feast.

And it
was
a feast. There were twenty different puddings, twelve different jellies, sixteen different blancmanges and fifty different sorts of cake!

There was only one guest there who tried everything – and that was the Dragon-bird, who really had a most enormous appetite.

After the feast, the King ordered three cheers for Hop, Skip and Jump, and one big cheer for the Dragon-bird. Then he took a little key off his watch-chain and gave it to Hop.

‘Here is the key of Crab-apple Cottage,’ he said kindly. ‘I expect you would like to go and get things straight there, wouldn’t you?’

So off went the brownies to their dear little cottage and, except for dust, it was all just exactly as they had left it.

‘Isn’t it
lovely
to be home?’ cried Hop, sitting on all the chairs one after another.

‘
Isn’t
it lovely to be home?’ cried Skip, lying on all the beds in turn.

‘Isn’t it perfectly, absolutely lovely to be HOME?’ cried Jump, winding up all the clocks joyfully.

‘We’ll never be bad again!’ said Hop, solemnly.

‘
Never
,’ said Skip.

‘Never, never,
never
,’ said Jump.

So they settled down in their cottage again, and dusted and scrubbed, and made it as spick and span as could be. Everybody brought them flowers, and they put them in jugs and bowls, and made
Crab-apple Cottage look sweeter than it had ever done before.

And once again the three brownies were happy – especially on Saturday afternoons, for then they always went to the Palace to play with the little Princess.

As for the Dragon-bird, he was much too fond of them all to go away. So they kept him for a pet. Every Saturday he takes them for a fine long fly in the air.

So if you happen to see a big, peculiar-looking bird flying quickly overhead one day, don’t be alarmed. It will only be the Dragon-bird, taking his four passengers for their Saturday
afternoon ride.

GOODBYE!

And now the three brownies

are happy once more,

And the Princess is smiling all day;

She often comes knocking

at their cottage door

(Usually just about quarter-past four),

And asks them

to come out and play.

But first they have tea,

and they eat jammy bread,

While they talk just as fast as they can

Of the Vanishing Door

and the Hob-Goblin Red,

Of the Very Wise Man

with his very big head,

And, of course,

of the old Saucepan Man.

And Hop laughs to think

of the worm they once met

Who was in such a terrible hurry;

And Skip says he really will never forget

The time when the Green Railway

Train was upset

And put everyone in a flurry!

So they chatter and laugh

while they finish their tea,

Then they think they will go out to play;

And off they all clatter,

as merry as can be,

To take the old Dragon-bird

out for a spree

Away in the air, hip hurray!

They have a fine time

in the sunny blue sky,

And then come to earth with a bump.

And after that Peronel calls out ‘Goodbye!

Goodbye, dear old Dragon-bird,

thanks for the fly,

And goodbye to you,

Hop, Skip and Jump!’