"It's all right," said Witch Wendle. "It will pass as soon as the trail of bubbles goes."
She was right. When the bubbles flew off in another direction, Mollie's neck came down to its right size! "You did look queer, Mollie," said Pe¬ter. "Don't do that again!"
It was queer to think of spells wandering about like this. Mollie began to look out for them and try to dodge them. She dodged a silvery mist, but it wound itself round Witch Wendle—and she at once disappeared completely.
"Where's she gone?" cried Peter in fright.
"I've still got hold of her hand," said Mollie. "I think she's only invisible—but she's here all right."
"Yes, I'm here," said the witch's voice. As soon as the silvery mist cleared away she became vis¬ible again and smiled down at the children. "I didn't see that spell coming or I would have dodged it," she said. "Oh dear—here's an annoying one com¬ing!"
Something that looked like a little shower of white snowflakes came dropping down on them. The witch changed into a big white bear, Peter changed into a white goat and Mollie into a white cat! That lasted about two minutes, and they were all very glad when they were back to their right shapes again.
They went wandering through the queer misty land, listening to the queer noises around, trying to dodge the spells that came near them. The witch put out her hand and captured a tiny little spell floating through the air. It looked like a small white daisy.
"I've always wanted that spell," she said to the children. "It's a good spell—if you put it under a baby's pillow it makes a child grow up as pretty as a flower."
Suddenly Peter stopped and sniffed. "Pooh! What a smell of bad fish!" he said. "I'm sure that must be Winks. Can you smell a horrid smell, Witch Wendle?"
"I should think I can," said the witch. She took a small bottle out of her pocket and uncorked it.
"Come here to me, you bad little smell,
Into this bottle you'll fit very well!"
she sang. And the children saw a very faint pur¬plish streak streaming into the bottle. The witch corked it up.
"Well, we've got Winks all right," she said. "Now for Chinky. Look—here comes a puff of green smoke. Would that be him?"
"Yes!" said Peter. "I'm sure it is. He and Winks would be certain to keep together."
The witch took a small pair of bellows from under her long, flowing cloak and held them out to the puff of green smoke, which was hovering near. She opened the bellows and drew in the puff of smoke! She hung the bellows on her belt again.
"And now we've got Chinky," she said. "Good! We'd better get back home now, and see what we can do with them. It's so easy to change people into bad smells and green smoke—any beginner can do that—but it takes a powerful witch or wiz¬ard to change them back to their own shapes again."
They walked back to find the Wishing-Chair, still bumping into curious spells every now and again. Mollie walked into a Too-Big spell and im¬mediately towered over the witch and Peter. But she went back to her own size almost at once.
The witch bumped into a train of bright bubbles that burst as they touched her. When they looked at her they saw that she had changed into a beauti¬ful young girl, and they were amazed. But she was soon her old self again.
"That was a nice spell," she said with a sigh. "I should like to have caught that spell and kept it. Ah, is that the Wishing-Chair?"
"Yes—but there's only half of it!" said Mollie, in surprise. "Oh, I see—it's just been touched by an invisible spell—it's coming all right again now."
Soon they were sitting in the chair. "To the children's playroom," commanded the witch. "And hurry! The puff of smoke in the bellows is trying to get out. We'll lose Chinky for ever if he puffs himself out, and gets lost on the wind."
"Oh dear!" said Mollie. "Do hurry, Wishing- Chair!"
The Wishing-Chair hurried so much that the witch lost her hat in the wind and the chair had to go back for it. But at last they were flying down to the playroom, and in at the door. Thank goodness!
The Witch got carefully out of the chair. She took the bellows from her waist. "Is there a suit of Chinky's anywhere?" she asked. Mollie got Chinky's second-best one from the cupboard. "Hold it up," said the witch. "That's right. Now watch!"
Mollie held up the little suit. The witch took the bellows and blew with them. Green smoke came from them and filled the little suit, billow¬ing it out, and—would you believe it?—it was Chinky himself filling it out, growing arms and legs and head—and there he was standing before them in his second-best suit, looking rather scared after his curious stay in the Land of Spells!
Then it was Winks' turn. The witch asked for the teapot and took off the lid. She uncorked the bottle in which she had put the bad smell, and emptied it into the teapot. She put on the lid.
Then she lifted up the teapot and poured some¬thing out of the spout, singing as she did so:
"Teapot, teapot, pour for me
A brownie naughty as can be,
He's not as clever as he thinks,
That Wicked, wilful little Winks!"
And before the children's astonished eyes the teapot poured out Winks! He came out in a kind of stream, which somehow built itself up into Winks
himself!
When Winks saw Witch Wendle he went very red and tried to hide behind the sofa. She pulled him out, saying, "Who stole my wand? Who changed Chinky into a puff of smoke?"
"Well, he changed me into a bad smell," said Winks, beginning to sniff.
"He at least used his own wand to do it with," said the witch. "Winks, I'm sending you back to Mister Grim's school. You've a lot to learn."
Winks howled so loudly that Mollie felt very sorry for him.
"Please," she said, "could he just stay with us till we go back to boarding school? We might have another adventure, a nice one."
"Very well," said Witch Wendle. "One week more. Don't sniff like that, Winks. You bring all your trouble on yourself."
"I'm sorry, Witch Wendle," wailed Winks.
"You'll be sorry till next time—then you will do something tiresome once more and be sorry all over again," said the witch. "I know you, Winks! Well, good-bye, children. I'm very pleased to have met you—and, by the way, may I sometimes bor¬row that Wishing-Chair of yours when you are at school? It would be such a treat for me to do my shopping in it sometimes."
"Oh, yes, please do," said Mollie at once. "It would be a nice return for all your help. You'll have to go to Chinky's mother to borrow it when we're at school. He keeps it there."
"Thank you," said the witch, and off she went. Chinky turned to Winks. "We were silly to quarrel like that," he said. "I'm sorry I turned you into a bad smell, Winks. Go and wash. I still think you smell a bit horrid."
So he did—and it was two or three days before he smelt like a brownie again. You just can't meddle with spells, you know!
XXIV
THE ISLAND OF SURPRISES
"You know," said Mollie to Chinky, "we've only one more day before we go back to school. Mother has already sent off our trunks."
"Oh dear," said Chinky, sadly. "The holidays have simply flown! 1 do wish you didn't have to go to school."
"Well—we love being at home—but we really do love school, too," said Peter. "It's great fun, you know—and it's so nice being with scores of boys and girls who are our own age. I'm awfully glad we do go to boarding-school, really, though, of course, I'm sorry to say good-bye to Mother and Daddy and you and the garden and Jane and the Wishing-Chair, and everything."
"We never went to the Land of Goodness Knows Where," said Mollie. "I'd like to go before
we leave for school."
"Wishing-Chair, you might grow your wings quickly," said Peter, looking at the chair standing quietly in its place. "You really might!"
And. dear me, for once in a way the chair was most obliging and began to grow them! Unfortu¬nately the children didn't notice that it was actu¬ally doing what it was told, and they went out into the garden to p
lay.
The next thing that happened was the chair fly¬ing out of the door of the playroom, its wings flap¬ping strongly! Luckily Chinky caught sight of it, or goodness knows where it would have gone by itself. He felt the swish of the big wings, and looked up. The chair was just passing by his head!
He gave such a yell that Mollie and Peter jumped in fright. They turned, to see Chinky mak¬ing a tremendous leap into the air after the chair. He caught one leg and held on. "Help! Help!" he yelled to the children. "Come and help me, or the chair will go off with me like this."
However, the chair went down to the ground, and allowed Chinky to sit in it properly. Mollie and Peter ran up eagerly.
"Gracious! Whatever made us leave the play¬room door open?" said Peter. "The chair might have flown off anywhere and not come back. We shall really have to get a watch-dog for it."
"It was lucky I just saw it," said Chinky. "Well now—shall we go to the Land of Goodness Knows Where or not? Is there anywhere else you'd like to
gov
The children couldn't think of anywhere else, so the chair was told to go there. It flew off in the right direction at once. It was a lovely, clear day, with hardly any cloud at all. The children and Chinky could see down below them very clearly indeed.
"Go lower, Chair," said Chinky. "We'd like to see the places we're flying over." The chair obe¬diently flew down lower still, and then Chinky gave a shout.
"Look—there's Winks! Isn't it Winks?"
It was. He, too, saw the chair and waved madly.
"Shall we take him with us?" said Chinky.
"Well—it's his last chance of coming with us for a long time," said Mollie. "We said we'd let him come with us once more, didn't we, before he goes back to Mister Grim's school. We'll take him."
So they ordered the chair to go down to the ground to fetch Winks. He was simply delighted. He clambered on to it at once. "Did you come to fetch me?" he said. "How nice of you."
"Well, actually we weren't fetching you," said Chinky. "The chair suddenly grew its wings, flew out into the garden, and I just managed to grab it in time. It was a bit of luck, catching sight of you like that. Winks, you must try and be good to-day— don't spoil our last adventure by being silly or naughty, please. We're going to the Land of Good¬ness Knows Where."
"That's a silly land," said Winks. "Why don't you go somewhere more exciting—the Land of Birthdays, or the Land of Treats, or the Village of Parties—somewhere like that."
They were just passing over a big blue lake. They came to an island in the middle of it, and as they flew over it a surprising thing happened. Fire¬works went off with a bang, and coloured stars burst and fell all round the chair. It was startled and wobbled dangerously, almost upsetting the children.
"Gracious!" said Mollie. "What a surprise! What island is that?"
"Oh!" cried Chinky, in great excitement, "I do believe it's the Island of Surprises! Isn't it, Winks? 1 really think it is."
"Yes," said Winks, peering down. "It is! Look out, here comes another rocket or something. My word—what a lovely shower of coloured stars!"
"Can't we go to this island?" said Mollie. "Chinky, let's go."
"Right," said Chinky. "Mind you, the surprises may not all be nice ones—but if you're willing to risk that, we'll go."
"Of course we'll go!" said Winks. "Chair, go down to the island at once, please."
Down went the chair, dodging another rocket. It landed on a patch of green grass, which at once changed into a sheet of water! The chair almost sank, but just managed to get itself out in time, and flew to a little paved courtyard.
"First surprise," said Chinky, with a grin. "We shall have to be careful here, you know. Winks, you mustn't be an idiot on this island—you'll get some unpleasant shocks if you are."
"Can we leave the chair here?" said Mollie doubtfully. "It would be a horrid surprise if we found it gone when we came back for it."
The chair creaked and flew towards Mollie. "It says it's not going to leave us!" said Chinky, with a grin. "Very wise of it. Right, Chair, you follow us like a dog, and we'll all be very pleased."
So the chair followed them closely.
The first really nice surprise came when they saw a table set out in the sunshine, with empty dishes and plates in a row. The children, Chinky and Winks stopped to look at them. "Is there go¬ing to be a party or something?" said Peter.
A small goblin came up and sat himself down on the form by the table. He stared earnestly at the plate and dish in front of him. And, hey presto, on the dish came a large chocolate pudding, and on his plate came a big ice-cream to match. He began to eat, beaming all over his ugly little face.
"Oooh," said Winks at once, and sat down at the table. So did the others. They all stared hard at their dishes and plates.
Mollie got a pile of sausages on her dish and some fried onions on her plate. Peter got a big trifle on his dish and a jug of cream on his plate. Chinky got strawberries on his dish and found his plate swimming in sugar and cream to go with them.
They looked to see what Winks had got. That bad little brownie, of course, had been tricky as usual. He had put two plates and two dishes in front of him!
But he wasn't looking at all pleased! On one dish had appeared a wonderful-looking pie—but when he cut the crust there was nothing in the pie. On the other dish had appeared a chocolate cake— and, as we know, that was the one cake that poor Winks simply couldn't bear to eat.
On one plate had come some steaming cabbage and on the other two prunes. How the others laughed!
"A pie with nothing in it—a cake he hates— cabbage—and prunes! Oh, Winks, what a horrid surprise. It serves you right for being greedy!" cried Chinky.
Winks was cross. He stood sulkily whilst the others tucked into their exciting food. Mollie was sorry for him and offered him a sausage.
The next surprise was also a very nice one. They finished their meal and then suddenly heard the sound of loud music coming from around the cor¬ner. They hurried to see what it was.
It was a rounbabout! There it stood, decorated with flags that waved in the wind, going round and round, the music playing gaily. How lovely!
"How much is it to go for a ride on this round¬about," asked Chinky, feeling in his pocket.
"Oh, nothing!" said the pixie in charge of it. "It's just a nice surprise for you. Get on when it
stops."
When the roundabout stopped, the children saw that there were all kinds of animals and birds to ride, and each of them went up and down as well as round and round. The brownies, goblins and pixies who had had their turns got off, and the chil¬dren, Chinky and Winks looked to see which ani-mal or bird they would choose to ride.
"I'll have this pony," said Mollie, who loved horses and always wanted one of her own. She climbed on to a dear little black pony.
"I'll have this camel," said Peter. "It's got two humps, and I'll ride between them!"
Chinky chose a snow-white gull with out¬stretched wings that flapped as the roundabout went round. Winks chose a big goldfish. Its fins and tail moved in a very life-like manner. Winks cut himself a little stick from the hedge nearby. "Just to make my fish swim well on the round¬about," he said to the others as he climbed on.
"No whipping allowed!" shouted the pixie in charge. "Hey, you—no whipping allowed!"
The roundabout started off again. The music blared gaily, the animals, fish and birds went round and round, up and down, flapping their wings and fins, nodding their heads and waving tail—all very exciting indeed.
And Winks was disobedient—he whipped his goldfish with his stick! "Gee up!" he cried.
Then he got such a shock. The goldfish sud¬denly shot right off the roundabout through the air and disappeared! The roundabout slowed down and came to a stop. The pixie in charge looked very angry.
"He whipped his goldfish and I told him not to. Now I've lost the goldfish, and my master will be very angry with me."
"Oh dear" sai
d Mollie, getting off her pony.
"I'm so very sorry. Winks did promise to be good. Where has he gone, do you think?"
Then there suddenly came the sound of a ter¬rific splash, and a loud wail came on the air. "That's Winks," cried Peter, beginning to run. "Whatever has happened to him?"
XXV
HOME AGAIN—AND GOOD-BYE
The yells went on and on and on. "Help me! I'm drowning! Help, help, HELP!"
The children and Chinky tore round the corner. The sea lay in front of them, blue and calm. The goldfish was swimming about in it, looking enor¬mous. Winks was splashing and struggling in the water, and every time he tried to wade out, the gold¬fish bumped him with his nose and sent him un¬der.
There was a crowd of little people yelling with laughter. Peter waded in and pulled Winks out. The goldfish flapped out, too, and lay on the beach. It didn't seem to mind leaving the water at all—but then, as Mollie said, it wasn't a real, live fish. It was just a roundabout one.
"Winks, we're not a bit sorry for you," said Pe¬ter. "As usual, you brought your trouble on your¬self. Now, just pick up that fish and take it back to the roundabout."
The fish was big but not heavy. Winks groaned and put it on his shoulder. It flapped its fins and made itself as difficult to carry as it possibly could. Winks staggered back to the roundabout with it.
But the roundabout was gone. It had completely disappeared.
"Well," said Winks, dumping the fish on the ground at once. "I'm not carrying this fish any longer, then."
But the others made him. "We might meet the pixie in charge of the roundabout," said Peter. "And you could give it him back then. He was very up¬set at losing it."
So Winks had to stagger along carrying the goldfish. Still, as Peter said, if he was going to make trouble, he could jolly well carry his own troubles!
It certainly was an Island of Surprises. There was a surprise round almost every corner! For one thing, there was a wonderful Balloon Tree. It had buds that blew up into balloons. Under the tree sat a brownie with a ball of string. You could choose your own balloon, pick it off the tree, and then get the neck tied with string by the brownie. They all chose balloons at once.