Mary Poppins Opens the Door by P. L. Travers Page B
Authors: P. L. Travers
Tags: Ages 9 & Up
Ads: Link
whether Mary Poppins heard him or not.
The breeze blew gently from the Park, full of the scents of the morning. It smelt of laurel leaves and moss, and something else that was vaguely familiar. What could it be? Jane sniffed the air.
"Michael!" she whispered. "I smell Peppermint!"
Michael sniffed like a sulky little dog.
"Um-hum," he admitted, "I do, too!"
And then it was that they both noticed the red-and-green umbrella. It stood beside the iron railings on the Town side of the Park. Against it leaned a large white signboard.
MISS CALICO
CONFECTIONER
HORSES FOR HIRE
said the words in big black letters.
The children stared.
For beneath the red-and-green umbrella sat one of the strangest little figures they had ever seen. At first they could not make out what it was, for it sparkled and glittered like a diamond. Then they saw that it was a small elderly lady with a skinny, leathery, yellow face and a mane of short white hair. The glitter and sparkle came from her dress, which was covered from collar to hem with pins. They stuck out all over her, like the quills of a hedgehog, and whenever she moved they flashed in the sunlight. In her hand she held a riding-whip. And every now and again she cracked it at one of the passers-by.
"Peppermint Candy! Bargain Prices! All of it made of Finest Sugar!" she cried in a little whinnying voice as the whip swished through the air.
"Come on, Michael!" said Jane excitedly, forgetting how tired she was.
He took her hand and let her drag him towards the striped umbrella. And as they drew nearer the sparkling figure, they saw a sight that filled them with hunger. For beside her stood a pottery jar that was filled with peppermint walking-sticks.
"Sugar and Spice
And all that's nice
At a Very Special
Bargain Price!"
sang the little old lady, cracking her whip.
And just at that moment she turned her head and spied the straggling group. Her dark eyes glittered like little black currants as she thrust out a bird-like hand.
"Well, I never! If it isn't Mary Poppins! I haven't seen you in a month of Tuesdays!"
"The same to you, so to speak, Miss Calico!" Mary Poppins replied politely.
"Well, it all just goes to show!" said Miss Calico. "If you know what I mean!" she added, grinning. Then her bright black gaze fell upon the children.
"Why, Mercy Me and a Jumping Bean! What a quartet of sulky faces! Cross-patch, draw the latch! You all look as if you'd lost something!"
"Their tempers," said Mary Poppins grimly.
Miss Calico's eyebrows went up with a rush, and her pins began to flash.
"Thundering Tadpoles! Think of that! Well, what's lost must be found—that's the law! Now—where did you lose 'em?"
The little black eyes went from one to another and somehow they all felt guilty.
"I think it must have been in the High Street," said Jane in a stifled whisper.
"Tlit! Hit! All that way back? And
why
did you lose 'em, might one ask?"
Michael shuffled his feet and his face grew red. "We didn't want to go on walking——" he began shamefacedly. But the sentence was never finished. Miss Calico interrupted him with a loud shrill cackle.
"Who does? Who does? I'd like to know? Nobody wants to go on walking. I wouldn't do it myself if you paid me. Not for a sackful of rubies!"
Michael stared. Could it really be true? Had he found at last a grown-up person who felt as he did about walking?
"Why, I haven't walked for centuries," said Miss Calico. "And what's more, none of my family does. What—stump on the ground on two flat feet? They'd think that quite beneath them!" She cracked her whip and her pins flashed brightly as she shook her finger at the children.
"Take my advice and always ride. Walking will only make you grow. And where does it get you? Pretty near nowhere! Ride, I say! Ride—and see the world!"
"But we've nothing to ride on!" Jane protested, looking round to see what Miss Calico rode. For, in spite of the notice "Horses for Hire" there wasn't even a donkey in
The breeze blew gently from the Park, full of the scents of the morning. It smelt of laurel leaves and moss, and something else that was vaguely familiar. What could it be? Jane sniffed the air.
"Michael!" she whispered. "I smell Peppermint!"
Michael sniffed like a sulky little dog.
"Um-hum," he admitted, "I do, too!"
And then it was that they both noticed the red-and-green umbrella. It stood beside the iron railings on the Town side of the Park. Against it leaned a large white signboard.
MISS CALICO
CONFECTIONER
HORSES FOR HIRE
said the words in big black letters.
The children stared.
For beneath the red-and-green umbrella sat one of the strangest little figures they had ever seen. At first they could not make out what it was, for it sparkled and glittered like a diamond. Then they saw that it was a small elderly lady with a skinny, leathery, yellow face and a mane of short white hair. The glitter and sparkle came from her dress, which was covered from collar to hem with pins. They stuck out all over her, like the quills of a hedgehog, and whenever she moved they flashed in the sunlight. In her hand she held a riding-whip. And every now and again she cracked it at one of the passers-by.
"Peppermint Candy! Bargain Prices! All of it made of Finest Sugar!" she cried in a little whinnying voice as the whip swished through the air.
"Come on, Michael!" said Jane excitedly, forgetting how tired she was.
He took her hand and let her drag him towards the striped umbrella. And as they drew nearer the sparkling figure, they saw a sight that filled them with hunger. For beside her stood a pottery jar that was filled with peppermint walking-sticks.
"Sugar and Spice
And all that's nice
At a Very Special
Bargain Price!"
sang the little old lady, cracking her whip.
And just at that moment she turned her head and spied the straggling group. Her dark eyes glittered like little black currants as she thrust out a bird-like hand.
"Well, I never! If it isn't Mary Poppins! I haven't seen you in a month of Tuesdays!"
"The same to you, so to speak, Miss Calico!" Mary Poppins replied politely.
"Well, it all just goes to show!" said Miss Calico. "If you know what I mean!" she added, grinning. Then her bright black gaze fell upon the children.
"Why, Mercy Me and a Jumping Bean! What a quartet of sulky faces! Cross-patch, draw the latch! You all look as if you'd lost something!"
"Their tempers," said Mary Poppins grimly.
Miss Calico's eyebrows went up with a rush, and her pins began to flash.
"Thundering Tadpoles! Think of that! Well, what's lost must be found—that's the law! Now—where did you lose 'em?"
The little black eyes went from one to another and somehow they all felt guilty.
"I think it must have been in the High Street," said Jane in a stifled whisper.
"Tlit! Hit! All that way back? And
why
did you lose 'em, might one ask?"
Michael shuffled his feet and his face grew red. "We didn't want to go on walking——" he began shamefacedly. But the sentence was never finished. Miss Calico interrupted him with a loud shrill cackle.
"Who does? Who does? I'd like to know? Nobody wants to go on walking. I wouldn't do it myself if you paid me. Not for a sackful of rubies!"
Michael stared. Could it really be true? Had he found at last a grown-up person who felt as he did about walking?
"Why, I haven't walked for centuries," said Miss Calico. "And what's more, none of my family does. What—stump on the ground on two flat feet? They'd think that quite beneath them!" She cracked her whip and her pins flashed brightly as she shook her finger at the children.
"Take my advice and always ride. Walking will only make you grow. And where does it get you? Pretty near nowhere! Ride, I say! Ride—and see the world!"
"But we've nothing to ride on!" Jane protested, looking round to see what Miss Calico rode. For, in spite of the notice "Horses for Hire" there wasn't even a donkey in
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