heard of such a thing?
“Mister Blacky has very great influence in Toyland,” explained Chinky. “As I told you, he is head of Golliwog Village and very much respected and admired. In fact, he has now ruled over it for nearly a hundred years.”
“Are you really a hundred years old?” asked Mollie, amazed.
“One hundred and fifty-three, to be exact,” said Mister Blacky, with a polite little bow. “I became head when I was fifty-four.”
“Is it difficult to be head of Golliwog Village?” asked Peter.
“Well, no—not really, so long as you are very firm with the young golliwogs,” said Mister Blacky. “They are rather wild, you know.”
This was news to the children. They looked round at their own golliwog. Was he young and wild? He sat up on the shelf, looking rather thrilled. Did he know that the head of Golliwog Village was there tonight?
“Now, what I suggest is this,” said Mister Blacky.
“I will send to the wooden soldiers, the clockwork animals and the sailor dolls —and also my golliwogs, of course, and tell them to meet me at a certain place. They will make a very fine army.”
“And you'll march on the school, I suppose?” said Chinky. “And when you have defeated Mister Grim you will rescue Rosebud, the doll, and the other toys?”
“Exactly,” said Mister Blacky.
“Can we come, too?” said Peter, excited. “I'd simply love to see all this.”
“If only the Wishing-Chair would grow its wings when your army is on the march, we could hover above the battle and watch,” said Mollie.
“But it never does grow its wings exactly when we want it to.”
“I'll send you word when we mean to march,” said the Golliwog. “It will probably be tomorrow evening. Well, I must go now. Thank you for a very pleasant evening, Mister Chinky.”
It seemed very funny to hear Chinky being called “Mister.” The children thought they had never seen anyone quite so well-mannered as this old grey-haired golliwog. He shook hands with all three of them and went out of the door.
“Isn't he nice?” said Chinky. “He's a very old friend of my Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers, you know, and I've often met him at her house. I thought I'd tell him about Rosebud and the other toys, and how Mister Grim wouldn't give them back. I guessed he would help.”
The playroom clock struck ten. “We must get back,” said Mollie, with a sigh. “We only meant to come for half an hour. It's been lovely, Chinky. I do think we're lucky, having you for a friend, and meeting all your friends and having such an interesting time.”
They went back to bed, hoping that the Wishing-Chair would grow its wings the next night if the golliwog gathered together his curious little army.
They couldn't go down to the playroom till after tea, because Mother took them to see their Granny. They raced down as soon as they could and were met by a very excited Chinky.
“I'm so glad you've come. The Wishing-Chair has grown little buds of wings already—they'll sprout properly in a minute! And the golliwog has sent to say that his army is on the march!”
“Oh— what a bit of luck!” cried the children, and ran to the chair. Just as they got to it the knob-like buds on its legs burst open—and out spread the lovely green and yellow wings again! They began to flap at once and made quite a wind.
“Come on” said Peter, sitting in the chair. “Let's go! And, Chinky, don't let's forget to take Winks away from that horrid school, if we can. He can live with you here in the playroom if he hasn't got a home to go to.”
Mollie got in and Chinky sat on the back of the chair. Out of the door they flew at top speed. The gardener, who was working late that evening, felt a wind just by his head and looked up. But the chair was gone.
“Some big bird flew near me,” he said to himself, puzzled.
The Wishing-Chair was told to go to Mister Grim's. “But don't go down into the grounds,” commanded Chinky. “Just hover about somewhere
“Mister Blacky has very great influence in Toyland,” explained Chinky. “As I told you, he is head of Golliwog Village and very much respected and admired. In fact, he has now ruled over it for nearly a hundred years.”
“Are you really a hundred years old?” asked Mollie, amazed.
“One hundred and fifty-three, to be exact,” said Mister Blacky, with a polite little bow. “I became head when I was fifty-four.”
“Is it difficult to be head of Golliwog Village?” asked Peter.
“Well, no—not really, so long as you are very firm with the young golliwogs,” said Mister Blacky. “They are rather wild, you know.”
This was news to the children. They looked round at their own golliwog. Was he young and wild? He sat up on the shelf, looking rather thrilled. Did he know that the head of Golliwog Village was there tonight?
“Now, what I suggest is this,” said Mister Blacky.
“I will send to the wooden soldiers, the clockwork animals and the sailor dolls —and also my golliwogs, of course, and tell them to meet me at a certain place. They will make a very fine army.”
“And you'll march on the school, I suppose?” said Chinky. “And when you have defeated Mister Grim you will rescue Rosebud, the doll, and the other toys?”
“Exactly,” said Mister Blacky.
“Can we come, too?” said Peter, excited. “I'd simply love to see all this.”
“If only the Wishing-Chair would grow its wings when your army is on the march, we could hover above the battle and watch,” said Mollie.
“But it never does grow its wings exactly when we want it to.”
“I'll send you word when we mean to march,” said the Golliwog. “It will probably be tomorrow evening. Well, I must go now. Thank you for a very pleasant evening, Mister Chinky.”
It seemed very funny to hear Chinky being called “Mister.” The children thought they had never seen anyone quite so well-mannered as this old grey-haired golliwog. He shook hands with all three of them and went out of the door.
“Isn't he nice?” said Chinky. “He's a very old friend of my Great-Aunt Quick-Fingers, you know, and I've often met him at her house. I thought I'd tell him about Rosebud and the other toys, and how Mister Grim wouldn't give them back. I guessed he would help.”
The playroom clock struck ten. “We must get back,” said Mollie, with a sigh. “We only meant to come for half an hour. It's been lovely, Chinky. I do think we're lucky, having you for a friend, and meeting all your friends and having such an interesting time.”
They went back to bed, hoping that the Wishing-Chair would grow its wings the next night if the golliwog gathered together his curious little army.
They couldn't go down to the playroom till after tea, because Mother took them to see their Granny. They raced down as soon as they could and were met by a very excited Chinky.
“I'm so glad you've come. The Wishing-Chair has grown little buds of wings already—they'll sprout properly in a minute! And the golliwog has sent to say that his army is on the march!”
“Oh— what a bit of luck!” cried the children, and ran to the chair. Just as they got to it the knob-like buds on its legs burst open—and out spread the lovely green and yellow wings again! They began to flap at once and made quite a wind.
“Come on” said Peter, sitting in the chair. “Let's go! And, Chinky, don't let's forget to take Winks away from that horrid school, if we can. He can live with you here in the playroom if he hasn't got a home to go to.”
Mollie got in and Chinky sat on the back of the chair. Out of the door they flew at top speed. The gardener, who was working late that evening, felt a wind just by his head and looked up. But the chair was gone.
“Some big bird flew near me,” he said to himself, puzzled.
The Wishing-Chair was told to go to Mister Grim's. “But don't go down into the grounds,” commanded Chinky. “Just hover about somewhere
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