so that we can see what's going on, and can dart down if we need to.”
It wasn't really very long before the chair was hovering over the front gate of Mister Grim's school. Not far off were all the brownies, marching up and down in the big school yard, doing drill with Mister Grim.
“Left, right, left, right,” they heard him say. Then he shouted. “Hey, you, Winks, you're out of step. No supper for you!”
“Horrid Mister Grim,” said Mollie. Then the marching brownies suddenly caught sight of the Wishing-Chair hovering in the air, and they set up a great shout.
“Look! They've come back! Hurrah for Chinky and Peter and Mollie!”
Mister Grim stared up, too. He looked really furious, and, to the children's dismay, he bent down and picked up a big stone. It came whizzing through the air at them, but the Wishing-Chair did a little leap to one side and the stone passed harmlessly by.
Then Chinky gave the others a nudge. “Here comes the army! DO look!”
The children looked—and, dear me, up the lane marched the strangest little army the children had ever imagined. First came the grey-haired golliwog, swinging a little sword. Then came a row of wooden soldiers, beating drums. Then another row blowing trumpets. After them came a whole collection of clockwork animals.
“There's a jumping kangaroo!” cried Chinky in glee. “And a dancing bear!”
“And a running dog—and a walking elephant!” said Mollie in delight.
“And look—a pig that turns head-over-heels, and a duck that waddles!” shouted Peter, almost falling out of the chair in his excitement. “And behind them all are the sailor dolls. Don't they look smart!”
The strange army came to the gate. The clockwork kangaroo jumped right over it to the other side. He undid the gate and opened it for the army to walk through. In it came, boom-didd-boom, tan-ran-tara clickity clock, jerkity-jerk, led by the grey-haired golliwog.
The brownies saw the toys before Mister Grim did and shouted in joy. They ran to meet them. “Who are you? Where have you come from?” they called. “Can we play with you? We never have any toys here!”
“We've come for Mister Grim,
We don't like Mister Grim,
We've come to capture him,
We've come for Mister Grim!”
chanted all the toys.
Mister Grim stared at them as if he couldn't believe his eyes. “After him!” shouted the golliwog, and after him they went! He turned to run—but the jumping kangaroo got between his legs and tripped him up, and there he was, bumping his nose on the ground, yelling for mercy!
The toys swarmed all over him in delight. “We've come for Mister Grim, we've come for Mister Grim!” they chanted again and again.
“Don't pull my hair! Don't cut off my beautiful beard,” begged Mister Grim. The golliwog seemed just about to saw the long beard off with his sword! The children and Chinky saw it all from their seat up in the Wishing-Chair and were just as excited as the toys and the brownies.
“I'll leave you your beard on one condition,” said the golliwog, solemnly. “Go and get the toys you have imprisoned here and bring them out to us.”
Mister Grim got up, looking very frightened. Ah— he knew what it was to feel frightened now. He had often frightened his little brownie pupils—now he had a taste of his own medicine! He went indoors, holding his beard as if he was afraid it might drop off.
He came out with all the toys. Mollie gave a scream of delight when she saw Rosebud.
“He's even got the teapot that grew wings, too,” said Peter, pleased. The chair flew down to Mister Grim, and the children took all their toys from him. Mollie cuddled Rosebud happily.
“Thank you,” she said to the grey-haired golliwog. “You and your army have done very, very well. Do please bring any of them to see us whenever you can.”
The brownies crowded round the chair. “Take us back with you, take us back.”
“We've only room for one of you, and that's Winks,” said Chinky,
It wasn't really very long before the chair was hovering over the front gate of Mister Grim's school. Not far off were all the brownies, marching up and down in the big school yard, doing drill with Mister Grim.
“Left, right, left, right,” they heard him say. Then he shouted. “Hey, you, Winks, you're out of step. No supper for you!”
“Horrid Mister Grim,” said Mollie. Then the marching brownies suddenly caught sight of the Wishing-Chair hovering in the air, and they set up a great shout.
“Look! They've come back! Hurrah for Chinky and Peter and Mollie!”
Mister Grim stared up, too. He looked really furious, and, to the children's dismay, he bent down and picked up a big stone. It came whizzing through the air at them, but the Wishing-Chair did a little leap to one side and the stone passed harmlessly by.
Then Chinky gave the others a nudge. “Here comes the army! DO look!”
The children looked—and, dear me, up the lane marched the strangest little army the children had ever imagined. First came the grey-haired golliwog, swinging a little sword. Then came a row of wooden soldiers, beating drums. Then another row blowing trumpets. After them came a whole collection of clockwork animals.
“There's a jumping kangaroo!” cried Chinky in glee. “And a dancing bear!”
“And a running dog—and a walking elephant!” said Mollie in delight.
“And look—a pig that turns head-over-heels, and a duck that waddles!” shouted Peter, almost falling out of the chair in his excitement. “And behind them all are the sailor dolls. Don't they look smart!”
The strange army came to the gate. The clockwork kangaroo jumped right over it to the other side. He undid the gate and opened it for the army to walk through. In it came, boom-didd-boom, tan-ran-tara clickity clock, jerkity-jerk, led by the grey-haired golliwog.
The brownies saw the toys before Mister Grim did and shouted in joy. They ran to meet them. “Who are you? Where have you come from?” they called. “Can we play with you? We never have any toys here!”
“We've come for Mister Grim,
We don't like Mister Grim,
We've come to capture him,
We've come for Mister Grim!”
chanted all the toys.
Mister Grim stared at them as if he couldn't believe his eyes. “After him!” shouted the golliwog, and after him they went! He turned to run—but the jumping kangaroo got between his legs and tripped him up, and there he was, bumping his nose on the ground, yelling for mercy!
The toys swarmed all over him in delight. “We've come for Mister Grim, we've come for Mister Grim!” they chanted again and again.
“Don't pull my hair! Don't cut off my beautiful beard,” begged Mister Grim. The golliwog seemed just about to saw the long beard off with his sword! The children and Chinky saw it all from their seat up in the Wishing-Chair and were just as excited as the toys and the brownies.
“I'll leave you your beard on one condition,” said the golliwog, solemnly. “Go and get the toys you have imprisoned here and bring them out to us.”
Mister Grim got up, looking very frightened. Ah— he knew what it was to feel frightened now. He had often frightened his little brownie pupils—now he had a taste of his own medicine! He went indoors, holding his beard as if he was afraid it might drop off.
He came out with all the toys. Mollie gave a scream of delight when she saw Rosebud.
“He's even got the teapot that grew wings, too,” said Peter, pleased. The chair flew down to Mister Grim, and the children took all their toys from him. Mollie cuddled Rosebud happily.
“Thank you,” she said to the grey-haired golliwog. “You and your army have done very, very well. Do please bring any of them to see us whenever you can.”
The brownies crowded round the chair. “Take us back with you, take us back.”
“We've only room for one of you, and that's Winks,” said Chinky,
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