Milly-Molly-Mandy’s School Days Read online

  “A goose!” said Miss Edwards. “Nonsense! There are no geese round here.”

  And Milly-Molly-Mandy looked up from her exercise book quickly. But she knew she had shut Dum-dum up carefully, so she went on again dividing by seven (which wasn’t easy).

  And then the door opened again, and Billy Blunt came in with a wide grin on his face and a note in his hand. (It was from his mother to ask Miss Edwards to excuse his being late, because he’d had to run an errand for his father, who had no-one else to send.)

  And who do you think came in with him, pushing between Billy Blunt’s legs through the doorway, right into the schoolroom?

  It was Dum-dum!

  “Billy Blunt!” said Miss Edwards. “What is this?”

  “I couldn’t help it, ma’am,” said Billy Blunt. “He would come in. I tried to shoo him off.” (But I don’t really think he had tried awfully hard!)

  “You mustn’t let it come in here,” said Miss Edwards. “Turn it out. Sit down, children, and be quiet.” (Because they were all out of their places, watching and laughing at the duck that came to school.)

  “Oh, please, Teacher,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, putting up her hand.

  “Sit down, Milly-Molly-Mandy,” said Miss Edwards. “Take that duck outside, Billy Blunt. Quickly, now.”

  But when Billy Blunt tried again to shoo him out Dum-dum slipped away from him, farther in, under the nearest desk. And Miss Muggins’s Jilly squealed loudly, and pulled her legs up on to her seat.

  “Please, Teacher –” said Milly-Molly-Mandy again. “Oh, please, Teacher – he’s my duck. I mean, he’s a friend of mine.”

  “What is all this?” said Miss Edwards. “Be quiet, all of you! Now, Milly-Molly-Mandy – explain.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy explained who Dum-dum was, and where he lived, and that she thought he had come to look for her – though how he had got out and found his way here she couldn’t think. “Please, Teacher, can I take him back home?” she asked.

  Who DO you think came in with him?

  “I can’t let you go in the middle of school,” said Miss Edwards. “You can shut him out in the yard now, and take him back after school.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy walked to the door, saying, “Come, Dum-dum!”

  And Dum-dum ran waddling on his flapping yellow feet after her, all across the floor, saying “Huh! Huh! Huh!” as he went.

  How the children did laugh!

  Billy Blunt said, “I’ll just see that the gate’s shut.” And he hurried outside too (lest Miss Edwards should say he needn’t!)

  He tried to stroke Dum-dum as Milly-Molly-Mandy did, but Dum-dum didn’t know Billy Blunt well enough. He opened his beak wide and said “Huhhh!” at him. So Billy Blunt left off trying and went and shut the gate.

  “He must have some water,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy (because she knew ducks are never happy if they haven’t).

  So they looked about for something to hold water, other than the drinking-mug. And Billy Blunt brought the lid of the dustbox, and they filled it at the drinking-tap and set it on the ground. And Dum-dum at once began taking sip after sip, as if he had never tasted such nice water before.

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy and Billy Blunt left him there, and hurried back to their lessons.

  Directly school was over the children rushed out to see Milly-Molly-Mandy lead the duck (drake, I mean) along the road back to his home. (It wasn’t easy with so many people helping!) Mr Moggs was just coming away from the Big House, but he went back with her to find out how Dum-dum had escaped, for his gate was shut as Milly-Molly-Mandy had left it. And they found Dum-dum had made a little hole in his wire netting and pushed through that way and under the front gate. So Mr Moggs fastened up the hole.

  And while he was doing it Milly-Molly-Mandy noticed that the windows were open in the Big House, and the curtains were drawn back.

  “Oh!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “Have the people come back?”

  “They’re coming tomorrow,” said Mr Moggs. “Mrs Moggs is just airing the place for them.”

  “Then I shan’t be able to come and see Dum-dum any more!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  And she felt quite sad for some days after that, to think that Dum-dum wouldn’t want her any more, though she was glad he wasn’t lonely.

  Then one day (what DO you think?) Milly-Molly-Mandy met the little girl Jessamine and her mother in the post-office, and the little girl Jessamine’s mother said, “Mr Moggs tells me you used to come and cheer up our old duck while we were away!”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy wondered if Mrs Green was cross about it. But she wasn’t a bit. She said, “Jessamine is going to boarding school soon – did you know? – and she was wondering what to do about Dum-dum. Would you like to have him for keeps, when she has gone?”

  And the little girl Jessamine said, “We want him to go to someone who’ll be kind to him.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was pleased!

  She ran home to give Father the stamps she had been sent to buy, and to ask the family if she might have Dum-dum for keeps.

  And Mother said, “How kind of the Greens!”

  And Father said, “He can live out in the meadow.”

  And Grandma said, “It will be very lonely for him.”

  And Grandpa said, “We must find him a companion.”

  And Aunty said, “You’ll have to save up and buy another one.”

  And Uncle said, “I’ve been thinking of keeping a few ducks myself, down by the brook. Your Dum-dum can live along with them, if you like, Milly-Molly-Mandy.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was very pleased indeed.

  The next day she hurried down to the Big House to tell the little girl Jessamine and her mother. And they let her take Dum-dum home with her at once.

  So she led him slowly by the short cut across the fields to the nice white cottage with the thatched roof. And he followed her beautifully all the way. In fact, he walked right over the step and into the kitchen with her!

  When Uncle saw him following her about he said:

  “Milly-Molly had a duck.

  Its little head was green.

  And everywhere that Milly went

  That duck was to be seen!”

  “Yes, and he did follow me to school one day, like Mary’s little lamb!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  And do you know, old Dum-dum didn’t want to live down by the brook with the other ducks; it was too far from Milly-Molly-Mandy. He chose to live in the barn-yard with the cows and Twinkletoes the pony, and drink out of Toby the dog’s drinking-bowl. And whenever the garden gate was undone Dum-dum would waddle straight through and make for the back door and knock on it with his beak, till Milly-Molly-Mandy came out to play with him!

  Milly-Molly-Mandy and a Wet Day

  Once upon a time, one morning, when Milly-Molly-Mandy went off to school, it was raining and raining. (But she had on her rubber boots and raincoat and hood.)

  When she got to the Moggses’ cottage there was little-friend-Susan (in rubber boots and raincoat and hood) watching for her at the door.

  “Oh, what a nasty wet, rainy day!” said little-friend-Susan, running out to join her.

  “Mother says, if we keep going it won’t hurt,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  So they kept going, trudging along together down the wet road with the wet hedges each side, very glad to have each other to squeal to when the cold raindrops dripped off their noses.

  When they got to the duck-pond all the little ducks were flapping and quacking away as if quite enjoying such a nice wet, rainy day!

  When they got to the village Billy Blunt (in thick shoes and raincoat) was dashing from the corn-shop; and Miss Muggins’s niece Jilly (in new red rubber boots and her mackintosh over her head) was running from the draper’s shop. They hadn’t far to go, of course, but Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan arrived at school almost at the same time, together with some other boys and girls who came by the red bus to the crossroads.

  They all hung up their
coats and hats and changed their shoes, flapping and quacking away together like a lot of little ducks, as if they too quite enjoyed the rainy day! (Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan were dry and warm as toast after their long walk.)

  When morning school was over the rain had stopped for a bit. But everywhere was still sopping wet, and in the road outside the school gate was a great muddy puddle.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy, and a few others who went home for dinner (some who lived a long way off ate theirs at school), rather enjoyed having to wade through. Billy Blunt chose the deepest place. But Miss Muggins’s Jilly, who tried to jump over, made a fine splash.

  “It’s a good thing we’ve got our mackintoshes on!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “We ought to be ducks!” said little-friend-Susan.

  “Road ought to be mended,” said Billy Blunt.

  He looked around and picked up some stones which he threw into the puddle. Milly-Molly-Mandy threw in a few bits of broken slate, and little-friend-Susan a handful of leaves and twigs. But it didn’t make much difference.

  “You’ll get yourselves muddy,” said Miss Muggins’s Jilly.

  “We need more stuff,” said Billy Blunt

  So they looked about in hedges and ditches, picking up anything to throw in.

  Miss Muggins’s Jilly . . . tried to jump over

  “Put ’em just here,” said Billy Blunt. “No sense throwing them all over the place.”

  “I think I’d better go in now,” said Miss Muggins’s Jilly. “My aunty wouldn’t like me to get my new rubber boots wet.”

  “I thought that’s what rubber boots were for,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “They’re wet already, anyhow,” said little-friend-Susan.

  “Don’t stand there jabbering,” said Billy Blunt. “Get busy, or get out of the way.”

  So Miss Muggins’s Jilly went off home. But Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt carried on, looking for things to throw into the puddle.

  They found some nice bits of brick on the waste ground by the crossroads. Also a splendid lump of broken paving-stone; but it was too heavy to carry, and they had to leave it after a struggle.

  Then they had to hurry home to their dinners, and Milly-Molly-Mandy (with farthest to go) only just wasn’t late for hers.

  As soon as she could she hurried back to school, little-friend-Susan joining her on the way. Billy Blunt was there already, adding fresh stones to mend the roadway. He had his box-on-wheels beside him.

  “I got an idea while I was eating my pudding,” said Billy Blunt. “We ought to be able to fetch that bit of paving-stone in this!”

  So, with the little cart rattling and bumping along between them, they ran across the waste ground by the crossroads.

  And together they heaved and they pushed and they grunted, till they got the stone out of the long grass, on to the little cart.

  And then they pulled and they pushed, and they grunted, till they got it wheeled over the rough ground into the roadway.

  And then they heaved and they grunted (which always seems to help!) till they slid the stone out into the middle of the puddle, with a fine muddy splosh!

  “That’s done it!” said Billy Blunt with satisfaction, wiping himself with some grass.

  And then the bell rang, and they had to scurry in and tidy up.

  When school was over everyone used the stepping-stones as they left, and kept dry and clean.

  Then – what do you think? – as the bus that took some of the children home stopped for them at the crossroads a grey-haired lady got off, and came down to the school gate.

  She asked Milly-Molly-Mandy, who was standing nearest:

  “Has Miss Edwards come out yet? Would you mind telling her her mother’s here?”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was surprised. (She had never thought of Teacher as having a mother!) Miss Edwards came hurrying out, very pleased, to welcome the visitor and take her into her own cottage next door. And they both used the stepping-stones and were glad to find the road had been so nicely mended – because Mrs Edwards hadn’t any rubber boots on, only lady’s shoes and an umbrella.

  “Well now!” said Mother, when Milly-Molly-Mandy came running home to the nice white cottage with the thatched roof. “What have you been up to? Have you got wet?”

  “No!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “We kept going, like you said, and I’m warm as anything!”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Goes Excavating

  Once upon a time, as Milly-Molly-Mandy was going into school, she noticed a number of young men come striding along from the cross-roads and up Hooker’s Hill. They were carrying spades and pickaxes and things, but somehow they didn’t look like men who were mending the roads.

  “I wonder what they’re going to do,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “They’re going to do excavating,” said Billy Blunt. “I heard my dad talking about it. They’ve got permission.”

  “What’s excavating?”

  “Digging up old things,” said Billy Blunt.

  “Like buried treasure? That sort of thing? How do they know where to do it?”

  “They guess,” said Billy Blunt. “They guess Ancient Britons might have lived up there once. They just want to find out.”

  It sounded rather exciting. Milly-Molly-Mandy wished she could go digging instead of just going to school!

  Next Saturday morning she took Toby the dog for a walk down to the village, rather hoping to hear more about the excavating. As she passed the corn-shop she saw Billy Blunt hanging over the side gate.

  “Hullo!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “What are you doing?”

  Billy Blunt didn’t answer. (Anyone could see he was doing nothing.) But after a moment he said:

  “Want to see something?”

  Of course Milly-Molly-Mandy said yes, at once.

  And Billy Blunt drew his hand slowly out of his pocket and opened it. There was a flat, round thing in it, streaked brown and green.

  “What d’you make of that?” he asked.

  “What is it? Is it money? Where did you find it?”

  “I excavated it.”

  “You didn’t! Where?”

  “In our garden. By the bonfire heap. I was just digging a bit, to see if there might be anything – you never know – and I dug this up.”

  “It must be ancient!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “Have you shown it to anybody?”

  “Not yet.” Billy Blunt rubbed it carefully with his handkerchief. “Mother’s busy, and Dad’s got customers.”

  “Let’s show it to Mr Rudge!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “He knows about iron and such things; he’ll know if it’s valuable.”

  So they went along to the forge, where the blacksmith was blowing up his fire.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy peeped in the doorway.

  “Mr Rudge! Billy Blunt’s excavated something!” she told him. “And we want to know if you think it’s very valuable!”

  The blacksmith looked round with a twinkle in his eye. He held out one great grimy hand, working the bellows with the other, and Billy Blunt put the precious coin into it.

  Mr Rudge examined it on one side, then the other. Then he rubbed it on his big leather apron and looked again.

  “Hmmm,” he said solemnly. “Georgian, I’d say. Yes. Undoubtedly.”

  “Is that very ancient?” asked Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “What’s it worth?” asked Billy Blunt.

  “If you’re asking me, don’t you take a ha’penny less than a penny for it. But mind you,” he added, “if it’s treasure-trove it may belong to the Crown.”

  He gave the coin back and turned again to his fire. Billy Blunt and Milly-Molly-Mandy came out into the sunshine, looking to see what all that rubbing had done.

  “Looks like there’s a head –” said Billy Blunt; “can’t see any date.”

  “What’s treasure-trove mean?” asked Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “Dunno. P’raps if you dig up treasure you aren’t supposed to keep it.” />
  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy had an idea.

  “If you dug this out of your garden maybe there’s some more there! Can’t you go excavating again? I’ll help.”

  So they went back to the Blunts’s garden, beside the corn-shop, and Billy Blunt led the way round the rhubarb-bed to the end by the rubbish-heap and the bonfire.

  He picked up a trowel and handed Milly-Molly-Mandy a rusty knife to dig with, and they began jabbing about in the earth and weeds. But there didn’t seem to be anything else but stones. (Plenty of them.)

  Presently Milly-Molly-Mandy said: “It’s awfully hard under here – feels like rock.”

  “Where?” said Billy Blunt. He came over and used his trowel. “Looks like cement.”

  “Perhaps it’s buried treasure cemented in!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “Fetch a spade out of the shed there,” ordered Billy Blunt. “Hurry!”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran and fetched him a spade, and she took over the trowel. And they could see there was something, underneath the earth and weeds!”

  “It’s got an iron lid!” panted Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “It’s an iron chest, cemented down!” puffed Billy Blunt.

  They got the top scraped clear. It was square and rusty, with a kind of loop to lift it by.

  “This is buried treasure all right!”

  Billy Blunt was red with excitement.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy wanted to jump and shout, but she was too busy.

  The lid was awfully heavy. They tried to lever it up, but they couldn’t.

  “You’ll have to tell your father and mother, won’t you?” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, at last.

  Billy Blunt dropped the spade and dashed indoors. And presently Mr Blunt came out, in his apron, and walked over to their hole.

  “It’s awfully hard under here . . .”

  He took one look.

  “That?” he said. “Whatever will you be up to next? That’s only the cover of the drain!” When he could stop laughing he added, “Just as well you unearthed it, though – there might have been trouble if the authorities knew it had got covered over. Don’t know how it happened.”