Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Spring Read online

  And there was a stuff with little bunches of daisies and forget-me-nots on it. And a big roll of pink-and-white striped cotton. And there was nothing more (except flannelette or bolton-sheeting and that sort of thing, which wouldn’t do at all).

  Milly-Molly-Mandy thought the one with daisies and forget-me-nots was much the prettiest.

  So did Bunchy. Milly-Molly-Mandy thought a dress of that would be a very nice change.

  But Miss Muggins said, “I’m afraid I have only this short length left, and I don’t know when I shall be having any more in.”

  So Mother and Bunchy’s grandmother spread it out, and there was really only just enough to make one little frock. Bunchy’s grandmother turned to look at the pink-and-white striped stuff.

  Bunchy said, “That’s Milly-Molly-Mandy’s stuff, isn’t it? It’s just like the dress she has on.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Do you always have flowers on your dresses?”

  “Yes,” said Bunchy, “because of my name, you know. I’m Violet Rosemary May, but Granny calls me Bunchy for short.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy said to Mother, “She ought to have that stuff with the bunches of flowers on, oughtn’t she? The striped one wouldn’t really suit her so well as me, would it?”

  Mother said, “Well, Milly-Molly-Mandy, we do know this striped stuff suits you all right, and it washes and wears well. I’m afraid that blue silky stuff doesn’t look as if it would wash, and the yellow muslin wouldn’t wear. So perhaps you’d better have the same again. I’ll take two yards of this striped, please, Miss Muggins.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy looked once more at the flowery stuff, and she said, “It is pretty, isn’t it! But if Bunchy comes to school I can see it on her, can’t I?”

  Bunchy’s grandmother said, “It would be very nice if you could come and see it on Bunchy at home too! If Mother would bring you to tea one Saturday, if you don’t mind rather a walk, you could play in the garden with Bunchy, and I’m sure we should both be very pleased indeed, shouldn’t we, Bunchy?”

  Bunchy said, “Yes! We should!”

  Mother said, “Thank you very much. We should like to come” – though she had not much time for going out to tea as a rule, but she was sure Aunty would get tea for them all at home for once.

  So it was settled for them to go next Saturday, and the little girl called Bunchy was very pleased indeed about it, and so was Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  Then Miss Muggins handed over the counter the two parcels, and Milly-Molly-Mandy and Bunchy each carried her own dress stuff home.

  And when Milly-Molly-Mandy opened her parcel to show Father and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty what had been bought for her new dress after all, there was a beautiful shiny red ribbon there too, which Mother had bought to tie round Milly-Molly-Mandy’s hair when she wore the new dress. So that would make quite a nice change, anyhow.

  And as little-friend-Susan said, if Milly-Molly-Mandy didn’t wear her pink-and white stripes people might not know her at once.

  And that would be a pity!.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Gets Locked In

  Once upon a time Milly-Molly-Mandy got locked in her little bedroom (which had been the little storeroom up under the thatched roof).

  No, she hadn’t been naughty or anything like that, and nobody locked her in. But the latch on the door had gone just a bit wrong, somehow, so that once or twice Milly-Molly-Mandy had had to turn the handle several times before she could open it; so Mother said perhaps she had better not close it quite, till Father found time to mend it.

  But one Saturday morning, when Milly-Molly-Mandy had helped Mother with the breakfast things and Aunty with the beds, she went up to her own little room to make the bed there, and Topsy the cat ran up with her.

  Now Topsy the cat just loved Milly-Molly-Mandy to make her bed on Saturdays mornings.

  She would jump into the middle of the mattress and crouch down; and then Milly-Molly-Mandy would pretend not to know Topsy the cat was there at all. And she would thump the pillows and roll Topsy the cat about with them, and whisk the sheets and blankets over and pretend to try to smooth out the lump that was Topsy the cat underneath; and Topsy the cat would come crawling out, looking very untidy, and make a dive under the next blanket. (And it took quite a long while to make that bed sometimes!)

  Well, Milly-Molly-Mandy had got the bed made at last, and then she was so out of breath she backed up against the door to rest a bit, while Topsy the cat sat in the middle of the coverlet to tidy herself up.

  And it wasn’t until Milly-Molly-Mandy had tidied her own hair and had wrapped her duster round Topsy the cat (so as to carry them both downstairs together) that she found she couldn’t open the door, which had shut with a bang when she leaned against it!

  “Well!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy to Topsy the cat, “now what are we going to do?” She put Topsy the cat down and tried the door again.

  But she couldn’t open it.

  Then she called “Mother!” But Mother was downstairs in the kitchen, getting bowls and baking-tins ready for making cakes (as it was Saturday morning).

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy called “Aunty!” But Aunty was in the parlour, giving it an extra good dusting (as it wouldn’t get much next day, being Sunday).

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy called “Grandma!” But Grandma was round by the back door, sprinkling crumbs for the birds (as it was just their busy time with all the hungry baby-birds hatching out).

  “Well!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy to Topsy the cat, “this is a waste of a nice fine Saturday!”

  She went to the little low window, but the only person she could see was Uncle, looking like a little speck at the farther end of the meadow, doing something to his chicken-houses. Father, she knew, had gone to the next village to give someone advice about a garden; and Grandpa had gone to market.

  “Well!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy to Topsy the cat, “if I’d only got legs like a grasshopper I could just jump down – but I’d rather have my own legs, anyhow!”

  Then she thought if she had a long enough piece of string she could touch the ground that way, and if she dangled it someone might see from the downstairs windows.

  So she took the cord from her dressing-gown, and she tied to it a piece of string from her coat-pocket. And a piece of mauve ribbon which Aunty had given her. And the belt from her frock. And her two boot-laces (Topsy the cat got quite interested). And then she tied her little yellow basket on the end, and dangled and swung it out of the window backward and forward in front of the scullery window below.

  But nobody came, and at last Milly-Molly-Mandy got tired of this and tied the end of the line on to the window-catch, and drew her head in again.

  “Well!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy to Topsy the cat. “It’s a good thing I’ve got such a nice little bedroom to be shut up in, anyhow!” Topsy the cat just turned herself round and round on the bed and settled down for a sleep.

  Then Milly-Molly-Mandy suddenly remembered her crochet work, carefully wrapped up in a handkerchief on her little green chest of drawers. It was to be a bonnet for Baby Moggs (little-friend-Susan’s new little sister and own nearly-sister). It was of pale pink wool, and she was making it rather big because Mother thought Baby Moggs might grow a bit before the bonnet was finished. (Milly-Molly-Mandy did hope Baby Moggs wouldn’t grow too fast.)

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy sat in the middle of the floor and began crocheting.

  Crocheting is quite hard work when you’ve done only three and a half rows in all your life before, but Milly-Molly-Mandy crocheted and crocheted until she reached the end of the row; and then she turned round and crocheted and crocheted all the way back. So that was a row and a half.

  Then she heard the window-catch on which her line was tied give a little click, and she jumped up and looked out to see if someone were touching her line. But nobody was about, though she called.

  But it looked as if there was something in the little yellow basket, so Milly-Molly-Mandy pulled it up in a hurry. And
what do you think? In the little yellow basket was a little paperful of that nice crunchy sugar which comes inside the big lumps of peel you put in cakes. (Mother had thought the basket and line was just a game of Milly-Molly-Mandy’s, and she popped the sugar in for a surprise.)

  “How nice!” thought Milly-Molly-Mandy, and she dropped the little yellow basket outside again (hoping something else would be put in it) and went back to her crochet-work. And she crocheted and crunched, and crunched and crocheted, until she had done four whole rows and eaten up all the paperful of sugar.

  Then, after all this time, Milly-Molly-Mandy heard Mother’s voice calling outside:

  “Milly-Molly-Mandy!”

  And when Milly-Molly-Mandy jumped up and looked out, Mother (who had come to see if there was enough rhubarb up yet to make a tart) said, “What are you doing, dear? You ought to be outdoors!”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy was able to tell Mother all about it; and then Mother came running up to Milly-Molly-Mandy’s bedroom door.

  But Mother couldn’t open it, though she tried hard – and neither could Aunty.

  So Mother kissed Milly-Molly-Mandy through the crack, and said she must just wait till Father came home and then he would get her out. And Milly-Molly-Mandy kissed Mother back through the crack, and sat down to her crochet-work again.

  Presently the line outside the window clicked at the catch again, and Milly-Molly-Mandy looked out just in time to see Mother whisking out of sight round the corner of the cottage, and there was a big red apple in the little yellow basket! So Milly-Molly-Mandy pulled it up again, and then went back and did her crocheting between big bites at the big red apple.

  And she crocheted and she crocheted and she crocheted.

  Just before dinner-time Father came back, and Mother took him straight up to Milly-Molly-Mandy’s bedroom door, and they tinkered about with the lock for a while, rattling and clicking and tapping.

  And Milly-Molly-Mandy went on crocheting.

  Then Father said through the crack, “I’ll have to break the lock, Milly-Molly-Mandy, so you mustn’t mind a noise!”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy put her crochet-work down, and said, “No, Father!” (It was rather exciting!)

  Then Father fetched a great big hammer, and he gave some great big bangs on the lock, and the door came bursting open in a great hurry, and Father and Mother came in. (They had to stoop their heads in Milly-Molly-Mandy’s room, because it was so little and sloping.)

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was so pleased to see them.

  She held up her crochet-work and said, “Look! I’ve crocheted nine whole rows and I haven’t dropped one single stitch! Don’t you think it’s enough now, before you start doing it different to make it fit at the back?”

  And Mother said, “That’s fine, Milly-Molly-Mandy! I’ll look at it directly after dinner and see, but you’d better come downstairs now.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy came downstairs, and they all had dinner and talked about locks and about getting new ones.

  And then Mother looked at Milly-Molly-Mandy’s crochet-work. And it only wanted just a little more doing to it (most of which Mother showed Milly-Molly-Mandy how to do, but some she had to do herself); and quite soon the bonnet was finished, and Milly-Molly-Mandy took it round to the Moggses’ cottage in tissue paper.

  Mrs Moggs and little-friend-Susan looked at it most admiringly, and then Mrs Moggs put it on Baby Moggs’s head and tied it under her soft little chin.

  And it just fitted Baby Moggs perfectly!

  (But, you know, as Milly-Molly-Mandy crocheted very tightly indeed – being her first try – it was a good thing she had planned to leave enough room for Baby Moggs to grow, and a very good thing she got locked in and finished it before Baby Moggs had any time to grow, for the bonnet was only just big enough.

  It just fitted Baby Moggs perfectly!

  (But you can’t think what a darling Baby Moggs looked in it!)

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Gives a Party

  Once upon a time Milly-Molly-Mandy had a plan. And when she had thought over the plan for a while she went to look in her money-box. And in the money-box were four pennies and a ha’penny, which Milly-Molly-Mandy did not think would be enough for her plan. So Milly-Molly-Mandy went off to talk it over with little-friend-Susan down the road.

  “Susan,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “I’ve got a plan (only it’s a great secret). I want to give a party in our barn to Farver and Muvver and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty. And I want to buy refreshments. And you and I will be waitresses. And if there’s anything over we can eat it up afterwards.”

  Little-friend-Susan thought it a very good plan indeed.

  “Will we wear caps?” she asked.

  “Yes,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “and aprons. Only I haven’t got enough money for the refreshments, so I don’t think there’ll be any over. We must think.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan sat down and thought hard.

  “We must work and earn some,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “But how?” said little-friend-Susan.

  “We might sell something,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “But what?” said little-friend-Susan. So they had to think some more.

  Presently Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “I’ve got pansies and marigolds in my garden.”

  And little-friend-Susan said, “I’ve got nasturtiums in mine.”

  “We could run errands for people,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “And clean brass,” said little-friend-Susan. That was a lovely idea, so Milly-Molly-Mandy fetched a pencil and paper and wrote out very carefully:

  Millicent Margaret Amanda & Susan & Co. have bunches of flowers for sale and clean brass very cheap (we do not spill the polish) and run errands very cheap.

  “What’s ‘and Co.’?” said little-friend-Susan.

  “It’s just business,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “but perhaps we might ask Billy Blunt to be it. And he could be a waiter.”

  Then they hung the notice on the front gate, and waited just the other side of the hedge.

  Several people passed, but nobody seemed to want anything. Then at last a motor-car came along with a lady and gentleman in it; and when they saw the nice white cottage with the thatched roof they stopped at the gate to ask if they could get some cream there.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “I’ll go and ask Muvver,” and took the little pot they held out. And when she came back with it full of cream the lady and gentleman had read the notice and were asking little-friend-Susan questions. As the lady paid for the cream she said they must certainly have some flowers. So they each bought a bunch. And then the gentleman said the round brass thing in front of his car needed cleaning very badly – could the firm do it straight away?

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Yes, sir,” and raced back to the cottage to give Mother the cream-money and to borrow the brass-polishing box. And then she cleaned the round brass thing in front of the car with one piece of cloth and little-friend-Susan rubbed it bright with another piece of cloth, and the lady and gentleman looked on and seemed very satisfied.

  Then the gentleman asked, “How much?” and paid them two pence for the flowers and a penny for the polishing. Milly-Molly-Mandy wanted to do some more polishing for the money, but the gentleman said they couldn’t stop. And then they said goodbye and went off, and the lady turned and waved, and Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan waved back until they were gone.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan felt very happy and pleased.

  And now they had sevenpence-ha’penny for the refreshments. Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty and Mrs Moggs, little-friend-Susan’s mother, made seven.

  Then who should look over the hedge but Mr Jakes, the Postman, on his way home from collecting letters from the letter-boxes. He had seen the notice on the gate. “What’s this? You trying to make a fortune?” said the Postman.

  “Yes,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “we’ve earned three
pence!”

  “My! And what do you plan to do with it?” said the Postman.

  “We’ve got a secret!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, with a little skip.

  “Ah!” said the Postman, “I guess it’s a nice one, too!”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy looked at little-friend-Susan, and then she looked at the Postman. He was a nice Postman. “You won’t tell if we tell you?” she asked.

  “Try me!” said the Postman promptly. So Milly-Molly-Mandy told him they were planning to give a party to Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty and Mrs Moggs.

  “They’re in luck, they are!” said the Postman. “Nobody asks me to parties.”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy looked at little-friend-Susan again, and then she looked at the Postman. He was a very nice Postman. Then she said, “Supposing you were invited, would you come?”

  “You try me!” said the Postman promptly again. And then he hitched up his letter-bag and went on.

  “Farver and Muvver and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty and Mrs Moggs and the Postman. We’ve got to earn some more,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “Let’s go down to the village and ask Billy Blunt to be ‘and Co.’, and p’r’aps he’ll have an idea.”

  Billy Blunt was in the road outside the corn-shop, mending the handles of his box on wheels. He had made it nearly all himself, and it was a very nice one, painted green like the water-butt and the lawn roller. He thought “and Co.” was rather a funny name, but he said he would be it all right, and offered to make them a box with a slit in it, where they could keep their earnings. And he put in four farthings out of his collection. (Billy Blunt was collecting farthings – he had nineteen in an empty bird seed bag.)

  So now they had eightpence-ha’penny for the refreshments.

  On Monday morning, on their way home to dinner, Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan passed Mrs Jakes, the Postman’s wife, at her door, getting a breath of fresh air before dishing up her dinner. And Mrs Jakes said, “Good morning! How’s the firm of Millicent Margaret Amanda, Susan and Co. getting on?”