The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook Read online

So she gave her lots of instructions about asking people if they would come back in an hour, and not selling things unless she was quite sure of the price, and so on. And then Miss Muggins put on her hat and feather boa and hurried off.

  And Milly-Molly-Mandy was left alone in charge of the shop!

  Milly-Molly-Mandy felt very solemn and careful indeed. She dusted the counter with a duster which she saw hanging on a nail; and then she peeped into the window at all the handkerchiefs and socks and bottles of sweets – and she could see Mrs Hubble arranging the loaves and cakes in her shop window opposite, and Mr Smale (who had the grocer’s shop with a little counter at the back where you posted parcels and bought stamps and letter-paper) standing at his door enjoying the sunshine. And Milly-Molly-Mandy felt so pleased that she had a shop as well as they.

  And then, suddenly, the door-handle rattled, and the little bell over the door jangle-jangled up and down, and who should come in but little-friend-Susan! And how little-friend-Susan did stare when she saw Milly-Molly-Mandy behind the counter!

  “Miss Muggins has gone out on ’portant business, but she’ll be back in an hour. What do you want?” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  “A packet of safety-pins for Mother. What are you doing here?” said little-friend-Susan.

  “I’m looking after the shop,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “And I know where the safety-pins are, because I had to buy some yesterday.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy wrapped up the safety-pins in a piece of thin brown paper, and twisted the end just as Miss Muggins did. And she handed the packet to little-friend-Susan, and little-friend-Susan handed her a penny.

  And then little-friend-Susan wanted to stay and play ‘shops’ with Milly-Molly-Mandy.

  But Milly-Molly-Mandy shook her head solemnly and said, “No, this isn’t play: it’s business. I’ve got to be very, very careful. You’d better go, Susan.”

  And just then the bell jangled again, and a lady came in, so little-friend-Susan went out. (She peered through the window for a time to see how Milly-Molly-Mandy got on, but Milly-Molly-Mandy wouldn’t look at her.)

  The lady was Miss Bloss, who lived opposite, over the baker’s shop, with Mrs Bloss. She wanted a quarter of a yard of pink flannelette, because she was making a wrapper for her mother, and she hadn’t bought quite enough for the collar. She said she didn’t like to waste a whole hour till Miss Muggins returned.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy stood on one leg and wondered what to do, and Miss Bloss tapped with one finger and wondered what to do.

  And then Miss Bloss said, “That’s the roll my flannelette came off. I’m quite sure Miss Muggins wouldn’t mind my taking some.”

  So between them they measured off the pink flannelette, and Milly-Molly-Mandy fetched Miss Muggins’ big scissors, and Miss Bloss made a crease exactly where the quarter-yard came; and Milly-Molly-Mandy breathed very hard and cut slowly and carefully right along the crease to the end.

  And then she wrapped the piece up and gave it to Miss Bloss, and Miss Bloss handed her half a crown, saying, “Ask Miss Muggins to send me the change when she gets back.”

  And then Miss Bloss went out.

  And then for a time nobody came in, and Milly-Molly-Mandy amused herself by trying to find the rolls of stuff that different people’s dresses had come off. There was her own pink-and-white-striped cotton (looking so lovely and new) and Mother’s blue checked apron stuff and Mrs Jakes’ Sunday gown . . .

  Then rattle went the handle and jangle went the bell, and who should come in but Billy Blunt!

  “I’m Miss Muggins,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “What do you want to buy?”

  “Where’s Miss Muggins?” said Billy Blunt.

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy had to explain again. And then Billy Blunt said he had wanted a penny-worth of aniseed balls. So Milly-Molly-Mandy stood on a box and reached down the glass jar from the shelf.

  They were twelve a penny she knew, for she had often bought them. So she counted them out, and then Billy Blunt counted them.

  And Billy Blunt said, “You’ve got one too many here.”

  So Milly-Molly-Mandy counted again, and she found one too many too. So they dropped one back in the jar, and Milly-Molly-Mandy put the others into a little bag and swung it over by the corners, just as Miss Muggins did, and gave it to Billy Blunt. And Billy Blunt gave her his penny.

  “I’M MISS MUGGINS. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BUY?”

  And then Billy Blunt grinned, and said, “Good morning, ma’am.”

  And Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Good morning, sir,” and Billy Blunt went out.

  After that an hour began to seem rather a long time, with the sun shining so outside. But at last the little bell gave a lively jangle again, and Miss Muggins had returned!

  And though Milly-Molly-Mandy had enjoyed herself very much, she thought perhaps, after all, she would rather wait until she was grown up before she kept a shop for herself.

  9

  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?”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Very well, thank you!”

  “My husband’s told me about your brass-cleaning,” said Mrs Jakes. “I’ve got a whole mantel-shelf full that wants doing!”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan were very pleased, and arranged to come in directly school was over in the afternoon and clean it.

  And they cleaned a mug and three candlesticks and two lamps – one big and one little – and a tray and a warming-pan, and they didn’t spill or waste any of the polish. Mrs Jakes seemed very satisfied, and gave them each a penny and a piece of cake.

  So now they had tenpence-ha’penny for refreshments.

  But when they got outside Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Farver and Muvver and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty and Mrs Moggs and the Postman and Mrs Postman – I wonder if we’ve earned enough, Susan!”

  As they turned home they passed the forge, and of course they had to stop a moment at the doorway, as usual, to watch the fire roaring, and Mr Rudge the Blacksmith banging with his hammer on the anvil.

  Little-friend-Susan was just a bit nervous of the Blacksmith – he was so big, and his face was so dirty it made his teeth look very white and his eyes very twinkly when he smiled at them. But Milly-Molly-Mandy knew he was nice and clean under the dirt, which he couldn’t help while he worked. So she smiled back.

  And the Blacksmith said, “Hullo!”

  And Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Hullo!”

  Then the Blacksmith beckoned with his finger and said, “Come here!”

  Milly-Molly-Mandy gave a little jump, and little-friend-Susan pulled at her hand, but Milly-Molly-Mandy knew he was really just a nice man under the dirt, so she went up to him.

  And the Blacksmith said, “Look what I’ve got here!” And he showed them a tiny little horseshoe, just like a proper one, only smaller, which he had made for them to keep. Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan were pleased!

  Milly-Molly-Mandy thanked him very much. And then she looked at the Blacksmith and said, “If you were invited to a party, would you come?”

  And the Blacksmith looked at Milly-Molly-Mandy with twinkly eyes and said he’d come quite fast – so long as it wasn’t before five o’clock on Saturday, when he was playing cricket with his team in the meadow.

  When they got outside again Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Farver and Muvver and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty and Mrs Moggs and the Postman and Mrs Postman and the Blacksmith. We’ll ask them for half-past five, and we ought to earn some more money, Susan!”

  Just then they met Billy Blunt coming along, pulling his box on wheels with a bundle in it. And Billy Blunt grinned and said, “I’m fetching Mrs Bloss’s washing, for the firm!” Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan were pleased!

  When Saturday morning came all the invitations had been given out, and the firm of Millicent Margaret Amanda, Susan and Co. was very busy putting things tidy in the barn, and covering up things which couldn’t be moved with lots of green branches which Grandpa was trimming from the hedges.

  And when half-past five came Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan, with clean hands and paper caps and aprons, waited by the barn door to welcome the guests. And each gentleman received a marigold buttonhole, and each lady a pansy.

  Everybody arrived in good time, except the Blacksmith, who was just a bit late – he looked so clean and pink in his white cricket flannels, Milly-Molly-Mandy hardly knew him – and Billy Blunt. But Billy Blunt came lugging a gramophone and two records which he had borrowed from a bigger boy at school. (He never told, but he had given the boy all the rest of his collection of farthings – fifteen of them, which makes three-pence-three-farthings – in exchange.)

  Then Billy Blunt, who didn’t want to dance, looked after the gramophone, while Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty and Mrs Moggs and the Postman and Mrs Postman and the Blacksmith and Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan danced together in the old barn till the dust flew. And Milly-Molly-Mandy danced a lot with the Blacksmith as well as with everybody else, and so did little-friend-Susan.

  They did enjoy themselves!

  And then there were refreshments – raspberry-drops and aniseed balls on saucers trimmed with little flowers; and late blackberries on leaf plates; and sherbet drinks, which Billy Blunt prepared while Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan stood by to tell people just the very moment to drink, when it was fizzing properly. (It was exciting!) And a jelly which Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan had made themselves from a packet, only it had to be eaten rather like soup, as it wouldn’t stand up properly.

  But Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty and Mrs Moggs and the Postman and Mrs Postman and the Blacksmith all said they had never enjoyed a jelly so much. And the Blacksmith, in a big voice, proposed a vote of thanks to the firm for the delightful party an
d refreshments, and everybody else said “Hear! Hear!” and clapped. And Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan joined in the clapping too, which wasn’t quite proper, but they were so happy they couldn’t help it!

  AND THEN THERE WERE REFRESHMENTS

  And then all the guests went home.

  And when the firm came to clear up the refreshments they found there was only one aniseed ball left. But placed among the empty saucers and glasses on the bench were a small basket of pears and a bag of mixed sweets with a ticket “For the Waiter and Waitresses” on it!

  10

  Milly-Molly-Mandy Gets to Know Teacher

  Once upon a time there were changes at Milly-Molly-Mandy’s school. Miss Sheppard, the head-mistress, was going away, and Miss Edwards, the second teacher, was to be head-mistress in her place, and live in the teacher’s cottage just by the school, instead of coming in by the bus from the town each day.

  Miss Edwards was very strict, and taught arithmetic and history and geography, and wore high collars.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy wasn’t particularly interested in the change, though she liked both Miss Sheppard and Miss Edwards quite well. But one afternoon Miss Edwards gave her a note to give to her Mother, and the note was to ask if Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Mother would be so very good as to let Miss Edwards have a bed at the nice white cottage with the thatched roof for a night or two until Miss Edwards got her new little house straight.

  Father and Mother and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty talked it over during supper, and they thought they might manage it for a few nights.

  Milly-Molly-Mandy was very interested, and tried to think what it would be like to have Teacher sitting at supper with them, and going to sleep in the spare room, as well as teaching in school all day. And she couldn’t help feeling just a little bit glad that it was only to be for a night or two.

  Next day she took a note to school for Teacher from Mother, to say, yes, they would be pleased to have her. And after school Milly-Molly-Mandy told little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt about it.