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THE
ADVENTURESOFPIP
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THE
ADVENTURESOF
PIP
ENID BLYTON
LONDON
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTQN & CO., LTD.
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MADEANDPRINTEDINGREATBKITAINBYPURNELLANDSONS, LTD.,
PAULTON (SOMERSET) ANDLONDON
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CONTENTS
A Nice little Pot of Glue 10Story: Sunday Graphic Jan 20, 1946
Little Black Bibs 13Story: Sunday Graphic Jan 27, 1946
The little Mewing Man 16Story: Sunday Graphic Feb 3, 1946
A Crock of Gold 19Story: Sunday Graphic Feb 17, 1946
Cr-r-r-roak! 22Story: Sunday Graphic Mar 17, 1946
Wanted a Suit of Armour 25Story: Sunday Graphic May 6, 1945
If the Oak is out before the Ash 28Story: Sunday Graphic May 26, 1946
A Beak is as Good as Fingers 31Story: Sunday Graphic Apr 28, 1946
Confetti for the Wedding 34Story: Sunday Graphic May 5, 1946
Mud-Pies for Martins 36Story: Sunday Graphic May 13, 1945
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An Uncomfortable Bedfellow 39Story: Sunday Graphic Jul 29, 1945
"Zooooom!" 42Story: Sunday Graphic Jun 30, 1946
Soap-Suds on the Grass 45Story: Sunday Graphic Jun 16, 1946
Give me another Name! 47Story: Sunday Graphic Jun 10, 1945
Hallo, Ladybird! 50Story: Sunday Graphic Jun 24, 1945
Poor Man's Weather-Glass 53Story: Sunday Graphic Jul 8, 1945
The Surprising Tail 56
Story: Sunday Graphic Apr 14, 1946
Nice House to Let! 59Story: Sunday Graphic Aug 12, 1945
A Very Queer Flower 62Story: Sunday Graphic Aug 19, 1945
Go Away, Dirty-Feet! 65Story: Sunday Graphic Aug 26, 1945
Where's the Front Door? 68Story: Sunday Graphic Jul 15, 1945
A Nice New Purse 71Story: Sunday Graphic Mar 10, 1946
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The Fairy-Ring 74Story: Sunday Graphic Sep 23, 1945
And Away They Went! 77Story: Sunday Graphic Oct 7, 1945
Away with the Leaves! 80Story: Sunday Graphic Nov 4, 1945
What, No Saucepans! 83Story: Sunday Graphic Oct 21, 1945
What's happened to the Puddles? 86Story: Sunday Graphic Nov 11, 1945
The Old Man's Beard 89Story: Sunday Graphic Nov 25, 1945
How very Sensible! 92
Story: Sunday Graphic Dec 16, 1945
The Mistletoe Bird 95Story: Sunday Graphic Jan 6, 1946
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THE
ADVENTURESOFPIP
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A Nice little Pot of Glue
PIP the pixie was doing the washing up for his
Aunt Twinkle. He was humming a little tune, and he
wasn't being very careful with the dishes.
Crash! Something fell on the floor and broke into
two pieces. It was Aunt Twinkle's sugar-basin.
" Oh dear I " said Pip. " Aunt Twinkle will be so
cross. I wonder if I can mend it.*y/
He picked up the two pieces and fitted them
together. Yes, if he could get some glue, he could stick
them together and the crack would hardly show. Hewould have to tell his Aunt what he had done but if
she saw how nicely he had mended the basin, she might
not be quite so cross about it I
He looked for the glue. There wasn't any to be
found. Bother! None in the cupboard. None oft the
shelf! Only an empty tube in the sculleryno use at all.
" Well, I'd better go and buy some," thought Pip. tSo out he went. But it was early closing day and the
shops were shut. Aunt Twinkle would be home at
teatime, and she would certainly see the broken basin
then.
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He went to Jinky, his friend. Jinky hadn't anyglue either. " Well, what am I to do then ? " said
Pip. " I don't want to be spanked."
" I know! " said Jinky. " Go to the chestnut tree
and ask if you can scrape a little glue from its buds.
Take a small pot with you."
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"Are you mad?" said Pip. "How can I get glue
from buds ! "
"Don't you know that the chestnut tree covers
its buds with sticky glue, so that Jack Frost can't
freeze the growing leaves inside with his cold
breath ? " said Jinky. " You go and see."
Pip went, taking with him a tiny pot. He soon
saw that Jinky was right. His fingers stuck to every
bud he touched! They were very very sticky." Yes, you can have some of my sticky glue if
you want to," said the chestnut tree. " But please
don't take too much from any budonly just a
little."
So Pip took just a little glue from each bud,
scraping it into his tiny pot. Soon he had plentyand off he went to mend the sugar basin.
The glue was very sticky and mended it beauti-
fully. Aunt Twinkle was sorry to hear it had been
broken, but pleased with Pip for mending it so
well.
" I got the glue from the chestnut tree buds ! "said Pip, and his Aunt would hardly believe him.
But he told the truth, didn't he? You know how
sticky they are.
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Little Black Bibs
HALLO ! " said Pip, to a crowd of chattering
sparrows. " It's the end of January. Spring will soon be
hereI"
"Yes," said a sparrow. " We birds are supposed tomarry on St. Valentine's Day, you know. And that is
coming along soon."
Pip looked at the sparrows. " How do you choose
your little wives ? " he said. " You all look alike to me
dull brown little birds ! I don't know which of you are
boys and which are girls."" Yeswe are dressed alike ! " said the sparrow. "
It's a pity. Look at the chaffinch nowyou can always
tell the cock chaffinch because of his lovely pink breast.
And the cock blackbird is glossy black, not dark brown
like the hen."
" It's dull to be all dressed alike," said another
sparrow. " I wish the cock and hen sparrows weredressed differently. J should like blue wings ! "
" And I should like a yellow tail! " said a little hen
sparrow.
" I must say that I think it would be very useful to
you to be able to tell quickly which of you are boys
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The cock sparrows were wearing little black bibs.
and which of you are girls," said Pip. " There isn't
much time before St. Valentine's Dayor I would give
the hen sparrows yellow tails and the cock sparrowsblue wings ! Then everyone would know which was
which I "
" Oh, Pip I Couldn't you quickly do some
painting ,on us, to show one from the other! " cried a
cock sparrow. " What paint have you got ? "
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" Only black," said Pip, when he had gone to look.
" What a pity 1 I could use that, if you like. But I've
only enough for either cocks or hens-not enough for
both."" Well, paint us then," said the cock sparrows, and
they lined up. " Go on, Pip. Give us a black patch
somewhere, so that everyone can tell we are the cock
sparrows and not the hens."
Pip dipped his brush in his paint pot and laughed.
As each cock sparrow came up to him he dabbed ablack patch under his chin. " A bib for you 1 " he cried.
" And a bib foryou \ And one foryou \ "
Soon all the cock sparrows were wearing little
black bibs, but the hens had none. Now they knew
which was which!
Did you know that ? Go and look out of the win-
dow at the sparrows. You'll see that every little cocksparrow wears a black bib !
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The little Mewing Man
PIP was walking through Willow Wood one
February day, when he heard a curious sound. It was
just like someone mewing, mewing, over and over
again.
"Is it a cat?" wondered Pip. "It can't be. It sounds
like someone pretending to mew like one."He peeped round the tree, and saw a small man
sitting on a cushion of moss. The strange things about
him were his ears. They were cat's ears, furry and
pointed.
" Funny," said Pip to himself. " I've never seen him
before. What's he doing ? "The little man was drawing a chalk circle round
him, mewing all the time. Then he began to play on a
whistle, and at once thoughts of milk and mice, fish and
cream came into Pip's head. He was quite sure that if he
had been a cat he would at once have gone to the little
man.
" He catches cats to sell to witches 1 " thought Pip,
suddenly. " Yes, that's what he does. But where does he
think he is going to get cats in this wood ? "
Pip looked all round him. The trees were bare. The
honeysuckle had put out a few early leaves.
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The pussy willow had furry grey buds. One little
primrose plant was showing a few flowers. But there
were no cats to be seen at all.
The whistling went onand then a queer thinghappened I The pussy-willow trees began to swing and
sway. Their furry buds swelled up. And suddenly from
the twigs leapt a whole host of furry grey kittens, small
and lively, bounding over to the little man!
" Gracious ! He's got the kittens from the pussy-
willows ! " said Pip, in surprise. " Well, I never knewwhy it was called pussy-willow before, but I might have
guessed 1 Those furry grey buds are just like kittens ! "
The kittens ran to the circle of chalkand as
. soon as they stepped inside it, the little man
popped
each mewing kitten into a bag. Pip didn't like that.
" Hey ! " he said, and stepped out from behind histree. " What are you going to ..."
But before he had finished his sentence the little-
man had disappeared like smoke, kittens and all. There
was no one there at all.
"I'll take some pussy-:willow twigs home to Aunt
Twinkle, and maybe we'll have some darling furrykittens too ! " said Pip. So he cut some to take home. Do
you think he'll get some kittens from the furry buds ? I
wish I could !
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A Crock of Gold
AUNT Twinkle was going to have a Sale of Work.
She asked Pip if he would help her. " But what can I do?
" said Pip. " I'm not much good at sales of work. I'm
sure I would sell everything at the wrong price."
" I expect you would," said Aunt Twinkle. " Well,
can't you have a bran-tub or something ? You know,
something that people pay a penny to dip into, and then
get a little present from. Surely you could do that?"
" I'll think of something," said Pip, and he wentaway and thought hard. A big blackbird saw him sitting
and thinking and talked to him about it.
" I'd come to your sale of work and dip into your
bran-tub if I could get something out of it that would
make me gay for the spring," he said. " Look at me
just plain black all over. How dull to be dressed like thisfor the beautiful springtime. Why, even the cock
sparrows have put on little black bibs ! "
" You've given me an idea ! " said Pip, suddenly.
"Will you bring all your friends to the sale of work,
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blackbird, if I promise to put something into a tub
to make you gay for the springtime ? "
" I promise 1 " said the blackbird and flew off to
tell everyone the news. Then Pip began to get busy. Hegot a tub, and painted it a gay yellow. Then he went off
to collect all kinds of things in a big bucket.
He filled it with dew taken when it was glittering in
the golden sunshine. He collected all the sunshine
freckles from the floor of the wood, and stirred them
into the dew. Then he waited for a golden sunrise, andput some of that into his bucket too.
Then he emptied it all into his tub and stirred it up
with a peacock's feather, muttering a Golden Spell all
the time.
When the day came for the Sale of Work, Pip was
standing by the tub, waiting for the blackbirds. They
came in dozens. " Dip your beak in, dip it in ! " criedPip. And in great excitement the blackbirds dipped in
their beaks.
But they found no presents in the tub. Instead, when
they took out their beaks, they saw that they were
brilliant gold, orange gold that looked beautiful against
their black, glossy coats !" Now you're gay for the spring! " cried Pip. And
they were! They flew off delighted, to, show their
golden beaks to everyone. I expect you've seen them
too.
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Cr-r-r-roak!
A LL winter the old toad had been asleep under his
stone. Pip had often peeped at him there. He had
called him, but the toad hadn't answered. He had tickledhim with a grass, but the toad hadn't moved.
"Fast asleep!" said Pip. "What an ugly old fellow he
is ! He's such a sleepyhead that I don't believe he'll ever
wake up again 1 "
One March day he went by the toad's stone and
peeped underneath. Yes, there was the toad, fast asleep
as usual. Pip felt naughty, and he began to call out rude
names.
" Slowcoach ! Sleepyhead !' Crawl-about! Hey
there, Ugly-One 1 "
The toad said nothing. His eyes were fast closed.-
Then Pip fetched a stiff piece of straw and began to
poke hard at the toad." Wake up ! It's springtime 1 The frogs are in the
pond, Sleepyhead 1"
Suddenly the toad opened his eyes angrily, and shot
out a long, swift tongue. The end of it was sticky, and it
hit Pip smartly. The pixie was
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lifted in the air, and almost went into the toad's
mouth.
" Don't 1 Don't! " he cried. " What are you doing,
Toad ? "
"Teaching you a lesson! " said the toad, looking at
the pixie out of lovely coppery eyes. " Rude little
creature ! Aha ! You didn't know I had a long tongue
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CR-R-R-ROAK!
fastened to the front of my mouth, so that I could
flick it out and catch bad pixies on its sticky end, did
you ? "The toad held Pip in one of his front paws, his
fingers curled round the pixie's arm. " Let me go ! I'll
fight you ! " said Pip.
" Do you know what I do to frighten off my
enemies ? " said the toad. " I ooze out a horrible-
smelling, horrible-tasting liquidand nobody wants totouch me or taste me after that. How do you like it,
pixie? "
The toad put Pip on to his backand oh dear, he
was covered with the toad's evil-smelling liquid.
Whatever would Aunt Twinkle Say when he came in
smelling like that ?
" I'm sorry, Toad. I won't tease you any more ! " hecried. " Let me go, please let me go ! "
So the toad let him go, and made his slow way to
the nearest pond to look for a wife. And poor Pip went
home smelling so dreadful that Aunt Twinkle-wouldn't
let him into the house for hours !
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Wanteda Suit of Armour
PIP was a pixie. He wasn't even as tall as a daisy,
so he had to keep a sharp lookout in case a hungry rat
pounced on him, or a rook pecked him up.
One day he sat by a pond, and looked down into thewater. He heard a loud complaining voice coming up.
" It's a nuisance having such a soft body. I wish I
wasn't so nice to eat! I wish I had a suit of armour ! "
Pip laughed and slipped down into the water. He
went up to a long grub wriggling about in the mud,
trying to frighten away a hungry tadpole.
" Hallo, Caddis ! " he said. " In trouble again ?Perhaps I can help you."
" You can't," said the caddis grub. " Nobody can.
What I want is a suit of armour, and where can I get that
these days? Go away, Pip."
" Now look here," said Pip, " you can make your
own suit of armour, Caddis ! I'll help you. It will be fun.Come on now, let's look for things that will do. See,
here's a tiny bit of woodand here's a short bit of
straw."
The caddis larva in its case, with a tadpole
swimming down to it.
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" What do you think I'm going to do with those ? "
said the caddis.
" Stick them together and make yourself a fine coat
of armour," said Pip. "Hurry now. Look, catch that littleroot floating pastand here's a tiny pebble and some
grains of sand. Stick them all together round your
body."
The caddis, still grumbling, stuck them all together
and then took a few more things to add to his new coat.
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" Now you've got a fine suit of armour, Caddis ! "
said Pip, pleased. " You've left a hole to put out your
head and legs when you want to walk about. You're
quite safe from your enemies. Hie, Tadpolesee if youcan bite him now ! "
But the tadpole couldn't. The coat of armour was
too hard. " I'll go and tell all the other caddis grubs ! "
said the caddis, and off he went. And if you look in your
pond you'll see they've allgot suits of armour now!
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If the Oak is out before the Ash
"LOOK, Jinky," said Pip, proudly. "I've got a I
lovely new suit for the summer, as thin as -*' can be!"
" Pooh ! " said Jinky, " you'll wish you'd bought a
thicker one, andan umbrella too ! Summers are horrid
nowadays, so cold and rainy."" Oh," said Pip, in dismay. " But how do you know
this one will be, Jinky ? "
" I don't know yet," said Jinky. " But you know the
old saying, Pip :
' If the oak is out before the ash,The earth will only get a splash,
If the ash is out before the oak,
Then the earth will get a soak.'
"And yesterday when I passed the oak-tree, its buds
weren't thinkingof opening! I'm sure the ash will be out
first, and then, you'll see, we shall have a horrid coldsummer! "
" I won't have a horrid cold summer! " said Pip,
crossly, and what do you think he did that night ? He
went to the big oak-tree, and made a little fire
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underneath it, so that the warmth would rise up, and
make the leaves unfurl!
But alas, the dry grass and dead leaves below the
tree caught fire too, and soon there was a big blaze.
Then a door in the tree flew open and out rushed anangry brownie.
" What are you doing ? You'll set my tree on fire 1
You bad pixie, you ! "
He beat out the fireand then he beat poor Pip too.
" I'm sorry! " wept Pip, " I only wanted to
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make the oak come out before the ash, then we
shall have a lovely fine summer ! "
Well, Pip's oak-tree did come out before any ash,
,so maybe he has made a fine summer certain. But we'dbetter watch ouroaks too, and see if they are out first. I
do hope they will be, don't you ?
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A Beak is as Good as Fingers!
ONE day Pip went round peeping at all the birds'
nests he could find. "They really are lovely!" he told his
aunt. " I can't think how the birds make them, Aunt
Twinkle. After all, they haven't hands with fingers toweave them, have they ? How do they make them ? And
how do they make them into that pretty cup-shape ? I
wish I knew."
"Ask the robin," said Aunt Twinkle. "She's a friend
of yours. Maybe she will show you."
So Pip asked the robin. "It's easy," said the robin. "
A beak is as good as fingers any day 1 Look, I use root-fibres, moss, dead leavesanything like thatand then
with my beak I weave them all together."
Pip went off to find the things she said. He brought
them back and the robin took him to an old saucepan. "
We robins like to build in something that once belonged
to man,'* she said. " You take this saucepan and build anest in it yourself, just for practice."
She showed him how to do itbut she used her
beak, for she had no fingers. How clever she was at
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weaving the roots together, tucking in the moss andthe dead leaves, and, making it all strong and secure.
"It's lovely," said Pip, and he helped too. He was
good at weaving the roots together. Soon he had made a
very nice nest in the old saucepan.
" How do you make it cup-shaped ? " he asked.
"Like this," said the robin, and she got on to the
nest. She worked herself round and round in it and made
a nice cosy inside to it, the shape of a round cup !
"Really, you are very clever," said Pip. "My nest is
finished. I wish some bird would lay eggs in it."
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" Well, I've my own eggs in my own nest," said the
robin, " or I would. Why don't you ask the cuckoo to lay
you eggs ? "
"No thank you," said Pip at once. The robin flewoff and Pip got into his own nest. It was cosy and
comfortable.
Suddenly the robin flew back again in a great state.
" Someone has taken my eggs and spoilt my nest I Oh,
I'm so dreadfully unhappy I "
" Have mine, do have mine!" begged Pip,scrambling out. " Lay some more eggs and forget about
the others. Do, do! I'll look after them with you."
So Pip had some eggs laid in his nest after alland
won't he be pleased when they all hatch out and he can
help to feed four tiny birds !
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Confetti for the Wedding ?
Pip! Where are you ? My sister Silver-Toes is
'being married to-morrow ! " shouted Jinky. " Are you
coming to the wedding ? "
" Ooooh yes ! " said Pip. " I love wedding-cake.
Shall I bring some confetti to throw over Silver-Toes ?
People always have confetti at weddings, don't they ? "" Do you know where to buy any ? " asked Jinky. "
I don't."
" I'll soon buy some ! " said Pip. " I know that
Silver-Toes would love to have lots of confetti."
So off he went to buy some. But will you believe it,
there was none to be bought anywhere 1 Pip was verydisappointed.
" Oh," said Jinky, when Pip told him. " What-a pity,
Pip ! I've told Silver-Toes now that she will have lots of
confetti for her wedding, and she was so pleased. Can't
we think of something ? "
Pip thought hard for a moment. Then he jumped up
and ran off. " I've thought of a good idea! " he cried. "I'll
be back in a minute ! "
He rushed to where the big may-tree was
blossoming
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in the hedge. " May-tree ! " he cried, " are your
petals going to fall yet ? "
" If it's windy to-morrow they will," said the may-
tree. "And the breeze is getting up already. Why, Pip?"
" Because your little petals, blowing down by the
hundred, will make beautifulconfetti! " cried Pip.
And, you know, they did. Silver-Toes was marriedunder the hawthorn tree, and the wind shook the may-
blossom all the time. Down floated hundreds of the little
scented petals, and fell all over the pretty little bride. .
" It was a good idea of yours, Pip ! " said Jinky.
And really I think it was !
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Mud-Pies for Martins
The martins flew up in the sky, chattering to one
another in their little high voices. They talked to the
swallows too, who flew with them, and caught hundreds
of flies as they darted about on their long curved wings.
" We must build our nests," they said, and they flew
downwards. " We are house-martins, and we mustchoose a nice place just under a jutting roof. Let's come
and choose now."
Pip the pixie was sitting on the roof as they flew
down to a house. " Hallo ! " he said. " You nearly
knocked me off with your swift wings. What are you
going to do ? "*' Build our nests," chattered the martins.
" I know where you can get plenty of twigs and
dead leaves," said Pip.
" We want mud, not leaves or moss or twigs ! " said
the martins. " We like mud-nests, Pip."
" Well, where are you going to get mud from, this
hot weather ? " said Pip. " There aren't any puddles. The
farmer has drained the pond that used to be here. And
the river is a long way away."
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" Where shall we get mud ? " chattered the martins
mournfully.
" I'll make some for you," said Pip, and he flew
down to the ground. He looked for a garden tap, then saton it and turned it on with his strong little legs. The
water trickled out to the ground.
Soon the ground was wet and muddy. The martins
and the swallows flew down in delight, and began to
scoop up the mud with their beaks.
Pip flew down too and began to make mud-pies. Itwas fun. He got very dirty but he didn't mind. When he
was tired of it he went to watch the martins building
their mud-nests under the roof of the houses, pressing
little dabs of mud on to the walls.
" You're a great help, Pip ! " they cried. " Thank
you for the mud ! We couldn't have made our nests
without your help! "
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An Uncomfortable Bedfellow
IT was a very very dark night. There was no moon.
There were no stars either, because a big cloud was
spread right across the sky.
" Only owls and cats can see on a night like this ! "
grumbled Pip, trying to find his way home. " Oh dear
I believe I'm lost 1 "He was. He didn't know which way to go at all!
Then he heard pattering footsteps, and an unseen
creature come close to him. There was a snap and a
crunch.
"That was a tasty beetle," said a voice. "Now fora
few slugs, and I can go to bed."" Hie ! " called Pip. " Wait a bit. Where am I ? I'm
lost ! "
" You're in my field," said the voice.
" Where's that ? " said Pip, impatiently.
" It's where I live, of course! " said the voice. "Ah I
A fat slug. Good! And another! Fine. I suppose you're
not a slug or a beetle, are you, little lost one ? "" No, certainly not. I'm a pixie," said Pip, hastily. "
Oh dearI shall never get home to-night."
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" Well, come to my home if you like," said the
voice. " I've got a nice hole in a bank. There's room for
you too. Then, when the daylight comes, you can see
your way home. Follow me ! "Pip followed the pattering footsteps. Soon they ran
up a bank and came to a hole. Pip followed. " Get in,"
said the voice. " I'll follow."
Pip got in. Then his unseen friend followed and
settled down, almost squashing Pip flat. He yelled.
" Hie Something's pricking me ! Hie, get up !There's some pins here, or something. GETUP ! "
But his uncomfortable bedfellow was fast asleep
and snoring I And there poor Pip had to stay all night
long, angry and in pain.
Daylight crept in at the holeand then Pip saw his
bedfellowa hedgehog ! Gracious !
" WAKEUP ! " he yelled. " I'd never have slept withyou if I'd known what you were. All your spines are
pricking me. I know why no one ever eats you,
hedgehog I It would be like eating pins. WAKEUP!"
Poor Pip. He had thirty-four scratches all over him,
and his Aunt Twinkle was sure he had the measles,
when she saw all the spots ! But he hadn't.
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"Zooooom!"
Z'OOOOOM!"
Pip was sitting swinging on a tall foxglove when
the big bumble-bee flew down with a tremendous noise.
" Zooooom ! "
Pip almost fell off the foxglove in fright. He clung
to a leaf, and watched the big bee alight on the mouth ofa pink foxglove flower.
"Hey!" called Pip. "You gave me a fright! This is
my foxglove. Get away from here. I'm having a swing."
The bumble-bee buzzed loudly inside the foxglove.
" Don't be silly ! This is my flower 1 It's made to my
measurements, and there's even a hairy mat at theentrance to keep out the wrong kind of people! "
" I don't believe you ! " cried Pip. But the bumble-
bee was quite right. When Pip looked inside the fox-
glove, he saw a little mat of hairs there, which would
stop any smaller insect from creeping inside !
" Why do you creep into the foxglove flower ? "
asked Pip." To get the honey right at the top, of course! " said
the bee, crawling out backwards. " I follow the
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path of coloured spotsthey're sign-posts for me,
you knowand they lead me to the honey. Delicious
nectarfor bees, though, not for cheeky little
pixies ! "
" Zooooom! " He flew away, laughing. Pip went to
a pink foxglove flower, and peered up its big trumpet.
Yes, there was the mat of hairsand the coloured path
of spots." I'll stick my head right in, and lick the honey at
the top ! " said Pip. So he pushed his little head right
into the flower.
But it fell off the foxglove plant, and Pip fell too.
Bump ! There he was on the ground, the foxglove
flower jammed right over his head, so that he couldn't
see a thing." Is that your new hat, Pip ! " called the bumblebee.
" Whata funny way to wear it! "
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Soap-Suds on the Grass
SOMEBODY'S been throwing soap-suds all over
the field," said Pip, in surprise, one morning, as he saw
patches of froth hanging here and there on the grasses. "
What a horrid thing to do ! "He poked a blade of grass into a little patch of soap-
suds, and jumped in surprise when a voice came out of
the middle of the froth.
" Hey 1 Who are you jabbing ? Leave me alone."
Pip stared at the patch of froth. Surely nobody lived in
the middle of it ? He carefully pushed away a little of it,
and then saw a green, rather fat little grub, sitting in the
middle.
" I must say I don't like your manners," said the
grub. " Scraping away my froth-house, and coming in
without asking. Go away 1 "
" Is this froth really your house ? " asked Pip, in
surprise. " Why do you live in the middle of a patch ofbubbles?"
" You're an inquisitive fellow, aren't you ? " said
the grub. " If I tell you, will you go away and leave me
in peace ? All right, then. Do you see my soft green
body? I want to hide it from the hot sun, and from the
sharp eyes of birds too. So I make a
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nice little covering of froth all round me, and live in
it, like a house. See ? "
" That's really very clever of you," said Pip. " How
long do you live in your bubble-house ? "
" Till I get a nice hard brown body," said the grub. "
Then out I jumpa very fine little frog-hopper; afraidof nothing and nobody ! "
" I won't disturb you any more," said Pip. " I'm glad
I don't live in a house like yours. It must be very damp
and uncomfortable I "
Have you seen the frog-hopper's curious dwelling-
place ? I expect you know it as cuckoo-spit. Did youguess it was the home of baby frog-hopper ? Well, it is!
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Give me another Name!
PIP was swinging to and fro in a buttercup, his legs
dangling out each side, when he saw a long, gliding
creature slipping along below him. He looked at it in
alarm.
" Hallo ! " he shouted, leaning out of the buttercup.
" Are you a snake ? Don't eat me, will you, because I'm
not what you'd like for your dinner."
The long, gliding creature stopped and raised a
shiny head to look at Pip. " What am I ? " he repeated,
in a sad voice. " I hardly know myself. I have three
names, pixie, and they are all bad ones, because they are
quite wrong."" What are your names ? " asked Pip, sliding down
the buttercup stalk, and looking at the long, gleaming
creature.
" Well, I'm called Slow-wormbut I'm as quick as
can be, and I'm not a worm," said the Slow-worm. "
And I'm called Blind-worm, but I'm not blind. Just lookat my bright eyes ! "
Pip looked. The Slow-worm blinked at him. " And
I'm called Deaf-Adder, too," he said. " Deaf-Adder!
When I can hear as well as you can, and I
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don't even belong to the Adder family. I'm not a
snake. I'm a lizard !" .
" Oh," said Pip, and he ran his hand over the shiny
surface of the Slow-worm's long silvery body. " Butyour long body glides along like a snake's you know.
How could I tell you were a lizard, not a snake, if you
hadn't said so ? "
" Look at my eyes. I can blink them,'* said the
Slow-worm, and he blinked quickly. " Well, a snake
can't shut his eyes. He hasn't eye-lids that will move.And just have a look at my tongue, will you ? "
He stuck out his small tongue. Pip looked at it. " It's
notched, instead of being forked like a snake's tongue,"
he said. " Oh yes, you're a lizard all right. And I suppose
you can break the end of your tail off then, too, as all
lizards can ? Show me ! "
" I'll show you if you can find a really good newname for me! " said the Slow-worm, and glided off. But
Pip can't think of one ! Can you ?
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Hallo, Ladybird!
PIP the pixie had been having a lovely time. He had
flown into somebody's garden and had found a rose-
tree.
On it grew deep red roses with a most deliciousscent. Pip made one his home, and thought how lucky
he was to have red velvet blankets at night, and a sweet
scent always round him.
And then a horrid thing happened. Suddenly the
rose-tree was covered with green fliestiny things with
juicy green bodies, feeding on the buds and stalks and
leaves in their hundreds." Go away! " shouted Pip. " Nasty things I If you
eat any more of the stalk of my rose, it will break and I
shall fall! " But the greenfly took no notice at all.
Then one day a little red beetle with black spots
flew down beside Pip. " Hallo, Ladybird! " said Pip. "
I'm pleased to see you. What have you been doing withyourself? You're very dirty."
" I know," said the ladybird. " I fell in the mud. I
suppose you couldn't possibly polish my back for me,
Pip ? "
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" Of course ! " said Pip, and he rubbed the lady-
bird's back till it shone brightly.
" Thank you," she said. " Now I'll do something foryou ! I'll get rid of these horrid greenfly for you ! "
"How?" asked Pip.
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" You wait and see," said the ladybird, and she set
to work to lay a great many yellowish eggs up and down
the rose-tree. Then she flew off.
And will you believe it, when the eggs hatched outinto little lively dark-brown grubs, they at once began to
gobble up the greenfly as fast as ever they could. Pip
was delighted.
" Hie, Ladybird! " he called, when he next saw her.
" Come here. I'm going to polish your back every single
day for you now, because your grubs have eaten all thegreenfly ! "
So he polishes her red back. I expect you've noticed
how nice and shiny it is ?
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Poor Man's Weather-Glass
I wish I knew if it was going to keep fine or not 1
" said Pip the pixie, looking up at the sky through the
tall feathery grasses above his head.
" I should take an umbrella with you, if you are
going out for the day," said his friend Jinky.
" You know, the two-legged folk have queer things
they call weather-glasses," said Pip. " Once I peeped
into a house and I saw one. They tell you what the
weather will be. I wish I had one."
A small voice called to them from not far off. "
Who spoke of weather-glasses ? That's one of mynames! "
Jinky and Pip peeped through the grasses. They saw
a small plant growing by the wayside. It had petals as
scarlet as the back of a ladybird 1
" Your name's not weather-glass, silly. It's Pim-
pernel 1" said Jinky, scornfully. " Didn't you know that?It's a funny name to havepimpernel! "
" I know that's my namebut I've got another too,"
said the scarlet pimpernel. "And it's Poor Man's
Weather-Glass. Yes, really it is ! "
" But why are you called that ? " said Pip.
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" Well, you see, I always shut my flowers up tight
when there's going to be rain," explained the pimpernel.
" I always know! As soon as I see a black cloud coming,
I shut myself up. So I am a kind of weather-glass, yousee, because I do tell you if it's going to be dull or
rainy."
" Pimpernel, you're shutting your petals now," said
Pip. " You are 1 I can see them all closing up."
" Then it's going to rain," said the pimpernel. " You
see if I'm not right! "" Bother ! " said Pip. " I'd better take an umbrella
after all then ! I'll get it. I only hope you are a truthful
flower, pimpernel! "
He got his umbrella and set off. And very soon,
plop, plop, plop 1 Big drops of rain fell and Pip was
very glad of his umbrella.
" Good little pimpernel! " he said, as he unfoldedhis umbrella. " I'll have you formy weather-glass now!"
I thinkIwill too ! What about you ?
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The Surprising Tail
PIP was walking over a sunny bank on the
common, when he saw a lot of little creatures playing
about in the sun.
" Hallo ! " he said. " Who are you ? "
" We're lizards!" cried the little things, and flashedhere and there on their tiny legs. "It's a lovely sunny day
and we're happy 1 "
" I'll play with you," said Pip.
" Well, don't be rough then," said the lizards. " We
are gentle little creatures. We don't like rough games."
Pip was bigger than the lizards and he thought hewould like to chase them. " I'm coming after you ! " he
cried. " I'll catch you, I'll catch you ! "
But the lizards were too quick for him. They darted
here and there in the heather and he couldn't catch a
single one.
" I'm tired of this game," he said. But the lizards
weren't. They went on running about merrily. Pip gotcross and snatched at one as it ran past him.
life caught the lizard's tail. " Let go, let go, you're
hurting me ! " cried the lizard. " Let go ! "
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But Pip was cross now and he tugged hard at the
little tail. Then a dreadful thing happened. The tail
broke off in his hand !
The lizard disappeared into a hole without its tail.The tail began to leap about as if it was alive.
Pip began to cry. " I don't like it, I don't like it," he
wept. " I'm sorry, lizard. I didn't mean to pull off your
tail. Come and fetch it, it's jumping about."
An old lizard spoke to Pip. " Didn't you know that
we lizards can break off our tails if an enemy catcheshold of it ? It is a good way of escape for us. We leave
our tail jumping about behind us, and our enemy
watches it in surprise, whilst we escape ! "
" But I'm not your enemy," wailed Pip. " I'm not. I
was just playing with you as a friend."
" We asked you not to be rough," said the lizard,
and he went off to his hole. Pip went home crying sobitterly that Aunt Twinkle was quite alarmed.
"I broke his tail off," sobbed Pip. But Aunt Twinkle
comforted him.
" He'll grow a new one ! It won't be quite so nice as
the old one, but it will do. You take him some of these
chocolate cakes I've been making and tell him you aresorry, and that his tail will soon grow."
It mil grow again. Wasn't it a funny thing to
happen!
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Nice House to Let!
PIP the pixie had gone down to the seaside for a
holiday. He was having a fine time there. He had made
friends with the prawns and the shrimps, and had played
with a five-fingered starfish.
Then he heard somebody calling him. " Hie, Pip,
come and help me ! "
Pip saw a large whelk shell coming towards him,
with legs sticking out of the entrance. He was scared.
No shell that he knew of had legs to walk with ! He hid
behind a clump of seaweed.
" Don't be frightened," said a voice from the whelkshell. " I'm only a crab."
" A crab ! " said Pip, disbelievingly. " What a fib!
Crabs don't put themselves into empty whelk shells."
" Well, you see," said the curious crab, pulling his
whelk shell right up to Pip, " I haven't a nice hard shell
over my body like the ordinary crab has. I can't seem togrow oneand as I taste rather nice, all kinds of
enemies come to eat me. So I've had to find an empty
shell and get inside."
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" Poor thing ! " said Pip. " Do you have to carry the
shell about with you wherever you go, then? You're like
a snailonly you don't grow your house."
" Well, I'm in a bit of a difficulty now," said thecrab. " I've grown too big for this shell, and I want
another. But last time I changed from a small shell to a
large one, a gull flew down and nearly ate me. So I
wondered if you would keep guard whilst I do my bit of
moving this time."
" Of course I will ! " said Pip. " And I'll find you afine big whelk shell if you like. Wait a minute."
He darted off and soon came back with one. Then
he watched whilst the hermit crab crawled out of his old
shell, and backed himself into the big new one. " I hold
on tightly to the inside of the shell with the end of my
body," he explained. " I say ! This is a fine new house
you've found me. It fits beautifully. Thank you verymuch, Pip."
The hermit crab was very comfortable in his new
house. He hung his front legs outside. Pip saw that he
had tiny pincers on them, and he backed away.
" You needn't worry ! " said the crab. " I shall never
pinch you, Pip I You've been a very good friend to meto-day."
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A Very Queer Flower
PIP was having a lovely time by the sea. His
friend, the hermit crab, took him about the rock-pools
and showed him all the things there. He found some fine
bladder-wrack seaweed for him, and let him pop the
little bladders as much as he liked.
Pip popped them loudly whenever a prawn or ashrimp swam by and made them jump. Then one
morning he saw something curious.
He came across what looked like a lot of lumps of
red and green jelly clinging tightly to the rocks under
the water. Pip wondered if the jelly tasted nice. But it
didn't.He sat and watched the lumpsand suddenly he
was astonished to see one of the lumps open itself just
like a flower blossoming! It suddenly grew a fringe of1
pretty petals round its top edge, and these waved about
gracefully in the water.
" What are you ? " asked Pip.
" I'm a sea anemone," said the creature. " If you seeany small shrimps nearby, send them to me, will you ? "
" Why ? " asked Pip.
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" Never mind. Just send them," said the sea
anemone. " I like them."
So Pip sent one alongand to his horror the sea
anemone suddenly took hold of it with its waving petalsand dragged it down inside it! It shut itself upand dear
me, in a short while, it opened again and out came the
remains of the poor shrimp !
" Whyyou've eaten it! You're an animal, not a
flower ! " cried Pip. " You're a fraud. You pretend to be
a pretty flower, and all the time you're looking out forthings to eat. All right, I'll give you some ! "
And the naughty pixie put bits of seaweed, grains
of sand and a few tiny pebbles into the centre of the
anemone's petals. They closed on them at once and tried
to eat them. The anemone was very angry at Pip's trick.
It suddenly flung out its petal-arms and caught hold
of him. He felt himself being dragged inside theanemoneand dear me, if his friend the hermit crab
hadn't come along at that very moment and pinched the
anemone hard that would have been the end of Pip the
Pixie !
Pip swam away in fright. " I'm going home! " he
told the crab. " I'm tired of the seaside. Goodbye, hermitcrab, and thank you for saving my life ! "
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Go Away, Dirty-Feet!
ONCE Pip got very dusty and dirty. So he prepared
a nice little bath for himself. He found a lupin leaf and
poured dewdrops into the middle of it. They stayed
there, like a nice little pool, and Pip washed himself
well. I've no doubt you have often noticed how good the
lupin leaves are at holding water in their middles.
As he was washing he heard a loud noise. "
ZzzzzzzZZZZzzzzz!" He looked up. An enormous blue-
bottle fly was buzzing round him. He came down on the
nearby rubbish-heap and walked all over it.
" How disgusting you are I " said Pip, wiping hisfeet dry. " Look at you, walking all over that horrible
filthy messsmelly and decaying. How can you ? "
" Oh, I love anything that smells bad, and is going
rotten," said the blue-bottle, and he stood on a smelly bit
of bad fish. " Delicious, I call this ! "
Then he flew off and went to a ripe plum that hadfallen off the tree nearby. He walked all over that too.
Pip yelled angrily at him.
" You disgusting fly! I was going to have that plum
for my dinnerand you've walked all over it
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with your dirty feetlook, you've left bits from that
rubbish-heap on my plum. If I swallowed those-, I'd be
ill. Go away, Dirty-Feet! "
The blue-bottle flew back to the rubbish-heap, and
had a fine time there, tasting anything dirty it could find,and getting its feet dirtier and dirtier. Then it buzzed
round Pip.
" Do you know what I'm going to do now ? " it
said. " See that pram up there ? There's a baby
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having its bottle thereand I shall walk all over the
teat, and leave the marks of my dirty feet there. And I
shall go and walk over the cake put ready for the little
boy to eat when he comes back from school and I'llwalk round the edge of the glass of milk he's going to
have. Oh, won't I make them ill with the dirt I leave
behind ! "
Pip was very angry. He called to his friend the
robin. " Eat that fly ! " he said. " He's an enemy to
everyone ! Eat him, robin, quick ! "So the robin ate him, and he couldn't do any more
harm. And a very good thing too, I thinkdon't you ?
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Where's the Front Door?
Pip, are you there ? " called the pixie's aunt. I
want you to take a note for me to Mrs. Quickfeet in
her nest over in the cornfield."
" Right, Aunt Twinkle ! " said Pip, and he came
running. He took the note and set off. His aunt called
after him." You'll find the nest near the blackberry sprays on
the hedge, a little way in the corn, about eight or nine
inches up. You'll have to climb up a corn-stalk to get
there."
" I didn't know birds made their nests in the corn,"
thought Pip, when he came to the corn-field. He lookedfor the blackberry sprays, saw them, and made his way
into the corn.
He looked above his head, and saw a curious nest,
made of split corn-leaves and grass. Two or three corn-
stalks went right through the nest and held it firmly.
" What a clever nest \ " said Pip, admiringly. " I
wonder what kind of a bird Mrs. Quickfeet is. Now
where is the front door ? "
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There didn't seem to be a front dooror a back
door either! In fact there didn't seem to be any way into
the nest at all.
" It's just a big ball of a nest with no way in," saidPip. " No knocker, no bell. Hie there ! Is there anyone at
home ? "
"Yes, we're all at home, father and mother and
seven children 1 " squeaked a voice. " Come in ! "
" I can't find the door 1 " shouted Pip.
" Oh, squeeze in anywhere 1" said the voice. So Pippushed his way through the nest and got right inside
and there, to his enormous surprise, he found, not birds,
but little mice 1 They were harvest-mice, the prettiest
little things he had ever seen.
" Stay to tea," said Mrs. Quickfeet. But after a few
minutes in the nest Pip hurriedly got out.
"Good-bye!" he said. "Sorry I can't stay. I'm reallybeginning to cook in here, it's so HOT. But I do think
you're clever at making a nest, Mrs. Quickfeet."
You'll think so too, when you see her nest in the
corn-field!
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A Nice New Purse
Pip ! I've lost my purse ! " wailed Aunt Twinkle. "
Have you seen it anywhere ? It was my nice big one that
I like so much."
" Oh, Aunt Twinkle, what a pity! " said Pip. " No, I
haven't seen it anywhere. Was there much money in it ?"
" Only a sixpence," said Aunt Twinkle. " And the
key to my house. But I've got another key and I don't
mind about the sixpence. I was so fond of that purse.
And I certainly can't afford to buy a new one."
Well, Pip hunted and hunted everywhere for AuntTwinkle's pursein the garden, in the wood, in the
house, on the dresser, in the bedroom, on the floor 1 But
it was nowhere to be found.
"I'll lend you mine"said Pip. But Aunt Twinkle said
it was much too small. Also, Pip's was red, and she
wanted a green one to match her coat. She really was
very unhappy about it.
Pip wandered off into the fields, still looking for
Aunt Twinkle's purse. A small mouse ran by and
stopped. " Hallo ! Lost something ? " he said.
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" A green purse," said Pip. " About as big as this,
and shaped like that ! "
"Oh wellthere's plenty growing on that plant over
there ! " said the mouse and ran off. Pip looked in
surprise at the plant the mouse had pointed his
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paw at. It was a funny little plant, with tiny white
flowers at the top. Down its stem where other flowers
had once blossomed, were, yesreallylittle green
purses." They are, they are! " cried Pip. " Plant, can I have
one of your little green purses, please, for my aunt ? "
" Yes, if you'll plant the money inside, and see that
it grows," said the plant. Pip was astonished. He picked
off a green purse, and opened it. Inside was what looked
like green money!" It's not money. It's my seeds," said the plant. "You
like to keep your precious money in purses ! Well, I like
to keep my precious seeds in purses too." Pip took out
the green money-seeds and planted them. Were they
ripe enough to grow ? He hoped so. Then he hurried off
to his Aunt Twinkle.
" I've got a lovely new purse for you ! " he cried. "Just the right green and the right shape. Look, Aunt
Twinkle."
Well, she was delighted with it and she still uses it.
And if you want to see exactly what her nice new purse
looked like, go and find the plant called shepherd's
purse. You'll see the little green purses (with seed-money inside) growing all down the stem !
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The Fairy-Ring
PIP! " said his Aunt Twinkle, " the fairies are
giving a dance in a week or two. I'd like you to get
ready a fairy-ring for them."
" But I don't know how to ! " said Pip in alarm. "I'm
not a ring-maker, Aunt Twinkle."" Good graciousanyone would think I'd asked
you to build a palace or something ! " said his aunt.
"Don't you know how to make a fairy-ring?"
"No," said Pip. "I've often seen themnice circles
of dark green grass, set round with toadstools here and
there. The fairies dance in the ring of grass and use thetoadstools for tables and stools. ButIdon't know how to
get a fairy-ring ready, aunt."
" Well, take this toadstool and set it in a good place
on the hillside," said his aunt. " Then watch what
happens."
Pip took the toadstool. He set it firmly in the grass
on a nice breezy spot. Then he played about nearby,
making his home under a purple thistle so that he could
watch how a fairy-ring was made.
The toadstool ripened. It became full of spores. It
sent these out all around it and then it died down.
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Pip saw the spores spring up into a little ring of new
toadstools. Then, in their turn, they ripened and threw
out their spores as Veil. But the ones that fell into the
centre of the ring didn't grow, only the ones outside."Well, well!" said Pip, in surprise, "I'm beginning
to see how a fairy-ring is made! The toadstool spores
make a wider and wider ring of new toadstoolsand
the old ones die in the middle each time and the grass
feeds on them and gets rich and dark! "
He ran off to his aunt. " The fairy-ring is ready ! "he said. " The ring of grass is dark and strong, and
outside it stands the newest toadstools of all, for tables
and chairs ! When will the fairies have their party ? "
Have you found a fairy-ring ? Look for one when
you go for a walk. It's really exciting to see it!
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And Away They Went!
PIP had been very friendly with the swallows and
martins, ever since he had made mud for them to help
them in the building of their nests. He had watched
their young ones learn to fly, and he had seen the old
birds teaching the little ones how to catch flies on the
wing.
" We shall soon be leaving you, Pip," said the
swallows, flying low round him.
" Oh, why ? " said Pip, in dismay.
" The weather will be cold, and there will be no
flies to eat," said the swallows. " We must go to a
warmer land where there is plenty of food and sun-shine."
" I'd like to go too," said Pip. " Take me, will you ?
If I can't fly fast enough, one of you could give me a
ride."
" Well, you must be ready to go when we are," said
the swallows. " We shall gather together each eveningnow on the barn roof. You can join us."
So the next night Pip went to sit on the barn roof
with the swallows and martins. " Feeta-feetit! " they
cried in their little high voices, " feeta-feetit! We're
going soon ! "
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"It's cold up here," said Pip, shivering. "I don't like
it. The wind is very cold ! "
" Yes, it blows cold and the nights are frosty ! "
chattered the swallows. " We must go soon, soon,soon!"
The next evening Pip didn't go to the barn roof. It
really was too cold ! Besides,- he had told his friend
Flittermouse the bat, to tell him when the swallows were
leaving. He cuddled up in a bed of moss, with a blanket
made of a downy feather.That evening the swallows and martins chattered on
the barn roof as beforeand then, quite suddenly, they
all rose in the air, circled round, and set off to the south,
flying strongly in the darkening night. They were gone.
Pip was left behind. How upset he was in the
morning! He went to find the bat and scold him. But
Flittermouse had hung himself up for the winter, andwas so sound asleep that Pip couldn't wake him.
" It's a shame ! " said Pip. " I wanted to go with the
swallows. Now I'm left behind. I do feel upset 1 "
ButIdon't. I don't want him to go away and leave
us, do you ?
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Away with the Leaves!
PIP sat under a beech tree. It was one of hisfavourite trees, and all the summer he had loved its deep
green shade.
Something fell on his head, and then something
fluttered by his cheek. It was a golden leaf-two
golden leaves. Pip looked up into the tree, astonished.
" Why, you've turned golden ! " he said. " What anextraordinary thing ! You are really very beautiful,
beech tree! "
Pip leaned against the trunk and went to sleep.
When he woke up he was covered in golden leaves. He
sat up and spoke sternly to the beech tree. " Do you
think I'm one of the babes in the wood ? Why do youthrow away your beautiful leaves ? It's very wasteful of
you."
The beech tree took no notice. It went on throwing
down its leaves and they came spinning through the air
to Pip.
" You'll be bald if you go on like this," said Pip. "
Why, I can see a twig without a single leaf on it! I must
really do something about this."
So up the tree he went to the bare twig, taking with
him a handful of fallen leaves. He dabbed a
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spot of glue on the end of each leaf-stalk and then
pressed the leaf on to the twig.
" Whatever are you doing, Pip ?" called his Aunt
Twinkle from down below."Aunt Twinkle, the beech tree is behaving very
stupidly," said Pip. " It's just made all its leaves a most
beautiful golden colourand now it's throwing them
away. I'm putting some of them back."
" You're the one that is behaving stupidly Pip ! "
said Aunt Twinkle. " Most of the trees are throwingaway their leaves. They always do in the autumn. If you
are thinking of sticking every leaf back again on its
twig, you'll be very very busy ! "
" Oh," said Pip, staring all round him in the wood.
Red, yellow, orange, pink and red leaves were falling
everywhere. " But Aunt Twinklewhy do the trees
make their leaves such lovely coloursand then throwthem all away ? It does seem silly."
" Pip, the trees are very sensible! " said his aunt. "
They send all the rubbish they don't want up to their
leaves, and that turns them red or yellow and pinkand
then they throw them away, rubbish and all! But they
won't be wasted. You find the prettiest gold leaf youcan, and the loveliest red oneand I'll make you a new
suit and hat! "
So the leaves weren't wasted after alland you
should see Pip in his new clothes !
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What, No Saucepans!
I can't imagine what's happening to all my
saucepans!" said Pip's Aunt Twinkle, crossly. " Here's
another one with a hole in."
" Ohand you said you would make me some
toffee. Aunt Twinkle," said Pip, " have you got another
saucepan ? ""No. That's my last good one," said his aunt. "
You'd better go and buy me six of different sizes, Pip. I
simply must have some."
Pip went off. He went to the Knobbly pixie's shop,
and asked for saucepans. But the Knobbly pixie shook
his head. "Not one in the shop," he said. " All sold out."So Pip went to Mother Kettle's little shop, but she
said just the same thing. "And what's more," she said,
"you won't find any saucepans anywhere just now.
Everyone's been complaining of holes in them and
buying new ones. I think it's a kind of saucepan
disease."
" WellI shan't get my toffee then!" said Pip,
gloomily. "And Aunt Twinkle won't be able to cook that
apple pudding she promised."
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He went off and sat down under the big oak tree. "
No saucepans anywhere," he said to himself. " Can't buy
one for anything ! "
" What, no saucepans ! " said a little voice, anddown the tree hopped the red squirrel. "I know where
there are plenty ! "
" You don't," said Pip. " You're a storyteller! "
" I do know," said the squirrel, " and if you'll
promise me something, I'll tell you where they are. You
can have as many as you like."" Well, tell me then, and I'll help you," said Pip.
" Will you watch me hide my nuts this year and
remember where they are, so that you can tell me the
places when I wake up for a meal ? " said the squirrel. "
I have such a bad memory."
" Yes, I'll do that," said Pip. " Now tell me where I
can get the saucepans."" They're all round you," said the squirrel. " Look
the acorns were set in dear little saucepans, with a
handle and all! Can't you use the acorn cups for
saucepans ? They're just the right size for you 1"
" So they are ! " said Pip. " Whata good idea I Aunt
Twinkle, Aunt TwinkleI'm bringing you DOZENS ofsaucepans, really I am ! "
And he did. You can have some too if you want
them!
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What's happened to the Puddles?
ON Martinmas Day Pip ran out early in the
morning. He had no bread to eat and he thought he had
better go to his friend Jinky to borrow some.
There were puddles in the lane. Pip liked splashingthrough puddles, though this made his Aunt Twinkle
very cross. He put his foot into one. Then he looked at
the puddle in surprise.
" There's glass in it! " he said. " How very queer I
Who's been putting glass into this puddle ? "
He bent down and tried to pick the glass out of the
puddle. It was thin and very cold." Somebody's broken something," said Pip, and
went on his way. Will you believe it, there was glass in
the next puddle tooand the next and the next!
" This is most extraordinary! " said Pip. " I shan't
walk in any more puddles. I might get my shoes cut to
pieces. I shall find out who has put the glass into thepuddles, and I shall be very cross with them!"
When he got to Jinky's, he found Jinky still in bed.
" Come in ! " called Jinky. " I'm just getting us.
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Stay and have breakfast with me. I've got bacon and
mushrooms."
" Ooh," said Pip. " Yes, I'll stay. I say, Jinky,
someone's been very careless indeed. Do you know,there was glass in every single puddle I passed this
morning ? "
" Don't believe it," said Jinky. " It's one of your
tales ! "
" Well, you come and see them, after breakfast,"
said Pip. " It's quite true."They had breakfast. Then they washed up, and out
they went into the sunshine. Pip took Jinky to a puddle.
" Where's the glass, Pip ? " said Jinky. " I can't see
any at all. And there's none in the next puddle either. Or
in the next one. It was one of your tales ! "
" Someone's been along and taken it all out again,"
said Pip. " Jinky, it's very strange."Then Jinky began to laugh. " I know what it was ! "
he said. " It was ice I Not glass, you silly,. It must have
been thin ice on the puddles, and the sun has melted it
all now. Pip, it's Martinmas Day. If ice is on the puddles
on that day, it means a mild winter. Hurray! "
" Does it really ? " said Pip. " Let's tell the childrento look at the puddles on Martinmas Day, shall we ?
Then they'll know what kind of a winter it will be! "
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The Old Man's Beard
ONE day Pip's Aunt Twinkle gave him a shock.
She put a pair of scissors in his hand and said something
very surprising.
" Go and cut me some old man's beard," she said. "
Hurry now ! Don't stand and stare like that! "
"But Aunt Twinklereally, I can't do that. AuntTwinkle, I don't make me do that! " stammered Pip,
horrified at the thought of cutting an old man's beard
off.
Aunt Twinkle gave him a push. " Don't be so silly.
Do as you're told at once or I'll spank you."
So Pip took the scissors and went out. He wonderedif Aunt Twinkle had suddenly gone mad. What did she
want with an old man's beard ?
He saw an old fellow coming up the road with a
very long grey beard. Pip stepped up to him. " Please
sir," he said, " may I cut a little of your beard off ? "
The old man gave a snort and hit out at Pip with his
stick. " Saucy young fellow ! " he said, and went on hisway.
Pip watched for another old man. One came along,
with his beard blowing in the wind. But when Pip
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asked him for a bit of it, he boxed the pixie's ears
and made him run away.
Pip came to a birch tree. Leaning against it, sound
asleep, was a bearded man. Good ! Now Pip could cutsome of the fluffy beard off without his knowing. It did
seem a naughty thing to dobut Aunt Twinkle had sent
him out for some, so it must be all right.
But before he could clip the beard, the old man
woke. He caught hold of Pip's wrist and took away the
scissors. " You don't look a bad pixie," he said, " butyou must be if you cut people's beards off when they are
asleep. What do you want my beard for ? "
"I don't want itbut Aunt Twinkle does," said Pip,
frightened. " She sent me out for some."
Then the old man threw back his head and laughed.
" Don't you know what old man's beard is ? " he said. "
It's the fluffy seeds of the wild clematis, the traveller'sjoy! It grows over the hedges in the summer-timeand
now its patches of fluffy grey seeds are everywhere.
Come and see ! "
Then Pip saw the big patches of old man's beard on
the hedges, waiting to be cut and used for decoration,
and he blushed red. He cut some for his aunt and rushedhome with it.
Do you want some ? It really is just exactly like an
old man's beard, growing on our hedges 1
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How very Sensible!
It will soon be Christmas, Pip," said Aunt
Twinkle. " Would you like to go to the tall holly tree in
the wood and pick me some of the red berries ? I shall
thread them together and make pretty garlands for the
rooms."
" Oh yes. I'd love to pick you some berries," saidPip, and went off with his small basket. He found the
holly tree, and looked up at the berries, shining brilliant
scarlet on the branches.
" You're lovely ! " he said. " Just the right red for
Christmas-time! "
He began to climb up the tree. But the leaves hadsharp prickles set round the edges and they scratched
him.
" Oooh! Look what you've done ! " said Pip. " Torn
my coat! Now I shall get into trouble. How-unkind of
you."
" Sorry," said the tree. " Oh, there you go again,
bumping into my prickles. Now you've made your arm
bleed! "
"I think you're a cruel, unkind tree," said Pip. " I
suppose you grow these horrid prickles so that people
shan't come and pick your berries ! "
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"No, indeed!" said the holly tree. "I don't grow my
prickles to scratch you or anyone else, Pip. I like you to
come and get my berries. It's only that I don't want to be
eaten by horses, or donkeys or sheep."" Would they eat you ? " said Pip, surprised.
" Of course," said the holly. " So I put prickles all
round the edges of my leaves, Pip, and they stop any
animal from gobbling me up ! A mouthful of prickles is
very unpleasant."
" Well, I don't know if I believe you or not," saidPip.
" Pip, climb up higher," said the tree. " You won't
get pricked then, because I don't bother to put prickles
on branches that are very high. I know that animals can't
reach up as far as that. You'll be safe from prickles at
the top of me."
So he was ! The leaves had hardly any prickles upat the top. Pip picked as many berries as he wanted to,
and wasn't pricked at all. He slid down the tree when he
had finished.
" I thought at first you were horrid and unkind ! "
he said to the holly. " But now I see that you are just
being very sensible ! "And off he went with his basket of berries to tell his
Aunt Twinkle all about it.
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The Mistletoe Bird
"YOU know, Aunt Twinkle, we had plenty of
bright holly berries for Christmasbut we didn't have
any mistletoe," said Pip. " And it's so nice to kiss our
friends under the mistletoe ! "
" Well, Pip, the mistletoe grows so high up on the
oak trees in the wood that you could never have got
any! " said Aunt Twinkle. " You'd better grow a nicelittle mistletoe tuft of your own, on the young oak tree
in the hedge."
" However can I grow mistletoe I " said Pip.
" You go and ask the mistletoe bird," said Aunt
Twinkle. " He'll show you how to plant mistletoe. He's
been doing it for years ! "" Who's the mistletoe bird ? " asked Pip in surprise.
' " I've never heard of him."
"Yes you have. It's the big mistle-thrush," said Aunt
Twinkle. " You go and find him."
So Pip went off to find the mistle-thrush. He was
sitting up in a tree, singing, his freckled breast gleaming
in the winter sunshine.
" Hallo I " said Pip. " My aunt says you know how
to plant mistletoe. I want a little mistletoe bush of my
ownso please show me how to plant one."
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" Easy ! " said the big thrush. " Wait a minute. I'll
go and get a spray of mistletoe off the rubbish heap
where it has been thrown after Christmas."
He came back with a spray. He began to feast onthe grey-green berries. They seemed very sticky indeed.
Pip watched him, wondering when he was going to
plant the mistletoe!
" Now I'm going to clean my sticky beak," said the
thrush, and he wiped it on the bough. One or two of the
mistletoe seeds had stuck to his beak and he wiped themoff on the branch. They stuck to it, and then began to
roll stickily down. When they were dry they were stuck
fast to the bough.
" ThereI've planted a mistletoe bush ! " said the
thrush. " That little seed will put out sinkers that will go
right into the sap of the tree. Then the seed will put out
two small leaves, and grow I "" Gracious ! " said Pip. " It's queer to think of a
bush growing out of another tree, and using its sap too !
Can Iplant a mistletoe bush like thatpress a sticky
seed into the bough of that little oak tree over there ? "
" Of course," said the thrush. So Pip did, and dear
me, will you believe it, that seed grew and is now a finelittle mistletoe tuft. Wouldyou like to grow one too ?
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Enid Blyton
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