Enid Blyton by MR. PINK-WHISTLE INTERFERES Read Free Book Online Page A

for you," said Pink-Whistle, taking the balloon out of the circle and quickly tying a piece of string on to it. "It's for Susie. Now here's the next one. Blue, please!"
    Mr. Pink-Whistle put a blue-green marble into the circle of chalk and once again Big Jim had to blow. How he blew! He didn't want to, but he was really afraid of the person he couldn't see but could only hear and feel!
    That marble blew up into a balloon too—a fine bluey-green one that Pink-Whistle quickly tied up with another piece of string.
    Then into the circle went the third marble. "Oh, I say," said Big Jim. "I'm not going to have any more of my beautiful glass marbles changed into balloons. I just won't have it!"
    A hard hand came out and caught hold of Jim's right ear, just in the same way that Jim had so often taken hold of other people's ears! His head was pulled towards the circle, and he had to blow! He blew and he blew. That marble was very hard to blow up, but Pink-Whistle didn't leave go his hold on Jim's ear until the balloon was really quite enormous.
    Well, Big Jim had to blow all his precious marbles into balloons! Soon there were six fine balloons waving in the bedroom on the end of strings—and the box of marbles was empty!
    "Thank you," said Pink-Whistle, taking all the strings into one hand, "Susie shall have all these. I am sure she will especially love this big blue one made out of your best blue marble, because it is almost exactly the colour of the one you burst. Well, good-bye."
    "Don't take those balloons to Susie," said Big Jim with tears in his eyes. "You know quite well they are really my marbles that you've changed by some magic. Please, please, don't take them."
    "How many times have children said, 'Please, please/ to you, Big Jim, when you have been unkind to them?" asked Pink-Whistle. "Did you take any notice? No, you didn't. Well, neither shall I. You needed a lesson, my boy, and you've had it. Learn from it and it won't be wasted. You have had to give up something you really loved yourself in order to make up for robbing someone else of something they loved. Remember what it feels like, and be kinder in future!"
    Off went the little brownie-man, taking the string of balloons with him. He met Jim's mother in the hall, and she was most amazed and astonished to see a string of balloons going through the hall by them-selves—for she couldn't see anyone holding them, of course!
    "Pardon me, Madam!" said Pink-Whistle politely, forgetting that he was invisible.
    "Oh! Gracious me—talking balloons!" cried Jim's mother, and fled into the kitchen. Pink-Whistle chuckled, and went out of the front door. He trotted along to Susie, first making himself seen, because he knew the people would be most astonished to see balloons floating down the street by themselves.
    He came to Susie's house. Susie was in the front garden. Her eyes were red, and she looked sad. When she saw Pink-Whistle coming along with a whole bunch of balloons, she gave a squeal of delight.
    "Oh! What marvellous balloons! Oh, where did you get that wonder-ful blue one from? It's even bigger than the one Big Jim burst!"
    "I got these from Big Jim," said Pink-Whistle. "I made them from his precious marbles! They are stronger than ordinary balloons, my dear. Take them and enjoy them!"
    Susie took the strings, going red with surprise and delight. "Oh!" she said, "I shall give a tea-party, and let each of rny guests have a balloon to take home."
    "Well, the big blue one is especially yours," said Pink-Whistle. "Be sure you keep that!"
    So Susie did, of course, and she still has it hanging in her bedroom. She gave the others away at a party, and how the children loved them! Wouldn't it be nice if Pink-Whistle came along when any of our balloons went POP? Well—you never know!

CHAPTER VI

    MR. PINK-WHISTLE’S CIRCUS

    THERE was once a little girl called Eileen, who was feeling very JL excited because she had been asked to go to the circus.
    Her friend was going with