Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page A

enchanter and the wizard coming up the steps.
     
   
"Now, hold tight, in case we really do go off!" said Joe. "Ready,
everyone? Then WHIZZ-AWAY HOME!"
And, goodness gracious, the bench and the table began to move! Yes, they really
did! They moved slowly at first, for they were not used to whizzing away-but as
the children squealed and squeaked in surprise and delight, the table rose up
suddenly s to the window and tried to get out!
It stuck. It couldn't get through. "Oh, table, do your best!" cried
Jo. "The enchanter is nearly here!"
The table tipped itself up a little-and then it could just manage to squeeze through
the opening. The children each clung tightly to a leg,
afraid of being tipped off. Then at last the table was through the window, and,
sailing away upside down, its four legs in the air, carrying the excited children
safely, it whizzed off over the Land of Spells!
Jo looked back to see if the wooden bench was coming, too. It had had to wait
until the table was through the window. Just as it was about to jerk upwards to
the window, the enchanter and the Wizard Wily had come rushing into the room.
What would have happened if the old Saucepan Man hadn't suddenly thrown &
kettle at them, goodness knows!
It was the kettle with Mr. Change-About in! The lid came off. Mr. Change-About
jumped out and turned himself almost into a giant! The enchanter fell over him,
and Mr. Change-About, not seeing who it was at all, began to pummel him hard with
his big fists, crying: 'I'll teach you to put me into a kettle!"
Wily hit out at Mr. Change-About, not knowing in the least who he was, or where
he had suddenly sprung from. And there was a perfectly marvellous fight going
on, just as the wooden bench flew out of the window. The enchanter saw it going
and tried to get hold of it-but just at that moment Mr. Change-About gave him
such a hard punch on the nose that he fell over, smack, again!
"Go it, Change-About!" yelled Moon-Face. "Hit him hard!"
And out of the window sailed the bench, with Moon-Face, Silky and Saucepan clinging
tightly to it. Far away in the distance was the upside-down table.
     
   
The table whizzed steadily onwards, over hills and woods, and once over the sea.
"We've come a very long way from home since we've been in the Land of Spells,"
said Jo. "I hope the table knows its way to our home. I don't want to land
in any more strange lands just at present!"
The table knew its way all right. Jo gave a shout as it flew over a big dark wood.
"The Enchanted Wood!" he cried. "We're nearly home!"
The table flew down to the garden of the children's cottage. Their mother was
there, hanging out some clothes. She looked round in the greatest astonishment
when she saw them arrive in such a peculiar way.
     
   
"Well, really!" she said. "Whatever next! Do you usually fly around
the country in an upside-down table?"
"Oh, mother! We've had such an adventure!" said Jo, scrambling off.
He looked up in the air to see if the bench was following -but there was no sign
of it.
     
   
"Where's the bench?" said Dick. "Oh-I suppose it will go to the
Faraway, as that is where the others live. Gracious-I feel all trembly. Jo-I am
NOT going into any more lands at the top of the Faraway Tree again. It's just
a bit too exciting!"
"Right," said Jo. "I feel the same. No more adventures for me!"
9-The Land of Dreams.
     
   
The children had had enough of adventures for some time. Their mother set them
to work in the garden, and they did their best for her. Nobody suggested going
to the Enchanted Wood at all.
     
   
"I hope old Moon-Face, Silky and the Saucepan Man got back to the tree safely,"
said Jo one day.
     
   
Moon-Face was wondering the same thing about the children. He and Silky talked
about it.
     
   
"We haven't seen the children for ages," he said. "Let's slip down
the tree, Silky, and make sure they got back all right, shall we? After all, it
would be dreadful if