Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson Read Free Book Online Page B

his paws!'
    The air was already filled with a faint rustling sound from all the growing Hattifatteners. The Park Keeper still hadn't noticed anything unusual, because he was keeping a keen eye on the little woodies. But on the lawns all around him Hattifatteners were shooting up in hundreds. They had scarcely more than their feet left in the ground. Soon they would take their first steps. A smell of sulphur and burned rubber drifted through the park. The Park Wardress sniffed.



'What's that smell?' she asked. 'Children, who of you's smelling?'
    Faint electric shocks were noticeable in the ground.
    The Park Keeper began to shift his feet uneasily. His shining metal buttons were flashing small blue sparks.
    All of a sudden the Park Wardress gave a cry and jumped up on the seat of her chair. She pointed a shaking finger at the lawn.
    The Hattifatteners had grown to life-size and now came swarming and moiling towards the Park Keeper from all directions, attracted by his electrified buttons. Small flashes of lightning crossed the air, and the buttons were crackling. Suddenly the Park Keeper's ears lighted up. Then his hair crackled and sparkled, his nose began to glow - and all of a sudden the Park Keeper was luminous from top to toe! Shining like a full moon he scuttled off towards the park gates, followed by the army of Hattifatteners.
    The Park Wardress was already climbing the fence. Only the little children were left. They sat quietly in the sand-box and looked very surprised.
    'Smart,' said Little My, impressed.
    'And that's that!' said Snufkin, pushing back his hat. 'And now we'll pull down every single notice, and every single leaf of grass shall be allowed to grow as it likes to.'
    All his life Snufkin had longed to pull down notices that asked him not to do things he liked to do, and he was fairly trembling with excitement and expectation. He started off with:
    NO SMOKING
    Then he flew at:
    DO NOT SIT ON THE GRASS
    After that he turned on:
    LAUGHING AND WHISTLING
    STRICTLY PROHIBITED
    and the next minute:
    NO HOP, NO SKIP
    AND DEFINITELY NO JUMP
    ALLOWED HERE
    followed suit.
    The little woodies stared at him with more and more astonishment.
    Little by little it was dawning on them that he had come to their rescue. They left the sand-box and gathered around him.
    'Go home, little ones,' said Snufkin. 'Go wherever you please.'
    But they did not go, they followed him everywhere. When the last of the notices was trampled to earth and Snufkin lifted his knapsack on to his back, they still followed at his heels.
    'Shoo, little ones,' said Snufkin. 'Run along to mamma now.'
    'Perhaps they have no mamma,' said Little My.
    'But I'm not a bit used to children!' said the now terrified Snufkin. 'I don't even know if I like them!'
    'They seem to like you,' replied Little My, grinning broadly.
    Snufkin looked at the silently admiring group that had flocked around his legs.
    'As if one weren't enough,' he said. 'Well. Come along then. But don't blame me if everything goes wrong!'
    And with twenty-four serious little children at his heels

    Snufkin wandered off over the meadows, bleakly wondering what he would do when they got hungry, had wet feet, or a stomach-ache.



CHAPTER 7
About the dangers of Midsummer Night
    AT half past ten on Midsummer Eve, at the moment when Snufkin was busy building a hut of spruce twigs for his twenty-four little children, Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden stood listening in another part of the wood.
    The bell that had tinkled in the mist was silent again. The forest was asleep, and the black and empty window-panes of the little house in the glade stared sadly at them.
    But inside a Fillyjonk was sitting, listening to the ticking of her clock and the passing of the time. Now and then she went over to the window and looked out in the fair June night, and every time she moved there was a little tinkle from the jingle bell she carried on the tassel of her cap. This used to cheer up the Fillyjonk (that was