More Wishing-Chair Stories by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online

she went flying into the water. Splash!
    “Chinky! You mustn’t keep pushing people into the water!” cried Mollie, turning to run away again — but this time it was too late. The witch shouted a few magic words as she made her way out of the river — and lo and behold, Chinky and Mollie found that they could not move a step!
    “So you thought you could push me into the river and run away, did you?” said the witch. “Well, you were mistaken! I shall now take you before our King—and no doubt he will see that you are well punished. March!”
    The two found that they could walk—but only where the witch commanded. Very miserable indeed they marched down a long, long road, the witch behind them, and at last came to a small palace. Up the steps they went, and the witch called to the guard there.
    “Two prisoners for the King! Make way!”
    The guards cried, “Advance!” and the three of them, Mollie, Chinky, and the witch, walked down a great hall. Sitting on a throne at the end, raised high, was the King, wearing a golden crown and a red cloak.
    And oh, whatever do you think! Mollie and Chinky could hardly believe their eyes—for the King was no other than Peter—yes, Peter himself! He was still wearing his golden cardboard crown and the red rug for a cloak—and his throne was the wishing-chair. Its wings had disappeared. It looked just like an ordinary chair.
    Peter stared at Mollie and Chinky in amazement—and they stared at him. Mollie was just going to cry, “Peter! Oh, Peter!” when Peter winked at her, and Chinky gave her a nudge. She was not to give his secret away!

The Prince's Spells
    FOR a minute or two Peter, Mollie, and Chinky gazed at one another and said nothing. Then the witch spoke.
    “Your Majesty, here are two prisoners for you. They pushed me into the river after they had tried to steal my geese.”
    “Leave them with me,” said Peter in a solemn voice. “I will punish them, witch.”
    The witch bowed and went out backwards. Mollie wanted to giggle but she didn’t dare to. Nobody said a word until the big door closed.
    Then Peter leapt down from the chair and flung his arms round Mollie and Chinky. They hugged one another in delight.
    “Peter, Peter! Tell us how it is you are King here!” said Mollie.
    “Well, it is quite simple,” said Peter. “The chair flew off with me, as you know. It flew for some time, and then began to go downwards. It landed on the steps of this palace, which had been empty for years.”
    “As soon as the Scally-Wags saw me, all dressed up in my crown and cloak, sitting on the flying chair, they thought I must be some wonderful magic king come from a far-off land to live here. So they bowed down before me, and called me King. I didn’t know what to do because the wishing-chair’s wings disappeared, of course, so I couldn’t escape. I just thought I’d better pretend to be a King, and wait for you to come along— for I guessed you and Mollie would find some way of getting to me! Now, tell me your adventures!”
    How Peter laughed when he heard what a lot of people Chinky had pushed into the water! “You really are a bit of a Scally-Wag yourself, Chinky,” he said. “That’s the sort of thing the Scally-Wags love to do!”
    “Peter, how can we all escape?” asked Mollie. “If only the wishing-chair would grow its wings again! But it never does when we really want it to!”
    “What will Mother say if we stay away too long?” said Peter, looking worried.
    “Well, a day here is only an hour in your land,” said Chinky. “So don’t worry. Even if we have to be here for two or three days it won’t matter, because it will only be two or three hours really. Your mother won’t worry if you are only away for a few hours.”
    “And by that time perhaps the chair will have grown its wings again,” said Mollie, cheering up.
    “Look here,” said Chinky, “I think you ought to make up some sort of punishment for us, Peter, or the witch will think