The Exploits of Moominpappa (Moominpappa's Memoirs) by Tove Jansson Read Free Book Online Page B

more. 'I've nothing on earth to do!'
    'Can't we take her with us to that garden party?' the Joxter proposed.
    'Perhaps the Mymble wouldn't like it,' I said.
    'Of course she would,' said her daughter happily. 'She'll be terribly glad, because I'm sure she's forgotten it all by now.'
    'Can you show us the way? To the party?' asked Hodgkins.
    ''Course I can!' said the Mymble's daughter and took off her woolly scarf. 'But we'll have to hurry, or else the King will be disappointed. The surprises must have started long ago.'
    'Is he a real King?' I asked respectfully as we went at a jog trot over the hills.
    'A real King?' exclaimed the Mymble's daughter. 'He's a true Autocrat and the greatest King alive. But we're allowed to call him Daddy Jones to feel more at home with him.'
    'I'm going to call him Your Autocratical Majesty,' I said very earnestly. 'Imagine, to shake hands with a real King! It's the reward for my old and sincere royalist views!'
    'Why do you have all these stone walls?' asked the Joxter. 'Do you want to shut people in or out?'
    'No,' answered the Mymble's daughter. 'We don't use them for anything special. It's just that we like building them. My mother's brother has built nineteen miles of them. And d'you know what else he does? He's studying all letters and words from all sides. He likes to walk around them until he's quite sure of them. It takes him hours and hours to do the longest words!'
    'Like otolaryngologist,' said the Joxter.
    'Or kalospinterochcromatokrene,' I said.
    'Oh,' said the Mymble's daughter. 'If they're that long he has to camp beside them for the night. He used to sleep on the ground in nothing but his long red beard. Half the beard's his cover and the other half's his mattress. In the daytime he keeps two small white mice in it, and they're so sweet that they don't have to pay any rent.'
    'Most curious,' said Hodgkins. 'Have you any brothers or sisters?'
    'Lots and lots,' said the Mymble's daughter. 'Nobody's been able to count them, they run so fast. Look, here we are. Promise me to tell mother that you made me come here to show you the way!'
    'Certainly,' Hodgkins promised. 'What does she look like?'
    'She's round,' said her daughter. 'Everything's round about her.'
    We were standing before a gate, garlanded with flowers, in an exceptionally high stone wall. The gate bore a large placard reading:
    DADDY JONES'S GARDEN PARTY
FREE FOR ALL!
    Come in, come in, please!
    THE SURPRISE PARTY OF THE YEAR - VERY SPECIAL!
    (because of the 100th Anniversary of Our Birth)
    DON'T BE AFRAID
If Anything Happens!!!
    'What happens?' asked the Nibling.
    'Anything,' said the Mymble's daughter. 'That's the fun of it. You'll see!'
    We went into the garden and looked around us.
    It was wild and overgrown.
    'Excuse me, are there any wild beasts?' the Muddler asked nervously.
    'Much worse,' grinned the Mymble's daughter. 'I'll run along now. See you later.'
    We followed carefully. A long tunnel filled with green and mysterious light led us through the thickets and bushes.
    'Stop, everybody! Stay where you are!' cried Hodgkins suddenly and halted in his tracks.
    An abyss yawned before us. And down there crouched a hairy and goggling Thing - on long, quivering legs - a giant spider!

    'Hush! Let's see if he's angry,' whispered the and began throwing pebbles at the monster.
    The spider wobbled his legs, swayed horribly and threw his eyes about (they were on stalks).
    'Unnatural,' Hodgkins remarked. 'His legs. Wire springs.'
    He was right. The whole spider was made of wire springs.
    'Excuse me, that was almost impudent,' said the Muddler. 'As if one weren't afraid enough of really dangerous things!'
    'One of the party surprises, I expect,' said Hodgkins and led us on with redoubled care.
    At the next turn of the path hung a placard readings:
    SCARED - WEREN'T YOU?
    'I'd never thought a King would descend to such jokes,' I said. 'Even if he's a hundred years old. Don't let yourself be scared next time we see anything