Читать книгу Mister Meddle's Muddles - Enid blyton - Страница 3

Once, when Meddle was staying with his Aunt Jemima, he broke one of her chairs. She was very cross about it.

“Meddle, you are very careless,” she said. “I can’t imagine how you broke that chair. It was quite strong.”

“It fell over and broke itself,” said Meddle.

“Somebody must have pushed it,” said Aunt Jemima. “Well, it’s not worth mending. It’s got two legs and the back broken. I must go out this morning and buy another chair. And whilst I’m about it, I may as well get another little table for the kitchen corner there. It would be useful to put trays on. And I really need a new stool for my feet. I’ll go and get them straight away.”

“Shall I come with you and carry them back for you, Aunt Jemima?” asked Meddle, anxious to make up for his carelessness.

“No, thank you,” said his aunt. “You don’t suppose I want them dropped all over the road and broken before they get home, do you? I shall tell the shop to send them when their van goes out this morning. You stay here and open the door when the van comes.”

So Meddle stayed at home whilst his aunt went out. He stood at the window watching for the van to come. At last he heard a rumbling down the street and along came a heavy van. It stopped at the house next door, which was empty. Meddle tapped on the window.

“Hi!” he called. “This is the house. Hi, deliver the goods here, please. I am waiting for them.”

The man got down from the van and looked doubtfully at Meddle. “Are you sure, sir?” he asked. “We were told to deliver at Number 8—and your house is 6.”

“Of course I’m sure!” said Meddle, crossly. “I’ve stood here all the morning waiting for you. I’ll give you a hand with the things if you like.”

“Well, my mate is here,” said the man, and he whistled to a man at the back of the van. “This is the house,” he called. “I’ll back the van a bit and then we’ll get the goods out.”

So the big van was backed a little and then the two men got to work. First they carried in a fine armchair.

“My word!” thought Meddle. “Aunt Jemima has got a much nicer chair than the one I broke. It’s a beauty. I shall like to sit and snooze in that in the evening.”

The men went back to the van and brought out a table. It was very big. Meddle stared at it in surprise. “Well, I quite thought Aunt Jemima would have bought a small one,” he said to himself. “This will almost fill up the whole kitchen!”

“It’s to go in the kitchen,” he told the men, and he led the way. It really did almost fill up the little room!

The men went back to the van and came out with a bed, taken to pieces. Meddle stared at it. “Well, what’s Aunt bought a bed for?” he wondered. “She didn’t say anything about a bed. I wonder where it’s to go. Well, there are only two bedrooms, and hers is the bigger, so it had better go in there!”

That wasn’t the end of Meddle’s surprise. The men brought a sofa out of the van, some more chairs, a sideboard, some stools, some carpets, another table and heaps of pictures!

“Aunt Jemima must have gone mad!” thought Meddle, telling the men to put the things here and there. “Yes, she must have gone quite mad! She set out to buy a chair, a little table, and a stool—and she seems to have bought a whole houseful of furniture! It’s really very puzzling.”

“Well, that’s the lot, sir,” said the men, and Meddle gave them a shilling. The van drove off and Meddle was left alone with all the furniture. He could really hardly move in the house, it was so crammed with chairs and tables and things!

Aunt Jemima came home at half-past twelve carrying a bag full of shopping. She let herself into the house and then stared in the greatest surprise at the hall. Usually there was a hall-stand there and nothing else. But now there were two chairs, a roll of carpet, and a small table!

“Meddle!” she called. “Meddle, what are these things doing here?”

“Well, I didn’t know where you wanted them to be put, Aunt,” said Meddle. “Just tell me, and I’ll take them wherever you like!”

“Meddle, I don’t want them put anywhere!” cried his aunt. “I don’t know anything about them.”

“But you bought them, didn’t you?” said Meddle, in surprise. “Aunt Jemima, do you feel all right? I must say I was rather astonished to find you had bought so much furniture this morning!”

“Are you mad, Meddle?” said his aunt, beginning to look at him in a way he didn’t like at all. “I bought what I said I’d buy this morning—a chair, a little table, and a stool. Nothing else at all. And they can’t be delivered till to-morrow. Now perhaps you will kindly tell me where all these things came from?”

“Aunt Jemima—Aunt Jemima—this is all very strange,” said Meddle, staring round at the furniture. His aunt went into the sitting-room and looked in amazement at everything there. She could hardly move.

“Meddle, what in the world have you been doing?” she said at last. “I know you do the silliest things, but I can’t think how you have managed to get all this furniture here like this, this morning. Where did it come from?”

“Two men brought it,” said Meddle. He was beginning to feel most uncomfortable.

Just then a knock came at the door. Aunt Jemima opened it. A little woman stood outside, looking rather worried.

“I’m so sorry to trouble you,” she said. “But we are moving in next door and our furniture van hasn’t come along yet. I suppose you haven’t seen it, have you?”

Then Aunt Jemima guessed everything. Silly old Meddle had taken in the furniture that should have gone next door! How exactly like him! If he could meddle, he would—and his meddles always made such muddles!

“I believe a dreadful mistake has been made,” said Aunt Jemima. “I was out this morning and my stupid nephew has taken in your furniture here.”

“Why—yes—it’s my furniture!” cried the little woman, staring round the hall in surprise. “Oh dear—and I’ve been waiting for it. The men are gone. Whatever shall I do?”

“Meddle shall carry it next door himself and put it wherever you want it,” said Aunt Jemima firmly. “Meddle, do you hear me? It’s no good your slinking off into the garden like that. Come back. You’ve made a fine old muddle and you’re just going to put it right!”

“But I can’t carry heavy furniture about!” cried poor Meddle, looking round at the chairs and tables in a fright.

“Well, you’re going to,” said his aunt. “Now begin right away, please, because I want to hang up my coat and hat and I can’t possibly get into my bedroom until some of the things are taken from the landing!”

So poor old Meddle spent the rest of the day grunting and groaning under the heavy furniture, carrying it piece by piece into the house next door. How tired he was when the evening came! He sank down into a chair and sighed heavily.

“I’m not a bit sorry for you, Meddle,” said his aunt. “Not a bit. You just won’t learn sense. You didn’t use your brains this morning, so you’ve had to use your arms and your legs and your back, and tire them out! Perhaps next time you will use your brains and save yourself a lot of trouble.”

“I will!” said Meddle. “I certainly will!”

But, if I know Meddle, he certainly won’t!