Читать книгу Amelia Jane Again! - Enid blyton - Страница 4

Table of Contents

Once, when the children were away, there came such a fine sunny day that the toys longed to go out in the daytime, instead of waiting till night.

‘I don’t see why we shouldn’t,’ said the bear. ‘There’s no one about. Let’s go and have a picnic in the orchard at the bottom of the garden.’

‘Oh yes,’ said Amelia Jane at once.

‘Not you,’ said the clown. ‘You don’t behave yourself well enough. You can stay here. You’re not asked to the picnic.’

‘Well, I shall come all the same,’ said Amelia, annoyed. ‘So there!’

And she did. The toys couldn’t stop her, for she was such a big, strong doll. She tossed her black curls in the air, smoothed down her red frock, and said ‘Pooh!’ whenever any toy said she was not to come.

‘It’s too bad!’ said the golly, as he carried a basket of goodies down to the orchard. ‘Amelia Jane has such a big appetite that she will eat far more than her share, and she’s such a nuisance, always upsetting everyone and teasing them.’

‘I wish we could put her somewhere that she couldn’t get away from,’ said the clockwork mouse. ‘She’s taken my key away once already today, and you know I won’t be able to go all the way down to the orchard unless I’m wound up at least twice.’

‘It’s a pity she couldn’t climb a tree and not be able to get down!’ said the bear. ‘I’ve got some butterscotch for us to eat, and once Amelia sees it she will eat the lot!’

‘I might be able to make her climb a tree,’ said the golliwog suddenly, with a little giggle. ‘Look, here’s a fine place for a picnic, just under this old apple tree. Now, you watch me, and see if I don’t get Amelia out of our way!’

The toys put down the baskets and packets they were carrying, and watched. The golly ran up to the tree and pretended to try to climb it. But he kept slipping back, and of course Amelia Jane laughed and laughed at him.

‘Well, Amelia,’ said the golly at last, ‘you may laugh all you like, but you couldn’t climb this tree either! It is very difficult. I did so want to get up it, because I hear you can see for miles around if you are at the top. But not even you could climb it!’

‘Pooh!’ said Amelia Jane at once. She was full of ‘poohs’ that day. ‘I could easily climb it.’

‘You couldn’t,’ said the golly.

‘I could,’ said Amelia.

‘You couldn’t!’ cried everyone in glee, seeing the trick that the golliwog was playing.

‘Well, I’ll just show you, then!’ cried Amelia, and she ran to the tree. But it really was rather difficult, because there was a big length of bare trunk before the branches began. The golly pushed Amelia up. All the toys came round and helped.

‘Whoosh!’ Amelia Jane shot up the trunk and came to where she could hold on to the branches. She was pleased that the toys were being so kind.

‘Thank you!’ she said. ‘You are very helpful, Toys.’

‘Don’t mention it!’ said the golly politely. ‘We are pleased to push you up a tree.’

Amelia Jane began to climb up and up, feeling very proud. Ha, she could do what the other toys couldn’t! She was a fine strong doll, and she would soon be at the top of the tree, and looking for miles around the country.

The toys took no more notice of her. They quickly undid their baskets and packets, sat down and began to enjoy their picnic in the green shade of the old apple tree. The sun lay in freckles of gold on the ground, and the clockwork mouse sat first on one freckle and then on another. It was fun.

‘Hi, Toys, you’re not watching me!’ came Amelia Jane’s voice suddenly from the top of the tree. ‘Where are you? Look! I’m at the top of the tree! I can see such a lot of things.’

Nobody answered her. The toys grinned at one another, and the golly handed round some chocolate buns. The bear undid his packet of butterscotch. Everyone was very happy because naughty Amelia Jane wasn’t there.

Amelia grew angry. She began to climb down the tree. She came to the lowest branches and peeped between the leaves. She saw the toys picnicking happily, and she was very angry.

‘Toys! You’ve started without me! Oh, you mean things! I’m coming down at once!’

But she couldn’t get down from the branches to the ground, for the jump was too big for her.

‘Come and help me, Golly!’ she shouted. ‘You pushed me up—now you can help me down.’

The golly didn’t move. He took a bit of butterscotch and chewed it. It was lovely.

Amelia Jane was red with rage.

‘I shall miss the picnic!’ she cried. ‘I shall miss the picnic.’

‘You can’t miss what you haven’t been asked to,’ said the golly, giggling.

‘Eeee, eeee, eeee!’ laughed the clockwork mouse.

‘I want some butterscotch too!’ squealed Amelia Jane.

‘Well, go on wanting,’ said the clown.

‘Eeee, eeee, eeee!’ laughed the mouse again. He thought it was all very funny.

‘Oh, you mean things, you got me up this tree just to put me out of the way!’ wept Amelia.

‘Amelia Jane, you wanted to show how wonderful you were at climbing trees,’ said the golly. ‘Well, you’ve done what you wanted. And we’ve done what we wanted too! We’ve had a picnic without you. And now we are going to play games. Come on, Toys, let’s play Red Indians.’

So they did, and hide-and-seek too, and ball. Amelia Jane had to sit up on the branch of the apple tree and watch, and she didn’t like it at all. She sulked and she cried.

‘Red Indians is a silly game!’ she shouted rudely.

‘Well, we’re not asking you to play it!’ said the clown.

‘Eeee, eeee, eeee!’ giggled the mouse.

‘If that clockwork mouse giggles any more, I’ll smack him!’ said Amelia, weeping tears of rage.

‘Come and smack me, then!’ squealed the mouse, and he ran off, laughing.’

Not until the toys were ready to go home again did they help Amelia Jane down. She was hungry and cross, and she felt rather ashamed of herself.

‘Look, Amelia, we saved you a bun,’ said the teddy bear, holding one out to her. ‘We are sorry you were upset, but you shouldn’t make yourself such a nuisance!’

‘Thank you for the bun,’ said Amelia in a small voice, and she ate it, though it was rather squashed, because the bear had sat on it by mistake.

‘We’ll ask you to our picnic next time, Amelia, if you’ll be good,’ said the toys.

‘Well, I will be good then,’ said Amelia Jane. But I really don’t think she can be!