Читать книгу The Three Gollies - Enid blyton - Страница 3

Table of Contents

There were once three golliwogs who were most unhappy in the nursery cupboard. None of the other toys liked them, and nobody ever played with them.

Their little mistress, Angela, never even looked at them as she was always playing with her very pretty dolls.

So they made up their minds to run away and find a nice home of their own.

“A little red cottage with a white gate and red roses growing round the door would be nice,” said the first golliwog, who was called Wiggie.

“No, a little white cottage with a red gate and pink roses,” said Waggie, the second golliwog.

“Oh no, brothers, a pink cottage with a blue gate and white roses,” said Wollie, the third golliwog.

So they set off one morning to find their cottage home. They went down the garden path, under the hedge, and across the field. They went through the wood, down the lane, and up the hill. And on the other side of the hill they saw a dear little cottage. It had yellow walls, a blue gate, and honeysuckle growing all over it; and although it wasn’t exactly like any of the golliwogs had pictured it, they all thought it would do very nicely.

“But there is smoke coming from the chimney!” said Wiggie. “Someone lives there. What a nuisance!”

“Well, we’ll go and see if they’ll let us live there instead,” said Waggie.

“But suppose they won’t let us,” said Wollie. “Suppose there is someone perfectly horrid living there?”

“Dear me, yes,” said Wiggie. “Well, one of us will go first—and if there is someone horrid there, the others can save him if he gets into trouble.”

“You go, Wollie,” said Waggie. “You are the bravest.”

Well, Wollie went marching up the path to the little front door of the yellow cottage, and he banged with the knocker—blim-blam, blim-blam!

“Come in!” said a voice. So Wollie walked in, and who should he see inside but Clikity-Clok, the bad gnome! He didn’t like the look of him at all, but he was bold and said, “Good day to you! Can I come and live in this cottage?”

“You can!” said Clikity-Clok; and he caught hold of Wollie and pushed him into a cupboard. He locked the door, and laughed. “Aha!” he said. “You won’t get out of there, golliwog. You can live in this cottage until the old wizard Nim-Nam comes, and then I’ll sell you to him!”

Well, the two gollies who were left outside waited and waited for Wollie to come back, and he didn’t. So then Waggie marched boldly up to the front door and banged with the knocker—blim-blam, blim-blam!

“Come in!” shouted the gnome—and in went Waggie. But when Clikity-Clok saw Waggie he looked quite scared. “Stars and moon!” he said, “didn’t I lock you up in the cupboard just now!”

Well, as soon as he heard that, Waggie knew what had happened to Wollie! So he said, as bold as brass, “Yes, you did put me in the cupboard, Clikity-Clok, but I got out as easy as winking!”

“Oh, you did, did you?” said the gnome, and he caught hold of Waggie and threw him into a big chest. “Well, you won’t get out this time! I’ll lock you here safely till the wizard Nim-Nam comes along to buy you!”

Well, Wiggie was the only one left outside the house now, and he waited and waited for Waggie and Wollie to come back, and they didn’t. So he too walked up the front path and banged with the knocker—blim-blam!

“Come in!” roared the gnome, and in walked Wiggie. Clikity-Clok leapt to his feet in fright. “Didn’t I lock you in the cupboard—and then in the chest—and here you come banging at my front door again!” he squealed.

Then Wiggie knew what had happened to the others, and he grinned at Clikity-Clok and said, “Oho, gnome, you may think you are clever but you can’t beat ME!”

The gnome gave a yell and rushed out of the front door to fetch his friend Nim-Nam.

Wiggie ran quickly to the chest and let out Waggie. He opened the cupboard and let out Wollie. “Stand at the front window, Wollie,” said Wiggie. “And you, Waggie, stand at the back window. I’ll go to the bedroom window. See what Clikity-Clok says when he comes along!”

So each golliwog went to a window, and kept behind the curtains to watch for Clikity-Clok. Soon the gnome came along with his friend Nim-Nam. The first thing they saw was Wollie’s black face peeping out of the front window. So they ran round to the back—and, bless us all, there was Waggie’s black face grinning at them there. And when they climbed up to the bedroom window, there was Wiggie playing peep-bo with them behind the curtain!

“That golliwog is magic!” cried the gnome in fright. “I locked him up twice, and he came banging at my door a third time—and now he is everywhere at once! I’m going!”

He tore off down the road with Nim-Nam at his heels, and he never came back.

As for the three golliwogs, they settled down in the little yellow cottage very happily. And there they live to this day—Wiggie, Waggie, and Wollie—and you can see them doing their shopping any morning in the village.

But nobody knows which is which, for they are as alike as peas!