Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Winter, page 3
After the meal she played with Jilly and her doll’s house, and when it was time to go Miss Muggins came out of the shop with a small piece of bright red satin, to start Milly-Molly-Mandy making a cosy. Milly-Molly-Mandy was pleased!
Then she thanked Miss Muggins very much for having her, and ran home to the nice white cottage with the thatched roof.
She hid the red satin in her doll’s cradle, and wondered a great deal how she could get enough pieces of stuff to make a cosy.
And then, once morning, Mother turned out of her piece-bag some scraps of green ribbon, and said Milly-Molly-Mandy might have them. Milly-Molly-Mandy was pleased!
But as she didn’t like the thought of Mother giving anything for her own secret present she looked round for something she could do in exchange for it. And she saw, behind the kitchen door, a muddy pair of Mother’s shoes waiting to be cleaned. So Milly-Molly-Mandy quietly got out the boot-box and cleaned them.
So now Milly-Molly-Mandy had some red pieces and some green pieces.
And then, one afternoon, Father gave her a penny to buy some sweets. And Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Would you mind, Farver, if I bought something else instead, for a great secret!”
And Father didn’t mind, so Milly-Molly-Mandy went to Miss Muggins’s shop and bought a skein of black silk to do the feather-stitching with.
So now Milly-Molly-Mandy had some red pieces and some green pieces and a skein of black silk.
And then, one day, Grandma altered her best dress, which was of velvet, and the part she cut off she gave to Milly-Molly-Mandy to play with.
So now Milly-Molly-Mandy had some red pieces and some green pieces and a skein of black silk and some black pieces.
And then, one morning, Grandpa let her come down with him in the pony-trap to the town. And while they were there he looked at the shop windows and asked Milly-Molly-Mandy what she would like for a little present. And Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Oh, Grandpa, could I have some coloured cord for a great secret?” So Grandpa bought her some coloured cord without asking any questions.
So now Milly-Molly-Mandy had some red pieces and some green pieces and a skein of black silk and some black pieces and some coloured cord.
And then, one afternoon, Aunty was retrimming a hat and when she took off the old lavender ribbon it had on it she said Milly-Molly-Mandy could have it. And Milly-Molly-Mandy found some parts of it were quite good.
So now Milly-Molly-Mandy had some red pieces and some green pieces and a skein of black silk and some black pieces and some coloured cord and some lavender pieces.
And then, one day, Uncle was turning over the neckties in his drawer, and there was one blue one with yellow spots which Uncle didn’t like, and he threw it to Milly-Molly-Mandy, saying, “Here, Milly-Molly-Mandy, this’ll do for a doll’s sash, or something.”
So now Milly-Molly-Mandy had some red pieces and some green pieces and a skein of black silk and some black pieces and some coloured cord and some lavender pieces and some blue pieces with yellow spots.
And Milly-Molly-Mandy thought she really had enough now to begin the cosy!
She went to Aunty and asked if she would kindly teach her to do feather-stitching for a great secret. So Aunty showed her how to cut up the pieces and feather-stitch them together.
And then, for weeks, Milly-Molly-Mandy spent nearly all her spare time in the attic or in the barn, sewing and sewing, and never showed anyone but Aunty what she was doing.
One evening Father said, “Whatever is Milly-Molly-Mandy up to these days?”
And Mother said, “I can’t think.”
And Grandpa said, “I haven’t seen her properly for days.”
And Grandma said, “I think she’s got some kind of a secret on.”
And Uncle said, “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
But Aunty said nothing at all, and only put the tablecloth straight.
And then, just when Mother had finished laying the supper, Milly-Molly-Mandy came in with a very pink face and her hands behind her back.
Mother went to the oven to bring out a plate of hot potato-cakes. And when she turned round again, there, at her end of the table, was the most beautiful patchwork cosy keeping the cocoa-jug hot!
“Milly-Molly-Mandy!” said Mother.
She hurried to her place, while Milly-Molly-Mandy jumped up and down, and Father and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty all looked on admiringly.
“Oh, Milly-Molly-Mandy!” said Mother, “what – a – beautiful – cosy!”
And Mother was so pleased, and Milly-Molly-Mandy was so glad she was pleased, that they just had to hug and kiss each other very hard indeed.
And the potato-cakes got almost cold, but the cocoa was just as hot as hot!
Milly-Molly-Mandy Keeps Shop
Once upon a time Milly-Molly-Mandy was walking home from school with some little friends – Billy Blunt, Miss Muggins’s niece Jilly, and, of course, little-friend-Susan. And they were all talking about what they would like to do when they were big.
Billy Blunt said he would have a motor-bus and drive people to the station and pull their boxes about. Miss Muggins’s Jilly said she would curl her hair and be a lady who acts for the pictures. Little-friend-Susan wanted to be a nurse with long white streamers, and push a pram with two babies in it.
Milly-Molly-Mandy wanted a shop like Miss Muggins’s, where she could sell sweets, and cut pretty coloured stuff for people’s dresses with a big pair of scissors. And, “Oh, dear!” said Milly-Molly-Mandy, “I wish we didn’t have to wait till we had growed up!”
Then they came to Miss Muggins’s shop, and Jilly said “Good-bye,” and went in.
And then they came to Mr Blunt’s corn-shop which was only a few steps farther on, and Billy Blunt said “Good-bye,” and went in.
And then Milly-Molly-Mandy and little-friend-Susan, with their arms round each other, walked up the white road with the fields each side till they came to the Moggses’ cottage, and little-friend-Susan said, “Good-bye” and went in.
And Milly-Molly-Mandy went hoppity-skipping on alone till she came to the nice white cottage with the thatched roof, where Mother was at the gate to meet her.
Next day was Saturday, and Milly-Molly-Mandy went down to the village on an errand for Mother. And when she had done it she saw Miss Muggins standing at her shop door, looking rather worried.
And when Miss Muggins saw Milly-Molly-Mandy she said, “Oh, Milly-Molly-Mandy, would you mind running to ask Mrs Jakes if she could come and mind my shop for an hour? Tell her I’ve got to go to see someone on very important business, and I don’t know what to do, and Jilly’s gone picnicking.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran to ask Mrs Jakes. But Mrs Jakes said, “Tell Miss Muggins I’m very sorry, but I’ve just got the cakes in the oven, and I can’t leave them.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran back and told Miss Muggins, and Miss Muggins said, “I wonder if Mrs Blunt would come.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran to ask Mrs Blunt. But Mrs Blunt said, “I’m sorry, but I’m simply up to my eyes in house-cleaning, and I can’t leave just now.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy ran back and told Miss Muggins, and Miss Muggins said she didn’t know of anyone else she could ask.
Then Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Oh, Miss Muggins, couldn’t I look after the shop for you? I’ll tell people you’ll be back in an hour, and if they only want a sugar-stick or something I could give it them – I know how much it is!”
Miss Muggins looked at Milly-Molly-Mandy, and then she said: “Well, you aren’t very big, but I know you’re careful, Milly-Molly-Mandy.”
So she gave her lots of instructions about asking people if they would come back in an hour, and not selling things unless she was quite sure of the price, and so on. And then Miss Muggins put on her hat and feather boa and hurried off.
And Milly-Molly-Mandy was left alone in charge of the shop!
Milly-Molly-Mandy felt very solemn and careful indeed. She dusted the counter with a duster which she saw hanging on a nail; and then she peeped into the window at all the handkerchiefs and socks and bottles of sweets – and she could see Mrs Hubble arranging the loaves and cakes in her shop window opposite, and Mr Smale (who had the grocer’s shop with a little counter at the back where you posted parcels and bought stamps and letter-paper) standing at his door enjoying the sunshine. And Milly-Molly-Mandy felt so pleased that she had a shop as well as they.
And then, suddenly, the door-handle rattled, and the little bell over the door jangle-jangled up and down, and who should come in but little-friend-Susan! And how little-friend-Susan did stare when she saw Milly-Molly-Mandy behind the counter!
“Miss Muggins has gone out on ’portant business, but she’ll be back in an hour. What do you want?” said Milly-Molly-Mandy.
“A packet of safety-pins for Mother. What are you doing here?” said little-friend-Susan.
“I’m looking after the shop,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “And I know where the safety-pins are, because I had to buy some yesterday.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy wrapped up the safety-pins in a piece of thin brown paper, and twisted the end just as Miss Muggins did. And she handed the packet to little-friend-Susan, and little-friend-Susan handed her a penny.
And then little-friend-Susan wanted to stay and play “shops” with Milly-Molly-Mandy.
But Milly-Molly-Mandy shook her head solemnly and said, “No, this isn’t play: it’s business. I’ve got to be very, very careful. You’d better go, Susan.”
And just then the bell jangled again, and a lady came in, so little-friend-Susan went out. (She peered through the window for a time to see how Milly-Molly-Mandy got on, but Milly-Molly-Mandy wouldn’t look at her.)
The lady was Miss Bloss, who lived opposite, over the baker’s shop, with Mrs Bloss. She wanted a quarter of a yard of pink flannelette, because she was making a wrapper for her mother, and she hadn’t bought quite enough for the collar. She said she didn’t like to waste a whole hour till Miss Muggins returned.
Milly-Molly-Mandy stood on one leg and wondered what to do, and Miss Bloss tapped with one finger and wondered what to do.
And then Miss Bloss said, “That’s the roll my flannelette came off. I’m quite sure Miss Muggins wouldn’t mind my taking some.”
So between them they measured off the pink flannelette, and Milly-Molly-Mandy fetched Miss Muggins’s big scissors, and Miss Bloss made a crease exactly where the quarter-yard came; and Milly-Molly-Mandy breathed very hard and cut slowly and carefully right along the crease to the end.
And then she wrapped the piece up and gave it to Miss Bloss, and Miss Bloss handed her half a crown, saying, “Ask Miss Muggins to send me the change when she gets back.”
And then Miss Bloss went out.
And then for a time nobody came in, and Milly-Molly-Mandy amused herself by trying to find the rolls of stuff that different people’s dresses had come off. There was her own pink-and-white-striped cotton (looking so lovely and new) and Mother’s blue checked apron stuff and Mrs Jakes’s Sunday gown . . .
Then rattle went the handle and jangle went the bell, and who should come in but Billy Blunt!
“I’m Miss Muggins,” said Milly-Molly-Mandy. “What do you want to buy?”
“Where’s Miss Muggins?” said Billy Blunt.
So Milly-Molly-Mandy had to explain again. And then Billy Blunt said he had wanted a penny-worth of aniseed balls. Milly-Molly-Mandy stood on a box and reached down the glass jar from the shelf.
They were twelve a pen she knew, for she had often bought them. So she counted them out, and then Billy Blunt counted them.
“I’m Miss Muggins. What do you want to buy?”
And Billy Blunt said, “You’ve got one too many here.”
So Milly-Molly-Mandy counted again, and she found one too many too. So they dropped one back in the jar, and Milly-Molly-Mandy put the others into a little bag and swung it over by the corners, just as Miss Muggins did, and gave it to Billy Blunt. And Billy Blunt gave her his penny.
And then Billy Blunt grinned, and said, “Good morning, ma’am.”
And Milly-Molly-Mandy said, “Good morning, sir,” and Billy Blunt went out.
After that an hour began to seem rather a long time, with the sun shining so outside. But at last the little bell gave a lively jangle again, and Miss Muggins had returned!
And though Milly-Molly-Mandy had enjoyed herself very much, she thought perhaps, after all, she would rather wait until she was grown up before she kept a shop for herself.
Milly-Molly-Mandy books
Adventures
Family
Friends
School Days
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
The stories in this collection first appeared in
Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories (1928)
Further Doings of Milly-Molly-Mandy (1932)
Milly-Molly-Mandy and Billy Blunt (1967)
Published by George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd
First published 2012 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This edition published 2012 by Macmillan Children’s Books
a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-4472-1614-8 EPUB
Text and illustrations copyright © Joyce Lankester Brisley 1928, 1932, 1967
The right of Joyce Lankester Brisley to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
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Joyce Lankester Brisley, Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Winter
