THE SEASIDE EXCURSION.
Gladys was tired of staying in the house. She had carried John James
and Adeliza May downstairs, and was sitting with them in the garden.
Carlo was worrying an old straw hat which he had discovered in a
corner of the shrubbery, and Spottikins sat upon Gladys' shoulder and
purred.
Presently Gladys yawned, and drew _The Golliwog News_ out of her
pocket. Things were rather dull, for she had had a bad cold, and her
Golly had not spoken to her for a week.
Besides this, another annoying thing had happened. Tommy Stapleton's
Teddy Bear had escaped from the toy cupboard and had not been seen
since. No one knew where he was, and Gladys was thinking about him
as she unfolded the neat little newspaper and began to read.
EXCURSION TO TOY-TOWN-ON-SEA.
GOLLIWOG AND TEDDY BEAR RAILWAY.
"It sounds jolly," said Gladys; then turning to John James she added:
"Are you going by the excursion?"
"Of course I am," said John James, polishing up his scarlet nose and
rubbing his hairy legs. "I'm going in ten minutes."
"What?" cried Gladys, looking at the newspaper. "Why, of course,
it's to-day!"
"Good gracious me! Where's Adeliza May?" she continued, as she
noticed for the first time that Adeliza had disappeared.
"Gone in to tidy her hair and put on her best hat, I expect. It's
the last excursion this season," said the Golliwog, hurrying down the
path to the gate.
Gladys followed him, and she was surprised to see a crowd of Teddy
Bears, Dolls, Golliwogs, Pollywogs, and even Cats and Dogs which she
knew quite well by sight, hurrying down the road towards the railway
station.
"How happy they look!" cried Gladys; "and how they are talking! Oh,
see that little Bear in the brown knickers carrying a spade and
bucket. Oh, John James, I do want to go too. Can't I come?"
"Why, yes, I should think so," said the Golliwog loftily, "but I
can't wait for you, you must come on by yourself. I have to be at
the station early."
"All right," said Gladys. She snatched up her white sun-bonnet and
ran off to call for Freda. Of course Freda must go with her. As she
opened the garden gate she saw Carlo join the hurrying scampering
crew, and Spottikins raced after him at a great rate and linked her
paw with that of a tabby acquaintance.
Adeliza May came sailing down the steps with an air of great
importance, but Gladys could not stop to speak to her. At the gate
she stumbled against Jolly Jack, who asked rather sheepishly if
Adeliza was ready.
Gladys hurried on. Freda was watering her garden, but when she heard
the news she rushed off down the road with Gladys, still carrying the
water-can in her hand.
"Can't we let Tommy Stapleton come with us?" asked Freda
breathlessly. "Why, there he is trying to catch that yellow
butterfly. Quick, Gladys. Tell him!"
"I'll come," said Tommy with alacrity. "Lessons! Oh, bother! I
shan't go to school to-day. I wish I were that yellow butterfly over
there, and that the school-master, old Stubbins, could see me flying
past his window. Hurrah! Yes, I'll come with you. Watch me race
that insane old Rabbit!"
Off went Tommy after the Rabbit, who, by the way, was a very
respectable fellow indeed. He wore a black and white check suit, and
brown leggings. Anyone with half an eye could see that he was one of
those worthy people who had gone back to the land. His name was
Peter Bunney.
Tommy overtook him, and gave him a polite dig in the ribs. The
Rabbit looked immensely pleased, and got out an ear-trumpet.
"Should you mind saying it again, sir?" said he.
"I didn't say anything," remarked Tommy to himself; then he shouted
into the trumpet:
"It's a very fine morning, Mr. Bunney, and I hope we shall be in time
for the train."
"Oh, no, I don't think so at all," said the Rabbit cheerfully,
stopping in the middle of the road, and looking up at the sky.
"There'll be no rain to-day, sir."
"That isn't what I said," cried Tommy, seizing his arm and dragging
him along, "I said I hoped we should catch the train."
"Then you should try mustard and water," began Peter, "and if the
pain continues----"
But Tommy had had enough of it. While he and the Rabbit had been
talking together Gladys and Freda had got some distance ahead, but
now Tommy quickly overtook them, and a few minutes later they reached
the station and got into the train. John James was walking up and
down the corridor making a list of all the important people.
Gladys, Freda, and Tommy, naturally, occupied the same compartment,
and they all three smiled when a large Persian Cat wearing an
eyeglass got in with them, leaving just room for John James in the
tiny carriage.
"No one else shall get in," said Gladys, "Stand in front of the door,
Tommy, and make faces out of the window."
Of course, Tommy did so. He put on the expression of a lunatic
enduring great physical agony, and it was quite funny to see the
Teddies and Gollies and the rest wandering up and down the platform,
trying to find seats, but afraid to get in where Tommy was.
At last everyone found a seat, the smart looking porters slammed the
doors, and the guard came out with his whistle and his green flag.
"Cheerup--cheerup--cheerew!" went the whistle.
"Puff! Puff!" went the engine, and then at the very last minute a
black and white check sleeve was thrust in at the window, the door
handle turned, and into Gladys' carriage, head over heels, tumbled
Mr. Peter Bunney!
"I nearly lost the train," he remarked pleasantly, sitting down
beside Freda and getting out his ear trumpet.
"Now there won't be room for my Golly," cried Gladys. "What a shame!
He would have told us all about everything. He's such a splendid
news-getter."
The Rabbit turned towards her with a beaming face.
"You are quite right," he said sweetly. "My hearing is much better,
that's why I'm going to Toy-Town. I want to hear the band, and all
that's going on. Why, yes! There's my old friend, Plush Mole.
Hullo, there! Mole--Mole! How do, Mole? Let me out--yes, thank
you--good day--very pleased to have met you--see you at Toy-Town.
Hi! there, Mole!" and off darted Mr. Peter Bunney up the corridor
after his friend, Mr. Plush Mole.
At last John James got in and sat down by the Persian Cat with the
eye-glass. Then for a time, at any rate, Mr. Peter Bunney was
forgotten, although they could occasionally hear him shouting and Mr.
Mole's carefully repeated sentences in reply.
"Be quick!" said Gladys; "tell us all the news. Where's Adeliza May?
And who on earth is Mr. Plush Mole?"
John James smiled and winked at the Persian Cat.
"Miss May," he said, "is travelling with Jolly Jack. They have a
carriage to themselves, though how they managed it is more than
tongue can tell."
The Persian took out his eye-glass, cleaned it with the window
curtain and stuck it in his eye again. His name was Mr. Purr Catt,
and John James said he was Member of Parliament for Kitten Town.
"Do you know Mr. Plush Mole, sir," asked the Golliwog politely.
"Ah, well--slightly," drawled the Persian. "He's a very stay-at-home
fellow--can't think what induced him to come to-day. An authority on
beetles, I believe, but proud, so I am told. Short-sighted
too--very."
The Persian gave a great deal of interesting information, and the
Golliwog was still scribbling in his note book when the train drew up
at Toy-Town.
"Hooray! Hooray!" screamed all the little Teddies, scrambling out on
to the platform. "Hip-hip-hooray!" cried the baby Gollies. The Cats
mewed, and Dogs barked, and altogether it was a very merry party
indeed that found its way to the shore. After looking round the
place for an hour or so, they all lunched at the Grand Hotel, and
then went to find amusement.
John James was here, there, and everywhere, and Tommy Stapleton
followed him, but Gladys and Freda walked about together. And when
they got tired of that they filled Freda's water-can at one of the
pools, and amused themselves by sprinkling little Teddies and Gollies
with it, which so delighted a Papa Golly that he wanted to buy the
can for two cough lozenges and a peppermint drop.
"It will be so useful," he explained, "when my children are
troublesome."
But Freda would not sell the can because the peppermint looked dirty,
just as if it had been carried in his pocket for weeks and sucked
occasionally.
When they had managed to get rid of the Papa Golliwog, they caught
sight of Spottikins walking with Mr. Purr Catt, who wore the
eyeglass, and they saw Carlo join himself to a band of mischievous
Dogs who prowled up and down the sands and told everybody they were
going to give a concert presently.
The two little girls were enjoying their day at the seaside
immensely; in the distance they could see a Punch-and-Judy show, so
they hurried to have a look at it.
There was Punch with the hump on his back, and Mrs. Judy with her
squeaky voice, and standing among the listening crowd was Mr. Plush
Mole, looking very puzzled and solemn as if he were not sure what it
was all about, and beside him stood Mr. Peter Bunney holding up his
ear-trumpet.
"That's a very funny Toby," whispered Gladys. "I never saw a dog
Toby like that before. Why, Freda, it's _Teddy_! Tommy Stapleton's
Teddy! However did he get there?"
"So it is," said Freda. "We ought to tell John James."
"There he is coming," said Gladys, and off she ran, bursting with
eagerness to tell how she had discovered the Teddy who was "wanted"
by all the policemen in Golliwogland.
John James was as much excited as Gladys. Freda lent him her
water-can, and Tommy found a constable, and the three of them pushed
their way through the crowd.
Just as the wicked, much be-frilled Toby was biting Mr. Punch's
scarlet nose, he felt a sudden stream of water splashing down his
face, and a heavy hand on his shoulder, while a stern voice said:
"Edward Bear, I arrest you."
In vain he struggled and tried to jump down "behind the scenes."
Tommy and John James assured him that anything he said would be taken
down in writing and used against him as evidence, and after a good
deal of scrimmaging five Golliwog policemen marched the wicked Teddy
away.
"He's a very bad lot," said Tommy rejoining Gladys and Freda, "He
actually said he was a relation of mine; nephew, I think it was. I'm
glad they've caught him. Whew! I am hot! Isn't it nearly tea-time?"
"The time? I'll see. No trouble at all," said Mr. Bunney who came
hurrying up at the moment. He picked a dandelion and began to blow
at it, counting the while.
"One---two--three--four--five--six--"
"Oh, I say," said Tommy, "it can't be six o'clock yet." But the
Rabbit went on.
"Seven---eight--nine--ten--eleven--"
"Here, come on," cried Tommy, "that old buffer's quite mad; he's
blowing the air, not the dandelion."
He hurried the little girls to the Grand Hotel, ordered tea for
three, with ice-cream and pancakes, and the trio made an excellent
meal. When they had finished and were strolling along the Promenade
towards the station, they met the Rabbit again.
"It's a hundred and twenty-one o'clock." he cried. "I thought it was
getting late. Time for Plush-Mole to be in-doors. He gets asthma if
he stays out. I must find him," and off scampered Peter with the
dandelion in his hand, and his trumpet sticking out of his pocket.
"Who in the world is this coming now?" said Tommy. "This is a queer
place."
"Why, it's our Carlo, isn't it?" said Gladys. "What has he got round
his neck?"
Carlo trotted up, and they saw that round his neck he had a piece of
cardboard tied with a bit of scarlet ribbon. These words were
printed on it:
GRAND CONCERT ON THE SANDS AT
SEVEN-THIRTY.
MR. BARKER PUPP WILL SING.
"Shall we go?" said Tommy. "Our train starts back at a quarter past
nine. Let's go and see what they mean to do."
On the sands the Dogs had erected a kind of platform. In one corner
sat the orchestra--a number of Fox Terriers who played on combs--and
really they made quite a good deal of noise.
Carlo was at the piano, and every now and then he shouted
instructions to the orchestra. It was very funny to see him playing
with all four of his feet; but then, as he said, he was able in this
way to use the whole of the piano at once.
It would take far too long to tell you all that these funny Doggies
did to amuse the tremendous and ever increasing crowd of Toys, who
came from all parts of the town to hear them. But the song which was
most appreciated was the one sung by Mr. Barker Pupp, who had dressed
himself like a schoolboy, in a Norfolk suit with a satchel over his
shoulder. This was the first verse:
_Oh, wouldn't it be splendid
If my school days all were ended
And I could change with yonder butterfly.
I'd live on sweets and honey,
And wouldn't it be funny
If old Stubbins saw me gaily flutter by?_
Tommy grew very red.
"I don't care very much for that," he whispered. "It's silly."
"Be quiet," said Gladys; "there's going to be another verse."
The orchestra flourished their combs, played a few bars with their
heads on one side, and then Mr. Barker Pupp, looking straight at
Tommy, sang the next verse:
_But the Butterfly so yellow,
Said, "O my, you silly fellow,"
And he laughed so loud he very nearly burst._
Here the audience tittered, and pointed at Tommy. The small Gollies
and Teddies climbed on their papa's shoulders to see him, while Mr.
Pupp sang loudly:
_Goodness gracious, don't you know it?
Why, your lesson books must show it--
You would have to be a CATERPILLAR first!_
"Ladies and gentlemen, you will please sing the last line as a
chorus," shouted Carlo, thumping on the piano. And then they all
began to sing as loudly and as fast as they could. A perfect babel
of voices arose, in what seemed a senseless mixture of words, and it
sounded in the ears "of the children something like this:
_You would have to be a Caterpillar first.
A Caterpillar
Paterkiller
Lattertiller
Ratterlillar
You would have to be a Pillercater first.
You would have----_
"I'm going to get out of this," said Tommy, scrambling through the
crowd. "It's a shame! I never said that."
"Said what?" asked Gladys, pushing after him with Freda following
close behind. "Who said you said anything?"
But Tommy made his way to the edge of the crowd and began running
along the promenade for his life.
_Paterkiller
Latterkiller
Ratterlillar_
sang the Toys in chorus.
"Good gracious, they're coming after us!" cried Freda. "Run, Gladys!
I'm afraid of them."
Oh, how the children ran! And behind them came the breathless
panting crowd. Gollies, Pollies, Teddies, Dogs, Cats, Rabbits and
Dolls, all mixed up together, and everyone shouting the chorus of Mr.
Barker Pupp's song at the top of his voice.
Up the hill to the station sped Tommy; he burst in at the gate,
passed the ticket collector like a shot, and got into the train. He
drew the blinds down and sat in the farthest corner. Horrors! The
door handle turned, but to his great relief it was only Freda, Gladys
and John James.
"Just in time!" said the latter, mopping his forehead. "I'm sure
we're much obliged to you for reminding us that it was time to catch
the train. We might all have been left behind."