Dick thought that "Pies and tarts and plenty of them" was a suitable
thing to ask for.
Lionel could imagine nothing more to be desired than "Ham and tongue
sandwiches."
Lady Betty wanted "Fruit and nuts," and Fidge, after various painful
attempts, wrote "Something nice to drink."
Shin Shira read them out one by one.
"Yes," he said, "they're all very well, but how are you going to eat
them when you have got them? Now you see what I wish for," and he
carefully wrote on his slip of paper, "Tablecloth, serviettes, plates,
dishes, knives, forks, spoons, salt, pepper, mustard, oil, vinegar,
glasses and a corkscrew." "There!" he exclaimed, "I think that will put
us right. Now watch carefully. You see there is no deception!" and he
laughingly rolled up his sleeves like a professional conjurer.
He placed the paper upon which he had written his list into his turban,
shaking it violently.
To our surprise, in a few seconds it sounded as though there was
something in it, and an instant later he drew forth from it a neatly
folded snow-white tablecloth, the serviettes, spoons, forks, and in fact
all the articles which he had named.
He set the children to work laying the cloth, while he placed the other
lists in his turban, and in turn, beginning with a deliciously
fresh-looking lobster salad, and a large game pie, he brought forth
every one of the good things which had been wished for.
Fidge's "something nice to drink" turned out to be bottles of lemonade,
milk, soda water, and a bottle of wine for the grown-ups.
A more delicious feast it would be impossible to imagine.
We were just sitting down to enjoy it, and I had stuck the knife and
fork into the game pie, when Marjorie sprang up with a little scream,
brushing something from her face.
"Ough! a horrid caterpillar!" she cried.
"And here's another!" declared Fidge, knocking one from his coat.
"And an earwig!" exclaimed Dick, picking one up from the cloth.
"Oh! and spiders!" screamed Lady Betty, jumping up and shaking her
frock.
"Dear! dear! this will never do!" I said, for the place was swarming
with insects, owing to the very dry summer which we had had.
"There ought to be a marquee like we had at the choir treat," said
Fidge.
"Oh, I vote we get on with the grub," said Dick greedily. "The insects
won't kill us."
"No, but a marquee would certainly be more comfortable," said Shin
Shira. "Come into the meadow just over there, and I'll see if I can
provide one."
Leaving Lionel to guard our feast, the rest of us all trailed after him,
over the fence into the meadow, which was carpeted with soft long grass.
"The only thing is, I can't exactly remember what a marquee is like," he
said. "Think, my dear boy, what the one was like which you had in your
mind."
"Why, it had four poles, one at each corner," said Fidge, "and some iron
things connecting them at the top, and it was covered all over and round
the sides with some stripey stuff. Then there were ropes and things, and
pegs driven into the ground to tie the poles to, and a trestle table and
two long forms each side. That's all. Oh, yes, and Piggott & Son,
Tentmakers, was written in big letters on the stripey stuff."
"Ah!" said Shin Shira, "I think I shall be able to imagine it
sufficiently well now. I'll try," and after consulting his little yellow
book again for instructions, he called for a stick, which the boys soon
cut from the hedge, and marked out a large square space in the meadow;
and then, using some magic words, he waved the stick three times, and
there stood the very marquee which Fidge had described, even to the
words Piggott & Son, Tentmakers, on the canvas covering.
"Now go and bring the luncheon, children, and we'll try again," said
Shin Shira, in a rare good humour with himself (the little fellow was
evidently delighted to find that his fairy powers were acting so well
to-day); and soon we were seated around the table, which, I must
confess, I found a more comfortable way of enjoying my luncheon.
To say that we did full justice to the good things provided, is but
mildly describing the way the food disappeared.
The two elder boys in particular seemed as though they would never leave
off, but at last we settled down comfortably to the fruit and nuts, and
were just discussing what we should do with the marquee and its
contents, when we suddenly all started to our feet in alarm.
A loud bellowing, combined with a dull sound of galloping hoofs, told us
that something was coming our way.