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MR. PINK- WHISTLE'S
BIG BOOK

by

LONDON
EVANS BROTHERS LIMITED

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CONTENTS
A Letter from Mr. Pink-Whistle 8
When Mr. Pink-Whistle Met the Twins 10
Pink-Whistle's House 19
Mr. Pink-Whistle and Santa Claus 20
Hidden Birds 27
Pink-Whistle has a Visitor 28
Mr. Pink-Whistle Has Some Fun 32
Which Musical Instruments are Hidden Here? 38
Who's This Knocking? 39
A Picture Crossword 40
Mr. Pink-Whistle Has a Very Busy Day 41
Nursery Rhyme Quiz 49
A Nature Quiz 50
Mr. Pink-Whistle and the Easter Egg 52
He's Gone! 59
A Message from Sooty 60
Pink-Whistle's Puzzle Page 62

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Mr. Pink-Whistle is Rather Funny! 63
The Sliding Clown 71
A Picture Crossword 72
A Little Guessing Game 73
What a Surprise 77
A Picture Puzzle 82
Please Help Me, Mr. Pink-Whistle! 83
Animals and Birds Quiz 91
One Christmas Eve 92
Sooty's Puzzle Page 97
Mr. Pink-Whistle Knows How to Bark! 98
A Match-box Cover Bridge 104
A Picture Crossword 106
Pink-Whistle Gives a Helping Hand 107
Isn't That Pink-Whistle ? 115
Make Your Own Jigsaw Puzzle 116
Santa Claus Goes to Mr. Pink-Whistle 118
Answer Page 125

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 "Have I hurt you?" he said. "Oh dear—don't cry so! I'm very, very
sorry to have bumped you like that. It was all my fault, I was in such a
hurry."
"She's not crying because you knocked her over," said the boy,
dusting his sister's coat down with his hand. "She's upset about something
else."
"Is she? Why, what's the matter?" asked Pink-Whistle. "You don't
either of you look very happy!"
"Well—we don't feel very happy!" said the boy. "You see, today we
were to have our Christmas party, and everything was ready —and then
suddenly our Granny was taken ill and Mummy had to rush to her house to
look after her. So we can't have our party."
"And we're running to tell our friends not to come," said the girl,
rubbing her eyes. "I'm a baby to cry—but I'm so disappointed. We were
going to have a conjurer, and we've had to tell him not to come, too."
"What a dreadful thing to happen!" said kind old Pink-Whistle. "I
hope your Granny will soon be well. I know how disappointed / would feel
—I'm just going to a party!"
"Are you?" said the boy. "And the cat, too?"
"Oh yes. He's been asked as well," said Pink-Whistle. "The funny
thing is—it's a conjurer who's giving the party I'm going to! At least—he's
a magician, you know—an enchanter!"
The twins stared at him in wonder. What did this funny little

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 man mean? Then the boy saw his pointed ears and caught hold of his
sister's arm in excitement.
"Belinda!" he said. "Look—he must be Mr. Pink-Whistle. You know—
we've read about him! He's the little man who goes about the world putting
wrong things right!"
Belinda stopped crying at once, and stared in delight. Mr. Pink-Whistle
nodded.
"Yes. Pink-Whistle's my name," he said. "What are your names?
You're twins, of course?"
"Yes. Fm Benny and she's Belinda/' said the boy, red with excitement.
"Have you put any wrong things right lately, Mr. Pink-Whistle?"
"Not since last week," said Pink-Whistle, "but I'm going to put
something right this very afternoon!"
"How? Tell us what it is!" said Belinda, quite forgetting to cry.
"I'm going to take you to the party Pm going to!" said Pink-Whistle.
"And all the other children, too! Things went very wrong for you all this
afternoon, didn't they? Well, I can put them right, Mr. Bong, my friend, will
be delighted to see you all!"
"But—but will he have enough to eat if we bring about twelve children
with us?" said Benny, wondering if he was in a dream.
"My dear boy—haven't I told you he is a magician?" said Pink-
Whistle. "One of the very finest I know, too! Now listen, take Sooty with you
and go round to all your friends and ask them to

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 come to Mr. Bong's party. Sooty will take you all to Mr. Bong's
house—and I’ll go straight there to warn him I'm bringing a lot more
guests! We'll all have a wonderful time!"
The twins could hardly believe their ears. To think that such a thing
should happen to them! They set off at once with Sooty, and, goodness me,
how amazed all their friends were to hear their news! Most of the children
were already dressed, ready to go to the twins* party, and it wasn't long
before Benny and Belinda had collected them all, and, with Sooty guiding
them, were on their way to Mr. Bong's.
They came to a little lane they knew, that led down to the woods —
but before they reached the woods, Sooty turned down a trim little path
which the children had never seen before.
"You can only see it today because Mr. Bong has arranged for it to
be here," explained Sooty, "It's a short cut to his house."
And suddenly, in front of them, was Mr. Bong's house! It was really
more like a small castle, with towers and turrets—and about a hundred
steps led up to a front door that was just below the roof. How queer!
"Isn't it exciting!" whispered Belinda to Benny. "Fancy us not
knowing this queer little castle was anywhere near our town!"
Soon they were up the steps and in at the front door. Mr. Pink-
Whistle was there to take them in. They looked round for Mr. Bong, but he
wasn't there.
"He's coining in a short while," said Pink-Whistle. "Do take off your
things. That's right. Now, what are your names? Mr. Bong is so pleased
you are coming. He has just gone to fetch his own friends."
The children took off their things and Sooty scuttled away with all
the coats and cloaks. Then suddenly there came the sound of a drum being
beaten—"Bom-bom-BOM!" Then a voice cried "Here comes Bong, the
mighty Enchanter Bong! Make way for Bong!"
The children stared at a great door which had suddenly appeared in
the wall. It glittered and shone, and then very slowly it opened.
Through it came a wonderful figure, in a great cloak that glowed

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 like fire. He had a long beard and eyes that shone like
lamps. He smiled at all the children.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to my party! Please be
friends with my own guests!" He waved his great, shining wand
and from behind him came the guests he had been to fetch.
What a mixture they were! "That's Mr.
Whiskers, a brownie—he's a hundred years old
today," whispered Pink-Whistle to the children, as
a little man scampered out. "And that's Silky, a
fairy from the Faraway Tree. Isn't she lovely? And
that's Moonface—he's from the Faraway Tree,
too."
"But we know them all!" cried Benny, in
delight. "We've read about them in our books! Oh
—and there's the old Saucepan Man! Saucepan,
Saucepan, can you hear me, or are you deaf
today?"
The Saucepan Man beamed round in delight.
"I didn't know there were to be children here!" he
said, and danced a ridiculous dance, so that all his
pans and kettles clanged together and made a queer
little tune.
Then a rabbit came in—but what a rabbit! He was dressed very
smartly, and grinned round wickedly at everyone.
"Brer Rabbit! Oh,you've come, too!" shouted the children, and ran to
him at once.
"Be careful he doesn't play a trick on you," said Pink-Whistle. "Look
—here are a bunch of pixies. They will love to play with you. What about
beginning with 'Nuts in May'? Then if others come in late, they can easily
join in."
So they began to play "Here we Come Gathering Nuts in May" and
when Mr. Pink-Whistle and Mr. Bong were chosen to pull one

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 another, you should have heard the screams of laughter. In the end
Mr. Bong won because he poked his wand at Pink-Whistle, and made him
only half his size—and then pulled him over easily!
More brownies came in, and then three golliwogs hurried through the
door, all as alike as peas—and, dear me, who was this? "Big-Ears! It's Big-
Ears!" shouted the children and ran to the plump little brownie, who stood
beaming round at them. "Where's
Noddy? Did you bring him, Big-Ears?"
"No. I'm afraid not. He's taking all the Noah's Ark Animals to a
party," said Big-Ears. "I say, Mr. Bong—is it teatime yet? I'm hungry!"
"Yes, yes—we were just waiting for you!" said Mr. Bong. "Sit down
at the table, do!"
There was a long table at one end of the room—but there was no
food on it at all, only plates and glasses. Everyone sat down. "Do begin!"
said Mr. Bong. "Help yourselves!" "But there's nothing to eat!" said
Benny, in surprise. Pink-Whistle nudged his arm. "Do what the others are
doing," he said. "Watch Big-Ears and Silky."
Benny watched. Big-Ears was calling out all kinds of things, holding out his empty
hands. "Egg sandwiches!" he cried. "Chocolate
Eclairs! Pink and yellow jelly! Ice-cream—a
large one! A glass of iced lemonade!"
And into his hands popped
everything he asked for—just like
that! Benny stared and stared.
"Goodgracious—there's his glass of
lemonade!" he said. "It looked as if
Big-Ears took it right out of the air!
Well— I'll do the same!"
And soon all the children were
calling out what ____ they
wanted. " Jam tarts!

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 Doughnuts! Tomato sandwiches! A nice ripe peach! Jelly! Trifle!
Fruit salad!"
The table was soon loaded with all kinds of good things to eat. Pink-
Whistle wasn't very pleased with Sooty, who had called out for fish, and
had got two rather smelly kippers in front of him.
"Sooty—I've told you before not to ask for fish at these parties," said
Pink-Whistle, in a whisper. "Take it under the table, for goodness' sake. It
smells."
Tea took rather a long time because everyone had such a lot to eat.
Afterwards the children begged Mr. Bong to do some magic.
"Shall I spirit you to the moon and back?" he asked, with a twinkle in
his eye. "Shall I give you tails like Sooty's? Or would you like wings to fly
with?"
"Wings! Wings!" shouted the children, in excitement. They each

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 had to go up to Mr. Bong and be touched
on the back by his long wand—and wings
sprouted there, some like the wings of a
butterfly, and some like a bird's. The air was
full of flying children, shouting and laughing in
joy.
"You may keep your wings to fly home
on," said Mr. Bong. "But as soon as you fly
down to your own door-step, they will
disappear—so make the most of them!"
The magic that the enchanter could do
was amazing. He filled the air with the singing
of birds—but not a bird was to be seen! He
called a rainbow down from the skies—and it
slid in at the window, a shimmering, curving
bow, so bright that the children could hardly
look-at it.
Mr. Bong took a pair of scissors and
snipped pieces from the rainbow, and gave
them to the girls. "For you—and you—and
you," he said, "to make a new party dress!"
He waved his wand and a small tree grew
in the room—a tree that budded as they
watched. The buds broke into flowers, which
changed to a peculiar fruit, rather like big
brown pears, each with a stalk.
"Pick one each, boys," said Mr. Bong.
"You will see what kind of a tree this is
then!" So the boys went to pick the strange fruits—and behold, they were
spinning tops and the stalks were the tops' sturdy legs!
"Throw them on the floor," said Mr. Bong, and down on the floor
went the tops—and there they spun themselves so fast that they could
hardly be seen!
"I wish I could grow a top-tree in our garden," said Benny. "These
are the best spinning tops I’ve ever seen!"
Then Mr. Bong grew a Balloon Bush that budded and then flowered
into enormous coloured balloons—and he grew a Cracker

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 Tree whose fruits were real crackers. Pop, bang, pop, they went, When
the children pulled them. And what wonderful things fell out of them! There
was no end to them.
At last it was time to go. "You can all fly home on your wings," said
Pink-Whistle. "Just as Mr. Bong said! Take your presents with you—the
things out of the crackers, the tops, the balloons, and the snippets of rainbow.
And now—what about a cheer for kind Mr. Bong who helped me once more
to put a wrong thing right!"
"Hip-hip-hip-HURRAH!" shouted the children and everyone else,
"Hip-hip-hip-HURRAH!" And so loudly did they shout that the little castle
trembled and shook—and then it vanished into smoke that blew about like a
silver mist!
But the children didn't mind! They flew up into the air on their wings,
eager to get home and tell their mothers all about the wonderful party. How
marvellous to fly like a bird! Pink-Whistle watched them all go, with Sooty
beside him. He waved happily.
"I hope they remember that their wings will disappear when they arrive
home," he said. "What a time we've had, Sooty—I always enjoy Mr. Bong's
parties. Dear me—I do hope you will wash your whiskers as soon as you get
home. You still smell of those kippers!"
Good-bye, Pink-Whistle—and how I hope that if anything goes wrong
with me I shall do as the twins did—bump into you round the next corner!

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 ONE night, when Mr. Pink-Whistle was snoozing in front of his fire,
with a big cup of cocoa at his side, he thought he heard a strange little
sound. He sat up straight and listened.
Then he called Sooty his cat. "Sooty! Can you hear something—
rather like a tinkling noise far away?"
Sooty popped his black head round the door. "Yes, Master— I've
heard it for some time. It comes from the sky."
"Nonsense, Sooty!" said Pink-Whistle, taking a sip of his cocoa.
"Surely you don't think the stars are suddenly tinkling as well as
twinkling?"
Sooty laughed. "No, I don't," he said. "But it's true, Master— the
sound is coming down from the sky. It's almost as if there's a tiny plane up
there, going round and about looking for a landing-place, and tinkling all
the time."
"Planes don't tinkle," said Pink-Whistle. "It can't be a plane! Listen—
it sounds as if it's coming nearer! Let's go outside and look."
So out they went into the cold, frosty night, for it was December, and
only two days before Christmas. They stood looking up into the starry sky,
listening for the tinkling.
"There—I heard it again," said Sooty. "And look, Master—

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 what's that circling round up there? It's not a plane. Whatever can it
be?"
The two stared hard into the sky. They saw a small object very high
up, circling round and round. It came lower and lower—and suddenly
Sooty gave a loud mew of excitement.
"Master! It's a tiny sleigh, very tiny—with one small reindeer pulling
it!"
"Then it must be Santa Claus coming to pay me a visit!" said Pink-
Whistle, in excitement.
"No. It's not Santa Claus. It's someone small," said Sooty, who had
wonderful eyesight. "Santa Claus is big and round and jolly. Look—the
little sleigh is coming lower and lower."
"Get the lamp from my room and put it out here in the garden," said
Pink-Whistle, excited. "Quick, Sooty!"
Soon the lamp was shining brightly in the middle of the lawn. Sooty
and Pink-Whistle were glad to see that the reindeer seemed to be coming
straight down to it, pulling the tiny sleigh behind him.
"Here he is! Careful, reindeer, don't knock the lamp over!" shouted
Sooty. "That's right. Stand still now—you're safe."
The sleigh was indeed small—and in it sat a perky little fellow in a
red tunic, cloak and feathered hat. He leapt out of the sleigh and bowed to
Pink-Whistle.
"I hope I am speaking to the famous, and good-hearted Mr. Pink-
Whistle," he said. "I have had quite a time trying to find your house. I
come with a message from Santa Claus."
"Well, well, well!" said Pink-Whistle, most amazed. "How
extraordinary. Please come in and have some hot cocoa."
Sooty led the way, and the three of them went indoors, leaving the
reindeer trying to munch the frosty grass on the lawn. Sooty fetched an old
coat and threw it over him to keep him warm.
Pink-Whistle made the messenger sit down in front of the fire. He
was a merry-looking fellow, and Pink-Whistle liked him. "Now," he said,
"what's your message? If I can do anything for that good fellow, Santa
Claus, I will. Does he want a list of children's names—children who really
do deserve a lot of presents?"
"Well, no, he doesn't," said the little fellow, drinking his cocoa.

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 "I say, isn't this good ? We never have cocoa like this in Santa Glaus'
castle. That cat of yours does know how to make it!"
"Meow-ee-OW, I do know how!" said Sooty, proudly.
"Gracious—he can speak in rhyme too!" said the little fellow. "By the
way, my name is Joll—short for jolly, you know."
"It suits you," said Pink-Whistle, "but do tell me why you've come."
"Well, it's like this," said Joll. "Santa Glaus is in bed with a shocking cold
and cough. Good gracious, when he coughs, the whole castle shakes!"
"Goodness me—I hope he has a clever doctor," said Pink-Whistle, in
alarm.
"Yes, he has—so good that he won't let Santa Claus get up till next
week," said Joll.
"Ah—that's very sensible," said Pink-Whistle. "He'll soon get better if he's
kept in bed."
"Yes—but it's very, very awkward," said Joll. "Have you forgotten that
Christmas is in two days time—and that tomorrow night Santa has to drive his
sleigh and take a sack of toys to put in children's stockings? Well, how can he do
that if he's in bed?"
"Oh dear—no, he can't, of course," said Pink-Whistle. "My word—
whatever5s to be done?"
"Aha! That's where you come in!" said Joll. "Mr. Pink-Whistle, Santa
Claus wants to know if you'll take his place in his sleigh on Christmas night? It
has to be someone the children love, you see, someone they won't be scared of if
they happen to see

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 "No. No, I certainly didn't know that," said Pink-Whistle, most
astonished. "But still—no, I really don't think I could ride in a sleigh
through the sky. I might fall out."
"I would strap you in, and come with you," said Joll. "Please do this
for Santa Glaus. The only other person whom we could ask would be Big-
Ears, little Noddy's friend, but we really think that you would be better,
because you know the children better than Big-Ears does. He lives in
Toyland and knows toys better."
"All right. I'll do it," said Pink-Whistle, beginning to feel excited.
"Yes—I'll do it!"
"Right!" said Joll, pleased. "I'll get straight back and tell Santa Claus.
He'll be delighted. I'll come here on Christmas night, and drive the reindeer
for you. There will be four of them. And I'll help you with the toys, too,
and bring the list of children."
"My word—whoever would have thought I'd take Santa Claus' place
one Christmas night!" said Pink-Whistle, wondering if he was in a dream.
"It's a great honour, Joll, a very great honour. Please tell Santa Claus I hope
he'll soon be better and that I'll do my best."

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 "Can I come too?" asked Sooty, who had been listening in great
excitement. But nobody answered him. Pink-Whistle was showing Joll out
of the door, and thanking him for coming. He watched Joll jump into the
sleigh and shake the reins—and then up into the sky they went, the bells
jingling merrily.
"Isn't it exciting. Sooty?" said Pink-Whistle, coming indoors.
"You'll have to wear a very thick coat, Master," said Sooty. "It will
be very, very cold riding in a sleigh up in the wintry sky."
"I haven't a very thick coat," said Pink-Whistle. "But never mind. I'll
feel so excited that I shan't notice the cold. I'm sorry you can't come, Sooty.
There wouldn't be room for you in the sleigh. My word—what an
adventure I'm going to have!"
On Christmas Eve Sooty's sharp ears once more heard the sound of
bells far away in the sky. He ran to the window. "Quick! Joll's coming!" he
said. "Put on your coat, Master. See—down comes the big sleigh—with
four fine reindeer tossing their antlers!"
There came a knock at the door, and there stood Joll, beaming all
over his face. He carried a red cloak and hood over his arm.
"Ready ?"he said."I'’ve brought you Santa Claus'cloak to wear—it's
so bitterly cold up in the sky
tonight. And here's the list of
children."
"Oh—I don't want to wear a
cloak and hood," said Pink-Whistle.
"Children might think I'm Santa
Claus, and I'm not. I haven't even a
beard!"
"Master, you must wear the
warm cloak," said Sooty, "and take
a hot water bottle for your feet. I
don't want to have you in bed with a
cough and cold for weeks!"
" All right, all right," said
Pink-Whistle, in a grumbly voice.
"I'll wear the cloak—but I won't
wear the hood, I shall wear my own
hat—and I certainly shan't take a
hot water bottle for my feet."

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 "Come along, quickly, or we'll be late/' said Joll,
and he put the red cloak round Pink-Whistle's
shoulders. "Keep your hat on if you want to—
but hold on to it when the wind blows!"
Jingle-jingle-jingle—the sleigh rose into the air
pulled by the four excited reindeer. My word—
how the wind streaked past Pink-Whistle's nose,
and how glad he was that his hat was jammed on
his head so tightly. He was cold even in his thick
red cloak—and as for his feet, they were like
ice!
"I wish I had brought a hot water bottle for
them, after all," he said. And even as he said
that, he felt a slow, cosy warmth settling on his
feet. "Magic!" he thought. "I wished for a hot
water bottle, and it came! Well, well, I am
enjoying this!"
It was most exciting to land gently on rooftops,
beside tall chimneys, and even more exciting to
find how easy it was to slip down them, once
Joll had sprayed him with the Magic Grease!
Pink-Whistle slid down each chimney as easily
as a snake, and landed in bedroom after
bedroom, where sleeping children lay dreaming
of the presents they would find next morning.
"It's nice to fill stockings," thought Pink-Whistle. "I'll put an engine into
this stocking—and a doll into that—and where's that little car? Here it is.
And there's a book as well. Dear me, how excited these sleeping children
will be tomorrow morning."
I can't tell you how many stockings Pink-Whistle filled that
Christmas Eve, nor how many sleeping children he saw. All but one were
sound asleep—but one small boy woke up as Pink-Whistle landed on the
hearth-rug in his bedroom. How he stared when he saw someone he
thought was Santa Claus—wearing a top hat!

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 "You're not Santa Claus!" he said. "Where's your beard ? And why
haven't you a hood instead of a hat? I'll shout and call my mother!"
Well, Pink-Whistle disappeared up that chimney at lightning speed! Good
gracious! He didn't want to face an angry mother! When he sat panting on the
roof he remembered that he hadn't had time to fill the boy's stocking. So he
carefully dropped a few toys down the chimney, hoping they would land safely
on the hearth-rug. Then he scrambled into the sleigh beside Joll and away he
went.
"Well, I did enjoy that!" he said, when it was all over, and he was safely
riding home in the sleigh, his feet being warmed again by what felt like a nice
warm, furry hot water bottle. "Please thank Santa Claus for giving me the
chance of visiting the children on Christmas Eve, Joll. It was wonderful! Ah—
here we are on my lawn again. Like a nice hot drink?"
"No thanks," said Joll. "I must go and report to Santa Claus. He'll be
longing to know if everything went off all right."
"Well—I'll go and report to Sooty, my cat, too," said Pink-Whistle,
getting out of the sleigh, and going to pat the reindeer, and give them a lump of
sugar each.
"Oh—Sooty knows all about your exciting evening," said Joll, with a
chuckle. "He stowed himself away under the rug, didn't you know? He was your
hot water bottle, Pink-Whistle, and curled himself up on your feet to keep them
warm! Come out, Sooty."
And out leapt Sooty, and rubbed himself against Pink-Whistle. '7
enjoyed it all, too!" he said. "Now let's go in and have a hot drink. Master,
and talk about our wonderful evening!"

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 They stood and waved good-bye to Joll and the fine reindeer. The
bells sounded more and more faintly, and then died away.
"You're a naughty cat. Sooty," said Pink-Whistle when they were
sitting drinking hot lemonade, by the warm fire. "But I must say you were
a very good hot water bottle! Listen—one little boy was awake and saw
me. I'm afraid he'll never believe in Santa Claus again, because he saw my
top hat."
"Well, he'll believe in you all right!" said Sooty. "Let's have this
exciting evening put into a story, Master—and then when the boy reads it,
he'll know that he was the only child in the world who saw you instead of
Santa Claus this Christmas Eve! How surprised he must have been to see
someone coming down the chimney in a top hat!"
I must say I’d have been surprised, too—but I'd have known it was
kind old Pink-Whistle, wouldn't you?

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 PINK WHISTLE HAS A VISITOR

"Master, I have a visitor in my kitchen tonight," said Sooty. "It's a

poor, thin dog, with a hurt leg. Shall I bring him in? He has told me a very
sad story, and I'm sure you can help him."
"Bring him in at once," said Pink-Whistle, and in came the dog. He
was a kind of spaniel, very thin, with long, floppy ears. He limped in, his
tail down, looking very scared.

"Master, he belongs to a very rich man, who keeps him out in the
yard as a guard against robbers," said Sooty. "He is kept on a short chain,
and doesn't have much to eat. He has run away."
"Come and sit here," said Pink-Whistle to the dog, and the scared
animal came and put his soft nose on Pink-Whistle's knee, looking up, and
thinking how kind this man was.

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 3
I know someone who would
like to have you for a friend," said
Pink-Whistle, patting him. "Sooty,
bring in a dish of meat. Dog, will
you look after someone for me? He
needs a friend badly."
The dog whined. "He says he
would rather look after a man than
a house," explained Sooty. "Look at
him gobbling up that meat! My
word. Master, I hope your friend
knows how to feed a starving dog!"

"I'll take the dog to him straight away," said Pink-Whistle, getting up.
"Get my coat and hat, Sooty, and the dog-lead from the hall. That's right. No,
I shan't want my umbrella, it's not raining." He and the dog went out in the
night together, the dog keeping very close to Pink-Whistle's heels. He did so
hope he wasn't being taken back to his unkind master. He kept his tail well
down.

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 Pink-Whistle came to a cottage door and knocked. "Come in," said a
voice, and Pink-Whistle and the dog walked in. An old man sat by the fire,
with dark glasses over his eyes. He smiled at Pink-Whistle. "Ah, it's my
friend Pink-Whistle!" he said. "I'm always so lonely that it's good to see
you!" "Well, you won't be lonely much longer," said Pink-Whistle. "I've
brought you a dog to look after you!"

Well, you should have seen how that man and the dog took to one
another! "I'm blind, you know," said the man to the dog. "I want a dog to
lead me about and take care of me, and keep me company."
"Woof!" said the dog, joyfully, and licked the man's hand. He liked
his voice, he liked his smell, he liked his gentle hands. How he would love
this master, and take care of him!

30
 “He must have a bone!" said
the blind man, and got up and felt
his way to the larder. The dog
kept close beside him, so that he
might not stumble. He couldn't
believe his luck.
"All my money's gone!
Robbers have taken everything!"
he shouted. "My dog ran away—
just wait till he comes back! I'll
beat him well." Pink-Whistle
smiled—that dog would never
come back!
Pink-Whistle slipped away,
and left them together. On his way
back, he passed a big house, and
heard a lot of shouting. It was the
rich man who had kept the dog in
his yard.
Let's peep into the little
cottage, shall we? What a peaceful
picture! There's the old blind man,
talking away to the dog—and the
dog's head is on his knee. They're
both as happy as can be!
31
 ONE morning when Mr. Pink-Whistle was taking a little walk in the
nearby town, he stopped to look in at a shop window. Someone came and
stood beside him to look in too—and suddenly Mr. Pink-Whistle felt light
fingers in his coat-pocket.
He whipped round—but the person beside him just went on looking
into the shop window. "Oho!" thought Pink-Whistle, "here's a pickpocket
—and quite a clever one, too. Good thing there was nothing in that pocket
of mine. I'll watch this unpleasant fellow and see what tricks he is up to!"
The pickpocket was a small, mean-looking fellow, afraid of looking
anyone in the face. He shuffled off without even glancing at Pink-Whistle.
"I'll make myself invisible!" thought Pink-Whistle. "He won't see me
then—and I'll follow close behind him."
So he muttered the words that made him disappear, and then he
walked quietly behind the pickpocket. The fellow slouched along, and
came to a bus-stop where many people were getting off a bus.
Pink-Whistle watched the pickpocket jostling the people as they
crowded off the bus. He saw him slip his hand into someone's

32
 pocket and draw out a silk handkerchief. He saw him pull a cigarette-
case out of a man's coat-pocket.
He put both things in his own pocket at once—but as soon as he put
them there the invisible Mr. Pink-Whistle took them out again! Then he
made himself visible, and spoke to the woman whose silk handkerchief had
been stolen.
"Madam—is this yours?"
How the thief stared when he saw the handkerchief being handed
back—but he stared still more when Pink-Whistle touched a man on the
arm and said, "I believe this cigarette-case belongs to you, sir!" And lo and
behold, it was the very same one that the thief thought was safely in his
pocket!
"Oh thank you, thank you," said the man, astonished. As for the
pickpocket he looked in fright at Pink-Whistle, and then felt hurriedly in
his pocket to see if the handkerchief and cigarette-case really were the ones
he had stolen! Yes—they were not in his pocket. He looked round angrily
for the little plump man in the top hat —but Pink-Whistle had made
himself invisible again and couldn't be seen!
The thief was puzzled. He moved away from the bus-stop and went
down the street. At the corner was a newspaper seller's stand. The man had
felt cold and wanted to go and have a hot cup of tea in the nearby tea-shop.
So he had left his papers, and was now drinking tea in the shop.
The pickpocket leaned against a nearby wall and waited for people to
come to buy the papers. He knew they would buy them even if no one was
there to sell them. So did Mr. Pink-Whistle!
"What a horrible thief! He knows that people will come by, take a
paper from the stand and put down their pennies in the little tin lid the
newspaper-man has left. And then the sneak-thief plans to come along and
take the whole lot when no one is looking!"
That is just what happened, of course! As soon as the tin lid was full
of pennies, the thief slid quietly up to the news-stand and snatched the
pennies, lid and all. He put them into his pocket and moved away. At the
same time the newspaper man came out of the tea-shop, and the thief was
pleased that he had stolen the money in time.

33
 "It's you again!" said the thief, and was angry when he saw Pink-
Whistle giving back the lid of pennies to the surprised newspaper-man.
"He took them!" said Pink-Whistle, pointing to the thief, who by this time
was half-way down the street, running as if dogs were after him!
Pink-Whistle laughed. Should he go after the thief again? Would he
stop picking pockets and stealing for a while, because of his fright?
"I don't think he's scared enough yet," decided Pink-Whistle. "I'll go
after him again. But I'll make myself invisible once more!"
So there was Pink-Whistle trotting down the street after the
pickpocket again, with only the sound of his footsteps to show that he was
there! He passed a little girl who was most astonished to hear footsteps
pattering by, and yet could see no feet! He passed a dog, who smelt him as
he went by, and then ran off because he wasn't used to smells that didn't
seem to belong to anyone! Ha—the pickpocket is going to the market!"
said Pink-Whistle. Well, I'll go too." And soon he was in the merry, noisy
market, jostling with the crowds that had come to buy.
The thief had a most unpleasant time there. He took some cherries
from a stall and slipped them into his pocket—but immediately Pink-
Whistle took them out again and put them back. He

34
 was still invisible, so it seemed to the thief as if the cherries had
actually jumped out of his pocket and back on the stall!
Next he took a pot of cream from another stall when the market-
woman was serving someone else—but before he could slip it into his
pocket. Pink-Whistle quietly took it out of the thief's hand and replaced it
on the stall.
"Oooh!" said the man, frightened. Now how could that pot of cream
have gone from his hand back to its place again? He looked round
fearfully. There seemed to be nobody near him at all, because, of course,
Pink-Whistle was still invisible.
The thief went off again, and soon came to a tumble-down shed. At
the back were some old sacks. The man pulled them aside, and then took a
spade. He dug in the earth that had been hidden by the sacks, and brought
up two canvas bags, a small box, and a larger box. Pink-Whistle watched
him.
The canvas bags jingled. "They must be full of money—stolen
money that he has hidden here!"
thought Pink-Whistle. "What's in
the boxes, I wonder?"
He soon knew, because the thief
opened them to make sure that the
contents were safe. Pink-Whistle
peeped over his shoulder.
"My word!" he thought, "a diamond
brooch in that box— and half a
dozen gold watches in the other
one! All stolen, I suppose. Now —
whereas this fellow going to take
them? I'll follow and see."
So he followed the thief, who had
put everything into his pockets, and
was now going swiftly up a lane
towards a tumble-down house on
the hill.

35
 He ran a little way in front of the man—and then he put out his foot,
which was quite invisible, of course, and the man tripped headlong over it!
Down he went, and rolled into a nearby puddle!
"What was that!" he yelled. "Who tripped me? What did I fall over? I
don't like this—there's something queer about today!"
While he was on the ground Pink-Whistle quickly emptied the thief's
pockets. He took the two canvas bags and the two boxes, and stuffed them
into his own pockets. Then he gave a snarl and a growl exactly like a big
dog!
The thief was so terrified that he leapt to his feet and ran, looking all
round for the snarling dog—but he couldn't see one, of course, because
there wasn't one there!
He ran through the door of the tumble-down house, panting. Pink-
Whistle followed after, a big smile on his face. Now what was going to
happen to this nasty little thief?
Two men were there, waiting. "Ah—here you are, Bill," said one.
"You're late. Got the stuff?"
"Yes," panted the thief, and felt in his pockets—but there was
nothing there except a shilling and a dirty handkerchief! Nothing else at all.
The thief look astounded. He hunted all through his pockets again.
"Come on, come on," said one of the men, impatiently. "What

36
 are you trying to do? Haven't you brought the stuff?"
"It's not here/5 said the thief, desperately, and searched again. "I
know it was in my pockets a few minutes back. I put everything there
myself—out of the hiding-place I made."
"This isn't funny!" said the man called Jim, and his voice sounded
very angry indeed. "You can't make us believe that the stuff jumped out of
your pocket on your way here!"
"But—but that's just what things have been doing all morning!" said
the thief, scared. "Jumping about! Why, when I ..."
"Don't talk rubbish!" said the second man. "We'll give you such a
hiding if you don't tell us where you've put the stuff. You want it all for
yourself, I suppose—well, here's your last chance. Where is it?"
"I’ve got it!" said Pink-Whistle, in a bright and cheerful voice from
somewhere in the room. He jingled one of the bags in his pocket. "Can you
hear the money? And here's the box with the watches in—can you hear
them ticking?"
There was a dead silence in the room, and the ticking of the watches
could be quite clearly heard—but because they were in Pink-Whistle's
pockets, and he was invisible, they
couldn't be seen, of course!
The three men stared round in
fright. What was all this? Where did
the voice come from? How was it
they could hear the jingle of money
and the ticking of watches, and
could see nothing?
The thief gave a scream and
tore out of the house at top speed.
He couldn't bear it any longer. Pink
- Whistle grinned. He really was
enjoying himself. He gave a very
life-like imitation of a snarling dog
again, and the other two men
promptly took to their heels, too!
"Good!" Said Pink -
Whistle.

37
 "Now I'll take all these things to the police and they can give them back
to the rightful owners. And I'll give them something else, too—a description
of the three bad men! Aha—you won't get off without being punished, you
three cunning thieves!"
And away he went to the police-station, and laid the two canvas bags
and the two boxes on the sergeant's desk—but as he had quite forgotten to
make himself visible again, he gave the sergeant a dreadful shock. It seemed
to him as if all these things had come out of the air and landed on his desk!
"Hey!" he cried, pushing back his chair. "What's all this?"
"Oh—sorry," said Pink-Whistle, appearing very suddenly. "I forgot you
couldn't see me. I'm trying to put something wrong right, Sergeant. Will you
help me?"
"Oh—it's you, Mr. Pink-Whistle, sir!" said the Sergeant. "You did give
me a fright. Now what have you been up to?"
So Pink-Whistle told him, and the Sergeant laughed till he cried to
think of the three thieves being so scared by old Pink-Whistle.
"I hope all the children get to know of this last little adventure of
yours!" he said. "It will make them chuckle!"
Well, I had to tell you about it, of course. Perhaps some day dear old
Pink-Whistle will put something right for you!

38
WHO’S THIS KNOCKING
Who's this knocking at my door?
Sooty, look and see.
Perhaps it's someone sad or scared.
Come to beg from me.

Maybe it's a little dog

Whose master is unkind,
Or just a hungry, lonely cat /
That someone's left behind.

It may be some poor hungry man,

Or woman, worn and old,
A little child that's lost its way,
This night so dark and cold,

Oh, Pink-Whistle—you are so kind,

No wonder we all say,
"We hope when things go wrong with us
You'll come along our way!"

39
 FIND THE NUMBERS!

Can you find the numbers to complete the following?

1. Snow White and the………dwarfs.

2. The Famous……….
3. Ali Baba and the……….thieves.
4. One, …….., buckle my shoe.
5. Four and…….blackbirds baked in a pie.
6. The Secret………!
Answers on page 125.

40
 IT really was a very hot day. Mr. Pink-Whistle sat in his little garden
and fanned himself with a newspaper. He had put his chair in the very
shadiest spot, but even that was very hot; his face grew redder and redder.
Sooty, his cat, came out to him with a glass of lemonade. "Here,
Master!" he said. "Drink this. It has a piece of ice in it. Dear me—how hot
you look!"
"There isn't a breath of wind in this garden today!" complained Pink-
Whistle. "Where have the breezes gone? There used to be so many in the
summer-time—nice cool breezes that blew every now and again."
"Why don't you go for a trip to the seaside?" said Sooty. "There are
always breezes there. You go, Mr. Pink-Whistle—you'll see plenty of
children there, too—and you know how you like watching them at play.
They'll be building castles and paddling and shrimping."
"Dear me—that's a good idea of yours!" said Pink-Whistle. "Yes, I
should enjoy that, Sooty. I'll go tomorrow. I shall go on my bicycle,
because it's not very far from here to the sea. Get it ready for me, will
you?"
Well, the next morning, Pink-Whistle set off on his bright and
shining bicycle, cleaned beautifully for him by Sooty. He had a bag of food
strapped to the saddle at the back, a little tent he could

41
put up, and a bathing suit. He felt
very happy as he cycled merrily
along.
"Now had I better make
myself invisible?" he thought,
when at last he came to the
seaside. "No, I don't think I will-
Nobody's likely to recognize me
here."
He was tired after his long
ride, so he put his bicycle down
on the sand, made a nice comfy
hole there for himself, and lay
down in it. Oh, what a cool
breeze! And how lovely the sea
smelt! He closed his eyes and
slept.
But he hadn't been asleep
for more than a minute or two
before he felt someone tapping his hand gently. He opened his eyes and
saw a little girl leaning over him.
"What's the matter?" said Mr. Pink-Whistle. "Is the tide coming in—
is it up to my toes?"
"Oh, no," said the girl. "But—please—aren't you Mr. Pink-Whistle?"
"Well—yes, I am," said Pink-Whistle, sitting up.
"I thought you were!" said the little girl. "And is it true that you put
wrong things right, or is that only what the stories say?**
"Oh, I do!" said Pink-Whistle. "Whenever I know of anything that's
gone wrong, I certainly try to put it right. That's my work, you know."
"Oh, I'm so glad," said the little girl. "Well, look—there's something
for you to put right this very minute, please, Mr. Pink-Whistle!"
She pointed down the beach, and Pink-Whistle saw a big gull
standing on the sand, stretching out its wings and trying to fly. But it
couldn't.
"It's been in some oil out there on the sea," said the little girl

42
 "It can't fly—and look, Mr. Pink-Whistle, there are two boys over
there throwing stones at it. Please, please do something. I tried to stop
them, but they threw stones at me, too. We shouted and shouted at them
but they won't stop,"
"Oh, I'll soon stop them!" said Pink-Whistle, and, helped by the little
girl, he scrambled out of his sandy hole. He ran down towards the gull,
stood there, and called out some very peculiar words, just as the boys
threw stones again.
And will you believe it, the stones, instead of falling by the gull,
looped round in mid-air and flew straight back to those two boys! Thud!
One hit the first boy on the hand, and biff! the other stone hit the second
boy on the knee.
How angry those boys were! "Who threw those stones at us?" they
shouted.
"It serves you right! You shouldn't stone that poor gull!" yelled back
the little girl. At once the two boys each picked up a handful of pebbles
and flung them at the girl—but once more the stones looped round in mid-
air, and flew swiftly back to the throwers— and what a shower of hard
little pebbles hit those boys from head to foot!
That was too much for them! They had seen the stones turn back in
the air this time, and they were terrified. They yelled and fled away at top
speed. How all the children laughed and jumped for glee! The little girl ran
to the gull.

43
 "Rub it with this," said Pink-Whistle, feeling in his pocket for a little
magic bottle he always carried with him. So the girl tipped some of the
smooth purple liquid into her hand and rubbed it gently over the gull's oily
feathers—and in a few seconds the slimy oil dripped off in a little stream to
the sand—and with a loud "Eeooo, eeooo, eeooo!" the beautiful bird spread
its great wings and flew away.
"You're kind/' said the little girl. "Oh, if you knew how often I've
looked for you, Mr. Pink-Whistle, when I saw a wrong thing I couldn't put
right—and today you were really here!"
"That was lucky," said Mr. Pink-Whistle. "Well, I'm going to change
into my bathing-things. This suit is too hot."
He put up his tent, and then decided to make himself invisible. He
could see the little girl telling everyone that Mr. Pink-Whistle, yes, really
Mr. Pink-Whistle, was over there, and he was afraid that there would be a
crowd round him in no time.
So he made himself quite invisible after he had undressed in his
little tent. Then he put on his striped bathing-suit and stepped out to
bask in the sun again. But he forgot that his bathing-suit wasn't invisible,
because he hadn't had it on when he used the magic words to make himself
unseen. So there on the sand lay a puffed-out bathing-suit and nobody in it!
Though, of course, Pink-Whistle really was inside it, quite invisible.

44
 He lay there enjoying the sun and the breeze—and then he suddenly
saw the little girl coming along again, with a small boy. Pink-Whistle was
quite glad that he had made himself invisible, for he really did want to
have a little snooze.
"Please," said the little girl, "are you inside this bathing-suit, Mr.
Pink-Whistle? I can't see you, but it looks exactly as if you are inside it, all
round and tubby."
"Well!" thought Pink-Whistle. "I forgot to make the bathing-suit
invisible. Oh dear, oh dear!"
He lay quite still, hoping that the little girl would go away. But she
gave the bathing-suit a gentle poke with her spade, and Pink-Whistle sat up
at once.
"Hey! Don't do that!"
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" said the little girl. "I only just wanted to feel if
you were there. I thought you might be asleep. I can't see you, you see! Mr.
Pink-Whistle, this little boy wants your help."
"Please, Mr. Pink-Whistle, sir," said the boy, looking half-frightened,
because it really was rather peculiar to speak to a nice fat little bathing-suit.
"There's a nasty man on this
beach, and he steals things. He
stole my mother's basket
yesterday, with her purse in it,
while she was asleep. And he took
my sister's towel, when she left it
drying on the sand."
"But I don't see how I can
help you," said Pink-Whistle. "I
really don't."
"It's just that the nasty man
is over there, reading a paper,"
said the boy. "Could you ask him
for the things he stole?"
"No, no!" said Pink-Whistle.
"He may be the wrong man. No, I
can't do that! I'll just keep an eye
on him, and do something if I see
him playing any nasty tricks!"

45
 "Oh thank you," said the boy and went
off with the little girl. Pink-Whistle lay down
again, and shut his eyes, quite forgetting that
he had meant to make his bathing-suit
invisible. He fell fast asleep.
But twenty minutes later he awoke
very suddenly indeed! Someone was pulling
at his bathing-suit, pulling so hard that they
were pinching him! He awoke with a yell—
and bending over him was the nasty man that
the boy had pointed out to him! He had Pink-
Whistle's towel over his arm, and he was
trying his hardest to pick up the bathing-suit
—but, of course, Pink-Whistle was inside it,
quite invisible!
"HEY!" yelled Pink-Whistle indig-
nantly. "What do you think you're doing,
pinching me like that!"
The man thought it was the bathing-
suit talking, and he fled away in terror, the
towel still over his arm. But Pink-Whistle
wasn't going to have that—dear me no!
Nobody was going to pinch him, and then
run off with his towel without Pink-Whistle
taking some notice of it!
So he leapt up from the sand, and raced
after the man at top speed, yelling as he
went. The man turned his head, and to his
great horror, saw a striped bathing-suit
coining after him. Good gracious! Whatever
could be happening? Bathing-suits didn't
race through the air like this!
He tore on as fast as he could, and
Pink-Whistle rushed after him, yelling,
invisible except for the bathing-suit.
Everyone stared in amazement at the

46
 running thief, and the fat little bathing-suit behind him bobbing
through the air so fast!
The man came to a little wooden hut and ran inside. But Mr. Pink-
Whistle caught the door before it shut.
"Where's that towel? Yes, and where's the basket you stole yesterday,
and all the other things?"
The man saw the bathing-suit at the door, and called out loudly.
"What are you? Go away! Go away, I tell you. Here, take the towel—and
the shopping-basket I stole—and this, and this and this!"
Out of the hut came a whole lot of things, falling around the
surprised Pink-Whistle. He picked them all up and trotted back again to his
little tent with them. He found the girl and boy there, waiting for him to
come back. How they had laughed at the sight of the bathing-suit racing off
—and how they laughed when it came back again surrounded by ,the many
things that Pink-Whistle was carrying!
"We knew you'd punish that man," said the little girl. "And oh—
you've brought back the things he stole. You are kind, Mr. Pink-Whistle!"
"Take them," said Pink-Whistle, "and give them back to the right
people. I don't know who they belong to, but you do. Now it's time for me
to go home. I'm going to get dressed."
The children ran off, delighted. Pink-Whistle went into his tent, took
off his bathing-suit and put on his clothes. Then he wished his clothes
invisible as well as himself, rolled up his tent, put it on his bicycle, and sat
down to eat some food. He watched the little girl and boy giving back the
stolen things to various people and he was pleased. Well—he had managed
to put that right!
A donkey-boy came by, riding a little donkey that had been giving
rides to children. The little creature was tired, and would not go fast. The
boy kicked it and shouted.
"You stop that!" shouted Pink-Whistle at once. "Get down off that
donkey! He's tired."
The donkey-boy looked all round but there didn't seem to be anyone
near enough to chase him. He couldn't see Mr. Pink-Whistle, of course. So
he shouted over his shoulder.

47
 "Mind your own business,
whoever you are! I'll do what I
like with my own donkey!"
And with that he began to
hit the willing little thing with a
stick, and the donkey galloped
fast in terror.
Then what did Pink-
Whistle do but leap on his bicycle
and race after the donkey-boy,
riding over the hard sand near the
edge of the water. He shouted as
he went.
"Stop that! Get off that don-
key! Stop, I tell you!"
The boy looked back—and
to his great horror he saw a
bicycle tearing along after him
with nobody riding it, for, of
course, Pink-Whistle was
completely invisible! Who was shouting then? Was it the bicycle yelling—
no, no, it couldn't be! And how could a bicycle rush along by itself— with
its pedals going up and down too, and its bell ringing!
The donkey-boy was really in a dreadful fright. He hit the donkey so
hard that, instead of going fast, the little thing stopped very suddenly
indeed, and hee-hawed in pain.
The donkey-boy flew high over the donkey's head and rolled over
and over yelling. The bicycle came right up to him, and how Pink-Whistle
roared with laughter to see such a sight—and the little donkey hee-hawed
in delight, too.
It seemed to the boy as if the bicycle was laughing at him now, for
he couldn't see anything of the invisible Mr. Pink-Whistle. In terror he ran
away at top speed and left his little donkey behind.
"Come with me, little creature," said Pink-Whistle, suddenly
becoming visible again. "That boy shall never have you again. I will take
you home with me and look after you well, for you are old and tired. You
shall only give rides to the children in my

48
 village if you want to. Come—I will ride my bicycle and guide you
by your rope."
And off went the two of them together, kind little Pink-Whistle
pedalling on his bicycle, and the surprised little donkey trotting along
beside him.
What a surprise it was for Sooty when they both arrived home
together!
"Here's a new friend for you, Sooty," said Pink-Whistle. "My word,
I've had a busy day. A very—very—VERY busy day!"

49
 Mr. Pink-Whistle wonders how many of these flowers you can
recognise. The pictures will help you and you will find the right answers
on page 125.

1. This is a flower which nods gaily in

the wind on hillsides and in the fields. It has
a loose cluster of lemon-coloured flowers at
the top of the stout stalk, each set in a pale-
green cup. There is a nick in the outer edge
of each petal and a bright red-orange spot at
the base. The leaves are rather like a
primrose's, crinkled all over.

2.
Everyone knows this fragrant flower. It
often grows in our gardens, and can be
found wild on the hedges all the summer.
It has flowers like clusters of long
trumpets, opening out into unequal lips.
They are yellow-pink in colour and smell
delicious! It has oval-shaped blue-green
leaves growing in pairs and its tough
woody stem twists itself around other
plants in order to climb upwards.

50
 3. Another very well-known
flower, with its big golden heads
showing on banks and waysides—
and sometimes in our gardens!
The flower is made up of a great
many "florets" and the stalk is
hollow with a milky juice inside.
The seed heads of the ripened flower
form "clocks" and I know you have
all tried to tell the time with them!

4. A big buttercup-shaped
flower which can be found in any
damp or marshy place. Its golden
blossoms are lovely to see and its
petals are very glossy. It has a big
bunch of stamens and in the centre
you can see the green seed-
vessels. The stalks are thick and
hollow, and the leaves which are
heart-shaped, are very smooth and
glossy.

5. In a fine February this

beautiful golden flower may be
found opening its polished stars in
warm and sheltered places, but if the
weather is cold it will not appear
until March. It usually grows in
big patches and the flower has eight
petals with leaves which are very
dark green, shiny and heart-shaped.

51
 MR. PINK-WHISTLE AND THE
EASTER EGG
NOW one day when Mr. Pink-Whistle was walking along the road to
the sweet-shop, he saw a boy run out of the shop. He had a fine big Easter
egg in his hand, a cardboard one tied round with a ribbon.
The boy ran off quickly, looking back to see if anyone had seen him.
Mr. Pink-Whistle put his head in at the sweet-shop. "Mrs. Toffee!" he
called. "Did anyone buy an egg just now?"
Mrs, Toffee came hurrying out of the back of the shop. "No. I haven't
had a customer for half an hour," she said. "Oh, look now—someone's
taken that fine big egg I put just there—tied round with ribbon, it was, and
full of chocolates! Dear, dear—now who did that?"
"I think I know," said Pink-Whistle, and ran out of the shop,
whispering the few words that made him invisible. That boy—

52
 that nasty, mean boy! So he thought he could slip in and rob kind
little Mrs. Toffee, did he? She always added a sweet or two extra when she
weighed out the children's sweets—she didn't deserve to be robbed!
Pink-Whistle pattered quickly down the street. Some children
coming along could hear his footsteps quite well, but they couldn't see him.
They were puzzled. But Mr. Pink-Whistle didn't want to be seen running at
top speed, in case anyone tried to stop him.
Where was that boy? Pink-Whistle turned a corner—and there he
was, half-way up the next hill. "I shall catch him all right," thought the
little man, and on he went. As soon as he was behind the boy, he dropped
to a walk, and made himself visible again. A dog near by was most
astonished to see a little plump man in a top-hat appear out of nowhere,
and he ran off in fright.
"Hallo," said Pink-Whistle, just behind the boy. "You seem to be in a
hurry. My word—what a beautiful egg!"
"Yes. Yes, my aunt has given it to me for Easter," said the boy,
"Let's have a look at it," said Mr. Pink-Whistle, and took it out of the
boy's hand. He tried to snatch it back, but Pink-Whistle held it away.
"Wait—wait—you shall have it back!" he said, and whispered a few
magic words over the egg, though the boy didn't hear anything at all. "My
goodness," said Pink-Whistle, handing back the egg, "I advise you to be
very careful with this egg."
"Why? It's quite ordinary!" said the boy. "It's got chocolates in. The
label said so."
"What label?" asked Pink-Whistle.
"The label in the . . ," the boy began, and then stopped. No— he
mustn't say he had seen the label in the shop—he had just told this funny
little man that his aunt had given him the egg.
"Well — there aren’t chocolates inside," said Pink-Whistle
solemnly. "And I must warn you that this egg will hatch out very soon.”
Hatch out! Don't be silly!" said the boy. "It's an Easter egg. Easter
eggs don't hatch!"
"This one will," said Pink-Whistle. "It's just about to! Do you mind if
I walk along with you and watch what comes out?"

53
 "Go away/' said the boy, angrily. "I don't
like you. You're telling stories!"
"Well—you'll see," said Pink-Whistle. "I
should really advise you to take the egg back to
the shop, before it hatches out."

"You're stupid," said the boy, and went on

quickly. Pink-Whistle kept up with him.
Suddenly the boy stopped and looked rather
alarmed.
"What's the matter?" said Pink-Whistle.
"Well—there's a—a sort of noise inside
this egg," said the boy. "A sort of tweeting."
"Strange!" said Pink-Whistle. "Well, I
told you it would soon be hatching. I should put
it down if I were you. You don't know what
might come out of it."
"Something's inside it!" cried the boy,
frightened. "I can feel it moving. Oh— what is
it?" He put the egg down on the ground in a
hurry, staring at it in fright.
Then a very strange thing happened. The
egg cracked right across, and the ribbon untied
itself at the same time. No chocolates rolled out—a bird hopped out
instead! A skinny bird, with a red beak and a blue tail, and eyes that
gleamed when they looked up at the boy.
"He stole me!" said the bird, in a queer, high voice. Then it laughed.
"He stole me out of the shop. I belong to him now!"
And he jumped up on to the boy's shoulder. "Oh, go away!" cried the
boy, and tried to flick the bird off his shoulder. But it pecked him hard.
"You can't get rid of it, I'm afraid," said Pink-Whistle. "You stole the
egg and what was in it—and now it's yours. I told you to take it back, you
know."

54
 "Send the bird away!" said the boy, pleadingly. "I don't like it. Ow—
it pecked my ear!"
"This boy's ear is dirty," said the bird, in its strange high voice, and it
gave a little cackle. "Dirty boy, nasty boy!"
"You'd better go home before a crowd collects round you," said
Pink-Whistle gravely. "I'll come with you."
"What will my father and mother say when they see this awful bird?"
said the boy, and he began to cry, because he was very frightened.
"The bird will tell them how
you got him," said Pink-Whistle.
"This boy steals!" said the bird,
in its high voice. "This boy tells fibs.
This boy ..."
"Oh, be quiet, you horrible
bird!" shouted the boy, and
immediately got a sharp peck on the
ear. "Ooooh! Don't do that! What kind
of a bird are you, you spiteful
creature?"
"It's a Tell-Tale bird, I think,"
said Pink-Whistle. "It loves to be with
people like you, who do nasty things,
because then it can tell everyone
about them. It doesn't like belonging
to nice people—there are never any
tales to tell about them—except good
ones, of course."
"Do you mean to say this bird's
going to live with me?" said the boy.
"I won't have it!" And he took hold of
the bird suddenly and flung it up into
"It's a Tell-Tale bird," said Pink-
Whistle, the air. It flew into a tree and

55
 cackled with laughter.
Three children came to stare.
"He's a nasty boy," said the
bird, peering down. "He stole an
Easter egg out of the sweetshop.
And I was inside!" It laughed
again, and the children gazed up
at the bird, half-alarmed and half-
excited at such a strange thing.
"Did you really steal it?"
said one of the children. "How
awful! I hope you get whacked,
then/5
The boy was crying again
now. He went on down the street,
but before he had gone very far
the strange Tell-Tale bird was on
his shoulder again.
"He's a cry-baby," it said to
Pink-Whistle. "Look at him—
isn't he a cry-baby? But he's got a
nice comfortable shoulder. I shall
like living on it. Do you think
he'll steal a lot of things? It will be
fun telling everyone about them!"
"What am I to do with this
awful bird?" said the boy, tearfully. "I don't know who you are, little man
—but please do help me."
"Don't you really know who I am?" said Mr. Pink-Whistle, and the
boy looked into his bright green eyes, and suddenly saw his pointed ears.
"Oh—yes, I know you—I've read about you—are you—are you Mr.
Pink-Whistle, who goes about the world putting wrong things right?" he
said.
Pink-Whistle nodded gravely. "Yes," he said. "I'm Mr. Pink-

56
 Whistle. But it's going to be
difficult to put you right, my boy!"
"I'm sorry I took the egg," said
the boy. "I really am."
"Yes—but you're only sorry
because it had something in it that you
didn't expect," said Pink-Whistle,
"That's the only reason you're sorry."
"He's a nasty boy," said the bird.
"Very nasty. Don't be kind to him,
Pink-Whistle. He'll always be nasty."
"I shan't!" said the boy, angrily.
"Oh, please, Mr. Pink-Whistle, don't
let this bird go home with me. It would
upset my mother so. Can't you put this
wrong thing right somehow?"
"Well, no—I don't think I can,"
said Pink-Whistle. "But you might be
able to do something about it. Have
you a money-box at home?"
"Yes. And it's full," said the boy.
"Shall I go and pay for the egg I took?"
"Yes. And did you know that not
far from here is a little Children's Home, with thirty small children in it,
who haven't any mothers or fathers?" said Pink-Whistle. "And I don't
expect they will have any Easter eggs—unless somebody gives them
some."
"I'll buy them each an egg!" cried the boy. "And I'll take the eggs
to the children myself and give them one each. I may be nasty in lots of
ways—but truly I'm not always unkind, Mr. Pink-Whistle."

57
 "Mr. Pink-Whistle, listen to me—I shan't stay with this boy if he does
kind things/' said the Tell-Tale bird sharply.
"You be quiet," said the boy. "I shall do what I like."
"Well, you like to steal and tell stories, so that's all right," said the
bird, and laughed. "I shall be able to stay with you. You're only saying
you'll buy the eggs just to please Mr. Pink-Whistle. I know you. You're a
nasty boy."
"Go and get your money-box and let me see if you mean what you
say," said Pink-Whistle, seeing that they had arrived at the boy's home, "I'll
hold the bird for you while you go indoors, so that your mother won't hear
the horrid things it says about you."
He caught hold of the squawking bird and held it. The boy ran indoors
and came out almost at once with his money-box. His face was shining.
"Look—I've got such a lot of money!" he said. "I was saving up for a
bicycle. Let's go back to the sweet-shop—and you'll just see me buy thirty
nice eggs—and pay for the Tell-Tale bird egg, too!"
They went to the shop—and sure enough the boy paid for the big egg
—and bought thirty small ones in a box as well. Then he bought a packet
of chocolate cigarettes for Mr. Pink-Whistle, He pressed them into his
hand.
"I've bought them for you because you helped me," he said. "Will that
bird fly away now?"
"Yes—look, there it goes," said Pink-Whistle as the Tell-Tale bird
flew off over the trees, squawking dismally.
"Will it come back?" asked the boy,
"Only if you steal and behave badly again," said Pink-Whistle. "It
belongs to you, you know—but it won't have anything to do with you if
you don't do things it can tell tales about."
"Oh—well, it can fly to the moon for all / care!" said the boy. "I'll
never let it come back again, that's certain."
"It's nice when something good comes out of something bad," said
Pink-Whistle, looking at the little Easter eggs in the box the boy carried.
"Thirty small children are going to be very happy this Easter!"
So they are—and I'm very glad about it, too!

58
59
 A MESSAGE FROM SOOTY
Master always helps me to keep my black fur shiny and silky. I wonder
if you know the best way to do this and other ways in which you can make
the life of your cat happy? Master said that if I wrote some of them down he
would let me put them in his book, so here they are,

1. If your cat has short hair, give it a good brushing twice a week.
2. Long-haired cats need to be combed and brushed every other day or
their fur will soon become matted and lumpy.
3. If your cat is all white, he will find it hard to keep himself really
snowy looking without your help. Ask Mother to let you have a little starch
powder sometimes; then sprinkle it on the fur and brush really well. You'll be
amazed at the difference it makes!
4. Every so often your cat will "moult"—that means that some of the
dead hair will fall out to make room for nice new hairs. When this happens,
he will need a little extra food each day to help the new hair to grow quickly
and you should brush him thoroughly every day.

60
 5. Sometimes cats cut the pads of their paws and they become very
sore. When this happens to me, Master puts a teaspoonful of salt in a pint
of warm water, lets it dissolve thoroughly, and bathes my paws with this
three times a day. Then he dusts the wound with a white powder he calls
"boracic" and puts on a little sock made of wash leather which he ties
round the top to keep it on and which keeps any dirt out. You'd be amazed
how quickly the paw gets better!
6. All cats like to have a little box or basket of their very own. Be
sure to put it out of any draughts and to raise it off the ground a little.
7. Remember that we like to drink water as well as milk!
8. Always, ALWAYS, remove all the bones when you give us our
very favourite food—fish!
9. Please let your cat have as much freedom as possible. We are very
active animals and do not like to be shut in all day.
10. Cats should be fed twice a day—a very light meal, such as milk
or porridge in the morning, and the chief meal at sunset. Every day we like
to eat about ozs. to each pound we weigh.

If you follow these hints carefully, I know that your cat will love you
as much as I love dear old Mr. Pink-Whistle!

61
 PINK-WHISTLE'S PUZZLE PAGE
1. Hidden in each of the sentences below is the name of the capital of a
country in Europe. Can you find them?
(a) Look at those fat hens over there!
(b) Please go slowly along the main road.
(c) The hero met die princess at a ball.
2. Here are some of the things which Mother uses when she bakes a cake.
I'm afraid that the letters have got rather jumbled up. Can you sort them
out?
NSAIRIS STRRCUAN LEEP
FROLU GSEG GRSUA

3. Do you know the Christian names of these famous people from

history?

(a) Nightingale (d) Gwynne

(b) Darling (e) of Arc
(c) a Becket (f) Cromwell
You will find the answers on page 125.

62
 PINK-WHISTLE IS RATHER FUNNY!

THERE'S someone coming in at your front gate. Master/' said Sooty,

the cat, to Mr. Pink-Whistle. He had just brought in Pink-Whistle's tea. He
was having it in his arm-chair in his warmest dressing-room by the fire
because he had a cold.
"Oh, dear!" said Pink-Whistle. "I hope it's nobody who wants to see
me, because I'd be sorry to give this cold of mine to anyone. Who is it?"
"An old woman," said Sooty. "All right, Master, I'll tell her about your
cold, and just take a message."
There was a knock on the front door just then and Sooty went to answer
it. Outside stood a small old woman with a gentle, kindly face. "Please," she
said, "do you think Mr. Pink-Whistle could see me? I've heard that he goes
about the world putting wrong things right—and I just wondered if he could
put something right for me. Something that makes me very miserable."
"Well—Mr. Pink-Whistle's got a very bad cold," said Sooty, politely.
"He's afraid of giving it to people."
"Oh, I'd be glad to risk getting his cold if only he'd see me!" said the
little woman, so Sooty asked her in, and very soon she was enjoying the
warm fire and sharing Pink-Whistle's tea.

63
 "Now, what's the trouble?" asked Pink-Whistle.
"Well—it sounds silly—but it's two horrid boys who live next door
to me and are always peeping and prying," said the old lady. "I've
complained to their mother but she just laughs, and that makes them
worse! They come peeping in at my windows and frighten me. They even
creep into my little house and pry into my larder, and open all my
cupboards. Oh, they do make me jump I"
"And I suppose they laugh and laugh, and think that's very funny,
don't they?" said Pink-Whistle, looking quite fierce. "Well, let me get rid
of this cold and I'll come and see these boys. Give Sooty your address,
please. And now, do have another ginger bun."
Well, as soon as Pink-Whistle's cold was quite cured, he set off to
visit the little old woman. Her name was Mrs. Polly Doodle and she lived
all alone in a cottage called One-Chimney. She was very glad to see him,
and soon they were sitting cosily together over cups of tea and new-made
biscuits.
"See—there's one of those boys!" suddenly said Mrs. Doodle, and
sure enough a boy's face was pressed close to the little window. His nose
looked white and squashed, for he had pressed it hard against the pane.
Then suddenly the door opened and another boy looked in—a mean-
looking little boy with small eyes and a shock of hair.
"Percy—please go away," said Mrs. Doodle. "Can't you see I've a
visitor? I keep telling you and Sydney not to peep and pry and come into
my house—making me jump all the time!"
"Who's he?" said the boy, and pointed to Pink-Whistle. "Look at his
funny ears! I wonder if Sydney's seen them. Here, Syd— come and have a
look at this!"
But before Sydney could join Percy, Mr. Pink-Whistle muttered a
few magic words—and made himself disappear! Mrs. Doodle was as
surprised as Percy was!
"Oooh, I say—he's gone! I never saw him go!" said Percy, quite
startled. "Well—I'll finish up his biscuit!"
But Pink-Whistle wasn't going to have that! He quickly picked it off
the plate himself, popped it into his mouth and ate it, Percy

64
 stared at the biscuit in surprise
—how queer to see it rise up into the
air—and disappear! His brother now
came into the room and looked
hungrily at the tea.
"Any more of those biscuits in
your larder?" he said and went over
to the larder door. "I'll just peep
inside!"
"Keep out!" said Pink-
Whistle's voice. "Keep your nose out
of things that are nothing to do with
you!"
But Sydney never did as he
was told—and he opened the larder
door and put his nose inside to find
out if there was a plate of biscuits
there. Just as his nose went round
the door, something took hold of it
and gave it a sharp pull!
"Ow!" said Sydney, startled.
He rubbed his nose and stared all
round. "What did that? Who pulled
my nose?"
Pink-Whistle didn't answer.
Mrs. Doodle gave a little chuckle as
she looked at Sydney's nose. It had
suddenly gone quite long! Pink-
Whistle must have had a bit of
magic in his finger and thumb when
he gave the nose a pull!
The little man shut the larder
door with a bang and made Sydney
jump. He rubbed his nose once
more. "If anyone pulls

65
 my nose again I'll knock them
down!" he said.
And at once he felt his nose
being pulled hard again—but there
was nobody to knock down! Mr.
Pink-Whistle was having a bit of
fun—and he was still quite
invisible!
Then Percy suddenly smelt a
delicious smell coming from the
gas-stove. "What's that cooking
there?" he asked. "Is it onion soup?
Oooh, can I have some?"
He went over to the stove and
lifted the lid. "Now you leave that
alone!" cried Mrs. Doodle. "Take
your nose out of my soup!"
But Percy stuck his nose over
the pot and sniffed in delight. "It is
onion soup! I'll come back tonight
and have some, Mrs. Doodle. All
right, all right —I'll put back the lid
—I'm only having one more sniff!"
Then he gave a squeal of
pain. "Oooh—someone is pulling
my nose! Let go, I say, let go!
Ooooh!"
Yes—Pink-Whistle had got
hold of Percy's nose now, and how
he pulled it! Good gracious, when
he let go, Percy's nose looked most
peculiar!
"I'll tell my Mum, 1’ll tell

66
 my Mum!" cried Percy and
rushed out of the house with
Sydney. Mr. Pink-Whistle at once
became visible again, and how he
laughed!
"Oh dear — those silly boys!"
said Mrs. Doodle. "Whatever will
their mother say when they go
home with long noses like that?"
"I always think that's one of
the best cures for nosey people/5
said Pink-Whistle, sitting down
again. "Now, let's finish our tea.
Those boys won't come back here
again."
They didn't. They ran crying
home, and what a shock their
mother had when she saw their long
noses! "What has happened? What
have you done?" she cried. But she
didn't believe a word of their story
about someone they couldn't see
pulling their noses and making
them grow long. Not one word!
"It must be some disease," she
said. "Quick. I must take you to the
doctor."
So off she went with the two
boys, and was very cross when the
doctor laughed. "Ha, ha! So they've
been poking their noses into things
that aren’t any business of

67
 theirs, have they?" he said. "Well, well—look what's happened! /
can't do anything about it—I've never seen such a thing before. Hey, Percy
—now just stop fiddling about with my bag of instruments! I've told you
before to keep your nose out of anything in my surgery!"
Percy turned round sulkily—and his mother and the doctor stared at
him in horror. His nose was twice as long as before! It really looked most
peculiar, sticking out in front of him. "Look at that!" cried his mother. "It's
grown longer. Doctor, give me some ointment to make it better!"
"I tell you I can't," said the doctor, amazed. "There's something queer
about this. It's almost like magic!"
"That little man with the funny ears that we saw with Mrs. Doodle
has done all this!" shouted Percy angrily. "We were rude to him—and he
suddenly disappeared. He's caused all this!"
"Well, you'd better go and ask him to cure you then," said the
doctor. "But I would advise you to try and be polite for once, because if he
won't help you, you'll be like this for the rest of your life—and then how
people will laugh at you!"

"Come on," said the boys'

mother, pulling at them. "We'll go
and ask Mrs. Doodle about that
man, and find out where he lives. I
can't have you looking like this!"
Mrs. Doodle told the mother
where Mr. Pink-Whistle lived, and
off she went with Percy and
Sydney, both looking very peculiar
indeed. Mr. Pink-Whistle laughed
when he saw them walking in at
his garden-gate. He was weeding
his beds, and he didn't even stop
his work when they came in.
"Are you Mr. Pink-Whistle?
Well, please, cure my boys'

68
 noses," said their mother, feeling rather afraid of this curious little
man with the ears of a brownie.
"I can't," said Pink-Whistle, pulling up a big thistle. "Quite
impossible. Nobody can cure your boys* noses—except themselves, of
course!"
"How? How can we make them go back to their right size?" asked
Sydney. "Tell us! We'll do anything. Think how the boys at school will
laugh when they see us like this!"
"Now you listen to me," said Pink-Whistle. "You’ve been allowed to
poke your noses into anything that doesn't concern you at all—you've been
allowed to peep here and pry there. Well now —there's a nice little spell on
your noses, which I put there myself when I pulled them. They may get
much worse—much longer ..."
"No, no, no!" cried their mother.

69
 "Oh yes\" said Pink-Whistle. "Every time they stick their noses into
things that are none of their business, they will find them growing a little bit
longer. But, on the other hand, every time they stop themselves from being
nosey their noses will grow a little shorter. So, you see—nobody can cure
those noses except themselves ! Good evening—that's all I have to say!"
And Pink-Whistle marched into his house and shut the door firmly.
"Horrid little fellow!" said Sydney. "I bet he's got a whole lot of spells
in that cottage of his. I'm going to peep in at the window!" So he did—and
when he turned round his nose had grown down to his waist! His mother
burst into tears.
"There you are—that little man was right!" she said. "See, you were
pressing your nose against his window, and now look what's happened! You
just stop being nosey, or you'll never get your nose right again I"
Well, Pink-Whistle watched them go out of his front gate and Sooty
watched, too. "A very, very good idea of yours, Master," he said. "Those boys
won't make Mrs. Polly Doodle's life miserable any more. If they do, they'll
make their own miserable too, because their noses will soon reach the
ground!"
"Oh, well—they can always tie them round their waists!" said Pink-
Whistle. "I'm going out to finish my gardening!"
And out he went, pleased to think that he had made a kind little old
lady happy again. He didn't feel a bit sorry for the two boys —they could cure
themselves easily enough if they tried!
But how hard would they try? Would their noses keep growing long
and short all their lives as they forgot or remembered? / think they'll cure
themselves in a week, don't you?

70
 This little clown will stop and go as you wish! Trace off the shapes
marked A, B, and C on to thick card and then paint them in bright colours.
Cut down the middle of piece B, making a curve from x to y.

Now sandwich the B pieces between A and C and glue together as in

diagram D, being sure to leave enough space between B for a long piece of
cotton to pass through (see diagram E). Tie a bead at both ends of cotton.
Hold one end, and put a foot on the other as the boy in the picture is doing.

Slacken the cotton, and the clown slides! Hold the cotton tightly, and
he stops!

71
 WHAT ARE WE?

One of us is double one.

And one is double four
With us you'll have lots of fun,
On the table or the floor.

Answers on page 125.

72
 A LITTLE GUESSING GAME
(This is a little guessing game for a small party, or for your young brothers
or sisters. Count one mark for each correct answer, which can be either written
down or shouted out, and give a small prize to the winner. Read the story slowly
and pause for the shouted answers?)

NOW once Mr. Pink-Whistle gave a little party and asked some of his
friends from the Land of Nursery Rhyme. He told Sooty his cat to show them
into the room, and announce their names.
But Sooty was in a mischievous mood that day and thought he would
announce them in his own way. There came a knock at the door and he went to
welcome the first guest. It was a thin little man whom Sooty knew very well.
Sooty showed him in to Mr. Pink-Whistle, and announced him in a loud voice.
"Sir—here is someone who eats no fat!"
"Good gracious!" said Pink-Whistle, surprised. "Whatever do you mean.
Sooty—oh, it's you, Mr. . . .!" (Well, who was it?)
The next guests came quickly, and Sooty shouted mischievously as he
showed them in.

73
 "Sir — here is some-
one who sits in the cinders,
and someone who fell off
the wall!" (Who were
they?}
"Sooty — announce
people properly!" said Mr.
Pink-Whistle, crossly, but
the three guests laughed.
"No— let him an-
nounce us in his own
way," they said. "IFe'll
know who they are!"
In came the next
guest. "Here is some-
one who has lost her
pocket!" said Sooty, and in tripped a pretty girl. Everyone shouted her
name. (What was it?}
Then came two boys. "This one will sing for his supper!" cried
Sooty. (?????) "And this one runs about in his nightgown!"
(????)
Everyone knew their names, of course. But who was this next guest?
A girl this time with a merry smile. "She grows silver bells in her garden!"
called Sooty and everyone knew her name, of course. (?????)
"Who's next?" said Mr. Pink-Whistle, laughing. "I must say this is a
peculiar way to show in my guests, Sooty."
"Sir! Here come three little friends of mine, all wearing their
mittens!" said Sooty. "They lost them, but they've found them in time for
the party!" (????)
"And here's a naughty boy who made the girls cry," said Sooty, as a
cheeky boy came in. (????)
"And another naughty boy who nearly drowned a cat in a well!" said
Sooty, frowning. (????)

74
 "Now, now, Sooty," said Mr. Pink-Whistle. "I shan't let you
announce the guests if you are not polite."
"Sorry, Mr. Pink-Whistle, sir," said Sooty, with a twinkle in his eye.
"Ah—here is a great friend of yours—but she hasn't much in her cupboard,
I'm afraid."
All the same, everyone knew the nice old lady who came smiling
into the room, and they called out her name at once. (????) She shook
hands with Mr. Pink-Whistle, and he asked her how her dog was.
Sooty announced the next guest. "Here is a little boy who's blowing
his horn, sir!" And in came a boy dressed in blue, blowing a small horn.
Whoever could he be? (????)
Everybody knew him and welcomed him. "Have you been asleep
under a haycock lately?" asked Mr. Pink-
Whistle, smiling. "Ah —who is this next
guest, jingling as she comes?"
"Sir—here is a lady with bells on
her toes," cried Sooty, and in she came,
tinkling merrily, to shake hands with
Pink-Whistle. He knew her at once, of
course.
(????)
"Come along, come along," he
said, taking her to the other guests. "Did
you come on your horse? Where have
you left it? By the gate? It will be quite
all right there."
Then in came a dear little girl, who
looked round and then suddenly gave a
little scream. "She's seen a big spider!"
cried Sooty, with a laugh. "Ah, we all
know 'who you are!" (????) They all did,
of course, and gave her a great welcome.

75
 "Well now," said Mr. Pink-Whistle, "I think everyone has arrived.
The party had better begin."
"One moment, sir," said Sooty. "You have forgotten a most
important guest—my cousin! Here he is, rather late. Where have you been,
cousin?"
"To see the dear Queen up in London!" said the guest and shook
hands with Mr. Pink-Whistle. "Announce me, please, Sooty." (????)
But he didn't need to be announced, of course. Everyone knew who
he was, and asked anxiously if the dear Queen had been frightened by the
mouse under her chair.
"Sooty, bring in the tea," said Mr. Pink-Whistle, and out went Sooty
at once, feeling very pleased with his bit of mischief. Can you remember
all the seventeen guests who came to the party? You may have an extra
five marks if you do!

(Well, who won Mr. Pink-Whistle9s little guessing game? All the
answers are on page 125, but I am sure you will not have to look at them!)

76
 WHAT A SURPRISE!

One day when Mr. Pink-Whistle went down the road, a stone flew
past his foot. He was most surprised. He looked behind him and saw three
boys. Then another stone came flying up, and hit him on the ankle.

"You'd better run," said a small voice, and Pink-Whistle saw a little
girl peeping over a nearby wall. "Those boys are 50 tiresome! You should
see them when we girls come out of school! They pull our hair, and throw
our hats away, and snatch our books. Oh, look out—they'll have your hat
off in half a minute. They're coming!" And sure enough up came the boys,
laughing.

77
 Pink-Whistle suddenly disappeared. One moment he was there, the
next he was gone. The boys stared in fright and astonishment. "Where's he
gone?" they said. "Did he jump over that wall?"

They went on their way and Pink-Whistle followed them, feeling

very angry. "Let's wait behind this hedge till those girls and little boys
come by!" said one boy. So there they hid.
Soon there came the sound of chattering and laughing and round the
corner came some girls and a few little boys. "NOW I" cried one of the
hidden boys, and out they burst, and ran to the girls.

78
 "Don't!" cried a girl as her
plaits were pulled, and her ribbon
thrown away. "Stop!" howled a
small boy as his books were
thrown over the hedge. "Oh,
please don't pinch me!" cried
someone else.
Pink-Whistle had made
himself invisible, and he went up
to the three boys, quite unseen. He
barked like an angry dog in one
boy's ear, and made him fall over
in fright. "Ooh— where's that
dog?" he cried.

Then he took the caps off each of the three boys' heads and threw them
high up into a tree, where they stuck on branches and hung, flapping in the
wind. The boys were amazed and very scared.

79
 "Who's doing all this? Who is it?" they cried. But all the girls and little
boys were now some way off, watching, just as surprised as the big boys.
Then Pink-Whistle took hold of a boy's satchel and emptied out all the books
and pencils and rulers on to the pavement. The boys stared in silence. How
did books and pencils take themselves out of a satchel like that? Was there
magic about?

Then Pink-Whistle whisked off a boy's coat and threw it over the wall.
He picked up another boy, and sat him on the top of a red post-box. How he
yelled in fright and surprise!

80
 The girls and the little boys roared with laughter, not knowing at all
what was happening. Then Pink-Whistle spoke in a very deep voice. "Why
did you tease and frighten the others? How does it feel to be frightened
yourselves?" The boys began to tremble. "We're sorry," said one. "We
don't know who you are, or where you are, but please go away. We're
sorry."

"Then GO HOME!" said And then Pink-Whistle

Pink-Whistle. "And be careful of
my dog." And with that he began
to bark like a dog again, and those
boys shot off down the road at
sixty miles an hour!
suddenly appeared again, and a
small boy yelled in delight. "It's
Mr. PINK-WHISTLE! I thought it
must be! Hurrah for Mr. Pink-
Whistle!"

81
 WHO AM I ?

Can you find out who I am?

My name—I know it rhymes with lamb.
And then, reversed, it helps to show
Where you are and where to go.
------------------------------------

You will find the answers on page 125.

82
PLEASE HELP ME, MR. PINK-WHISTLE!

"MR. PINK-WHISTLE, sir," said Sooty the cat, coming into the
room where Mr. Pink-Whistle was having a little snooze. "Could you wake
up for a minute!"
"Hallo! Dear me, was I asleep?" said Pink-Whistle, waking up with a
jump. "What is it, Sooty? A visitor to see me?"
"Well, it's a little boy," said Sooty, "and he seems to want your help
—but he's so shy that really I can't make head or tail of what he wants!"
"Send him in," said Pink-Whistle, and Sooty ran out of the room and
went to the front gate. A boy of about nine was there, looking anxiously at
the house.
"You can come in," said Sooty. "And do try and speak properly or
you will waste my master's time!"
The boy followed Sooty into the little house, and blushed bright red
with delight when he saw old Pink-Whistle—yes, the real, live Pink-
Whistle, with pointed ears, green eyes and a very big smile.
"Hallo, my boy," said Pink-Whistle. "What's the matter? I hear you
want my help!"
The boy nodded his head but didn't say a word. "Sit down," said
Pink-Whistle. "Now tell me."

83
 "P-p-p-p-please h-h-help m-m-m-m-
m-me," said the boy, stammering dread-
fully.
"I will," said Pink-Whistle. "What's
wrong?"
"It's—it's—it's my st-st-stammer!"
said the boy, nervously. "I c-c-c-can't help
it. And the others 1-1-1-laugh at m-m-m-
me and that m-m-makes it worse. And my
m-m-m-mother gets c-c-cross, and that m-
m-m-makes me w-w-w-worse t-t-t-too."
"Bad luck!" said Pink-Whistle. "You
don't need to be nervous with me, you
know. You will be glad to hear that I can
cure you quite easily."
"C-c-can you!" said the boy, amazed.
"What's your name?"saidPink-
Whistle, "and your address? I'm going to
send you something that will cure you."
The boy beamed all over his face.
"My name's M-M-M-Mark B-B-B-Brown,"
he said.
"Not a good name for a stammerer,"
said Pink-Whistle and twinkled at the boy.
"I told you you don't need to be nervous
with me. Take a deep breath and say your
name again, slowly."
"Mark Brown!" said the boy. "What
are you g-going to send me, Mr. Pink-
Whistle?"
"Aha! Something alive!" said Pink-
Whistle, shutting up the notebook in which
he had written Mark's name and address.
"Something that will want to understand
every word you say. Something that will
never laugh at you. Something that will

84
 want you to talk and talk and talk so clearly that he is never at a loss
to obey your smallest word."
"Is it something magic," asked Mark, not stammering at all in his
wonder at what Mr. Pink-Whistle was saying.
"You wait and see," said Pink-Whistle. "Now, off you go—and I
want you to visit me again in one month's time and bring my present back
with you, so that I can see if you get along with it all right."
Mark ran off, puzzled and delighted. What did Mr. Pink-Whistle
mean? What a KIND man he was—those twinkling eyes—that deep happy
voice! Yes—he felt sure that Mr. Pink-Whistle would cure him of his
stammering—without any scolding or jeering, without any long, long
exercises in speaking. Good old Mr. Pink-Whistle!
Mr. Pink-Whistle got busy as soon as Mark had gone. He went to his
telephone and rang up Mark's mother. She was most astonished to hear
who it was, and even more astonished when she knew that Mark had been
to see him.
"It's his stammer he's worried about," said Mr. Pink-Whistle. "I can
cure it—if you will allow me to give him a present."
He told her what the present would be, and she said, yes, she would
let Mark have it as soon as it arrived—though for the life of her she
couldn't see how it would help Mark's stammer!
Then Mr, Pink-Whistle went off to the nearby farm, and asked

85
 That night he took the puppy to Mark's home and gave it to Mark's
mother. She had a little round basket all ready for it with a warm rug
inside. She was very grateful to Mr. Pink-Whistle and looked curiously at
the pointed ears under his top-hat. What a strange little man—and what a
kind face.
"This puppy won't cure Mark's stammer, you know," she said. "It's
very kind of you to give it to him—but I'm afraid not even you can cure
Mark. We've all tried and failed."
"Never mind. Just give it to Mark," said Pink-Whistle. "And tell him
the puppy's name is Bonny."
"Oh dear—he'll never say that!" said Mrs. Brown. "B for Bonny is
one of his worst stammering letters."
"The puppy's name is Bonny" said Mr. Pink-Whistle, firmly, "and it
is on no account to be altered. Tell Mark he must train him properly, or
else, at the end of a month, I shall take the puppy back. He must teach him
what quite a lot of commands mean —'Sit!' 'Come to heel!' 'Lie down!'
'Quiet!' and 'Down, sir, down!' I shall expect Bonny to obey all those
commands in a month's time. Please give Mark this note for me,"

86
 "Oh dear—he really won't be able to say a single command without
stammering," said Mrs. Brown. "It's no use, you know."
But Mr. Pink-Whistle raised his hat, said good-bye and went. How he
wondered what Mark would say when he saw the puppy!
Mark's mother crept upstairs with Bonny in the basket. The little Thing
was tired and was now fast asleep. She set the basket down gently in Mark's
room and went out. The boy was fast asleep, too, and didn't stir at all.
The puppy slept peacefully—but he awoke in the middle of the night
and wanted his mother. Where was she? He couldn't feel her or smell her. He
was very, very lonely indeed. He sat up in the basket, frightened, and began
to whine.
Mark woke up at once, and he, too, sat up—what could that noise be?
He listened with astonishment. It sounded like the whining of a dog!
He switched on his light, and at once saw the tiny golden spaniel sitting
forlornly in his basket, crying for his mother.
"Oh!" cried Mark. "It's a dream! Surely I'm dreaming!" He leapt out of
bed and went over to the puppy. The little thing cuddled up to him, still
whining. Then Mark saw a big white envelope in the basket, and picked it up.
"From Mr. _ Pink-Whistle to Mark" was written on the envelope. Mark
tore it open.
"Here is the cure for your stammer, Mark,' said the note. "Be sure
Bonny understands every word you say. He doesn't even know what
stammering is! Teach him all the things he ought to know. Your mother will
tell you what I said. Love from Pink-Whistle."

87
 Mark put the note down and stared at the tiny puppy. He cuddled it
in his arms, and put his chin down on its soft head. "Bonny," he said,
softly. "Yes, you're Bonny—it's a good name for you. So this is Mr. Pink-
Whistle's gift."
The puppy whined and cuddled closer. He liked this boy. He was
warm and friendly and kind—the kind of boy that all dogs liked.
"I can't let you sleep alone in your basket the very first night!" said
Mark. "I'll take you to bed with me. Bonny, and hope that Mother won't be
cross—if 11 only be just this once."
He cuddled the puppy again, loving its soft silky fur and beautiful
ears. "I haven't stammered once to you, have I?" he said. "You wouldn't
mind if I did—but it would puzzle you if I called you B-b-b-b-Bonny,
wouldn't it? It might even frighten you. You'll never laugh at me or be
angry with me, you'll be my friend. And I shall be yours. If only I could
tell Mr. Pink-Whistle how happy I am!"
Mark was so happy the
next day that he hardly knew
how to stop singing and
whistling. Bonny followed him
about like a shadow. Everyone in
the house loved the tiny creature,
especially Janie, Mark's tomboy
sister,
"Let me hold him Mark, do
let me!" she said.
"N-n-n-no," said Mark,
with his usual stammer.
"There! You're stammer-
ing!" said Janie. "And yet you
don't stammer when you talk to
Bonny. You can help it, you
see."
"I c-c-can't when I t-t-talk
to p-p-people like you, who 1-1-
1-laugh at me so often," said
Mark. "I'm n-not afraid that B-
Bonny will laugh.”

88
 "Listen, Mark—let me hold Bonny sometimes, and I promise, word
of honour, I won't ever laugh at you again," said Janie. "Or mimic you. Not
ever."
"All right. That'll b-be a help," said Mark, "Bonny—here's my
sister. She'll love you too!"
It certainly was a most extraordinary thing, but whenever Mark
spoke to Bonny he never once stammered. He soon began to teach the little
thing how to behave. At first Mark was sure he would not be able to say
"Down, sir, down" without stammering over the D, but it never bothered
him at all. Mr. Pink-Whistle was right as usual!
Mark remembered that Pink-Whistle had told him to be sure to talk
and talk and talk to Bonny, so that he would soon understand every word
that his little master said to him. So, as soon as he came home from school,
Mark went to fetch Bonny, took him to the playroom, and played with him,
and talked all the time.
He told Bonny all that happened at school. He showed him how to
play ball, and talked to him about it. He told him over and over again of his
visit to Mr. Pink-Whistle. His mother heard all the talking going on one
day and popped her head in to listen. How amazed she was! Why, Mark
wasn't stammering once—not ONCE.
But when he saw her looking in, he stammered immediately

89
 he spoke to her! "Oh M-m-m-
Mother, you made me j-jump!"
"Sorry!" said his mother. "Oh, Mark
—I've been listening to you talking
to Bonny—you didn't stammer at
all then."
"I know," said Mark. He
wouldn't mind my stammer, but it
might muddle him a bit—and
besides I don't even think about
stammering when I'm with him.
He's my friend —and I know he
won't laugh or jeer, so I don't have
to think before I speak, and then get
afraid and stammer. He's curing me,
Mother."
"Yes. He is," said Mrs.
Brown. "Mr. Pink-Whistle was
right. Go on chattering to Bonny,
Mark—you'll soon be so used to
talking without a stammer that you won't even be afraid of stammering
when you talk to people!"
At the end of the month Mark was sure he was cured. He had talked
so much to Bonny, had taught him so many commands, and had quite
forgotten to be afraid and nervous. Now he talked just as Janie did—fast
and confidently without a single stammer!
"It's a miracle!" said Mrs. Brown.
"No. Just common-sense," said Mark's father. "I'd like to meet this
Mr. Pink-Whistle!"
But Mark went alone to see the kind little man, taking Bonny with
him. The puppy already knew how to walk to heel, and was as good as
gold,
"Hallo! Nice to see you again!" said Pink-Whistle, "Well, did the
cure I sent you work all right?"
"Qh yes! I never stammer now!" said Mark. "Do you want to see
how well I've trained Bonny?"

90
 "Dear me, yes—if he's not been properly trained, I must have him
back/' said Pink-Whistle.
Then Mark gave all kinds of commands to little Bonny. "Sit! Lie
down! Bark! Quiet now! To heel, sir, to heel! On guard, boy, on guard!"
Mr. Pink-Whistle watched and listened. He felt very, very pleased.
Mark turned to him with a flushed face and shining eyes. "There, sir!" he
said. "I can keep him, can't I? I love Bonny, he's my friend and I'm his.
He's cured me, just as you said he would."
"Well done, Mark!" said Mr. Pink-Whistle. "Of course you can keep
him—you deserve to have him—and he deserves to have you. Share him
with Janie sometimes."
"I will," said Mark. "She helped me, too, because she never once
laughed at me after I let her hold Bonny whenever she wanted to. I'm
cured, aren't I?"
"You certainly are. You're quite a chatter-box now!" said Pink-
Whistle. "Let yourself out, will you—Sooty doesn't like puppies, I'm
afraid."
"Good-bye, Mr. Pink-Whistle—and thank you very much!" said
Mark. "I'm going to tell EVERYONE how to cure a stammer-just get a
puppy-dog to talk to!"
Well—it certainly does seem a very good idea, doesn't it?

91
 ONE CHRISTMAS EVE

"Master," said Sooty, "one "Well, tell me where the

of my friends has just come to tell
me rattier a sad story. It's about
five children in a caravan. It's
Christmas Eve—and they’ve no
presents at all."
caravan is, and I'll go there," said
Pink-Whistle. "Pack me up a sack
of toys, Sooty—ones we had left
from our party." So Sooty packed
them up. "They're rather small,"
he said.

Away went Pink-Whistle with the little sack, and soon saw the
caravan in the distance. He went to peep into the lighted window. Five
children sat there, talking. "Nice children—but sad-looking," said Pink-
Whistle. He heard what the children said. "Mother's late," said one. "I wish
she hadn't to work so hard on Christmas Eve. What a shame none of us will
have presents. Hark—there's a knock on the door!"

92
 It was Pink-Whistle knocking, of course. "The door's locked!" cried a
boy. "Mother locked it so that no stranger could get in. Go away—you
can't be up to any good at this time of night!" One of the children began to
cry, and the oldest boy took her on his knee. "You've frightened my little
sister!" he shouted. "Go away, whoever you are." Pink-Whistle felt sad.
What was he to do ?

"If I leave this sack somewhere, it might be stolen," he thought.

"How I wish I could fill their stockings, poor children. Hallo —what's this
I've bumped into? Oh—it's a clothes-line!"
Pink-Whistle couldn't help laughing, as the moon shone out brightly
just then and he saw all the things on the line. WHAT a lot of socks and
stockings there were!

93
 c
Ha! Stockings!" said Pink-Whistle, stopping suddenly as he walked
away. "Stockings! On Christmas Eve! JUST the very thing I wanted—
hanging under my very nose too. Hey, stop flapping at me, stockings!"
Pink-Whistle put down his little sack and opened it. He took out a small
train, a little boat, a pair of tiny dolls, and looked up at the socks and
stockings. "Just the right size to put into you!" he said.

He was soon very busy indeed, stuffing the pairs of socks and
stockings with small presents. WHAT a good thing he hadn't been able to
bring any big ones—they wouldn't have gone in! He stepped back when he
had finished. The full socks and stockings didn't flap about now—they
hung down, still and fat, bulging into queer shapes. "You're a very nice
sight!" said Pink-Whistle. "Good-night!"

94
 And away he went with his empty sack, thinking happily 01 the
children's surprise in the morning. He passed their tired, thin mother on her
way home, and wished her a happy Christmas. She didn't even hear!

She didn't see the fat socks and stockings as she passed them. She
was so tired that she just wanted to lie down and sleep. The children made
a fuss of her, and brought her a cup of tea and some bread.

95
 And in the morning, WHAT a surprise they all had! One of the girls
went to bring in the washing—and gave a shout. "Come and see—there are
presents here—stuffed in all the socks and stockings!"

What a happy morning that was in the caravan! See them all there3
emptying out the presents—and best of all, look what kind Pink-Whistle
has put into one of the mother's stockings—a purse full of money!

96
1. Mr. Pink-Whistle had a lovely dinner today. As it was so nice I made him
a menu with lettered bricks, but I'm sorry to say I dropped them and they got
mixed up. Can you sort them out and find what he had to eat?
MTTOOA POSU

SORAT KCHICNE
DBKAE ETOAPTOS

REENG EPAS
CIE MCEAR
2. In each of the following groups, there is one word which means
something quite different from all the others. For instance, in the first group
veal, beef, and mutton are all some kind of meat, but cheese is not.

Can you spot the odd word in each group ?

(a) Veal, cheesey beef, mutton.
(b) Rose, daisy, onion, primrose.
(c) Yorkshire, Kent, Norfolk, Manchester.
(d) Blue, red, green, circle.
(e) Tea, coffee, cocoa, book.

3. Can you find the musical instruments hidden in these sentences ?

(a) Stop, Ian, or the toy will be broken.
(b) There was a loud rumbling in the distance.
(c) The knife was very sharp.
(d) There was a thorn in the cat's paw.

4. Answer this one quickly:

If tomorrow week is Monday, what day was yesterday ?
Answers on page 125.

97
 MR. PINK-WHISTLE
KNOWS HOW TO BARK!
ONE Wednesday afternoon Mr. Pink-Whistle was walking down
Mulberry Lane, watching the children running home from school. They
smiled at the plump little man as they passed, and one or two whispered
among themselves.
"Isn’t, he like Mr. Pink-Whistle—the little man we sometimes read
about in our books? But he can't be, of course."
Mr. Pink-Whistle sat down on a seat to wait for his bus. All the
children seemed to have gone now. But no—here was another one —the
last of all.
"A little girl," thought Mr. Pink-Whistle. "She doesn't look very
happy. Perhaps she was kept in for being naughty."
The girl came up and Pink-Whistle saw that she looked frightened.
He was just about to speak to her when she darted into a gateway and
disappeared.
"Well—I suppose she lives there/* said Pink-Whistle to himself.
"Hallo—who are these, peeping round that corner?"
He saw three boys peering round the corner of the street, some way
along. What did they want? He watched them, but they didn't come any
farther. Soon they drew back, and he couldn't see them. He looked round to
see if the little girl was anywhere about—and dear me, there she was,
peering round the gate-post nearby, looking more scared than ever.
"Hallo, little girl!" said Pink-Whistle, in his kindly voice. "Are you
looking for someone?"

98
 The girl didn't move. She
stood behind the gate-post, and
stared at Mr. Pink-Whistle. "Yes,"
she said. "Well—I'm not exactly
looking for someone—I'm looking
out for them."
"Oh—someone you don't
want to meet?" asked Pink-Whistle.
"Who?"
"Well—it's three big boys,"
said the girl. "You see, my brother
is captain of the football eleven at
school and he won't have these
three boys in because they're no
good. So they lie in wait for me, and
scare me dreadfully."
Pink-Whistle looked down
the road to the corner. He saw three
heads peeping round again! Oho!
So that was why those boys were there, was it—lying in wait for a
frightened little girl! The big cowardly bullies!
"What do they do? Do they chase you?" he asked. "Oh, yes—and
they trip me up—look what I did to my knee yesterday," said the girl,
showing him a bandaged knee. "And they pull my hair and throw my hat
over the hedge, and take my school bag away. All because my brother
won't have them in his team!" "Why don't you tell him?" asked Pink-
Whistle, sorry for the scared little thing.
"Well, you see, my brother's very brave, and he would fight the three
of them," explained the girl. "And they would knock him down and hurt
him, and maybe he wouldn't be able to play in the match on Saturday. It's a
very, very important match, you know. I might tell him about the boys next
week when the match is over."
"I think you must be a very nice sister to have," said

99
 Mr. Pink-Whistle. "Would you like me
to chase those boys away?"
"Well—I don't think you'd have much
chance against them," said the girl, still
behind the gate-post. "You're not very big,
are you—and they're all strong— one's
fifteens and as tall as my Daddy." "Well—
perhaps we could think of something else,"
said Mr. Pink-Whistle. "I can see them
peeping round that corner, again, looking for
you. Now—let me see—yes, I've got it. How
would you like a very fierce dog to protect
you, and to chase those boys?"
The little girl looked astonished. "Well,
I don't think I like fierce dogs," she said.
"And I'm afraid my Daddy wouldn't let me
keep one."
"Listen," said Mr. Pink-Whistle, "I'll
lend you a dog to see you home—he shall be
yours for a few minutes, see? He can trot
down the road beside you—and if those boys
go for you, he'll go for them, and give them
SUCH a fright! You must shout to warn them, of course, 'Mind my dog
—he's dangerous!' "
"But you haven't a dog with you!" said the little girl, puzzled. "Oh,
I can soon get him here," said Pink-Whistle, standing up. "Now listen—
you pop back into that gateway and hide under a bush for a minute.
When you hear a dog bark, come along out."
"All right," said the child, still astonished. She ran back into the
drive and hid under a bush, waiting. Pink-Whistle chuckled to himself.
"I'm going to enjoy this!" he said.
Well, as you know. Pink-Whistle can do all kinds of things. He can
make himself invisible, and he can even change his shape, for he is half
a brownie. First of all he muttered a few words that made him invisible.

100
 He disappeared completely—one moment he was there, the next he
was not! Then he muttered a few more words, and, hey presto, a big dog
stood in his place—a large brown and white one, with eyes just like Pink-
Whistle's, a long tail, and great big teeth.
He barked—a nice gentle bark, because he didn't want to frighten the
little girl. She came to the gate-post at once, and stared at him. He
scampered over to her and licked her hand gently, wagging his great tail.
Really, whoever would have thought that Pink-Whistle could bark and wag
a tail! He was enjoying himself!
"Oh—are you that little man's dog?" asked the girl, and patted him
gently. He certainly was big, but he had such nice eyes that she couldn't
help liking him. Besides, she loved dogs. "Where's your master gone?" she
asked. "He was here a minute ago."
"Woof," said the dog, and licked her again. Then he tugged at her
skirt as if to say, "Come along. You're safe with me!"
"I'll go home now," said the child. "But please, if those boys rush at
me and knock me over, will you bark loudly, dog?"
"WOOF, WOOF!" said Pink-Whistle, and was delighted to find he
could bark so loudly! The little girl looked quite startled.
They set out down the road together, Pink-Whistle keeping a little
way behind, pattering along on his four paws, pleased to find how easy it
was to run like that.

101
 He saw a boy's head pop round the corner, and then go back again
immediately. Ah—those boys were still there, then, waiting. The little girl
didn't see the head pop round, she was watching the big dog, and looking
round to see if she could spy the kind little man who had spoken to her.
She came to the corner—and at once the three boys pounced! She
gave a scream as one caught her arm.
But listen! "WOOF! WOOOOOOOF! WOOOOOOOOOOF!"
Good gracious, what a bark that was! The boys stopped and stared in
fright at the big dog racing round them, barking so loudly.
"Go home!" shouted one boy. Pink-Whistle gave a wonderful snarl
and showed all his big, doggy teeth. The boy didn't like them at all!
"Leave my dog alone—don't you dare to hit him!" cried the little girl,
as she saw one boy breaking a branch off a nearby tree. "He'll go for you!"
And that is just what Pink-Whistle did! Woofing at the top of his
voice, he chased those boys all the way down the street. When one fell
down, he leapt on top of him, pretending he was going to bite him! The
boy screamed, just as the little girl had so often screamed when she had
been chased and knocked down!

102
 How Pink-Whistle enjoyed being a dog chasing those three unkind
boys! He went after first one and then another, barking all the time,
pretending to nip their ankles as he went. The little girl was half-scared and
half-amused. What a dog! What a kind, brave dog! How she wished he was
really hers!
"Hey! You call off this dog of yours, and we'll never come near you
again!" shouted one of the boys, who had fallen down, and was trying to
push the dog off him. "Call him off! Go on—we're scared stiff! I tell you,
we'll never come near you again. We didn't know you had a dog like this!"
"All right—I'll call him off. But mind—if you dare even to pull my
hair, I'll bring my dog along again," said the little
girl, fiercely.
Then she called to the dog.
"Come here! Come to heel! You can leave
those boys alone now—don't eat them up this
time!"
The dog left the boys and came running up
to the little girl. At once the three young bullies
took to their heels and fled at top speed. Never,
never, never would they lie in wait for that girl
again!
She patted the dog gently. "Come with me
to the butcher's and I'll buy you a bone," she said.
"And when you go back to that kind little man,
tell him I thank him very, very much for lending
you to me!"
Pink-Whistle trotted off on his four paws
with the little girl, pleased and proud. What an
exciting thing to be a dog for once in a way!
The little girl bought him a bone, patted him
and away went Pink-Whistle holding it in his
mouth exactly as any other dog would! He
dropped it at the foot of a hungry-looking terrier
he met, and then went into a corner to change
back to himself again.

103
 It didn't take long! A few muttered words, and the dog disappeared
bit by bit, much to the surprise of a cat who was sitting on a nearby wall!
At last Pink-Whistle stood there, quite himself again, smiling all over
his face, "That was a real adventure!" he said. "Now I must catch that bus,
go home to my tea, and tell Sooty what happened to me this afternoon."
Sooty was glad to see his master. "You're very late for your tea," he
said. "The hot toast is almost dry!"
"Well," said Pink-Whistle, "what do you think I did this afternoon,
Sooty? I changed myself into a dog! You should have heard me bark. Just
like this—WOOF! WOOOOOF! WOOOOOOOF!"
Good gracious! What a fright for Sooty! He shot out of the window
at the very first WOOF—and he didn't come back till it was dark. Poor
Sooty! He had never heard Pink-Whistle bark before—and he hopes he
never will again!

A MATCH-BOX COVER BRIDGE

You won't find this too difficult to make if you follow the
instructions and diagrams carefully. All you need are two match-box
covers, some paper and some glue or strong paste.
Diagram I shows you the two match-box covers, marked a and b. In
Diagram 2, cover a has been cut across from corner to corner and the two
pieces are marked f and g. Diagram 3 shows cover b and the dotted lines
mark the shape which has to be cut for the portion marked k.
Diagram 4 shows how to fit the pieces g, k and/ together and you
should glue the parts where they join. Now take a piece of paper 9 inches
long and the width of the bridge and fold the ends concertina-wise, leaving
a gap in the middle marked x y in Diagram 5. Diagram 6 shows the paper
steps in position with the plain gap in the middle. Glue the ends of the
steps at p and o and your bridge is finished!

104
105
 A RHYMING RIDDLE
My first is in home and also in house,
My second is in cat but not in mouse,
My third is in trumpet but not in horn,
My fourth is in reap but not in corn,
My fifth is in you but not in me,
My whole is what everyone likes to be!
Answers on page 125.

106
 NOW, one day two children came knocking at Mr. Pink-Whistle's
back door. They were twins, and as alike as two peas, one a boy and one a
girl.
Mr. Pink-Whistle was asleep In his chair, and it was Sooty, his cat,
who answered the door.
"Oh! Are you Sooty?" said the boy in delight. "I've read about you.
Please—we've come to see Mr. Pink-Whistle. He puts wrong things right,
doesn't he?"
"He does," said Sooty. "Come along in. He's resting just now— it's
hard work putting so many wrong things right, you know. You sit down
and have a cup of cocoa and a biscuit with me, and tell me what's wrong."
"Well," said the girl, "we live with our mother. Our father is dead, so
Mother works hard at taking in people's washing. She grows flowers, too,
and sells them in the market."
"Well, what's wrong about that?" said Sooty.
"Nothing," said the boy. "But I'll tell you what is wrong! There's a
horrid, spiteful man next door, and he doesn't like us two. We are a bit
noisy sometimes, and our ball does go into his garden once or twice a week
—but he's unkind to our mother because of us!"

107
 "Dear me—what does he do?" asked
Sooty, pouring out the cocoa.
"He lights a bonfire when the wind is in
our direction!" said the boy. "And it spoils
Mother's flowers, and it blackens all the
clean washing hanging out on the line!"
"What a horrid thing to do!" said Sooty.
"I suppose she has to wash it all over
again?"
"Yes. And if she's tired it makes her
cry," said the girl. "And she does so love
her flowers, and she can't bear to see them
all withered and scorched— besides she
can't sell them then."
"And we want to know if Mr. Pink-
Whistle can put things right for us," said the
boy. "He's so kind, isn't he? He could put
them right, I know."
"I really don't see how," said Sooty,
handing them a tin of biscuits.
"When will he be awake?" asked the girl. "We simply must ask him.
We've come a long way."
"I'll go and see if he's awake now," said Sooty, and hurried away to
find out.
Mr. Pink-Whistle was awake. He was in a tremendous hurry, too,
because he had remembered that he had promised to go out to tea with his
friend Mr. Winkle, and here it was almost half-past four now! Goodness,
what a hurry he was in!
"What's happened to my clean handkerchiefs? Where's my hat-brush?
Where did I put my new shoes?" Pink-Whistle rushed about from place to
place, muttering all the time.
"Master—there are two children to see you," began Sooty. "But I am
sure you won't have time."
"Dear, dear—no, I'm afraid I shan't," said Pink-Whistle, looking at his
watch. "What do they want?" Sooty told him about the twins and their
mother, and how she

108
 took in washing and grew flowers to sell—and how the man next
door spoilt everything by lighting bonfires as soon as the wind was in their
direction.
"I told them there was nothing you could do to put it right," said
Sooty.
"Nothing I can do! Why, of course there's something/5 cried Pink-
Whistle. "All they want is a little spell to change the direction of the wind,
when that spiteful fellow lights his bonfires! Now, Sooty—you know
where my wind-spells are kept, don't you? —in the bottom drawer of my
chest. Take one. Take one out and give it to the children with my love. It's
just a tiny packet of yellow powder, and all they have to do is to blow it
into the wind."
"Oh—I didn't think of a wind-spell!" said Sooty. "Whatever are you
looking for, sir? You've got everything you want, surely?"
"My gloves, Sooty, my gloves!" said Pink-Whistle, pulling out
drawer after drawer.
"You've got them on, sir," said Sooty, and Pink-Whistle looked at his
hands and laughed.
"So I have. Well, I must go. Give my best wishes to the two children,
and hand them the wind-spell. Tell them not to use all the powder at once
—just a bit at a time, each time the man lights his bonfire. The wind will
change, and the thick smoke won't hurt their flowers or the washing on the
line. Now good-bye—have something nice for my supper, please!"
Out hurried Mr. Pink-Whistle,
and Sooty tidied up and then went to
the bottom drawer of the chest. There
he saw some packets of yellow powder
—the wind-spells. He picked out a
nice big one and went back to the
children.
"Oooh!" they said, when he told
them what he was giving them. "How
kind of Mr. Pink-Whistle ! Please
thank him. NOW We Shall be all
right!"

109
 They hurried home, very pleased. "There's not a breath of wind at
present," said the girl, "or we might try a bit of the spell, and watch the
wind blow away in the opposite direction. Never mind —the very next
time that horrid man lights his bonfire to spoil Mother's washing, we'll use
it!"
The next day, when the twins were playing with their bows and
arrows, an arrow went into the next-door garden. The twins peered through
the fence to see where it was. Perhaps they could reach it with a stick. So
they poked a stick through the palings—but Mr. Grumps saw them at once,
and shouted.
"NOW what are you doing—poking about in my garden! Am I never
to have any peace?"
The twins ran indoors, frightened. "Oh dear—tomorrow is Mother's
washing-day," they said. "Old Mr. Grumps is sure to light his bonfire
because we've annoyed him again. Where's that spell? We may have to use
it!"
Well, as soon as the twins' mother hung out her spotless washing the
next morning, Mr. Grumps went down to fetch sticks for his bonfire.
"Oh, PLEASE don't light your bonfire today," begged the twins'
mother. "I've just spent hours doing so much washing—shirts and sheets,
towels and blankets, dresses and overalls—please, I beg of you, don't light
your bonfire!"
"Bah!" said Mr. Grumps. "Why don't you train your children

110
 "Hah. They won't be much good for selling!" said Mr. Grumps. "I'll
just wait for the wind to strengthen a bit, then I'll get my fire going."
Well, in half an hour that bonfire was going well, and great clouds of
black, evil-smelling smoke began to roll across the twins' garden. It
scorched the tall delphiniums, it made the roses wilt— and soon it began to
blacken the washing. But wait!—what was this that the twins were doing?
"Quick—use the spell before the bonfire gets worse!" said the boy,
and he undid the packet of yellow powder. "Now—both together—blow
the wind-spell into the wind. Oh, how I hope it works!"
Now Sooty had quite forgotten to tell the children that only a bit
must be used at a time—and they used the whole spell at once! The yellow
powder flew into the air—and into the wind, of course. Then a strange
thing happened!
The spell bent the wind back—it made it change its direction!

111
 Instead of blowing all over the twins' garden, it blew back into Mr.
Grumps', But it blew there very fiercely indeed! The wind-spell had
changed the strong breeze into quite a gale, that raged round Mr. Grumps'
garden and tried to get out of it. But it couldn't—the spell kept it there in
his garden, blowing round and round.
The bonfire began to blaze as the wind blew strongly into it. The
smoke rose high and wide. It blackened Mr. Grumps* flowers. It scorched
his fine lettuces. It blew into the open windows of his house and filled the
rooms with black fog.
And then something else happened. The bonfire flames stretched out
hot fingers to Mr. Grumps’ fine new shed. It burnt his favourite spade
lying nearby. It began to burn his barrow—and now it was sending flames
up the side of his wooden shed!
The twins were amazed when the spell changed the wind so quickly
—but they became frightened when they saw what else was happening. Oh
—Mr. Grumps' lovely new shed! Oh, his nice barrow—and oh, look, his
lettuces were all withering!
"Quick—quick—we must do something!" cried the boy, and he ran
to get the garden hose. He fitted it on the tap with trembling fingers, and
then with a whoooooosh the water began to pour from the hose on to the
flames!
Mr. Grumps rushed out of his house in amazement and dismay. What
was this! His bonfire wasn't harming that woman's washing

112
 next door—it was burning up his own possessions! Look at his
barrow—and his shed would soon be nothing but ashes! Why, oh, why,
had he lighted that bonfire to do the people next door a bad turn?
Then he saw what the twins were doing—trying to quench the
flames! The girl had filled a bucket of water, too, and was trying to put out
the flames round the burning barrow. Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle!
At last the bonfire was out, and only a wisp of black smoke rose up
from it. The shed had been saved, the barrow wasn't too badly burnt—but
the spade was no use and the lettuces were all gone.
"Oh, you kind children!" cried Mr. Grumps. "You've saved my shed.
My house might have caught fire, too. Oh, to think I was doing you such a
bad turn—and you’ve done me a good one in return! I'll never be unkind to
you again, never!"
The girl twin began to cry. She had been so frightened and upset.
"You were bad to try to spoil my mother's washing!" she wept.

113
 "But we were bad to make the wind blow the other way and nearly
burn all your things up. We used a wind-spell, Mr. Grumps—and it
changed the wind!"
Mr. Grumps didn't believe this. He didn't believe in spells or magic
or anything like that. He patted the girl on the shoulder.
"Rubbish, my dear!" he said. "It wasn't a wind-spell, you know it
wasn't. It was just that the wind suddenly changed, as it sometimes does—
and / got the flames and smoke instead of you. But you were kind and good
—you tried to save my things for me!"
When the news got round to Mr. Pink-Whistle, he was most
astonished. "Sooty!" he said to his black cat, "Sooty—you must have
forgotten to tell those children only to use part of the wind-spell at a time!"
"Yes, I did forget, Master," said Sooty with a sly smile. "But never
mind—Old Man Grumps and the twins and their mother are now all as
friendly as can be—so you've managed to put things right again, just as
you always do. You're a wonder, Mr. Pink-Whistle—things always go
right for you!"
Good old Pink-Whistle—I'd like him for my best friend, wouldn't
you?

114
ISN'T THAT PINK-WHISTLE?
"Look!" say the children, and stop in their play,
"Isn't that Pink-Whistle coming this way?
The kind little man who will always defend
A child who's unhappy and needs a good friend?"

Yes—it's Pink-Whistle—it's easy to tell

By his ears—they're so pointed and glisten so well!
A blue-spotted bow is just under his chin.
And his clothes (brushed by Sooty) are neat as a pin!

“Oh, hallo, dear Pink-Whistle!" the boys and girls say,

"What's the wrong thing you have put right today?"
Ah well—that's a story you'll find in this book,
It begins on page twenty, so just have a look!

115
 MAKE YOUR OWN JIGSAW PUZZLE

Here is something for you to do on a rainy afternoon. The pieces on

the opposite page will make up an aeroplane, a railway engine and a car.
Trace them off on to thin cardboard and then cut them out very carefully.
You will find them very easy to put together (the drawing at the top of this
page will help you) and when the pieces are in place, you can paint them in
bright colours.
Mr. Pink-Whistle suggests that you make the railway engine a nice
bright red with a black funnel and golden yellow fittings. He thinks that the
aeroplane would look nice painted a silvery-blue and that the car might be
a bright green.
If you keep the pieces together in a little box or an old cigarette
carton, you can ask your friends to put the toys together!

116
117
 ONE Christmas night Santa Claus went out to set off as usual in his
sleigh. As soon as he stepped out of the castle door he stopped in dismay.
"What a wind!" he said, as his red coat flapped round his legs. "And
my word, what snow! I'll be lucky if I find my way about tonight. Hey
there, Trig and Trim—are the reindeer ready?"
Trig and Trim were two little imps with Santa Claus in his sleigh.
One of them was to drive the reindeer for him and the other had to help
him to tie and untie his sack of toys. They called back at once.
"Yes, Santa—they're ready—but they don't like this wind and snow!
They are very restless indeed!"
Santa Claus got into the sleigh and settled down. "I'd better drive," he
said, but dear me, his hands were so cold that he soon had to hand the reins
to Trig.

118
 How the wind buffeted the sleigh as it sped through the sky that
night! "Whoooo-ooo!" it shouted, and almost deafened Santa Claus.
Then there came such a snow-squall that the reindeer couldn't see
where they were going, and galloped round in circles—and the sleigh
almost turned on its side.
Out fell Trig and Trim with loud yells, and tumbled right down to
earth, falling on banks of soft snow. Santa Claus had his eyes shut because
of the snow and he didn't even see them go—so he was most astonished
when he opened his eyes again and saw that he was the only one in the
sleigh.
"Good gracious! Now what am I to
do?" he thought, and he clutched at the
loose reins to try and calm the reindeer. "I
must get help. Things are certainly going
very wrong tonight! But who can help
me?"
And then he suddenly remembered
dear old Pink-Whistle, the little man who
had once gone out in his sleigh for him.
"Perhaps he can help me again," thought
Santa, pulling at the reins. "Ho there,
behave yourselves, reindeer—my sack of
toys nearly fell out then. What would the
children say if there were no toys in their
stockings tomorrow!"
Santa Claus was a good way from
where Mr. Pink-Whistle lived, but the
reindeer could go as fast as lightning if
they chose —and very soon the sleigh was
right over Pink-Whistle's little cottage.
Sooty, his cat, suddenly heard the sound of
the sleigh-bells and was astonished.
"Master!" he cried, running in to
Pink-Whistle's room, "I can hear Santa
Claus coming!"
"Nonsense!" said Pink-Whistle, who

119
 was sitting cosily by the fire, "There are no children here. You're
mistaken. Sooty."
But just at that moment there came a thunderous knock at Pink-
Whistle's door, and a great voice shouted loudly. "Hey, Pink-Whistle—
open the door, man. It's me, Santa Claus."
Sooty and Pink-Whistle ran to the door together, astonished and
delighted. Santa Claus came in, covered with snow, stamping his feet and
rubbing his hands.
"Come in, come in—this is an honour!" said Pink-Whistle gladly.
"Sooty, fetch some hot drinks."
"I can't stay, Pink-Whistle," said Santa Claus. "I've come for
your help again. You put things right when
they go wrong, don't you?"
"I try to, sir, I always try to!" said Pink-
Whistle, feeling even more surprised. "But
surely you don't want my help!"
"I do. I most certainly do!" said Santa
Claus. "My reindeer lost their way in this snow
blizzard and ran round in circles, so that the
sleigh almost tipped over—and Trig and Trim,
my two servants, fell out." "Good gracious!"
said Pink-Whistle. "Are they hurt?"
"Oh no—they'll be all right," said Santa
Claus. "There was thick snow on the ground—
it'll feel like falling on a nice soft feather-bed.
But I can't get them back, and I need help. You
see, I time to keep looking at my note-book to
see the names and addresses of children I am
going to leave presents for, so someone must
drive the reindeer—and I also need someone to
tie and untie the sack for me, and hold it so that I
can take out the toys I want.”.
"I see," said Pink-Whistle, frowning as

120
 he thought very hard indeed. "Yes—you certainly must have help.
Ah—here is Sooty with some hot drinks—what will you have, Santa —
cocoa—tea—or hot lemon?"
"Well31 wouldn't mind some of all three/' said Santa. "Pm so very
cold. Feel my hands! How could I drive reindeer with hands as cold as
that? Why, I couldn't even feel the reins!"
They sat sipping the hot drinks, and Pink-Whistle began to worry
about how he could put things right for such an important person as Santa
Claus. Sooty stood near by and thought hard, too.
"Well—can you think of a way to help me?" asked Santa Claus,
finishing his second cup of cocoa and starting on the tea. "Don't you
disappoint me now—I've always heard great things of you, Pink-Whistle—
yes, great things!"
"I can't think of anyone who would be able to drive reindeer through
the sky," said Pink-Whistle. "I know a young air-pilot who flies planes—
but reindeer are different."
"My dear fellow, of course they're different—but they're well-
trained," said Santa. "They're as easy to drive as horses, but they go much
faster. Anyone who can drive horses would do— anyone!"
"There's nobody living near here that can drive," said Pink-Whistle,
beginning to feel quite desperate. "And we'd never be able to get through
this snow blizzard to the man who keeps the riding stables in the next
village. Sooty—do you know anyone nearby who would be able to drive
Santa's reindeer?"
"Oh yes, Master!" said Sooty at once.
"Dear me—who?" said Pink-Whistle, in surprise.
"Why, you!" said Sooty. "And even if you couldn't drive, I'm sure it
would be easy to manage well-trained reindeer."
"Good gracious—yes—I suppose I could drive the sleigh!" said
Pink-Whistle, suddenly excited, "Where's my thick coat, Sooty— and I
shall want a woolly scarf to tie my hat on my head. And I'll keep on my
warm slippers or my feet will get cold. Dear me—what an idea!"
"A very, very good one!" said Santa Claus, beaming. "It would be
nice to have your company in the sleigh tonight, Pink-Whistle. You're a
good fellow. I like you, and I'm not surprised that the

121
 children think of you as a friend! Right—you shall drive. But now —
who can come and handle the big sack for me? What about your next-door
neighbour?"
"They're away/5 said Pink-Whistle. But again Sooty knew what to do.
"Pm coming!" he said, and his green eyes shone brightly. "I can help
with the sack. Pm used to helping Mr. Pink-Whistle in all kinds of ways,
Santa Claus, and I know I can help you, too. Please do let me come!"
"Well, what an idea!" said Pink-Whistle again. "Yes, I don't see why
you shouldn't come, Sooty, You're very clever and always helpful. Santa
Claus, I think he'll manage the sack very well for you."
"Splendid!" said the jolly old fellow, drinking the hot lemon juice.
"Well, can we start now? I feel much warmer. Even my hands are
beginning to warm up. Feel them!"
Pink-Whistle was soon dressed warmly in his thickest top-coat, and had his hat tied
firmly on his head with a woolly scarf. He kept his comfortable slippers on, and put his
woollen gloves down to the fire to warm.
"You'd better borrow one of my short coats. Sooty," said Pink-
Whistle.
"Oh no—I'll be quite warm
enough in my own black fur coat!"
said Sooty. "I'll borrow one of
your scarves, though, Master. Are
we ready now? The reindeer must
be getting impatient, because I can
hear their bells ringing very
loudly."
Sooty put some coal on the
fire, put the guard round it, turned
out the lights, and off they went
out-of-doors in the snow.
"Thank goodness the wind

122
 isn't quite so fierce now," said Santa Claus, looking round for his
reindeer. "Goodness me—is that mound over there my sleigh and reindeer
—why, they're covered with snow!"
So they were—and it was quite a job to get the snow off and climb
into the sleigh. Pink-Whistle took the reins very proudly indeed, and the
reindeer tossed their beautiful antlers and made their bells ring out loudly.
"You're not nervous, are you, Pink-Whistle?" asked Santa Claus.
"Not a bit," said Pink-Whistle. "This is one of the nicest jobs I've
ever had to do to help anyone! Ready? Sooty, sit down, or you'll be blown
out."
They set off and in half a minute were galloping through the wind-
blown sky. The snow had almost stopped falling now, so it was much
easier to see the way. The reindeer knew it well, for they had galloped the
same way for hundreds of years.
Pink-Whistle enjoyed himself very much indeed. So did Sooty —in
fact, Sooty felt very important whenever he had to open the sack for Santa,
and then tie it up safely again. Santa always knew exactly what to take out
of it.
"See—I have a long list," he said to Sooty, and showed it to him.
"I've written down on it all the things the children have asked me for. This
boy John now, that we've just taken an aeroplane for out of the sack—
here's his name—and see, I've written 'Aeroplane' down beside it. I'd never
remember all these things

123
 without my list. Thank goodness it didn't blow away in the wind!
Now—I'll just climb down this chimney if you'll hold the reindeer still on
the roof, Pink-Whistle. I've trained them not to stamp about on roofs, so
they'll be quite quiet."
It was really a very exciting night for Mr, Pink-Whistle and Sooty,
They had never enjoyed themselves so much in all their lives. Sooty
thought the sack of toys was marvellous—it always seemed as full as ever,
no matter how many toys Santa took out of it.
"One child has asked for a clockwork mouse," said Santa to Sooty.
"Aha! That's the kind of toy you'd like, wouldn't you? Now, just let me
look at my list again. We're getting on!"
When all the toys had been put into the stockings of many, many
children, Pink-Whistle drove back to his own little house again, and got out
of the sleigh very regretfully. Sooty jumped out, too, and ran indoors to
fetch lumps of sugar for the reindeer,
"Can you drive yourself back home now, Santa?" asked Pink-
Whistle. "Let me feel your hands. Yes, they are lovely and warm,"
"Oh, I'll be all right now," said Santa. "The wind has dropped and it's
much warmer—and I shan't have to delve into my sack any more. I shall
just sit back in my seat and hold the reins loosely and let the reindeer
gallop back home at top speed."
"I have enjoyed going out with you on Christmas Eve and driving
your reindeer," said Pink-Whistle.
"Well, I'll know where to come to next time things go wrong!" said
Santa Glaus, shaking the reins and clicking to the reindeer, who were now
all munching Sooty's lumps of sugar. "Many, many thanks. Good-bye,
Pink-Whistle, good-bye, Sooty!"
And with a ringing of bells they were off! Pink-Whistle and Sooty
couldn't help feeling sad that their grand adventure was over. They went
indoors together—and will you believe it, there, on the table, was a present
for each of them!
"A new top-hat for me—and a great big clockwork mouse for you,
Sooty!" said Pink-Whistle in surprise. "How did Santa put them here
without us knowing? Well—isn't he a grand old fellow!"
Yes, Pink-Whistle, he is—and so are you!

124
 ANSWER PAGE
Here are the answers to all the puzzles and
quizzes in this book. The page numbers are
printed first so that you can find the answers
easily.
Page 15: When Joan grows up she wants to be
—a teacher.
Page 18: Crossword. Across: 2, cat; 3, boats; 5,
ear. Down: I, tub; 2, chair; 4, sun.
Page 24: Find the town: I—Cardiff.
Page 27: HIDDEN BIRDS. Lapwing Skylark,
Wagtail, Magpie, Grouse.
Page 37: When Jim grows up he wants to be—
a watchmaker.
Page 38: Which musical instruments are
hidden here? Kettle-drum, Bassoon, Bagpipes,
Cornet, Trombone, Harp.
Page 40: Crossword. Across: I, page; 3, star; 6,
lemon; 7, nib; 8, Red Indian; 9, eye; II radio; 13,
roll; 14, herd. Down: I, polar bear; 2, gum; 4,
ton; 5, Robin Hood; 10, eel; 12, doe.
Find the numbers, 1, seven; 2, five; 3, forty; 4,
two; 5, twenty; 6, seven.
Page 45: Find the town: 2—Gateshead.
Page 48: When May grows up she wants to be
—a ballet dancer.
Page 49: A Nursery Rhyme Quiz. I,
Georgie Porgie; 2, Mary; 3, Tweedle-Dee;
4, Jack Sprat; 5, Mother Hubbard; 6, Jack and
Jill.
Page 50: A Nature Quiz. I, cowslip; 2,
honeysuckle; 3, dandelion; 4, marsh marigold; 5,
celandine.
Page 62: Pink-Whistle's Puzzle Page.
I, (a) Athens, (b) Oslo, (c) Rome; 2, raisins;
currants, peel, flour, eggs, sugar;
MR. PINK-WHISTLE GOES TREASURE HUNTING
All you need to play this game is a dice and some coloured counters. Each player has to throw a six
to start and then you move round the board according to the number thrown. Follow the instructions as you
go along, and the first player to reach the "Treasure" is the winner.
3, (a) Florence, (b) Grace, (c) Thomas,
(d) Nell, (e) Joan or Jeanne, (f) Oliver.
Page 68: Find the town: 3—Bangor.
Page 72: Crossword: Across: I, comb; 5, paints;
8, locket; 9, eel; 10, sea; II, ace; 12, ear; 13,
dome. Down: I, collie; 2, mace; 3, mat; 4, ones;
5, pence; 6, tee; 7, slate.
What are we?—Dominoes.
Pages 73-6: A Little Guessing Game. Jack
Sprat, Polly Flinders and Humpty Durnpty, Lucy
Locket, Tommy Tucker, and Willie Winkie,
Mary Quite Contrary, The Three Kittens,
Georgie-Porgie, Johnny Thin, Old Mother
Hubbard, Little Boy Blue, The Fine Lady who
rode to Banbury Cross, Little Miss Muffet, The
Pussy Cat who went to see the Queen.
Page 82: Picture Puzzle, I jelly; 2, comet; 3,
lasso; 4, basin, 5, stage.
Who am I? Pam (reversed it becomes 'map').
Page 91: Animal and Birds Quiz, I,
neighs; 2, bleats; 3, brays, 4, quacks; 5, clucks;
6, roars; 7, barks; 8, moos; 9, grunts; 10, miaows.
Page 97: Sooty's Puzzle Page, I, Tomato Soup,
Roast Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Green Peas, Ice
Cream. 2, (a) cheese, (b) onion, (c) Manchester,
(d) circle, (e) book. 3, (a) piano, (b) drum, (c)
harp, (d) horn, 4, Saturday.
Page 99: When Pat grows up he wants to be—
an artist.
Page 106: Crossword. Across: I, lobster;
6, moonlight; 7, P.C.; 8, A.A.; 10,
submarine; 12, ensigns. Down: I, lamppost; 2,
book; 3, telegrams; 4, rug; 5, steamers; 9, ring; II,
bee.
A Rhyming Riddle. Happy.
Page 122: Find the town: 4—Bedford.
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