Read Online Mary Poppins Comes Back by P. L. Travers - Free Book Online
Authors: P. L. Travers
Tags: Ages 9 and up
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burning. "You cracked our Bowl. You must take the consequences. Christina, Valentine, William and Everard want you for their youngest sister. I want you for my youngest Great-Grandchild.
"
Do you think we will let you go?" he enquired
Besides, you owe us something. You hurt Valentine's knee."
"I will make up to him. I will give him my paint-box."
"He has one."
"My hoop."
"He has out-grown hoops."
"Well——" faltered Jane. "I will marry him when I grow up."
The Great-Grandfather cackled with laughter.
Jane turned imploringly to Valentine. He shook his head.
"I'm afraid it's too late for that," he said sadly. "I grew up long ago."
"Then why, then what—oh, I don't understand. Where am I?" cried Jane, gazing about her in terror.
"Far from home, my child, far from home," croaked the Great-Grandfather. "You are back in the Past—back where Christina and the boys were young sixty years ago!"
Through her tears Jane saw his old eyes burning fiercely.
"Then—how can I get home?" she whispered.
"You cannot. You will stay here. There is no other place for you. You are back in the Past, remember! The Twins and Michael, even your Father and Mother, are not yet born; Number Seventeen is not even built. You cannot go home!"
"No, no!" cried Jane. "It's not true! It can't be!" Her heart was thumping inside her. Never to see Michael again, nor the Twins, nor her Father and Mother and Mary Poppins!
And suddenly she began to shout, lifting her voice so that it echoed wildly through the stone corridors.
"Mary Poppins! I'm sorry I was cross! Oh, Mary Poppins, help me, help me!"
"Quick! Hold her close! Surround her!"
She heard the Great-Grandfather's sharp command. She felt the four children pressing close about her.
She shut her eyes tight. "Mary Poppins!" she cried again, "Mary Poppins!"
A hand caught hers and pulled her away from the circling arms of Christina, Valentine, William and Everard.
"Heh! Heh! Heh!"
The Great-Grandfather's cackling laugh echoed through the room. The grasp on her hand tightened and she felt herself being drawn away. She dared not look for fear of those frightening eyes but she pulled fiercely against the tugging hand.
"Heh! Heh! Heh!"
The laugh sounded again and the hand drew her on, down stone stairs and echoing corridors.
She had no hope now. Behind her the voices of Christina and the Triplets faded away. No help would come from them.
She stumbled desperately after the flying footsteps and felt, though her eyes were closed, dark shadows above her head and damp earth under her feet.
What was happening to her? Where, oh, where was she going? If only she hadn't been so cross—if only!
The strong hand pulled her onwards and presently she felt the warmth of sunlight on her cheeks and sharp grass scratched her legs as she was dragged along. Then suddenly a pair of arms, like bands of iron, closed about her, lifted her up and swung her through the air.
"Oh, help, help!" She cried, frantically twisting and turning against those arms. She would not give in without a struggle, she would kick and kick and kick and——
"I'll thank you to remember," said a familiar voice in her ear, "that this is my best skirt and it has to last me the Summer!"
Jane opened her eyes. A pair of fierce blue eyes looked steadily into hers.
The arms that folded her so closely were Mary Poppins' arms and the legs she was kicking so furiously were the legs of Mary Poppins.
"Oh!" she faltered. "It was
you!
I thought you hadn't heard me, Mary Poppins! I thought I should be kept there forever. I thought——"
"Some people," remarked Mary Poppins, putting her gently down, "think a great deal too much. Of that I'm sure. Wipe your face, please!"
She thrust her blue handkerchief into Jane's hand and began to get the Nursery ready for the evening.
Jane watched her, drying her tear-stained face on the large blue handkerchief. She glanced round the well-known room. There were the ragged carpet and the toy-cupboard
"
Do you think we will let you go?" he enquired
Besides, you owe us something. You hurt Valentine's knee."
"I will make up to him. I will give him my paint-box."
"He has one."
"My hoop."
"He has out-grown hoops."
"Well——" faltered Jane. "I will marry him when I grow up."
The Great-Grandfather cackled with laughter.
Jane turned imploringly to Valentine. He shook his head.
"I'm afraid it's too late for that," he said sadly. "I grew up long ago."
"Then why, then what—oh, I don't understand. Where am I?" cried Jane, gazing about her in terror.
"Far from home, my child, far from home," croaked the Great-Grandfather. "You are back in the Past—back where Christina and the boys were young sixty years ago!"
Through her tears Jane saw his old eyes burning fiercely.
"Then—how can I get home?" she whispered.
"You cannot. You will stay here. There is no other place for you. You are back in the Past, remember! The Twins and Michael, even your Father and Mother, are not yet born; Number Seventeen is not even built. You cannot go home!"
"No, no!" cried Jane. "It's not true! It can't be!" Her heart was thumping inside her. Never to see Michael again, nor the Twins, nor her Father and Mother and Mary Poppins!
And suddenly she began to shout, lifting her voice so that it echoed wildly through the stone corridors.
"Mary Poppins! I'm sorry I was cross! Oh, Mary Poppins, help me, help me!"
"Quick! Hold her close! Surround her!"
She heard the Great-Grandfather's sharp command. She felt the four children pressing close about her.
She shut her eyes tight. "Mary Poppins!" she cried again, "Mary Poppins!"
A hand caught hers and pulled her away from the circling arms of Christina, Valentine, William and Everard.
"Heh! Heh! Heh!"
The Great-Grandfather's cackling laugh echoed through the room. The grasp on her hand tightened and she felt herself being drawn away. She dared not look for fear of those frightening eyes but she pulled fiercely against the tugging hand.
"Heh! Heh! Heh!"
The laugh sounded again and the hand drew her on, down stone stairs and echoing corridors.
She had no hope now. Behind her the voices of Christina and the Triplets faded away. No help would come from them.
She stumbled desperately after the flying footsteps and felt, though her eyes were closed, dark shadows above her head and damp earth under her feet.
What was happening to her? Where, oh, where was she going? If only she hadn't been so cross—if only!
The strong hand pulled her onwards and presently she felt the warmth of sunlight on her cheeks and sharp grass scratched her legs as she was dragged along. Then suddenly a pair of arms, like bands of iron, closed about her, lifted her up and swung her through the air.
"Oh, help, help!" She cried, frantically twisting and turning against those arms. She would not give in without a struggle, she would kick and kick and kick and——
"I'll thank you to remember," said a familiar voice in her ear, "that this is my best skirt and it has to last me the Summer!"
Jane opened her eyes. A pair of fierce blue eyes looked steadily into hers.
The arms that folded her so closely were Mary Poppins' arms and the legs she was kicking so furiously were the legs of Mary Poppins.
"Oh!" she faltered. "It was
you!
I thought you hadn't heard me, Mary Poppins! I thought I should be kept there forever. I thought——"
"Some people," remarked Mary Poppins, putting her gently down, "think a great deal too much. Of that I'm sure. Wipe your face, please!"
She thrust her blue handkerchief into Jane's hand and began to get the Nursery ready for the evening.
Jane watched her, drying her tear-stained face on the large blue handkerchief. She glanced round the well-known room. There were the ragged carpet and the toy-cupboard
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