Read Online Mary Poppins Comes Back by P. L. Travers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: P. L. Travers
Tags: Ages 9 and up
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Poppins, as she neatly avoided a puddle.
She paused outside the Chemist's shop at the corner so that she could see herself reflected in the three gigantic bottles in the window. She could see a Green Mary Poppins, a Blue Mary Poppins and a Red Mary Poppins all at once. And each one of them was carrying a brand-new leather hand-bag with brass knobs on it.
Mary Poppins looked at herself in the three bottlesand smiled a pleased and satisfied smile. She spent some minutes changing the hand-bag from her right hand to her left, trying it in every possible position to see how it looked best. Then she decided that, after all, it was most effective when tucked under her arm. So she left it there.
Jane and Michael stood beside her, not daring to say anything but glancing across at each other and sighing inside themselves. And from two points of her parrot-handled umbrella the rain trickled uncomfortably down the backs of their necks.
"Now then—don't keep me waiting!" said Mary Poppins crossly, turning away from the Green, Blue and Red reflections of herself. Jane and Michael exchanged glances. Jane signalled to Michael to keep quiet. She shook her head and made a face at him. But he burst out——
"We weren't. It was you keeping us waiting——!"
"Silence!"
Michael did not dare to say any more. He and Jane trudged along, one on either side of Mary Poppins. Sometimes they had to run to keep up with her long, swift strides. And sometimes they had to wait about, standing first on one leg and then on the other, while she peered into a window to make sure the hand-bag looked as nice as she thought it did.
The rain poured down, dancing from the top of the umbrella on to Jane's and Michael's hats. Under her arm Jane carried the Royal Doulton Bowl wrapped carefully in two pieces of paper. They were taking it to Mary Poppins' cousin, Mr. Turvy, whose business, she had told Mrs. Banks, was mending things.
"Well," Mrs. Banks had said, rather doubtfully, "I hope he will do it satisfactorily, for until it is mended I shall not be able to look my Great-Aunt Caroline in the face."
Great-Aunt Caroline had given Mrs. Banks the bowl when Mrs. Banks was only three, and it was well-known that if it were broken Great-Aunt Caroline would make one of her famous scenes.
"Members of
my
family, ma'am," Mary Poppins had retorted with a sniff, "
always
give satisfaction."
And she had looked so fierce that Mrs. Banks felt quite uncomfortable and had to sit down and ring for a cup of tea.
Swish!
There was Jane, right in the middle of a puddle.
"Look where you're going, please!" snapped Mary Poppins, shaking her umbrella and tossing the drips over Jane and Michael. "This rain is enough to break your heart."
"If it did, could Mr. Turvy mend it?" enquired Michael. He was interested to know if Mr. Turvy could mend all broken things or only certain kinds. "Could he, Mary Poppins?"
"One more word," said Mary Poppins, "and Back Home you go!"
"I only asked," said Michael sulkily.
"Then don't!"
Mary Poppins, with an angry sniff, turned the corner smartly and, opening an old iron gate, knocked at the door of a small tumble-down building.
"Tap-tap-tappity-tap!" The sound of the knocker echoed hollowly through the house.
"Oh, dear," Jane whispered to Michael, "how awful if he's out!"
But at that moment heavy footsteps were heard tramping towards them, and with a loud rattle the door opened.
A round, red-faced woman, looking more like two apples placed one on top of the other than a human being, stood in the doorway. Her straight hair was scraped into a knob at the top of her head and her thin mouth had a cross and peevish expression.
"Well!" she said, staring. "It's you or I'm a Dutchman!"
She did not seem particularly pleased to see Mary Poppins. Nor did Mary Poppins seem particularly pleased to see her.
"Is Mr. Turvy in?" she enquired, without taking any notice of the round woman's remark.
"Well," said the round woman in an unfriendly voice,
She paused outside the Chemist's shop at the corner so that she could see herself reflected in the three gigantic bottles in the window. She could see a Green Mary Poppins, a Blue Mary Poppins and a Red Mary Poppins all at once. And each one of them was carrying a brand-new leather hand-bag with brass knobs on it.
Mary Poppins looked at herself in the three bottlesand smiled a pleased and satisfied smile. She spent some minutes changing the hand-bag from her right hand to her left, trying it in every possible position to see how it looked best. Then she decided that, after all, it was most effective when tucked under her arm. So she left it there.
Jane and Michael stood beside her, not daring to say anything but glancing across at each other and sighing inside themselves. And from two points of her parrot-handled umbrella the rain trickled uncomfortably down the backs of their necks.
"Now then—don't keep me waiting!" said Mary Poppins crossly, turning away from the Green, Blue and Red reflections of herself. Jane and Michael exchanged glances. Jane signalled to Michael to keep quiet. She shook her head and made a face at him. But he burst out——
"We weren't. It was you keeping us waiting——!"
"Silence!"
Michael did not dare to say any more. He and Jane trudged along, one on either side of Mary Poppins. Sometimes they had to run to keep up with her long, swift strides. And sometimes they had to wait about, standing first on one leg and then on the other, while she peered into a window to make sure the hand-bag looked as nice as she thought it did.
The rain poured down, dancing from the top of the umbrella on to Jane's and Michael's hats. Under her arm Jane carried the Royal Doulton Bowl wrapped carefully in two pieces of paper. They were taking it to Mary Poppins' cousin, Mr. Turvy, whose business, she had told Mrs. Banks, was mending things.
"Well," Mrs. Banks had said, rather doubtfully, "I hope he will do it satisfactorily, for until it is mended I shall not be able to look my Great-Aunt Caroline in the face."
Great-Aunt Caroline had given Mrs. Banks the bowl when Mrs. Banks was only three, and it was well-known that if it were broken Great-Aunt Caroline would make one of her famous scenes.
"Members of
my
family, ma'am," Mary Poppins had retorted with a sniff, "
always
give satisfaction."
And she had looked so fierce that Mrs. Banks felt quite uncomfortable and had to sit down and ring for a cup of tea.
Swish!
There was Jane, right in the middle of a puddle.
"Look where you're going, please!" snapped Mary Poppins, shaking her umbrella and tossing the drips over Jane and Michael. "This rain is enough to break your heart."
"If it did, could Mr. Turvy mend it?" enquired Michael. He was interested to know if Mr. Turvy could mend all broken things or only certain kinds. "Could he, Mary Poppins?"
"One more word," said Mary Poppins, "and Back Home you go!"
"I only asked," said Michael sulkily.
"Then don't!"
Mary Poppins, with an angry sniff, turned the corner smartly and, opening an old iron gate, knocked at the door of a small tumble-down building.
"Tap-tap-tappity-tap!" The sound of the knocker echoed hollowly through the house.
"Oh, dear," Jane whispered to Michael, "how awful if he's out!"
But at that moment heavy footsteps were heard tramping towards them, and with a loud rattle the door opened.
A round, red-faced woman, looking more like two apples placed one on top of the other than a human being, stood in the doorway. Her straight hair was scraped into a knob at the top of her head and her thin mouth had a cross and peevish expression.
"Well!" she said, staring. "It's you or I'm a Dutchman!"
She did not seem particularly pleased to see Mary Poppins. Nor did Mary Poppins seem particularly pleased to see her.
"Is Mr. Turvy in?" she enquired, without taking any notice of the round woman's remark.
"Well," said the round woman in an unfriendly voice,
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