Read Online Mystery of the Missing Man by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online Page A

join them. As soon as they came near Larry called out. “Have you seen Goon? We nearly died of laughing!”
    “Yes, we saw him,” said Fatty. “What a sight! I say - do let’s go and ask him the time, or something! We won’t let on that we know him. He’ll be so bucked to think we haven’t seen through his disguise!”
    “Yes - quick, come on while he’s still over there!” said Pip. “I’ll go up and ask him the time first - then you can go and ask him something, Bets - and then Larry. Quick!”
    They wandered near Mr. Goon, who was now watching the Dodgem cars with much concentration, his cap almost hiding his eyes. Pip went up to him.
    “Please, sir, could you tell me the time?” he said. Goon looked surprised when he saw that it was Pip, and then grunted. “Four o’clock or thereabouts,” he said, putting on a very deep voice, which made Pip jump.
    “Thank you, sir,” said Pip, and went back to the others, chuckling.
    Goon obviously felt pleased that his disguise was apparently so good. He even wandered nearer to where the children stood watching the roundabout. Ho, he thought, they didn’t know it was he, Goon, who was there keeping a sharp eye on them! He walked past them, whistling. Bets ran after him.
    “Oh, please,” she said, “do you know what time the Fair closes?” Goon cleared his throat and put on his deep voice again.
    “About half-past ten,” he said, and then feeling his moustache coming loose, he put up his hand hurriedly to press it back. Bets gave a sudden giggle and fled.
    Larry tried next. He walked close to Goon, pretended to pick something up from the ground and looked at it. Then he turned round. “Have you dropped this button, sir?” he asked. As it was one that Daisy had hurriedly twisted off her red dress, it obviously wasn’t Goon’s!
    Goon cleared his throat again. “No, my boy, it is not mine,” he said. “Er - are you enjoying yourself?”
    “Oh, very much, sir, thank you!” said Larry - and then up came Fatty.
    “Please, sir, I’d like to know where you got those policeman’s boots you’re wearing?” he said sternly. “I mean - I hope they’re not stolen, sir.”
    “You toad of a boy!” said Goon, reverting to his own voice. “You would say a thing like that. Clear orf!”
    “Good gracious - it’s you, Mr. Goon!” gasped Fatty. looking quite flabbergasted. “Well now, who would have thought it!”
    “I said - ‘CLEAR ORF!’ ” thundered Mr. Goon, much to the surprise of everybody nearby. And Fatty “cleared orf”, laughing till the tears came into his eyes. Poor old Goon!
     
    Mr. Tolling loses his Way
     
    “Where’s Eunice?” said Fatty, when he and the others had finished laughing. “Has she gone home?”
    “No. She wanted to go in a swing with her father, so we left her to it,” said Larry. “Honestly, Mr. Tolling is a surprise! He’s trying everything!”
    “Where is he now?” asked Fatty.
    “I expect they’ve gone to the roundabouts,” said Daisy. “I heard Mr. Tolling say he’d like to. Goodness - he won’t be fit to face the beetles tomorrow!”
    “There they are, look,” said Pip, as they strolled near the roundabout. It was going on its circular tour for the ten-thousandth time, churning out its old-fashioned tune.
    “Not many people on it,” said Fatty. “Only about seven or eight. What about us having a ride? Look - it’s slowing down.”
    Everyone got off except for one person. That was Mr. Tolling. Eunice called to him. “It’s stopped, Father!”
    “I’m having another go,” said the surprising Mr. Tolling. He was clutching the tall neck of a giraffe, and looked very peculiar, sitting on the big wooden creature in his dark town clothes.
    “All right. But it makes me feel sick,” said Eunice. “You go on alone. Oh - here are the others. Are you going on the roundabout, Frederick?”
    “We thought we would,” said Fatty, and paid for everyone. “Sure you won’t, Eunice? Right! Get on, everybody! Choose some kind of animal to ride!”
    Mr. Goon wandered over to the roundabout. He looked keenly