Read Online The Moffats by Eleanor Estes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Eleanor Estes
Tags: Ages 8 & Up
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coal fell in the grate. Catherine-the-cat jumped from her place under the stove, arched her back, and bristled her tail. The children broke into screams of laughter and the house became friendly again.
"Well," said Sylvie, "we'd better hurry. First the pumpkin. Who'll get that?"
Who indeed? Who would go out in that dark barn and get the pumpkin head? No one answered, so Joe and Jane were sent.
"We'll stand in the door," said Sylvie.
Breathlessly, Joe and Jane tore to the barn, snatched up the fierce-looking pumpkin head, and tore back into the warm kitchen.
"Now the Madame," said Sylvie, solemnly lighting the smallest oil lamp and leading the way into the Grape Room. Catherine-the-cat leaped ahead of her, wagging her tail restlessly. What was the matter with Catherine tonight, anyway? She kept meowing and meowing and following them all around. Sylvie set the lamp carefully on the table. Catherine-the-cat sat in the shadow. Her yellow eyes shone with a knowing gleam.
"Look at Catherine," said Jane. "She's watchin' us and watchin' us."
"Let her watch," said Sylvie as she carefully removed Mrs. Shoemaker's white satin gown from Madame-the-bust. Then she grasped Madame tightly in her arms.
"You carry the pumpkin, Joe. And Rufus, you bring your scooter. Jane can carry the sheets."
Slowly the procession made its way out of the Grape Room, into the hall, up the stairs to the second floor. Joe led the way with his pocket flashlight. From the hall upstairs, a stepladder led to the attic, which did not have a regular door but a hatch, which Joe had to push up with his shoulders. It fell open with a groan and the strange musty smell of the attic greeted them. Joe set the head on the floor and flashed the light down the stepladder so the others could see to climb up.
Sylvie hoisted Madame up before her and climbed in. Then Rufus handed up his scooter and hoisted himself in. As Jane was making her way up, Catherine-the-cat leaped past her and disappeared into the dark recesses of the attic. Jane bit her tongue but managed to keep from screaming. That cat! She was always doing unexpected things behind you.
The four Moffats stood around the entrance, the nearest point to the kitchen, to safety. Joe's tiny flashlight scarcely penetrated the darkness of the attic. But they knew what was up here all right without seeing. Dr. Witty had had many different hobbies. Collecting and stuffing wild animals and birds was one of them. He stored these in the attic in the yellow house. In one corner was a stuffed owl. In another, a stuffed wildcat. And all around were a great many little stuffed partridges and quail. The four children shivered, partly from cold, partly from excitement.
"Oh, let's hurry and get out of this place," said Jane.
They placed the scooter in the corner by the owl. Then they put Madame on the scooter, put the pumpkin head with its ominous, gaping mouth on her headless neck, and draped the sheets about her. They tied one end of the rope to the scooter and made a loop in the other end in order to be able to pull the ghost around easily. The end of the rope with the loop they placed near the hatchway.
"All right," said Sylvie. "Now let's see how she looks."
They went to the head of the ladder. Joe flashed his light on Madame—Madame-the-bust no longer, or Mrs. Shoemaker or Miss Nippon, either, but Madame-the-ghost!
"Phew!" he whistled.
"Boy, oh, boy!" said Rufus.
"Oh," shivered Jane, "come on."
As fast as they could, they pushed the hatch back in place and hurried helter-skelter to the kitchen, where they warmed their hands over the kitchen fire.
"Boy, oh, boy!" said Rufus again, "what a ghost!"
Then they all put on the most fearful masks that Sylvie had made for them. And just in the nick of time, too, for here was Peter Frost stamping on the back porch.
"Hey there, Moffats," he said witheringly. "Where's your old ghost then?"
Oh, his arrogance was insufferable.
"Don't worry," said Sylvie, "you'll see her all
"Well," said Sylvie, "we'd better hurry. First the pumpkin. Who'll get that?"
Who indeed? Who would go out in that dark barn and get the pumpkin head? No one answered, so Joe and Jane were sent.
"We'll stand in the door," said Sylvie.
Breathlessly, Joe and Jane tore to the barn, snatched up the fierce-looking pumpkin head, and tore back into the warm kitchen.
"Now the Madame," said Sylvie, solemnly lighting the smallest oil lamp and leading the way into the Grape Room. Catherine-the-cat leaped ahead of her, wagging her tail restlessly. What was the matter with Catherine tonight, anyway? She kept meowing and meowing and following them all around. Sylvie set the lamp carefully on the table. Catherine-the-cat sat in the shadow. Her yellow eyes shone with a knowing gleam.
"Look at Catherine," said Jane. "She's watchin' us and watchin' us."
"Let her watch," said Sylvie as she carefully removed Mrs. Shoemaker's white satin gown from Madame-the-bust. Then she grasped Madame tightly in her arms.
"You carry the pumpkin, Joe. And Rufus, you bring your scooter. Jane can carry the sheets."
Slowly the procession made its way out of the Grape Room, into the hall, up the stairs to the second floor. Joe led the way with his pocket flashlight. From the hall upstairs, a stepladder led to the attic, which did not have a regular door but a hatch, which Joe had to push up with his shoulders. It fell open with a groan and the strange musty smell of the attic greeted them. Joe set the head on the floor and flashed the light down the stepladder so the others could see to climb up.
Sylvie hoisted Madame up before her and climbed in. Then Rufus handed up his scooter and hoisted himself in. As Jane was making her way up, Catherine-the-cat leaped past her and disappeared into the dark recesses of the attic. Jane bit her tongue but managed to keep from screaming. That cat! She was always doing unexpected things behind you.
The four Moffats stood around the entrance, the nearest point to the kitchen, to safety. Joe's tiny flashlight scarcely penetrated the darkness of the attic. But they knew what was up here all right without seeing. Dr. Witty had had many different hobbies. Collecting and stuffing wild animals and birds was one of them. He stored these in the attic in the yellow house. In one corner was a stuffed owl. In another, a stuffed wildcat. And all around were a great many little stuffed partridges and quail. The four children shivered, partly from cold, partly from excitement.
"Oh, let's hurry and get out of this place," said Jane.
They placed the scooter in the corner by the owl. Then they put Madame on the scooter, put the pumpkin head with its ominous, gaping mouth on her headless neck, and draped the sheets about her. They tied one end of the rope to the scooter and made a loop in the other end in order to be able to pull the ghost around easily. The end of the rope with the loop they placed near the hatchway.
"All right," said Sylvie. "Now let's see how she looks."
They went to the head of the ladder. Joe flashed his light on Madame—Madame-the-bust no longer, or Mrs. Shoemaker or Miss Nippon, either, but Madame-the-ghost!
"Phew!" he whistled.
"Boy, oh, boy!" said Rufus.
"Oh," shivered Jane, "come on."
As fast as they could, they pushed the hatch back in place and hurried helter-skelter to the kitchen, where they warmed their hands over the kitchen fire.
"Boy, oh, boy!" said Rufus again, "what a ghost!"
Then they all put on the most fearful masks that Sylvie had made for them. And just in the nick of time, too, for here was Peter Frost stamping on the back porch.
"Hey there, Moffats," he said witheringly. "Where's your old ghost then?"
Oh, his arrogance was insufferable.
"Don't worry," said Sylvie, "you'll see her all
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