Enid Blyton Read Online Free

chairs, all set round the trunk inside the tree.
    "It ’ s very exciting," said Connie, looking round. "What ’ s that hole in the middle?"
    Nobody answered her. They were too busy looking at the lovely tea that Moon-Face had put ready on the curved table. They wanted to know what the Hot-Cold Goodies were like. They knew Pop Biscuits and Google Buns—but they didn ’ t know Hot-Cold Goodies.
    "What ’ s this ho le ?" demanded Connie again, but no one bothered about her. She felt so curious that she went to the edge of the strange hole, and put her foot in it to see if there were steps down. She suddenly lost her balance, and stepped right into th e hole! She sat down with a bum p—and then, oh my goodness! S he began to slide away at top spe ed down the hole that ran from the top of the tree to the bottom!
    "Where ’ s Connie?" said Jo , suddenly, looking round.
    "Not here. That ’ s good!" said Saucepan.
    "She must have fallen down the Slippery-Slip!" said Silky. "Oh, poor Connie—she ’ ll be at the bottom of the tree by now! We ’ ll have to go down and fetch her!"

 
    IV
TEA WITH MOON- FACE
     
    Connie was frightened when she found herself slipping down the hole in the tree. Usually people who used the Slippery-Slip had a cushion to sit on, but Connie hadn ’ t. She slid down and down and round and round, faster and faster. She gasped, and her hair fl ew out behind her.
    She came to the bottom of the tree, and her feet touched a little trapdoor set in the side there. It flew open and Connie shot out, landing on a soft tuft of moss, which the little folk grew there especially, so that anyone using the Tree-slide might land softly.
    Connie landed on the moss and sat there, panting and frightened. She was at the bottom of the tree! The others were all at the top! They w ould be having tea together, laughing and jo king. They wouldn ’ t miss her. She would have to stay at the bottom of the tree till they came down again, and that might not be for ages.
    "If I knew the way home I ’ d go," thought Connie. "But I don ’ t. Oh—what ’ s that?"
    It was a red squirrel, dressed in an old jersey. He came out of a hole in the trunk, where he lived. He bounded over to Connie.
    "Where ’ s your cushion, please?" he said.
    "What cushion?" said Connie.
    "The one you slid down on," said the squirrel.
    "I didn ’ t slide down on one," said Connie.
    "You must have," said the red squirrel, looking all round for a cushion. "People always do. Where have you put it? Don ’ t be a naughty girl now. Let me have it. I always have to take them back to Moon-Face."
    "I tell you I didn ’ t have a cushion," said Connie, beginning to feel annoyed. "I just slid down on myself, and I got pretty warm."
    She stood up. The squirrel looked at the back of her. "My! You ’ ve worn out the back of your frock, sliding down without a cushion," he said. "It ’ s all in rags. Your petticoat is showing."
    "Oh! This is a horrid afternoon!" said poor Connie. "I ’ ve been splashed with ink and soaked with soapy water, and now I ’ ve worn out the back of my frock."
    The trap-door suddenly shot open again and out flew Moon-Face on one of his cushions. He shouted to Connie.
    "I say! Didn ’ t you like my party? Why did you rush off so quickly?"
    "I fell down that silly hole," said Connie. "Look at the back of my frock."
    "There ’ s nothing to look at. You ’ ve worn it out, slipping down without a cushion," said Moon- Face. "Come on, I ’ ll take you back. Look out —here comes a basket. It ’ s one of Dame Washalot ’ s biggest ones. I borrowed it from her to go back in. All right, red squirrel, don ’ t take my cushion. I ’ ll put it in the basket to sit on."

    The red squirrel said good bye and popped back into his hole. Moon-Face caught the big basket that came swinging down on a stout rope and threw his yellow cushion into it. He helped Connie in, tugged at the rope, and then up they swung between the branches of the tree. Up