Enid Blyton Read Online Free Page B

will probably get red spots on her dress now!" said Fanny.
    But Connie hadn ’ t gone down the Tree. She stood outside on a branch, sulking. She looked down the tree and saw Dame Washalot busy washing again. Silly old woman! Connie didn ’ t feel as if she wanted to go near her, in case she got water all over her again. She looked upwards.
    She was nearly at the top of the tree. She thought it would be fun to climb right up to the top, and look down on the forest. What a long way she would see!
    She climbed upwards. She came to the top of the tree—and to her great astonishment the last branch of all touched the clouds! Yes—it went straight up into a vast white cloud that hung, floating, over the top of the Tree.
    "Queer," said Connie, looking up into the purple hole made by the tree-branch in the cloud. "Shall I go up there—into the cloud? Yes—I will."
    She went up the last branch—and to her still greater amazement there was a little ladder leading through the thickness of the cloud from the branch. A ladder!
    Connie was full of great curiosity. She could hardly bear to wait to see what was at the top of the ladder. She climbed it—and suddenly her head poked right through the cloud, and into a new and different Land altogether!
    "Well!" said Connie, in surprise. "So the children told the truth. There is a Land at the top of the Faraway Tree — and can I really be dreaming?"
    She climbed up into the Land. It was queer. There was a curious humming noise in the air. Strange people walked quickly past, some looking like witches, and some like goblins. They took no notice of Connie.
    "The Land is moving on!" cried one goblin to another. "It ’ s on the move again. Where shall we go to next?"
    And then the Land of Marvels moved away from the top of the Tree — and took poor Connie with it!

 
    V
OFF TO J ACK-AND-THE-BEAN-STALK
     
     
    Jo , Bessie, Fanny and the others went on with their tea. They finished the Hot-Cold Goodies, then they started on some pink jelly that Moon-Face had made in the shape of animals. They were so nicely made that it seemed quite a pity to eat them.
    "We ’ d better save some for Connie, hadn ’ t we?" said. Bessie. "Let ’ s see if she ’ s outside the door. I expect she ’ s standing there, su l king."
    Moon-Face opened the door. There was no one there. He called loudly, "Connie! Connie !"
    There was no answer. "She ’ s gone down the Tree, I should think," he said. "I ’ ll just yell down to Dame Washalot and see if she saw her."
    So he shouted down to the old dame. But Dame Washalot shook her head. "No," she shouted back, "no one has passed by here since you came up in the basket, Moon-Face. No one at all."
    "Funny!" said Moon-Face, going to tell the others. "Where ’ s she gone, then?"
    "Up through the cloud?" said Silky.
    "No surely she wouldn ’ t have done that by herself," said Jo , in alarm. "Look, Moon-Face! There ’ s the red squirrel who wants to speak to you."
    The red squirrel came in, trying to hide a hole in his old jerse y. "I heard you calling Connie, Mister Moon-Face," he said. "Well, she ’ s gone up the ladder through the cloud. I expect she ’ s in the Land of Marvels. I saw her go."
    "Good gracious!" cried Jo , jumping up in alarm. "Why, the Land is ready to leave here at any minute, didn ’ t you say, Silky? What a silly she is! We ’ d better go and get her back at once."
    "I thought I heard the humming noise that means any Land is moving on," said Moon-Face, looking troubled. "I don ’ t believe we can save her. I ’ ll pop up the ladder and see."
    He climbed up the highest branch and went up the ladder. But there was nothing to be seen at all except swirling, misty cloud. He came down again
    "The Land of Marvels is gone," he said. "And the next Land hasn ’ t even come yet. I don ’ t know what it will be, either. Well—Connie ’ s gone with the Land of Marvels. She would do a silly thing like that!"
    Bessie went pale. "But what can we do