Jasper and the Green Marvel Read Online Free Page A

glass dome. Try as the two rats might, they couldn’t get it shifted. They pushed hard and then they pulled even harder. They wound their tails around theknob on top of the dome and tried to drag the thing over but it wouldn’t budge. It was really irritating because they so wanted to get at the scones. When they finally gave up they felt foolish to realise that sitting beside them, uncovered and there for the taking, was a bowl of stewed apples that they hadn’t even noticed.
    It took no time at all to eat every last little scrap of the apples, which were exceptionally tasty. Mrs Knuttmegg, who was an excellent cook, had added cinnamon and cloves and even a handful of raisins. Never could the rats have imagined that anything could be so delicious. It more than made up for not being able to get at the scones. When the bowl was empty they looked around, but there was nothing else to eat. No matter: their bellies were full and they were happy. ‘Come on!’ Bags said. ‘Let’s go and see what the rest of this house is like.’
    There were two doors, one at each end of the kitchen. They knew that one opened on to the wooden staircase that led back up toJasper’s room and they didn’t want that, and so they slipped through the other door. There was a long corridor, a flight of steps going up and then another door and then behind that …
    What wonders met their eyes! Haverford-Snuffley Hall dazzled the two rats. They tiptoed down corridors where their feet sank deep into soft carpet, right up to their tummies. They crossed wooden floors so highly polished that they could see their own faces reflected back to them. High above them on the walls were beautiful paintings in golden frames, and the walls themselves were covered in silk, yellow and green and pale blue. In prison everything had been ugly and grey; here even the least little thing was special and bright.
    They must have spent hours going from room to room, until at last they ended up in the front hall of the house, where there was a huge mirror and a curved, sweeping staircase made of white wood. They were just beginning to think that perhaps they should make theirway back to Jasper’s room and climb into their socks again when suddenly, just above their heads, someone spoke.
    ‘Who are you?’ asked a little voice.

8 Nelly
    It was the tiny bat that usually hung from the feather on Mrs Haverford-Snuffley’s hat, but tonight it was hanging from the edge of a small table. It was upside down and was still wearing its own little bonnet, tied under its chin with a green ribbon.
    ‘Hello!’ Bags cried. ‘What’s your name then?’
    ‘Nelly,’ said the bat, and then it said again, ‘Who are you?’
    ‘That’s for us to know and for you to wonder,’ Rags said. ‘Snooky-ookums! Mummy’s little batty-watty! What are you doing here anyway?’
    ‘I’m going home,’ the bat said in a sulky voice.
    ‘What d’you mean, home? Don’t you live here?’ But before the bat could explain to Rags, Bags had jumped up and pulled Nelly’s bonnet off.
    ‘Stop that! That’s not fair!’ she cried, as the rat put the bonnet on its own head, letting the ribbons dangle. ‘I’m telling! Give it back to me!’
    ‘Diddy-widdy-snooky-wooky! Mummy’s baby-waby ! I’m telling ! Give it back to me !’ And Bags teased the bat, imitating it in a high, silly voice while Rags cackled with nasty laughter.
    ‘Give me my bonnet! I am going to tell on you!’ Nelly was struggling hard not to cry, as the rats took it in turn to try on her hat. They minced up and down the tiled floor of the hall, sniggering together and mocking her. When they were fed up with that, they threw the bonnet back. Nelly caught it and tied it on to her head immediately.
    ‘Who are you going to tell?’ they sneered.
    ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ Nelly replied coldly and there was something in her tone asshe said it that worried them slightly.
    ‘Mrs Haverford-Snuffley?’ they asked and she