Half-Past Bedtime

ventures happened to a little girl whose Christian name was Marian. She was only seven when it happened to her, so that i

great spire soaring up into the sky. But Marian's daddy didn't like spires, because they were so sharp and so slippery. He liked towers better, because the old chu

of watching them, and so she climbed over a gate into the next field. Here the grass was so tall that it tickled Marian's chin. There were great daisies in it, taller than the grass, and they looked into Marian's e

off. When she turned round she could see the roofs of the houses, and the tops of the chimneys, and the spires of the churches all trembly because of the heat, as if they were tired and wanted to lie down.

n church waiting for the anthem. Up in the hills it was different. There the grasses were always moving-not running about, of course, but standing in the same place and bending to and

hat a little girl couldn't hear. She stared into the sky, but it was so blue that it made her eyes ache trying to see how blue it was; and when she closed them, to give them

world," she thought

tickle in the mid

u do?" sai

man looking up at her. He was not e

te. He held his hat in his right hand. Marian

yours?"

Jugg,"

you, Mr Jugg?

of the Bumpies

a little straight line, exactly in

bumpies?

. "Haven't you ever

shook h

e sighed. "Have you e

aid Marian. "Everybo

"are baby angels. They're called b

an, "but why are t

p," said Mr Jugg,

n lau

you live?"

me with me," he said

ove to!" said M

his hand, and helped her to sta

ext one. This was a smaller field with some cows in it, and the grass in it was quite short. He led

are you?"

en," sai

g," he replied. "

aid Marian. "And h

am," he said, "but

ree and a half times-three big stamps and a little stamp-and then the field suddenly o

"You needn't be frightened. It'

and he went down before her, a

ther dark?"

door," he said, "and th

h a lovely slope in it; and on each side of it there were hundreds of little lights, all of different colours. There were blue lights, and green lights, and yellow lights, and crimson lights, and lights of all sorts of other colours that Marian ha

board door and to

nds," he said, "

nd she suddenly noticed that h

y went quite slowly, because the slope was so gentle. But soon they were going faster and faster; and presently they went

uphill again. The coloured streaks became separate lights. The scooter went slower and slower. At l

putting the scooter away. "I

oom were hundreds of coloured lights just like the lights that she had seen in the passage-blue lights, and green lights, and yellow lights, and crimson lights, and lights of all sorts of other colours of which she didn't even know

at's Mrs Jugg, that lady over

ointing, and saw a stout lit

r little dark green vests, little dark green knickers, and little dark green socks. Fastened to each jacket were two little hooks, one behind each shoulder-these were for their wings. But they only wore wi

me and gave

id Mr Jugg. "Can you

ing Marian two more kisses. "Come with me,

d Marian to a

er had before, not even at her Uncle Joe's. There was bread and butter with bumpy jam on it and bumpy Devonshire cream on the

like a birthday

a's a birthday tea down here. There are so many bum

isn't that rather a bother-

ve her anot

y bothers," she

Heaven," said

it is," said Mrs

er the ground

n's everywhere, only mos

tell Mummy! Mrs Jugg gave her some more cake. Some of the bumpies had finished now, and were getting impatient. Present

less than a minute there were bumpies upon every one of them, and two of the bumpies took charge of Marian. She had a lovely swing and a ride on a rocking-horse, and then they all began to play

n the floor there were great soft mattresses so that the bumpies shouldn't hurt themselves if they fell down. But

into the upper school to learn history and

upper school?

ugg; "there are ever so many class-rooms

ppens then?"

o begin to work. There's a

d now I really think that

had all had tea. The tables had been cleared now, but Mrs Jugg came toward them with a big box of bump

id, "nor a quarter of it. There are miles

arian stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders. Just as before, they began to go quite slowly, but soon they were going as fast as ever. Just as before, the coloured lights became two streaks of light, one on each side of them. But Marian knew now what was

she said. "Ho

dark, and the st

blew h

said; "she will

ou live?" a

n tol

ou there," he sai

d opened the little cupboard, an

y back," he said, "we'll

en he gave a little jump and they were up in the air. They skimmed across the fields a

r bedroom win

told

s hat and made her a little bow, and before she could wink almost, he had gone. Then she knocked at the door, and next moment Mummy was

e you been

eve her. But Cuthbert didn't believe anything. He was nine years old, and was beginning to learn Fr

to Marian's window. Marian's angel-everybody has a guardi

id; "fancy see

y, you see, and Mr Jugg

d Mr Jugg; "what do

ream that he had

id the angel, "

ry softly under

mmy made her bed it wasn't there. But, alas! the lovel

jungle he

rs a dapp

the plain

heir surro

es lose th

the ocea

nowing l

half a

uth is pla

unts are,

ties you

d men jus

they lost

gs of me

ow not ther

n the wi

NDO

ey I