CHAPTER III.
How everyone journeyed to Toy-Town-on-Sea. And had jam-tarts for dinner and pancakes for tea. How everyone paddled and walked by the shore. And how wicked Teddy was captured once more.
CHAPTER III.
THE SEASIDE EXCURSION.
Gladys was tired of staying in the house. She had carried John James and Adeliza May downstairs, and was sitting with them in the garden.
Carlo was worrying an old straw hat which he had discovered in a corner of the shrubbery, and Spottikins sat upon Gladys' shoulder and purred.
Presently Gladys yawned, and drew The Golliwog News out of her pocket. Things were rather dull, for she had had a bad cold, and her Golly had not spoken to her for a week.
Besides this, another annoying thing had happened. Tommy Stapleton's Teddy Bear had escaped from the toy cupboard and had not been seen since. No one knew where he was, and Gladys was thinking about him as she unfolded the neat little newspaper and began to read.
EXCURSION TO TOY-TOWN-ON-SEA. GOLLIWOG AND TEDDY BEAR RAILWAY.
"It sounds jolly," said Gladys; then turning to John James she added:
"Are you going by the excursion?"
"Of course I am," said John James, polishing up his scarlet nose and rubbing his hairy legs. "I'm going in ten minutes."
"What?" cried Gladys, looking at the newspaper. "Why, of course, it's to-day!"
"Good gracious me! Where's Adeliza May?" she continued, as she noticed for the first time that Adeliza had disappeared.
"Gone in to tidy her hair and put on her best hat, I expect. It's the last excursion this season," said the Golliwog, hurrying down the path to the gate.
Gladys followed him, and she was surprised to see a crowd of Teddy Bears, Dolls, Golliwogs, Pollywogs, and even Cats and Dogs which she knew quite well by sight, hurrying down the road towards the railway station.
"How happy they look!" cried Gladys; "and how they are talking! Oh, see that little Bear in the brown knickers carrying a spade and bucket. Oh, John James, I do want to go too. Can't I come?"
"Why, yes, I should think so," said the Golliwog loftily, "but I can't wait for you, you must come on by yourself. I have to be at the station early."
"All right," said Gladys. She snatched up her white sun-bonnet and ran off to call for Freda. Of course Freda must go with her. As she opened the garden gate she saw Carlo join the hurrying scampering crew, and Spottikins raced after him at a great rate and linked her paw with that of a tabby acquaintance.
Adeliza May came sailing down the steps with an air of great importance, but Gladys could not stop to speak to her. At the gate she stumbled against Jolly Jack, who asked rather sheepishly if Adeliza was ready.
Gladys hurried on. Freda was watering her garden, but when she heard the news she rushed off down the road with Gladys, still carrying the water-can in her hand.
"Can't we let Tommy Stapleton come with us?" asked Freda breathlessly. "Why, there he is trying to catch that yellow butterfly. Quick, Gladys. Tell him!"
"I'll come," said Tommy with alacrity. "Lessons! Oh, bother! I shan't go to school to-day. I wish I were that yellow butterfly over there, and that the school-master, old Stubbins, could see me flying past his window. Hurrah! Yes, I'll come with you. Watch me race that insane old Rabbit!"
Off went Tommy after the Rabbit, who, by the way, was a very respectable fellow indeed. He wore a black and white check suit, and brown leggings. Anyone with half an eye could see that he was one of those worthy people who had gone back to the land. His name was Peter Bunney.
Tommy overtook him, and gave him a polite dig in the ribs. The Rabbit looked immensely pleased, and got out an ear-trumpet.
"Should you mind saying it again, sir?" said he.
"I didn't say anything," remarked Tommy to himself; then he shouted into the trumpet:
"It's a very fine morning, Mr. Bunney, and I hope we shall be in time for the train."
"Oh, no, I don't think so at all," said the Rabbit cheerfully, stopping in the middle of the road, and looking up at the sky.
"There'll be no rain to-day, sir."
"That isn't what I said," cried Tommy, seizing his arm and dragging him along, "I said I hoped we should catch the train."
"Then you should try mustard and water," began Peter, "and if the pain continues----"
But Tommy had had enough of it. While he and the Rabbit had been talking together Gladys and Freda had got some distance ahead, but now Tommy quickly overtook them, and a few minutes later they reached the station and got into the train. John James was walking up and down the corridor making a list of all the important people.
Gladys, Freda, and Tommy, naturally, occupied the same compartment, and they all three smiled when a large Persian Cat wearing an eyeglass got in with them, leaving just room for John James in the tiny carriage.
"No one else shall get in," said Gladys, "Stand in front of the door, Tommy, and make faces out of the window."
Of course, Tommy did so. He put on the expression of a lunatic enduring great physical agony, and it was quite funny to see the Teddies and Gollies and the rest wandering up and down the platform, trying to find seats, but afraid to get in where Tommy was.
At last everyone found a seat, the smart looking porters slammed the doors, and the guard came out with his whistle and his green flag.
"Cheerup--cheerup--cheerew!" went the whistle.
"Puff! Puff!" went the engine, and then at the very last minute a black and white check sleeve was thrust in at the window, the door handle turned, and into Gladys' carriage, head over heels, tumbled Mr. Peter Bunney!
"I nearly lost the train," he remarked pleasantly, sitting down beside Freda and getting out his ear trumpet.
"Now there won't be room for my Golly," cried Gladys. "What a shame! He would have told us all about everything. He's such a splendid news-getter."
The Rabbit turned towards her with a beaming face.
"You are quite right," he said sweetly. "My hearing is much better, that's why I'm going to Toy-Town. I want to hear the band, and all that's going on. Why, yes! There's my old friend, Plush Mole. Hullo, there! Mole--Mole! How do, Mole? Let me out--yes, thank you--good day--very pleased to have met you--see you at Toy-Town. Hi! there, Mole!" and off darted Mr. Peter Bunney up the corridor after his friend, Mr. Plush Mole.
At last John James got in and sat down by the Persian Cat with the eye-glass. Then for a time, at any rate, Mr. Peter Bunney was forgotten, although they could occasionally hear him shouting and Mr. Mole's carefully repeated sentences in reply.
"Be quick!" said Gladys; "tell us all the news. Where's Adeliza May? And who on earth is Mr. Plush Mole?"
John James smiled and winked at the Persian Cat.
"Miss May," he said, "is travelling with Jolly Jack. They have a carriage to themselves, though how they managed it is more than tongue can tell."
The Persian took out his eye-glass, cleaned it with the window curtain and stuck it in his eye again. His name was Mr. Purr Catt, and John James said he was Member of Parliament for Kitten Town.
"Do you know Mr. Plush Mole, sir," asked the Golliwog politely.
"Ah, well--slightly," drawled the Persian. "He's a very stay-at-home fellow--can't think what induced him to come to-day. An authority on beetles, I believe, but proud, so I am told. Short-sighted too--very."
The Persian gave a great deal of interesting information, and the Golliwog was still scribbling in his note book when the train drew up at Toy-Town.
"Hooray! Hooray!" screamed all the little Teddies, scrambling out on to the platform. "Hip-hip-hooray!" cried the baby Gollies. The Cats mewed, and Dogs barked, and altogether it was a very merry party indeed that found its way to the shore. After looking round the place for an hour or so, they all lunched at the Grand Hotel, and then went to find amusement.
John James was here, there, and everywhere, and Tommy Stapleton followed him, but Gladys and Freda walked about together. And when they got tired of that they filled Freda's water-can at one of the pools, and amused themselves by sprinkling little Teddies and Gollies with it, which so delighted a Papa Golly that he wanted to buy the can for two cough lozenges and a peppermint drop.
"It will be so useful," he explained, "when my children are troublesome."
But Freda would not sell the can because the peppermint looked dirty, just as if it had been carried in his pocket for weeks and sucked occasionally.
When they had managed to get rid of the Papa Golliwog, they caught sight of Spottikins walking with Mr. Purr Catt, who wore the eyeglass, and they saw Carlo join himself to a band of mischievous Dogs who prowled up and down the sands and told everybody they were going to give a concert presently.
The two little girls were enjoying their day at the seaside immensely; in the distance they could see a Punch-and-Judy show, so they hurried to have a look at it.
There was Punch with the hump on his back, and Mrs. Judy with her squeaky voice, and standing among the listening crowd was Mr. Plush Mole, looking very puzzled and solemn as if he were not sure what it was all about, and beside him stood Mr. Peter Bunney holding up his ear-trumpet.