Page:The book of Betty Barber (IA bookofbettybarbe00andr).pdf/151

 found them all looking at the book at the Grand Panjandrum’s Court, and they said it was a grand book, such splendid nonsense!”

“So it was,” said Minora.

“So they all wanted it,” said Father William, fortunately not noticing the interruption, “and they wanted it so badly that they even snatched it away from the Grand Panjandrum. Then first one snatched it, then another pulled it, and very soon the Book of Betty Barber was all in little bits.”

“Torn into bits,” said Lucy, clapping her hands. “Now, Thirteen-fourteenths, are you happy at last?”

“Where are the bits?” said Ellessdee. ‘We must fit them together and put those sums right.”

“You see,” said Thirteen-fourteenths, “Ellessdee would put the bits together again. Where are the bits, Father William?”

Father William smiled his own peculiar smile, “The bits of the Book of Betty Barber, my dear young friends, are here. Here, in this sack. I picked them up and packed them in myself.”

“Give them to us,” cried the Fraction.

“Give them to us,” shouted Ellessdee.

“Give them to us,” said Miss Crimson Lake.

“One moment,” said Father William, “I packed the bits in this bag, and I was so tired I closed my eyes for a few moments, then the monkeys up the tree stole the bag, and I thought it was lost.”

“We know all that, we know all that,” cried Ellessdee, “ give us the bits, we must get those sums right.”

“Of course we must,” cried Sois.

“You shan’t do anything of the kind,” cried Minora. “I will carry the bag as it is to Queen Harmony. Look, I have one page,” and she held out the page which she had taken from Father William.

“Have you one page?” cried Ellessdee, snatching it away.

And then they all began quarrelling and fighting, snatching, and pushing. They pulled Father William off the bag, and he only stared at them wondering; then, whilst Ellessdee, Sois, and Minora 127