Chapter XII: The Nicest Wish of All

As the Toys crowded round, filling the village street from end to end, Peggy could tell in a moment that they were ready for any fun or mischief she could possibly wish for; and her spirits rose higher and higher. She threw all the pear-drops amongst them, and whilst they were scrambling about picking them up--“I know!” she cried, as a lovely thought struck her. “I wish that the village was our very own, and that the Giant and I were King and Queen, with the shop for our palace!”

“Hurrah!” shouted all the Toys. “Let’s turn the people out now!” and the Dolls and Golliwogs leading the way, they rushed up to the doors of the cottages, and banged on them with all their might.

“You mustn’t be rude to the people, remember!” cried Peggy. “Just ask them to lend us the village for a little while, and we promise not to hurt it. I expect they’ll understand.”

Whether they did or not Peggy never found out, for after one glance out of their windows, the people snatched up their babies, and, screaming to the rest of their children to follow, they rushed out of the back doors and down the fields and away over the hills as fast as their legs could carry them. Peggy tried shouting to them that it was all right, and that no one would hurt them, and the lions and tigers were very anxious to run after them, and _make_ them see how silly they were; but everyone else thought it better to begin playing at once, before the men came back from work.

Peggy and the Giant--who suddenly noticed that they were wearing beautiful scarlet robes, and had heavy gold crowns on their heads--went behind the counter in the little shop, and sold sweets to every Toy who came to buy. And it was all more fun than words can say, especially when the dolls, who wanted to play at housekeeping, came crowding in asking for flour and sugar and rice and all sorts of things.

The Giant, quite doubled up in such a small space, handed down the jars and tins to Peggy, and she measured out all the things very carefully, and put them into paper bags; whilst Noah and his family busied themselves with getting tea ready in the back room.

Outside, the Golliwogs and Teddy-bears, shouting and hallooing, led the Ark animals to the pond to drink, or shut them up in the fields, or harnessed them to the carts they found, and drove them to market--and of course the animals simply _loved_ it.

The rocking-horse got off his rockers, and was put in a real stable, and given real hay to eat; and the dolls’ house was put alongside a real house and had a creeper trained up it, and instead of the whole of the front wall having to be undone before people could get in, the little brown door opened and shut just like one in a real house does.

As for the tops and ninepins, dominoes and other small fry, they just spun and hopped up and down the road and in and out of the houses, not really playing at anything, but enjoying it all as much as anyone. And the pictures in the story-books took no notice of anybody, but went for long walks in the woods, with their arms round each other’s necks, gossiping.

It really was the best adventure of the lot, Peggy and the Giant agreed, as they sat by their door that afternoon, the Giant smoking and reading a newspaper, and Peggy looking down the busy village street. None of the villagers came back at all, and it really felt as if the whole place was their very own.

“Even that pump looks exciting, because it’s _ours_,” said Peggy, “and if only Mother was home again everything would be _perfect_, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, why don’t you _wish_ she was coming?” said the Giant. “You’ve got one more wish left still, and she’ll see you get home without any help from me or the Ring either!”

Peggy jumped to her feet and ran down the road. Why _hadn’t_ she thought of it before? Round the corner she tore, away from everyone’s sight, even the Giant’s, her heart beating fast. Then--“I wish Mummie was coming now!” she said--and at once a little tiny speck appeared far, far away on the white road....

And of course the speck turned into a motor, and of course Mother was inside it.--And directly _that_ happened, the Ring flew right off Peggy’s thumb and completely disappeared--goodness knows where.

“And did you come to meet me!” said Mother, jumping out of the motor and kissing Peggy dozens and dozens of times. “You _are_ a nice Pegtop! Weren’t you frightened all by yourself on the road?”

“O Mummie, this is _much_ the nicest wish of all,” gasped Peggy, as Mother jumped in again with her in her arms, and they whizzed along down the road. “Why!” as they passed through the village, “the Toys are all gone and so is the Giant!”

“You’ve not answered my question yet, my Peggums,” said Mother, pressing her closer.

“Of course I wasn’t frightened, Mummie!” said Peggy, burying her nose in the bunch of violets pinned to Mother’s coat. “You see, I had my Giant with me.”

“Oh, had you?” said Mother, not looking at all surprised. “Then _that’s_ all right! Good old Giant!” she added softly.

* * * * *

“It’s all perfectly _lovely_,” said Mother, that evening after tea, when Peggy had finished telling her all the adventures from beginning to end. “And I’m going to write them down for a book. It would be a thousand pities if the Ring went to another little girl and she didn’t know about putting it on her thumb. Think of the waste!”

“Yes, and it’s so bad for the Giant, too,” said Peggy thoughtfully. “I mean, him not being _used_ oftener. You see what mistakes he made sometimes, darling old thing! I do think the book is a _splendid_ plan, Mummie,” and she began to dance round and round the room.

“And you shall do the pictures for it!” said Mother, dancing round the room too. (She was _that_ sort of Mother.)

“Oh, _do_ you think I could?” asked Peggy, stopping short.

“Of course you could,” said Mother. “Why, you were there, and know exactly what everything looked like. And I’ll help a little when you want me. Let’s do a bit every day after tea till it’s done,” and she rolled Peggy on the floor and hugged her.

And so they did.

_Printed in Great Britain by M‘Farlane & Erskine, Edinburgh_

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