Read Magic Faraway Tree for Free Online

he said to the others, "What's this? Where's the Faraway
Tree?"
"We've come down the wrong hole," groaned Moon-Face. "Oh, goodness,
what bad luck!"
"Well, where are we?" asked Dick in wonder.
     
   
"I don't know," said Moon-Face. "We'd better follow this passage
and see where it leads to. It's no Use climbing back and trying to find the right
hole. We'd never find it in the dark-and anyway, I'm pretty sure the Land of Spells
has moved on by now."
Everyone felt very gloomy. Jo led the way down the passage. It twisted and turned,
went up and down steps, and was lighted here and there by the green lanterns swinging
from the roof.
     
   
At last they came to a big yellow door. On it was a blue knocker, a blue bell,
a blue letter-box and a blue notice that said:
"Mister Change-About. Knock once, ring twice, and rattle the letter-box."
Jo knocked once, very loudly. Then he rang twice, and everyone heard the bell
going "R-r-r-r-r-r-ring! R-r-r-r-r-r-ring!" Then he rattled the letter-box.
     
   
The door didn't open. It completely disappeared. It was most peculiar. One minute
it was there- and the next it had gone, and there was nothing in front of them.
They could see right into a big underground room.
     
   
At the end of it, by a roaring fire, a round fat person was sitting. "That
must be Mister Change-About!" whispered Dick. "Dare we go in?"
7-Mr. Change-About and the Enchanter.
     
   
Everyone stared at Mr. Change-About. At least, as he was the only person in the
room, they thought that was who it must be. He got up and came towards them.
     
   
He was a fat, comfortable-looking person with a broad smile on his face. "Dear
me, what a lot of visitors!" he said. "Do sit down."
There was nowhere to sit except the floor. This was made of stone and looked rather
cold. So nobody sat down.
     
   
Something happened to Mr. Change-About when nobody obeyed him. He grew tall and
thin. His broad smile disappeared and a frown came all over his face. He looked
a most unpleasant person.
     
   
"SIT DOWN!" he roared. And everybody sat down in a hurry!
Mr. Change-About looked at the Saucepan Man, who had sat down with a tremendous
clatter.
     
   
"Have you a nice little kettle that would boil enough water for two cups
of tea?" he asked.
     
   
The Saucepan Man didn't hear. So Jo shouted in his ear, and he beamed, got up,
and undid a little kettle from the many that hung about him.
     
   
"Just the thing!" he said, handing it to Mr. Change-About. "Try
it and see!"
Mr. Change-About changed again, and became a happy-looking little creature with
dancing eyes and a sweet smile. He took the kettle.
     
   
"Thank you," he said. "So kind of you. Just what I wanted. How
much is it?"
"Nothing at all," said the Saucepan Man. "Just a present to you!"
"Well, allow me to hand round some chocolate to you all in return for such
a nice present," said Mr. Change-About, and fetched an enormous box of chocolates
from a cupboard. Everybody was pleased.
     
   
Dick looked carefully into the box when his turn came. His hand stretched out
for the very biggest chocolate of all. Mr. Change-About at once changed again
and flew into a rage.
     
   
He became thin and mean-looking, his nose shot out long, and his eyes grew small.
     
   
"Bad boy, greedy boy!" he shouted. "You shan't any of you have
my chocolates now! Horrid, greedy children!"
And at once all the chocolates changed to little hard stones. Bessie had hers
in her mouth, and she spat it out at once. The others looked most disgusted. The
old Saucepan Man gave a yell of dismay.
     
   
"I've swallowed mine-and now I suppose I've got a stone inside me. Oh, you
nasty Mr. Change-About! I'll show you what I think of your chocolates!"
And to everyone's surprise Saucepan rushed at Mr. Change-About, knocked his box
of chocolates all over the room, and began to pummel him hard.
     
   
Biff, smack, biff, smack! Goodness, how