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course you do. Everybody knows what ‘one up to you’ means!”
    â€œI’m sure
I
don’t,” said Mary-Mary, and hobbled carefully up to her own front door, where all her big brothers and sisters were politely waiting for her.
    So Mary-Mary went away and then came home again to stay, and that is the end of the story.

5
Mary-Mary is a Surprise
    ONE day Mary-Mary sat at the table giving Moppet his breakfast. She sat him beside her plate with one cornflake in front of his nose, and while she was waiting for him to eat it she listened to all her big brothers and sisters talking.
    â€œMrs Merry’s party is going to be lovely,” said Miriam. “It isn’t going to end until half-past midnight.”
    â€œSmashing,” said Martyn.
    â€œSuper,” said Mervyn.
    â€œGolly!” said Meg.
    â€œWe’ve never been to such a late party before,” said Miriam. “I suppose it’s because it’s a New Year party.”
    â€œWhizzo,” said Martyn.
    â€œHooray,” said Mervyn.
    â€œGorgeous!” said Meg.
    Mary-Mary was very surprised to hear that there was going to be a party.
    â€œWhen are we going?” she asked.
    But all the others said, “No, not you, Mary-Mary.” “It’s only us.” “You weren’t asked.” “You’re too little.”
    Mary-Mary moved Moppet’s nose a little closer to his cornflake and didn’t say anything.
    â€œNever mind,” said Miriam.
    â€œWait till you’re bigger,” said Martyn.
    â€œThen you’ll be able to go too,” said Mervyn.
    â€œIf anyone asks you,” said Meg.
    And they all said, “Never mind, Mary-Mary,” together.
    Mary-Mary got down from her place and said in a busy and rather worried voice, “I couldn’t have gone, anyway. I am far too busy. Moppet has a cold and he needs looking after.”
    She gave a tiny sneeze in Moppet’s voice and looked at the cornflake.
    â€œYou see, he hasn’t even eaten his breakfast. I have to eat it for him.”
    She put the cornflake in her mouth, then, still looking busy and worried, she carried Moppet away and put him to bed in a small cardboard box.
    All the morning, while the others talked about the New Year party and what they should wear and who would fetch them home and what there would be to eat, Moppet’s cold got worse and worse.
    Mary-Mary sat with him and told him stories and tucked him up in cotton-wool and gave him medicine from a doll’s tea-cup, and was so busy that she had no time at all to think about the party.

    About an hour before dinner-time Mrs Merry came in on her way back from shopping. She was a fat, jolly lady whom they all liked; but as soon as Mary-Mary heard her voice in the hall she hid under the table with Moppet. She didn’t want to see Mrs Merry today.
    Miriam, Martyn, Mervyn, and Meg brought Mrs Merry into the dining-room, and they all started talking about the New Year party all over again.
    â€œI have a lovely plan,” said Mrs Merry. “I am going to dress Mr Merry up as a very old man, with a long white beard—to be the Old Year, you know. Then, when the clock strikes midnight (and it really is the end of the year), I thought how lovely it would be if we could have two or three fairies come in with a great big box of crackers to give away to everybody to wish them a Happy New Year.”
    â€œFairies?” said Meg.
    â€œNot real fairies,” said Mrs Merry, “and that’s what I’ve come about. I wanted to ask you if you’d like to help. We shall need quite big people, because I’m planning to have a really huge box of crackers. Now, how would you like to be the fairies?”
    â€œOh, yes!” said Miriam.
    â€œWhat—me?” said Martyn.
    â€œOh, no!” said Mervyn.
    â€œOh,
yes
!” said Meg.
    â€œNo, not you boys,” said Mrs Merry. “I meant Miriam and