Four Children and It Read online

  ‘And where your tail?’ said Maudie, remembering that most monkeys have long tails swinging in the air.

  ‘The Psammead’s not really a monkey. It’s never had a tail,’ I said.

  ‘Indeed I did, long ago,’ said the Psammead. ‘It was a most elegant appendage, very long and fully furred. It was my most distinguishing feature, and much admired. I was very proud of my fine tail, I’ll have you know. But once, when I was all puffed up, summoning a juicy megatherium for a cave-family Sunday dinner, a Tyrannosaurus rex lumbered past and thought I’d make an extra tasty canapé before his own dinner. I was so immersed in puffing myself up that I wasn’t even aware it was there until I saw its horrifying head hurtling down towards me, jaws gaping. I rolled away from it as fast as I could, but I didn’t have time to tuck my tail about me. Those jaws snapped – and I lost my tail.’

  ‘Oh, how terrible!’ I said.

  ‘It was indeed,’ said the Psammead. ‘I still feel a sharp pain in my rear when I dwell upon it. But I have endeavoured to accept my new blunt-ended appearance over the years. I am still a rather handsome creature, even though I say so myself.’

  The Psammead preened itself. I didn’t dare look at Smash or Robbie. The Psammead was utterly wonderful, but looks-wise it did seem quite one of the most unfortunate creatures ever, with its big fat furry body, its heavily wrinkled face, its little bat ears, and its eyes wavering on those weird pink stalks.

  ‘Yes, you are exceptionally handsome,’ I said, trying hard to keep a straight face.

  The Psammead smiled at me benevolently.

  ‘You would like a wish today then, children?’ it said.

  ‘Yes, please. It’s my turn and I’d very much like to wish that we could all fly. Please. If you’re feeling particularly obliging. I jolly well hope you are,’ said Smash.

  ‘Certainly,’ said the Psammead, and it started puffing itself up. And up and up and up until it seemed ready to split in two. Then it collapsed abruptly, gave us a little nod and dug itself into the sand.

  At the same time I felt a strange itching, burning feeling on my back. Smash felt behind her, Robbie started scratching his own back and Maudie peered over her shoulder, startled.

  ‘What is it?’ said Smash. ‘What’s happening?’

  The strange feeling grew stronger, so that my shoulder blades prickled fiercely, as if they were being pushed right through my skin. I could actually feel them poking through the thin material of my T-shirt. I twisted round worriedly, and felt something sharp and then soft, like a feather sticking out of a pillow. A feather!

  ‘Oh goodness, I think we’re growing wings!’ I gasped.

  There were two points protruding through my T-shirt now, and once they were free they pushed harder, growing with amazing speed. At first they were tightly rolled up like furled umbrellas, but as they grew I experienced a dragging, aching feeling that made me brace my shoulders, and all at once the long, dark, pointy wings opened wide. I flapped them in the air, creating great gusts of wind all around me. I craned my neck in awe at the sight of my feathery new wings. They were a beautiful sky blue shading to soft navy at the tips.

  ‘Look at my wonderful wings!’ I cried.

  ‘No, look at mine!’ Smash shouted, whirling round and round, stretching her own wings out like a great cape. Hers were scarlet edged with gold, so bright you could barely look at her.

  ‘I’ve got wings too!’ Robbie yelled. ‘Mine are like animal wings!’ They were a beautiful deep yellow-sandy colour spotted all over with brown – leopard wings.

  ‘My wings, my wings!’ Maudie sang, jumping up and down, flapping her own little wings in the air. They were snowy white with a layer of pink underneath, beautiful baby wings. ‘Maudie fly!’ she said, and she jumped higher … and then hovered an inch or two above the ground, flapping so hard her face went as pink as her under-feathers.

  ‘Look at Maudie!’ I said. ‘She really is flying. Careful, darling, don’t go too high!’

  I waved my own wings and felt a strange lifting sensation in my arms and legs, but I couldn’t seem to get properly off the ground.

  ‘I can’t do it!’ said Robbie, standing on tiptoe and flapping his arms as well as his wings. ‘Look, I’m trying and trying, but I can’t do it, I knew I wouldn’t be able to!’

  ‘Watch me,’ said Smash, leaping upwards wildly, flapping her own wings so hard she nearly blew us both over – but even she fell down again with a thud.

  ‘Ouch!’ she said. ‘Maudie, hey, how do you do it?’

  Maudie giggled and rose upwards, paddling with her legs, until she was up by our heads. She tried to circle round us but went head over heels instead, over and over, squealing with laughter.

  ‘Having fun, Maudie?’ Alice called happily, not reacting at all to the sight of her precious daughter tumbling about in thin air.

  ‘Maybe that’s the way,’ said Smash, and she threw herself in the air. Just for a moment she seemed to hang there, suspended, but when she flapped her wings hard she hurtled down again, landing in a heap a second time, ruffling all her new feathers.

  ‘Ouch again! I can’t believe the Psammead could be so mean. It’s given us wings and yet they’re totally useless – we can’t fly at all.’

  ‘They’re very pretty, though,’ I said, reaching round and giving my wings a stroke.

  ‘I told you,’ said Robbie, wriggling his shoulders. ‘I knew our wings wouldn’t work.’

  A flock of birds flew out of a tree, squawking, as if they were mocking us.

  ‘They’re green parakeets,’ said Robbie, craning his neck to look at them. He ran along the ground on his skinny stick legs, wings flapping. He wasn’t looking where he was going and tripped over a tree root.

  I ran to him.

  ‘Are you all right, Robs? Please don’t have hurt yourself! Are your legs all right? And your arms?’

  ‘It’s more my bottom! I landed with a bump,’ said Robbie. ‘Did I fly just a little bit?’

  ‘Not really!’ I said gently.

  ‘How come Maudie can do it and not us?’ Smash demanded. ‘Look, mine still aren’t working.’ She flapped her wings furiously.

  ‘Maybe – maybe we’re trying too hard?’ I said. ‘I just don’t think we’ve got the knack yet. It’s like swimming or riding a bike. You can’t do it at all at first, and then suddenly you realize you’re doing it after all – Oh!’ I gasped as I suddenly stepped up in the air. I was only a very little way up, so that I could still touch the tops of the ferns, but I wasn’t on the ground at all – I wasn’t walking, I was flying, really truly flying.

  ‘Look! Look, I’m flying!’ I said, reaching up to hold Maudie’s little hand above me.

  ‘Well, tell us how you do it!’ Smash shouted.

  ‘I don’t know how!’ I moved my arms and legs experimentally and flapped hard with my beautiful blue wings. The moment I concentrated it felt strange and awkward and I slid down into the ferns, tumbling over on to my back, though I managed to snap my wings shut quickly so I wouldn’t crumple them.

  ‘Don’t stop now, Ros. You were doing great!’ said Robbie.

  ‘Show me!’ said Smash, pressing her lips together and straining every muscle to get airborne.

  ‘I’m sure you’re trying too hard,’ I said. ‘It doesn’t work if you do. The moment I tried to think how I was doing it I felt so strange and silly I couldn’t do it any more. It’s like when you try to work out exactly how you walk. Your legs go stiff immediately and your arms won’t swing the right way. Don’t think about it too much.’

  ‘That’s an idiotic thing to say. How can I help thinking about it?’ said Smash. ‘It’s my wish and it’s being completely wasted. It’s extremely annoying that you can fly, Ros, yet I can’t. And look at little Maudie – she’s absolutely ace at it.’ Smash’s expression softened as she peered up at Maudie, watching her bob up and down comically. Then suddenly her own knees bent, her arms wavered, her scarlet wings flapped – and she rose up too, right besi