Baby Jane's Mission Part 5

After dinner, Baby Jane and the creatures prepared a fine Punch and Judy show, with living figures.

'n.o.body but relations, or tortoises laid on their backs, will watch tableaux, but everybody likes a Punch and Judy show,' said Baby Jane.

By using palm-stems with bamboos tied across and draped, they built a very pa.s.sable Punch's house, and soon all were crowded inside ready to bob up and act while Baby Jane did the squeaky talking.

It is wonderful how soon a crowd collects round a Punch and Judy show.

Here in five minutes there were five hundred beasts and n.i.g.g.e.rs seated in rows--all too curious and excited to think of eating one another. And at the last moment up came the Flanagans in a body and took front seats. For it was good-hearted souls that they were, and they bore no malice. Perhaps they were a trifle excitable--that was all.

The excitement reached its highest point when Joey the clown (Master Rabbit) outwitted Punch (Mr. Lion). The Policeman (Mr. Bear) and the Black Man (Master Piccaninny) had popped up and had been promptly knocked on the head, and then the wily Joey appeared and was apparently slain also--a dozen times Punch reckoned to have knocked the stuffing out of Joey, but each time that cunning rascal caused the Policeman or the Black Man to receive the whacks.

Then Punch began counting up his slain, 'One, two, three----'

'And four!' squeaked Joey, hitting Punch a sounding crack and laying him flat.

All this was as it should be, but when the much battered Bear and Piccaninny saw the Lion laid low, they arose and rushed at him and pummelled him until he roared again.

'Now we are going to do some of the hitting,' they said.

At this the Flanagans in the front row cheered wildly, and would have stormed the stage and joined in the fight if the whole of the characters had not disappeared downwards with a jerk.

Then there was a great heaving of the curtains, and the sound of argument within.

'I don't believe that "Exit" is Latin for being jerked off the stage by the legs,' said a voice.

'If you don't behave, it will be Latin for being fed on dry bread-fruit for a week,' replied the voice of Baby Jane.

But soon afterwards the actors popped up again, though rather breathless and rumpled, and the rest of the show went splendidly to a triumphant close, and Baby Jane had to climb up and make a speech before the crowd would disperse.

'Ladies and Gentlemen,' she said, whereupon the audience, unused to being so addressed, cheered loudly; and then her feelings of joy and pride at the success of her Christmas effort to soften and teach these neglected creatures so overcame her, that she fell backwards on top of her company of actors, who bore her home in triumph.

CHAPTER IV

OLD JANIES _v._ JUNIOR OAKDENE ATHLETIC

'Do you know,' said the Lion suddenly to Baby Jane the next day, 'we are growing very fat.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: Puffed out his cheeks.]

It was certainly true, though he took in a big breath and puffed out his cheeks to make it seem worse.

'Tableaux and Tom Tiddler's Ground don't give us enough exercise,' he went on.

This remark made Baby Jane sad and thoughtful.

'Oh, I wish I were a boy,' she said, 'and could teach you big rough games. No wonder you strong creatures think my girls' games silly; and you would be more fond of me if I were a boy.'

Then she hung her head and pinched a bit of silk out of the pattern on her frock.

All the other creatures glowered at the Lion for his stupidity, and he allowed all the breath to go out of him, and collapsed into a very mean, awkward-looking animal; but after a little shuffling he began bounding round the little girl with the wildest show of gaiety, licking her face and patting her with his paws to coax her to hold up her head and come for a romp. The other creatures gradually allowed their scowls to soften into grins, and joined in the dance.

Baby Jane turned away her head for a moment to rub her eyes, and then held out her arms and put them round the Lion's neck.

'Oh, you are dears,' she said, 'and I'll try hard to remember some big boys' game. I did use to crawl through the hedge and play football with the Williamson boys in the next garden to ours, but it always ended so soon. They always used to charge me and knock me into the laurel-bushes, and then I used to run back crying with bruises on my legs, and my frock all earthy, and when I complained of them to Mother she used to punish me. That always happened. But I'll try to remember--I'll try to remember.'

She sat staring anxiously at the sky for some minutes.

'Yes,' she cried, 'I remember--oh, I am glad!'

'Now, you all go out and get a lot of animals to play against us--gently, mind!--coax them; tell them it is splendid fun--and I will teach you football.'

It was a very quaint set of animals that shyly allowed themselves to be led up. They were mostly ostriches and ant-eaters, with a sprinkling of elephants, hippopotamuses, and such-like.

But they grew more interested and less self-conscious when Baby Jane showed them how to fix up two posts at each end of the chosen ground, and explained how each side had to try to kick the ball between the other side's posts.

'And one side must be called the "Old Somethings,"' she told them, 'so we will be the "Old Janies," and the other side must be the "Junior Something Athletic," so you shall be the "Junior Oakdene Athletic," and that is all I know, except that one player must be called "full back,"

and another "left wing." Rabbit, you are our "left wing," and you, Lion, are our "full back."'

These two creatures flushed with pride to be picked out for these honours.

A little rattlesnake had wanted to play too, but he had no legs so they made him the umpire.

It was the sound of his rattle that began the game, and at that signal the two teams rushed upon the cocoa-nut--that was what they used for a ball.

The first to distinguish himself was an agile young elephant, who, with the ball before him, dodged in and out among the Old Janies with terrible skill, every moment getting nearer to their goal. At last only a few yards remained, and with agonised faces Baby Jane's team looked for the last fatal kick.

Then suddenly there was a squeak and a flash of brown fur. Struck full upon the chest, the Elephant went cras.h.i.+ng down. The Rabbit had charged him with the dash and fury of a regiment of cavalry, and the goal was saved.

But no; not yet! On came the enemy again, and the Rabbit's splendid deed seemed all in vain. Struggling like heroes, Jane's men were forced back, until at last by sheer weight they were driven headlong into their own goal.

The Junior Oakdene Athletic raised a shout of triumph, but it died away in doubt and disappointment. The ball had disappeared, and there was nothing to show that they had sent it between Jane's goal-posts.

They made an anxious search all over the ground. Miss Crocodile seemed to think that it might be at the other end of the field, and she went there to look for it. n.o.body thought it possible, and yet, when she had got within easy distance of the enemy's goal, there it was just under her nose. With a deft kick she shot it between the posts. The Old Janies had won a goal!

The Junior Oakdene Athletic did not take their misfortunes like men.

Indeed, they said that Miss Crocodile had had the ball in her mouth all the time. But the enemy soon brought the ball back close to Baby Jane's end of the field, and, in spite of the goal her side had won, the game seemed hopeless.

Then Baby Jane saw a gap in the ranks of the foe, and out she shot with the ball before her, and went scampering up the field with a puffing crowd at her heels.

And away on her right out shot the Rabbit, and keeping level with her at a distance of twenty yards, he scuttled desperately.

Whenever Baby Jane was pressed she neatly patted the ball to the 'left wing,' and when he felt two or three elephants and an ostrich or so close upon him he pa.s.sed it back to her.

In a moment there was no one but the Junior Oakdene Athletic 'full back,' a burly Hippopotamus, to be pa.s.sed. He went out to meet the Rabbit. There was a scuffle, and the Hippopotamus arose, alone, slowly and heavily, a very full back indeed.