09 Hooray for Little Billy!

Hooray for Little Billy! When it was all over, Swan and Little Billy flew higher and circled the lake for a last look. And suddenly the whole sky around them was filled with birds, and every bird had one or more Minpins on its back. Little Billy recognized Don Mini riding on a fine jay and he was waving and cheering as he flew alongside them. It seemed that all the other Minpins from the big tree had turned up as well to witness the great victory over the dreaded Gruncher. Every kind of bird was circling around Little Billy and Swan, and the Minpins on their backs were waving and clapping and

shouting with joy. Little Billy waved back and laughed and thought how wonderful it all was. Then, led by Swan, all the birds and the Minpins returned to the home tree. Back in the tree there was a tremendous celebration for Little Billy's victory over the dreaded Gruncher. Minpins from all over the forest had flown in on their birds to cheer the young hero, and all the branches and twigs of the great tree were crowded with tiny people. When the cheers and the clapping had died down at last, Don Mini stood up to make a speech. 'Minpins of the forest!' he cried, raising his small voice so that it could be heard all over the tree. 'The murderous Gruncher, who has gobbled up so many thousands of us Minpins, has gone forever! The forest floor is safe at last for us to walk on! So now we can all go down to pick

blackberries and winkleberries and puckleberries and muckleberries and twinkleberries and snozzberries to our heart's content. And our children can play among the wild flowers and the roots all day long.' Don Mini paused and turned his eyes upon Little Billy who was sitting on a branch not far away. 'But ladies and gentlemen,' he went on, 'who is it we have to thank for this great blessing that has come upon us? Who is the saviour of the Minpins?' Don Mini paused again. The Minpins in their thousands sat listening intently. 'Our saviour,' he cried out, 'our hero, our wonder-boy, is, as you already know, our human visitor, Little Billy.' (Cheers and shouts of 'Hooray for Little Billy!' from the crowd.) Don Mini now turned and spoke directly to Little Billy. 'You, my boy, have done a wonderful thing for us and in return we wish to do something for you. I have had a word with Swan and he has agreed to become your personal private aeroplane for just as long as you remain small enough to fly on his back.' (More cheers and clapping and shouts of 'Good old Swan! What a great idea!')

'However,' Don Mini continued, still addressing Little Billy, 'you cannot go flying around all over the place on Swan's back in full daylight. Some human would be bound to see you. And then the secret would be out and you would be forced to tell your people all about us. That must never happen. If it did, crowds of enormous humans would come clumping all over our beloved forest to look for Minpins and our quiet homeland would be ruined.' 'I'll never tell a soul!' Little Billy cried out. 'Even so,' Don Mini said, 'we cannot risk you making daylight flights. But every night, after the light in your bedroom has been switched off,

Swan will come to your window to see if you'd like a ride. Sometimes he will bring you back here to see us. Other times he will take you to visit places more wonderful than you could ever dream of. Would you like Swan to take you home now? I think we can risk just one more quick daylight flight.' 'Oh gosh!' Little Billy cried. 'I'd clean forgotten about home! Mummy'll be in a panic! I must fly!' Don Mini gave the signal and in five seconds Swan swooped down and landed on the tree. Little Billy climbed on to his back, and as the great swan spread his wings and flew away, the whole forest,

not just the tree they were in but the whole forest from end to end, came alive with the cheering of a million Minpins.