Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE THE POOR, TIRED WISHING-CHAIR Sure enough the other three wings had been cut right off. But how? And when? Who could have done it? The children had been with the chair the whole time. 'I do think you might have kept a better guard on the chair,' said Binky crossly. 'I really do. Didn't I warn you about the ways of the Slipperies? Didn't I say you couldn't trust them? Didn't I...' 'Oh, Binky- but when could it have been done?' cried Mollie. 'I tell you, we were here the whole of the time.'

'Standing by the chair?' asked Binky. 'Yes- or on it,' said Peter. 'On it! Whatever did you stand on it, for?' said Binky, puzzled. 'To stop the Slipperies sitting down?' 'No- to see your Great-Aunt's flying-dogs,' said Peter. 'The Slipperies said they were over there, and if we would stand up on the chair seat we could just see them flying around. But we couldn't.' 'Of course you couldn't,' said Binky. 'And for a very good reason, too- they're all at the cottage with my Great-Aunt. I saw them!' 'Oh- the dreadful story-tellers!' cried Mollie. 'Peter- it was a trick! Whilst we were standing up there trying to see the dogs, one of the Slipperies must have quietly snipped off the three wings and put them in his pocket.'

'Of course!' said Binky. 'Very simple- and you're a pair of simpletons to get taken in by such a silly trick.' Mollie and Peter went very red. 'What shall we do?' asked Peter. 'I'm very sorry about it. Poor old chair- one wing not grown and the other three snipped away. It's a shame.'

'Thank goodness Binky has the Growing Ointment for wings,' said Mollie. 'Yes- but I've only got just enough for one wing,' said Binky. 'One wing isn't going to take us very far, is it?' 'No,' said Mollie. Whatever are we going to do?' 'I shall have to ask Great-Aunt Quick- Fingers for some more Growing Ointment, that's all,' said Binky, gloomily. 'And this time you can come with me, and bring the chair too. If I leave you here alone with it, you'll get tricked again, and I shall come back and find the legs are gone next time, and I can't even grow wings on them!' 'It's not nice of you to keep on and on about it, Binky,' said Mollie, lifting up the chair with Peter. 'We're very sorry. We didn't

know quite how clever the Slipperies were. Oooh- horrid creatures, with their odd eyes and deceitful smiles.'

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