The Magic Faraway Tree

3.The Land of Topsy-Turvy

"What is Topsy-Turvy land like?" asked Joe, taking another pop cake.

"Never been there," said Moon-face. "But I should think it's quite safe, really. It's only just come there, so it should stay for a while. We could go up and see what it's like and come down again if we don't like it. Silky, Saucepan and I will come with you, if you like.

Moon-Face turned to saucepan Man, who was enjoying his fifth pop cake.

"Saucepan, we're going up the ladder, are you coming?" He said.

"Humming?" said Saucepan, looking around as if he thought there might be bees about. "No, I didn't hear any humming."

"I said are you COMING?!" said Moon-Face.

"Oh, coming!" said Saucepan. "Of course I'm coming. are we going to take our lunch?"

"Yes," said Moon-Face, going to a curved door that opened onto a tiny cupboard. "I'll see what I've got. Tomatoes, Plums, Ginger Snaps, lemonade. I'll bring them all."

he put them into a basket. Then they all went out of the funny, curved room on to a big branch outside. Moon-face shut his door.

Joe led the way up to the very top of the faraway tree. Then suddenly Rick gave a shout of astonishment.

"Look!" He cried. "There's an enormous white cloud above and around us. Isn't it mysterious!"

Sure enough, a huge white cloud floated above them, but just near by was a hole right through the cloud!

"That's where we go, up that hole," said Joe. "See that branch that goes up the hole? Come on!"

They all went up the last and topmost branch of the Faraway Tree. It went up and up through the purple hole in the cloud. At the very end of the branch was a little ladder.

Joe climbed the ladder and suddenly his head poked out into the land of Topsy-Turvy! Then one by one all the others followed and soon all seven of them stood in a curious land.

Rick was not used to strange lands as the others were. He stood and stared with his eyes wide open that it really seemed as if it was going to drop out of his head!

And, indeed it was a strange sight he saw. Every house was upside down, and stood on chimneys. The trees were upside down, their heads buried in the ground and the roots in the air. and the people walked upside down too!

"They are walking on their hands, with their legs in the air!" said Joe. "Goodness, what a peculiar thing to do!"

Everyone stared at the folk of topsy-turvy land. They got along very quickly on their hands, and often stopped to talk to each other, chattering busily. Some of them had been shopping, and carried their baskets on one foot.

"let's go peep inside a house and see and see what it's like being topsy-turvy," said Joe. so they set off to the nearest house. It looked rather peculiar standing on its chimneys. No smoke came out of them, but smoke came out of the window near the top.

"How do we get in?" asked Beth. They watched a topsy-turvy man walk on his hands to another house. He jumped in at the nearest window, going up a ladder first. The children looked for the ladder that entered the house they were near. They soon found it. They went up it to a window and peeped inside.

"Gosh!" said Joe. "Everything really is upside down in it, they chairs and tables, and everything. How uncomfortable it must be!"

An old lady was inside the house. She was sitting upside down in an upside down chair and looked very uncomfortable. She was angry when she saw the children peeping in.