The Magic Faraway Tree

7.Mr Change-About and the Enchanter

Everyone stared at Mr Change-About. At least, as he was the only person in the room, they thought that was who it must be. He got up and came towards them. He was a fat, comfortable-looking person with a broad smile on his face. "Hmm, what a lot of visitors!" he said. "Do sit down."

There was nowhere to sit except on the stone floor, which looked rather cold. So nobody sat down. Something happened to Mr Change-About when nobody obeyed him. He grew tall and thin. His broad smile disappeared and a frown came all over his face. He looked like a very unpleasant person. "I SAID SIT DOWN!!!" he roared. And everybody sat down in a hurry!

Mr Change-About looked at the Saucepan Man, who had sat down with a tremendous clatter.

"Have you got a nice little kettle that I can boil enough water to make two mugs of hot chocolate?" he asked.

The Saucepan Man didn't hear. So Joe shouted in his ear, and he beamed and undid a little kettle that he had on him. "Just the thing!" he said, handing it to Mr Change-About. "Try it and see!"

Mr Change-About changed again, and became happy-looking with dancing eyes and a sweet smile. He took the kettle.

Thank you," he said. "So kind of you. Just what I wanted. How much is it?"

"Nothing at all," said the Saucepan Man. "A present for you!"

"Well, allow me to hand out some chocolates to you all in return for such a nice present," said Mr Change-About, and he fetched an enormous box of chocolates in the cupboard. Everybody was pleased. Rick looked carefully into the box when his turn came. His hand stretched out for the biggest chocolate of all. Mr Change-About at once changed and flew into rage.

He became a thin and mean-looking, his nose shot out long, and his eyes grew small.

"Bad boy, greedy boy!" he shouted. "You shan't have any of my chocolates now! Horrible, greedy children!" 

And at once all the chocolates turned into stones. Beth had hers in her mouth, and she spat it out at once. The others looked disgusted. The Old Saucepan man gave a yell.

"I've swallowed mine, and now I suppose I have a stone inside me. Oh, you nasty Mr Change-About! I'll show you what I think of your chocolates!"

And to everyone's surprise Saucepan rushed at Mr Change-About, knocked his box of chocolates over the room, and began to shake him hard.

Rattle, rattle, shake, shake! Gosh, how the old Saucepan Man shook Mr Change-About. And Mr Change-About tried to shake the old Saucepan man back, but what was the good of that? Saucepan was so covered with saucepans and kettles that nobody could possibly shake him about without hurting themselves!

Clang, clatter, clang, clatter, clash! The kettles and saucepans made an enormous noise, and everyone began to laugh, because really Saucepan looked to funny for words, dancing about on the floor, pushing and shaking Mr Change-About.

Mr Change-About suddenly got very big and fierce-looking, but the old Saucepan didn't seem to mind at all. He just went on shaking and pushing him, and shouted: "The bigger you are, the more there is to punish!"

So then Mr Change-About got very small, as small as a mouse, and ran squealing across the floor in fright. Quick as lightning, Saucepan picked him up, popped him into a kettle, and put  the lid on!

"Oh, Saucepan! Whatever will you do next?" said Joe, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "I've never seen such a funny sight in my life. Be careful Mr Change-About doesn't squeeze out of the spout."

"I'll stuff it with paper," said Saucepan, tearing out some from the box of chocolates. "Now, he's secure. Well, what do we do next?" 

"We'd better get out of here," said Joe, standing up. He turned towards the doorway, but what was this! There was no doorway and no door! Only a wall of rock that ran all round the underground room now.