Mr. Bliss fell face downwards on the beetle. Mr. Day knocked Albert over and stood on his head on the lovely carpet. Bruno sat down bump. Teddy sat on Herbert. Mrs. Knight sent Egbert over backwards. But Archie put his head bang through the lid of the tureen, and soup splashed all over him, and got into both his eyes.

The Dorkinses were quite bowled over - and angry. Fattie was least angry, because nobody had fallen on him. Though he lost his third helping of soup, he laughed very loud. That only made Albert all the angrier.

"Next time you come," he said to Mr. Bliss, "go to the front door and ring, and don't throw people out of a balloon onto our picnic!"

"We didn't come in a balloon - I brought my friends in a motor-car, and we left it at the gate."

"Thank goodness," said Egbert. "A motor-car on the lovely carpet would have been too much to bear. I believe one of your friends is sitting on a beetle."

Then Mrs Knight jumped up with a shriek, although she had been lying on her back crying "O my bananas - all my bones are broken!" She would not sit down, till Mr. Bliss showed her the beetle squashed on his front. By that time Archie had licked himself clean of soup; Mr Day had found his hat, and was sitting up again; and Bruno (who was

Previous Next