Barnacle Bill's tea party Part 1

Once they had returned from their summer holiday by the sea, the Bell family had all been busy at home, getting things straight in the house and garden. Jennifer Jane had helped her mum sort out the clothes and put them away in their proper places and when she had done all she could, she went out to help dad in the garden. He was muttering to himself.

"It's amazing how the weeds spring up as soon as your back is turned" and was very pleased when Jennifer Jane offered to do something. "If you would sweep the leaves off the lawn with the birch broom and then trim all the edges, that would be a great help".

He smiled at her rather tiredly and bent down again to get on with the weeding.

It was a very large garden and dad was still weeding the next day. Jennifer Jane had taken nearly as long to cut the edges of the front and back lawns. Then she had to collect up all the trimmings and put them on the compost heap. But at last the job was finished.

"Ah well, tomorrow is a day of rest anyway," said dad thankfully.

That remark jogged Jennifer Jane's memory. The Sunday after the holiday, was the day she'd promised to meet Barnacle Bill and the giant for a party at the giant's pool.

She wasn't quite sure what time she should go. It was a tea party she remembered, so it had to be in the afternoon. Eventually she decided that three o'clock would be about right. As always, she asked her mother if she could play in the wood and added that she would like to come home rather later than usual.

"Yes certainly dear, provided you're home in time for your bath, but it's only this once as a special treat, because you have been so helpful these last few days."

Jennifer Jane ran off happily. As she approached the giant's pool however, she was very surprised at how quiet it was. There weren't any happy noises, or even any sad noises. In fact there weren't any noises at all.

As she ran out into the clearing she was delighted to see both the giant and Barnacle Bill sitting looking at the pool. For a moment she had quite thought that Barnacle Bill hadn't arrived as promised and that the giant must have gone to look for him.

Still, there they were and Jennifer Jane ran across to them calling out happily, "Hello, Barnacle Bill! Hello, Mr Giant!"

They both looked at her and she thought she had never seen two such miserable faces before. Even when the giant had been crying his miserable tears such a long time ago, he hadn't looked quite as upset as this.

Suddenly Barnacle Bill spoke, "He was so happy to see me that he started to cry all over my lovely paddle steamer and his tears filled it up and sank it." Barnacle Bill was so upset that he didn't even bother to use nautical language.

"Why ever doesn't the giant reach down into the pool and lift your steamer out for you?" asked Jennifer Jane. She was rather surprised that he hadn't done it already, because it seemed so obvious.

"The big silly is frightened he might overbalance and fall in," said Barnacle Bill scornfully, "it seems he’s scared stiff of water".

"Frightened of the water," exclaimed Jennifer Jane and looked at the giant for an explanation.

The giant was staring at the pool again and wouldn't look at her.

"He's sulking," said Barnacle Bill. "I'm afraid he won't be any use to anyone until things are back to normal."

Even while Barnacle Bill was talking, Jennifer Jane had an idea. She interrupted and told him about it and he said it should work all right, providing that the goblins had got the equipment. He even said he would proceed to the goblin village and organise the salvage operation and once Jennifer Jane heard him talking like that she knew he must be feeling a lot happier. Then she tried to explain her idea to the giant.

Even when a giant wants to listen, you have to talk as loudly as you can but although Jennifer Jane was shouting at the top of her voice to her giant, he refused to hear a word she said.

She gave up trying to make him understand what was going to happen and sat down on the grass by the pool and waited.