Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 3996, 14 October 1930, Page 73

The milkman smiled a wicked smile when he saw the two struggling figures in the brook. “I didn't bargain for a crack m the plank,’ he said, looking down at them, “but I meant to help you to enjoy your holiday! I hope you find the water to your liking. Can’t you swim ? ” “Oh! you horrid man,” screamed Patty. “Get us out at once! How dare you play jokes like this with us! ” “Yes,” chimed in Peter, “you did it all for spite, and what have we done to you I should like to know?” “Come out! ” The milkman leaned over and drew up the pails and their w r et, shivering occupants. “Did you really think I shouldn’t notice when you jumped into my buckets without so much as ‘by your leave’? Well, I’ve got my own back now, and—come you out of it! ” Hauled on to the plank, trembling with rage, Peter and Patty looked at each other and slowly nodded their

“Wait until he is in the middle of the field,” whispered Peter. “Very answered Patty, giving him a knowing look. “Now—go! ” Peter gave the order in a low voice, and as he did so he took a living leap out of his bucket. Patty jumped out of her pail at the same moment, and the buckets, suddenly made lighter, fiew up in the air quite merrily. And, of course, the water flew out of them over the poor milkman. “Well done! ” yelled Mr Pip and Kitty, who had watched it all from a safe distance. “That’s one for you, Mr Milkman. That’ll teach you to try to drown people who have never done you any harm! ” But the milkman was getting into more and more difficulties.

Those buckets behaved. as though they were bewitched. Slung loosely on chains and emptied of their contents, they twirled this way and twisted that, and hit the poor man over the head every time he tried to catch them. ~ things!” he yelled, rolling on the ground and getting more tangled up than ever. “What in the world has happened to them ? ”

Peter and Patty shook with laughter, and Mr Pip and Kitty cheered like mad! Suddenly one of the chains broke, the milkman wriggled free of one bucket, and carefully slung it over his arm Then he seized the other and went after his tormentors. °

“I’ll teach you! ” he stormed, “worrying an honest man till he can’t tell where he is! I’ll thrash you I’ll . . But ™ ° ne waite< * to hear any more. Peter, Patty, Mr Pip, and Kitty fled for their lives, and they didn’t stop running until they got home. J I m afraid I can’t tell you what happened to the mil kman. Perhaps he saw the joke after a bit.