Read The Worst Witch Strikes Again Online
Authors: Jill Murphy
The Worst Witch Strikes Again (5 page)
‘On the tower,’ sneered Miss Hard-broom, ‘wearing a hat.’
‘Yes,’ said Mildred, almost dying of embarrassment. ‘It was up there so I… thought I ought to bring it down.’
‘And where did it come from?’ demanded Miss Hardbroom, narrowing her eyes. ‘You haven’t been arguing with Ethel again, have you?’ (She was thinking of the time last term when Mildred had changed Ethel into a pig during an argument.)
‘No, Miss Hardbroom!’ said Mildred.
‘Well, then, Mildred, where did you get the monkey from?’
This was a very tricky situation. Mildred could not possibly sneak on Enid but Miss Hardbroom’s terrifying stare made Mildred feel that she probably knew anyway. Perhaps it was just as well that a member of Form Three stepped forward.
‘She got it from the new girl’s room,’
announced the girl. ‘I saw her coming out of there earlier on.’
‘Enid’s room?’ queried Miss Hard-broom. ‘But Enid has a regulation black cat. There is no other animal in her room.’
She sent the girl to fetch Enid from the chanting lesson and Enid soon arrived looking bewildered. She did not flinch when she saw Mildred with the monkey.
‘Is this your monkey, Enid?’ asked Miss Hardbroom.
‘I only have a cat, Miss Hardbroom,’ replied Enid.
Mildred’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘Are you
quite
sure it isn’t Ethel?’ asked Miss Hardbroom severely.
‘Yes, Miss Hardbroom,’ said Mildred.
Miss Hardbroom, however, did not believe her and she muttered the spell which would change the animal back to its original form. To Mildred’s surprise the monkey vanished and in its place stood a little black cat.
‘That’s my cat!’ cried Enid, as the cat jumped into her arms.
‘Mildred!’ said Miss Hardbroom, ‘you’ve been told about this before. First Ethel, now Enid’s cat. For goodness’ sake, when is this nonsense going to stop?’
Mildred was astonished.
‘But Miss — I –’ she gasped.
‘Silence,’ said Miss Hardbroom. ‘Two days you have been back at school and already twice in disgrace. At least this encounter has allowed Enid to see what a bad example you are. I hope you will take care not to follow in Mildred’s footsteps, Enid. Now run along, both of you, and
take care
, Mildred. Just think before you embark on such an escapade again.’
The minute the two girls were round the corner Mildred asked Enid what on earth was going on.
‘Simple,’ said Enid, ‘it really
is
my cat. I changed it into a monkey before breakfast this morning, for fun. I was going to
change it back tomorrow when we go for Sports Day practice. I didn’t know you were going to go and let it out, did I?’
PORTS DAY
loomed ahead like a black cloud for Mildred, as did anything where competition was called for. She hated the idea of trying to beat other people, mainly because she never won and it was all so humiliating, but also because it just wasn’t her way of doing things.
As well as this, Maud was being very trying. Just because Mildred had been put in charge of Enid, which meant that she
had
to take Enid around with her, Maud had gone off in a jealous huff
and had even gone as far as teaming up with Ethel.
Mildred could hardly believe it when she saw the two of them together. She knew Maud was just doing it because of Enid, so she pretended not to take any notice, but in fact it nearly killed her to see her best friend arm-in-arm with her old enemy.
There were various events on the Sports Day agenda: pole-vaulting, sack-racing, cat-balancing, relay broomstick-racing, and a prize for the best trained cat.
Everyone practised very hard in the
weeks leading up to the Sports Day. Mildred had long sessions with her little tabby cat trying to teach it to sit up straight instead of hanging on with its eyes shut, but little progress was made. Mildred and Enid ran races against each other and always tied but this was no indication of merit as they were equally bad.
The weeks soon slid by and Sports Day dawned grey and misty. For once Mildred was wide awake when the rising-bell sounded, as she had been tossing and turning for most of the night with dreadful nightmares. One was about finding a monster on the back of her broom in the middle of the relay-race and it turned into Miss Cackle who said, ‘Mildred! You’ve done it again!’
As the first peals of the bell rang out, Mildred dragged herself out of bed and rummaged around for her sports kit. She found it crumpled up at the bottom of her sock drawer and tried to smooth it out
so it would look a bit more presentable.
Some mornings were worse than others, she reflected, as she pulled on the dingy grey aertex shirt and black divided skirt which hung limply to her knees. The grey socks and black plimsolls completed the picture of gloom as she plaited her hair tightly.
There was a knock at the door and for a happy moment she thought it must be Maud, but Enid put her head round the door and Mildred remembered Maud had gone off with Ethel.
‘Don’t laugh,’ said Enid as she brought the rest of herself into the room.
Mildred obliged with a snort of mirth at the sight of Enid’s sports kit.
‘I said
don’t
laugh,’ said Enid smiling. ‘I know they’re funny, but I haven’t got a proper pair.’
She was wearing a vast pair of black knickers which were pulled up under her arms.
‘Haven’t you got a smaller pair?’ asked Mildred.
‘No,’ replied Enid. ‘My mother buys everything with growing room because I’m so big. You should see my vests! Some of them trail on the floor when they aren’t tucked in.’
‘I shan’t be able to keep a straight face with you in those,’ said Mildred. ‘Still, it might put the others off. How’s your cat?’
‘I’m not bringing it,’ said Enid. ‘It’s been a bit off-colour since the monkey
incident. I don’t think it could cope with broomstick riding.’
‘I’m bringing Tabby,’ said Mildred, taking the cat from its position curled up on the pillow. ‘I’ve been training it every day, but I don’t know if it’s done any good.’
NID
and Mildred satin the cloakroom waiting to be called for the first event, which was the pole-vault. To their great consternation they discovered that they had been entered for everything, mainly because they were both so tall, and this gave rise to the completely false idea that they must be good at sports.
