The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden

Author:Rumer Godden [Godden, Rumer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781509805068
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

‘But – the shop is closed,’ said Holly. ‘The children are in bed. Abracadabra says I must go into sto—’ The prickle interrupted. ‘Wish. Wish!’ said the prickle. ‘Wish!’ It went on till Holly wished.

*

Ivy thought the bells woke her or perhaps the passing feet, but then why did she feel something sharp like a thistle or a hard straw in one of the sacks? She sat up, but she was half-asleep and she thought the feet were the St Agnes’s children marching down to breakfast and the bells were the breakfast bell. Then she saw she was still in the shed, though it was filled with a new light, a strange silver light. ‘Moonlight?’ asked Ivy and rubbed her eyes. She was warm and comfortable on the sacks under the green coat – though there were great white patches on it from the flour – too warm and comfortable to move, and she lay down, but again she felt that thistle or sharp straw. The light seemed to be calling her, the bells, the hurrying feet; the prickle seemed to tell her to get up.

Ivy put on her coat and went out.

Outside in the passage the footsteps sounded so loud that she guessed it was the policeman. She waited until they had passed before she dared come out.

In the street the moonlight was so bright that once again Ivy thought it was morning and she was in St Agnes’s and the bells were the breakfast bell. ‘Only . . . there are so many of them,’ said sleepy Ivy.

She walked a few steps to the toyshop. She did not know how it came to be there and she thought she was in her St Agnes’s bedroom and it was filled with toys. Then: ‘Not toys,’ said Ivy, ‘a toy,’ and she was wide-awake. She did not even see Abracadabra glaring at her with his green eyes; she looked straight at Holly.

She saw Holly’s dress and socks and shoes. She is red and green too, thought Ivy. She saw Holly’s hair, brown eyes, little teeth, and beautiful joints. They were just what Ivy liked and, ‘My Christmas doll!’ said Ivy.

Holly saw Ivy’s face pressed against the window as she had seen so many children’s faces that day, but, ‘This one is different,’ said Holly.

Ivy’s hands in their woollen gloves held to the ledge where it said, BLOSSOM, HIGH-CLASS TOYS AND GAMES. Holly looked at Ivy’s hands. Soon they will be holding me, thought Holly. Ivy’s coat even in the moonlight was as beautiful a green as Holly’s dress was a beautiful red, so that they seemed to match, and, ‘My Christmas girl!’ said Holly.

Ivy had to go to the shed again to get warm, but I cannot tell you how many times she came back to look at Holly.

‘My Christmas doll!’

‘My Christmas girl!’

‘But the window is in between,’ said Abracadabra.

The window was in between and the toyshop door was locked, but even if it had been open Ivy had no money.

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