Enid Blyton Read Free Page A

that small boy and see all the things he did! Yes— Wilfred wasn't going to have a very good time now.
    Wilfred strolled along, hands in pockets, making faces at children he met. When he met Kenneth, who was eating a rosy apple, Wilfred stopped.
    "Give me that apple!" he said.
    "No!" said Kenneth, putting the apple behind his back. Wilfred snatched at it—and it rolled into the mud so that nobody could eat it at all!
    Kenneth yelled. Wilfred grinned. Mr. Pink-Whistle frowned. The little fat man bought another apple at the fruit-shop and slipped it into Kenneth's pocket without being seen. He would find it there when he got home—what a lovely surprise!
    Then Mr. Pink-Whistle suddenly became visible again, and walked into a shop. He bought several rather large sheets of white paper, somepins, and some black chalk. He stood by a wall and quickly wrote something in big letters on a sheet of paper.

    "GIVE ME THAT APPLE," SAID WILFRED.
    Then he disappeared suddenly—but a very strange thing happened. On Wilfred's back a large sheet of white paper suddenly appeared, and was gently pinned there so that Wilfred didn't know. On the paper was written a single sentence in big black letters:
    “I  KNOCKED  KENNETH'S APPLE INTO THE  MUD.”
    Well, Wilfred went along the street, humming gaily, not knowing that anything was on his back at all. But very soon all the children knew it. First one saw it, then another—and soon a big crowd was following Wilfred, giggling hard.
    Wilfred heard them and turned round.
    "What's the joke?" he asked.
    "You're the joke!" said Harry.
    "You stop giggling and tell me how I'm the joke!" said Wilfred fiercely.
    "Who knocked Kenneth's apple into the mud?" called Jenny.
    "How do you know I did?" cried Wilfred. "I suppose that baby Kenneth has been telling tales. Wait till I see him again!"
    "No, he hasn't told us—you told us yourself," giggled Doris.
    "I didn't," said Wilfred.
    "Look on your back!" shouted Lennie.
    Wilfred screwed his head round and looked over his shoulder. He caught sight of something white on his back. He dragged at his coat and pulled off the paper. He read it and went red with rage.
    "Who dared to pin this on my back!" he shouted. "I'll shake him till his teeth rattle!"
    Everyone shook their heads. No—they hadn't pinned the paper on Wilfred's back, though they would have liked to, if they had dared.
    Wilfred threw the paper on to the ground and stamped on it. "If anyone does that to me again, they'll be sorry for themselves!" he said. fiercely. "So just look out!"
    But the one who had done it didn't care a rap for Wilfred's threat. No—old Pink-Whistle grinned to himself and trotted quietly along after Wilfred, waiting to see what mean thing the boy would do next.
    And then out would come another sheet of paper, of course—and Wilfred would have to wear another notice on his back!
    Mr. Pink-Whistle followed Wilfred home, and then he sat on the wall outside still invisible, to wait for him to come out. Inside the house he could hear Wilfred being very rude to his mother.
    "Wilfred, I want you to run down and get me some potatoes," said his mother.
    "I don't want to. I'm tired," said the selfish boy.
    "Now you do as you're told, Wilfred," said his mother. "Hurry up."
    "Shan't!" said Wilfred. "I'm tired, I tell you."
    Mr. Pink-Whistle listened, quite horrified. To think that any boy could talk to his mother like that! It was simply dreadful. Wilfred went on being rude—and then, when his mother had gone to the back door to speak to the baker, Wilfred slipped out of the front door. He wasn't going to fetch potatoes, not he!
    Mr. Pink-Whistle had been busy writing something on a sheet of white paper with his black chalk. He waited till Wilfred passed him, and then the little fat man neatly pinned the paper on to Wilfred's back.

    THE CHILDREN SAW THE NOTICE AND GATHERED ROUND, GIGGLING.
    He did it with such a magic touch that the boy didn't feel anything at all. Off went