Mary Poppins Opens the Door Read Free Page A

Without a Word, Mary Poppins," she said with an air of dignity. "I think you might tell me when you're coming and going. I never know where I am."
    "Nobody does, ma'am," said Mary Poppins, as she calmly unbuttoned her gloves.
    "Don't
you,
Mary Poppins?" asked Mrs. Banks, in a very wistful voice.
    "Oh,
she
knows," Michael answered daringly. Mary Poppins gave him an angry glare.
    "Well, you're here now, anyway!" Mrs. Banks cried. She felt extremely relieved. For now she need neither advertise nor send for Miss Andrew.
    "Yes, ma'am. Excuse me," said Mary Poppins.
    And she neatly stepped past Mrs. Banks and put her carpet bag on the bannisters. It slid up swiftly with a whistling sound and bounced into the Nursery. Then she gave the umbrella a little toss. It spread its black silk wings like a bird and flew up after the carpet bag with a parrot-like squawk.
    The children gave an astonished gasp and turned to see if their Mother had noticed.
    But Mrs. Banks had no thought for anything but to get to the telephone.
    "The Drawing-room chimney has been cleaned. We are having Lamb Chops and peas for dinner. And Mary Poppins is back!" she cried, breathlessly.
    "I don't believe it!" crackled Mr. Banks' voice. "I shall come and see for myself!"
    Mrs. Banks smiled happily as she hung up the receiver....

    Mary Poppins went primly up the stairs and the children tore past her into the Nursery. There on the hearth lay the carpet bag. And standing in its usual corner was the parrot-headed umbrella. They had a settled, satisfied air as though they had been there for years. In the cradle, Annabel, blue in the face, was tying herself into knots. She stared in surprise at Mary Poppins, and smiled a toothless smile. Then she put on her Innocent Angel look and began to play tunes on her toes.
    "Humph!" said Mary Poppins grimly, as she put her straw hat in its paper bag. She took off her coat and hung it up on the hook behind the door. Then she glanced at herself in the Nursery mirror and stooped to unlock the carpet bag.
    It was quite empty except for a curled-up Tape Measure.
    "What's that for, Mary Poppins?" asked Jane.
    "To measure you," she replied quickly. "To see how you've grown."
    "You needn't bother," Michael informed her. "We've all grown two inches. Daddy measured us."
    "Stand straight, please!" Mary Poppins said calmly, ignoring the remark. She measured him from his head to his feet and gave a loud sniff.
    "I might have known it!" she said, snorting. "You've grown Worse and Worse."
    Michael stared. "Tape Measures don't tell words, they tell inches," he said, protestingly.
    "Since when?" she demanded haughtily, as she thrust it under his nose. There on the Tape were the tell-tale words in big blue letters:
W-O-R-S-E A-N-D W-O-R-S-E
    "Oh!" he said, in a horrified whisper.
    "Head up, please!" said Mary Poppins, stretching the Tape against Jane.
    "Jane has grown into a Wilful, Lazy, Selfish child," she read out in triumph.
    The tears came pricking into Jane's eyes. "Oh, I haven't, Mary Poppins!" she cried. For, funnily enough, she only remembered the times when she had been good.
    Mary Poppins slipped the Tape round the Twins. "Quarrelsome" was their measurement. "Fretful and Spoilt," was Annabel's.
    "I thought so!" Mary Poppins said, sniffing. "I've only got to turn my back for you to become a Menagerie!"
    She drew the Tape round her own waist; and a satisfied smile spread over her face.
    "Better Than Ever. Practically Perfect," her own measurement read.
    "No more than I expected," she preened. And added, with a furious glare, "Now, spit-spot into the Bathroom!"
    They hurried eagerly to obey her. For now that Mary Poppins was back, everything went with a swing. They undressed and bathed in the wink of an eye. Nobody dawdled over Supper, nobody left a crumb or a drop. They pushed in their chairs, folded their napkins and scrambled into bed.
    Up and down the Nursery went Mary Poppins, tucking them all in. They could smell her old familiar