Fourteen
‘We’re off!’ someone was shouting. ‘We’re off at last!’
James woke up with a jump and looked about him. The creatures were all out of their hammocks andmoving excitedly around the room. Suddenly, the floor gave a great heave, as though an earthquakewere taking place.
‘Here we go!’ shouted the Old-Green-Grasshopper, hopping¹ up and down with excitement. ‘Hold ontight!’
‘What’s happening?’ cried James, leaping out of his hammock. ‘What’s going on?’
The Ladybird, who was obviously a kind and gentle creature, came over and stood beside him. ‘Incase you don’t know it,’ she said, ‘we are about to depart for ever from the top of this ghastly hill thatwe‘ve all been living on for so long. We are about to roll away inside this great big beautiful peach to aland of… of… of… to a land of–’
‘Of what?’ asked James.
‘Never you mind,’ said the Ladybird. ‘But nothing could be worse than this desolate² hilltop andthose two repulsive³ aunts of yours –’
‘Hear, hear!’ they all shouted. ‘Hear, hear!’
‘You may not have noticed it,’ the Ladybird went on, ‘but the whole garden, even before it reachesthe steep edge of the hill, happens to be on a steep slope. And therefore the only thing that has beenstopping this peach from rolling away right from the beginning is the thick stem attaching it to the tree.
Break the stem, and off we go.’
‘Watch it!’ cried Miss Spider, as the room gave another violent lurch⁴. ‘Here we go!’
‘Not quite! Not quite!’
‘At this moment,’ continued the Ladybird, ‘our Centipede, who has a pair of jaws⁵ as sharp as razors,is up there on top of the peach nibbling⁶ away at that stem. In fact, he must be nearly through it, as youcan tell from the way we’re lurching about. Would you like me to take you under my wing so that youwon’t fall over when we start rolling?’

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