Mr and Mrs Jenkins Meet Bruno
My grandmother carried me back into her own bedroom and put me on the table. She set theprecious bottle down beside me. "What time are those witches having supper in the Dining Room?"she asked.
"Eight o'clock," I said.
She looked at her watch. "It is now ten-past six," she said. "We've got until eight o'clock towork out our next move." Suddenly, her eye fell upon Bruno. He was still in the banana bowl on thetable. He had eaten three bananas and was now attacking a fourth. He had become immensely fat.
"That's quite enough," my grandmother said, lifting him out of the bowl and putting him onthe table-top. "I think it's time we returned this little fellow to the bosom¹ of his family. Don't youagree, Bruno?"
Bruno scowled³ at her. I had never seen a mouse scowl² before, but he managed it. "My parentslet me eat as much as I want," he said. "I'd rather be with them than with you.""Of course you would," my grandmother said. "Do you know where your parents might be atthis moment?"
"They were in the Lounge not long ago," I said "I saw them sitting there as we dashed throughon our way up here."
"Right," my grandmother said. "Let's go and see if they are still there. Do you want to comealong?" she added, looking at me.
"Yes, please," I said.
"I shall put you both in my handbag," she said "Keep quiet and stay out of sight. If you mustpeep out now and again, don't show more than your nose."Her handbag was a large bulgy⁴ black-leather affair with a tortoise-shell clasp. She picked upBruno and me and popped us into it. "I shall leave the clasp undone," she said. "But be sure to keepout of sight."
I had no intention of keeping out of sight. I wanted to see everything. I seated myself in alittle side-pocket inside the bag, near the clasp, and from there I was able to poke⁵ my head outwhenever I wanted to.
"Hey!" Bruno called out. "Give me the rest of that banana I was eating.""Oh all right," my grandmother said. "Anything to keep you quiet." She dropped the half-eaten banana into the bag, then

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