Mr Badger and the Magic Mirror (4 page)
Mr Badger felt very welcome.
âWelcome to Boubles-land â pronounced
Boublay-land
,' said Sir Cecil. âI've been dropping in here for as long as I can remember. Not everyone is able to come here, though, and in any case I expect not everyone would want to visit. Some people might not even believe that such a place could exist.'
Mr Badger was amazed that Boubles-land could have gone unnoticed by both guests and hotel staff. But he felt it might be impolite to ask questions so early in his visit, so he decided to just enjoy himself â in fact, to treat this like a lovely short holiday by the seaside.
N
o sooner had Sir Cecil announced it was time for a tour than Mr Badger heard the
boom, boom, boom
of heavy footsteps.
âAha!' said Sir Cecil. âMr Badger, I'd like you to meet my very close friend, Algernon.'
âHow do you do,' said a deep, husky voice as a familiar figure extended a very large hand.
It was none other than Algernon the ape. âA pleasure to meet you, Algernon,' Mr Badger said warmly, shaking the outstretched hand and noting Algernon and Sir Cecil's matching shirts.
âHow do you do,' came a voice from above.
âNow, let us show you the castle,' said Sir Cecil.
âWonderful,' Mr Badger said, thinking how nice it was for
him
to be treated like a special guest for a change.
Sir Cecil beckoned for Mr Badger to follow them inside the castle. Algernon led the way, opening huge wooden doors into a magnificent lofty hall.
Inside the hall was an enormous funfair. From the ceiling, a giant slide descended in swirling loops, surrounded by every imaginable ride: bouncy ones that moved up and down, and whirly ones which went round and round. There was even a beautiful carousel.
âIt has twenty-seven golden horses and two chariots,' said Sir Cecil excitedly. âAnd I've tried them all.'
âAnd a dragon and wooden ostrich,' added Algernon.
âWe often call in here after a safari,' said Sir Cecil. âThis is my personal playground. It brings back memories of my childhood, Mr Badger.'
Even though Mr Badger had long ago left behind his own childhood, he sometimes felt that he carried parts of it within him â memories both good and bad. And there was something about Boubles-land that stirred them back to life for him, too.
Mr Badger tried the slide, the swing and the wonderful whirligig. He had a ride on a golden horse while Algernon relaxed in the chariot and Sir Cecil sat on the back of the wooden ostrich.
After all this excitement, Sir Cecil laid a cloth on a picnic table while Algernon unpacked lunch for three. There were sandwiches, tea and a big banana cake.
âHe's certainly one for the banana cake. Bakes them himself,' said Sir Cecil, waving at Algernon with one hand while passing Mr Badger a napkin with the other.
While this merry little group ate their lunch, unseen eyes followed their every bite. But not even Algernon saw the darting hand that grabbed the last piece of his banana cake and quietly poured tea into a spare cup.
A
fter they had cleaned away the crumbs, the three friends returned to the moat. Algernon fetched the little boat again and they all hopped in, bobbing along on the water.
âNot afraid of the dark, I hope?' whispered Sir Cecil, switching on his torch. âI don't believe in wasting electricity, and anyhow, a bit of dark and the odd surprise can make a journey more exciting.'
While Sir Cecil and Mr Badger sat up the front, Algernon confidently took charge and steered the boat into a channel beneath the castle.
