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going to fit itself in at the bottom.'
Robert sprang to his feet.
'We ought to have-Hullo! an owl's nest. He put his knee on a jutting smooth piece of grey stone, and
reached his hand into a deep window slit-broad to the inside of the tower, and narrowing like a funnel to
the outside.
'Look sharp! cried every one, but Robert did not look sharp enough. By the time he had drawn his hand
out of the owl's nest-there were no eggs there-the carpet had sunk eight feet below him.
'Jump, you silly cuckoo! cried Cyril, with brotherly anxiety.
But Robert couldn't turn round all in a minute into a jumping position. He wriggled and twisted and got on
to the broad ledge, and by the time he was ready to jump the walls of the tower had risen up thirty feet
above the others, who were still sinking with the carpet, and Robert found himself in the embrasure of a
window; alone, for even the owls were not at home that day. The wall was smoothish; there was no
climbing up, and as for climbing down-Robert hid his face in his hands, and squirmed back and back
from the giddy verge, until the back part of him was wedged quite tight in the narrowest part of the
window slit.
He was safe now, of course, but the outside part of his window was like a frame to a picture of part of
the other side of the tower. It was very pretty, with moss growing between the stones and little shiny
gems; but between him and it there was the width of the tower, and nothing in it but empty air. The
situation was terrible. Robert saw in a flash that the carpet was likely to bring them into just the same sort
of tight places that they used to get into with the wishes the Psammead granted them.
And the others-imagine their feelings as the carpet sank slowly and steadily to the very bottom of the
tower, leaving Robert clinging to the wall. Robert did not even try to imagine their feelings-he had quite
enough to do with his own; but you can.
As soon as the carpet came to a stop on the ground at the bottom of the inside of the tower it suddenly
lost that raft-like stiffness which had been such a comfort during the journey from Camden Town to the
topless tower, and spread itself limply over the loose stones and little earthy mounds at the bottom of the
tower, just exactly like any ordinary carpet. Also it shrank suddenly, so that it seemed to draw away
from under their feet, and they stepped quickly off the edges and stood on the firm ground, while the
carpet drew itself in till it was its proper size, and no longer fitted exactly into the inside of the tower, but
left quite a big space all round it.
Then across the carpet they looked at each other, and then every chin was tilted up and every eye sought
vainly to see where poor Robert had got to. Of course, they couldn't see him.
'I wish we hadn't come, said Jane.
'You always do, said Cyril, briefly. Look here, we can't leave Robert up there. I wish the carpet would
fetch him down.'
The carpet seemed to awake from a dream and pull itself together. It stiffened itself briskly and floated up
between the four walls of the tower. The children below craned their heads back, and nearly broke their
necks in doing it. The carpet rose and rose. It hung poised darkly above them for an anxious moment or
two; then it dropped down again, threw itself on the uneven floor of the tower, and as it did so it tumbled
Robert out on the uneven floor of the tower.
'Oh, glory! said Robert, that was a squeak. You don't know how I felt. I say, I've had about enough for
a bit. Let's wish ourselves at home again and have a go at that jam tart and mutton. We can go out again
afterwards.'
'Righto! said every one, for the adventure had shaken the nerves of all. So they all got on to the carpet
again, and said
'I wish we were at home.'
And lo and behold, they were no more at home than before. The carpet never moved. The Phoenix had
taken the opportunity to go to sleep. Anthea woke it up gently.
'Look here, she said.
'I'm looking, said the Phoenix.
'We WISHED to be at home, and we're still here, complained Jane.
'No, said the Phoenix, looking about it at the high dark walls of the tower. No; I quite see that.'
'But we wished to be at home, said Cyril.
'No doubt, said the bird, politely.
'And the carpet hasn't moved an inch, said Robert.
'No, said the Phoenix, I see it hasn't.'
'But I thought it was a wishing carpet?'
'So it is, said the Phoenix.
'Then why-? asked the children, altogether.
'I did tell you, you know, said the Phoenix, only you are so fond of listening to the music of your own
voices. It is, indeed, the most lovely music to each of us, and therefore-'
'You did tell us WHAT? interrupted an Exasperated.
'Why, that the carpet only gives you three wishes a day and YOU'VE HAD THEM.'
There was a heartfelt silence.
'Then how are we going to get home? said Cyril, at last.
'I haven't any idea, replied the Phoenix, kindly. Can I fly out and get you any little thing?'
'How could you carry the money to pay for it?'
'It isn't necessary. Birds always take what they want. It is not regarded as stealing, except in the case of
magpies.'
The children were glad to find they had been right in supposing this to be the case, on the day when they
had wings, and had enjoyed somebody else's ripe plums.
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