More about Mary Poppins / И снова о Мэри Поппинз

“Don’t you see that there’s a fallen star caught on her horn?”

“So there is!” cried the Courtiers, as they all suddenly noticed the star for the first time. And as they looked it seemed to them that the star grew brighter.

“That’s what’s wrong!” said the King. “Now, you Courtiers had better pull it off so that this – er – lady can stop dancing and have some breakfast. It’s the star, madam, that is making you dance,” he said to the Red Cow. “Now, come along, you!”

And he motioned to the Chief Courtier, who presented himself smartly before the Red Cow and began to tug at the star.

It would not come off. The Chief Courtier was joined by one after another of the other Courtiers, until at last there was a long chain of them, each holding the man in front of him by the waist, and a tug-of-war* began between the Courtiers and the star.

“Mind my head!*” entreated the Red Cow.

“Pull harder!” roared the King.

They pulled harder. They pulled until their faces were red as raspberries*.

They pulled till they could pull no longer and all fell back, one on top of the other. The star did not move. It remained firmly fixed to the horn.

“Tch, tch, tch!” said the King. “Secretary, look in the Encyclopedia and see what it says about cows with stars on their horns.”

The Secretary knelt down and began to crawl under the throne. Presently he emerged, carrying a large green book which was always kept there in case the King wanted to know anything.

He turned the pages.

“There’s nothing at all, your Majesty, except the story of the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon*, and you know all about that.”

The King rubbed his chin, because that helped him to think.

He sighed irritably and looked at the Red Cow.

“All I can say,” he said, “is that you’d better try that too.”

“Try what?” said the Red Cow.

“Jumping over the moon. It might have an effect. Worth trying, anyway.”

“Me?*” said the Red Cow, with an outraged stare.

“Yes, you – who else?” said the King impatiently. He was anxious to get to the Barber’s.

“Sire,*” said the Red Cow, “I beg you to remember that I am a decent, respectable animal and have been taught from my infancy that jumping was no occupation for a lady.”

The King stood up and shook his sceptre at her.

“Madam,” he said, “you came here for my advice and I have given it to you.