More about Mary Poppins / И снова о Мэри Поппинз

“Crying fit to kill themselves! Why, a starling in the egg’s got more sense. Look at them!”

For John and Barbara were now crying piteously in their cots – long-drawn sobs of deep unhappiness.

Suddenly the door opened and in came Mrs Banks.

“I thought I heard the babies,” she said. Then she ran to the Twins. “What is it, my darlings? Oh, my Treasures, my Sweets, my Love-birds, what is it? Why are they crying so, Mary Poppins? They’ve been so quiet all the afternoon – not a sound out of them.

What can be the matter?”

“Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am. I expect they’re getting their teeth*, ma’am,” said Mary Poppins, deliberately not looking in the direction of the Starling.

“Oh, of course – that must be it,” said Mrs Banks brightly.

“I don’t want teeth if they make me forget all the things I like best,” wailed John, tossing about in his cot.

“Neither do I,” wept Barbara, burying her face in her pillow.

“My poor ones, my pets – it will be all right when the naughty old teeth come through,” said Mrs Banks soothingly, going from one cot to another.

“You don’t understand!” roared John furiously. “I don’t want teeth.”

“It won’t be all right, it will be all wrong!” wailed Barbara to her pillow.

“Yes – yes. There – there.* Mother knows – Mother understands. It will be all right when the teeth come through,” crooned Mrs Banks tenderly.

A faint noise came from the window. It was the Starling hurriedly swallowing a laugh.

Mary Poppins gave him one look. That sobered him, and he continued to regard the scene without the hint of a smile.

Mrs Banks was patting her children gently, first one and then the other, and murmuring words that were meant to be reassuring. Suddenly John stopped crying. He had very good manners, and he was fond of his Mother and remembered what was due to her. It was not her fault, poor woman, that she always said the wrong thing. It was just, he reflected, that she did not understand.

So, to show that he forgave her, he turned over on his back, and very dolefully, sniffing back his tears, he picked up his right foot in both hands and ran his toes along his open mouth.

“Clever One, oh, Clever One,” said his Mother admiringly. He did it again and she was very pleased.

Then Barbara, not to be outdone in courtesy, came out of her pillow and with her tears still wet on her face, sat up and plucked off both her socks.