More about Mary Poppins / И снова о Мэри Поппинз

“Well, Barbarina,” he began in his soft, wheedling voice, “anything for the old fellow today?”

“Be-lah-belah-belah-belah!” said Barbara, crooning gently as she continued to eat her arrowroot biscuit.

The Starling, with a start of surprise, hopped a little nearer.

“I said,” he repeated more distinctly, “is there anything for the old fellow today, Barbie dear?”

“Ba-loo – ba-loo – ba-loo,” murmured Barbara, staring at the ceiling as she swallowed the last sweet crumb.

The Starling stared at her.

“Ha!” he said suddenly, and turned and looked enquiringly at Mary Poppins. Her quiet glance met his in a long look.

Then with a darting movement the Starling flew over to John’s cot and alighted on the rail. John had a large woolly lamb hugged close in his arms.

“What’s my name? What’s my name? What’s my name?” cried the Starling in a shrill anxious voice.

“Er-umph!” said John, opening his mouth and putting the leg of the woolly lamb into it.

With a little shake of the head the Starling turned away.

“So – it’s happened,” he said quietly to Mary Poppins.

She nodded.

The Starling gazed dejectedly for a moment at the Twins. Then he shrugged his speckled shoulders.

“Oh, well – I knew it would. Always told ’em so. But they wouldn’t believe it.” He remained silent for a little while, staring into the cots. Then he shook himself vigorously.

“Well, well.

I must be off. Back to my chimney. It will need a spring-cleaning*, I’ll be bound.*” He flew on to the window-sill and paused, looking back over his shoulder.

“It’ll seem funny without them, though. Always liked talking to them – so I did. I shall miss them.”

He brushed his wing quickly across his eyes.

“Crying?” jeered Mary Poppins. The Starling drew himself up.

“Crying? Certainly not. I have – er – a slight cold, caught on my return journey – that’s all.

Yes, a slight cold. Nothing serious.” He darted up to the window-pane, brushed down his breast-feathers with his beak and then, “Cheerio!” he said perkily, and spread his wings and was gone…

Full Moon

All day long Mary Poppins had been in a hurry, and when she was in a hurry she was always cross.

Everything Jane did was bad, everything Michael did was worse. She even snapped at the Twins.