# ■ 4 Bigger than the Baker's Boy

The next morning Martha said that the children could not go out. ' You can stay in and be good，' she said.

There's something that we all want，' said Robert. ' Can I just go out for half an hour to get it？' And Martha，who was really very kind，said that he could.

Of course， they all wanted the day's wish. So Robert hur-ried to the sand-pit.

The Psammead was waiting for him， but when Robert tried to think of a really good wish， he couldn't， and the others were not there to help him.

Hurry up，'the Psammead said. ' I can't wait all day. '

Oh dear，'Robert said. ' I wish that we didn't have to come here to get our wish… Oh， don't！'

But it was too late. The Psammead was already making it-self big.

There！' it said. ' That wasn't easy， but I've done it. You don't need to come here to have your wish. '

Robert thanked the Psammead and then hurried back to tell the other children. ' We must wish for something really good tomorrow，'he said.

The next morning they thought and thought，but they couldn't think of a really good wish，so they decided to go to the gravel-pit. Suddenly they saw a baker's boy，who was coming along the road with his basket of bread， and they decided to play a game with him.

Stop！' cried Cyril.

Your money or your life！'shouted Robert.

And they stood on each side of the baker's boy.

The baker's boy，who was tall and large， was not very interested and he pushed them both away.

Don't be stupid！' he said.

But Robert pushed him back and knocked him over. The bread fell out of the boy's basket and went all over the road. The baker's boy was very angry. He hit Robert and they began to fight. But the baker's boy was much bigger and stronger than Robert. He was also not a nice fighter— he pulled Robert's hair， kicked him in the leg， and hit him hard in the stomach. Then he picked up his bread， put it back in the basket， and went on his way.

Cyril wanted to help Robert， but the girls held his arms and stopped him. So Cyril was angry with the girls，and everybody was unhappy. They went along to the gravel-pit， and Robert began to kick the sand angrily. ' I'll teach that baker's boy a lesson one day，'he said. 'I wish I was bigger than him！'

Just then they saw that the Psammead was sitting behind them， and was watching them！

The next minute， Robert had his wish. He was bigger than the baker's boy！ Much， much bigger！ He was now more than three metres tall！He was not pleased because he looked very strange next to the others， who were still small.

The others felt sorry for him then， and asked the Psammead for another wish. But the Psammead was very cross and un-helpful. 'Why don't you think before you wish？'it said. ' He's a wild， noisy boy， and he can stay like that for the day. It will do him good. Now go away and leave me alone！'

The others turned back to their enormous brother. ' What are we going to do？'They asked.

First，'said Robert，' I'm going to get that baker's boy！'And because he had very long legs， he arrived at the bottom of the hill long before the baker's boy， who was stopping at the houses along the road to leave the bread.

Robert hid behind a haystack and waited for the boy. When he saw the baker's boy coming，he jumped out from behind the haystack and the boy's mouth fell open in surprise. Then Robert took hold of him and put him on top of the haystack.

Now get down from there，if you can！' Robert said.

It was very late when the baker's boy got back to the shop，and the baker was very angry！

Then Robert and the others went home，and down to the bottom of the garden. Anthea asked Martha to bring their lunch out there. She knew that Robert was too big to get into the house. Of course， Martha could not see that Robert was much bigger than before， and she only gave him as much meat and potatoes as usual— and no more. Poor Robert was very hungry.

The others were feeling unhappy too because there was a fair in town and they wanted to go to it. ' We can't go anywhere now，'Cyril said. ' Not with Robert like this. '

Suddenly Jane cried，'I know！ Let's take Robert to the fair！Someone there will pay us to show him to people. We can make a lot of money. '

The others thought that this was a good plan， and they left at once. When they arrived， they asked to see the head man. His name was Bill，and when he saw Robert， he got very excited.

How much do you want for him？'he asked.

You can't buy me，'said Robert，' but I'll come and show myself this afternoon，if you give me fifteen pounds—and some food！'

Right！'Bill agreed.

So Bill took Robert inside one of the big fair tents and gave him something to eat. But while Robert was eating， Bill put men outside to stop him from escaping.

Then Bill stood outside the tent and began to shout to the crowds. ' Come and see the biggest man in the world！'he cried.

Very soon， people began to stop and listen. A young man and his girlfriend were the first to go and look at Robert. They paid their money to Bill and wnet in. The people outside heard a loud scream from the girl，and then they all wanted to go in too.

Soon Robert was the most exciting thing to see at the fair，and Bill was making a lot of money. ' Much more than fifteen pounds！' Cyril said to the girls.

Poor Robert got very bored. He had to shake hands with everybody and talk， to show that he was real. And how could he escape at the end of the day？' They'll kill us when I go small again，' he said.

Cyril thought for a minute. Then he said，' I've got a plan，'and he went outside the tent to talk to Bill. 'Look here，' he said，' my brother must be alone when the sun goes down. He gets very strange and angry then. I don't know why， but you must leave him alone， or he'll hurt someone. '

Bill was not very happy about this， but he agreed， and when the sun went down， they left Robert alone. Robert quickly got out under the back wall of the tent， and no one knew who he was because he was just a small boy again.

The children ran all the way home— and we do not know what Bill said when he found that Robert was not there！

■ 4 比麵包師的兒子個子大

第二天早上馬莎說孩子們不可以出去。“你們可以呆在家裡，乖乖的。”她說。

“有個東西我們都想要。”羅伯特說，“我能出去半個小時把它取來嗎？”馬莎的確是非常好心的，就答應了他。

當然他們都希望實現那一天的願望。所以羅伯特急忙向沙坑跑去。

賽米德在等著他，但是羅伯特想要想出一個真正好的願望時卻想不出來了，而其他孩子又不在那兒不能幫他。

“快點，”賽米德說，“我可不能等一整天。”

“天啊，”羅伯特說，“但願我們不用跑到這兒來實現我們的願望……噢，不！”

但是已經晚了。賽米德已經把自己變大了。

“好啦！”它說，“那可不容易呀，可我辦好了。你們用不著來這兒實現願望了。”

羅伯特謝過賽米德後急忙回去告訴別的孩子。“明天，我們得有個真正妙的願望，”他說。

第二天早上，他們想呀想呀，可也想不出一個真正的好願望，所以他們決定到礫石坑去。突然他們看見麵包師的兒子，他正拿著一籃子麵包走過來，於是他們決定和他開個玩笑。

“站住！”西里爾喊。

“拿錢或拿命來！”羅伯特喊。

他們分別站在麵包師的兒子的兩側。

麵包師的兒子又高又大，對此不感興趣，把他倆都推開了。

“別犯傻了！”他說。

可是羅伯特把他推搡回來並把他打倒了。麵包從籃子裡掉出來，撒了一地。麵包師的兒子非常生氣。他打了羅伯特一下，倆人打起架來。可麵包師的兒子比羅伯特大得多，也強壯得多。他也不是個有教養的鬥士——他揪羅伯特的頭髮，踢他的腿，使勁打他的肚子。然後他揀起麵包，把它放回籃子裡，又上路了。

西里爾想幫助羅伯特，但女孩於們拉著他的胳膊阻止了他。所以西里爾生她們的氣；大家都不高興。他們一起向礫石坑走去；羅伯特開始生氣地踢沙子。“早晚有一天我要教訓教訓麵包師的兒子。”他說，“真希望我比他個子高！”

就在這時，他們看見賽米德正坐在他們後面注視著他們！

羅伯特的願望馬上實現了。他比麵包師的兒子個子還高，高得多得多！他現在有三米多高！他不高興，因為呆在其他幾個孩子身旁他看起來很古怪，他們還是那麼小。

其他孩子於是為羅伯特感到遺憾，要賽米德再實現一個願望。但賽米德很生氣，不肯幫忙。“為什麼你不事先想好？”它說，“他是個放肆的、吵吵鬧鬧的男孩子，就讓他整個白天都這個樣子吧。這對他有好處。現在走開吧，別打擾我了！”

這幾個孩子轉身回到他們的大個子兄弟那裡。“我們怎麼辦呢？”他們問。

“首先，”羅伯特說，“我要去找麵包師的兒子！”因為他的腿很長，所以他遠比麵包師的兒子早到山腳下；那時那男孩還在沿路一家家地送麵包呢。

羅伯特藏在一個乾草堆後，等著那男孩子。他看見那麵包師的兒子走來時，就從草堆後邊跳了出來，那男孩驚奇地張大嘴巴。羅伯特抓住他，把他放在草堆頂上。

“你能下來就從那兒下來吧！”羅伯特說。

麵包師兒子回到店裡時已很晚了，麵包師很生氣！

羅伯特和其他幾個孩子回到家，一直走到花園盡頭。安西婭要馬莎把午飯拿到外邊那裡去。她知道羅伯特個子太高進不了屋子。當然了，馬莎看不出羅伯特比原來高得多，她只給他與平時一樣多的肉和土豆——一點兒也沒多給。可憐的羅伯特非常餓。

其他孩子也不高興，因為城裡有集市而且他們想去。“我們現在哪兒也去不了，”西里爾說，“不能帶著羅伯特這個樣子去。”

突然簡叫起來：“我知道了！帶羅伯特去集市！那兒有人會為將羅伯特展出而付給我們錢的。我們能掙好多錢。”

其他人覺得這是個好計劃，於是他們馬上出發了。他們到了時就要見班主。他叫比爾。當他看見羅伯特時，他非常激動。

“你們想把他賣多少錢？”他問。

“你不可以買我。”羅伯特說，“今天下午我來展覽自己，如果你給我15鎊——和一些食物的話！”

“好吧！”比爾同意了。

於是比爾把羅伯特帶到其中的一個大的集市帳篷裡，給他東西吃。可羅伯特吃東西時，比爾在外邊安排些人以防止他逃跑。

然後比爾站在帳篷外並開始對著人群叫喊。“來瞧瞧世界上個子最高的人！”他喊道。

很快，人們開始停下來聽他說。一個青年和他的女朋友第一個去看羅伯特。他們把錢付給比爾就進去了。外邊的人聽到女孩一聲尖叫，他們就也都想進去了。

不久羅伯特就成了集市上最讓人看了感到激動的東西了，而且比爾賺了很多錢。“比15鎊多得多！”西里爾對女孩們說。

可憐的羅伯特覺得很厭煩。他得和每一個人握手、講話，以表示他是真人。還有，天黑時他怎麼才能逃跑呢？“我又變小的時候他們會殺死我們的，”他說。

西里爾想了一下。然後他說：“我有一個辦法。”他去帳篷外對比爾談起來。“你聽著，”他說，“太陽落下去時我哥哥必須獨自一人在那兒。那個時候他既古怪又生氣。我也不知道是怎麼回事，但你決不可打擾他，不然他會傷著誰。”

對於這一點比爾不太高興，可他同意了。太陽落下去時，他們將羅伯特一個人留在帳篷裡。羅伯特很快地從帳篷後壁下面出來，誰也不認識他，因為他又是個小男孩了。

孩子們一路跑回家——我們不知道比爾發現羅伯特不見了時說了些什麼！