Barnacle Bill's tea party Part 2

She didn't sit there very long, for soon in the distance she could hear the jangling of a bell and the chatter of lots of voices. The giant still wasn't listening and consequently he was very surprised when Barnacle Bill, followed by ten goblins dressed in blue coats and brass helmets, rushed into the clearing pulling a very old fashioned looking fire engine.

It was a huge water tank, mounted on a platform with large wheels. At one end of the platform were two long poles that had been put there originally so that the engine could be pulled along by a horse. At the other end was the big lever that worked the pump. This lever was pivoted in the middle, so that it looked rather like a see saw with handles at each end. Along the sides of the platform were lengths of hose which could be joined together to make any length that the firemen might need.

The firemen themselves were ever so excited. There hadn't been a fire in the goblin village for years and this was the first time, apart from practice days, that they had been allowed to dress up in their uniforms and shiny helmets.

Now, the giant's pool normally overflowed into the stream and when the giant had stopped crying, although the pool had remained full, the stream had dried up. Jennifer Jane explained that her idea was to pump the pool dry, using the firemen's hose and pump, letting all the water run away down the bed of the stream. The firemen were soon hard at work doing just that.

Poor Jennifer Jane had to go and hide behind a tree so that she could laugh without letting the firemen see her. They did look so funny! There were four goblins on each end of the pump handle and one looking after each end of the hoses. Barnacle Bill was acting as the Chief Fireman for the 'salvage operation' as he called it and was giving the time for the goblins on the pump.

"Up-down, up-down," he called and the goblins on the 'up' end of the pump handle would fly up in the air with a jerk so hard that their feet left the platform. Down they would come again ‘crash’ and then the goblins at the other end would be up in the air holding on to the handle as hard as they could.

Very soon, with all this hard work, the masts, the funnel and finally the deck of the paddle steamer emerged from the water. A few more strokes and the pump sucked dry. The giant, who had become so interested that he had forgotten about being sulky, suddenly boomed out, "Now that the pool is dry, I'll lift out your steamer for you."

Jennifer Jane was relieved. She had been a bit worried about how to lift the steamer and had wondered if, by pumping water slowly back into the pool, it would have floated up by itself. However the giant had solved that little problem for her and the steamer was very quickly placed on the grass by the pool.

Barnacle Bill was delighted and he climbed inside and started tidying up, making sure that the engine was in good working order after being under water. Soon the clank of spanners and happy goblin songs resounded round the clearing. Some of the firemen were helping Barnacle Bill, while others were pumping the fresh water from their water tank back into the pool.

At last Barnacle Bill pronounced himself satisfied with the condition of his vessel and the giant gently floated it on the pool which was now full to the brim.

"Now," said the giant, "I think we all deserve a good rest, so everybody sit down and we'll have a supper party".

Very soon they were all tucking into the food which Barnacle Bill had provided. It had originally been meant for Jennifer Jane and the giant to eat for the tea party. Jennifer Jane wondered however the three of them would have eaten it all. Even with ten firemen to help, there was quite enough for everybody.

However all good things come to an end and at last Jennifer Jane looked at her watch and said she was sorry but she ought to be going home. The firemen got up to go as well, but they all stayed for a few moments to watch Barnacle Bill raise steam in his boiler and prepare for the voyage home.

The giant had to start crying again to make the water deep enough to float the steamer into the stream. While he was doing this, Barnacle Bill kept well over to the other side of the pool in case he got sunk again. Then with a hoot on his foghorn he went off down stream waving goodbye to everybody.

Jennifer Jane was just in time for her bath and as she came downstairs afterwards to say goodnight to her parents, she heard her dad talking.

"There's just been a most interesting news flash on the television, saying that the water in the upper reaches of the Therdle estuary stopped being salt for several hours this afternoon".

Jennifer Jane smiled to herself; after all she knew the reason why.