'But we've got the carpet and the Phoenix,' said Anthea.

'Excuse me,' said the bird, with an air of wounded dignity, 'I do
SO HATE to seem to interfere, but surely you MUST mean the Phoenix
and the carpet?'



CHAPTER 3
THE QUEEN COOK


It was on a Saturday that the children made their first glorious
journey on the wishing carpet. Unless you are too young to read at
all, you will know that the next day must have been Sunday.

Sunday at 18, Camden Terrace, Camden Town, was always a very pretty
day. Father always brought home flowers on Saturday, so that the
breakfast-table was extra beautiful. In November, of course, the
flowers were chrysanthemums, yellow and coppery coloured. Then
there were always sausages on toast for breakfast, and these are
rapture, after six days of Kentish Town Road eggs at fourteen a
shilling.

On this particular Sunday there were fowls for dinner, a kind of
food that is generally kept for birthdays and grand occasions, and
there was an angel pudding, when rice and milk and oranges and
white icing do their best to make you happy.