Out to dry

One of the very first things I did on our recent holiday, once we were unpacked and fed, the child bathed and put to bed, was to peruse the shelves of holiday reading. There were a few gems and I flicked through each picture book, just in case there were any laundry pictures. And lo, there were. Of course, there always is. And what a charmer. Reminds me somewhat of this picture. (I'm thinking I could almost start a category for people hanging from the line.)

It's from A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken, illustrated by Jan Pienkowski, Puffin Books 1968. I've forgotten the name of the story but the illustration is from the part where a kindly witch finds Emma hanging on the washing line in her dress. The witch has a good old laugh and Emma said, "My dress is too small, so Aunt Lou washes it on me, in case I can't put it on again when I have taken it off. I'm almost dry now, so I can come down if you will help me."

The witch does help and gives Emma a gift of three dresses. One of which is made into a mat for a cat and turns into a magic mat when the cat is sleeping on it. So Emma and her Aunt Lou have all sorts of riches in the end. There are eight stories and I read them all, so I think that's how it went. It would have helped my memory if I'd written something down or stolen the book, but that would be wrong wouldn't it? Much better to leave it there for someone else to discover.