'Are you talking to me?' James asked him.
'Of course I'm not talking to you, you ass!' the Centipede answered. 'That crazy Glow-worm has gone to sleep with her light on!'
For the first time since entering the room, James glanced up at the ceiling - and there he saw a most extraordinary sight. Someth
ing that looked like a gigantic fly without wings (it was at least three feet long) was standing upside down upon its six legs in the middle of the ceiling, and the tail end of this creature seemed to be literally on fire. A brilliant greenish light as bright as the brightest electric bulb was shining out of its tail and lighting up the whole room.
'Is that a Glow-worm?' asked James, staring at the light. 'It doesn't look like a worm of any sort to me.'
'Of course it's a Glow-worm,' the Centipede answered. 'At least that's what she calls herself. Although actually you are quite right. She isn't really a worm at all. Glow-worms are never worms. They are simply lady fireflies without wings. Wake up, you lazy beast!'
But the Glow-worm didn't stir, so the Centipede reached out of his hammock and picked up one of his boots from the floor. 'Put out that wretched light!' he shouted, hurling the boot up at the ceiling.
The Glow-worm slowly opened one eye and stared at the Centipede. 'There is no need to be rude,' she said coldly. 'All in good time.'
'Come on, come on, come on!' shouted the Centipede. 'Or I'll put it out for you!'
'Oh, hello, James!' the Glow-worm said, looking down and giving James a little wave and a smile. 'I didn't see you come in. Welcome, my dear boy, welcome - and good night!'
Then click - and out went the light.
James Henry Trotter lay there in the darkness with his eyes wide open, listening to the strange sleeping noises that the 'creatures' were making all around him, and wondering what on earth was going to happen to him in the morning. Already, he was beginning to like his new friends very much. They were not nearly as terrible as they looked. In fact they weren't really terrible at all. They seemed extremely kind and helpful in spite of all the shouting and arguing that went on between them.
'Good night, Old-Green-Grasshopper,' he whispered. 'Good night, Ladybird - Good night, Miss Spider -' But before he could go through them all, he had fallen fast asleep.
Fourteen
'We're off!' someone was shouting. 'We're off at last!'
James woke up with a jump and looked about him. The creatures were all out of their hammocks and moving excitedly around the room. Suddenly, the floor gave a great heave, as though an earthquake were taking place.
'Here we go!' shouted the Old-Green-Grasshopper, hopping up and down with excitement. 'Hold on tight!'
'What's happening?' cried James, leaping out of his hammock. 'What's going on?'
The Ladybird, who was obviously a kind and gentle creature, came over and stood beside him. 'In case you don't know it,' she said, 'we are about to depart for ever from the top of this ghastly hill that we've all been living on for so long. We are about to roll away inside this great big beautiful peach to a land of... of... of... to a land of-'
'Of what?' asked James.
'Never you mind,' said the Ladybird. 'But nothing could be worse than this desolate hilltop and those two repulsive aunts of yours -'
'Hear, hear!' they all shouted. 'Hear, hear!'
'You may not have noticed it,' the Ladybird went on, 'but the whole garden, even before it reaches the steep edge of the hill, happens to be on a steep slope. And therefore the only thing that has been stopping this peach from rolling away right from the beginning is the thick stem attaching it to the tree. Break the stem, and off we go.'
'Watch it!' cried Miss Spider, as the room gave another violent lurch. 'Here we go!'
'Not quite! Not quite!'
'At this moment,' continued the Ladybird, 'our Centipede, who has a pair of jaws as sharp as razors, is up there on top of the peach nibbling away at that stem. In fact, he must be nearly through it, as you can tell from the way we're lurching about. Would you like me to take you under my wing so that you won't fall over when we start rolling?'
'That's very kind of you,' said James, 'but I think I'll be all right.'
Just then, the Centipede stuck his grinning face through a hole in the ceiling and shouted, 'I've done it! We're off!'
'We're off!' the others cried. 'We're off!'
'The journey begins!' shouted the Centipede.