Free Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson

of course,' squeaked Sniff, who was sitting on the floor drinking green lemonade through a straw. 'He's been quite dotty since he met that girl.'
    'It's not dotty at all to give jewellery to a girl,' said the old lady severely. 'You are too young to understand, but as a matter of fact, a jewel is the only correct present for a lady.'
    'Oh,' said Sniff, and buried his nose in the lemonade.
    The old lady searched all her shelves, but there was no tiara.
    'Perhaps there's one under the counter?' suggested Moomintroll.
    The old lady had a look. 'No,' she said sadly, 'not there either. Fancy not having a single tiara. But perhaps a little pair of Snork-mittens would do instead?'
    'I'm not quite sure...' said Moomintroll, looking very worried.
    At that moment the door-bell tinkled and the Snork maiden herself came into the shop.
    'Good afternoon,' she said. 'What a beautiful looking-glass you have out there in the garden! Since I lost my pocket one I've had to look at myself in puddles, and you look so funny in puddles.'
    The old lady winked at Moomintroll, took something from a shelf and passed it to him under the counter. Moomintroll glanced down: it was a little round looking-glass with a silver rim, and on the back was a red rose studded with rubies. He was very pleased and winked back at the old lady. The Snork maiden hadn't noticed anything.
    'Have you any medals, ma'am?' she asked.
    'Any what, my dear?' said the old lady.
    'Medals,' said the Snork maiden.' Stars to hang on the chest. Gentlemen like such things.'
    'Oh, yes, of course,' said the old lady. 'Medals.' And she looked all over the place - on all the shelves and under the counter.
    'Haven't you got any?' asked the Snork maiden, and a tear began to trickle down her nose.
    The old lady looked most unhappy, but she suddenly had an idea and climbed up the ladder to the highest shelf, where there was a box of Christmas-tree decorations, and amongst these she found a big silver star.
    'Look!' she cried, holding it up,' here's a medal for you!'
    'Oh, how beautiful!' the Snork maiden burst out. Then she turned to Moomintroll and said shyly: 'This is for you Moomintroll. Because you saved me from the poisonous bush.'

    Moomintroll was overwhelmed. He knelt down, and the Snork maiden pinned the star somewhere about his tummy (Moomintrolls' noses cover up their chests, so you can't very well pin medals there), where it shone with matchless splendour.
    'Now you should see how wonderful you look,' said the Snork maiden. At this Moomintroll brought out the looking-glass that he had been holding behind his back. 'I bought this for you,' he said.' Show me how you look in it!'
    While they were gazing at themselves in the glass and exclaiming 'Oh', and 'Ah', the door-bell tinkled again and Snufkin came in.
    'I think it would be better if the trousers got older here,' he said. 'They aren't my shape yet.'
    'Oh dear,' said the old lady. 'What a pity! But perhaps you'd like a new hat?'
    However this idea only filled Snufkin with alarm, and he pulled his old green hat farther down over his ears and said: 'Thank you, but I was just thinking how dangerous it is to load yourself up with belongings.'
    The Snork had been sitting all this time writing in his exercise book, and now he got to his feet and said: 'One thing to remember when you are escaping from a comet is not to stand about too long in village stores. I suggest therefore that we continue our journey. Hurry up and finish your lemonade, Sniff.'
    Sniff tried to gulp the lot and of course most of it went on the floor.
    'He always does that,' said Moomintroll. 'Shall we go?'
    'What does all that come to please?' the Snork asked the old lady. She began to count up, and while she was doing so Moomintroll suddenly remembered that they hadn't any money with them. None of them even had pockets except Snufkin, and his were always empty. Moomintroll nudged him, making desperate signs with his eyebrows, and the Snork and his sister looked at