Free Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson Page A

hoisted the moon,' replied Emma.
    Whomper put out his head. 'Misabel promised to make a moon, and she hasn't,' he said.
    'All right, all right,' said Moominpappa hastily. 'We'll try Misabel's entrance now, because I'm not in the right mood anyway.'
    Slowly Misabel glided on to the stage in her red velvet robe. For a long time she remained motionless with her paw over her eyes, feeling what it felt like to be a leading lady. It felt wonderful.
    'O happiness,' prompted Moominmamma who thought she had forgotten her opening lines.
    'I know, I'm just holding them spellbound!' Misabel hissed back. She staggered towards the footlights and reached out her arms to the audience. There was a click as Whomper started the wind machine behind the scenes.
    'Is that a vacuum-cleaner?' asked the hedgehog child.
    'Hush!' said the hedgehog mother.
    Misabel started on her first great monologue:

    O happiness and joy when I behold
    Yourself beheaded at my own behest...
    She took a rapid step, stumbled on the velvet trail and fell over the footlights straight down in the nearest hedgehog's boat.
    The audience cheered and jointly lifted Misabel back up on the stage.
    'Take my advice, miss,' said a middle-aged beaver, 'better cut off her head at once!'
    'Whose head?' Misabel asked, wonderingly.
    'Your son-in-law's niece's, of course,' replied the beaver encouragingly.
    'They've misunderstood the whole thing,' whispered Moominpappa to Moominmamma. 'Come on at once, please.'
    Moominmamma hastily gathered her skirts and appeared on the stage with a friendly and slightly shy smile.
    Now hide your face, I bring black tidings hither!
    Your son has told you but a pack of fibs!
    she said happily.
    Moominpappa stared nervously at her.
    'Where is the lion,' she prompted helpfully.
    'Where is the lion,' repeated Moominpappa. 'Where is the lion,' he said uncertainly once more. Finally, he shouted: 'Well, where is it?'
    A great stamping could be heard behind the scenes. Then the lion entered. It consisted of a beaver in the forelegs and another in the hind legs. The audience shouted with delight.
    The lion hesitated. Then it walked up to the footlights and took a bow, and broke in the middle.
    The audience clapped and began to row home.
    'It isn't finished!' shouted Moominpappa.
    'Dearest, they'll come back tomorrow,' said Moominmamma. 'And Emma says that the first night never succeeds if the dress rehearsal hasn't been a little so-so.'
    'Does she really,' replied Moominpappa, reassured. 'Well, anyway they laughed several times!' he added happily.
    But Misabel turned her back to the others for a while to quieten her thumping heart.
    'They clapped!' she whispered to herself. 'Oh, how happy I am! I'll always, always feel happy after this!'



CHAPTER 11
About tricking jailers
    NEXT morning the playbills were sent out. All kinds of birds flew along the inlet and dropped them. The bills (written and coloured by Whomper and the Mymble's daughter), fluttered down over the forest and the shore and the meadows, in the water, on housetops and in gardens.
    One of the playbills was dropped over the jail and landed at the feet of the Hemulen who was sitting half asleep in the sunshine with his policeman's cap over his snout.
    He picked it up, feeling very excited, and suspecting a secret message intended for his prisoners.
    At the moment he had not less than three prisoners, the most he had ever had since he took his jailer's degree. It was nearly two years since the last time he had locked anybody up, so naturally he took no chances now.
    The Hemulen adjusted his glasses and read the bill aloud to himself:
    First Night!!!
THE LION'S BRIDES or BLOOD WILL OUT
A Tragedy in One Act by Moominpappa
Performed by
Moominpappa, Moominmamma, The Mymble's Daughter, Misabel, and Whomper.
Chorus: Emma.
Tickets against anything eatable.
The Tragedy begins at sunset if the weather keeps good, and will end at ordinary bedtime. Performed in the middle of Spruce Creek. Boats for hire from