At What Age Are Babies Able to Hold a Cup to Their Lips and Take a Drink Without Spilling a Drop

'Let'southward go and see who it is!' said Jane, and taking Michael's arm she drew him away from the window, through the Nursery and out on to the landing. From there they always had a adept view of anything that happened in the front end hall.

Presently they saw their Female parent coming out of the drawing-room with a visitor following her. Jane and Michael could see that the newcomer had shiny black pilus—'Rather similar a wooden Dutch doll,' whispered Jane. And that she was thin, with large anxiety and hands, and small, rather peering bluish eyes.

Holding her hat on with 1 manus and conveying

a handbag in the other

'You'll observe that they are very prissy children,' Mrs. Banks was saying.

Michael's elbow gave a sharp dig at Jane'southward ribs.

'And that they give no trouble at all,' continued Mrs. Banks uncertainly, as if she herself didn't really believe what she was saying. They heard the visitor sniff as though she didn't either.

'At present, about references—' Mrs. Banks went on.

'Oh, I make it a rule never to give references,' said the other firmly. Mrs. Banks stared.

'But I thought it was usual,' she said. 'I mean — I understood people ever did.'

'A very quondam-fashioned thought, to my mind,' Jane and Michael heard the stern vocalisation say. 'Very onetime-fashioned. Quite out of engagement, as you might say.'

Now, if in that location was one thing Mrs. Banks did not like, it was to exist thought onetime-fashioned. She just couldn't bear it. So she said quickly:

'Very well, then. We won't bother nigh them. I but asked, of course, in case yous—er — required it. The nursery is upstairs—' And she led the way towards the staircase, talking all the time, without stopping once. And because she was doing that Mrs. Banks did not notice what was happening backside her, simply Jane and Michael, watching from the acme landing, had an splendid view of the extraordinary matter the visitor now did.

Certainly she followed Mrs. Banks upstairs, but non in the usual way. With her big purse in her hands she slid gracefully upwards the banisters, and arrived at the landing at the aforementioned fourth dimension as Mrs. Banks. Such a matter, Jane and Michael knew, had never been done before. Down, of course, for they had ofttimes washed information technology themselves. Just up — never! They gazed curiously at the foreign new visitor.

'Well, that'due south all settled, then.' A sigh of relief came from the children's Mother.

'Quite. As long as I'm satisfied,' said the other, wiping her olfactory organ with a big reddish and white bandanna handkerchief.

'Why, children,' said Mrs. Banks, noticing them of a sudden, 'what are you doing at that place? This is your new nurse, Mary Poppins. Jane, Michael, say how do you do! And these' — she waved her hand at the babies in their cots —'are the Twins.'

Mary Poppins regarded them steadily, looking from one to the other equally though she were making up her mind whether she liked them or non.

'Will we practice?' said Michael.

'Michael, don't be naughty,' said his Mother.

Mary Poppins continued to regard the four children searchingly. And so, with a long, loud sniff that seemed to indicate that she had fabricated up her mind, she said:

'I'll take the position.'

'For all the world,' as Mrs. Banks said to her husband later, 'every bit though she were doing us a bespeak honour.'

'Maybe she is,' said Mr. Banks, putting his nose round the corner of the paper for a moment then withdrawing information technology very quickly.

When their Mother had gone, Jane and Michael edged towards Mary Poppins, who stood, nevertheless ELS a post, with her hands folded in front of her.

'How did yous come?' Jane asked. 'It looked simply as if the air current blew y'all here.'

'It did,' said Mary Poppins briefly. And she proceeded to unwind her muffler from her neck and to have off her hat, which she hung on 1 of the bedposts.

As information technology did not seem as though Mary Poppins were going to say any more — though she sniffed a great deal — Jane, too, remained silent. Merely when she bent down to undo her bag, Michael could non restrain himself.

'What a funny bag!' he said, pinching information technology with his fingers.

'Carpet,' said Mary Poppins, putting her primal in the lock.

'To carry carpets in, y'all hateful?'

'No. Fabricated of.'

'Oh,' said Michael. 'I encounter.' But he didn't — quite.

By this time the bag was open, and Jane and Michael were more than surprised to observe information technology was completely empty.

'Why,' said Jane, 'there'southward nothing in it!'

'What do you hateful — aught?' demanded Mary Poppins, cartoon herself up and looking every bit though she had been insulted. 'Nothing in it, did y'all say?'

And with that she took out from the empty bag a starched white apron and tied it round her waist. Next she unpacked a large cake of Sunlight Lather, a toothbrush, a package of hairpins, a bottle of scent, a minor folding armchair and a box of throat lozenges.

Jane and Michael stared.

'But I saw,' whispered Michael. 'It was empty.'

'Hush!' said Jane, every bit Mary Poppins took out a big bottle labelled '1 Tea-Spoon to be Taken at Bed- Time.'

A spoon was fastened to the neck of the bottle, and into this Mary Poppins poured a dark blood-red fluid.

'Is that your medicine?' enquired Michael, looking very interested.

'No, yours,' said Mary Poppins, belongings out the spoon to him. Michael stared. He wrinkled upward his nose. He began to protestation.

'I don't want information technology. I don't need it. I won't!'

Only Mary Poppins'south optics were fixed upon him, and Michael suddenly discovered that you lot could not wait at Mary Popping and disobey her. There was something strange and extraordinary about her — something that was frightening and at the same time nigh exciting. The spoon came nearer. He held his jiff, shut his eyes and gulped. A delicious gustatory modality ran round his mouth. He turned his tongue in it. He swallowed, and a happy smiling ran round his confront.

'Strawberry ice,' he said ecstatically. 'More, more, more!'

But Mary Poppins, her face up every bit stern as before, was pouring out a dose for Jane. It ran into the spoon, silvery, greeny, yellowy. Jane tasted it.

'Lime-juice cordial,' she said, sliding her tongue deliciously over her lips. But when she saw Mary Poppins moving towards the Twins with the canteen Jane rushed at her.

'Oh, no — please. They're too young. Information technology wouldn't exist good for them. Delight!'

Mary Poppins, nonetheless, took no find, simply with a alarm, terrible glance at Jane, tipped the spoon towards John's mouth. He lapped at information technology eagerly, and by the few drops that were spilt on his bib, Jane and Michael could tell that the substance in the spoon this time was milk. Then Barbara had her share, and she gurgled and licked the spoon twice.

Mary Poppins then poured out another dose and solemnly took it herself.

'Rum punch,' she said, smacking her lips and corking the canteen.

Jane'southward optics and Michael's popped with astonishment, but they were not given much time to wonder, for Mary Poppins, having put the miraculous bottle on the mantelpiece, turned to them.

'At present,' she said, 'spit-spot into bed.' And she began to undress them. They noticed that whereas buttons and hooks had needed all sorts of coaxing from Katie Nanna, for Mary Poppins they flew apart about at a expect. In less than a minute they found themselves in bed and watching, past the dim light from the night-light, the rest of Mary Poppins's unpacking being performed.

At What Age Are Babies Able to Hold a Cup to Their Lips and Take a Drink Without Spilling a Drop

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