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Teenagefiction

THEGREATAUTOMATICGRAMMATIZATORANDOTHERSTORIES

RHYMESTEW

SKINANDOTHERSTORIES

THEVICAROFNIBBLESWICKETHEWONDERFULSTORYOFHENRYSUGARANDSIXMORE

RoaldDahl

George’sMarvellousMedicine

illustratedby

QuentinBlake

PUFFIN

PUFFINBOOKS

PublishedbythePenguinGroupPenguinBooksLtd,80Strand,LondonWC2R0RL,EnglandPenguinGroup(USA)Inc.,375HudsonStreet,NewYork,NewYork10014,USAPenguinGroup(Canada),90EglintonAvenueEast,Suite700,Toronto,Ontario,CanadaM4P2Y3(adivisionofPearsonPenguinCanadaInc.)PenguinIreland,25StStephen’sGreen,Dublin2,Ireland(adivisionofPenguinBooksLtd)PenguinGroup(Australia),250CamberwellRoad,Camberwell,Victoria3124,Australia(adivisionofPearsonAustraliaGroupPtyLtd)PenguinBooksIndiaPvtLtd,11CommunityCentre,PanchsheelPark,NewDelhi–110017,IndiaPenguinGroup(NZ),67ApolloDrive,Rosedale,NorthShore0632,NewZealand(adivisionofPearsonNewZealandLtd)PenguinBooks(SouthAfrica)(Pty)Ltd,24SturdeeAvenue,Rosebank,Johannesburg2196,SouthAfricaPenguinBooksLtd,RegisteredOffices:80Strand,LondonWC2R0RL.,England

puffinbooks.com

FirstpublishedbyJonathanCapeLtd1981PublishedinPuffinBooks1982Thiseditionpublished2007

2Textcopyright©RoaldDahlNomineeLtd,1981Illustrationscopyright©QuentinBlake,1981Allrightsreserved

Themoralrightoftheauthorandillustratorhasbeenasserted

ExceptintheUnitedStatesofAmerica,thisbookissoldsubjecttotheconditionthatitshallnot,bywayoftradeorotherwise,belent,re-sold,hiredout,orotherwisecirculatedwithoutthepublisher’spriorconsentinanyformofbindingorcoverotherthanthatinwhichitispublishedandwithoutasimilarconditionincludingthisconditionbeingimposedonthesubsequentpurchaser

BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataACIPcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibraryISBN:978-0-14-192985-9

Contents

GrandmaTheMarvellousPlanGeorgeBeginstoMaketheMedicineAnimalPillsTheCook-upBrownPaintGrandmaGetstheMedicineTheBrownHenThePig,theBullocks,theSheep,thePonyandtheNanny-goat

ACraneforGrandmaMrKranky’sGreatIdeaMarvellousMedicineNumberTwoMarvellousMedicineNumberThreeMarvellousMedicineNumberFourGoodbyeGrandma

WARNINGTOREADERS:DonottrytomakeGeorge’sMarvellousMedicineyourselvesathome.Itcouldbedangerous.

Grandma

‘I’mgoingshoppinginthevillage,’George’smothersaidtoGeorgeonSaturdaymorning.‘Sobeagoodboyanddon’tgetuptomischief.’

Thiswasasilly thingtosaytoasmallboyatanytime.It immediatelymadehimwonderwhatsortofmischiefhemightgetupto.‘Anddon’tforget togiveGrandmahermedicineateleveno’clock,’ the

mothersaid.Thenoutshewent,closingthebackdoorbehindher.Grandma, who was dozing in her chair by the window, opened one

wickedlittleeyeandsaid,‘Nowyouheardwhatyourmothersaid,George.Don’tforgetmymedicine.’‘No,Grandma,’Georgesaid.‘Andjusttrytobehaveyourselfforoncewhileshe’saway.’‘Yes,Grandma,’Georgesaid.Georgewasboredtotears.Hedidn’thaveabrotherorasister.Hisfather

wasafarmerandthefarmtheylivedonwasmilesawayfromanywhere,sotherewereneveranychildrentoplaywith.Hewastiredofstaringatpigsandhensandcowsandsheep.HewasespeciallytiredofhavingtoliveinthesamehouseasthatgrizzlyoldgrunionofaGrandma.Lookingafterherall by himself was hardly the most exciting way to spend a Saturdaymorning.‘Youcanmakemeanicecupofteaforastart,’GrandmasaidtoGeorge.

‘That’llkeepyououtofmischiefforafewminutes.’‘Yes,Grandma,’Georgesaid.Georgecouldn’thelpdislikingGrandma.Shewasaselfishgrumpyold

woman. She had pale brown teeth and a small puckered-upmouth like adog’sbottom.‘Howmuchsugarinyourteatoday,Grandma?’Georgeaskedher.‘Onespoon,’shesaid.‘Andnomilk.’Mostgrandmothersarelovely,kind,helpfuloldladies,butnotthisone.

Shespentalldayandeverydaysittinginherchairbythewindow,andshewas always complaining, grousing, grouching, grumbling, griping aboutsomethingorother.Neveronce,evenonherbestdays,hadshesmiledatGeorgeandsaid,‘Well,howareyouthismorning,George?’or‘Whydon’tyou and I have a game of Snakes and Ladders?’ or ‘How was schooltoday?’Shedidn’tseemtocareaboutotherpeople,onlyaboutherself.She

wasamiserableoldgrouch.George went into the kitchen andmade Grandma a cup of tea with a

teabag.Heputonespoonof sugar in it andnomilk.Hestirred the sugarwellandcarriedthecupintotheliving-room.Grandma sipped the tea. ‘It’s not sweet enough,’ she said. ‘Put more

sugarin.’Georgetookthecupbackto thekitchenandaddedanotherspoonfulof

sugar.HestirreditagainandcarrieditcarefullyintoGrandma.‘Where’sthesaucer?’shesaid.‘Iwon’thaveacupwithoutasaucer.’Georgefetchedherasaucer.

‘Andwhataboutateaspoon,ifyouplease?’‘I’vestirreditforyou,Grandma.Istirreditwell’‘I’ll stir my own tea, thank you very much,’ she said. ‘Fetch me a

teaspoon.’Georgefetchedherateaspoon.When George’s mother or father were home, Grandma never ordered

Georgeaboutlikethis.Itwasonlywhenshehadhimonherownthatshebegantreatinghimbadly.‘Youknowwhat’s thematterwithyou?’ theoldwomansaid,staringat

George over the rim of the teacup with those bright wicked little eyes.‘You’regrowingtoofast.Boyswhogrowtoofastbecomestupidandlazy.’‘ButIcan’thelpitifI’mgrowingfast,Grandma,’Georgesaid.‘Ofcourseyoucan,’shesnapped.‘Growing’sanastychildishhabit.’‘But we have to grow, Grandma. If we didn’t grow, we’d never be

grown-ups.’‘Rubbish,boy,rubbish,’shesaid.‘Lookatme.AmIgrowing?Certainly

not.’‘Butyoudidonce,Grandma.’‘Onlyvery little,’ theoldwomananswered. ‘IgaveupgrowingwhenI

was extremely small, along with all the other nasty childish habits likelaziness and disobedience and greed and sloppiness and untidiness andstupidity.Youhaven’tgivenupanyofthesethings,haveyou?’‘I’mstillonlyalittleboy,Grandma.’‘You’reeightyearsold,’shesnorted.‘That’soldenoughtoknowbetter.

Ifyoudon’tstopgrowingsoon,it’llbetoolate.’‘Toolateforwhat,Grandma?’‘It’sridiculous,’shewenton.‘You’renearlyastallasmealready.’George took a good look at Grandma. She certainly was a very tiny

person.Herlegsweresoshortshehadtohaveafootstooltoputherfeeton,andherheadonlycamehalfwayupthebackofthearmchair.‘Daddysaysit’sfineforamantobetall,’Georgesaid.‘Don’tlistentoyourdaddy’Grandmasaid.‘Listentome.’‘ButhowdoIstopmyselfgrowing?’Georgeaskedher.‘Eatlesschocolate,’Grandmasaid.‘Doeschocolatemakeyougrow?’‘Itmakesyougrowthewrongway,’shesnapped.‘Upinsteadofdown.’Grandmasippedsometeabutnevertookhereyesfromthelittleboywho

stoodbeforeher.‘Nevergrowup,’shesaid.‘Alwaysdown.’‘Yes,Grandma.’‘Andstopeatingchocolate.Eatcabbageinstead.’‘Cabbage!Ohno,Idon’tlikecabbage,’Georgesaid.‘It’snotwhatyou likeorwhatyoudon’t like,’Grandmasnapped. ‘It’s

what’sgoodforyouthatcounts.Fromnowon,youmusteatcabbagethreetimesaday.Mountainsofcabbage!Andifit’sgotcaterpillarsinit,somuchthebetter!’‘Owch,’Georgesaid.‘Caterpillarsgiveyoubrains,’theoldwomansaid.‘Mummywashesthemdownthesink,’Georgesaid.

‘Mummy’sasstupidasyouare,’Grandmasaid. ‘Cabbagedoesn’t tasteofanythingwithoutafewboiledcaterpillarsinit.Slugs,too.’‘Notslugs!’Georgecriedout.‘Icouldn’teatslugs!’‘Whenever I see a live slug on a piece of lettuce,’ Grandma said, ‘I

gobbleitupquickbeforeitcrawlsaway.Delicious.’Shesqueezedherlipstogether tightso thathermouthbecamea tinywrinkledhole. ‘Delicious,’shesaidagain.‘Wormsandslugsandbeetleybugs.Youdon’tknowwhat’sgoodforyou.’‘You’rejoking,Grandma.’‘Ineverjoke,’shesaid.‘Beetlesareperhapsbestofall.Theygocrunch!’‘Grandma!That’sbeastly!’The old hag grinned, showing those pale brown teeth. ‘Sometimes, if

you’relucky,’shesaid,‘yougetabeetleinsidethestemofastickofcelery.That’swhatIlike.’‘Grandma!Howcouldyou?’‘Youfindallsortsofnicethingsinsticksofrawcelery,’theoldwoman

wenton.‘Sometimesit’searwigs.’‘Idon’twanttohearaboutit!’criedGeorge.‘A big fat earwig is very tasty,’ Grandma said, licking her lips. ‘But

you’vegot tobeveryquick,mydear,whenyouputoneof those inyourmouth. It has apairof sharpnipperson itsbackendand if it grabsyourtonguewith those, itnever letsgo.Soyou’vegot tobite theearwig first,chopchop,beforeitbitesyou.’Georgestartededgingtowardsthedoor.Hewantedtogetasfarawayas

possiblefromthisfilthyoldwoman.‘You’re trying to get away fromme, aren’t you?’ she said, pointing a

fingerstraightatGeorge’sface.‘You’retryingtogetawayfromGrandma.’LittleGeorge stoodby thedoor staringat theoldhag in thechair.She

staredbackathim.Could it be, George wondered, that she was a witch? He had always

thoughtwitcheswereonlyinfairytales,butnowhewasnotsosure.‘Comeclosertome,littleboy,’shesaid,beckoningtohimwithahorny

finger.‘ComeclosertomeandIwilltellyousecrets.’Georgedidn’tmove.Grandmadidn’tmoveeither.‘Iknowagreatmanysecrets,’shesaid,andsuddenlyshesmiled.Itwasa

thinicysmile,thekindasnakemightmakejustbeforeitbitesyou.‘ComeoverheretoGrandmaandshe’llwhispersecretstoyou.’Georgetookastepbackwards,edgingclosertothedoor.‘Youmustn’tbefrightenedofyouroldGrandma,’shesaid,smilingthat

icysmile.Georgetookanotherstepbackwards.

‘Someof us,’ she said, and all at once shewas leaning forward in herchairandwhisperinginathroatysortofvoiceGeorgehadneverheardherusebefore. ‘Someofus,’ she said, ‘havemagicpowers that can twist thecreaturesofthisearthintowondrousshapes…’A tingle of electricity flashed down the length of George’s spine. He

begantofeelfrightened.‘Some of us,’ the old woman went on, ‘have fire on our tongues and

sparksinourbelliesandwizardryinthetipsofourfingers…‘Someofusknowsecretsthatwouldmakeyourhairstandstraightupon

endandyoureyespopoutoftheirsockets…’Georgewantedtorunaway,buthisfeetseemedstucktothefloor.‘Weknowhowtomakeyournailsdropoffand teethgrowoutofyour

fingersinstead.’Georgebegantotremble.Itwasherfacethatfrightenedhimmostofall,

thefrostysmile,thebrilliantunblinkingeyes.‘We know how to have you wake up in the morning with a long tail

comingoutfrombehindyou.’‘Grandma!’hecriedout.‘Stop!’‘Weknowsecrets,mydear,aboutdarkplaceswheredarkthingsliveand

squirmandslitherallovereachother…’Georgemadeadiveforthedoor.‘Itdoesn’tmatterhowfaryourun,’heheardhersaying,‘youwon’tever

getaway…’Georgeranintothekitchen,slammingthedoorbehindhim.

TheMarvellousPlan

Georgesathimselfdownatthetableinthekitchen.Hewasshakingalittle.Oh,howhehatedGrandma!Hereallyhatedthathorridoldwitchywoman.Andallof a sudden he had a tremendous urge to do something about her. Somethingwhopping.Somethingabsolutelyterrific.Arealshocker.Asortofexplosion.Hewantedtoblowawaythewitchysmellthathungaboutherinthenextroom.Hemayhavebeenonlyeightyearsoldbuthewasabravelittleboy.Hewasreadytotakethisoldwomanon.

‘I’mnotgoingtobefrightenedbyher,’hesaidsoftlytohimself.Buthewasfrightened.Andthat’swhyhewantedsuddenlytoexplodeheraway.Well…notquiteaway.Buthedidwanttoshaketheoldwomanupabit.Very well, then. What should it be, this whopping terrific exploding

shockerforGrandma?He would have liked to put a firework banger under her chair but he

didn’thaveone.Hewould have liked to put a long green snake down the back of her

dressbuthedidn’thavealonggreensnake.

Hewouldhave liked toputsixbigblackrats in theroomwithherandlockthedoorbuthedidn’thavesixbigblackrats.AsGeorgesatthereponderingthisinterestingproblem,hiseyefellupon

thebottleofGrandma’sbrownmedicinestandingonthesideboard.Rottenstuffitseemedtobe.Fourtimesadayalargespoonfulofitwasshovelledintohermouthanditdidn’tdohertheslightestbitofgood.Shewasalwaysjust ashorrid after she’dhad it as she’dbeenbefore.Thewholepoint ofmedicine, surely,was tomake a personbetter. If it didn’t do that, then itwasquiteuseless.So-ho! thoughtGeorge suddenly.Ah-ha!Ho-hum! Iknowexactlywhat

I’lldo.Ishallmakeheranewmedicine,onethatissostrongandsofierceandsofantasticitwilleithercurehercompletelyorblowoffthetopofherhead.I’llmakeheramagicmedicine,amedicinenodoctorintheworldhasevermadebefore.Georgelookedatthekitchenclock.Itsaidfivepastten.Therewasnearly

anhourleftbeforeGrandma’snextdosewasdueateleven.‘Herewego, then!’criedGeorge, jumpingupfromthe table. ‘Amagic

medicineitshallbe!’

‘Sogivemeabugandajumpingflea,Givemetwosnailsandlizardsthree,Andaslimysquigglerfromthesea,Andthepoisonousstingofabumblebee,Andthejuicefromthefruitoftheju-jubetree,Andthepowderedboneofawombat’sknee.Andonehundredotherthingsaswell

Eachwitharathernastysmell.I’llstirthemup,I’llboilthemlong,Amixturetough,amixturestrong.Andthen,heigh-ho,anddownitgoes,Anicebigspoonful(holdyournose)Justgulpitdownandhavenofear.“Howdoyoulikeit,Grannydear?”Willshegopop?Willsheexplode?Willshegoflyingdowntheroad?Willshegopoofinapuffofsmoke?StartfizzinglikeacanofCoke?Whoknows?NotI.Let’swaitandsee.(I’mgladit’sneitheryounorme.)OhGrandma,ifyouonlyknewWhatIhavegotinstoreforyou!’

GeorgeBeginstoMaketheMedicine

George took an enormous saucepan out of the cupboard and placed it on thekitchentable.

‘George!’ came the shrill voice from the next room. ‘What are youdoing?’‘Nothing,Grandma,’hecalledout.‘You needn’t think I can’t hear you just because you closed the door!

You’rerattlingthesaucepans!’‘I’mjusttidyingthekitchen,Grandma.’Thentherewassilence.Georgehadabsolutelynodoubtswhatsoeverabouthowhewasgoingto

make his famous medicine. He wasn’t going to fool about wonderingwhether toput ina littlebitof thisora littlebitof that.Quitesimply,hewas going to put in EVERYTHING he could find. There would be nomessing about, no hesitating, no wondering whether a particular thingwouldknocktheoldgirlsidewaysornot.Therulewouldbethis:whateverhesaw,ifitwasrunnyorpowderyorgooey,initwent.Nobodyhadevermadeamedicine like thatbefore. If itdidn’tactually

cureGrandma,thenitwouldanywaycausesomeexcitingresults.Itwouldbeworthwatching.Georgedecidedtoworkhiswayroundthevariousroomsoneata time

andseewhattheyhadtooffer.Hewouldgofirsttothebathroom.Therearealwayslotsoffunnythings

in a bathroom. So upstairs he went, carrying the enormous two-handledsaucepanbeforehim.

Inthebathroom,hegazedlonginglyatthefamousanddreadedmedicinecupboard.Buthedidn’tgonearit.Itwastheonlythingintheentirehousehewas forbidden to touch.He hadmade solemn promises to his parentsabout thisandhewasn’tgoing tobreak them.Therewere things in there,theyhadtoldhim,thatcouldactuallykillaperson,andalthoughhewasouttogiveGrandmaaprettyfierymouthful,hedidn’treallywantadeadbodyonhishands.Georgeputthesaucepanonthefloorandwenttowork.NumberonewasabottlelabelledGOLDENGLOSSHAIRSHAMPOO.

Heemptieditintothepan.‘Thatoughttowashhertummyniceandclean,’hesaid.

HetookafulltubeofTOOTHPASTEandsqueezedoutthewholelotofitinonelongworm.‘Maybethatwillbrightenupthosehorridbrownteethofhers,’hesaid.TherewasanaerosolcanofSUPERFOAMSHAVINGSOAPbelonging

tohisfather.Georgelovedplayingwithaerosols.Hepressedthebuttonandkepthisfingeronituntiltherewasnothingleft.Awonderfulmountainofwhitefoambuiltupinthegiantsaucepan.With his fingers, he scooped out the contents of ajar of VITAMIN

ENRICHEDFACECREAM.In went a small bottle of scarlet NAIL VARNISH. ‘If the toothpaste

doesn’t clean her teeth,’George said, ‘then thiswill paint them as red asroses.’

He found another jar of creamy stuff labelled HAIR REMOVER.SMEARITONYOURLEGS,itsaid,ANDALLOWTOREMAINFORFIVEMINUTES.Georgetippeditallintothesaucepan.There was a bottle with yellow stuff inside it called DISHWORTH’S

FAMOUSDANDRUFFCURE.Initwent.There was something called BRILLIDENT FOR CLEANING FALSE

TEETH.Itwasawhitepowder.Inthatwent,too.He found another aerosol can, NEVERMORE PONKING

DEODORANT SPRAY, GUARANTEED, it said, TO KEEP AWAYUNPLEASANTBODYSMELLSFORAWHOLEDAY. ‘She could useplenty of that,’ George said as he sprayed the entire canful into thesaucepan.LIQUID PARAFFIN, the next onewas called. It was a big bottle. He

hadn’tthefaintestideawhatitdidtoyou,buthepoureditinanyway.That,hethought,lookingaroundhim,wasaboutallfromthebathroom.

Onhismother’sdressing-tableinthebedroom,Georgefoundyetanotherlovely aerosol can. Itwas calledHELGA’SHAIRSET.HOLDTWELVEINCHESAWAYFROMTHEHAIRANDSPRAYLIGHTLY.Hesquirtedthewholelotintothesaucepan.Hedidenjoysquirtingtheseaerosols.There was a bottle of perfume called FLOWERS OF TURNIPS. It

smelledofoldcheese.Initwent.And in, too,went a large roundboxofPOWDER. Itwas calledPINK

PLASTER.Therewasapowder-puffontopandhethrewthatinaswellforluck.

He found a couple of lipsticks.He pulled the greasy red things out oftheirlittlecasesandaddedthemtothemixture.Thebedroomhadnothingmoretooffer,soGeorgecarriedtheenormous

saucepan downstairs again and trotted into the laundry-room where theshelveswerefullofallkindsofhouseholditems.The first one he took down was a large box of SUPERWHITE FOR

AUTOMATIC WASHING-MACHINES. DIRT, it said, WILLDISAPPEARLIKEMAGIC.George didn’t knowwhetherGrandmawasautomaticornot,butshewascertainlyadirtyoldwoman.‘Soshe’dbetterhaveitall,’hesaid,tippinginthewholeboxful.

Then there was a big tin of WAXWELL FLOOR POLISH. ITREMOVES FILTHAND FOULMESSES FROMYOUR FLOORANDLEAVES EVERYTHING SHINY BRIGHT, it said. George scooped theorange-colouredwaxystuffoutofthetinandplonkeditintothepan.

There was a round cardboard carton labelled FLEA POWDER FORDOGS. KEEP WELL AWAY FROM THE DOG’S FOOD, it said,BECAUSE THIS POWDER, IF EATEN, WILL MAKE THE DOGEXPLODE.‘Good,’saidGeorge,pouringitallintothesaucepan.HefoundaboxofCANARYSEEDontheshelf.‘Perhapsit’llmakethe

oldbirdsing,’hesaid,andinitwent.

Next,George explored the boxwith shoe-cleaningmaterials – brushesandtinsanddusters.Wellnow,hethought,Grandma’smedicineisbrown,somymedicinemustalsobebrownorshe’llsmellarat.Thewaytocolourit, he decided,would bewithBROWNSHOE-POLISH.The large tin hechosewaslabelledDARKTAN.Splendid.Hescoopeditalloutwithanoldspoonandploppeditintothepan.Hewouldstirituplater.Onhiswaybacktothekitchen,GeorgesawabottleofGINstandingon

thesideboard.Grandmawasveryfondofgin.Shewasallowed tohaveasmall nip of it every evening.Now hewould give her a treat.Hewouldpourinthewholebottle.Hedid.Backinthekitchen,Georgeputthehugesaucepanonthetableandwent

overtothecupboardthatservedasalarder.Theshelveswerebulgingwithbottlesandjarsofeverysort.Hechosethefollowingandemptiedthemonebyoneintothesaucepan:ATINOFCURRYPOWDERATINOFMUSTARDPOWDERABOTTLEOF‘EXTRAHOT’CHILLISAUCE

ATINOFBLACKPEPPERCORNSABOTTLEOFHORSERADISHSAUCE‘There!’hesaidaloud.‘Thatshoulddoit!’‘George!’ came the screechy voice from the next room. ‘Who are you

talkingtointhere?Whatareyouupto?’‘Nothing,Grandma,absolutelynothing,’hecalledback.‘Isittimeformymedicineyet?’‘No,Grandma,notforabouthalfanhour.’‘Well,justseeyoudon’tforgetit.’‘Iwon’t,Grandma,’Georgeanswered.‘IpromiseIwon’t.’

AnimalPills

At this point, George suddenly had an extra good wheeze. Although themedicinecupboardinthehousewasforbiddenground,whataboutthemedicineshis father kept on the shelf in the shed next to the henhouse? The animalmedicines?

Whataboutthose?Nobodyhadevertoldhimhemustn’ttouchthem.Let’s face it,George said tohimself,hair-sprayand shaving-creamand

shoe-polish are all verywell and theywill nodoubt cause some splendidexplosionsinsidetheoldgeezer,butwhatthemagicmixturenowneedsisatouchoftherealstuff,realpillsandrealtonics,togiveitpunchandmuscle.George picked up the heavy three-quarters full saucepan and carried it

outof thebackdoor.Hecrossed thefarmyardandheadedstraightfor theshedalongsidethehenhouse.Heknewhisfatherwouldn’tbethere.Hewasouthaymakinginoneofthemeadows.George entered the dusty old shed and put the saucepan on the bench.

Thenhelookedupatthemedicineshelf.Therewerefivebigbottlesthere.Twowere full of pills, twowere full of runny stuff and onewas full ofpowder.‘I’ll use them all,’ George said. ‘Grandma needs them. Boy, does she

needthem!’

Thefirstbottlehetookdowncontainedanorange-colouredpowder.Thelabel said, FOR CHICKENS WITH FOUL PEST, HEN GRIPE, SOREBEAKS, GAMMY LEGS, COCKERELITIS, EGG TROUBLE,BROODINESSORLOSSOFFEATHERS.MIXONESPOONFULONLYWITHEACHBUCKETOFFEED.‘Well,’Georgesaidaloudtohimselfashetippedinthewholebottleful,

‘theoldbirdwon’tbelosinganyfeathersaftershe’shadadoseofthis.’Thenextbottlehetookdownhadaboutfivehundredgiganticpurplepills

init.FORHORSESWITHHOARSETHROATS,itsaidonthelabel.THEHOARSE-THROATEDHORSE SHOULD SUCKONE PILL TWICEADAY.‘Grandmamaynothaveahoarsethroat,’Georgesaid,‘butshe’scertainly

gotasharptongue.Maybethey’llcurethatinstead.’Intothesaucepanwentthefivehundredgiganticpurplepills.

Thentherewasabottleofthickyellowishliquid.FORCOWS,BULLSAND BULLOCKS, the label said. WILL CURE COW POX, COWMANGE,CRUMPLEDHORNS,BADBREATHINBULLS,EARACHE,TOOTHACHE, HEADACHE, HOOF-ACHE, TAILACHE AND SOREUDDERS.‘Thatgrumpyoldcowin the living-roomhaseveryoneof thoserotten

illnesses,’George said. ‘She’ll need it all.’With a slop and a gurgle, theyellowliquidsplashedintothenownearlyfullsaucepan.Thenextbottlecontainedabrilliantredliquid.SHEEPDIP,itsaidonthe

label. FOR SHEEP WITH SHEEPROT AND FOR GETTING RID OFTICKS AND FLEAS. MIX ONE SPOONFUL IN ONE GALLON OFWATER AND SLOSH IT OVER THE SHEEP. CAUTION, DO NOTMAKETHEMIXTUREANYSTRONGERORTHEWOOLWILLFALLOUTANDTHEANIMALWILLBENAKED.‘Bygum,’saidGeorge,‘howI’dlovetowalkinandsloshitalloverold

Grandmaandwatch the ticks and fleasgo jumpingoff her.But I can’t. Imustn’t. So she’ll have to drink it instead.’ He poured the bright redmedicineintothesaucepan.Thelastbottleontheshelfwasfullofpalegreenpills.PIGPILLS,the

label announced. FOR PIGS WITH PORK PRICKLES, TENDERTROTTERS,BRISTLEBLIGHTANDSWINESICKNESS.GIVEONEPILL PER DAY. IN SEVERE CASES TWO PILLS MAY BE GIVEN,BUTMORETHANTHATWILLMAKETHEPIGROCKANDROLL.‘Justthestuff’,saidGeorge,‘forthatmiserableoldpigbackthereinthe

house.She’llneedaverybigdose.’Hetippedallthegreenpills,hundredsandhundredsofthem,intothesaucepan.

Therewasanoldsticklyingonthebenchthathadbeenusedforstirringpaint.Georgepickeditupandstartedtostirhismarvellousconcoction.Themixture was as thick as cream, and as he stirred and stirred, manywonderful colours rose up from the depths and blended together, pinks,blues,greens,yellowsandbrowns.Georgewent on stirring until it was all wellmixed, but even so there

were still hundreds of pills lying on the bottom that hadn’t melted. Andtherewashismother’ssplendidpowder-pufffloatingonthesurface.‘Ishallhavetoboilitallup,’Georgesaid.‘Onegoodquickboilonthestoveisallit needs.’ And with that he staggered back towards the house with theenormousheavysaucepan.Ontheway,hepassedthegarage,sohewent in toseeifhecouldfind

anyotherinterestingthings.Headdedthefollowing:HalfapintofENGINEOIL–tokeepGrandma’senginegoingsmoothly.SomeANTIFREEZE–tokeepherradiatorfromfreezingupinwinter.AhandfulofGREASE–togreasehercreakingjoints.Thenbacktothekitchen.

TheCook-up

Inthekitchen,Georgeputthesaucepanonthestoveandturnedupthegasflameunderneathitashighasitwouldgo.

‘George!’ came the awful voice from the next room. ‘It’s time formymedicine!’‘Not yet, Grandma,’ George called back. ‘There’s still twenty minutes

beforeeleveno’clock.’‘Whatmischiefareyouup to in therenow?’Grannyscreeched. ‘Ihear

noises.’Georgethoughtitbestnot toanswerthisone.Hefoundalongwooden

spooninakitchendrawerandbeganstirringhard.Thestuffinthepotgothotterandhotter.

Soonthemarvellousmixturebegantofrothandfoam.Arichbluesmoke,the colour of peacocks, rose from the surface of the liquid, and a fieryfearsomesmellfilledthekitchen.ItmadeGeorgechokeandsplutter.Itwasa smell unlike anyhehad smelledbefore. Itwas abrutal andbewitchingsmell,spicyandstaggering,fierceandfrenzied,fullofwizardryandmagic.Wheneverhegotawhiffofituphisnose,firecrackerswentoffinhisskulland electric prickles ran along the backs of his legs. Itwaswonderful tostandtherestirringthisamazingmixtureandtowatchitsmokingblueandbubblingandfrothingandfoamingasthoughitwerealive.Atonepoint,hecouldhaveswornhesawbrightsparksflashingintheswirlingfoam.

And suddenly,George foundhimself dancing around the steamingpot,chantingstrangewordsthatcameintohisheadoutofnowhere:

‘Fierybrothandwitch’sbrewFoamyfrothandrichesblueFumeandspumeandspoondriftsprayFizzleswizzleshouthoorayWatchitsloshing,swashing,sploshingHearithissing,squishing,spissingGrandmabetterstarttopray.’

BrownPaint

Georgeturnedofftheheatunderthesaucepan.Hemustleaveplentyoftimeforittocooldown.

Whenallthesteamandfrothhadgoneaway,hepeeredintothegiantpantoseewhatcolourthegreatmedicinenowwas.Itwasadeepandbrilliantblue.‘It needsmore brown in it,’George said. ‘It simplymust be brown or

she’llgetsuspicious.’George ran outside and dashed into his father’s toolshedwhere all the

paintswerekept.Therewasarowofcansontheshelf,allcolours,black,green, red,pink,white andbrown.He reached for thecanofbrown.ThelabelsaidsimplyDARKBROWNGLOSSPAINTONEQUART.Hetooka screwdriver and prised off the lid. The canwas three-quarters full. Herushed it back to thekitchen.Hepoured thewhole lot into the saucepan.The saucepan was now full to the brim. Very gently, George stirred thepaint into the mixture with the long wooden spoon. Ah-ha! It was allturningbrown!Alovelyrichcreamybrown!‘Where’sthatmedicineofmine,boy?!’camethevoicefromtheliving-

room.‘You’re forgettingme!You’redoing itonpurpose! Ishall tellyourmother!’‘I’mnotforgettingyou,Grandma,’Georgecalledback.‘I’mthinkingof

youallthetime.Buttherearestilltenminutestogo.’‘You’reanasty littlemaggot!’ thevoicescreechedback.‘You’rea lazy

anddisobedientlittleworm,andyou’regrowingtoofast.’George fetched the bottle of Grandma’s real medicine from the

sideboard.He took out the cork and tipped it all down the sink.He thenfilledthebottlewithhisownmagicmixturebydippingasmalljugintothesaucepanandusingitasapourer.Hereplacedthecork.

Haditcooleddownenoughyet?Notquite.Heheldthebottleunderthecold tap for a couple ofminutes. The label came off in thewet but thatdidn’tmatter.Hedriedthebottlewithadish-cloth.Allwasnowready!Thiswasit!Thegreatmomenthadarrived!‘Medicinetime,Grandma!’hecalledout.‘Ishouldhopeso,too,’camethegrumpyreply.Thesilvertablespooninwhichthemedicinewasalwaysgivenlayready

onthekitchensideboard.Georgepickeditup.Holding thespooninonehandandthebottle in theother,headvanced

intotheliving-room.

GrandmaGetstheMedicine

Grandma sat hunched in her chair by the window. The wicked little eyesfollowedGeorgecloselyashecrossedtheroomtowardsher.

‘You’relate,’shesnapped.‘Idon’tthinkIam,Grandma.’‘Don’tinterruptmeinthemiddleofasentence!’sheshouted.‘Butyou’dfinishedyoursentence,Grandma.’‘Thereyougoagain!’shecried. ‘Always interruptingandarguing.You

reallyareatiresomelittleboy.What’sthetime?’‘It’sexactlyeleveno’clock,Grandma.’‘You’relyingasusual.Stoptalkingsomuchandgivememymedicine.

Shake the bottle first. Then pour it into the spoon and make sure it’s awholespoonful.’‘Areyougoingtogulpitalldowninonego?’Georgeaskedher.‘Orwill

yousipit?’‘What I do is none of your business,’ the old woman said. ‘Fill the

spoon.’AsGeorge removed the cork and began very slowly to pour the thick

brownstuffintothespoon,hecouldn’thelpthinkingbackuponallthemadandmarvellousthingsthathadgoneintothemakingofthiscrazystuff–theshavingsoap, thehair remover, thedandruffcure, theautomaticwashing-machine powder, the flea powder for dogs, the shoe-polish, the blackpepper, thehorseradish sauceandall the restof them,not tomention thepowerfulanimalpillsandpowdersandliquids…andthebrownpaint.‘Openyourmouthwide,Grandma,’hesaid,‘andI’llpopitin.’Theoldhagopenedhersmallwrinkledmouth,showingdisgustingpale

brownteeth.‘Herewego!’Georgecriedout.‘Swallowitdown!’Hepushedthespoon

well into her mouth and tipped the mixture down her throat. Then hesteppedbacktowatchtheresult.Itwasworthwatching.Grandmayelled‘Oweeeee!’andherwholebodyshotupwhooshintothe

air.Itwasexactlyasthoughsomeonehadpushedanelectricwirethroughtheunderneathofherchairandswitchedonthecurrent.Upshewentlikea

jack-in-the-box… and she didn’t come down… she stayed there…suspendedinmid-air…abouttwofeetup…stillinasittingposition…butrigid now… frozen… quivering… the eyes bulging… the hair standingstraightuponend.‘Issomethingwrong,Grandma?’Georgeaskedherpolitely.‘Areyouall

right?’Suspendedupthereinspace,theoldgirlwasbeyondspeaking.The shock that George’s marvellous mixture had given her must have

beentremendous.You’dhave thought she’d swalloweda red-hotpoker theway she took

offfromthatchair.

Thendownshecameagainwithaplop,backintoherseat.‘Callthefirebrigade!’sheshoutedsuddenly.‘Mystomach’sonfire!’‘It’sjustthemedicine,Grandma,’Georgesaid.‘It’sgoodstrongstuff.’‘Fire!’ theoldwomanyelled.‘Fireinthebasement!Getabucket!Man

thehoses!Dosomethingquick!’‘Coolit,Grandma,’Georgesaid.Buthegotabitofashockwhenhesaw

thesmokecomingoutofhermouthandoutofhernostrils.Cloudsofblacksmokewerecomingoutofhernoseandblowingaroundtheroom.‘Bygolly,youreallyareonfire,’Georgesaid.‘OfcourseI’monfire!’sheyelled.‘I’llbeburnedtoacrisp!I’llbefried

toafrizzle!I’llbeboiledlikeabeetroot!’

George ran into thekitchen and camebackwith a jugofwater. ‘Openyourmouth,Grandma!’hecried.Hecouldhardlyseeherforthesmoke,buthemanaged to pour half a jugful down her throat. A sizzling sound, thekindyouget ifyouholdahotfrying-panunderacold tap,cameupfromdeep down in Grandma’s stomach. The old hag bucked and shied andsnorted.Shegaspedandgurgled.Spoutsofwatercameshootingoutofher.Andthesmokeclearedaway.‘The fire’s out,’ George announced proudly. ‘You’ll be all right now,

Grandma.’‘All right?’ she yelled. ‘Who’s all right? There’s jacky-jumpers in my

tummy!There’ssquigglersinmybelly!There’sbangersinmybottom!’Shebeganbouncingupanddowninthechair.Quiteobviouslyshewasnotverycomfortable.‘You’ll find it’s doing you a lot of good, that medicine, Grandma,’

Georgesaid.‘Good?’shescreamed.‘Doingmegood?It’skillingme!’Thenshebegantobulge.Shewasswelling!Shewaspuffingupallover!Someonewaspumpingherup,that’showitlooked!Wasshegoingtoexplode?Herfacewasturningfrompurpletogreen!Butwait!Shehadapuncturesomewhere!Georgecouldhearthehissof

escapingair.Shestoppedswelling.Shewasgoingdown.Shewasslowlygetting thinneragain, shrinkingbackandbackslowly toher shrivellyoldself.‘How’sthings,Grandma?’Georgesaid.Noanswer.Thenafunnythinghappened.Grandma’sbodygaveasuddensharptwist

andasuddensharp jerkandshe flippedherselfclearoutof thechairandlandedneatlyonhertwofeetonthecarpet.

‘That’sterrific,Grandma!’Georgecried.‘Youhaven’tstooduplikethatforyears!Lookatyou!You’restandingupallonyourownandyou’renotevenusingastick!’Grandmadidn’tevenhearhim.Thefrozenpop-eyedlookwasbackwith

heragainnow.Shewasmilesawayinanotherworld.Marvellous medicine, George told himself. He found it fascinating to

stand there watching what it was doing to the old hag. What next? hewondered.

Hesoonfoundout.Suddenlyshebegantogrow.Itwasquiteslowatfirst…justaverygradualinchingupwards…up,up,

up… inch by inch… getting taller and taller… about an inch every fewseconds…andinthebeginningGeorgedidn’tnoticeit.Butwhen she had passed the five foot sixmark andwas going on up

towards being six feet tall, George gave a jump and shouted, ‘Hey,

Grandma!You’re growing! You’re going up! Hang on, Grandma! You’dbetterstopnoworyou’llbehittingtheceiling!’ButGrandmadidn’tstop.It was a truly fantastic sight, this ancient scrawny old woman getting

tallerandtaller,longerandlonger,thinnerandthinner,asthoughshewereapieceofelasticbeingpulledupwardsbyinvisiblehands.When the topof her head actually touched the ceiling,George thought

shewasboundtostop.

Butshedidn’t.Therewasasortofscrunchingnoise,andbitsofplasterandcementcame

rainingdown.‘Hadn’tyoubetterstopnow,Grandma?’Georgesaid.‘Daddy’sjusthad

thiswholeroomrepainted.’Buttherewasnostoppinghernow.Soon, her head and shoulders had completely disappeared through the

ceilingandshewasstillgoing.Georgedashedupstairstohisownbedroomandthereshewascomingup

throughthefloorlikeamushroom.

‘Whoopee!’ she shouted, finding her voice at last. ‘Hallelujah, here Icome!’

‘Steadyon,Grandma,’Georgesaid.‘With a heigh-nonny-no and up we go!’ she shouted. ‘Just watch me

grow!’‘Thisismyroom,’Georgesaid.‘Lookatthemessyou’remaking.’‘Terrificmedicine!’shecried.‘Givemesomemore!’She’sdottyasadoughnut,Georgethought.‘Come on, boy! Give me some more!’ she yelled. ‘Dish it out! I’m

slowingdown!’Georgewasstillclutchingthemedicinebottleinonehandandthespoon

in theother.Ohwell,he thought,whynot?Hepouredouta seconddoseandpoppeditintohermouth.‘Oweee!’shescreamedandupshewentagain.Herfeetwerestillonthe

floor downstairs in the living-room but her head was moving quicklytowardstheceilingofthebedroom.‘I’monmywaynow,boy!’shecalleddowntoGeorge.‘Justwatchme

go!’‘That’s theatticaboveyou,Grandma!’Georgecalledout.‘I’dkeepout

ofthere!It’sfullofbugsandbogles!’Crash! The old girl’s headwent through the ceiling as though it were

butter.George stood in his bedroom gazing at the shambles. Therewas a big

hole in the floor and another in the ceiling, and sticking up like a postbetween the two was the middle part of Grandma. Her legs were in theroombelow,herheadintheattic.

‘I’mstillgoing!’cametheoldscreechyvoicefromupabove.‘Givemeanotherdose,myboy,andlet’sgothroughtheroof!’‘No,Grandma, no!’George called back. ‘You’re busting up thewhole

house!’‘Toheckwiththehouse!’sheshouted.‘Iwantsomefreshair!Ihaven’t

beenoutsidefortwentyyears!’‘By golly, she is going through the roof!’George told himself.He ran

downstairs. He rushed out of the back door into the yard. It would besimply awful, he thought, if she bashed up the roof as well. His fatherwouldbefurious.Andhe,George,wouldgettheblame.Hehadmadethemedicine. He had given her too much. ‘Don’t come through the roof,Grandma,’heprayed.‘Pleasedon’t.’

TheBrownHen

Georgestoodin thefarmyard lookingupat theroof.Theoldfarmhousehadafineroofofpaleredtilesandtallchimneys.

TherewasnosignofGrandma.Therewasonlyasong-thrushsittingononeof thechimneypots,singingasong.Theoldwurzel’sgotstuck in theattic,Georgethought.Thankgoodnessforthat.Suddenlyatilecameclatteringdownfromtheroofandfellintotheyard.

Thesong-thrushtookofffastandflewaway.Thenanothertilecamedown.Thenhalfadozenmore.Andthen,veryslowly,likesomeweirdmonsterrisingupfromthedeep,

Grandma’sheadcamethroughtheroof…Thenherscrawnyneck…Andthetopsofhershoulders…‘How’mIdoing,boy!’sheshouted.‘How’sthatforabashup?’‘Don’tyouthinkyou’dbetterstopnow,Grandma?’Georgecalledout…‘Ihavestopped!’sheanswered.‘Ifeelterrific!

Didn’tItellyouIhadmagicpowers!Didn’tIwarnyouIhadwizardryinthe tips of my fingers! But you wouldn’t listen to me, would you? Youwouldn’tlistentoyouroldGrandma!’‘Youdidn’tdoit,Grandma,’Georgeshoutedbacktoher.‘Ididit!Imade

youanewmedicine!’‘Anewmedicine?You?Whatrubbish!’sheyelled.‘Idid!Idid!’Georgeshouted.‘You’relyingasusual!’Grandmayelled.‘You’realwayslying!’‘I’mnotlying,Grandma.IswearI’mnot.’Thewrinkledold facehighupon the roof stareddown suspiciously at

George. ‘Are you telling me you actually made a new medicine all byyourself?’sheshouted.‘Yes,Grandma,allbymyself.’‘Idon’tbelieveyou,’sheanswered.‘ButI’mverycomfortableuphere.

Fetchmeacupoftea.’AbrownhenwaspeckingaboutintheyardclosetowhereGeorgewas

standing. The hen gave him an idea. Quickly, he uncorked the medicinebottle and poured some of the brown stuff into the spoon. ‘Watch this,Grandma!’ he shouted. He crouched down, holding out the spoon to thehen.

‘Chicken,’ he said. ‘Chick-chick-chicken. Come here. Have some ofthis.’Chickens are stupid birds, and very greedy. They think everything is

food.Thisonethoughtthespoonwasfullofcorn.Ithoppedover.Itputitsheadononesideandlookedatthespoon.‘Comeon,chicken,’Georgesaid.‘Goodchicken.Chick-chick-chick.’Thebrownhenstretchedoutitsnecktowardsthespoonandwentpeck.It

gotabeakfulofmedicine.

Theeffectwaselectric.‘Oweee!’shriekedthehenanditshotstraightupintotheairlikearocket.

Itwentashighasthehouse.

Thendownitcameagainintotheyard,splosh.Andthereitsatwithitsfeathers all sticking straight out from its body. There was a look ofamazementonitssillyface.Georgestoodwatchingit.Grandmaupontheroofwaswatchingit,too.Thehengottoitsfeet.Itwasrathershaky.Itwasmakingfunnygurgling

noises in its throat. Its beak was opening and shutting. It seemed like aprettysickhen.‘You’vedoneitin,youstupidboy!’Grandmashouted.‘Thathen’sgoing

todie!Yourfather’llbeafteryounow!He’llgiveyousocksandserveyouright!’Allofasudden,blacksmokestartedpouringoutofthehen’sbeak.

‘It’sonfire!’Grandmayelled.‘Thehen’sonfire!’Georgerantothewater-troughtogetabucketofwater.‘That hen’ll be roasted and ready for eating any moment!’ Grandma

shouted.George sloshed thebucket ofwater over thehen.Therewas a sizzling

soundandthesmokewentaway.

‘Oldhen’slaiditslastegg!’Grandmashouted.‘Hensdon’tdoanylayingafterthey’vebeenonfire!’Nowthatthefirewasout,thehenseemedbetter.Itstoodupproperly.It

flapped its wings. Then it crouched down low to the ground, as thoughgetting ready to jump. Itdid jump. It jumpedhigh in theairand turnedacompletesomersault,thenlandedbackonitsfeet.

‘It’s a circus hen!’ Grandma shouted from the rooftop. ‘It’s a flippingacrobat!’Nowthehenbegantogrow.George had been waiting for this to happen. ‘It’s growing!’ he yelled.

‘It’sgrowing,Grandma!Look,it’sgrowing!’Biggerandbigger…tallerand taller itgrew.Soon thehenwas fouror

fivetimesitsnormalsize.‘Canyouseeit,Grandma?!’Georgeshouted.‘Icanseeit,boy!’theoldgirlshoutedback.‘I’mwatchingit!’Georgewashoppingabout fromone foot to theotherwith excitement,

pointingat the enormoushenand shouting, ‘It’shad themagicmedicine,Grandma,andit’sgrowingjustlikeyoudid!’Buttherewasadifferencebetweenthewaythehenwasgrowingandthe

wayGrandmagrew.WhenGrandmagrewtallerandtaller,shegot

thinnerandthinner.Thehendidn’t.Itstayedniceandplumpallalong.Soonitwas taller thanGeorge,but itdidn’tstopthere.Itwentrighton

growinguntilitwasaboutasbigasahorse.Thenitstopped.‘Doesn’titlookmarvellous,Grandma!’Georgeshouted.‘It’snotastallasme!’Grandmasangout.‘Comparedwithme,thathen

istitchysmall!Iamthetallestofthemall!’

ThePig,theBullocks,theSheep,thePonyandtheNanny-goat

Atthatmoment,George’smothercamebackfromshoppinginthevillage.Shedrovehercarintotheyardandgotout.Shewascarryingabottleofmilkinonehandandabagofgroceriesintheother.

Thefirst thingshesawwas thegiganticbrownhen toweringover littleGeorge.Shedroppedthebottleofmilk.ThenGrandma started shouting at her from the rooftop, andwhen she

looked up and saw Grandma’s head sticking up through the tiles, shedroppedthebagofgroceries.‘How about that then, eh, Mary?’ Grandma shouted. ‘I’ll bet you’ve

neverseenahenasbigasthat!That’sGeorge’sgianthen,thatis!’‘But…but…but…’stammeredGeorge’smother.‘It’sGeorge’smagicmedicine!’Grandmashouted.‘We’vebothofushad

it,thehenandI!’‘Buthowintheworlddidyougetupontheroof?’criedthemother.‘Ididn’t!’cackledtheoldwoman.‘Myfeetarestillstandingonthefloor

intheliving-room!’

ThiswastoomuchforGeorge’smothertounderstand.Shejustgoggledandgaped.Shelookedasthoughshewasgoingtofaint.A second later, George’s father appeared. His name was Mr Killy

Kranky.MrKrankywasasmallmanwithbandylegsandahugehead.Hewas a kind father toGeorge, but hewas not an easy person to livewithbecause even the smallest thingsgot himallworkedup and excited.Thehen standing in the yard was certainly not a small thing, and when MrKrankysawithestartedjumpingaboutas thoughsomethingwasburninghisfeet. ‘Greatheavens!’hecried,wavinghisarms.‘What’s this?What’shappened?Wherediditcomefrom?It’sagianthen!Whodidit?’‘Idid,’Georgesaid.‘Lookatme!’Grandmashoutedfromtherooftop.‘Nevermindaboutthe

hen!Whataboutme?’MrKrankylookedupandsawGrandma.‘Shutup,Grandma,’hesaid.It

didn’t seem to surprise him that the old girlwas sticking up through theroof. Itwas thehen that excitedhim.Hehadnever seenanything like it.Butthenwhohad?‘It’s fantastic!’ Mr Kranky shouted, dancing round and round. ‘It’s

colossal! It’sgigantic! It’s tremendous! It’samiracle!Howdidyoudo it,George?’Georgestartedtellinghisfatheraboutthemagicmedicine.Whilehewas

doingthis,thebigbrownhensatdowninthemiddleoftheyardandwentcluck-duck-cluck…cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck.Everyonestaredatit.

Whenitstoodupagain,therewasabrownegglyingthere.Theeggwasthesizeofafootball.

‘Thateggwouldmakescrambledeggsfor twentypeople!’MrsKrankysaid.‘George!’Mr Kranky shouted. ‘Howmuch of this medicine have you

got?’‘Lots,’George said. ‘There’s a big saucepanful in the kitchen, and this

bottlehere’snearlyfull.’‘Comewithme!’MrKrankyyelled,grabbingGeorgebythearm.‘Bring

the medicine! For years and years I’ve been trying to breed bigger andbigger animals.Bigger bulls for beef.Bigger pigs for pork.Bigger sheepformutton…’Theywenttothepigstyfirst.Georgegaveaspoonfulofmedicinetothepig.Thepigblewsmokefromitsnoseandjumpedaboutallovertheplace.

Thenitgrewandgrew.

Intheend,itlookedlikethis…

TheywenttotheherdoffineblackbullocksthatMrKrankywastryingtofattenforthemarket.Georgegaveeachofthemsomemedicine,andthisiswhathappened…

Thenthesheep…

Hegavesometohisgreypony,JackFrost…

Andfinally,justforfun,hegavesometoAlma,thenanny-goat…

ACraneforGrandma

Grandma,fromhighupontherooftop,couldseeeverythingthatwasgoingonandshedidn’t likewhatshesaw.Shewanted tobe thecentreofattentionandnobody was taking the slightest notice of her. George and Mr Kranky wererunningroundandgettingexcitedabouttheenormousanimals.MrsKrankywaswashingupinthekitchen,andGrandmawasallaloneontherooftop.

‘Heyyou!’sheyelled.‘George!Getmeacupofteathisminute,youidlelittlebeast!’‘Don’tlistentotheoldgoat,’MrKrankysaid.‘She’sstuckwheresheisandagoodthing,too.’‘Butwecan’tleaveherupthere,Dad,’Georgesaid.‘Whatifitrains?’‘George!’Grandmayelled. ‘Oh,youhorrible little boy!Youdisgusting

littleworm!Fetchmeacupofteaatonceandasliceofcurrantcake!’‘We’llhavetogetherout,Dad,’Georgesaid.‘Shewon’tgiveusanypeaceifwedon’t.’MrsKrankycameoutsideand sheagreedwithGeorge. ‘She’smyown

mother,’shesaid.‘She’sapainintheneck,’MrKrankysaid.

‘Idon’tcare,’MrsKrankysaid.‘I’mnotleavingmyownmotherstickingupthroughtherooffortherestofherlife.’So in the end, Mr Kranky telephoned the Crane Company and asked

themtosendtheirbiggestcraneouttothehouseatonce.The crane arrivedonehour later. Itwasonwheels and therewere two

meninsideit.ThecranemenclimbedupontotheroofandputropesunderGrandma’sarms.Thenshewasliftedrightupthroughtheroof…

Inaway,themedicinehaddoneGrandmagood.Ithadnotmadeheranylessgrumpyorbad-tempered,butitseemedtohavecuredallherachesandpains,andshewassuddenlyasfriskyasaferret.Assoonasthecranehadloweredhertotheground,sheranovertoGeorge’shugepony,JackFrost,andjumpedontohisback.Thisancientoldhag,whowasnowastallasahouse, then galloped about the farm on the gigantic pony, jumping overtreesandshedsandshouting,‘Outofmyway!Clearthedecks!Standback,all you miserable midgets or I’ll trample you to death!’ and other sillythingslikethat.ButbecauseGrandmawasnowmuchtootalltogetbackintothehouse,

shehadtosleepthatnightinthehay-barnwiththemiceandtherats.

MrKranky’sGreatIdea

The next day, George’s father came down to breakfast in a state of greaterexcitementthanever.‘I’vebeenawakeallnightthinkingaboutit!’hecried.

‘Aboutwhat,Dad?’Georgeaskedhim.‘About your marvellous medicine, of course! We can’t stop now, my

boy!Wemuststartmakingmoreofitatonce!Moreandmoreandmore!’Thegiantsaucepanhadbeencompletelyemptiedthedaybeforebecause

therehadbeensomanysheepandpigsandcowsandbullockstobedosed.‘Butwhy dowe needmore,Dad?’George asked. ‘We’ve done all our

own animals and we’ve made Grandma feel as frisky as a ferret eventhoughshedoeshavetosleepinthebarn.’‘Mydearboy’criedMrKillyKranky,‘weneedbarrelsandbarrelsofit!

Tonsandtons!Thenwewillsellittoeveryfarmerintheworldsothatallof them can have giant animals! We will build a Marvellous MedicineFactoryandsellthestuffinbottlesatfivepoundsatime.Wewillbecomerichandyouwillbecomefamous!’‘Butwaitaminute,Dad,’Georgesaid.‘There’snowaiting!’criedMrKranky,workinghimselfupsomuchthat

he put butter in his coffee andmilk on his toast. ‘Don’t you understandwhat this tremendous invention of yours is going to do to the world!Nobodywillevergohungryagain!’‘Whywon’tthey?’askedGeorge.‘Becauseonegiantcowwillgivefiftybucketsofmilkaday!’criedMr

Kranky, waving his arms. ‘One giant chicken will make a hundred friedchickendinners,andonegiantpigwillgiveyouathousandporkchops!It’stremendous,mydearboy!It’sfantastic!It’llchangetheworld.’‘Butwaitaminute,Dad,’Georgesaidagain.

‘Don’t keep sayingwait aminute!’ shoutedMrKranky. ‘There isn’t aminutetowait!Wemustgetcrackingatonce!’‘Do calm down,my dear,’MrsKranky said from the other end of the

table.‘Andstopputtingmarmaladeonyourcornflakes.’‘The heckwithmy cornflakes!’ criedMrKranky, leaping up from his

chair.‘Comeon,George!Let’sgetgoing!Andthefirstthingwe’lldoistomakeonemoresaucepanfulasatester.’‘ButDad,’saidlittleGeorge.‘Thetroubleis…’‘Therewon’tbeanytrouble,myboy!’criedMrKranky.‘Howcanthere

possiblybeanytrouble?Allyou’vegottodoisputthesamestuffintothesaucepanasyoudidyesterday.Andwhileyou’redoingit,I’llwritedowneachandeveryitem.That’showwe’llgetthemagicrecipe!’‘ButDad,’Georgesaid.‘Pleaselistentome.’‘Whydon’tyoulistentohim?’MrsKrankysaid.‘Theboy’stryingtotell

yousomething.’ButMrKrankywastooexcitedtolistentoanyoneexcepthimself.‘And

then,’hecried,‘whenthenewmixtureisready,we’lltestitoutonanoldhenjusttomakeabsolutelysurewe’vegotitright,andafterthatwe’llallshouthoorayandbuildthegiantfactory!’‘ButDad…’‘Comeonthen,whatisityouwanttosay?’‘I can’t possibly remember all the hundreds of things I put into the

saucepantomakethemedicine,’Georgesaid.‘Ofcourseyoucan,mydearboy,’criedMrKranky. ‘I’llhelpyou! I’ll

jogyourmemory!You’llgetitintheend,youseeifyoudon’t!Nowthen,whatwastheveryfirstthingyouputin?’‘Iwentuptothebathroomfirst,’Georgesaid.‘Iusedalotof thingsin

thebathroomandonMummy’sdressing-table.’‘Comeon,then!’criedMrKillyKranky.‘Upwegotothebathroom!’

Whentheygot there, theyfound,ofcourse,awhole lotofemptytubesandemptyaerosolsandemptybottles.‘That’sgreat,’saidMrKranky.‘Thattellsusexactlywhatyouused.Ifanythingisempty,itmeansyouusedit.’SoMrKrankystartedmakingalistofeverythingthatwasemptyinthe

bathroom. Then they went to Mrs Kranky’s dressing-table. ‘A box ofpowder,’ said Mr Kranky, writing it down. ‘Helga’s hairset. Flowers ofTurnipsperfume.Terrific.Thisisgoingtobeeasy.Wheredidyougonext?’‘To the laundry-room,’ George said. ‘But are you sure you haven’t

missedanythingoutuphere,Dad?’

‘That’suptoyou,myboy,’MrKrankysaid.‘HaveI?’‘Idon’t thinkso,’Georgesaid.Sodowntheywenttothelaundry-room

andonceagainMrKrankywrotedownthenamesofalltheemptybottlesandcans.‘Mygoodnessme,whatamassofstuffyouused!’hecried.‘Nowonderitdidmagicthings!Isthatthelot?’‘No, Dad, it’s not,’ George said, and he led his father out to the shed

wheretheanimalmedicineswerekeptandshowedhimthefivebigemptybottlesupontheshelf.MrKrankywrotedownalltheirnames.‘Anythingelse?’MrKrankyasked.LittleGeorgescratchedhisheadandthoughtandthoughtbuthecouldn’t

rememberhavingputanythingelsein.MrKillyKranky leapt into his car and drove down to the village and

bought newbottles and tubes and cans of everything on his list.He thenwenttothevetandgotafreshsupplyofall theanimalmedicinesGeorgehadused.‘Nowshowmehowyoudidit,George,’hesaid.‘Comealong.Showme

exactlyhowyoumixedthemalltogether.’

MarvellousMedicineNumberTwo

Theywere in thekitchennowand thebig saucepanwason the stove.All thethingsMrKrankyhadboughtwerelinedupnearthesink.

‘Comealong,myboy!’criedMrKillyKranky.‘Whichonedidyouputinfirst?’‘Thisone,’Georgesaid.‘GoldenGlossHairShampoo.’Heemptiedthe

bottleintothepan.‘Nowthetoothpaste,’Georgewenton…‘Andtheshavingsoap…andthe

facecream…andthenailvarnish…’‘Keepatit,myboy!’criedMrKranky,dancingroundthekitchen.‘Keep

puttingthemin!Don’tstop!Don’tpause!Don’thesitate!It’sapleasure,mydearfellow,towatchyouwork!’Onebyone,Georgepouredandsqueezed the things into the saucepan.

Witheverythingsocloseathand,thewholejobdidn’ttakehimmorethantenminutes.Butwhenitwasalldone,thesaucepandidn’tsomehowseemtobequiteasfullasithadbeenthefirsttime.‘Nowwhatdidyoudo?’criedMrKranky.‘Didyoustirit?’‘Iboiledit,’Georgesaid.‘Butnotforlong.AndIstirreditaswell.’So Mr Kranky lit the gas under the saucepan and George stirred the

mixture with the same long wooden spoon he had used before. ‘It’s notbrownenough,’Georgesaid.‘Waitaminute!IknowwhatI’veforgotten!’‘What?’ criedMrKranky. ‘Tellme, quick!Because ifwe’ve forgotten

evenonetinything,thenitwon’twork!Atleastnotinthesameway’‘Aquartofbrownglosspaint,’Georgesaid.‘That’swhatI’veforgotten.’MrKillyKrankyshotoutofthehouseandintohiscarlikearocket.He

speddown to thevillageandbought thepaintand rushedbackagain.HeopenedthecaninthekitchenandhandedittoGeorge.Georgepouredthepaintintothesaucepan.‘Ah-ha,that’sbetter,’Georgesaid.‘That’smoreliketherightcolour.’‘It’sboiling!’criedMrKranky.‘It’sboilingandbubbling,George!Is it

readyyet?’‘It’sready’Georgesaid.AtleastIhopeitis.’‘Right!’ shouted Mr Kranky, hopping about. ‘Let’s test it! Let’s give

sometoachicken!’‘Myheavensalive,whydon’tyoucalmdownabit?’MrsKrankysaid,

comingintothekitchen.‘Calmdown?’criedMrKranky.‘Youexpectmetocalmdownandhere

wearemixingupthegreatestmedicineeverdiscoveredinthehistoryoftheworld!Come along,George!Dip a cupful out of the saucepan and get aspoon and we’ll give some to a chicken just to make absolutely certainwe’vegotthecorrectmixture.’Outside in theyard, therewereseveralchickens thathadn’thadanyof

George’sMarvellousMedicineNumberOne.Theywerepeckingabout inthedirtinthatsillywaychickensdo.Georgecroucheddown,holdingoutaspoonfulofMarvellousMedicine

Number Two. ‘Come on, chicken,’ he said. ‘Good chicken. Chick-chick-chick.’

AwhitechickenwithblackspecksonitsfeatherslookedupatGeorge.Itwalkedovertothespoonandwentpeck.TheeffectthatMedicineNumberTwohadonthischickenwasnotquite

thesameastheeffectproducedbyMedicineNumberOne,butitwasveryinteresting.‘Whooosh!’shriekedthechickenanditshotsixfeetupintheairand came down again. Then sparks came flying out of its beak, brightyellow sparks of fire, as though someone was sharpening a knife on agrindstone inside its tummy.Then its legsbegan togrow longer. Itsbodystayedthesamesizebutthetwothinyellowlegsgotlongerandlongerandlonger…andlongerstill…‘What’shappeningtoit?’criedMrKillyKranky.‘Something’swrong,’Georgesaid.Thelegswentongrowingandthemoretheygrew,thehigherupintothe

airwent the chicken’s body.When the legswere about fifteen feet long,they stopped growing. The chicken looked perfectly absurdwith its longlonglegsanditsordinarylittlebodyperchedhighupontop.Itwaslikeachickenonstilts.

‘Ohmysaintedaunts!’criedMrKillyKranky.‘We’vegotitwrong!Thischicken’snogoodtoanybody!It’salllegs!Noonewantschickens’legs!’‘Imusthaveleftsomethingout,’Georgesaid.

‘I know you left something out!’ criedMrKranky. ‘Think, boy, think!Whatwasityouleftout?’‘I’vegotit!’saidGeorge.‘Whatwasit,quick?’‘Fleapowderfordogs,’Georgesaid.‘Youmeanyouputfleapowderinthefirstone?’‘Yes,Dad,Idid.Awholecartonofit.’‘Thenthat’stheanswer!’‘Wait aminute,’ saidGeorge. ‘Didwe have brown shoe-polish on our

list?’‘Wedidnot,’saidMrKranky.‘Iusedthat,too,’saidGeorge.

‘Well, no wonder it went wrong,’ said Mr Kranky. He was alreadyrunning to his car, and soon he was heading down to the village to buymorefleapowderandmoreshoe-polish.

MarvellousMedicineNumberThree

‘Hereitis!’criedMrKillyKranky,rushingintothekitchen.‘Onecartonoffleapowderfordogsandonetinofbrownshoe-polish!’

Georgepouredthefleapowderintothegiantsaucepan.Thenhescoopedtheshoe-polishoutofitstinandaddedthataswell.‘Stiritup,George!’shoutedMrKranky.‘Giveitanotherboil!We’vegot

itthistime!I’llbetwe’vegotit!’AfterMarvellousMedicineNumberThreehadbeenboiled and stirred,

Georgetookacupfulofitoutintotheyardtotryitonanotherchicken.MrKranky ran after him, flapping his arms and hopping with excitement.‘Comeandwatchthisone!’hecalledouttoMrsKranky.‘Comeandwatchusturninganordinarychickenintoalovelygreatbigonethatlayseggsaslargeasfootballs!’‘Ihopeyoudobetter than last time,’ saidMrsKranky, following them

out.‘Come on, chicken,’ said George, holding out a spoonful ofMedicine

NumberThree.‘Goodchicken.Chick-chick-chick-chick-chick.Havesomeofthislovelymedicine.’Amagnificent black cockerelwith a scarlet comb came stepping over.

Thecockerellookedatthespoonanditwentpeck.‘Cock-a-doodle-do!’squawkedthecockerel,shootingupintotheairand

comingdownagain.‘Watchhimnow!’criedMrKranky.‘Watchhimgrow!Anymomenthe’s

goingtostartgettingbiggerandbigger!’MrKillyKranky,MrsKrankyandlittleGeorgestoodintheyardstaring

at theblackcockerel.Thecockerelstoodquitestill. It lookedasthoughithadaheadache.

‘What’shappeningtoitsneck?’MrsKrankysaid.

‘It’sgettinglonger,’Georgesaid.‘I’llsayit’sgettinglonger,’MrsKrankysaid.MrKranky,foronce,saidnothing.‘Lasttimeitwasthelegs,’MrsKrankysaid.

‘Nowit’stheneck.Whowantsachickenwithalongneck?Youcan’teatachicken’sneck.’Itwas an extraordinary sight.The cockerel’s bodyhadn’t grownat all.

Buttheneckwasnowaboutsixfeetlong.

‘Allright,George,’MrKrankysaid.‘Whatelsehaveyouforgotten?’‘Idon’tknow,’Georgesaid.‘Oh yes you do,’ Mr Kranky said. ‘Come along, boy, think. There’s

probablyjustonevitalthingmissingandyou’vegottorememberit.’‘Iput insomeengineoil fromthegarage,’Georgesaid. ‘Didyouhave

thatonyourlist?’‘Eureka!’criedMrKranky. ‘That’s theanswer!Howmuchdidyouput

in?’‘Halfapint,’Georgesaid.MrKranky ran to the garage and found another half-pint of oil. ‘And

someantifreeze,’Georgecalledafterhim.‘Isloshedinabitofantifreeze.’

MarvellousMedicineNumberFour

Back in the kitchen once again, George, with Mr Kranky watching himanxiously, tipped half a pint of engine oil and some antifreeze into the giantsaucepan.

‘Boilitupagain!’criedMrKranky.‘Boilitandstirit!’Georgeboileditandstirredit.‘You’llnevergetitright,’saidMrsKranky.‘Don’tforgetyoudon’tjust

have to have the same things but you’ve got to have exactly the sameamountsofthosethings.Andhowcanyoupossiblydothat?’‘Youkeepoutofthis!’criedMrKranky.‘We’redoingfine!We’vegotit

thistime,youseeifwehaven’t!’ThiswasGeorge’sMarvellousMedicineNumberFour,andwhenithad

boiledforacoupleofminutes,Georgeonceagaincarriedacupfulofitoutintotheyard.MrKrankyranafterhim.MrsKrankyfollowedmoreslowly.‘You’regoing tohavesomemightyqueerchickensaroundhere ifyougoonlikethis,’shesaid.‘Dishitout,George!’criedMrKranky.‘Giveaspoonfultothatoneover

there!’Hepointedtoabrownhen.Georgekneltdownandheldoutthespoonwiththenewmedicineinit.

‘Chick-chick,’hesaid.‘Trysomeofthis.’Thebrownhenwalkedoverandlookedatthespoon.Thenitwentpeck.‘Owch!’itsaid.Thenafunnywhistlingnoisecameoutofitsbeak.‘Watchitgrow!’shoutedMrKranky.‘Don’tbetoosure,’saidMrsKranky.‘Whyisitwhistlinglikethat?’

‘Keepquiet,woman!’criedMrKranky.‘Giveitachance!’Theystoodtherestaringatthebrownhen.‘It’sgettingsmaller,’Georgesaid.‘Lookatit,Dad.It’sshrinking.’Andindeeditwas.Inlessthanaminute,thehenhadshrunksomuchit

wasnobiggerthananew-hatchedchick.Itlookedridiculous.

GoodbyeGrandma

‘There’sstillsomethingyou’veleftout,’MrKrankysaid.‘Ican’tthinkwhatitcouldbe,’Georgesaid.‘Giveitup,’MrsKrankysaid.‘Packitin.You’llnevergetitright.’MrKrankylookedveryforlorn.George looked pretty fed up, too.Hewas still kneeling on the ground

with thespooninonehandandthecupfullofmedicinein theother.Theridiculoustinybrownhenwaswalkingslowlyaway.Atthatpoint,Grandmacamestridingintotheyard.Fromherenormous

height, she glared down at the three people below her and she shouted,‘What’sgoingonaroundhere?Whyhasn’tanyonebroughtmemymorningcupof tea? It’s bad enoughhaving to sleep in the yardwith the rats andmicebutI’llbeblowedifI’mgoingtostarveaswell!Notea!Noeggsandbacon!Nobutteredtoast!’‘I’msorry,Mother,’MrsKrankysaid.‘We’vebeenterriblybusy.I’llget

yousomethingrightaway.’‘LetGeorgegetit,thelazylittlebrute!’Grandmashouted.

Just then, the old woman spotted the cup in George’s hand. She bentdownandpeeredintoit.Shesawthatitwasfullofbrownliquid.Itlookedverymuchliketea.‘Ho-ho!’shecried.‘Ha-ha!Sothat’syourlittlegame,isit!Youlookafteryourselfallright,don’tyou!Youmakequitesureyou’vegot a nice cupofmorning tea!Butyoudidn’t think tobringone toyourpooroldGrandma!Ialwaysknewyouwereaselfishpig!’‘No,Grandma,’Georgesaid.‘Thisisn’t…’‘Don’t lie tome, boy!’ the enormousoldhag shouted. ‘Pass it uphere

thisminute!’‘No!’criedMrsKranky.‘No,Mother,don’t!That’snotforyou!’‘Now you’re against me, too!’ shouted Grandma. ‘My own daughter

tryingtostopmehavingmybreakfast!Tryingtostarvemeout!’MrKrankylookedupatthehorridoldwomanandhesmiledsweetly.‘Of

course it’s foryou,Grandma,’hesaid. ‘You take itanddrink itwhile it’sniceandhot.’‘Don’tthinkIwon’t,’Grandmasaid,bendingdownfromhergreatheight

andreachingoutahugehornyhandforthecup.‘Handitover,George.’

‘No, no, Grandma!’ George cried out, pulling the cup away. ‘Youmustn’t!You’renottohaveit!’‘Giveittome,boy!’yelledGrandma.‘Don’t!’criedMrsKranky.‘That’sGeorge’sMarvellous…’

‘Everything’s George’s round here!’ shouted Grandma. ‘George’s this,George’sthat!I’mfed

upwithit!’ShesnatchedthecupoutoflittleGeorge’shandandcarriedithighupoutofreach.‘Drinkitup,Grandma,’MrKrankysaid,grinninghugely.‘Lovelytea.’‘No!’theothertwocried.‘No,no,no!’Butitwastoolate.Theancientbeanpolehadalreadyputthecuptoher

lips,andinonegulpsheswallowedeverythingthatwasinit.

‘Mother!’wailedMrsKranky.‘You’vejustdrunkfiftydosesofGeorge’sMarvellousMedicineNumberFourandlookwhatonetinyspoonfuldidtothatlittleoldbrownhen!’ButGrandmadidn’t evenhearher.Great cloudsof steamwerealready

pouringoutofhermouthandshewasbeginningtowhistle.‘Thisisgoingtobeinteresting,’MrKrankysaid,stillgrinning.‘Nowyou’vedoneit!’criedMrsKranky,glaringatherhusband.‘You’ve

cookedtheoldgirl’sgoose!’‘Ididn’tdoanything,’MrKrankysaid.‘Ohyesyoudid!Youtoldhertodrinkit!’Atremendoushissingsoundwascomingfromabovetheirheads.Steam

wasshootingoutofGrandma’smouthandnoseandearsandwhistlingasitcame.

‘She’llfeelbetteraftershe’sletoffabitofsteam,’MrKrankysaid.‘She’s going to blow up!’ Mrs Kranky wailed. ‘Her boiler’s going to

burst!’‘Standclear,’MrKrankysaid.Georgewasquitealarmed.Hestoodupandranbacka fewpaces.The

jetsofwhitesteamkeptsquirtingoutoftheskinnyoldhag’shead,andthewhistlingwassohighandshrillithurttheears.‘Callthefire-brigade!’criedMrsKranky.‘Callthepolice!Manthehose-

pipes!’‘Toolate,’saidMrKranky,lookingpleased.‘Grandma!’ shriekedMrsKranky. ‘Mother!Run to the drinking-trough

andputyourheadunderthewater!’But even as she spoke, the whistling suddenly stopped and the steam

disappeared.ThatwaswhenGrandmabegantogetsmaller.Shehadstartedoffwithherheadashighastheroofofthehouse,butnowshewascomingdownfast.

‘Watchthis,George!’MrKrankyshouted,hoppingaroundtheyardandflappinghisarms.

‘Watch what happens when someone’s had fifty spoonfuls instead ofone!’Verysoon,Grandmawasbacktonormalheight.‘Stop!’criedMrsKranky.‘That’sjustright.’Butshedidn’tstop.Smallerandsmallershegot…downanddownshe

went.Inanotherhalfminuteshewasnobiggerthanabottleoflemonade.

‘Howd’youfeel,Mother?’askedMrsKrankyanxiously.Grandma’stinyfacestillborethesamefoulandfuriousexpressionithad

alwayshad.Hereyes,nobiggernowthanlittlekeyholes,wereblazingwithanger.‘HowdoIfeel?’sheyelled.‘Howd’youthinkIfeel?Howwouldyoufeel if you’d been a glorious giant a minute ago and suddenly you’re amiserablemidget?’‘She’s still going!’ shouted Mr Kranky gleefully. ‘She’s still getting

smaller!’Andbygolly,shewas.

Whenshewasnobigger thanacigarette,MrsKrankymadeagrab forher. She held her in her hands and she cried, ‘Howdo I stop her gettingsmallerstill?’‘Youcan’t,’saidMrKranky.‘She’shadfiftytimestherightamount.’‘Imuststopher!’MrsKrankywailed.‘Icanhardlyseeherasitis!’‘Catchholdofeachendandpull,’MrKrankysaid.Bythen,Grandmawasthesizeofamatch-stickandstillshrinkingfast.

Amomentlater,shewasnobiggerthanapin…

Thenapumpkinseed…

Then…

Then…

‘Whereisshe?’criedMrsKranky.‘I’velosther!’‘Hooray,’saidMrKranky.‘She’sgone!She’sdisappearedcompletely!’criedMrsKranky.‘That’swhat happens to you if you’re grumpy andbad-tempered,’ said

MrKranky.‘Greatmedicineofyours,George.’Georgedidn’tknowwhattothink.For a fewminutes,Mrs Kranky kept wandering roundwith a puzzled

look on her face, saying, ‘Mother, where are you?Where’ve you gone?Where’ve you got to?How can I find you?’ But she calmed down quitequickly.Andbylunchtime,shewassaying,‘Ahwell,Isupposeit’sallforthebest,really.Shewasabitofanuisancearoundthehouse,wasn’tshe?’

‘Yes,’MrKrankysaid.‘Shemostcertainlywas.’George didn’t say a word. He felt quite trembly. He knew something

tremendoushadtakenplacethatmorning.Forafewbriefmomentshehadtouchedwiththeverytipsofhisfingerstheedgeofamagicworld.

TableofContentsCoverIntroductionTitlePageCopyrightPageContentsWarningtoreadersGeorge’sMarvellousMedicine

GrandmaTheMarvellousPlanGeorgeBeginstoMaketheMedicineAnimalPillsTheCook-upBrownPaintGrandmaGetstheMedicineTheBrownHenThePig,theBullocks,theSheep,thePonyandtheNanny-goatACraneforGrandmaMrKranky’sGreatIdeaMarvellousMedicineNumberTwoMarvellousMedicineNumberThreeMarvellousMedicineNumberFourGoodbyeGrandma