“Hi!” called the Mayor. “Go on this moment, or we’ll make you!”
“We can’t!” shouted Peggy. “We’re stuck! A bit of the spire’s come right through the car!”
“Nonsense!” shouted the Mayor, “you can get off perfectly well if you choose. The spire wasn’t built for the likes of you to go trapesing about on. Get off it!”
This is a painting of the Fourth Adventure. Peggy is just telling the Mayor that they’ve stuck. She’s rather afraid the Giant will fall out in a minute, that’s why she’s holding on to his back. You can see by her face she isn’t a bit frightened of the Mayor. This was Mother’s favourite picture. The Mayor was very difficult to draw, but he looked just like that Peggy said. None of the crowd had on red jackets really, but Peggy thought they looked pretty in a picture. You see the Ring, don’t you? Peggy quite forgot about the Giant’s red stockings till the picture was finished!
“We cant, I tell you!” cried Peggy, losing all patience. “Come up and look for yourself! Come on, climb on to the Giant’s boot!” For by this time the Giant had given up trying to hide himself, and was sitting on the car with his legs dangling into space, and looking the picture of misery.
“Stretch your foot down a little more,” said Peggy to him. “There,” as it dangled just above the Mayor’s head, “now jump this instant!”
“I won’t!” said the Mayor, ducking his head as the great boot hovered above it. “I never heard of such proceedings in my life!” He leant over the edge of the roof. “They won’t go on!” he shouted to the crowd below.
“Make ’em!” came in a perfect roar from the Square.
“Come along,” said Peggy coaxingly. (It would be something, she felt, to tell Nurse when she got back that she had had a real live Mayor in her car. Besides, it would be fun for him. But she wasn’t going to use up a wish on it. Peggy had grown very wary by this time.)