The Most Beautiful View in the World... (and other stories)
by Kathleen Nelson Illustrated by Janet King
Blank Screen Publishing
BLANK SCREEN PUBLISHING 3 Blue Anchor Yard London E1 8LR blankscreenbooks.co.uk info@blankscreenbooks.co.uk A Paperback Original Printed in the United Kingdom © Copyright 2013 Text Kathleen Nelson 2013 Illustrations Janet King The rights of Kathleen Nelson and Janet King to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted or saved without written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). ISBN: 978-0-9574715-1-1 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library OTHER CHILDREN’S BOOKS FROM BLANK SCREEN PUBLISHING The Princess in the Purple Tower by Ellie Crowe & Janet King What Will Dr. DooLots do Today? by Jodie Rudge & Keeno Baker Stories I read to my daughter at bedtime by Patris Gordon & Janet King
For David and Roy Nelson and Candida Spencer
The Most Beautiful View in the World... (and other stories)
Contents
:
The Most Beautiful View in the World
8 An Angel with Striped Stockings
28 The Ghost of Greyfriars Bobby
44 The Puppeteer
68
The Most Beautiful View in the World
M
ortimer G. Opulent was the richest man in the world. He was wealthier than any King or Emperor, and his money –
carefully invested by clever bankers – made him richer every day. Even when he sat around doing nothing he was making money. He had made his fortune by being cruel and ruthless, and now he intended to enjoy all the beautiful things in the world around him.
Mortimer  G.  Opulent  became  greedy  for  beauty  the  way  he  had  previously  been  greedy  for  money.  He  surrounded  himself  only  with  people  and  objects  that  were  beautiful.  He  was  a  man  of  exquisite  taste,  and  was  offended  by  anything  that  was  not  perfect.  His  wife  of  the  moment  was  always  young  and  pretty,  and  as  soon  as  she  grew  older,  or  less  perfect  in  DSSHDUDQFH KH ZRXOG GLYRUFH KHU DQG ÂżQG D \RXQJHU more  attractive  woman  to  be  his  wife.  “We  are  told  not  to  judge  by  appearances!â€?  he  would  exclaim.  “What  nonsense!  Appearance  is  all  that  matters!  Appearance  is  everything!â€? He  collected  art  and  sculptures  by  old  masters,  diamonds  and  emeralds  large  as  eggs,  and  priceless  porcelain.  His  many  houses,  with  their  famous  gardens,  were  situated  in  the  world’s  most  spectacular  places.  Above  all  else  Mortimer  G.  Opulent  loved  a  house  with  a  beautiful  view.  As  his  collection  of  treasures  grew  he Â
became  bored  with  objects  and  found  himself  turning  more  and  more  to  the  beauties  of  nature.    He  employed  specially  trained  9LHZÂżQGHUV WR VHHN RXW WKH ZRUOGÂśV PRVW ZRQGHUIXO views.  He  would  sigh  with  greedy  joy  at  each  new  vista  and  buy  a  house  beside  it,  where  he  could  gaze  at  his  surroundings  until  he  grew  restless  again.  +RZHYHU PDJQLÂżFHQW WKH VFHQHU\ ZDV VRRQHU RU later  he  grew  bored.  He  lived  beside  hills  and  valleys,  waterfalls  and  glaciers,  jungles  and  tropical  islands,  DQG GHHS LQ KLV KHDUW KH ZDV GLVVDWLVÂżHG +H ORQJHG WR ÂżQG D SODFH ZKLFK ZRXOG EH VR SHUIHFW WKDW KH ZRXOG never  need  to  move  again:  a  place  he  could  call  home  at  last. “There  must  be  a  place  somewhere,â€?  he  told  the  9LHZÂżQGHUV Âł7KHUH PXVW EH D SODFH ZKLFK KDV the  most  EHDXWLIXO YLHZ LQ WKH ZRUOG , QHHG \RX WR ÂżQG LW IRU PH ´
Âł, WKLQN 6LU ´ EHJDQ RQH RI WKH 9LHZÂż QGHUV WLPLGO\ “I  don’t  employ  you  to  think,  you  imbecile!â€?  he  said.   “I  employ  you  to  ¿ QG!â€? The  thought  of  this  perfect  view  began  to  obsess  0RUWLPHU * 2SXOHQW :KHQ WKH 9LHZÂż QGHUV FDPH to  him  with  pictures  of  yet  another  sandy  beach  with  palm  trees  or  some  glittering  mountain  range,  he  swept  them  away  impatiently. “This  beach,  Sir,  is  the  most  amazing...â€? “I’ve  seen  all  this  before!â€?  he  would  bellow.  “What  am  I  paying  you  for?  I  want  the  very  best  in  the  world!â€? +H VDFNHG KLV Âż UVW WHDP RI 9LHZÂż QGHUV DQG employed  a  more  expert  and  ruthless  bunch  of  men,  ZKR SURPLVHG WR Âż QG KLP ZKDW KH GHVLUHG “I’m  tired  of  all  the  moving  around,â€?  he  told  them.  “Surely  I  pay  enough  for  you  WR Âż QG PH ZKDW , ZDQW WKH PRVW EHDXWLIXO view  in  the  world!â€?
“Of  course,  of  course,  Sir,â€?  soothed  his  new  head  PDQ Âł:H VKDOO ÂżQG \RX WKH PRVW EHDXWLIXO YLHZ LQ WKH whole  world  and  you  will  never...â€? “Then  get  on  with  it!â€?  he  screeched. 6RPH PRQWKV ODWHU WKH KHDG 9LHZÂżQGHU FDPH WR KLP with  news  from  his  secret  sources  that  the  world’s  most  beautiful  view  was  in  Wales. “Wales!  Where  on  earth  is  Wales?â€? A  map  of  the  world  was  produced  and  Wales  was  pointed  out. “Well,  well.  Who’d  have  thought  it?  Great  Britain!  Do  you  have  reliable  information  on  this?â€? “Oh  yes,  SLU ´ VDLG KLV KHDG 9LHZÂżQGHU Âł0\ VRXUFHV DUH TXLWH GHÂżQLWH WKDW ´ “Then  to  Wales  we  shall  all  go  at  once!â€?  interrupted  the  world’s  richest  man.  He  was  also  the  world’s  UXGHVW PDQ IRU KH FRXOG QHYHU OHW DQ\RQH ÂżQLVK D sentence.  He  happened  to  be  in  one  of  his  many Â
American homes at the time, so he ordered the 3UHVLGHQWLDO 6XLWH RQ WKH ¿UVW OX[XU\ OLQHU DFURVV WKH Atlantic. He spent much of the crossing in a state of impatient excitement, pacing up and down the decks, VKRXWLQJ DW HYHU\RQH LQ VLJKW :KHQ WKH VKLS ¿QDOO\ arrived in England, he chartered a stagecoach to take him to Wales. He bellowed at his coachman not to
spare  the  horses,  and  brandished  the  whip  himself  on  VHYHUDO RFFDVLRQV XQWLO ¿QDOO\ WKH\ UHDFKHG WKH ERUGHU between  Wales  and  England. The  problem  was  that  no  one  knew  exactly  where  in  Wales  this  beautiful  view  was.  Mortimer  G.  Opulent  VHW KLV 9LHZ¿QGHUV WR ZRUN ZKLOVW KH WULHG WR WDON WR the  local  people.
“No  one  will  tell  us  anything!â€?  he  wailed,  after  yet  another  day  spent  tramping  around  in  the  rain.  “Their  language  is  quite  impossible,  and  I  can’t  believe  we  ZLOO ÂżQG WKH ZRUOGÂśV PRVW EHDXWLIXO YLHZ KHUH LQ WKLV damp  climate.  “The  trouble  is,  Sir,  that  the  people  won’t  co-Âoperate  ZLWK XV ´ VDLG KLV KHDG 9LHZÂżQGHU Âł,ÂśP VXUH WKDW WKH\ know  where  it  is,  but  they  won’t...â€? “Then  they  shall  be  made  to  tell!â€?  shouted  Mortimer  G.  Opulent.  “Haven’t  you  offered  them  money?â€? “Oh  yes,  Sir,â€?  the  head  man  said.  “They  are  not  rich  people,  yet  they  refuse  our  money,  however  much  we  offer  them.   They  seem...â€? Âł7KH\ VHHP ZKDW H[DFWO\ 'HÂżDQW 6WXEERUQ Stupid!â€? Mortimer  G.  grew  white,  then  red,  then  purple  in  the  face.  He  stamped  his  foot  several  times. “How  dare  they  defy  ME!â€?  he  roared.  At  last  he Â
calmed  down,  and  smiled.  It  was  a  particularly  nasty  smile. “Very  well,â€?  he  said.  “We  shall  make  them  talk.â€? +H FRPPDQGHG KLV 9LHZÂżQGHUV WR EHJLQ NLGQDSSLQJ local  children.  Soon  he  had  brought  terror  and  confusion  to  the  land.  Desperate  parents  offered  to  tell  him  anything  in  return  for  their  children,  and  he  was  GLUHFWHG DOO RYHU :DOHV EXW VWLOO KH FRXOG QRW ÂżQG D YLHZ WKDW VDWLVÂżHG KLP “The  information  is  being  kept  from  me,â€?  he  snarled.   “They  think  they  can  keep  this  view  for  themselves.  I  shall  show  them.  I  have  been  too  lenient  up  until  now.  Kidnapping  children  hasn’t  worked  so  I  am  going  to  try  torturing  them!â€? +LV 9LHZÂżQGHUV ZHUH LQVWUXFWHG WR FDWFK WKH ÂżUVW WZR children  they  came  across  and  bring  them  back,  tied  up  and  blindfolded. ,W VR KDSSHQHG WKDW WKH ÂżUVW WZR FKLOGUHQ WKH\ FDPH
upon  were  a  brother  and  sister  called  Morgan  and  Megan.  Morgan  was  nine  and  little  Megan  was  only  four.  She  was  dragged  screaming  and  sobbing  in  front  of  Mortimer  G.  Opulent. “Shut  the  brat  up!â€?  he  instructed  his  head  man. “Wait,  Sir!â€?  said  the  boy.  “I  shall  calm  my  sister  down.â€?  He  spoke  rapidly  to  the  little  girl  in  Welsh  and  KHU ZDLOV WXUQHG WR VQLIĂ€HV Âł1RZ KRZ FDQ ZH KHOS ´ “I  am  more  inclined  to  think  it’s  your  parents  who  might  be  able  to  help  us  if  they  hear  you  two  screaming  loudly  enough.â€? “We  don’t  have  parents,  Sir,â€?  said  Morgan  politely,  tugging  at  his  blindfold.  “We  live  in  the  cottage  further  down  the  valley  with  our  grandfather,  who  is  our  only  relative.  He  is...â€? “Really?  And  does  your  grandfather  know  the  area  well?  Does  he  know  where  the  best  views  are  round  here?â€?
“No one better, Sir,” said the little boy. “My grandfather knows the hills and sea-cliffs round here better than any man alive. Views are his speciality. He loves a good sea-view, and in particular he knows...” “Lead us to him at once!” commanded Mortimer G. Opulent.
“Certainly,  Sir,  if  you  could  just  take  this  blindfold  off.â€? 7KH 9LHZÂżQGHUV WRRN WKH EOLQGIROGV RII DQG marched  the  children  roughly  ahead  of  them.  Little  Megan  whimpered  and  her  brother  continued  to  talk  soothingly  to  her  in  Welsh. Before  long  they  came  to  a  shabby  looking  cottage.  “Push  the  door  open  and  take  the  brats  inside!â€?  ordered  Mortimer  G.  Opulent. $ IUDLO ROG PDQ VDW E\ DQ HPSW\ ÂżUHSODFH DQG WXUQHG WR them  with  eyes  that  looked  half  blind.  “Please  untie  my  sister,  Sir,â€?  said  Morgan,  “and  my  grandfather  will  tell  you  all  you  want  to  know.  I  can  translate  all  that  my  grand...â€? “Do  as  he  says!â€? 7KH 9LHZÂżQGHUV XQWLHG WKH OLWWOH JLUO DQG VKH UDQ trembling,  into  her  grandfather’s  arms. “Explain  to  your  grandfather  that  we  are  looking  for  the  Best  View  in  the  World,â€?  said  Mortimer  G.  Opulent.  “If Â