Jane, with her head tied up in Mary Poppins' bandanna handkerchief, was in bed with earache.

"What does it feel like?" Michael wanted to know.

"Like guns going off inside my head," said Jane.

"Cannons?"

"No, pop-guns."

"Oh," said Michael.  And he almost wished he could have earache, too.  It sounded so exciting.

"Shall I tell you a story out of one of the books?" said Michael, going to the bookshelf.

"No.  I just couldn't bear it," said Jane, holding her ear with her hand.

"Well, shall I sit at the window and tell you what is happening outside?"

"Yes, do," said Jane.

So Michael sat all the afternoon on the window seat telling her everything that occurred in the Lane.  And sometimes his accounts were very dull and sometimes very exciting.

"There's Admiral Boom!" he said once.  "He has come out of his gate and is hurrying down the Lane.  Here he comes.  His nose is redder than ever and he's wearing a top hat.  Now he is passing Next Door -"

"Is he saying 'Blast my gizzard!'?" enquired Jane.

"I can't hear.  I expect so.  There's Miss Lark's second housemaid in Miss Lark's garden.  And Robertson Ay is in our garden, sweeping up the leaves and looking at her over the fence.  He is sitting down now, having a rest."

"He has a weak heart," said Jane.

"How do you know?"

"He told me.  He said his doctor said he was to do as little as possible.  And I heard Daddy say if Robertson Ay does what his doctor told him to he'll sack him.  Oh, how it bangs and bangs!" said Jane, clutching her ear again.

"Hulloh!" said Michael excitedly from the window.

"What is it?" cried Jane, sitting up.  "Do tell me."

"A very extraordinary thing.  There's a cow down in the Lane," said Michael, jumping up and down on the window seat.