Knock Three Times!

"Knock Three Times!" by Marion St. John Webb is a children's fantasy novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers on twins Jack and Molly as they celebrate their ninth birthday, only to find their lives turned upside down when a mysterious package arrives from their Aunt Phoebe. This package, containing a peculiar grey pumpkin pincushion, sets off a series of fantastical events that lead them to a world where adventures await and challenges need to be faced. At the start of the tale, we meet Jack and Molly as they unwrap their birthday gifts. While Jack receives a paint box, Molly is dismayed to find a grey pincushion in the shape of a pumpkin, which is of little value to her. However, things take a strange turn when the pincushion magically expands and rolls away, leading the children on a journey through a doorway in a tree to a fantastical place known as the Possible World. Here, they encounter a range of characters and learn of the malevolent Grey Pumpkin, once contained and feared due to its magical powers, who has returned to cause chaos. The twins are soon drawn into a quest to find the elusive Black Leaf that holds the power to contain the Grey Pumpkin once again. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Marion St John Adcock Webb was an English writer of novels and poetry for children that presaged A. A. Milne, with her character "The Littlest One".