"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 03 - Five Run Away Together" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

the sofa where she was lying down. "How are you all? I'm
sorry I could not come to meet you. Uncle Quentin is out
_for a walk. You had better go upstairs, and wash and
change. Then come down for tea."
The boys went up to their old bedroom, with its queer slanting roof, and its window looking out over the bay. Anne went to the little room she shared with George. How good it was to be back again at Kirrin! What fun they would have these holidays with George and dear old Timmy!
Chapter Two.
THE STICK FAMILY.
IT was lovely to wake up the next morning at Kirrin Cottage and see the sun shining in at the windows, and to hear the far-off plash-plash-plash of the sea. It was gorgeous to leap out of bed and rush to see how blue the sea was, and how lovely Kirrin Island looked at the entrance of the>bay.
"I'm going for a bathe before breakfast," said Julian, and snatched up his bathing trunks. "Coming, Dick?"
"You bet!" said Dick. "Call the girls. We'll all go."
So down they went, the four of them, with Tim galloping behind them, his tail wagging nineteen to the dozen, and his long pink tongue hanging out of his mouth. He went into the water with the others, and swam all round them. They were all good swimmers', but Julian and George were the best.
They put towels round themselves, rubbed their bodies dry and pulled on jeans and jerseys. Then back to breakfast they went, as hungry as hunters. Anne noticed a boy in the back garden and stared in surprise.
"Who's that?" she said.
"Oh, that's Edgar, Mrs. Stick's boy," said George. "I don't like him. He does silly things, like putting out his tongue and calling rude names."
Edgar appeared to be singing when the others went in at the gate. Anne stopped to listen.
"Georgie-Porgie, pudding and pie!" sang Edgar, a silly look on his face. He seemed about thirteen or fourteen, a stupid, yet sly-looking youth. "Georgie-porgie pudding and pie!"
George went red. "He's always singing that," she said, furiously. "Just because I'm called "George", I suppose. He thinks he's clever. I can't bear him."
Julian called out to Edgar. "You shut up! You're not funny, only jolly silly!"
"Georgie-porgie," began Edgar again, a silly smile on his wide red face. Julian made a step towards him, and he at once disappeared into the house.
"Shan't stand much of him," said Julian, in a decided voice. "I wonder you do, George. I wonder you haven't slapped his face, stamped on his foot, bitten his ears off and done a few other things! You used to be so fierce."
"WellЧI am still, really," said George. "I feel frightfully fierce down inside me when I hear Edgar singing silly songs at me like that and calling out namesЧbut you see, Mother really hasn't been well, and I know jolly well if I go for Edgar, Mrs. Stick will leave, and poor old Mother would have to do all the work, and she really isn't fit to at present. So I just hold myself in, and hope that Timmy will do the same."
"Good for you, old thing!" said Julian, admiringly, for he knew how hard it was for George to keep her temper at times.
"I think I'll just go up to Mother's room and see if she'd like breakfast in bed," said George.
"Hang on to old Timmy a moment, will you? If Edgar appears again, he might go for him."
Julian hung on to Timmy's collar. Timmy had growled when Edgar had been in the garden, now he stood stock still, his nose twitching as if he were trying to trace some smell.
Suddenly a mangy-looking dog appeared out of the kitchen door. It had a dirty white coat, out of which patches seemed to have been bitten, and its tail was well between its legs.
"Wooooof!" said Timmy, joyfully, and leapt at the dog. He pulled Julian over, for he was a big dog, and the boy let go his hold of the dog's collar. Timmy pounced excitedly on the other dog, who gave a fearful whine and tried to go into the kitchen door again.
"Timmy! Come here, sir!" yelled Julian. But Timmy didn't hear. He was busy trying to snap off the other dog's earsЧor at least, that is what he appeared to be doing. The other dog yelled for help, and Mrs. Stick appeared at the kitchen door, a saucepan in her hand.
"Call off that dog!" she screeched. She hit out at Timmy with the saucepan, but he dodged and it hit her own dog instead, making it yelp all the more.
"Don't hit out with that!" said Julian. "You'll hurt the dogs. Hi, Timmy, TIMMY!"
Edgar now appeared, looking very scared. He picked up a stone and seemed to be watching his chance to hurl it at Timmy. Anne shrieked.
"You're not to throw that stone; you're not to! You bad wicked boy!"
In the middle of all this turmoil Uncle Quentin appeared, looking angry and irritable.
"Good heavens! What is all this going on? I never heard such a row in my life."
Then George appeared, flying out of the door like the wind, to rescue her beloved Timothy. She rushed to the two dogs and tried to pull Timmy away. Her father yelled at her.
"Come away, you little idiot! Don't you know better than to separate two fighting dogs with your bare hands? Where's the garden hose?"
It was fixed to a tap nearby. Julian ran to it and turned on the tap. He picked up the hose and turned it on the two dogs. At once the jet of water spurted out at them, and they leapt apart in surprise. Julian saw Edgar standing near, and couldn't resist swinging the hose a little so that the boy was soaked. He gave a scream and ran in at once. .
"What did you do that for?" said Uncle Quentin, annoyed. "George, tie Timothy up at once. Mrs. Stick didn't I tell you not to let your dog out of the kitchen unless .you had him on a lead? I won't have this kind of thing happening. Where's the breakfast? Late as usual!"
Mrs. Stick disappeared into the kitchen, muttering and grumbling, taking her drenched dog with her. George, looking sulky, tied Timothy up. He lay down in his kennel, looking beseechingly at his mistress.
"I've told you not to take any notice of that mangy-looking dog," said George, severely. "Now you see what happens! You put Father into a bad temper for the rest of the day, and Mrs. Stick will be so angry she won't make any cakes for tea!"
Timmy gave a whine, and put his head down on his paws. He licked a few hairs from the corner of his mouth. It was sad to be tied upЧbut anyhow he had bitten
a bit off the tip of one of that dreadful dog's ears!
They all went in to breakfast. "Sorry I let Timmy go," said Julian to George. "But he nearly tore my arm off. I couldn't possibly hold him! He's grown into an awfully powerful dog, hasn't he?"
"Yes," said George, proudly. "He has. He could eat Mrs. Stick's dog up in a mouthful if we'd let him. And Edgar too."
"And Mrs. Stick," said Anne. "All .of them. I don't like any of them."
Breakfast was rather a subdued meal, as Aunt Fanny was not there, but Uncle Quentin wasЧand Uncle Quentin in a bad temper was not a very cheerful person to have at the breakfast-table. He snapped at George and glared at the others. Anne almost wished they hadn't come to Kirrin Cottage! But her spirits rose when she thought of the rest of the dayЧthey would take their dinner out, perhaps, and have it on the beachЧor maybe even go out to Kirrin Island. Uncle Quentin wouldn't be with them to spoil things.
Mrs. Stick appeared to take away the porridge plates and bring in the bacon. She banged the plates down on the table.
"No need to do that," said Uncle Quentin, irritably. Mrs. Stick said nothing. She was scared of Uncle Quentin, and no wonder! She put the next lot of plates down quietly.
"What are. you going to do today?" asked Uncle Quentin, towards the end of breakfast. He was feeling a little better by that time, and didn't like to see such subdued faces round him.
"We thought we might go out for a picnic," said George, eagerly. "I asked Mother. She said we might, if Mrs. Stick will make us sandwiches."