"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 09 - Five Fall Into Adventure" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Chapter One

AT KIRRIN COTTAGE AGAIN

Georgina was at the station to meet her three cousins. Timmy her dog was with her, his long tail wagging eagerly. He knew quite well they had come to meet Julian, Dick and Anne, and he was glad. It was much more fun when the Five were all together.
СHere comes the train, Timmy!Т said George. Nobody called her Georgina, because she wouldnТt answer if they did. She looked like a boy with her short curly hair and her shorts and open-necked shirt. Her face was covered with freckles, and her legs and arms were as brown as a gipsyТs.
There was the far-off rumble of a train, and as it came nearer, a short warning hoot. Timmy whined and wagged his tail. He didnТt like trains, but he wanted this one to come.
Nearer and nearer it came, slowing down as it reached Kirrin station. Long before it came to the little platform three heads appeared out of one of the windows, and three hands waved wildly. George waved back, her face one big smile.
The door swung open almost before the train stopped. Out came a big boy, and helped down a small girl. Then came another boy, not quite so tall as the first one, with a bag in each hand. He dragged a third bag out, and then George and Timmy were on him.
СJulian! Dick! Anne! Your trainТs late; we thought you were never coming!Т
СHallo, George! Here we are at last. Get down, Timmy, donТt eat me.Т
СHallo, George! Oh, Timmy, you darling - youТre just as licky as ever!Т
СWoof,Т said Timmy joyfully, and bounded all round like a mad thing, getting into everybodyТs way.
СAny trunk or anything?Т asked George. СOnly those three bags?Т
СWell, we havenТt come for long this time, worse luck,Т said Dick. СOnly a fortnight! Still, itТs better than nothing.Т
СYou shouldnТt have gone off to France all those six weeks,Т said George, half-jealously. СI suppose youТve gone all French now.Т
Dick laughed, waved his hands in the air and went off into a stream of quick French that sounded just like gibberish to George, French was not one of her strong subjects.
СShut up,Т she said, giving him a friendly shove. СYouТre just the same old idiot. Oh, IТm so glad youТve come. ItТs been lonely and dull at Kirrin without you.Т
A porter came up with a barrow. Dick turned to him, waved his hands again, and addressed the astonished man in fluent French. But the porter knew Dick quite well.
СGo on with you,Т he said. СArgy-bargying in double-Dutch like that. Do you want me to wheel these up to Kirrin Cottage for you?Т
СYes, please,Т said Anne. СStop it, Dick. It isnТt funny when you go on so long.Т
СOh, let him go on,Т said George, and she linked her arms in AnneТs and DickТs. СItТs lovely to have you again. MotherТs looking forward to seeing you all.Т
СI bet Uncle Quentin isnТt,Т said Julian, as they went along the little platform, Timmy capering round them.
СFatherТs in quite a good temper,Т said George. СYou know heТs been to America with Mother, lecturing and hearing other scientists lecturing too. Mother says everyone made a great fuss of him, and he liked it.Т
GeorgeТs father was a brilliant scientist, well-known all over the world. But he was rather a difficult man at home, impatient, hot-tempered and forgetful. The children were fond of him, but held him in great respect. They all heaved a sigh of relief when he went away for a few days, for then they could make as much noise as they liked, tear up and down the stairs, play silly jokes and generally be as mad as they pleased.
СWill Uncle Quentin be at home all the time weТre staying with you?Т asked Anne. She was really rather afraid of her hot-tempered uncle.
СNo,Т said George. СMother and Father are going away for a tour in Spain - so weТll be on our own.Т
СWizard!Т said Dick. СWe can wear our bathing costumes all day long then if we want to.Т
СAnd Timmy can come in at meal-times without being sent out whenever he moves,Т said George. СHeТs been sent out every single meal-time this week, just because he snapped at the flies that came near him. Father goes absolutely mad if Timmy suddenly snaps at a fly.
СShame!Т said Anne, and patted TimmyТs rough-haired back. СYou can snap at every single fly you like, Timmy, when weТre on our own.Т
СWoof,Т said Timmy, gratefully.
СThere wonТt be time for any adventure these hols,Т said Dick, regretfully, as they walked down the lane to Kirrin Cottage. Red poppies danced along the way, and in the distance the sea shone as blue as cornflowers. СOnly two weeks - and back we go to school! Well, letТs hope the weather keeps fine. I want to bathe six times a day!Т
Soon they were all sitting round the tea-table at Kirrin Cottage, and their Aunt Fanny was handing round plates of her nicest scones and tea-cake. She was very pleased to see her nephews and niece again.
СNow George will be happy,Т she said, smiling at the hungry four. СSheТs been going about like a bear with a sore head the last week or two. Have another scone, Dick? Take two while youТre about it.Т
СGood idea,Т said Dick, and helped himself. СNobody makes scones and cakes like you do, Aunt Fanny. WhereТs Uncle Quentin?Т
СIn his study,Т said his aunt. СHe knows itТs tea-time, and heТs heard the bell, but I expect heТs buried in something or other. IТll have to fetch him in a minute. I honestly believe heТd go without food all day long if I didnТt go and drag him into the dining-room!Т
СHere he is,Т said Julian, hearing the familiar impatient footsteps coming down the hall to the dining-room. The door was flung open. Uncle Quentin stood there, a newspaper in his hand, scowling. He didnТt appear to see the children at all.
СLook here, Fanny!Т he shouted. СSee what theyТve put in this paper - the very thing I gave orders was NOT to be put in! The dolts! The idiots! The...Т
СQuentin! WhateverТs the matter?Т said his wife. СLook - here are the children - theyТve just arrived.Т
But Uncle Quentin simply didnТt see any of the four children at all. He went on glaring at the paper. He rapped at it with his hand.
СNow weТll get the place full of reporters wanting to see me, and wanting to know all about my new ideas!Т he said, beginning to shout. СSee what theyТve said! УThis eminent scientist conducts all his experiments and works out all his ideas at his home, Kirrin Cottage. Here are his stack of notebooks, to which are now added two more - fruits of his visit to America, and here at his cottage are his amazing diagrams,Ф and so on and so on.
СI tell you, Fanny, weТll have hordes of reporters down.Т
СNo, we shanТt, dear,Т said his wife. СAnd, anyway, we are soon off to Spain. Do sit down and have some tea. And look, canТt you say a word to welcome Julian, Dick and Anne?Т
Uncle Quentin grunted and sat down. СI didnТt know they were coming,Т he said, and helped himself to a scone. СYou might have told me, Fanny.Т
СI told you three times yesterday and twice today,Т said his wife.
Anne suddenly squeezed her uncleТs arm. She was sitting next to him. СYouТre just the same as ever, Uncle Quentin,Т she said. СYou never, never remember weТre coming! Shall we go away again?Т
Her uncle looked down at her and smiled. His temper never lasted very long. He grinned at Julian and Dick. СWell, here you are again!Т he said. СDo you think you can hold the fort for me while IТm away with your aunt?Т
СRather!Т said all three together.
СWeТll keep everyone at bay!Т said Julian. СWith TimmyТs help. IТll put up a notice: УBeware, very fierce dogФ.Т