"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 10 - Five On a Hike Together" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Chapter One

A LETTER FROM JULIAN

СAnne!Т shouted George, running after her cousin as she went along to her classroom. СAnne! IТve just been down to the letterboard and thereТs a letter from your brother Julian, IТve brought it for you.Т
Anne stopped. СOh thanks,Т she said. СWhat can Julian want? He only wrote a few days ago - itТs most extraordinary for him to write again so soon. It must be something important.Т
СWell, open it and see,Т said George. СHurry up - IТve got a maths class to go to.Т
Anne ripped open the envelope. She pulled out a sheet of notepaper and read it quickly. She looked up at George, her eyes shining.
СGeorge! Julian and Dick have got a few days off at our half-term week-end! SomebodyТs won a wonderful scholarship or something, and the boys have got two days tacked on to a week-end to celebrate! They want us to join them in a hike, and all go off together.Т
СWhat a glorious idea!Т said George, СGood old Julian. I bet he thought of that. LetТs read the letter, Anne.Т
But before she could read it a mistress came along. СGeorgina! You should be in class - and you too, Anne.Т
George scowled. She hated to be called by her full name. She went off without a word. Anne tucked the letter into her pocket and rushed off joyfully. Half-term with her brothers, Julian and Dick - and with George and Timmy the dog. Could anything be better?
She and George talked about it again after morning school. СWe get from Friday morning till Tuesday,Т said George. СThe boys are getting the same. What luck! They donТt usually have a half-term in the winter term.Т
СThey canТt go home because the painters are in our house,Т said Anne. СThatТs why I was going home with you, of course. But IТm sure your mother wonТt mind if we go off with the boys. Your father never likes us in the middle of the term.Т
СNo, he doesnТt,Т said George, СHeТs always deep in the middle of some wonderful idea, and he hates to be disturbed. It will suit everyone if we go off on a hike.Т
СJulian says he will telephone to us tonight and arrange everything,Т said Anne. СI hope it will be a nice fine week-end. It will still be October, so thereТs a chance of a bit of warm sunshine.Т
СThe woods will be beautiful,Т said George. СAnd wonТt Timmy enjoy himself, LetТs go and tell him the news.Т
The boarding-school that the two girls were at was one that allowed the children to bring their own pets to school, There were kennels down in the yard for various dogs, and Timmy lived there during term-time. The two girls went to get him.
He heard their footsteps at once and began to bark excitedly. He scraped at the gate of the kennel yard, wishing for the thousandth time that he could find out how to open it.
He flung himself on the two girls, licking and pawing and barking.
СSilly dog. Mad dog!Т said George, and thumped his back affectionately. СListen, Tim - weТre going off for the week-end with Julian and Dick! What do you think of that? WeТre going on a hike, so youТll love it. All through the woods and up the hills and goodness knows where!Т
Timmy seemed to understand every word. He cocked up his ears, put his head on one side and listened intently while George was speaking,
СWoof,Т he said, at the end, as if he approved thoroughly. Then off he went with the girls for his walk, his plumy tail wagging happily. He didnТt like term-time nearly as much as the holidays - but he was quite prepared to put up with kennel life so long as he could be near his beloved George.
Julian rang up that night as he had promised. He had got everything planned already. Anne listened, thrilled.
'It sounds super,Т she said. СYes - we can meet where you say, and weТll be there as near as we can on time. Anyway, we can wait about if you others arenТt there. Yes - weТll bring the things you say. Oh Julian, wonТt it be fun?Т
'WhatТs he say?Т asked George impatiently when at last Anne put the receiver down. СYou might have let me have a word with Julian. I wanted to tell him all about Timmy.Т
СHe doesnТt want to waste an expensive telephone call listening to you raving about Timmy,Т said Anne. СHe asked how he was and I said УfineФ, and thatТs all he wanted to know about Tim. HeТs made all the arrangements. IТll tell you what they are.Т
The girls went off to a corner of their common-room and sat down. Timmy was there too. He was allowed in at certain times, and so were three other dogs belonging to the girls. Each dog behaved well - he knew that if he didnТt he would be taken back to the kennels at once!
СJulian says that he and Dick can get off immediately after breakfast,Т said Anne. СSo can we, so thatТs all right. He says weТve got to take very little with us - just night-things, tooth-brush, hair-brush and flannel and a rolled-up mac. And any biscuits or chocolate we can buy, Have you any money left?Т
СA bit,Т said George. СNot much. Enough to buy a few bars of chocolate, I think. Anyway, youТve got all the biscuits your mother sent last week. We can take some of those.Т
СYes. And the barley sugar one of my aunts sent,Ф said Anne. СBut Julian says weТre not to take much because this is to be a proper hike, and weТll get tired if we have to carry a heavy load. Oh, he said put in two pairs of extra socks.Т
СRight,Т said George, and she patted Timmy who was lying close beside her. СThereТs going to be a long walky-walk, Tim. WonТt you love that!Т
Timmy grunted comfortably. He wondered if there would be any rabbits on the walk. A walk wasnТt really exciting unless there were rabbits all over the place. Timmy thought it was a pity that rabbits were allowed to live down holes. They always disappeared most unfairly just when he had nearly caught one!
Anne and George went to see their house-mistress to tell her that they were not going to Kirrin Cottage after all, but were going walking.
СMy brother says he has written to you,Т said Anne. СSo youТll know all about it tomorrow, Miss Peters. And GeorgeТs mother will be writing too. We can go, canТt we?Т
СOh, yes - it will be a lovely half-term for you!Т said Miss Peters. СEspecially if this sunny weather lasts. Where are you going?Т
СOver the moors,Т said Anne. СIn the very loneliest, most deserted parts that Julian can find! We might see deer and wild ponies and perhaps even a few badgers. We shall walk and walk.Т
СBut where will you sleep if the parts you are going to are so very lonely?Т asked Miss Peters.
СOh Julian is arranging all that,Т said George. СHeТs been looking up little inns and farm-houses on the map, and we shall make for those at night. It will be too cold to sleep out of doors.Т
СIt certainly will!Т said Miss Peters. СWell donТt get into trouble, thatТs all I know what you five are when you get together. I imagine Timmy is going with you too?Т
СOf course!Т said George. СI wouldnТt go if he didnТt go! I couldnТt leave him here alone.Т
The two girls got their things ready as Friday came near. The biscuits were taken out of the tin and put into paper bags. The barley sugar was put into a bag too, and the bars of chocolate.
Both girls had rucksacks with straps for their shoulders. They packed and repacked them several times. One by one more and more things were added. Anne felt she must take a book to read. George said they must each take a torch with a new battery.
СAnd what about biscuits for Timmy?Т she said. СI simply must take something for him. HeТd like a bone too - a big one that he can chew and chew and that I can put back into the bag for another time.Т
СWell, let me carry all the biscuits and chocolate then if youТre going to put a smelly old bone into your bag,Т said Anne. СI donТt see why you want to take anything for Timmy - he can always have something to eat when we do - wherever we have a meal.Т
George decided not to take the bone. She had fetched one from his kennel, and it certainly was big and heavy, and equally certainly it was smelly. She took it back to the kennel again, Timmy following her rather puzzled. Why keep carrying his bone here and there? He didnТt approve at all.
It seemed a long time till Friday, but at last it came. Both girls woke up very early indeed. George was out in the kennels before breakfast, brushing and combing Timmy to make him look spruce and tidy for Julian and Dick. He knew it was the day they were to set off and he was as excited as the two girls.
СWeТd better eat a good breakfast,Т said Anne. СWe might have to wait some time before our next meal. LetТs slip off immediately after breakfast. ItТs lovely to feel free of school and bells and time-tables-but I shanТt feel really free till IТm outside the school grounds!Т
They ate an enormous breakfast though really they were too excited to want much. Then they got their rucksacks, ready-packed the night before, said goodbye to Miss Peters, and went to fetch Timmy.