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

СReally?Т said the policeman, in a sarcastic voice. СMaggie knows as well, does she? Well, you tell Maggie to come along here and tell me too. IТd like to meet Maggie - specially if sheТs a friend of yours.Т
СSheТs not,Т said Dick feeling annoyed. СThat was in the message. I donТt know who Maggie is! How should I? We thought perhaps the police could unravel the meaning. We couldnТt. The fellow gave me this bit of paper too.Т
He handed the piece of dirty paper to the policeman, who looked at it with a crooked smile СSo he gave you this too, did he?Т he said. СNow wasnТt that kind of him? And what do you suppose all this is, scribbled on the paper?Т
СWe donТt know,Т said Dick. СBut we thought our report might help the police to catch the prisoner, thatТs all.Т
СThe prisonerТs caught,Т said the policeman, with a smirk on his face. СYou know so much - but you didnТt know that! Yes, heТs caught - four hours ago - and heТs safe back in prison now And let me tell you youngsters this - IТm not taken in by any silly schoolboy spoofing, see?Т
СItТs not spoofing,Т said Julian, in a very grown-up manner, СYou should learn to see the difference between the truth and a joke.Т
That didnТt please the policeman at all. He turned on Julian at once, his face reddening
СNow you run away!Т he said. СIТm not having any cheek from you! Do you want me to take your names and addresses and report you?Т
СIf you like,Т said Julian, in disgust. СHave you got a notebook there? IТll give you all our names, and I myself will make a report to the police in our district when I get back.Т
The policeman stared at him. He couldnТt help being impressed by JulianТs manner, and he calmed down a little.
СYou go away, all of you,Т he said, his voice not nearly so fierce. СI shanТt report you this time. But donТt you go spreading silly stories like that or youТll get into trouble. Serious trouble too.Т
СI donТt think so,Т said Julian. СAnyway, seeing that you are not going to do anything about our story, may we have back our bit of paper, please?Т
The policeman frowned. He made as if he would tear the paper up, but Dick snatched at it. He was too late. The aggravating policeman had torn it into four pieces and thrown it into the road!
СDonТt you have laws against scattering litter in your village?Т asked Dick, severely, and carefully picked up the four pieces of paper. The policeman glared at Dick as he put the bits into his pocket. Then he made a peculiar snorting noise, turned on his heel and marched back to his sausages and onions.
СAnd I hope his dinnerТs gone cold!Т said George. СHorrid fellow! Why should he think weТre telling a lot of untruths?Т
СIt is rather a queer story of ours,Т said Julian, СAfter all - we found it a bit dificult to believe when Dick first told it. I donТt blame the policeman for disbelieving it - I blame him for his manner. ItТs a good thing most of our police arenТt the same. Nobody would ever report anything.Т
СHe told us one bit of good news, anyway,Т said Anne. СThat escaped prisoner is back in prison again! IТm so relieved to know that.Т
СI am too,Т said Dick. СI didnТt like the look of him at all. Well, Ju - what do we do now? Forget the whole business? Do you think thereТs anything in that message to follow up? And if so - can we do anything?Т
СI donТt know,Т said Julian. СWe must think a bit. LetТs go and see if we can scrounge a meal in some farm-house somewhere. There seem to be plenty around.Т
They asked a little girl if there was a farm-house anywhere near that would give them dinner. She nodded and pointed.
СSee that farm-house up on the hill there? ThatТs my GranТs place. SheТll give you dinner, I expect. She used to give dinner in the summer to trippers, and I expect she would give you some too, if you ask her, though itТs late in the season.Т
СThanks,Т said Julian, and they all went up the lane that curved round the hill-side. Dogs barked loudly as they came near and TimmyТs hackles went up at once. He growled.
СFriends, Timmy, friends,Т said George. СDinner here, Timmy. Dinner, perhaps a nice bone for you. Bone!Т
Timmy understood. The fur down his neck lay flat again and he stopped growling. He wagged his tail at the two dogs near the farm-gate who sniffed his doggy-smell suspiciously even when he was some distance away.
A man hailed them. СWhat do you kids want? Mind those dogs!Т
СWe wondered if we could get a meal here!Т called back Julian. СA little girl down in the village said we might.Т
СIТll ask my mother,Т said the man, and he yelled in an enormous voice to the farm-house nearby. СMa! Ma! Four kids out here want to know if you can give them a meal.Т
A very fat old lady appeared, with twinkling eyes and red cheeks like an apple. She took one glance at the four by the gate, and nodded her head, СYes. They look decent children. Tell them to come along in. Better hold their dogТs collar though.Т
The four walked to the farm-house, George holding Timmy firmly. The other two dogs came up, but as Timmy was hoping for a bone, he was determined to be friendly, and not a single growl came from him, even when the two dogs growled suspiciously. He wagged his tail, and let his tongue hang out.
The other dogs soon wagged theirs, and then it was safe to let Timmy go. He bounded over to them and there was a mad game of Сchase-me-roll-me-overТ as George called it.
СCome your ways in,Т said the plump old lady. СNow youТll have to take what weТve got. IТm busy today and havenТt had time for cooking. You can have a bit of home-made meat-pie, or a slice or two of ham and tongue, or hard-boiled eggs and salad. Bless you, you look as pleased as Punch! IТll put the lot on the table for you and you can help yourselves! Will that do? ThereТs no vegetables though. YouТll have to make do with pickled cabbage and my own pickled onions and beetroot in vinegar.Т
СIt sounds too marvellous for words,Т said Julian. СWe shanТt want any sweet after that!Т
СThereТs no pudding today,Т said the old lady. СBut IТll open a bottle or two of our own raspberries and you can have them with cream if you like. And thereТs the cream cheese I made yesterday too.Т
СDonТt tell us any more!Т begged Dick. СIt makes me feel too hungry. Why is it that people on farms always have the most delicious food? I mean, surely people in towns can bottle raspberries and pickle onions and make cream cheese?Т
СWell either they canТt or they donТt,Т said George СMy mother does all those things - and even when she lived in a town she did. Anyway, IТm going to when IТm grown-up. It must be so wonderful to offer home-made things by the score when people come to a meal!Т
It was extraordinary to think that any children could possibly eat the meal the four did, after having had such a huge breakfast. Timmy ate an enormous dinner too, and then lay down with a sigh. How he wished he could live at that farm-house! How lucky those other two dogs were!
A small girl came in shyly as they ate. СI'm Meg,Т she said. СI live with my Gran. What are your names?Т
They told her. Then Julian had an idea, СWeТre walking over your moor,Т he said. СWeТve been to lots of nice places. But thereТs one we havenТt been to yet. Do you know it? ItТs called Two- Trees.Т
The little girl shook her head. СGran would know,Т she said. СGran! WhereТs Two-Trees?Т
The old lady looked in at the door, СWhatТs that? Two-Trees? Oh, that was a lovely place once, but itТs all in ruins now. It was built beside a queer dark lake, in the middle of the moors. LetТs see now - what was it called?Т
СGloomy Water?Т said Dick.
СYes! ThatТs right. Gloomy Water,Т said the old lady. СAre you thinking of going by there? You be careful then, thereТs marshland around there, just when you least expect it! Now - would you like anything more?Т
СNo thank you,Т said Julian, regretfully, and paid the very modest bill. СItТs the nicest lunch weТve ever had. Now we must be off.Т
СOff to Two-Trees and Gloomy Water, I hope!Т George whispered to Dick. СThat would be really exciting.Т


Chapter Eleven

JULIANТS IDEA