"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 12 - Five Go Down to The Sea" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Chapter One

THE HOLIDAY BEGINS

СBlow! IТve got a puncture!Т said Dick. СMy tyreТs going flat. Worst time it could possibly happen!Т
Julian glanced down at DickТs back tyre. Then he looked at his watch. СYouТve just got time to pump it up and hope for the best,Т he said. СWeТve got seven minutes before the train goes.Т
Dick jumped off and took his pump. The others got off their bicycles, too, and stood round, watching to see if the tyre blew up well or not.
They were on their way to Kirrin Station to catch the train, bicycles and all. Their luggage had gone on in advance, and they thought they had left plenty of time to ride to the station, get their bicycles labelled and put in the luggage van, and catch the train comfortably.
СWe canТt miss the train!Т said George, putting on her best scowl. She always hated it when things went wrong.
СWe can. Easiest thing in the world!Т said Julian, grinning at GeorgeТs fierce face. СWhat do you say, Timmy?Т
Timmy barked sharply, as if to say he certainly agreed. He licked GeorgeТs hand and she patted him. The scowl left her face as she saw DickТs tyre coming up well. TheyТd just do it! Dick felt his tyre, gave a sigh of relief, and put his pump back in its place.
СPhew! That was hot work,Т he said, mounting his bicycle. СHope it will last till we get to the station. I was afraid youТd have to go without me.Т
СOh, no,Т said Anne. СWeТd have caught the next train. Come on, Timmy!Т
The four cousins and Timmy the dog raced on towards the station. They cycled into the station yard just as the signal went up to show the train was due. The porter came towards them, his big round face red and smiling.
СI sent your luggage off for you,Т he said. СNot much between you, I must say - just one small trunk!Т
СWell, we donТt wear much on holidays,Т said Julian. СCan you label our bikes quickly for us? I see the train is due.Т
The porter began to label the four bicycles. He didnТt hurry. He wouldnТt let the train go off again till he had done his job, that was certain. There it was now, coming round the bend.
СYou going off to Cornwall, I see?Т said the porter. СAnd to Tremannon, too. You want to be careful of bathing there. ThatТs a fierce coast and a hungry sea.Т
СOh, do you know it?Т said Anne, surprised. СIs it a nice place?Т
СNice? Well, I dunno about that,Т said the porter, raising his voice as the train came rumbling in. СI used to go out in my uncleТs fishing-boat all round there, and itТs wild and lonely. I shouldnТt have thought it was much of a place for a holiday - no pier, no ice-cream sellers, no concert parties, no cinema, no...Т
СGood,Т said Julian. СWe can do without all those, thank you. We mean to bathe, and hire a boat, and fish, and bike all round about. ThatТs our kind of holiday!Т
СWoof!Т said Timmy, wagging his tail.
СYes, and yours too,Т said George, rubbing his big head. СCome on, weТd better get into a carriage.Т
СIТll see to your bikes,Т said the porter. СHave a good holiday, and if you see my uncle, tell him you know me. His nameТs same as mine, John Polpenny.Т
С УBy Tre, Pol and Pen, you may know the CornishmenФ,Т quoted Julian, getting into a carriage with the others. СThanks, John. WeТll look up your uncle if we can!Т
They each took a corner seat, and Timmy went to the opposite door, put his feet up on the ledge and his nose out of the window. He meant to stand like that all the way! He loved the rush of air past his nose.
СTimmy, come down,Т said George.
Timmy took no notice. He was happy. It was holidays again, and he was with everybody he loved. They were going away together. There might be rabbits to chase. Timmy had never yet caught a rabbit, but he went on hoping!
СNow, weТre off again!Т said Julian, settling into his corner. СGosh, how I do like the beginnings of a holiday, getting ready, looking at maps, planning how to get there, and then at last setting off!Т
СOn a lovely fine day like this!Т said Anne. СGeorge, how did your mother hear of Tremannon Farm?Т
СWell, it was Father who heard about it, really,Т said George. СYou know FatherТs got a lot of scientist friends who like to go off to lonely places and work out all kinds of ideas in peace and quiet. Well, one of them went to Tremannon Farm because he heard it was one of the quietest places in the kingdom. Father said his friend went there all skin and bone and came back as fat as a Christmas goose, and Mother said that sounded just the place for us to go to these hols!Т
СSheТs right!Т said Dick. СI feel a bit skin-and-bonish myself after slaving at school for three months. I could do with fattening up!Т
They all laughed. СYou may feel skin-and-bonish, but you donТt look it,Т said Julian. СYou want a bit of exercise to take your fat off. WeТll get it, too. WeТll walk and bike and bathe and climb...Т
СAnd eat,Т said George. СTimmy, you must be polite to the farm dogs, or youТll have a bad time.Т
СAnd you must remember that when you go out to play, youТll have to ask the other dogsТ permission before you can chase their rabbits,Т said Dick solemnly.
Timmy thumped his tail against DickТs knees and opened his mouth to let his tongue hang out. He looked exactly as if he were laughing.
СThatТs right. Grin at my jokes,Т said Dick. СIТm glad youТre coming, Tim, it would be awful without you.Т
СHe always has come with us, on every holiday,Т said George. СAnd heТs shared in every single adventure weТve ever had.Т
СGood old Timmy,Т said Julian. СWell, he may share in one this time, too. You never know.Т
СIТm not going to have any adventures this time,Т said Anne in a firm voice. СI just want a holiday, nothing more. LetТs have a jolly good time, and not go on looking for anything strange or mysterious or adventurous.Т
СRight,Т said Julian. СAdventures are off this time. Definitely off. And if anything does turn up, we pooh-pooh it and walk off. Is that agreed?Т
СYes,Т said Anne.
СAll right,Т said George, doubtfully.
СFine,Т said Dick.
Julian looked surprised. СGosh, youТre a poor lot, I must say. Well, IТll fall in with you, if youТre all agreed. Even if we find ourselves right in the very middle of Goodness Knows What, we say УNo, thank youФ and walk away. ThatТs agreed.Т
СWell,Т began George, СIТm not sure if...Т But what she wasnТt sure about nobody knew because Timmy chose that moment to fall off the seat. He yelped as he hit the floor with a bang, and immediately went back to his post at the window, putting his head right out.
СWeТll have to get him in and shut the windows,Т said George. СHe might get something in his eye.Т
СNo. IТm not going to cook slowly to a cinder in this hot carriage with all the windows shut, not even for the sake of TimmyТs eyes,Т said Julian, firmly. СIf you canТt make him obey you and come inside, he can jolly well get something in his eye.Т
However, the problem was solved very quickly because at that moment the train gave a most unearthly shriek and disappeared headlong into utter blackness. Timmy, astounded, fell back into the carriage and tried to get on to GeorgeТs knee, terrified.