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

СWe wouldnТt be much use,Т said Dick. СI doubt if we could even get near the cove on a night like this. The waves would run right up to the road that leads down to it.Т
They talked and talked about everything. Then George yawned. СWeТd better stop,Т she said. СWeТll never wake up tomorrow morning. We canТt go and explore that tower tomorrow, Julian. The Barnies will be here, and weТve promised Mrs Penruthlan to help her.Т
СItТll have to be next day, then,Т said Julian. СBut IТm determined to go. Yan said he wouldnТt show us the way. He said he was too УfritФ!Т
СI feel pretty frit myself,Т said George, settling down. СI should have jumped out of my skin if IТd seen that light tonight.Т
The boys stole back to their room. Soon they were in bed and asleep. The wind still howled round the house, but they didnТt hear it. They were tired out with their long walk over the hills.
Next day was so busy that it was quite dificult to find time to remember the nightТs happenings! They were reminded of it by one thing, though!
Mrs Penruthlan was seeing to their breakfast, and making bright conversation as usual. She was never at a loss for words, and chattered all day long either to the children or to the dogs.
СDid you sleep well with that howling gale blowing all night long?Т she asked. СI slept like a top. So did Mr Penruthlan! He told me he never moved all night, he was that tired!Т
The children kicked each other under the table, but said nothing. They knew quite a lot more about her husbandТs nights than she did!
After that they had very little time to think of anything but picking fruit, podding peas, rushing here and there, carrying things for the Barnies, helping them to put up benches, barrels, boxes and chairs for the audience to sit on, and even mending tears in some of the stage clothes! Anne had offered to sew on a button, and at once found herself overwhelmed with requests to mend this, that and the other!
It was an extremely busy day. Yan appeared as usual and was greeted uproariously by Timmy, of course. All the dogs loved him, but Timmy was quite silly with him. Mrs Penruthlan sent Yan on endless errands, which he ran quickly and willingly.
СHe may be a bit simple, but heТs quick enough when he thinks thereТs some good food heТs going to share!Т she said. So it was СFetch this, Yan!Т СDo that, Yan!Т all day long.
The Barnies worked hard, too. They had a quick rehearsal in which every single thing went wrong; the GuvТnor raved and raged and stamped, making Anne wonder why they didnТt all run away and stay away!
First there was to be a kind of concert party such as pierrots give on the beaches. Then there was to be a play, most heart-rending and melodramatic, with villains and heroes and a heroine who was very hardly used. But everything came right for her in the end, Anne was relieved to find!
Clopper the horse was to have no definite performance of his own. He just wandered on and off the stage to get laughs and to please everyone, or to fill awkward gaps. There was no doubt he would do this to perfection!
Julian and Dick watched Mr Binks and Sid doing a small rehearsal on their own in a corner of the farmyard. How well those back legs and front legs worked together! How that horse danced, trotted, galloped, marched, fell over, tied itself into knots, sat down, got up, went to sleep, and, in fact, did every comical thing that Sid and Mr Binks could think of. They really were very, very funny.
СLet me try the head on, Mr Binks,Т begged Julian. СDo let me. Just to feel what itТs like.Т
But it was no good. Sid wouldnТt let him. Mr Binks had no say in the matter at all. СOrders are orders,Т said Sid, picking up the head as soon as Mr Binks took it off. СI donТt want to lose my job. The GuvТnor says if this horseТs head is mislaid again, IТll be mislaid, too! So hands off Clopper!Т
СDo you sleep with Clopper?Т asked Dick, curiously. СHaving to take charge of a horseТs head all the time must be a bore!Т
СYou get used to it,Т said Sid. СYes, I sleep with old Clopper. Him and me have our heads on the pillow together. He sleeps sound, does old Clopper!Т
СHeТs the best part of the show,Т grinned Julian. СYouТll bring the barn down with Clopper tonight!Т
СWe always do,Т said Mr Binks. СHeТs the most important member of the Barnies, and he gets paid the worst. Shame.Т
СYes, back-legs and front-legs are badly paid,Т said Sid. СThey only count as one player, see, so we get half pay. Still, we like the life, so there you are!Т
They went off together, Sid carrying the horseТs head as usual under his arm. He really was a funny little man, cheery and silly and gay.
Julian suddenly remembered something at dinnertime. СMrs Penruthlan,Т he said, СI suppose that awful wind didnТt cause any wrecks last night, did it?Т
The farmerТs wife looked surprised. СNo, Julian. Why should it? Ships keep right out to sea round these coasts now. The lighthouse warns them, you know. The only way any ship could come in now would be to nose into one of the caves at full tide, and then sheТd have to be very careful of rocks. The fishermen know the rocks as well as they know the backs of their hands, and they come into the coves at times. But no other craft come now.Т
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The flashing light hadnТt caused a wreck last night, then. That was a mercy! They went on with their meal. Mr Penruthlan was there, eating away as usual, and saying nothing at all. His jaws worked vigorously up and down, and it was impossible to think he had no teeth to chew with. Julian glanced at his hands, covered with black hairs. Yes, he had seen those hands last night, no doubt about that! Not wielding a knife and fork, but sliding into pockets.
The evening came at last. Everything was ready. A big table was placed in the kitchen, made of strong trestles and boards. Mrs Penruthlan gave the two girls a most enormous white cloth to lay over it. It was bigger than any cloth they had ever seen!
СItТs the one I use at harvest-time,Т said the farmerТs wife, proudly. СWe have a wonderful harvest supper then, on that same table, but we put it out in the big barn because thereТs not enough room here in the kitchen for all the farm workers. And we clear the table away afterwards and have a dance.Т
СWhat fun!Т said Anne. СI do think people are lucky to live on a farm. ThereТs always something going on!Т
СTown folk wouldnТt say that!Т said Mrs Penruthlan. СThey think the country is a dead-and-alive place, but, my word, thereТs more life about a farm than anywhere else in the world. Farm lifeТs the real thing I always say!Т
СIt is,Т agreed Anne, and George nodded, too. They had now spread out the snowy-white cloth and it looked lovely.
СThat clothТs the real thing, too,Т said Mrs Penruthlan. СIt belonged to my great-great-great-grand-mother, and itТs nearly two hundred years old! As white as ever and not a darn in it! ItТs seen more harvest suppers than any cloth made, and thatТs the truth!Т
The table was laid with plates and knives and forks, cruets and glasses. All the Barnies had been invited, and there were the children, too, of course. One or two of the villagers were staying as well, to help. What a feast they would all have!
The larder was so crammed with food that it was difficult to get into it. Meat pies, fruit pies, hams, a great round tongue, pickles, sauces, jam tarts, stewed and fresh fruit, jellies, a great trifle, jugs of cream - there was no end to the things Mrs Penruthlan had got ready. She laughed when she saw the children peeping there and marvelling.
СYou wonТt get any high tea today,Т she told them. СYouТll get nothing from dinner till supper, so that you can get up a good appetite and really eat well!Т
Nobody minded missing high tea with that wonderful supper to come. The excitement grew as the time came near for the show. СHere come the first villagers!Т cried Julian, who was at the barn door to help to sell the tickets. СHurrah! It will soon begin! Walk up, everyone! Finest show in the world. Come along in your hundreds! Come along!Т

Chapter Eleven

THE BARNIES - AND CLOPPER

When the big barn was full of villagers, and a few more boxes had been fetched for some of the extra children, the noise was tremendous. Everyone was laughing and talking, some of the children were clapping for the show to begin, and the excited farm dogs were yapping and barking at the top of their voices!
Timmy was excited, too. He welcomed everyone with a bark and a vigorous wag. Yan was with him, and George was sure that he was pretending that Timmy was his dog! Yan looked cleaner than usual. Mrs Penruthlan had actually given him a bath!
СYou donТt come to the show and you donТt come to the supper unless you bath yourself,Т she threatened. But he wouldnТt. He said he was СfritТ of the bath!
СIТll be drowned in there,Т he said, backing away from it hurriedly. It was already half full of water for him!
СFrit, are you!Т said Mrs Penruthlan grimly, lifting him up and plunging him into the water, clothes and all. СWell, youТll be fritter still now! Take your clothes off in the water and IТll wash them in the bath when youТre clean. Oh, the dirty little varmint that you are!Т
Yan screamed the place down as Mrs Penruthlan scrubbed him and soaped him and flannelled him. He hit out at her, but she gave him one sound spank on his small behind, and he stopped very suddenly. He felt very much at her mercy, and decided not to annoy her in any way while he was in that dreadful bath!
She washed his ragged pants and shirt, too, and set them to dry. She wrapped him in an old shawl, and told him to wait till his things dried and then put them on.
СOne of these days IТll make you some decent clothes,Т she said. СLittle rapscallion that you are! What a mite of a body youТve got. IТll need to feed you up a bit!Т