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

Yan brightened up considerably. Feeding up was the kind of treatment he really liked!
Now he was down in the barn, welcoming everyone with Timmy, and feeling quite important. He yelled with delight when he saw his old great-grandfather coming along!
СGrandad! You said you was coming, but I didnТt believe you. Come you in. IТll find you a chair.Т
СAnd whatТs come over you, the way you look tonight?Т said the old man, puzzled. СWhat you done to yourself?Т
СIТve took a bath. See?Т said Yan, sounding proud. СIss. I took a bath, Grandad. Same as you ought.Т
Grandad aimed a cuff at him, and then nodded to various people he knew. He had his big old shepherdТs crook with him, and he held on to it even when he sat down on a chair.
СWell, Grandad, itТs nigh on twenty year since we saw you down hereabouts,Т said a big, red-faced villager. СWhat you been doing with yourself all these years?Т
СMinding my business and minding my sheep,Т said Grandad, in his slow, Cornish voice. СAy, and itТll mebbe twenty years afore you sees me again, Joe Tremayne. And if you want to know summat, IТll tell you this. It bainТt the show IТm come for, itТs the supper.Т
Everyone roared with laughter, and Grandad looked as pleased as Punch. Yan looked at him proudly. His old Grandad was as good as anyone, any day!
СSh! Sh! ShowТs going to begin!Т said somebody, when they saw the curtain twitching. At once the talking and shuffling stopped, and all eyes turned to the stage. A faded, rather torn blue curtain was drawn across.
There came a chord from a fiddle behind the scenes, and then a gay tune sounded out. The curtain was drawn back slowly, halting on its rings here and there, and the audience gave a long sigh of delight. They had seen the Barnies many times but they never tired of them.
All the Barnies were on the stage, and the fiddler fiddled away as they struck up a rousing song with a chorus that all the villagers joined in most heartily. Old Grandad beat time, banging his crook on the floor.
Everything was applauded heartily. Then someone called out loudly. СWhereТs old Clopper? Where be he?Т
And old Clopper the horse came shyly on, looking out of the sides of his eyes at the audience, and being so very bashful that old Grandad almost fell off his chair with laughing.
The fiddle struck up again and Clopper marched in time to it. It grew quicker, and he ran. It grew quicker still and he galloped, and fell right off the stage.
СHoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!Т roared someone. СHOO-HOO-HOO-HOO!Т It was such an enormous guffaw that everyone turned round. It came from Mr Penruthlan, who was writhing and wriggling in his seat as if he was in great pain. But he was only laughing at Clopper.
Clopper heard the giant of a laugh and put a hoof behind one ear to listen to it. Grandad promptly fell off his seat with joy. Clopper caught his back legs in his front legs and fell over too. There was such a pandemonium of screams and guffaws and yells from the delighted audience that it was surprising the roof didnТt fall in.
СOff now,Т said a firm voice at the side of the stage. Julian looked to see who it was, as Clopper obediently turned to shuffle off, waving one back leg to the admiring villagers. The voice came from the GuvТnor who was standing where he could watch the whole show in detail. His face was still unsmiling, even after ClopperТs antics!
The show was a great success, although it could not have been simpler. The jokes were old, the play acted was even older, the singing was a bit flat, and the dancing not as good as the third form of a girlsТ school, but it was so merry and smiling and idiotic and good-natured that it went with a terrific swing from start to finish.
As for Clopper, it was his evening! Every time his head so much as looked in on the stage, the audience rocked with joy. They would, in fact, have been delighted to have had one actor only, all the evening, and that actor, Clopper, of course. Julian and Dick watched him, fascinated. How they both longed to try on those back and front legs, and put on the head, and do a little СclopperingТ themselves!
СSid and Binks are awfully good, arenТt they?Т said Dick. СGosh, I wish we could get hold of legs and a head and do that act at the Christmas school concert, Ju! WeТd bring the house down. LetТs ask Sid if we can have a shot some time.Т
СHe wonТt lend us the head,Т said Julian. СStill, we could do without that, and just try the legs. I bet we could think of some funny things to do, Dick!Т
Everybody was sad when the curtain went across the stage, and the show was over. The fiddle struck up СGod Save the QueenТ, and everyone rose loyally to stand and sing every word lustily.
СThree cheers for the Barnies!Т yelled a child, and the hip-hurrahing rose to the rafters. Grandad waved his crook too vigorously and hit a very large farmer on the back of his neck.
СNow, old Grandad!Т said the farmer, rubbing his neck, Сyou trying to pick a fight with me? No, no, IТd be afeared to take you on, I would. YouТd get me by my hind leg with that crook like you do your sheep, and down IТd go!Т
Grandad was delighted. He hadnТt had such an evening for forty years! Maybe fifty. And now for that supper. That was what he had really come for. HeТd show some of these sixty-year-old youngsters how to eat!
The villagers went home, talking and laughing. Two or three of the women stayed on to help. The Barnies didnТt bother to change out of their acting clothes, but came into the kitchen as they were, grease-paint running down their cheeks in the heat. The barn had got very hot with so many people packed in close together.
The children were simply delighted with everything. They had laughed so much at Clopper that they felt quite weak. The play had amused them too, with its sighings and groanings and threats and tears and stridings around. Now they were more than ready for their supper!
The Barnies crowded round the loaded table, cracking jokes, complimenting Mrs Penruthlan, smacking everyone on the back, and generally behaving like a lot of school children out for a treat. Julian looked round at them all. What a jolly lot! He looked for the GuvТnor, surely for once in a way he too would be smiling and cheerful.
But he wasnТt there. Julian looked and looked again. No, he certainly wasnТt there.
СWhereТs the GuvТnor?Т he asked Sid, who was sitting next to him.
СThe GuvТnor? Oh, heТs sitting in solitary state in the barn,Т said Sid, attacking an enormous slice of meat-pie laced with hard-boiled eggs. СHe never feeds with us, not even after a show. Keeps himself to himself, he does! HeТll be having a whacking great tray of food all on his own. Suits me all right! I never did get on with the GuvТnor.Т
СWhereТs Clopper - the horseТs head, I mean?Т asked Julian. He couldnТt see it beside Sid anywhere. СIs it under the table?Т
СNo. The GuvТnorТs got it tonight. Said he wasnТt going to have it rolled about under the table, or have jelly or gravy dropped all over it,Т said Sid, taking six large pickled onions. СMy, Mrs Penruthlan is a wonder! Why donТt I marry someone like her, instead of getting thinner and thinner inside ClopperТs back-legs?Т
Julian laughed. He wondered who was going to take the GuvТnorТs tray into the barn. He noticed that Mrs Penruthlan was getting one ready, and he went over to her.
СIs that for the GuvТnor?Т he asked. СShall I take it for you?Т
СOh, thank you, Julian,Т said the busy farmerТs wife, gratefully. СHere it is, and ask Dick to carry in a bottle and a glass for him, will you? ThereТs no more room on the tray.Т
So Julian and Dick together went out to the barn with the food and drink. The wind still blew strongly and rain was beginning to fall again.
СThereТs no one here,Т said Julian, looking round. He set down the tray, puzzled. Then he saw a note pinned on the curtain. He went to read it.
СBack in an hour,Т he read. СGone for a walk. The GuvТnor.Т
СOh well, weТll leave the tray then,Т said Julian. He and Dick were just turning to go when they caught sight of something, the back and front legs of Clopper the horse! They stopped, each with the same thought in his mind.
СEveryone at supper! The GuvТnor gone for an hour. Nobody would know if we tried on the legs!Т
They looked at one another, and read each otherТs mind. СLetТs have a go at being Clopper!Т
СCome on, quick,Т said Julian. СYou be the back legs and IТll be the front ones. Quick!Т
They got into them hurriedly, and Julian managed to do up most of the zip. But it wasnТt right without the head. Had the GuvТnor taken it with him? Surely not.Ф It would be quite safe in the barn.
СThere it is, on that chair under the shawl!Т said Dick, and they galloped over to get it. Julian picked it up. It was rather heavier than he had imagined. He looked inside it to see how far his head went in it, wondering how to work the eyes and mouth.
He put his hand inside, and scrabbled about. A lid fell open in the side of the neck, and out came some cigarettes, scattering over the floor. СBlow!Т said Julian, СI didnТt know Mr Binks kept his cigarettes in Clopper. Pick them up, Dick, and IТll put them back. Thanks.Т
He put the cigarettes back in the little space, and shut the lid on them. Then he put the head carefully over his own, It felt extremely strange.
СThere are eye-holes in the neck,Т he said to Dick. СThatТs how Mr Binks knew where he was going. I kept wondering why he didnТt bump into things more than he did! Now - IТm ready. The head seems to be on firmly. IТll count - one-two, one-two - and weТll walk in time. DonТt letТs start any funny tricks till weТre used to Clopper. Does my voice sound funny inside the neck?Т
СMost peculiar,Т said Dick, who was now bending over so that his back made the horseТs back, and his arms were round JulianТs waist. СI say, whatТs that?Т