"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 13 - Five Go to Mystery Moor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

СNo. But it can wait, IТm sure,Т said Mrs Johnson, knowing HenryТs habit of leaving her food quite uneaten once she began on some marvellous tale. СIs it one of your tales? You can tell it after supper.Т
СItТs not HenryТs tale,Т said George, annoyed that Henry should get all the limelight again, and take the blacksmithТs tale for her own. СItТs one old Ben told us. Ju, you tell it!Т
СNobody is to tell it now,Т said Captain Johnson. СYou came in late for supper, we waited for you, and the least you can do is to get on with your eating.Т
The five juniors at the other table were disappointed. They had hoped to hear another of HenryТs marvellous stories. But Captain Johnson was hungry and tired.
СOld Ben is a great age, as you said,Т began Henry, after a few mouthfuls. СHe -Т
СNot another word, please, Henrietta,Т said the captain, curtly. Henry went red and George grinned, kicking at Dick under the table. Unfortunately she kicked Henry instead, and the girl glared at her for a whole minute.
СOh dear!Т thought Anne. СJust as weТd had such a lovely day! I suppose weТre all tired and scratchy.Т
СWhy did you kick me'?Т began Henry in a cross voice, as soon as she and George left the table with the others.
СShut up, you two,Т said Julian. СShe probably meant to kick me or Dick, not you.Т
Henry shut up. She didnТt like Julian to tick her off. George looked mutinous and went off with Timmy.
Dick yawned. СWhat jobs are there to do, if any?Т he said. СDonТt say thereТs washing-up again. I feel I might break a few things.Т
Mrs Johnson heard him and laughed. СNo, thereТs no washing-up. The woman has come in to do it tonight. Have a look at the horses - and see that Jenny the mare is not with Flash, you know she doesnТt like her for some reason, and will kick out at her. She must always be kept in another field.Т
СThatТs all right, Mrs Johnson,Т said William, suddenly appearing, stolid and competent as ever. СIТve seen to that. IТve seen to everything, really.Т
СYouТre better than any stable-boy, William,Т said Mrs Johnson, smiling at him. СI wish youТd take a permanent job here!Т
СI wish you meant that,Т said William, earnestly. There was nothing he would have liked better! He went off looking pleased.
СI think youТd better all go to bed then, as William appears to have done everything necessary,Т said Mrs Johnson. СAny plans for tomorrow?Т
СNot yet,Т said Julian, trying to stop a yawn. СSo if you want anything done, weТll do it.Т
СWeТll see what tomorrow brings,Т said Mrs Johnson and said good night. The boys said good night to the three girls and went off to the stable.
СGosh, weТve forgotten to undress and wash and everything,Т said Julian, half-asleep. СWhatТs the matter with us at this place? I canТt seem to keep my eyes open after half-past eight!Т
The next day certainly brought a few things. It brought a letter for Henry that filled her with disgust. It brought two letters for Mrs Johnson that made her start fussing and worrying. It brought a telegram for Captain Johnson that sent him down to the station at once.
HenriettaТs letter was from two of her great-aunts. They announced that as they would be near the stables that day and the following, they would like to fetch her and take her out with them.
СBlow!Т said Henrietta, ungratefully. СGreat-Aunts Hannah and Lucy would choose this very week to come along and see me! Just when Julian and Dick are here, and everything is such fun. CanТt I phone and say IТm too busy, Mrs Johnson?Т
СCertainly not,Т said Mrs Johnson, shocked. СThat would be very rude, Henry, and you know it. YouТre having the whole of the Easter holidays here, and yet you think you canТt spare two days. As a matter of fact I shall be glad if your aunts do take you off my hands for a couple of days.Т
СWhy?Т asked Henry, astonished. СHave I been a nuisance?Т
СOh no, but IТve had two letters this morning telling me that four children are coming unexpectedly,Т said Mrs Johnson. СThey were not supposed to come till three of the others left this week-end, but there you are! These things happen. Where I am to put them I really donТt know!Т
СOh dear!Т said Anne. СDo you think Dick and Julian ought to go home, Mrs Johnson? You didnТt plan for them, you know, they just came.Т
СYes. I know,Т said Mrs Johnson. СBut weТre more or less used to that, and I do like having bigger boys, I must say, theyТre such a help. Now let me see. What can we do?Т
Captain Johnson came in, looking hurried. СIТve just had a telegram, dear,Т he said. СIТve got to go down to the station. Those two new horses have arrived. Two days before I wanted them - what a nuisance!Т
СThis is one of those days!Т said Mrs Johnson, desperately. СGood gracious, how many shall we be in the house? And however many horses shall we have? No, I canТt count this morning. IТm all muddle-headed!Т
Anne felt that it was a pity that she and George and the boys couldnТt immediately pack and go home. After all, poor Mrs Johnson had thought that she and George would have gone home three or four days ago, and instead of that they had stayed on and the boys had arrived as well!
Anne hurried to find Julian. He would know what to do. She found him with Dick, carrying straw for the stables.
СJulian! Listen! I want to talk to you,Т said Anne. Julian let the load of straw slip to the ground, and turned to Anne.
СWhatТs up?Т he said. СDonТt tell me itТs a row between George and Henry again, because I shanТt listen!Т
СNo. Nothing like that,Т said Anne. СItТs Mrs Johnson. SheТs got four children coming unexpectedly, before the others go. SheТs in a great state about it, and I wondered what we could do to help. You see, she didnТt expect any of us four to be here this week.Т
СNo. ThatТs true,Т said Julian, sitting down on his straw. СLetТs think hard.Т
СItТs easy!Т said Dick. СWeТll simply take our tents, some food, and go and camp out on the moor by some spring. WHAT could be nicer?Т
СOh yes!Т said Anne, her eyes shining. СOh Dick, thatТs a marvellous idea! Mrs Johnson will get rid of us all and Timmy too, then, and we would have a lovely time all by ourselves!Т
СKilling quite a lot of birds with one stone!Т said Julian. СWeТve got a couple of tents in our kit, Anne. Very small ones, but theyТll do. And we can borrow rubber sheets to put on the heather, though itТs as dry as a bone, as far as I can see!Т
СIТll go and tell George!Т said Anne, joyfully. СLetТs go today, Julian, and be out of the way before the new children come. Captain JohnsonТs got two new horses coming too. HeТll be very glad to have a few of us out of the way!Т
She flew off to tell George. George was busy polishing some harness, a job she liked very much. She listened to AnneТs excited tale. Henry was there too, looking gloomy. She looked gloomier still at the end.
СItТs too bad,Т she said, when Anne had finished. СI could have come with you if it hadnТt been for these great-aunts of mine. WHY did they have to come just at this very moment! DonТt you think itТs maddening?Т
Neither Anne nor George thought it was maddening. They were secretly very pleased indeed to think that they could once more go off entirely on their own, with Timmy, as they had so often done before. But they would have had to ask Henry if her aunts hadnТt written at this very lucky moment!
George didnТt like to show how delighted she was to think of going off camping on the moor. She and Anne did a little comforting of poor Henry and then went off to make arrangements with Mrs Johnson.
СWell, thatТs a very bright idea of DickТs!Т she said in delight. СIt solves a whole lot of problems. And I know you donТt mind. YouТre thrilled at the chance, arenТt you! ItТs really very helpful. I only wish poor Henry could go too, but she must go out with her old great-aunts. They adore her!Т
СOf course she must,Т said George, solemnly. She and Anne exchanged a look. Poor Henry. But really, it would be very nice to be without her for a little while.
Everyone began to be suddenly very busy. Dick and Julian undid their packs to find out exactly what was in them. Mrs Johnson looked out rubber sheets and old rugs. She was a wonder at producing things like that!
William wanted to go with them and help to carry the things, but nobody wanted his help. They just wanted to be off and away by themselves, just the Five and nobody else! Timmy caught the excitement too and his tail thumped and wagged the whole morning.
СYouТll be pretty well loaded,Т said Mrs Johnson, doubtfully. СItТs a good thing that fine weather is forecast, or youТd have to take macs as well. Still, I imagine you wonТt go very far on the moors, will you? You can easily get back to the stable if you have forgotten anything, or want more food.Т
They were ready at last, and went to find Henry to say good-bye. She stared at them mournfully. She had changed into a smart little coat and dress. She looked completely different and very gloomy.
СWhat part of the moor are you going to?Т she asked eagerly. СUp the railway?Т