"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 17 - Five Get Into a Fix" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Chapter One

A MISERABLE CHRISTMAS

I do think these Christmas holidays have been the worst weТve ever had,Ф said Dick.
УJolly bad luck on old George, coming to stay with us for Christmas - and then us all going down with those awful colds and coughs,Ф said Julian.
УYes - and being in bed on Christmas Day was horrible,Ф said George. УThe worst of it was I coulclnТt eat anything. Fancy not being hungry on Christmas Day! I never thought that would happen to me!Ф
УTimmy was the only one of us who didnТt get ill,Ф said Anne, patting him. УYou were a pet, Tim, when we were in bed. You divided your time between us nicely.Ф
УWoof!Ф said Timmy, rather solemnly. He hadnТt been at all happy this Christmas. To have four of the five in bed, coughing and sneezing, was quite unheard of!
УWell, anyhow, weТre all up again,Ф said Dick. УThough my legs donТt really feel as if they belong to me yet!Ф
УOh - do yours feel like that too?Ф asked George. УI was quite worried about mine!Ф
УWe all feel the same,Ф said Julian, "but we shall be quite diferent in a day or two - now weТre up. Anyway - we go back to school next week - so weТd better feel all right!Ф
Everyone groaned - and then coughed. УThatТs the worst of this germ weТve had, whatever it is,Ф said George. УIf we laugh - or speak loudly - or groan - we start coughing. I shall go completely mad if I donТt get rid of my cough. It keeps me awake for hours at night!Ф
Anne went to the window. УItТs been snowing again,Ф she said. УNot much - but it looks lovely. To think we might have been out in it all last week. I do think itТs too bad to have holidays like this.Ф
George joined her at the window. A car drew up outside and a burly, merry-looking man got out and hurried up the steps to the front door.
УHereТs the doctor,Ф said Anne. УI bet heТll say weТre all quite all right to go back to school next week!Ф
In a minute or two the door opened and the doctor came into the room, with the mother of Julian, Dick and Anne. She looked tired - and no wonder! Looking after four ill children and a most miserable dog over Christmas had not been an easy job!
УWell, here they are - all up and about now!Ф said Mrs. Barnard. УThey look pretty down in the mouth, donТt they?Ф
УOh - theyТll soon perk up,Ф said Dr. Drew, sitting down and looking at each of the four in turn. УGeorge looks the worst - not so strong as the others, I suppose.Ф
George went red with annoyance, and Dick chuckled. УPoor George is the weakling of the family,Ф he said. УShe had the highest temperature, the worst cough, and the loudest groans, and she...Ф
But whatever else he was going to say was lost beneath the biggest cushion in the room, which an angry George had flung at him with all her might. Dick flung it back, and everyone began to laugh, George too. That set all the four coughing, of course, and the doctor put his hands to his ears.
УWill they be well enough to go to school, Doctor?Ф asked Mrs. Barnard anxiously.
УWell, yes - they would - but they ought to get rid of those coughs first,Ф said the doctor. He looked out of the window at the snow. УI wonder now - no - I donТt suppose itТs possible - but...Ф
УBut what?Ф said Dick, pricking up his ears at once. УGoing to send us to Switzerland for a skiing holiday, Doc? Fine! Absolutely smashing! Ф
The doctor laughed. УYouТre going too fast! Ф he said. УNo - I wasnТt actually thinking of Switzerland - but perhaps somewhere hilly, not far from the sea. Somewhere really bracing, but not too cold - where the snow will lie, so that you can toboggan and ski, but without travelling as far as Switzerland. Switzerland is expensive, you know!Ф
УYes. I suppose it is,Ф said Julian. УNo - we canТt expect a holiday in Switzerland just because weТve had beastly colds! But I must say a week somewhere would be jolly nice!Ф
УOh yes!Ф said George, her eyes shining. УIt would really make up for these miserable holidays! Do you mean all by ourselves, Doctor? WeТd love that.Ф
УWell, no - someone ought to be there, surely,Ф said Dr. Drew. УBut thatТs up to your parents.Ф
УI think itТs a jolly good idea,Ф said Julian. УMother - donТt you think so? IТm sure youТre longing to be rid of us all for a while. You look worn out!Ф
His mother smiled. У Well - if itТs what you need - a short holiday somewhere to get rid of your coughs - you must have it. And I wonТt say that I shanТt enjoy a little rest while youТre enjoying yourselves having a good time! IТll talk it over with your father.Ф
УWoof!Ф said Timmy, looking enquiringly at the doctor, both ears pricked high.
УHe says - he needs a rest somewhere too,Ф explained George. УHe wants to know if he can come with us.Ф
УLetТs have a look at your tongue, Timmy, and give me your paw to feel if itТs hot or not,Ф said Dr. Drew, gravely. He held out his hand, and Timmy obediently put his paw into it.
The four children laughed - and immediately began to cough again. How they coughed! The doctor shook his head at them. УWhat a din! I shouldnТt have made you laugh. Now I shanТt be coming to see you again until just before you go back to school. I expect your mother will let me know when that day comes. Goodbye till then - and have a good time, wherever you go!Ф
УWe will!Ф said Julian. УAnd thanks for bothering about us so much. WeТll send you a card when our coughs are gone!Ф
As soon as Dr. Drew had driven off in his car, there was a conference. УWe can go off somewhere, canТt we, Mother?Ф said Dick, eagerly. УThe sooner the better! You must be tired to death of our coughs, night and day!Ф
УYes. I think you must go somewhere for a week or ten days,Ф said his mother. УBut the question is - where? You could go off to GeorgeТs home, I suppose - Kirrin Cottage... but itТs not high up... and besides, GeorgeТs father would certainly not welcome four coughs like yours!Ф
УNo. HeТd go mad at once,Ф said George. УHeТd fling open his study door - and stride into our room - and shout СWhoТs mak...Т Ф
But as George began to shout, she coughed - and that was the end of her little piece of acting! УThatТs enough, George,Ф said her aunt. УFor goodnessТ sake, go and get a drink of water.Ф
There was much debating about where they could go for a little while, and all the time they were talking the snow fell steadily. Dick went to the window, pleased.
УIf only we could find a place high up on a hill, just as the doctor said, a place where we could use our toboggans, and our skis,Ф he said. УGosh, it makes me feel better already to think of it. I do hope this snow goes on and on.Ф
УI think IТd better ring up a holiday agency and see if they can offer us something sensible,Ф said his mother. УMaybe a summer camp set up on a hill would do - it would be empty now, and you could have the choice of a hut or a chalet or something.Ф
But all her telephoning came to nothing! УNo,Ф said the agencies. УSorry - we havenТt anything to suggest. Our camps are all closed down now. No - we know of no winter ones in this country at all!Ф
And then, as so often happens, the problem was suddenly solved by somebody no one had thought of asking ... old Jenkins, the gardener! There was nothing for him to do that day except sweep a path through the snow. He saw the children watching him from the window, grinned and came up to them.
УHow are you?Ф he shouted. УWould you like some apples? TheyТve ripened nicely now, those late ones. Your mother said you werenТt feeling like apples - or pears either. But maybe youТre ready for some now.Ф
УYes! We are!Ф shouted Julian, not daring to open the window in case his mother came in and was angry to see him standing with his head out in the cold. УBring them in, Jenkins. Come and talk to us!Ф
So old Jenkins came in, carrying a basket of ripe, yellow apples, and some plump, brown-yellow pears.
УAnd how are you now?Ф he said, in his soft Welsh voice, for he came from the Welsh mountains. УItТs pale you are, and thin too. Ah, itТs the mountain air of Wales you want!Ф
He smiled all over his wrinkled brown face, handing round his basket. The children helped themselves to the fruit.