"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 21 - Five Are Together Again" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

СYouТre going back to school pretty quick!Т he said. СI thought the schools had only just broken up.Т
СThey have,Т said Julian, Сbut weТre off to stay at Big Hollow. The bus goes there, doesnТt it?Т
СYes, we go right through the village of Big Hollow,Т said the conductor, carrying three bags at once, much to JulianТs envy. СWhereabouts are you staying there?Т
СAt Professor HaylingТs house,Т said Julian. СI think thatТs called Big Hollow too, like the village.Т
СAh, we pass it,Т said the conductor, СIТll stop the bus just outside and give you a hand with your things again. My word - youТll have to mind your pТs and qТs there - old Professor HaylingТs a bit peculiar, you know. Goes off the handle properly if things donТt go his way! Once a horse got into his garden and believe it or not he chased that horse for two miles, shouting at it all the way. And bless me, when he got back home, tired out, there was that horse, chewing up his garden again. The horse was cute - heТd taken a short cut back. Yes - you be careful how you behave at Big Hollow. The old man might get cross and pop you into one of his queer machines and grind you up into little pieces!Т
The four children laughed. СOh, the old Professor is all right,Т said Julian. СA bit forgetful, like most people who work with their brains all the time. My brain goes fairly slowly - but my Uncle QuentinТs goes about a hundred miles an hour, and I bet the ProfessorТs does too! WeТll be all right!Т
Away went the bus, bumping over the road from Kirrin and Little Hollow, and on to Big Hollow. The four children gazed out of the windows as they passed alongside the shore, where the sea shone as blue as cornflowers, and once more saw Kirrin Island out in the big bay.
СWish we were going there!Т sighed George. СWeТll have to take a picnic meal there sometime, and enjoy ourselves. IТd like old Tinker to visit my island. He may have a lighthouse of his own, but having an island is MUCH better!Т
СI think I agree with you,Т said Julian. СTinkerТs lighthouse is certainly lovely and all on its own, and the view from it is amazing - but thereТs something about Kirrin Island that I love. Islands are quite different from anything else!Т
СYes. They are,Т said Anne. СIТd like one too. A very little one, so that I could see all round it at one glance. And IТd like one little cave to sleep in - just big enough for me.Т
СYouТd soon be lonely, Anne,Т said Dick, giving his sister a friendly pat. СYou love to have people round you, you like to be friendly!Т
СSo does Timmy!Т said Julian, as Timmy left his place by GeorgeТs knee and went to sniff at a net-bag held by an old man, who at once fondled the big dog, and fumbled for a biscuit out of a paper bag. СTimmy doesnТt mind how many people there are around, so long as one or two of them has a biscuit or a bone to hand out!Т
СCome to heel, Timmy,Т said George. СYouТre not to go round begging, telling people you are half-starved! I should think you eat more than any other dog in Kirrin. Who eats the catТs dinner whenever he can, I should like to know?Т
Timmy gave George a loving lick and settled down beside her, his head on her shoes. He got up politely every time someone entered or left the bus. The conductor was most impressed.
СI wish all dogs were as good on my bus as yours,Т he told George. СYouТd better get ready to jump out. Our next stop is supposed to be a little way beyond Big Hollow, but IТll ring my bell, and the driver will stop for a moment, and you can get out.Т
СThanks awfully,Т said Julian, gratefully, and when the bus stopped with a jerk a minute later, all the Five were ready to jump out.
The bus went on, and left them standing outside a large wooden gate. The drive from it led steeply downwards, and a large house could just be seen hidden in a hollow by great trees.
СBig Hollow!Т said Julian. СWell - here we are. What a queer place - sort of mysterious and brooding. Now to find old Tinker! I bet heТll be pleased to see us all, especially Timmy! Help me with the bags, Dick!Т


Chapter Three

BIG HOLLOW - AND TINKER AND MISCHIEF AGAIN!

The four children and Timmy went through the big, heavy gate, which groaned loudly. Timmy was very startled to hear the mournful creak, and barked sharply.
СSh!Т said George. СYouТll get into trouble with the Professor, Timmy, if you raise your voice like that. I expect weТll have to talk in whispers, so as not to disturb the Professor - so just see if you can whisper too.Т
Timmy gave a small whine. He knew he couldnТt whisper! He trotted at GeorgeТs heel as they all went down the steep drive to the house. It was a queer house, built sideways to the drive, and had astonishingly few windows.
СI expect Professor Hayling is afraid of people peering in at his work,Т said Anne. СItТs very, very secret, isnТt it?Т
СI know he uses miles and miles of figures,Т said Dick. СTinker told me one day that his monkey Mischief once chewed up a page of figures when he was very small - and Professor Hayling chased him for a whole hour, hoping to catch him and find even a few bits of paper still in his mouth, so that he could rescue at least part of his figures. But Mischief fled down a rabbit-hole and didnТt come up for two days, so it wasnТt any good.Т
Everyone smiled at the thought of poor Mischief hiding down a rabbit-hole. СYou couldnТt do that, Timmy old thing!Т said Julian. СSo just be careful of any paper you eat.Т
СHe wouldnТt be so silly,Т said George, at once. СHe knows perfectly well whatТs eatable and whatТs not.Т
СHa! Does he!Т said Anne. СWell, IТd just like to know what kind of food he thought my blue slipper was that he chewed up last hols!Т
СDonТt tell tales of him,Т said George. СHe only chewed it because someone shut him in your bedroom and he hadnТt anything else to do.Т
СWoof,Т said Timmy, quite agreeing. He gave AnneТs hand a little lick, as if to say, СVery sorry, Anne - but I was so bored!Т
СDear Timmy! I wouldnТt mind if you chewed up all my slippers!Т said Anne. СBut it would be nice if you chose the very oldest ones!Т
Timmy suddenly stopped and looked into the bushes. He gave a low growl! George put her hand on his collar at once. She was always afraid of snakes in the spring time.
СIt might be an adder!Т she said. СThe dog next door trod on one last year, so I heard, and his leg swelled up terribly, and he was in great pain. Come away now, Timmy - itТs an adder, with poison in its fangs!Т
But Timmy went on growling. Then he suddenly stood still and sniffed hard. He gave an excited whimper and pulled away from George, jumping into the bushes - and out came, not a snake, but Mischief, TinkerТs bright-eyed little monkey!
He at once leapt on to the dogТs broad back, put his little monkey fingers under TimmyТs collar, and chattered in delight. Timmy nearly dislocated his neck trying to twist his head round to lick him!
СMischief!Т cried everyone at once, in real delight. СYouТve come to welcome us!Т
And the little monkey, jabbering away excitedly in monkey-language, leapt first on to GeorgeТs shoulder, and then on to JulianТs. He pulled JulianТs hair, twisted his right ear round, and then leapt from him to Dick, and on to AnneТs shoulder. He cuddled into her neck, his eyes bright and brown, looking very happy.
СOh! IsnТt he pleased to see us again!Т said Anne, delighted. СMischief, whereТs Tinker?Т
Mischief jumped off AnneТs shoulder and scampered down the drive as if he quite understood all that Anne had said. The children raced after him - and then a stentorian voice suddenly roared at them from one side of the drive.
СWhat are you doing here? Clear out! This is private ground. IТll fetch the police. Clear OUT!Т
The Five stopped still in fright - and then Julian saw who it was - Professor Hayling! He stepped forward at once. СGood afternoon, sir,Т he said. СI hope we didnТt disturb you, but you did tell my aunt we could come here.Т
СYour aunt? WhoТs your aunt? I donТt know any aunt!Т roared the Professor. СYouТre sight-seers, thatТs what you are! Come to pry into my work, just because there was a piece about it in some silly paper! YouТre the third lot today. Clear out, I tell you - and take that dog too. How DARE you!Т
СBut sir - donТt you really know us?Т said Julian, very startled. СYou came to stay at our house, you know, and...Т
СStuff and nonsense! I havenТt been away for years!Т shouted the Professor. Mischief, the monkey, was so frightened that he leapt away into the bushes, making a funny little crying noise.
СI hope he fetches Tinker,Т said Julian, in a low voice to Dick. СThe Professor has forgotten who we are, and why weТve come. LetТs retreat a bit.Т
But as they went cautiously back up the steep path, followed by the angry Professor, a loud voice hailed them, and Tinker came racing up with Mischief on his shoulder, clinging to his hair. So the little monkey had gone to fetch him. СGood for him!Т thought Julian, pleased.