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

СOh, JENNY!Т said Tinker, in dismay. СThat means that the two beds for visitors canТt be slept in! What ever are we to do?Т
СWell, your Dad will have to ring up for new mattresses to be sent today,Т said Jenny. СMaybe they would send them out by van.Т
Tinker immediately became a furniture van and rushed down the passage, into the dining-room and back again, Mischief following him in delight. He made a noise exactly like a slow-moving van, and the children couldnТt help laughing.
The Professor shot out of his study, his hands to his ears. СTINKER! COME HERE!Т
СNo thanks,Т said Tinker, warily. СSorry, Father. I was a van bringing the mattresses you forgot to order for the beds for visitors.Т
But the Professor didnТt seem to hear. He advanced on Tinker, who fled upstairs with Mischief leaping after him. Professor Hayling turned on Jenny.
СCanТt you keep the children quiet? What do I pay you for?Т
СCleaning, cooking and washing,Т she said, briskly. СBut IТm not a nurse for children, sir. That Tinker of yours could do with half a dozen nurses, and heТd still be a nuisance to you while he was in the house. Why donТt you let him take his tent and camp out in the field with his friends? ItТs hot weather and those new mattresses havenТt come, and theyТd all love it. I can cook for the children and take them out meals - or they could come and fetch them.Т
The Professor looked as if he could give Jenny a big hug. The children waited eagerly to see what he would say. Camping out - that would be fun in this weather - and honestly, living in the same house as the Professor wasnТt going to be much fun. Timmy gave a little whine as if to say, СFine idea! LetТs go at once!Т
СGood idea, Jenny. VERY good idea!Т said Professor Hayling. СBut that monkeyТs to camp out too. Then perhaps he wonТt jump in at my workroom window and fiddle about with my models!Т
He marched back into his study and slammed the door so hard that the whole house shook. Timmy was startled and gave a yelp. Mischief the monkey leapt up the stairs, howling in fright. Tinker began to dance round in joy, and very firmly Jenny took hold of him and propelled him into her big, clean kitchen.
СWait, Jenny, IТve remembered something. WeТve only one tent, and thatТs mine, a small one. IТll have to ask Dad if I can get two big ones!Т And before anyone could stop him he was banging at the ProfessorТs door, then flung it open, and shouted out his request.
СWE WANT TWO MORE TENTS, DAD. CAN I BUY THEM?Т
СFor goodness sake, Tinker, clear out and leave me alone!Т shouted his father. СBuy six tents if you want them, but GET OUT!Т
СOoh, thanks, Dad!Т said Tinker, and was just slipping out of the door when his father yelled again.
СBut what on earth do you want TENTS for?Т
Tinker slammed the door and grinned at the others. СIТd better buy Dad a new memory. HeТs only just told us we can camp out, and he knows thereТs only my very small tent - almost a toy one.Т
СIТm glad we shanТt be in the house,Т said Anne. СI know what a nuisance it is to GeorgeТs father to have us around, playing about. WeТll be better out of the way.Т
СCamping out again!Т said George, very pleased. СLetТs catch the bus back home and get our own tents. IТve got them all stored away in the garden shed. We can ask Jim the Carrier to fetch them, when weТve found them.Т
СHeТs calling here today - IТll give him the message for you, if you like,Т said Jenny. СThe sooner you get the tents, the better. It was a kind thought of the masterТs to ask you all here, but I just knew it wouldnТt work! YouТll be all right out in the fields at the back of the house - he wonТt hear a thing, not even if you all yell together! So you get your tents and put them up, and IТll see what I can find in the way of ground-sheets and rugs.Т
СDonТt bother, Jenny,Т said Julian. СWeТve got all those things - weТve often camped out before.Т
СI only hope there arenТt any cows in the fields,Т said Anne. СLast time we camped, a cow put its head into my tent opening, and mooed. I woke up with such a jump, and I was too scared to move.Т
СI donТt think, there are any cows,Т said Jenny, laughing. СNow I am to get on with the washing-up, so will you bring out the dinner things please - but donТt let that monkey carry anything breakable, for goodness sake! He tried to balance the teapot on his head last week - and that was the end of the teapot!Т
Soon everyone was cleaning away with a will, and the two girls helped Jenny with the washing-up.
СI shall like camping out,Т Anne told her. СIТd be scared of staying here in the house. Professor Hayling is a bit like my Uncle Quentin, you know - forgetful, and quick-tempered and a bit shouty.Т
СOh, you donТt want to be scared of him,Т said Jenny, handing Anne a dish to dry. СHeТs kind, for all his crossness, when heТs upset. Why, when my mother was ill, he paid for her to go into a really good nursing-home - and believe it or not, he gave me money to buy her fruit and flowers!Т
СOh goodness - that reminds me - we MUST send our cook, Joan, some flowers,Т said George. СShe has scarlet fever, you know. ThatТs why weТre here.Т
СWell, you go and telephone the florist,Т said Jenny. СIТll finish this job.Т
But George was rather afraid that Professor Hayling might rush out to see who was using the telephone!
СIТm sure we can buy flowers in Kirrin Village, and have them sent,Т she said. СWeТve got to go and get our things ready for the carrier, and I can order the flowers then. We might as well come back on our bicycles - theyТd be useful here.Т
СWell, youТd better go now,Т said Jenny, Сor you wonТt be back in time for tea, and then thereТd be trouble.Т
СIТll bring back AnneТs bicycle,Т said Julian. СI can easily manage it beside mine, as I ride back.Т
СLook George,Т said Dick, Сyou neednТt come. IТll order the flowers and I can bring your bike back too. So you stay with Anne.Т Reluctantly George agreed.
Off went Julian and Dick, leaving Tinker and the girls to help Jenny. But Jenny soon sent Tinker off afraid that he would drop things and break them.
СYou go and be a nice, quiet, purring Rolls Royce at the bottom of the garden,Т she said.СAnd when you think youТve done thirty miles or so, come back for petrol.Т
СLemonade, you mean!Т said Tinker, with a grin. СAll right. I havenТt been a Rolls Royce for a long time. Dad wonТt hear me right at the bottom of the garden!Т
Off he went, and Jenny and the girls finished the washing-up. Mischief was a nuisance and went off with the teaspoons. He leapt to the top of a high cupboard, and dropped them there.
Tinker suddenly put his head in at the window. СCome on out in the field, where weТre going to put up our tents,Т he called to Anne and George. СWeТll choose a nice sheltered spot. Buck up! You must have finished washing-up by now. IТm tired of being a Rolls Royce!Т
СYou go with him, Anne,Т said George. СI donТt feel like it just now.Т
So down the garden went the two children and out through a gate at the bottom into a big field.
СGood gracious!Т said Tinker, staring. СLook at all those caravans coming in at the gate the other end of the field. IТll soon send them off. ItТs OUR field!Т And away he marched to the gate in the distance.
СCome BACK, Tinker,Т shouted Anne. СYouТll get into trouble if you interfere. COME BACK!Т
But Tinker marched on, his head held high. Ha - heТd soon tell the caravan-folk it was HIS field!


Chapter Five

THE TRAVELLING CIRCUS

Anne watched anxiously as Tinker went on and on over the field. There were now four caravans trundling in, at the far gate, and behind them, in the lane, were vans - enormous vans - all with enormously large words painted on them.