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

TAPPERТS TRAVELLING CIRCUS

СHoo! IТll tell Mr Tapper what I think of him, coming into my field!Т said Tinker to himself. Mischief the monkey was on his shoulder, jogging up and down as Tinker marched along, muttering furiously.
Four or five children from the caravans looked at him curiously as he marched along. One small boy rushed up to him, shouting in delight to see the monkey.
СA monkey, look, a monkey!Т he cried. СMuch smaller than our chimp. WhatТs he called, boy?Т
СMind your own business,Т said Tinker. СWhereТs Mr Tapper?Т
СMr Tapper? Oh, you mean our Grandad!Т said the boy. СHeТs over there, look, beside that big van. Better not talk to him now, boy. HeТs that busy!Т
Tinker walked over to the van and addressed the man there. He was rather fierce-looking and had a long, bushy beard, enormous eye-brows that hung down over his eyes, a rather small nose, and only one ear. He looked inquiringly down at Tinker, and put out his hand to Mischief.
СMy monkey might bite you,Т said Tinker, at once. СHe doesnТt like strangers.Т
СIТm no stranger to any monkey,Т said the man in a deep-down voice. СThere isnТt a monkey in the world, nor a chimp either that wouldnТt come to me if I called it. Nor a gorilla, see?Т
СWell, my monkey wonТt come to you,Т said Tinker, angrily. СBut what IТve come to say is...Т
Before he could finish his sentence, the man made a curious noise in his throat - rather like Mischief did when he was pleased about anything. Mischief looked at the man in surprised delight - and then leapt straight from TinkerТs shoulder to his, nuzzling against his neck, making little crooning noises. Tinker was so amazed that he stared without saying a word.
СSee?Т said the man. СHeТs my little friend already. DonТt gawp so, little fellow. IТve trained the monkey family all my life. You lend me this little chap and IТll teach him to ride a small tricycle in two days!Т
СCome here, Mischief!Т said Tinker, amazed and angry at the monkeyТs behaviour. But Mischief cuddled down still farther into the big manТs neck. The man hauled him out and handed him to Tinker.
СThere you are,Т he said. СNice little fellow he is. What is it you wanted to say to me?Т
СIТve come to say that this field belongs to my father, Professor Hayling,Т said Tinker. СAnd youТve no right to bring your caravans here. So please take them all out. I and my friends are planning to camp out here.Т
СWell, IТve no objection to that,Т said the big man, good-temperedly. СYou choose your own corner, young sir. If you donТt interfere with us, we shanТt interfere with you!Т
A boy of about TinkerТs age came sidling up, and looked at Tinker and Mischief with interest. СIs he selling you that monkey, Grandad?Т he asked.
СNo, IТM NOT!Т almost shouted Tinker. СI came to tell you and your caravans to clear out. This field belongs to my family.Т
СAh, but weТve an old licence to come here every ten years, and show our circus,Т said the bearded man. СAnd believe it or not, thereТs been a TapperТs circus in this field every ten years since the year 1648. So you just run home and make no silly fuss, young man.Т
СYouТre a fibber!Т cried Tinker, losing his temper. СIТll tell the police! IТll tell my father! IТll...Т
СDonТt you talk to my old Grandad like that!Т shouted the boy, standing beside the old man. СIТll hit you if you do!Т
СIТll say what I like!Т shouted Tinker, his temper now quite lost. СAnd just you shut up!Т
The very next moment Tinker found himself flat on his back on the grass. The boy had shot out his fist and hit Tinker hard in the chest! He struggled to his feet, red in the face, quite furious.
The old man fended him away. СDonТt you be silly now, boy,Т he said. СThis youngster is a Tapper, like me, and heТll never give in. You go home and be sensible. We ainТt going to take notice of a hot-headed little kid like you. Our circus is coming in this here field, just like it has for years and years!Т
He turned and walked to the nearest caravan. It was drawn by horses, and he clicked to them. They strained forward and the caravan followed. Others behind began to move too. The circus boy put his tongue out at Tinker. СSucks to you!Т he said. СNobody gets the better of my Grandad - or of me either! Still - it was plucky of you to go for him. I enjoyed it.Т
СShut up!Т said Tinker, alarmed to find himself very near to tears. СYou just wait till my Dad tells the police! YouТll all go out much quicker than you came in - and one of these days IТll knock you down!Т
He turned and ran back to the gate. He wondered what to do. He had so often heard his father say that the field behind their house belonged to him, and that he had let this or that farmer have the grazing rights for his horses or cattle. How DARE the Travelling Circus come into his fatherТs field?
СIТll tell Dad,Т he said to Anne, who was waiting at the gate. СHe ought to turn them out! ItТs our field and I love it, especially just now when itТs so green and beautiful, and the hedges are just going to be covered in white may. IТll tell Dad that boy knocked me down - shot out his fist just like that - and down I went. IТd like to do the same to him!Т
He went into the house, followed by a puzzled Anne.
He looked into the sitting-room and saw George there.
СTinker! That boy knocked you down!Т said Anne, in a horrified voice. СWhy did he do that?Т
СOh - just because I told his Grandad to take his caravans away,Т said Tinker, feeling rather grand. СHe didnТt hurt me at all - just punched me on the chest. Still - I said what I had gone to say.Т
СBut will they take the caravans away out of the field?Т asked Anne.
СI told them IТd tell the police,Т said Tinker. СSo I bet theyТll skedaddle. They havenТt any right to be there. ItТs our field!Т
СAre you going to the police?Т asked George, disbelievingly. СI really donТt see why you have to make such a fuss about it all, Tinker. They might make it difficult for us to go camping there.Т
СBut I tell you itТs my field - DadТs always said so!Т said Tinker. СHe said it wasnТt any use to him, so I could consider it my own. And I do. AND weТre going to camp in it, whatever anyone says! ItТs a travelling circus thatТs coming there, so the old man said.Т
СOh TINKER! How marvellous to have a circus at the bottom of the garden!Т said George, her eyes shining, and Anne nodded too. Tinker glared at them.
СJUST like girls to say a thing like that!Т he said. СWould you want people trespassing all over a field that belonged to you, with horses neighing and tigers and lions roaring, and bears grunting, and chimpanzees stealing things - and nasty little circus boys being rude all the time, ready to knock you down.Т
СOh Tinker! You do make it sound so exciting!Т said George. СWill there really be lions and tigers? Suppose one escaped - what a thrill!Т
СWell - I shouldnТt like that,Т said Anne, at once. СI donТt particularly want a lion peering in at my window, or a bear clomping round my bedroom!Т
СNeither do I,Т said Tinker, in a most decided voice. СThatТs why IТm going to tell Dad about it. HeТs got the old documents that set out our rights to that field. He showed me them one day. IТll ask him about them, and if heТll let me see them, IТll take them straight to the police and let them turn out that rude old man and his horrible circus.Т
СHow do you know itТs horrible?Т asked George. СIt might be awfully good. IТm sure theyТd let us camp in the corner nearest the garden, and weТd get an awfully good view of whatТs going on all the time. Look - thereТs your father strolling down the path, smoking a pipe. He never does that if heТs busy. It would be a good time to go and ask him about the document. He might even show it to us.Т
СAll right,Т said Tinker, rather sulkily. СBut youТll see IТm right. Come on.Т
However, Tinker proved to be quite, quite wrong! His father went to fetch the old, yellowed piece of parchment at once. СHa! Here it is!Т he said. СItТs pretty valuable too, because itТs so old. It dates back quite a few centuries.Т
He undid the rather dirty piece of ribbon round it and unrolled it. Neither the girls nor Tinker could read the old-fashioned lettering.
СWhat does it all say?Т asked Anne, with great interest.
СIt says that the field known as УCromwellТs CornerФ is to be held by the Hayling Family for always,Т said Professor Hayling. СIt was given to them by Cromwell because our family allowed them to camp in that field when they sorely needed a rest after battle. ItТs been ours ever since.Т
СSo NOBODY else is allowed to camp in it, or use it for grazing or anything, unless we say so!Т said Tinker, triumphantly.