"Jones, Diana Wynne - Chrestomanci 3 - 1982 - Witch Week" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jones Diana Wynne)

would be head of Larwood House. This suited Miss Hodge, who had her old father
to consider. For this, she was quite willing to put up with Mr. Wentworth's bald
patch and his tense and harrowed look. The only drawback was that putting up
with Mr. Wentworth also meant putting up with Brian. A little frown wrinkled
Miss Hodge's smooth forehead at the thought of Brian Wentworth. Now there was a
boy who quite deserved the way the rest of 6B were always on to him. Never mind.
He could be sent away to another school.
Meanwhile, in music, Mr. Brubeck was asking Brian to sing on his own. 6B had
trailed their way through "Here We Sit like Birds in the Wilderness." They had
made it sound like a lament. "I'd prefer a wilderness to this place," Estelle
Green whispered to her friend Karen Grigg. Then they sang "Cuckaburra Sits in
the Old Gum Tree." That sounded like a funeral dirge. "What's a cuckaburra?"
Karen whispered to Estelle.
"Another kind of bird," Estelle whispered back. "Australian."
"No, no, no!" shouted Mr. Brubeck. "Brian is the only one of you who doesn't
sound like a cockerel with a sore throat!"
"Mr. Brubeck must have birds on the brain!" Estelle giggled. And Simon
Silverson, who believed, strongly and sincerely, that nobody was worthy of
praise except himself, gave Brian a scathingly jeering look.
But Mr. Brubeck was far too addicted to music to take any notice of what the
rest of 6B thought. '"The Cuckoo Is a Pretty Bird, '" he announced. "I want
Brian to sing this to you on his own."
Estelle giggled, because it was birds again. Theresa giggled too, because anyone
who stood out for any reason struck her as exceedingly funny. Brian stood up
with the song book in his hands. He was never embarrassed. But instead of
singing, he read the words out in an incredulous voice.
'"The cuckoo is a pretty bird, she singeth as she flies. She bringeth us good
tidings, she telleth us no lies. ' Sir, why are all these songs about birds?" he
asked innocently. Charles thought that was a shrewd move of Brian's, after the
way Simon Silverson had looked at him.
But it did Brian no good. He was too unpopular. Most of the girls said, "Brian!"
in shocked voices. Simon said it jeeringly.
"Quiet!" shouted Mr. Brubeck. "Brian, get on and sing!" He struck notes on the
piano.
Brian stood with the book in his hands, obviously wondering what to do. It was
clear that he would be in trouble with Mr. Brubeck if he did not sing, and that
he would be hit afterward if he did. And while Brian hesitated, the witch in 6B
took a hand. One of the long windows of the hall flew open with a clap and let
in a stream of birds. Most of them were ordinary birds: sparrows, starlings,
pigeons, blackbirds, and thrushes, swooping around the hall in vast numbers and
shedding feathers and droppings as they swooped. But among the beating wings
were two curious furry creatures with large pouches, which kept uttering violent
laughing sounds, and the red and yellow thing swooping among a cloud of sparrows
and shouting "Cuckoo!" was clearly a parrot.
Luckily, Mr. Brubeck thought it was simply the wind which had let the birds in.
The rest of the lesson had to be spent in chasing the birds out again. By that
time, the laughing birds with pouches had vanished. Evidently the witch had
decided they were a mistake. But everyone in 6B had clearly seen them. Simon
said importantly, "If this happens again, we all ought to get together andЧ"
At this, Nirupam Singh turned around, towering among the beating wings. "Have