Читать книгу Five Go Off in a Caravan - Enid blyton - Страница 4

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The others stared at George’s excited face. She had gone quite red. Dick thumped on the ground.

‘A jolly good idea! Why didn’t we think of it before?’

‘Oh, yes! A caravan to ourselves! It sounds too good to be true!’ said Anne, and her eyes shone.

‘Well, I must say it would be something we’ve never done before,’ said Julian, wondering if it was really possible. ‘I say—wouldn’t it be gorgeous if we could go off into the hills—where that lake is that the boy spoke about? We could bathe there—and we could perhaps get to know the circus folk. I’ve always wanted to know about circuses.’

‘Oh, Julian! That’s a better idea still!’ said George, rubbing her hands together in delight. ‘I liked that boy Nobby, didn’t you?’

‘Yes,’ said everyone.

‘But I didn’t like his uncle,’ said Dick. ‘He looked a nasty bit of work. I bet he makes Nobby toe the mark and do what he’s told.’

‘Julian, do you think we’d be allowed to go caravanning by ourselves?’ asked Anne earnestly. ‘It does seem to me to be the most marvellous idea we’ve ever had.’

‘Well—we can ask and see,’ said Julian. ‘I’m old enough to look after you all.’

‘Pooh!’ said George. ‘I don’t want any looking after, thank you. And anyway, if we want looking after, Timmy can do that. I bet the grown-ups will be glad to be rid of us for a week or two. They always think the summer hols are too long.’

‘We’ll take Dobby with us to pull the caravan!’ said Anne suddenly, looking down at the field where Dobby stood, patiently flicking away the flies with his long tail. ‘Dobby would love that! I always think he must be lonely, living in that field all by himself, just being borrowed by people occasionally.’

‘Of course—Dobby could come,’ said Dick. ‘That would be fine. Where could we get the caravan from? Are they easy to hire?’

‘Don’t know,’ said Julian. ‘I knew a chap at school—you remember him, Dick, that big fellow called Perry—he used to go caravanning every hols with his people. They used to hire caravans, I know. I might find out from him where he got them from.’

‘Daddy will know,’ said Anne. ‘Or Mummy. Grown-ups always know things like that. I’d like a nice large caravan—red and blue—with a little chimney, and windows each side, and a door at the back, and steps to go up into the caravan, and ...’

The others interrupted with their own ideas, and soon they were all talking excitedly about it—so loudly that they didn’t see someone walking up and standing near by, laughing at the excitement.

‘Woof,’ said Timmy politely. He was the only one who had ears and eyes for anything else at the moment. The children looked up.

‘Oh, hallo, Mother!’ said Julian. ‘You’ve just come at the right moment. We want to tell you about an idea we’ve got.’

His mother sat down, smiling. ‘You seem very excited about something,’ she said. ‘What is it?’

‘Well, it’s like this, Mummy,’ said Anne, before anyone else could get a word in, ‘we’ve made up our minds that we’d like to go off in a caravan for a holiday by ourselves! Oh, Mummy—it would be such fun!’

‘By yourselves?’ said her mother doubtfully. ‘Well, I don’t know about that.’

‘Julian can look after us,’ said Anne.

‘So can Timmy,’ put in George at once, and Timmy thumped the ground with his tail. Of course he could look after them! Hadn’t he done it for years, and shared all their adventures? Thump, thump, thump!

‘I’ll have to talk it over with Daddy,’ said Mother. ‘Now don’t look so disappointed—I can’t decide a thing like this all by myself in a hurry. But it may fit in quite well because I know Daddy has to go up north for a little while, and he would like me to go with him. So he might think a little caravanning quite a good idea. I’ll talk to him tonight.’

‘We could have Dobby to pull the caravan, Mummy,’ said Anne, her eyes bright. ‘Couldn’t we? He’d love to come. He has such a dull life now.’

‘We’ll see, we’ll see,’ said her mother, getting up. ‘Now you’d better all come in and wash. It’s nearly tea-time. Your hair is terrible, Anne. What have you been doing?’

Everyone rushed indoors to wash, feeling distinctly cheerful. Mother hadn’t said NO. She had even thought it might fit in quite well. Golly, to go off in a caravan all alone—doing their own cooking and washing—having Dobby for company, and Timmy as well, of course. How simply gorgeous.

The children’s father did not come home until late that evening, which was a nuisance, for nobody felt that they could wait for very long to know whether they might or might not go. Everyone but Julian was in bed when he came home, and even when he, too, came to bed he had nothing to report.

He stuck his head into the girls’ bedroom. ‘Daddy’s tired and he’s having a late supper, and Mother won’t bother him till he’s feeling better. So we shan’t know till morning, worse luck!’

The girls groaned. How could they possibly go to sleep with thoughts of caravans floating deliciously in their heads—not knowing whether or not they would be allowed to go!

‘Blow!’ said George. ‘I shan’t go to sleep for ages. Get off my feet, Timmy. Honestly, it’s too hot to have you anywhere near me this weather.’

In the morning good news awaited the four children. They sat down at the breakfast-table, all very punctual for once, and Julian looked expectantly at his mother. She smiled at him and nodded.

‘Yes, we’ve talked it over,’ she said. ‘And Daddy says he doesn’t see why you shouldn’t have a caravan holiday. He thinks it would be good for you to go off and rough it a bit. But you will have to have two caravans, not one. We couldn’t have all four of you, and Timmy too, living in one caravan.’

‘Oh—but Dobby couldn’t pull two caravans, Mummy,’ said Anne.

‘We can borrow another horse,’ said Julian. ‘Can’t we, Mother? Thanks awfully, Daddy, for saying we can go. It’s jolly sporting of you.’

‘Absolutely super,’ said Dick.

‘Wizard!’ said George, her fingers scratching Timmy’s head excitedly. ‘When can we go? Tomorrow?’

‘Of course not!’ said Julian. ‘We’ve got to get the caravans—and borrow a horse—and pack—and all sorts of things.’

‘You can go next week, when I take your mother up north with me,’ said his father. ‘That will suit us very well. We can give Cook a holiday, too, then. You will have to send us a card every single day to tell us how you are and where you are.’

‘It does sound thrilling,’ said Anne. ‘I really don’t feel as if I can eat any breakfast, Mummy.’

‘Well, if that’s the effect the idea of caravanning has on you, I don’t think you’d better go,’ said her mother. Anne hastily began to eat her shredded wheat, and her appetite soon came back. It was too good to be true—to have two caravans—and two horses—and sleep in bunks perhaps—and cook meals outside in the open air—and ...

‘You will be in complete charge, you understand, Julian,’ said the boy’s father. ‘You are old enough now to be really responsible. The others must realise that you are in charge and they must do as you say.’

‘Yes, sir,’ said Julian, feeling proud. ‘I’ll see to things all right.’

‘And Timmy will be in charge, too,’ said George. ‘He’s just as responsible as Julian.’

‘Woof,’ said Timmy, hearing his name, and thumping the floor with his tail.

‘You’re a darling, Timmy,’ said Anne. ‘I’ll always do what you say, as well as what Julian says!’

‘Idiot!’ said Dick. He patted Timmy’s head. ‘I bet we wouldn’t be allowed to go without you, Timothy. You are a jolly good guard for anyone.’

‘You certainly wouldn’t be allowed to go without Timmy,’ said his mother. ‘We know you’ll be safe with him.’

It was all most exciting. The children went off to talk things over by themselves when breakfast was finished.

‘I vote we go caravanning up into the hills that boy spoke of, where the lake lies at the bottom—and camp there,’ said Julian. ‘We’d have company then—jolly exciting company, too. We wouldn’t live too near the circus camp—they might not like strangers butting in—but we’ll live near enough to see the elephant going for his daily walk, and the dogs being exercised ...’

‘And we’ll make friends with Nobby, won’t we?’ said Anne eagerly. ‘I liked him. We won’t go near his uncle, though. I think it’s queer that such a bad-tempered looking man should be the chief clown in a circus.’

‘I wonder when and where Mother will get the caravans!’ said Julian. ‘Gosh, won’t it be fun when we see them for the first time!’

‘Let’s go and tell Dobby!’ said Anne. ‘He is sure to be excited, too!’

‘Baby! He won’t understand a word you tell him!’ said George. But off she went with Anne just the same, and soon Dobby was hearing all about the wonderful holiday plan. Hrrrrumph! So long as it included him, too, he was happy!