Читать книгу The Birthday Kitten - Enid blyton - Страница 3

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“Twins! You’d better begin to think what you want for your birthday!” said Mummy. “Granny was asking me what you’d like yesterday—and Auntie Sue asked me today.”

“Oh! Yes, we’ll think of our list straight away!” said Terry. “Come on, Tessie. I’ve got my pencil. Now—we want some new snap-cards, don’t we? Ours are so dirty!”

“Yes. And I’d love a new pencil-box,” said Tessie. “Someone dropped mine at school the other day, and the lid broke.”

Terry wrote “Tessie” at the top of one side of his piece of paper, and “Terry” on the other. “Now,” he said, “that’s PENCIL-BOX for you, Tessie—and I’ll put SNAP-CARDS down for me. And I want a book too—about animals.” He wrote that down under his own name.

“I’d like a book about birds,” said Tessie. “And I know the one I want. I saw it in a book-shop the other day. I’ll write down the title for you.”

“It would be a good idea to put BOOK-TOKENS too,” said Terry, nibbling the end of his pencil. “Mummy, can we put BOOK-TOKENS? Sometimes Granpa gives us such a dull book, and it’s a waste of reading then. But if he gave us a book-token it means we can go round the book-shop by ourselves and choose what we really like.”

“Of course put that down,” said Mummy. “You always choose sensible books. But put a few other things besides those you’ve already written, Terry. You won’t get everything you want, but at least there will be plenty for people to choose from.”

“Well, let’s put down a new doll for you, Tessie, and a new clockwork car for me,” said Terry. “And what about a jigsaw or some other game? And I’d love some paints.”

The lists grew quite long. Terry whispered to Tessie and she nodded.

“What are you whispering about?” asked Mummy, smiling. “Something special?”

“Yes,” said Terry. “I was wondering if it’s any use putting down what we always put down and never get, Mummy.”

“What’s that?” asked his mother.

“Well—we always put down a puppy or a kitten,” said Terry. “Always. But we’ve never had one yet.”

“Last Christmas I put down PUPPY three times on my list,” said Tessie, “and I got one—but it was a toy one! Just a nightdress case that holds my nightie beautifully—but I want a live one. Or a kitten—I don’t mind which!”

“Is it any good putting down puppy or kitten again, Mummy?” said Terry.

“Well—I don’t really want any animals till Baby is bigger,” said Mummy. “And then, you know, they cost money to feed if you are going to keep them properly—and a dog needs a kennel, because I couldn’t have him in the house while Baby is so small.”

“I don’t see why,” began Tessie. “We could look after him. I’d love to.”

“Darling, you are at school all day, except in the week-ends and holidays,” said her mother. “Wait till Baby is bigger.”

“We’ve waited so long,” said Terry mournfully. “We’re almost nine—and except for a hedgehog I kept out in the garden shed one winter, and a robin with a broken leg we kept till it mended, we’ve never had a proper pet.”

“I suppose, then, Mummy, it isn’t any good putting down a puppy or kitten on our list?” said Tessie.

“Not while Baby is small,” said her mother. “I don’t want to trip over animals when I’m carrying Baby about. What about putting down a canary? You could have that, if you like to look after it properly each day.”

“Yes. That’s a good idea. We’ll put down canary,” said Terry, and wrote it down under both their names in big letters “CANARY”. “It doesn’t matter which of us has it, we can share it. I only hope we get a cage with it!”

It seemed a long time before their birthday came. They always shared one between them because they were twins. Their mother made them a marvellous cake. She was icing it in the kitchen when they came running in from school one afternoon.

“Oh, go out of the kitchen, quickly!” said Mummy. “You mustn’t see your cake yet! Terry, look in the dining-room cupboard for me, please, and see if you can find a packet of tiny birthday-cake candles. Count out eighteen—nine for each of you—and bring them to me.”

“Birthdays are exciting!” said Tessie as she went with Terry to the dining-room. “Terry—do you think we’re going to have a puppy or kitten—or perhaps a canary?”

“I don’t know,” said Terry, hunting in the cupboard. “I haven’t heard a whine or a bark or a mew or a trill at all, not anywhere in the house. Have you?”

“No. I haven’t,” said Tessie. “Isn’t it a pity we’re so very fond of animals and haven’t any—and Bill over the road has a dog and rabbits and mice—and really doesn’t like them much. He’s always forgetting to feed them. It doesn’t seem fair.”

“Lots of things aren’t fair,” said Terry. “But you just can’t do anything about it! Here are the candles at last—in this corner. I’ll count out eighteen into your hand, Tessie. Fancy—eighteen—isn’t it a lot! I’m glad we’re twins and have a double birthday.”

They took the candles back to Mother—and just as they were going out of the kitchen, they heard a funny squeak! They stopped at once and looked at one another.

“A puppy!” whispered Terry. “I’m sure it was! Listen!”

They stood in the hall and listened again. Squeak! Squeeeak! Squeeeeak!

“Well—it may not be a puppy—but it’s something alive!” said Terry. “It doesn’t really sound like a puppy—or a kitten either, really.”

Tessie went to look out of the hall window. “The noise seems to come from outside somewhere,” she said. “There—I heard it again!”

They listened eagerly. And then Tessie gave a heavy sigh and said “Oh!” in such a miserable voice that Terry was astonished. “What’s the matter?” he said.

“Can’t you see what’s making the squeak?” said Tessie, disappointed. “Look—it’s our backgate! It’s swinging to and fro in the wind, and squeaking each time.”

“Horrible old gate!” said Terry, very disappointed too. “I’ll go out and oil you this minute—pretending to be a puppy, and squeaking just like one!”

“Cheer up!” said Tessie. “It’s our birthday tomorrow, and even if we don’t get a kitten or a puppy, we’ll have lots of other things. I vote we go to bed early tonight to make the birthday come quicker!”

“Well, if we don’t get some pet between us tomorrow, I’ll—I’ll—well, I don’t know what I’ll do!” said Terry. “Something FIERCE!”