Читать книгу Fun for the Secret Seven - Enid blyton - Страница 3

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‘Peter! Peter, where are you?’ shouted Janet, racing up the stairs.

‘Here—in my room,’ called Peter, appearing at his door and looking very cross. ‘I’m tidying it up. Dad looked in this morning, and wanted to know if I liked living in a pigsty! He said the pigs were tidier than I am!’

‘Well—he was about right,’ said Janet, looking round the room. ‘Do you ever pick anything up when you drop it? Goodness, what’s this mess on the carpet—something stuck to it?’

‘Oh—so that’s where my nougat went!’ said Peter, scraping a sticky mess off the carpet. ‘Good thing Dad didn’t tread on that—it would have stuck to his shoe for ages!’

Janet gave a delighted chuckle. ‘You really are dreadfully untidy, Peter,’ she said. ‘I suppose I’d better tidy up your room for you before Daddy comes back again.’

‘What did you want me for?’ asked Peter, still scraping. ‘Ooh—it’s horrid, this. What a waste of a nice bar of nougat.’

‘Listen, Peter—a note came through the letter-box just now. It’s addressed to “Peter, Head of the Secret Seven”. So it’s for you. Who is it from, do you suppose?’

‘Oh, one of the others wants something, I expect. Maybe a meeting of the Seven for some reason,’ said Peter, tearing open the envelope. ‘Yes—it’s from Jack. Listen. He says:

‘ “Dear Peter,

“Will you call a meeting? I have had a strange request for help from Bob Smith. He’s in our form at school, you know. He didn’t say much except that he needs our help badly. He’s pretty upset. Perhaps the Secret Seven can help him—he’s a decent little fellow. Anyway—isn’t it about time we met again, before we all forget we’re the Secret Seven?

“Jack.” ’

‘Oh dear!’ said Janet. ‘He sounds rather high and mighty, doesn’t he? I suppose you ought to call the meetings more often, Peter. They’re great fun.’

‘Well, after all, so many of us go away during the summer holidays, it’s hardly worth holding meetings then,’ said Peter, rather red in the face. ‘I wonder what’s up with Bob Smith—and why he wants our help.’

‘We’ve only got a week or so before the autumn term begins,’ said Janet. ‘You’ll have to be quick about the meeting if we want to get all the members there.’

‘Right,’ said Peter. ‘I’ll scribble three notices of our next meeting, and you scribble two, Janet.’

So up they went to the playroom, and when Mother looked in to see why in the world they were both so quiet, she found them busily writing out the notes. She looked over Peter’s shoulder, and read what he had written.

Please come to a meeting in the shed at half past two this afternoon. No one admitted without the password. We have to discuss something important. Bob Smith will be at the meeting. I shall ask him five minutes later than anyone else, in case he overhears the password. Wear your badge else you won’t be allowed in.

Peter

‘Well!’ said Mother, in surprise. ‘Whatever does Bob Smith want help for? I think ...’

‘Oh, Mother—you shouldn’t have read that bit,’ said Janet. ‘It might be something secret. It will be fun to have another meeting! Peter—do you remember the password?’

‘Of course!’ said Peter. ‘But I bet you don’t.’

‘No—I don’t,’ said Janet. She grinned at Peter’s solemn face. ‘It’s all right. I’ve written it down in my diary, so all I have to do is to look it up. Ha! Ha! You were sure I’d forgotten it. You tell me what it is—I bet you don’t remember, either!’

‘Yes, I do,’ said Peter, crossly. ‘As if the head of the Secret Seven could forget his own password! It’s Scamper’s name—just “Scamper”. Easy!’

‘Thanks!’ said Janet, with a grin. ‘Now I shan’t have to look it up. Lovely password—Scamper!’

‘Wuff!’ said a surprised voice, and Scamper raised his head from the floor, where he had been lying waiting for the others to take him for a walk. He leapt up and ran to Peter, putting his lovely golden head on the boy’s knee. Peter patted the soft, silky head. ‘You coming to the meeting too, Scamper? All right. Half past two sharp. So don’t go rabbiting after dinner, because you won’t be let into the meeting-shed if you’re late!’

Scamper gave a small whine, and licked Peter’s hand. How could he be late when he was going with the two children?

‘Did you remember to tell Jack in your note that he could bring Bob Smith to the meeting?’ asked Janet.

‘Yes. But he’s to tell Bob to come five minutes after us, so that he doesn’t hear the password, and so that we can ask Jack what’s up with Bob, before we see him,’ said Peter, folding up the last of his notes. ‘Come on, now—we must deliver these at once, so that the others have plenty of notice about the meeting.’

They were soon on their way and went the round of Peterswood, popping the notes into various letterboxes. ‘I do hope everyone will be able to come!’ said Janet. ‘Shall we take something to eat and drink? It’s much more fun then.’

‘Yes. Mother will help with that,’ said Peter. ‘I’ll buy some sweets too. Luckily I’ve got some pocket-money left.’

‘Well, NOT nougat, then,’ said Janet, firmly. ‘Even Scamper is tired of licking up dropped pieces. Buy some boiled sweets. They take ages to suck, and everyone likes them. Oh, I am glad we’re to be the Secret Seven again! Come on, Scamper! We haven’t finished yet!’

It wasn’t long before all the notes had been delivered. They caused quite a bit of excitement. As soon as one had been dropped into Jack’s letter-box and he had run to pick it up, he read it and raced after the two children going out of his front gate.

‘Hey! I say! Are we really going to have a Secret Seven meeting this afternoon? Three cheers! I thought the Secret Seven had gone west!’

‘Then you were a fat-head,’ said Peter, ‘As soon as I had your note I arranged a meeting at once. We’re all back from holiday now, and it will be fun. Bring Bob Smith with you, as I said in my letter. We’ll try to help him if we can.’

‘I don’t really know what’s up,’ said Jack. ‘He didn’t tell me. But I do know he’s been going around looking pretty miserable. I bet we can help him!’

‘See you at the meeting, then,’ said Peter. ‘I suppose you’ve lost your badge as usual?’

‘I have not!’ said Jack, indignantly. ‘Just because I lost it once, you think I’m going to lose it always! And I didn’t lose it then; my sister Susie took it, as you very well know.’

‘Well, don’t shout at me,’ said Peter, grinning, ‘else that awful sister of yours will hear you and try to come to the meeting with Binkie, that silly, giggly, twitchy-nosed friend of hers.’

‘They’re both going to a party,’ said Jack, thankfully. ‘So they’ll be well out of the way. I do wonder what old Bob wants to tell us, don’t you?’

‘Well, we’ll soon find out,’ said Peter. ‘By the way, Bob is to wait outside till we’re ready to have him in. I put that in the note. Leave him some way off so that he can’t hear what our password is.’

‘Right,’ said Jack. ‘I’ve got the password written on the back of the calendar in my room. It’s ...’

‘Well, don’t shout it out, or Scamper will come rushing to you!’ said Peter, with a chuckle. ‘So long, Jack!’

When Peter and Janet had delivered all the notes, and had a little talk with each delighted member, they went home, just in time for dinner! The gong sounded as they went in at the garden door.

‘Wash your hands, quick!’ said Janet. ‘I’ll wash mine with you to save time. Put the bottle of boiled sweets where we can see them in case we forget them. All right, Mother—we’re coming! Just coming!’

Scamper raced into the dining-room with them, hungry as a hunter. Where was his bowl of meat? Ah, there it was. Good old Cookie, she had got him just the kind of meat he liked best. Soon he and the two children were all eating hungrily. Mother laughed.

‘Anyone would think that you two and Scamper hadn’t had a meal for weeks!’ she said. ‘Scamper—don’t gobble so. You’ll choke! There—I knew you would!’

However, Scamper went on gobbling and had finished his dinner almost before the children had eaten three mouthfuls. He went to his rug and lay down, yawning. Ah—that was good! He wouldn’t mind eating another whole plateful! He thought it was a pity that nobody ever offered him a second helping. He shut his eyes sleepily.

‘Hey—don’t you fall asleep, Scamper! You have to come to a Secret Seven meeting after we’ve finished dinner,’ called Peter.

‘Woof!’ said Scamper, sleepily. He shut one eye and kept the other open.

‘Funny to be half asleep and half awake like that,’ said Janet. ‘What’s in that package over there, Mother?’

‘Just a few new-made buns for the hungry Secret Seven!’ said Mother, smiling. ‘I made them this morning.’

‘Mother, you’re a pet,’ said Janet, and gave her a hug. ‘I don’t know why food tastes so nice when we all sit in the shed and talk. But it does.’

‘I’ve some boiled sweets too,’ Peter told his mother. ‘And I dare say one or two of the others will bring something. Golly—it will be fun to have a meeting again.’

At a quarter past two Peter and Janet left the house with Scamper, and went down to the meeting-shed. They carried the buns, the sweets, and four bottles of ginger beer.

‘Let’s hope one of the others brings something to drink too,’ said Peter. ‘Four bottles of fizz won’t go far between seven of us on this hot afternoon.’

‘Eight, you mean. Bob will be there,’ said Janet. ‘Nine, with Scamper!’

‘Woof!’ said Scamper, agreeing, his tail wagging hard.

Nobody had yet arrived at the shed. There it stood, the letters S.S. on the door. Janet pushed it open and looked inside. The shed was quite tidy, but it needed a dusting. She took the duster from a shelf and flicked it round the seats and little table. She put the bottle of sweets and the ginger beer on the table, and looked to see if the plastic mugs on the shelf were clean. What fun it was to be welcoming the Secret Seven members once more!

A knock came on the door and Peter spoke at once. ‘Password, please.’

‘Scamper,’ said the voice, in a low tone. And then other footsteps came and low voices spoke the password, ‘Scamper! Scamper! Scamper! Scamper!’

Scamper the spaniel was delighted to hear his name so often. He began to bark loudly, and leapt excitedly up at everyone as they came in.

‘Sit, Scamper! I shan’t use your name for a password again if you get so excited,’ said Peter. ‘Anyone would think you were the head of this meeting, not me! Sit!’

Scamper sat, his tail wagging beneath him. Oh, how good to see all the Seven again—Colin—Pam—Barbara—George—and Jack—and Peter and Janet, of course.

Jack had come in alone, leaving his friend Bob outside as he had been told. They all sat down, and Peter sat on the stool at the head of the little table.

‘Welcome!’ he said. ‘I’m glad you all remembered the password, and said it quietly. Now, Jack—will you please tell us exactly why you have called this meeting? But first call in Bob—he’ll have plenty to tell us!’