Читать книгу Five Go to Demon's Rocks - Enid blyton - Страница 4

Table of Contents

George and her three cousins were already on their way back to Kirrin. They cycled along the lanes with Timmy, George’s dog, loping easily beside them.

‘Won’t it be fun to be at Kirrin Cottage again!’ said Anne. ‘It’s so lovely to look out of a window and see Kirrin Bay, blue as the sky! I vote we go over to the Island for a picnic!’

‘You’ll like to have your own kennel again, won’t you, Timmy?’ said George, and Timmy gave her ankle a quick lick, and barked.

‘It’s always so peaceful at Kirrin Cottage,’ said Dick. ‘And your mother’s so kind and jolly, George, I hope we shan’t upset Uncle Quentin with our talk and fun.’

‘I don’t think Father has any very important work on hand,’ said George. ‘Anyway, he’ll only have you for a week—it’s a pity that Professor friend of his is coming in a week’s time, or you could have stayed longer.’

‘Well, a week is quite a nice long time,’ said Julian. ‘Hallo—there’s our first glimpse of Kirrin Bay, look—as blue as ever!’

They were all glad to see the little blue bay, and to catch sight of Kirrin Island lying there peacefully in the sun. ‘You’re lucky, George, to have an island all of your own,’ said Anne. ‘One that is really and truly yours!’

‘Yes, I am lucky!’ said George. ‘I was never so pleased in all my life as the day Mother gave it to me. It’s belonged to our family for years, of course—and now it’s mine! We’ll go over there tomorrow!’

At last they came to the end of their journey. ‘I can see the chimneys of Kirrin Cottage!’ said Julian, standing up on the pedals of his bicycle. ‘And the kitchen fire is going—I can see smoke. The dinner must be cooking!’

‘I can smell it!’ said Dick, sniffing. ‘I think it’s sausages.’

‘Ass,’ said the other three together, and laughed. They rode up to the back gate, and leapt off their bicycles. They put them into the shed, and George gave a shout!

‘Mother! We’re home! Where are you?’

She had hardly finished yelling when Anne suddenly clutched her arm.

‘George—what’s that? Look! Peeping out of the window there!’

They all looked—and George shouted in astonishment: ‘It’s a monkey! a monkey! No, Timmy. No—come back! timmy!’

But Timmy too had seen the quaint little face peering out of the window, and had shot off to investigate. Was it a small dog? Or a queer sort of cat? Anyway, whatever it was, he was going to chase it away! He barked at the top of his voice as he galloped indoors, and almost knocked over a small boy there. The monkey, terrified, at once leapt on to the picture-rail that ran round the room.

‘You leave my monkey alone, you big bully you!’ cried a furious voice; and through the open door George saw a small boy give Timmy a sharp smack. She raced indoors, and gave the small boy a smack as sharp as the one he had given Timmy! Then she glared at him angrily.

‘What are you doing here? How dare you hit my dog? It’s a good thing he didn’t eat you up. And what’s that creature doing up there?’

The little monkey was terrified. It sat clinging to the picture-rail, trembling, making a piteous chattering noise. Julian came in just as Joan and cook arrived from upstairs.

‘What’s all this?’ she said. ‘You’ll have your father racing out of his study in a minute, George. Stop barking at the little monkey, Timmy, for goodness sake! And stop crying, Tinker, and take your monkey away before Timmy eats him.’

‘I’m not crying,’ said Tinker fiercely, rubbing his eyes. ‘Come here, Mischief. I won’t let that dog hurt you! I’ll—I’ll ...’

‘You take your monkey away, old son,’ said Julian gently, thinking that the small boy was very brave to imagine he could fight old Timmy. ‘Run along.’

Tinker made a clicking sound and the monkey dropped at once on to his shoulder, and nuzzled there. It put its tiny arms round the boy’s neck, and made a little choking noise.

‘Oh—poor little mite—it’s crying!’ said Anne. ‘I didn’t know monkeys could cry. Timmy, don’t frighten it again, please don’t. You mustn’t bully tiny things.’

‘Timmy never bullies anything!’ said George at once, frowning at Anne. ‘But after all, what do you expect him to do when he comes home and finds a strange boy and a monkey here. Who are you, boy?’

‘I shan’t tell you,’ said Tinker, and marched out of the room, the monkey still whimpering into his neck.

‘Joan—who on earth is he?’ asked Dick. ‘And what is he doing here?’

‘I thought you wouldn’t like it,’ said Joan. ‘It’s that Professor friend of your father’s, George—the one who was coming to stay next week. He telephoned this morning to say he was coming this week instead—and bringing his boy as well! He didn’t say anything about a monkey, though!’

‘Are they staying here?’ said George, in horror. ‘How can Mother let them—she knew we were all coming today! How mean of her, how ...’

‘Be quiet, George,’ said Julian. ‘Let Joan go on.’

‘Well, they arrived before anything could be done to stop them,’ said Joan. ‘And now your father is shut up in his study with Professor Hayling—the boy’s father—and your mother and I are at our wit’s end to know where to put you all. The boy and his father—and I suppose the monkey too—are sharing the guest-room.’

‘But that’s where Julian and Dick were going to sleep!’ said George, losing her temper again. ‘I’ll go and tell Mother that boy can’t stay, I’ll ...’

‘Don’t be an ass, George,’ said Julian. ‘We’ll manage somehow. We can’t go back home because our house will be all shut up now.’

‘You could sleep up in the loft,’ said Joan, sounding rather doubtful. ‘But it’s very dusty and terribly draughty. I could put a couple of mattresses up there for you.’

‘All right,’ said Julian. ‘We’ll make do up in the loft. Thanks, Joan. Where’s Aunt Fanny? Does she mind all this?’

‘Well—she’s a bit rushed,’ said Joan. ‘But you know what your aunt is—always so kind, never thinks of herself. That Professor Hayling! Just walked into the house as if he owned it, bringing luggage and that most peculiar little boy—and a monkey! Though the monkey seems a nice enough little thing. It came and watched me wash up, and bless me if it didn’t try to dry the plates for me!’

The kitchen door swung open and George’s mother came in. ‘Hallo, dears!’ she said smiling. ‘I thought I heard Timmy barking. Dear Timmy—wait till you see the monkey!’

‘He’s seen him already,’ said George, scowling. ‘Mother, how could you take people in when you knew we were coming home today?’

‘That’s enough, George,’ said Julian, who saw how worried his aunt looked. ‘Aunt Fanny, we won’t be any trouble! We’ll keep out of the house as much as we can, we’ll do the shopping for you, we’ll go across to Kirrin Island and keep out of your way, we’ll ...’

‘You’re kind, Julian,’ said his aunt, and smiled at him. ‘Things will be rather difficult—especially as Professor Hayling never can remember to come to meals in time, and you know what your uncle is! He could forget breakfast, dinner and supper for a whole year, and then wonder why he felt hungry!’

That made everyone laugh. Julian slipped his arm round his aunt and gave her a hug. ‘We’ll sleep in the loft,’ he said, ‘and enjoy it, too. The girls will help with the housework, and Dick and I will do the odd jobs. You’ve no idea how fine I look with an apron round my waist, and a broom in my hand!’

Even George smiled at the idea of Julian wearing an apron. Then Timmy went suddenly to the half-open door and barked. He could smell that monkey again. He heard a high chattering noise, and pushed the door open at once. What! Was that monkey calling him rude names?

He saw the little creature sitting on the top of the rail at the foot of the stairs. It saw Timmy, and danced up and down, sounding as if it were laughing. Timmy raced to the rail and leapt up, barking fiercely.

The study door flew open and out marched not one angry Professor, but two!

‘WHAT’S ALL THIS NOISE? CAN’T WE HAVE A MOMENT’S PEACE?’

‘Oh dear!’ said Mrs Kirrin, foreseeing this kind of thing happening twenty times a day, now that Timmy and the others were here. She shushed the two angry men.

‘Now, now—Timmy just isn’t used to the monkey yet. Go back, please, and shut the door. I’ll see you aren’t disturbed again!’

‘woof-woof!’ shouted Timmy, using his very loudest bark, and Professor Hayling shot back into the study at top speed!

‘Any more rudeness from Timmy and I’ll have him sent away!’ roared Mr Kirrin, and he too disappeared.

‘well!’ said George, her face red with anger. ‘What does he mean by that, Mother? If Timmy goes, I go too! Oh look at that monkey—he’s sitting on top of the grandfather clock now! He ought to be sent away, horrid little mischievous thing—not old Timmy!’