Читать книгу The Seaside Family - Enid blyton - Страница 5

Table of Contents

It was great fun planning the seaside holiday. They got out maps and pored over them.

“Let’s go to the east coast,” said Mummy. “It’s so healthy.”

“Too cold for me,” said Daddy, “Let’s go to the west coast.”

“What’s this little place down here?” said Belinda, pointing to where a bit of land curved out and made a small bay. “It looks lovely here—on the south coast.”

“That’s Sea-gull Cove,” said Mike, reading the name printed in very small letters. “What a lovely name!”

“Sea-gull Cove!” said Daddy, suddenly looking excited. “Why, I know that. I went there three times when I was a small boy—just for the day only, it’s true, but I never forgot it. It’s the dearest little cove you ever saw.”

“Let’s go there then,” said Mike, at once.

But Mummy wanted to know more about it. “Is the bathing safe? Does the tide come in too fast? Is the beach sandy or shingly?”

“The bathing’s safe, the tide comes in quickly, but that doesn’t matter, and the beach is golden sand—with shells all over it. Does that please you, Mummy?” said Daddy.

“And is there a good place for the caravans?” asked Mummy. “Is there a farmhouse near for food? Is there ...”

“Oh Mummy—just let’s go, and we’ll soon find out,” said Belinda. “Sea-gull Cove—it sounds just right.”

“I’ll pop down there and see if it’s still as I remember it,” said Daddy. “I’ll go this week. In the meantime I’ll arrange for another bunk to be put into the children’s caravan for Benjy—he’ll be coming to-morrow.”

The next day two men came along with some wood and went into the children’s caravan. Mike, Belinda and Ann followed them in, staring. The caravan was quite crowded out then!

“We’ll put the new bunk here—opposite the other bunks,” said the first man.

“Put it under the window, then Ben can look out,” said Belinda. “Will it fold down to be out of the way in the daytime?”

“Oh yes,” said the man. “Now—you’d better all get out of here, because when we start hammering and sawing we want a bit of space! My, these caravans are nice, aren’t they? I wouldn’t mind living in one myself. I suppose you wouldn’t sell me this one, miss?”

“Oh no,” said Belinda. “It’s our home. We’re the Caravan Family!”

“But we’ll soon be the Seaside Family,” said Ann, going down the steps outside the caravan. “Mike, Belinda—who’s this? Is it Benjy?”

A small boy, a bit younger than Mike, was standing rather forlornly at the gate of the field, a large bag beside him. He was looking over at the caravans.

“Yes. It must be Benjy,” said Mike. None of the children had seen him before. He was just the son of a friend of Daddy’s, and his mother was ill. That was all the children knew about him.

They went over to him. He didn’t look very strong. He had straight fair hair and rather pale blue eyes, and a nice, sudden smile.

“Are you Benjy?” said Mike, and the boy nodded.

“Well, I’m Mike—and this is Belinda—and this is Ann—they’re my sisters,” said Mike. “Come along and I’ll take you to our mother. You’re going to live with us for a bit, aren’t you?”

“In our caravan. And we’re just getting a bunk put in for you,” said Belinda.

“Don’t you think you’re lucky to be going to live in our caravan—a house on wheels?” said Ann.

“Well—I don’t know,” said Benjy. “I always thought it was gipsies who did that. I don’t know that I’m going to like it. I’d rather live in a house.”

This was such a surprising remark to the three children that they stared at Benjy without a word. Ann felt cross. How could anyone possibly prefer a house to their gay caravan?

Mike saw that Ann was going to say something that might sound rude to a visitor, so he spoke hurriedly.

“Come and see our mother. And I say—isn’t it grand—we’re all going off to the sea in two days’ time!”

Ben’s face brightened. “Oh—that’s better. We’ll be in a hotel then, I suppose?”

“No. In our caravan,” said Ann. “But if you don’t like sleeping inside, you can sleep underneath!”

Benjy was just going to answer back when the children’s mother came over to welcome him. She was so nice that Benjy was all smiles and politeness at once.

“You’re just in time for a meal, Benjy,” she said. “Such a nice one too—hard-boiled eggs and salad, and raspberries and cream! Will you like that?”

Benjy clearly thought that this was quite all right. Belinda pulled Ann aside. “Oh dear—he’ll spoil the holiday! How I do wish we were going by ourselves. And I’ll hate him in our caravan! What a pity!”