Читать книгу The Naughtiest Girl Again - Enid blyton - Страница 3

Table of Contents

Elizabeth was excited. The long summer holidays were almost over, and it was time to think of going back to school. Her mother, Mrs. Allen, was busy getting all her things ready, and Elizabeth was helping her to pack the big trunk.

‘Oh, Mummy, it’s fun to think I’ll see all my friends again soon!’ said Elizabeth. ‘It’s lovely to be going back to Whyteleafe School once more. The winter term ought to be great fun.’

Her mother looked at Elizabeth and laughed. ‘Elizabeth,’ she said, ‘do you remember what a fuss you made about going away to school for the first time last term? Do you remember how you said you would be so naughty and disobedient that you would soon be sent back home again? I’m glad to see you so happy this term—looking forward to going back.’

‘Oh, Mummy, I was stupid and silly,’ said Elizabeth, going red as she remembered herself a few months back. ‘Goodness, when I remember the things I said and did! Do you know, I wouldn’t even share the cakes and things I took back? And I was so awfully rude and naughty in class—and I just wouldn’t go to bed at the right time or do anything I was told. I was quite, quite determined to be sent back home!’

‘And after all you weren’t sent back, because you found you wanted to stay,’ said Mrs. Allen, with a smile. ‘Well, well—I hope you won’t be the naughtiest girl in the school this term.’

‘I don’t expect I shall,’ said Elizabeth. ‘I shan’t be the best either—because I do fly into tempers, you know, and I don’t think before I speak. I’m sure to get into trouble of some sort! But never mind, I’ll get out of it again, and I’ll really do my best this term.’

‘Good girl,’ said her mother, shutting down the lid of the trunk. ‘Now look, Elizabeth—this is your tuck-box. I’ve put a tin of toffees in, a big chocolate-cake, a tin of shortbread, and a large pot of black-currant jam. That’s all I can get in. But I think it’s enough, don’t you?’

‘Oh yes, thank you, Mummy,’ said Elizabeth joyfully. ‘The others will love all those. I wonder if Joan’s mother will give her a tuck-box this term.’

Joan was Elizabeth’s friend. She had been to stay with Elizabeth in the summer holidays and the two had had a lovely time together. Then Joan had gone back home again for a week or two before school began. Elizabeth was looking forward to seeing her friend again—what fun to sleep in the same dormitory together, to sit in the same form, and to play the same games!

Elizabeth had told her mother all about Whyteleafe School. It was a school for boys and girls together, and the children ruled themselves, and were seldom punished by the masters or mistresses. Every week a big School Meeting was held, and all the children had to attend. The Head Boy and Girl were the Judges, and twelve monitors, chosen by the children themselves, were the Jury. Any grumbles or complaints had to be brought to the Meeting, and if any child had behaved wrongly, the children themselves thought out a suitable punishment.

Poor Elizabeth had suffered badly at the weekly Meetings, for she had been so naughty and disobedient, and had broken every rule in the school. But now she had come to see that good behaviour was best not only for herself but for the whole school too, and she was very much looking forward to everything. Perhaps this term she could show just how good she could be, instead of just how naughty!

She was to leave the next day. Everything was packed up. She had a new lacrosse stick and a new hockey stick, for both games were played at Whyteleafe. Elizabeth was very proud of these. She had never played either game before, but she meant to be very good indeed at them. How she would run! What a lot of goals she would shoot!

Her mother took her up to London to catch the train that was ready to take her and the other girls to the school. Elizabeth danced on to the London platform, and cried out in delight to see all her friends waiting there.

‘Joan! You’re here first!’ cried Elizabeth.

‘Joan! You’re here first! Oh, how do you do, Mrs. Townsend! Have you come to see Joan off?’

‘Yes,’ said Mrs. Townsend. ‘How do you do, Mrs. Allen? I’m glad to see the naughtiest girl in the school looking so delighted to be going back to Whyteleafe again!’

‘Oh, don’t tease me,’ said Elizabeth. ‘I’m not the naughtiest girl any more! Oh, look—there’s Nora! Nora, Nora! Did you have good holidays?’

Nora, tall and dark, turned and waved to Elizabeth. ‘Hallo, kid!’ she said. ‘So you’re coming back again, are you? Dear, dear, we shall have to make a whole set of new rules for you, I expect.’

Mrs. Townsend laughed. ‘There you are, Elizabeth!’ she said. ‘Everybody will tease you. They will find it hard to forget how naughty you were in your first term at Whyteleafe!’

‘Look! There’s Harry!’ cried Joan. ‘Harry! You know those rabbits you gave Elizabeth and me last term? Well, they’re grown up now, and they’ve got babies of their own. I’ve got two of them with me to take back to school for my own pets.’

‘Good!’ said Harry. ‘Hallo, Elizabeth! How brown you are! Hie, John—here’s Elizabeth! You’d better start planning your winter gardening with her.’

John Terry came up. He was a tall, strong boy, about twelve years old, so fond of gardening that he was head of the school garden, under Mr. Johns, a master. He and Elizabeth had planned all kinds of things for the winter term.

‘Hallo, Elizabeth!’ he said. ‘Have you brought that gardening book you promised? Good! We’ll have some fun this term, digging, and burning up rubbish!’

Richard took Elizabeth’s arm.

The two of them talked eagerly for a minute or two, and then another boy came up, dark-haired and serious-faced. He took Elizabeth’s arm.

‘Hallo, Richard!’ said Elizabeth. ‘You are a mean thing—you said you’d write to me and you didn’t! I bet you haven’t practised once during the holidays!’

Richard smiled. He was a splendid musician for his age and could play both piano and violin beautifully. He and Elizabeth shared a great love for music, and the two of them had been twice encored when they had played duets at the school concert.

‘I went to stay with my grandfather,’ he said. ‘He has a really marvellous violin, and he let me use it. I just didn’t think of anything but music all the time I was on holiday. Thanks for your card. The writing was so bad that I could only read your name at the end—but still, thanks all the same!’

‘Oh!’ began Elizabeth indignantly, and then she saw the twinkle in Richard’s eye, and laughed. ‘Oh, Richard, I hope Mr. Lewis lets us learn duets again this term!’

‘Say good-bye to your people now,’ said Miss Ranger, coming up to the little group. ‘The train is just going. Find places as quickly as you can.’

Miss Ranger was Elizabeth’s form-mistress. She was strict, very just, and quite a jolly person. Elizabeth and Joan were delighted to see her again. She smiled at them and went on to the next group.

‘Do you remember how Miss Ranger sent you out of the room last term for flipping your rubber at people?’ said Joan, with a giggle, as the two of them jumped into a carriage. Elizabeth laughed. She turned to her mother.

‘Good-bye, Mummy darling!’ she said. ‘You needn’t worry about me this term! I’ll do my best, not my worst!’

The engine whistled loudly. Every boy and girl was now safely in the train. The mothers, fathers, uncles, and aunts waved good-bye. The train pulled out of the station and London was soon left behind.

‘Now we’re really off!’ said Elizabeth. She looked round the carriage. Belinda was there, and Nora. Harry had got in, and John Terry too. John was already pulling out a bag of sweets. He offered them round. Everybody took one, and soon chatter and laughter filled the carriage, as the children told about their holidays.

‘Is there anybody new this term, I wonder?’ said Joan. ‘I haven’t seen anyone yet.’

‘Yes—there are two or three new-comers,’ said John. ‘I saw a boy down the other end of the train, and a couple of girls. I should think they’d be in your form. I didn’t like the look of the boy much—sulky-looking creature!’

‘What are the girls like?’ asked Joan. But John hadn’t noticed. ‘Anyway, we shall soon see what they’re like when we arrive,’ said Joan. ‘I say, Elizabeth, what have you got in your tuck-box? My mother has given me a huge box of chocolates, a ginger-cake, a tin of golden syrup, and a jam sponge sandwich.’

‘Sounds good!’ said Elizabeth. The children began to talk about their tuck-boxes, and the time flew past as the train roared on its way.

At last the long journey was over and the train came to a stop at a little country platform. The boys and girls jumped down from their carriages and ran to take their places in two coaches.

‘Let’s look out for the first glimpse of Whyteleafe School!’ said Elizabeth, as the coaches rumbled off. ‘Oh, look—there it is! Isn’t it lovely!’

The children stared up the hill on the top of which was their school. All of them were glad to see it again. Here and there the creeper up the walls was beginning to turn red, and the windows shone in the autumn sun.

Through an enormous archway rumbled the coaches, and up to the front door. Elizabeth remembered the first time she had arrived there, five months before, at the beginning of the summer term. How she had hated it! Now she was glad to jump down the coach-steps with the other children and race into the school.

‘Let’s go and look after the new ones,’ said Elizabeth. ‘They’re looking a bit lost.’

She looked round for the new girls and boy. She saw them standing rather forlornly together, wondering where to go. Elizabeth took Joan’s arm. ‘Let’s go and look after the new ones,’ she said. ‘They’re looking a bit lost.’

‘Right!’ said Joan, and they went up to the three children. They were all about eleven or twelve years old, though the boy was big for his age.

‘Come with us and we’ll show you where to wash, and where to go for dinner,’ said Elizabeth. They all looked at her gratefully. Rita, the Head Girl, came by just then, and beamed at Elizabeth.

‘So you’ve taken the new-comers under your wing,’ she said. ‘I was just coming to see about them. Good! Thanks, Elizabeth and Joan!’

‘That’s the Head Girl,’ said Elizabeth to the boy and two girls. ‘And look—that’s William, our Head Boy. They’re both fine. Come on. I’ll show you the cloakrooms and we can all wash.’

Off they all went, and were soon washing and drying themselves in the big cloakroom downstairs. Then into the dining-hall they went, hungry as hunters. How glad they were to smell a good stew, and see the carrots and onions floating in it!

‘It’s grand to be back again!’ said Elizabeth, looking happily round, and smiling at all the faces she knew. ‘I wonder what adventures we’ll have this term.’

‘Perhaps we shan’t have any,’ said Joan. But she was wrong. Plenty of things were going to happen that term!