Читать книгу The Naughtiest Girl Again - Enid blyton - Страница 4

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Everyone soon settled down. Except for a few new children, the girls and boys were the same as the term before. Some had gone up into a higher form, and felt rather grand for the first few days. The new boy and two new girls were all in Elizabeth’s form.

Miss Ranger took down their names: ‘Jennifer Harris, Kathleen Peters, Robert Jones.’

Jennifer was a jolly-looking girl, with straight hair cut short, and a thick fringe. Her brown eyes twinkled, and the other girls felt that she would be good fun.

Kathleen Peters was a pasty-faced girl, very plain and spotty. Her hair was greasy-looking, and she had a very unpleasant expression, almost a scowl. Nobody liked her at all, those first few days.

Robert Jones was a big boy for his age, with a rather sullen face, though when he smiled he was quite different.

‘I don’t like Robert’s mouth, do you?’ said Joan to Elizabeth. ‘His lips are so thin and pursed up. He doesn’t look very kind.’

‘Oh well, we can’t help our mouths!’ said Elizabeth.

‘I think you’re wrong there,’ said Joan. ‘I think people make their own faces, as they grow.’

Elizabeth laughed. ‘Well, it’s a pity poor Kathleen Peters didn’t make a better face for herself,’ she said.

‘Sh!’ said Joan. ‘She’ll hear!’

The first week went by slowly. New books were given out, and lovely new pencils and pens. The children were given their places in class, and Joan and Elizabeth sat next to one another, much to their delight. They were by the window and could see out into the flowery garden.

Any child who wanted to could help in the garden. John Terry was willing to give anyone a patch, providing they would promise to keep it properly. These little patches, backing on to an old sunny wall, were interesting little spots. Some children liked to grow salads, some grew flowers, and one child, who loved roses better than anything, had six beautiful rose-trees and nothing else.

Elizabeth didn’t want a patch. She wanted to help John in the much bigger garden of which he was in charge. She was longing to make plans with him about it. She had all kinds of ideas about gardens, and had read her gardening book from end to end twice during the holidays.

The children were allowed to have their own pets, though not dogs or cats, as these were too difficult to deal with, and could not be kept in cages. Some children had rabbits, some had guinea-pigs, a few had fantail pigeons that lived in a big pigeon-house on a pole, and one or two had canaries or goldfish. It was fun having pets. Not all the children kept them—only those who were fond of animals or birds. The pets were kept in a big airy shed not far from the stables where the horses were kept that the children were allowed to ride.

Hens and ducks were kept, of course, and although these belonged to the school, any child who wished, could help to care for them and feed them. There were three beautiful Jersey cows in the meadow, too, and one girl and boy milked these every day. They had to be up early in the morning, but they didn’t mind at all. It was fun!

Jennifer Harris had some pets. They were small white mice, and she was very fond of them indeed. They were kept in a big cage, and she cleaned it out every day, so that it was spotless. No one else had white mice at that time, and Elizabeth and Joan went with Jennifer to see them.

‘Aren’t they sweet?’ said Jennifer, letting a mouse run up her sleeve.

‘Aren’t they sweet?’ said Jennifer, letting a mouse run up her sleeve. ‘Do you see their pink eyes? Elizabeth, would you like to let that one run up your sleeve? It’s such a lovely feeling.’

‘Well, I don’t think I will, thank you,’ said Elizabeth politely. ‘It may be a lovely feeling to you, but it might not be for me.’

‘Hallo! Are these your white mice, Jennifer?’ asked Harry, coming up. ‘I say, aren’t they lovely? Golly—you’ve got one peeping out from your neck—did you know?’

‘Oh yes,’ said Jennifer. ‘Take it, Harry. It will run up your sleeve and come out at your neck, too.’

Sure enough it did! It ran up the boy’s sleeve, and soon its tiny nose was peeping out behind his collar. Joan shivered.

‘I really don’t think I could bear that,’ she said.

The bell rang and the mice were hurriedly put back into their cage. Joan went to have a last peep at her two rabbits. They were fat and contented. She shared them with Elizabeth and was very fond of them indeed.

Tea-time and supper-time the first week were lovely, because the children were allowed to take what they liked from their tuck-boxes. How they enjoyed the cakes, sandwiches, sweets, chocolates, potted meat, and jams they brought back with them! Everybody shared, though the new boy, Robert, didn’t look too pleased about it, and Elizabeth noticed that Kathleen Peters did not offer any of her sweets round, though she shared her potted meat readily enough.

Elizabeth remembered how selfish she had been about sharing her own things at the beginning of her first term, so she held her tongue and said nothing.

‘I can’t very well blame other people for a thing I’ve done myself,’ she thought. ‘I’m jolly glad I’m different now!’

The big happening of each week was the School Meeting. The whole school attended, and any of the masters and mistresses who wished to. The two headmistresses, Miss Belle and Miss Best, always came, and Mr. Johns usually came too. But they sat at the back, and did not take any part in the Meeting unless the children called upon them for help.

It was a kind of school Parliament, where the children made their own rules, heard grumbles and complaints, judged one another, and punished bad behaviour.

It was not pleasant to have one’s faults brought before the whole school and discussed, but on the other hand it was much better for everyone to know their own failings and have them brought out into the open, instead of fearing them and keeping them secret, so that they grew bigger. Many a child had been cured for always of such things as cheating or lying by having the sympathy and help of the whole school.

The first School Meeting was held about a week after school began. The girls and boys filed into the gym, where a big table had been placed for the twelve monitors, who were the Jury. These had been chosen at the last Meeting of the summer term, and would remain monitors for a month, when they could either be chosen again, or others put into their place.

Everyone had to stand when William and Rita, the Head Boy and Head Girl, came into the gym. They sat down and everyone else sat too.

William knocked on the table with a small wooden hammer, and the children were quiet.

‘There isn’t much to say to-day,’ said the Head Boy. ‘I expect the new children have been told why we hold this big Meeting every week, and what we do at it. You see at this table our twelve monitors, and you all know why they are chosen. We chose them ourselves because we can trust them to be sensible, loyal, and kind, and therefore you must obey them and keep the rules they make.’

Then Rita spoke. ‘I hope you have all brought your money with you. As the new children probably know, any money we have is put into this big box, and out of it we take two shillings for every person each week. Out of that you must buy anything you need, such as stamps, sweets, ribbons, shoe-laces, and so on. If you want any more than two shillings you must say why, and it will be given to you if it is deserved. Now will you please get your money ready. Nora, take round the box.’

Nora got up. She took the big box and handed it down each row. The children all put in their money. The new boy, Robert Jones, looked most annoyed.

‘I say,’ he said, ‘you know I’ve got a whole pound from my grandfather. I don’t see why I should put it into the box. I shan’t see it again!’

‘Robert, some of us have too much money and some of us have too little,’ explained William. ‘It sometimes happens that we have a birthday and get lots of money, and sometimes we haven’t any at all. Well, by putting all our money into the big box each week, we can always have two shillings to spend—the same for everyone, you see, which is quite fair—and if we need anything beyond that, we can always get it if the Jury give permission. So put in your money.’

Robert put his pound-note in the box.

Robert put his pound-note in, but did not look at all pleased. His face looked even more sulky than usual!

‘Cheer up!’ whispered Elizabeth, but he gave her such a scowl that she said no more. Nora took the box back to the table. It was very heavy now.

Two shillings were given out to everyone, and the money went into pockets and purses. Rita and William had the same as everyone else.

‘Any extra money wanted this week?’ asked William, looking round the School.

Kenneth stood up. ‘Could I have an extra sixpence?’ he asked. ‘I borrowed a book out of the school library and I can’t find it, and I’ve been fined sixpence.’

‘Take it out of your two shillings,’ said William, and the Jury nodded in agreement. ‘I don’t see why the School’s money should pay you for being careless, Kenneth! There are too many books lost. Pay the school library sixpence, and you can have it back when you find the book. No extra money granted!’

A girl stood up. ‘My mother is abroad and I have to write to her each week, of course, but the letters have to have a seven-penny stamp on. Could I possibly have a little extra money allowed for that?’

The Jury discussed the matter. They agreed that it was hard luck on Mary to have to spend so much money on one letter each week.

‘Well, you can have fourpence ha’penny extra each week,’ said Rita, at last. ‘That means you pay the usual twopence ha’penny for a stamp, and the School money pays the rest. That’s quite fair.’

‘Oh yes,’ said Mary gratefully. ‘Thank you.’ Fourpence ha’penny was given to her, and she put it into her purse.

‘I think that’s all the business for this week,’ said Rita, looking at her notes. ‘You all understand that any bad behaviour, such as unkindness, disobedience, cheating, bullying, and so on, must be brought before this Meeting each week. But I hope that the new children will understand that this does not mean telling tales. Perhaps their monitor will explain everything to them.’

‘Yes, I will,’ said Nora.

‘Now—any complaint or grumbles before we go?’ asked William, looking up. But there were none. So the Meeting broke up, and the children filed out of the gym. Elizabeth was rather silent as she went. She was remembering the bad time she had had last term at the Meeting. How defiant and rude she had been! She could hardly believe it now.

She went off with Joan to feed the rabbits. One was so tame that it would lie quite peacefully in Elizabeth’s arms, and she loved that.

‘Isn’t everything peaceful this term?’ said Joan. ‘I hope it goes on like this, don’t you?’

But it wasn’t going to be peaceful for long!