"Blyton, Enid - Adv 05 - Mountain of Adventure" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

David stood by smiling while his donkeys were examined and tried. Trefor the shepherd arrived, and the two old brothers chatted together in Welsh. Effans and his wife came along, and soon there was quite a company in the farmyard, discussing the donkeys.

"We badly want to go off on the donkeys into the mountains, Mother," said Philip coaxingly. "Can we? With you and Bill, of course. To stay a few nights, I mean. Jack and I think there should be a fine lot of rare birds over there in those lonely mountains — and there will be lots of animals too."

"It would be rather fun," said his mother. "I haven't camped out for ages, and in this weather it would be lovely. What do you say, Bill?"

"I say yes!" said Bill, who loved outdoor life and was an old hand at camping. "Do you good, Allie. We could take a couple of extra donkeys to carry the things we want."

"Oh, Bill! Can we really go?" said Lucy-Ann, overjoyed, and Dinah danced round him too. To go off on donkeys into the mountains, and take tents and food — what could be more fun?

"It will be an adventure!" said Dinah. "Not one of our usual ones, of course, but a really nice one. You'll like that, Lucy-Ann, won't you?"

"Oh yes," said Lucy-Ann, who never really enjoyed a proper adventure while it was happening. "I'd like that kind of adventure. When can we go?"

"Well, we'd better get used to our donkeys before we think of going," said Bill. "I'm not used to donkey-riding, nor is Aunt Allie. We shall be stiff at first, so we'd better get over that stage before we go. Say next week?"

"Oh — I can't wait that long!" said Dinah, and the others laughed at her long face.

"Effans, where is a nice place to go?" asked Jack, turning to him. Effans considered. He spoke to Trefor in Welsh and the old shepherd answered him.

"He says the Vale of Butterflies is a good place," said Effans. "It is full of birds as well as butterflies."

"The Vale of Butterflies — that sounds gorgeous," said Jack, pleased.

"Super!" said Philip. "Absolutely wizard! We'll go there. Is it far?"

"Two days on donkeys," said Effans.

Bill calculated. "We shall want a guide — either Trefor, Effans or Trefor's brother — and two donkeys at least to carry our tents and food — and six donkeys for ourselves. That's nine. We've only got eight here. Effans, ask this fellow if he's got another donkey."

It turned out that Trefor's brother had meant to ride home on a donkey himself, and take another donkey back with farm produce to sell, leaving only six. Effans bargained with him to come back the next week, complete with three donkeys to add to the six left behind.

"Then you can act as guide to these people, look you," he said. "That will be money. You will have one donkey, they will have six, and there will be two for loads. That is much money for you, David, indeed to gootness!"

David agreed. He would come on the Wednesday of next week, bringing three donkeys to add to the six he would leave behind. Two to carry loads, one for himself, and six for the children, Mrs. Mannering and Bill.

The children were very excited. They ran round the donkeys, patted them, rubbed their long noses and sat on their broad backs. The donkeys seemed to like all the fuss. They stood stolidly there, their tails whisking, following the children with their eyes. Snowy darted about, running under first one donkey and then another, acting like a mad thing.

Trefor helped his brother to load up a donkey with packages of all kinds. Heavier and heavier grew the load, but the donkey stood patiently, seeming not to mind at all. Then, eager to be gone, it suddenly brayed.

Kiki had never heard a donkey bray before and she sailed straight up into the air with fright.

"Ee-ore, ee-ore!" brayed the donkey, and stamped his foot.

"Gracious! Now I suppose Kiki will practise braying too," said Jack. "We shall have to stop her firmly if she does. It's bad enough from a donkey — but brays from Kiki would be frightful."

The donkey was loaded at last. David mounted his sturdy little beast, said a polite good-bye to everyone and rode off down the path, the loaded donkey being led after him by a rope he held in his hand.

"Now we can choose our own donkeys!" said Lucy-Ann in delight. "Aunt Allie — you choose first."