"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 11 - Have a Wonderful Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

"Sorry, but we're caravanners too," said Dick. "I say - are you the fellow that can undo ropes when he's tied up in them?"
"Could be," said the man, and walked on. He turned round suddenly. "Like me to tie you up?" he called. "I've a good mind to try. Don't you try interfering with us, or I'll do it!"
"Dear me - what a nice, pleasant lot they are!" said Julian. "Quite different from the other circus folk we've known. I begin to feel we shan't make friends as fast as I thought!"
"We'd better be careful, I think," said Dick. "They seem to resent us, goodness knows why. They may make things jolly unpleasant. Don't let's snoop round any more this morning. Let's keep away from them till they get a bit used to us. Then perhaps they'll be more friendly."
"We'll go and meet the girls," said Julian. So they went down to the stile and walked to the bus-stop. The bus came panting up the hill at that very moment, and the girls stepped off, with the three fair-women behind them.
The girls joined the boys. "We've done a lot of shopping," said Anne. "Our baskets are awfully heavy. Thanks, Julian, if you'll carry mine. Dick can take George's. Did you see those women who got off with us?"
"Yes," said Julian. "Why?"
"Well, we tried to talk to them but they were very unfriendly," said Anne. "We felt quite uncomfortable. And Timmy growled like anything, of course, which made things worse. I don't think he liked their smell. They did smell rather unwashed."
"We didn't get on too well either, with the rest of the fair-folk," said Julian. "In fact I can't say that Dick and I were a success at all. All they wanted us to do was to clear out."
"I got a paper for you," said Anne, "and George found a letter at the post office from her mother. It's addressed to all of us so we didn't open it. We'll read it when we get to the caravans."
"I hope it's nearly time for dinner," said George. "What do you think, Timmy?"
Timmy knew the word dinner! He gave a joyful bark and led the way. Dinner? There couldn't be a better idea!

Chapter Seven
A LETTER - A WALK - AND A SHOCK
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GEORGE opened her mother's letter when they had finished their meal. Everyone voted that it was a truly wizard lunch - two hard-boiled eggs each, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, mustard and cress, and potatoes baked in the fire in their jackets - followed by what Julian had asked for - slices of tinned pineapple, very sweet and juicy.
"Very nice," said Julian, lying back in the sun. "Anne, you're a jolly good housekeeper. Now, George, let's hear what Aunt Fanny has got to say in her letter."
George unfolded the note-paper and smoothed it out. "It's to all of us," she said.
"DEAR GEORGE, ANNE, JULIAN AND DICK,
"I hope George arrived safely and that you all met her. I am really writing to remind George that it is her grandmother's birthday on Saturday, and she must write to her. I forgot to remind George before she she went, so thought I must quickly send a letter.
"George, your father is very much upset to read about those two missing scientists. He knows Derek Terry-Kane very well, and worked with him for some time. He says he is absolutely sure that he isn't a traitor to his country; he thinks he has been spirited away somewhere, and Jeffrey Pottersham too - probably in a plane miles away by now, in a country that will force them to give up their secrets. It's just as well you went off today, because this afternoon your father is striding about all over the place, talking nineteen to the dozen, and banging every door he comes to, bless him.
"If you write, please don't mention scientists, as I am hoping he will calm down soon. He really is very upset, and keeps on saying "What is the world coming to?" when he knows quite well that it's coming to exactly what the scientists plan it to come to.
"Have a good time, all of you, and DON'T forget to write to your grandmother, George!"
Your loving,
MOTHER (AUNT FANNY)."
"I can just see Father striding about like a - like a..."
"Fire-eater," said Julian with a grin, as George stopped for a word. "He'll drive Aunt Fanny into chasing him around with a saucepan one day! Funny business about these scientists though, isn't it? After all, Terry-Kane had planned to leave the country - got his aeroplane ticket and everything - so although your father believes in him, George, it honestly looks a bit fishy, doesn't it?"
"Anything in the paper about it?" asked Dick, and shook it open. "Yes-here we are:
"MISSING SCIENTISTS.
"It is now certain that Jeffrey Pottersham was in the pay of a country unfriendly to us, and was planning to join Terry-Kane on his journey abroad. Nothing has been heard of the two men, although reports that they have been seen in many places abroad have been received."
"That rather settles it," said Julian. "Two Really Bad Eggs. Look-here are their photographs."
The four leaned over the paper, looking at the pictures of the two men. "Well, I should have thought anyone would recognize Terry-Kane if they saw him," said Anne. "Those big, thick, arched eyebrows, and that enormous forehead. If I saw anyone with eyebrows like that I'd think they weren't real!"
"He'll shave them off," said Dick. "Then he'll look completely different. Probably stick them on his upper lip upside down and use them for moustaches!"
"Don't be so silly," said George, with a giggle. "The other fellow is very ordinary-looking, except for his dome of a head. Pity none of us four have got great foreheads - I suppose we must be rather stupid people!"
"We're not so bad," said Julian. "We've had to use our brains many times in all our adventures - and we haven't come off so badly!"
"Let's clear up and then go for a walk again," said Anne. "If we don't I shall fall asleep. This sun is so gloriously hot, it's really cooking me."
"Yes - we'd better go for a walk," said Julian, getting up. "Shall we go and see the castle, do you think? Or shall we leave that for another day?"
"Leave it," said Anne. "I honestly don't feel like clambering up that steep hill just now. I think the morning would be a better time!"
They cleared up and then locked the two caravans and set out. Julian looked back. Some of the fair-folk were sitting together, eating a meal. They watched the children in silence. It wasn't very pleasant somehow,
"They don't exactly love us, do they?" said Dick. "Now you listen, Timmy - don't you go accepting any titbits from people here, see?"
"Oh, Dick!" said George, in alarm, "you surely don't think they would harm Timmy?"
"No, I don't really," said Dick. "But we might as well be careful. As the rubber man pointed out to us this morning, us-folk and his-folk think differently about some things. It just can't be helped. But I do wish they'd let us be friendly. I don't like this kind of thing."
"Well, anyway I shall keep Timmy to heel all the time," said George, making up her mind firmly. "Timmy, to heel! Please understand that as long as we are in the caravan field you must walk to heel? Do you understand?"
"Woof-woof," said Timmy, and immediately kept so close to George's ankles that his nose kept bumping into them.
They decided to catch the bus to Tinkers' Green, and then walk from there to the sea. They would have time to get there and back before dark. The bus was waiting at the corner, and they ran to catch it. It was about two miles to Tinkers' Green, which was a dear little village, with a proper green and a duck-pond with white ducks swimming on it.
"Shall we have an ice-cream?" suggested Dick as they came to a grocer's shop with an ice-cream sign outside it.
"No," said Julian firmly. "We've just had an enormous lunch, and we'll save up ice-creams for tea-time. We shall never get down to the sea if we sit and eat ice-creams half the afternoon!"

It was a lovely walk, down violet-studded lanes, and then over a heathery common with clumps of primroses in the hollows - and even a few very very early bluebells, much to Anne's delight.