"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 12 - Five Go Down to The Sea" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

‘Oh! It’s the Barnies! Don’t you remember Mrs Penruthlan telling us about them?’ said Anne. ‘The strolling players, who play to the country-folk around, in the barns. What fun!’
The Barnies waved to the watching children. One man, dressed in velvet and lace, with a sword at his side, and a wig of curly hair, threw a leaflet or two to them. They read them with interest.

THE BARNIES ARE COMING!

They will sing, they will dance, they will fiddle.
They will perform plays of all kinds.
Edith Wells, the nightingale singer.
Bonnie Carter, the old-time dancer.
Janie Coster and her fiddle.
John Walters, finest tenor in the world.
Georgie Roth - he’ll make you laugh!
And Others.
We also present Clopper, the Funniest Horse in the World!

THE BARNIES ARE COMING!

‘This’ll be fun!’ said George, pleased. She called out to the passing wagons: ‘Will you be playing at Tremannon Farm?’
‘Oh, yes!’ called a man with bright, merry eyes. ‘We always play there. You staying there?’
‘Yes,’ said George. ‘We’ll look out for you all. Where are you going now?’
‘To Poltelly Farm for the night,’ called the man. ‘We’ll be at Tremannon soon.’
The wagons passed, and the gay, queerly-dressed players went out of sight. ‘Good,’ said Dick. ‘Their show may not be first-rate, but it’s sure to be funny. They looked a merry lot.’
‘All but the man driving the front cart. Did you see him?’ said Anne. ‘He looked pretty grim, I thought.’
Nobody else had noticed him. ‘He was probably the owner of the Barnies,’ said Dick. ‘And has got all the organization on his shoulders. Well, come on. Where’s Timmy?’
They looked round for him, and George frowned. Yan had followed them as usual, and Timmy was playing with him. Bother Yan! Was he going to trail them all day and every day?
They went back to the peaceful farm-house. Hens were still clucking around and ducks were quacking. A horse stamped somewhere near by, and the grunting of pigs came on the air. It all looked quite perfect.
Footsteps came through the farm-yard, and Mr Penruthlan came by. He grunted at them and went into a barn.
Anne spoke in almost a whisper. ‘I can imagine him living in the older days and being a wrecker. I can really!’
‘Yes! I know what you mean,’ said Dick. ‘He’s so fierce-looking and determined. What’s the word I want? Ruthless! I’m sure he would have made a good wrecker!’
‘Do you suppose there are any wreckers now, and that light really is flashed to make ships go on the rocks?’ said George.
‘Well, I shouldn’t have thought there were any wreckers in this country, anyway,’ said Dick. ‘I can’t imagine that such a thing would be tolerated for an instant. But if that light is flashed, what is it flashed for?’
‘Old Grandad said there hadn’t been any wrecks on this coast for ages,’ said Julian. ‘I think really that the old man is wandering a bit in his mind about that light!’
‘But Yan said he had seen it, too,’ said Anne.
‘I’m not sure that Yan’s as truthful as he might be!’ said Julian.
‘Why did Grandad say that the light isn’t fiashed by mortal hands now?’ asked George. ‘It must be! I can’t imagine any other hands working it! He surely doesn’t think that his father is still doing it?’
There was a pause. ‘We could easily find out if we popped over to that tower and had a look at it,’ said Dick.
There was another pause. ‘I thought we said we wouldn’t go poking about in anything mysterious,’ said Anne.
‘This isn’t really mysterious,’ argued Dick. ‘It’s just a story an old man remembers, and I really can’t believe that that light still flashes on a wild stormy night. Grandad must have seen lightning or something. Why don’t we settle the matter for good and all and go and explore the old house with the tower?’
‘I should like to,’ said George firmly. ‘I never was keen on this “Keep away from anything unusual” idea we suddenly had. We’ve got Timmy with us - we can’t possibly come to any harm!’
‘All right,’ said Anne, with a sigh. ‘I give up. We’ll go if you want to.’
‘Good old Anne,’ said Dick, giving her a friendly slap on the back. ‘But you needn’t come, you know. Why don’t you stay behind and hear our story when we come back?’
'Certainly not,’ said Anne, quite cross. ‘I may not want to go as much as you do, but I’m not going to be left out of anything, so don’t think it!’
‘All right. It’s settled then,’ said Julian. ‘We take our opportunity and go as soon as we can, Tomorrow, perhaps.’
Mrs Penruthlan came to the door and called them. ‘Your high tea is ready. You must be hungry. Come along indoors.’
The sun suddenly went in. Julian looked up at the sky in surprise. ‘My word, look at those black clouds!’ he said. ‘There’s a storm coming! Well, I thought there might be, it’s been so terribly hot all day!’
‘A storm!’ said George. ‘That light flashes on wild and stormy nights! Oh, Julian, do you think it will flash tonight? Can’t we - can’t we go and see?’


Chapter Seven