"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 16 - Five Go to Billycock Hill" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

‘Yes. That tin of humbugs,’ said Julian. ‘And I vote we take our little portable radio!’
‘Oh, yes - that’s a good idea,’ said Anne, pleased. ‘We can hear our favourite programmes then - and the news. I don’t suppose we shall be able to buy newspapers.’
‘I’ll get out the bikes from the shed,’ said Julian. ‘Dick, get the sandwiches from Joan - she said she’d make us some, because we shan’t get to Toby’s farm till after our dinner-time - and I bet we’ll be hungry!’
‘Wuff,’ said Timmy, who knew that word very well.
‘He says remember biscuits for him,’ said Anne with a laugh. ‘I’ll go and get some now, Tim - though I expect you can share meals with the dogs at Billycock Farm.’
Joan had two large packets of sandwiches and cake ready for them, and two bottles of orangeade. ‘There you are,’ she said, handing them over. ‘And if you get through all those you’ll no longer feel hungry. And here are Timmy’s biscuits - and a bone.’
‘You’re a brick, Joan,’ said Dick, and put his arm round her to give her one of the sudden hugs she liked, ‘Well, you’ll soon be rid of us - a whole week at Whitsun - isn’t that luck - and with such glorious weather, too.’
‘Buck up!’ called Julian. ‘I’ve got the bikes - and no one’s had a puncture, for a change. Bring my mac, Dick.’
In three minutes everything was packed into the bicycle baskets, or strapped at the back. Timmy made sure that his biscuits and bone were packed by sniffing at each basket until he came to the smell he was hoping for. Then he wagged his tail and bounded round excitedly. The Five were together again - and who knew what might happen? Timmy was ready for anything!
‘Good-bye, dears,’ said Mrs Kirrin, standing at the gate to see them go. ‘Julian, take care of the girls - and Tim, take care of everyone!’
Uncle Quentin suddenly appeared at the window. ‘What’s all the noise about?’ he began impatiently. ‘Oh - they’re off at last, are they? Now we’ll have a little peace and quiet! Good-bye - and behave yourselves!’
‘Grown ups always say that,’ said Anne as the Five set off happily, ringing their bells in farewell. ‘Hurrah - we’re off on our own again - yes, you too, Timmy. What fun!’


Chapter Two

OFF TO BILLYCOCK HILL

The sun shone down hotly as the Five sped down the sandy road that ran alongside Kirrin Bay. Timmy loped easily beside them, his tongue hanging out quite a long way. Anne always said that he had the longest tongue of any dog she had ever known!
The sea was as blue as forget-me-nots as they cycled along beside it. Across the bay they could see little Kirrin Island, with Kirrin Castle towering up.
‘Doesn’t it look fine?’ said Dick. ‘I half wish we were going to spend Whitsun at Kirrin Cottage, and going bathing, and rowing across to George’s little island over there.’
‘We can do that in the summer hols,’ said Julian. ‘It’s fun to explore other parts of the country when we can. Toby says the caves in Billycock Hill are marvellous.’
‘What’s Toby like?’ asked George. ‘We’ve never seen him, Anne and I.’
‘He’s a bit of a joker,’ said Dick, ‘Likes to put caterpillars down people’s necks and so on - and beware if he has a magnificent rose in his buttonhole and asks you to smell it.’
‘Why?’ asked Anne, surprised.
‘Because when you bend down to smell it you’ll get a squirt of water in your face,’ said Dick. ‘It’s a trick rose.’
‘I don’t think I’m going to like him much,’ said George, who didn’t take kindly to tricks of this sort. ‘I’ll probably bash him on the head if he does things like that to me.’
‘That won’t be any good,’ said Dick cheerfully. ‘He won’t bash you back - he’ll just think up some worse trick. Don’t scowl, George - we’re on holiday! Toby’s all right - a bit of an ass, that’s all.’
They had now left Kirrin Bay behind and were cycling down a country lane, set with hawthorn hedges each side. The may was over now, and the first wild roses were showing pink here and there. A little breeze got up, and was very welcome indeed.
‘We’ll have an ice when we come to a village,’ said Julian after they had cycled about six miles.
‘Two ices,’ said Anne. ‘Oh dear - this hill - what a steep one we’ve come to. I don’t know whether it’s worse to ride up slowly and painfully, or to get off and push my bike to the top.’
Timmy tore up to the top in front of them and then sat down to wait in the cool breeze there, his tongue hanging out longer than ever. Julian came to the top first and looked down the other side.
‘There’s a village there,’ he said. ‘Right at the bottom. Let’s see - yes, it’s Tennick village - we’ll stop and ask if it sells ices.’
It did, of course, strawberry and vanilla. The four children sat on a seat under a tree outside the small village shop, and dug little wooden spoons into ice-tubs. Timmy sat nearby, watching hopefully. He knew that at least he would be able to lick out the empty tubs.
‘Oh, Tim - I didn’t mean to buy you one, because you really are a bit fat,’ said George, looking at the beseeching brown eyes fixed on her ice cream. ‘But as you’ll probably get very thin running so far while we’re cycling, I’ll buy you a whole one for yourself.’
‘Wuff,’ said Timmy, bounding into the little shop at once and putting his great paws up on the counter, much to the surprise of the woman behind it.
‘It’s a waste, really, giving Timmy an ice,’ said Anne when George and the dog came out. ‘He just loosens it with his tongue and gulps it down. I sometimes wonder he doesn’t chew up the cardboard tub, too!’
After ten minutes’ rest they all set off again, feeling nice and cool inside. It really was lovely cycling through the June countryside - the trees were so fresh and green still, and the fields they passed were golden with butter-cups - thousands and thousands of them, nodding their polished heads in the wind.
There was very little traffic on these deserted country roads - an occasional farm-cart, and sometimes a car, but little else. The Five kept to the lanes as much as they could, for they all preferred their quaint winding curves set with hedges of all kinds, to the wide, dusty main roads, straight and uninteresting.
‘We ought to get to Billycock Farm about four o’clock,’ said Dick. ‘Or maybe sooner. What time do we have our lunch, Julian? And where?’
‘We’ll find a good place about one o’clock,’ said Julian. ‘And not a minute before. So it’s no good anyone saying they are hungry yet. It’s only twelve.’
‘I’m more thirsty than hungry,’ said Anne. ‘And I’m sure old Timmy must be dying of thirst! Let’s stop at the next stream so that he can have a drink.’
‘There’s one,’ said Dick, pointing to where a stream wound across a nearby field. ‘Hey, Tim - go and have a drink, old fellow!’
Timmy shot through the hedge to the stream and began to lap. The others dismounted and stood waiting. Anne picked a spray of honeysuckle and put it through a buttonhole of her blouse. ‘Now I can sniff it all the time,’ she said. ‘Delicious!’
‘Hey, Tim - leave some water for the fishes!’ shouted Dick. ‘George, stop him drinking any more. He’s swelling up like a balloon,’
‘He’s not,’ said George. ‘Timmy! That’s enough! Here, boy, here!’
Timmy took one last lap and then raced over to George. He pranced round her, barking joyfully.
‘There - he feels much better now,’ said George, and away they all went again, groaning as they cycled slowly up the many hills in that part of the country, and shouting with delight as they sped furiously down the other side.
Julian had decided where to have their midday meal - on the top of a high hill! Then they could see all the country for miles around, and there would also be a nice cooling breeze.
‘Cheer up,’ he said as they came to the steepest hill they had so far encountered. ‘We’ll have our lunch at the top of this hill - and a good long rest!’