"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 18 - Five On Finniston Farm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

‘Take your dog away,’ said both twins, fiercely, glaring at the four.
‘It’s all right - he won’t hurt Snippet,’ said George, advancing on Timmy and taking hold of his collar. ‘He really won’t.’
‘TAKE YOUR DOG AWAY!’ shouted the twins, and up in the roof somewhere the jackdaw said, ‘CHACK, CHACK, CHACK!’ just as fiercely.
‘All right, all right,’ said George, glaring as angrily as the twins, ‘Come on, Tim. That poodle wouldn’t be more than a mouthful for you, anyway!’
They all went back to the farm-house in silence, Snippet having been left behind on the camp-bed belonging to one of the twins. They cheered up when they came into the big, cool kitchen. Tea was now laid on the farm-house table, a big solid affair of old, old oak. Chairs were set round and it all looked very homelike.
‘Hot scones,’ said George, lifting the lid off a dish. ‘I never thought I’d like hot scones on a summer’s day, but these look heavenly. Running with butter! Just how I like them!’
The four looked at the home-made buns and biscuits and the great fruit cake. They stared at the dishes of home-made jam, and the big plate of ripe plums. Then they looked at Mrs Philpot, sitting behind a very big teapot, pouring out cups of tea.
‘You mustn’t spoil us, Mrs Philpot,’ said Julian, thinking that really his hostess was doing too much. ‘Please don’t let us make too much work for you!’
A loud, commanding voice suddenly made them all jump. Sitting in a big wooden armchair near the window was someone they hadn’t seen - a burly old man with a shock of snowy white hair and a luxurious white beard almost down to his waist. His eyes were startlingly bright as he looked across at them.
TOO MUCH WORK! What’s that you say? TOO MUCH WORK? Ha, people nowadays don’t know what work is, that they don’t! Grumble, grumble, GRUMBLE, asking for this and expecting that! Pah! PAH, I say!’
‘Now now, Grand-dad,’ said Mrs Philpot, gently. ‘You just sup your tea and rest. You’ve been out on the farm all day, and it’s too much work for you.’
That set the old man off again. TOO MUCH WORK! Now let me tell you something. When I was a young lad, I... hallo, who’s this?’
It was Timmy! He had been startled by the sudden shouting of the old man, and had stood up, his hackles rising, and a low growl down in his throat. And then a very curious thing happened.
Timmy walked slowly over to the fierce old man, stood by him - and laid his head gently on his knee! Everyone stared in astonishment, and George could hardly believe her eyes!
At first the old man took no notice. He just let Timmy stay there, and went on with his shouting. ‘No one knows anything these days. They don’t know a good sheep or a good bull or a good dog. They...’
Timmy moved his head a little, and the old man stopped again. He looked down at Timmy, and patted him on the head. ‘Now here’s a dog - a REAL dog. A dog that could be the best friend any man ever had. Ah, he reminds me of my old True, he does.’
George was staring in amazement at Timmy. ‘He’s never done a thing like that before,’ she said.
‘All dogs are like that with old Grand-dad,’ said Mrs Philpot softly. ‘Don’t mind his shouting. He’s like that. See - your Timmy is lying down by Grand-dad - now they’ll both be happy. Grand-dad will have his tea and be nice and quiet. Don’t take any notice of him now.’
Still astonished, the children ate a marvellous tea, and were soon talking eagerly to Mrs Philpot, asking her questions about the farm.
‘Yes, of course you can go on the tractor. And we’ve an old Land-Rover too - you can motor round the farm in that, if you like. Wait till my husband comes in - he’ll tell you what you can do.’
Nobody saw a little black shadow come in at the door, and sidle softly over to Grand-dad - Snippet the poodle! He had left the barn and come to the kitchen he loved. It was only when Mrs Philpot turned round to ask the old man to have another cup of tea that she saw a very strange sight indeed. She nudged the twins, and they turned to look.
They saw Timmy lying peacefully down on Grand-dad’s big feet - and Snippet the poodle lying between Timmy’s great front paws! Well - what an astonishing sight, to be sure!
‘Grand-dad’s happy now,’ said Mrs Philpot. ‘Two dogs at his feet. And now, look - here’s my husband! Come along in, Trevor - we’re all here, the dogs as well!’


Chapter Four

JUNIOR!

A big man came into the kitchen, very like the twins to look at. He stooped, and seemed tired. He didn’t smile, but just nodded.
‘Trevor, here are the visitors I told you about,’ said Mrs. Philpot. ‘Look, this is Julian and...’
‘More visitors?’ said Trevor, with a groan. ‘Good heavens - what a crowd of children! Where’s that American boy? I’ve got a bone to pick with him. He tried to set the tractor going by himself this morning, and...’
‘Oh Trevor - never mind about that now. Just wash and come and have your tea,’ said Mrs Philpot. ‘I’ve kept some of your favourite scones for you.’
‘Don’t want any tea,’ said her husband. ‘Can’t stop - except for just one cup, and that I’ll take into the dairy. I’ve got to go and see to the milking. Bob’s off today.’
‘We’ll help, Dad!’ said the twins, speaking together, as usual, and they got up from the table at once.
‘No - you sit down,’ said their mother. ‘You’ve been on the go from seven o’clock this morning. Sit down and finish your tea in peace.’
‘I could do with your help, twins,’ said their father, as he went through the door towards the dairies, ‘but now your mother’s got so many on her hands, she’ll need you more than I do!’
‘Mrs Philpot - let the twins go if they want to,’ said Julian at once. ‘We can help, you know - we’re used to helping at home.’
‘And what’s more, we like it,’ said Anne. ‘Do let us, Mrs Philpot - we’ll feel much more at home then. Can’t we clear away and wash up and all that, while the twins go and help with the milking?’
‘YOU LET ’EM HELP!’ shouted old Great-Grand-dad suddenly from his corner, making Timmy and Snippet leap to their feet, startled. ‘WHAT ARE CHILDREN COMING TO NOWADAYS, WAITED ON HAND AND FOOT? PAH!’
‘Now, now, Grand-dad,’ said poor Mrs Philpot, ‘Don’t you start worrying. We can manage fine.’
The old man made a loud, explosive noise, and banged his hand down on the arm of his chair. ‘WHAT I SAY IS THIS...’
But he got no further, for the sound of footsteps could be heard in the hall, coming towards the kitchen, and loud, American voices came nearer and nearer.
‘See here, Pop - I wanna come with you! This is a dead-and-alive place. You take me up to London with you, aw, Pop, go on, do!’
‘That the Americans?’ asked Dick, turning to the twins. Their faces had gone as black as thunder. They nodded. In came a burly man, looking rather odd in smart town clothes, and a fat pasty-faced boy of about eleven. The father stood at the door and looked round, rubbing his hands.
‘Hiya, folks! We’ve bin over to that swell old town, and picked up some fine souvenirs - my, my, they were cheap as dirt! We late for tea? Hallo, who’re all these folks?’
He grinned round at Julian and the others. Julian stood up politely. ‘We’re four cousins,’ he said. ‘We’ve come to stay here.’
‘Stay here? Where you gonna sleep, then?’ demanded the boy, pulling up a chair to the table. ‘This is a one-eyed place, ain’t it, Pop - no wash-basins, no...’
‘Shut up,’ said the twins together, and gave the boy such a glare that Anne stared in astonishment.
‘Aw, go on, I can say what I like, can’t I?’ said the boy. ‘Free country, isn’t it? Gee, you should just see America! That’s something! Mrs Philpot, I’ll have a bit of that cake - looks good to me.’