"Blyton, Enid - The Five Find-Outers 15 - The Mystery of Banshee Towers 1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

"It's nice for Bingo to have a friend like Buster - you know, well-brought-up, like," said Ern. "I want Bingo to have good manners. He'll learn from old Buster - real copy-cat Bingo is!"

"No, no," said Fatty, gravely. "There you make a mistake, Ern. Not a copy-cat, surely - a copy-_dog_!"

"Ha ha - funny joke," said Pip, who was tired, and not in the mood for Fatty's quips.

"I'm thirsty," said Larry. "Any orange squash, Fatty?"

"Plenty in my cupboard," said Fatty. "And glasses too. And there's some chocolate somewhere. Buck up and get what you want. I'm longing to discuss the strange happenings of this morning. You know - I think Something's Going On Up There."

"Up where?" asked Ern.

"Banshee Hill, ass," said Fatty. "Two things puzzle me - that banshee wail - and the hole under the hearth, where that cauldron stands."

"Well, what's puzzling about the banshee wail?" asked Bets. "You _said_ that's what banshees did - wail and howl and cry."

"Yes - but you heard what that artist in the black overall said," went on Fatty. "He said that the banshee only wailed one day a week! Well - why only _one_ day?"

"Perhaps banshees only _do_ wail one day a week." suggested Daisy. "I mean - all that awful wailing must be a terrible strain on the throat. I bet _your_ throat felt sore after you'd wailed at the top of your voice - you sound a bit husky to me."

"Well, I'm _not_, said Fatty. "I could wail like that for half an hour or more and not feel husky."

"For goodness sake don't do anything of the sort," said Larry. "You'd have the fire-brigade here and the police, and every doctor in the place."

"Do come back to the point, Larry." said Fatty. "WHY does the banshee only wail once a week? There can't be a real banshee there - there aren't such things. It must be somebody faking one - but why? "

"For fun," said Bets.

"Yes, but why on a certain _day_?" persisted Fatty.

"What on earth does it matter?" said Pip, getting tired of the subject. "It can wail _every_ day of the week, for all I care."

"Pip, you should have a more alert, enquiring mind," said Fatty, solemnly. "You know - that's a fake banshee - and I'd jolly well like to find out who's working it and how - and why."

"I don't want to go up that hill again," said Bets. "I loved the pictures - but I hated the wailing."

"Don't worry, Bets. You needn't go. But _I'm_ going," said Fatty. "I'm going tomorrow. I tell you, I Smell a Mystery!"

"Well, you must have the most powerful nose anybody ever had," said Larry. "All I can smell is that oil-stove smoking. I suppose your nose is too high and mighty to smell ordinary things like that. Turn down the wick, Ern - you're nearest."

Ern turned down the wick carefully. "Fatty," he said, "could I come with you if you go to Banshee Hill tomorrow - not to mess about in a mystery, though - just to see those sea-pictures again. Especially the one with the high cliffs and the blue sea swirling round it."

"Oh - the one the French artist was copying," said Fatty. "Yes, that was a beauty. All right, Ern, you can come with me - you'll be company - and while you stand and gloat over the pictures, I can do a little snooping. It's just as well I should have someone with me who is obviously there to see the pictures!"

"Oooh, thanks, Fatty," said Ern, "I hope that banshee doesn't come wailing round me, though."

"It only wails _once_ a week, Ern," said Fatty. "I'll eat my cap if it wails tomorrow! I'm pretty certain it has its pet day, for _some_ reason or other."

"Look - we'd better go, Daisy and I," said Larry, getting up in a hurry. "Gosh - I'd quite forgotten our Granny was coming to tea. Buck up, Daisy, for goodness sake. We're going out for the day tomorrow, Fatty, so we won't be seeing you. So long!"