five go adventuring again - excerpt

7/28/2019 Five Go Adventuring Again - Excerpt

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1 Christmas holidays

It was the last week o the Christmas term, andall the girls at Gaylands School were looking

orward to the Christmas holidays. Anne sat

down at the breakast-table and picked up a letter

addressed to her.

Hey, look at this! she said to her cousinGeorgina, who was sitting beside her. A letter

rom Dad and I only had one rom him and

Mum yesterday.

I hope its not bad news, said George. She

wouldnt allow anyone to call her Georgina, andnow even the teachers called her George. She

really was very like a boy with her short curly

hair, and her boyish ways. She looked anxiously

at Anne as her cousin read the letter.

Oh, George we cant go home or theholidays! said Anne, with tears in her eyes.

Mums got scarlet ever and Dad is in quarantine

or it so they cant have us back. Isnt it awul?


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Five Go Adventuring Again2

Oh, I am sorry, said George. She was just as

disappointed or hersel as or Anne, becauseAnnes mother had invited George, and her dog

Timothy, to stay or the Christmas holidays with

them. She had been promised many things she

had never seen beore the pantomime, and the

circus and a big party with a gigantic Christmastree! Now it wouldnt happen.

What will the boys say? said Anne, thinking

o Julian and Dick, her two brothers. They wont

be able to go home either.

Well what are you going to do or theholidays then? asked George. Will you come

and stay at Kirrin Cottage with me? Im sure

Mum would love to have you again. We had

so much un when you came to stay or the

summer holidays.Wait a minute let me nish the letter and

see what Dad says, said Anne, picking up the

note again. Poor Mum I hope she isnt eeling

very ill.

She read a ew more lines and then gave such adelighted exclamation that George and the other

girls waited impatiently or her to explain.

George! We are coming to you again but oh


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3Christmas holidays

no! weve got to have a tutor or the holidays!

Partly to look ater us so that your mum doesnthave too much bother, and partly because both

Julian and Dick have been ill with fu twice this

term and have got behind in their work.

A tutor! Thats terrible! I bet Ill have to do

lessons too! said George, in dismay. When Mumand Dad see my report I guess theyll nd out

how little I know. Ater all, this is the rst time

Ive ever been to a proper school, and there are

lots o things I dont know.

What horrible holidays theyll be, i we have atutor running ater us all the time, said Anne,

gloomily. I expect Ill have quite a good report,

because Ive done well in the exams but it wont

be any un or me not doing lessons with you

three. I could go o with Timothy, I suppose. Hewont be doing lessons!

Yes, he will, said George, at once. She could

not bear the idea o her beloved dog Timothy going

o each morning with Anne, while she, George,

sat and worked hard with Julian and Dick.Timothy cant do lessons, dont be silly,

George, said Anne.

He can sit under my eet while Im doing them,


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said George. It will be a great help to eel him

there. For goodness sake eat up your sausages,Anne. Weve all nearly nished. The bell will

be going in a minute and you wont have had

any breakast.

I am glad Mum isnt very bad, said Anne,

hurriedly nishing her letter. Dad says hes writtento Dick and Julian and to your dad to ask him

to hire a tutor or us. What horrible news. I dont

mean I wont enjoy going to Kirrin Cottage again

and seeing Kirrin Island but ater all there are

no pantomimes or circuses or parties to lookorward to at Kirrin.

The end o the term came quickly. Anne and

George packed up their trunks, and put on the

labels, enjoying the noise and excitement o the

last two days. The big school coaches rolled up tothe door, and the girls clambered in.

O to Kirrin again! said Anne. Come on,

Timothy, you can sit between me and George.

Gaylands School allowed the children to keep

their own pets, and Timothy, Georges big mongreldog, had been a great success. Except or the time

when he had run ater the dustman, and dragged

the dustbin away rom him, all the way up the


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5Christmas holidays

school grounds and into Georges classroom, he

had really behaved extremely well.Im sure youllhave a good report, Tim, said

George, giving the dog a hug. Were going home

again. Will you like that?

Woo, said Tim, in his deep voice. He stood

up, wagging his tail, and there was a squeal romthe seat behind.

George! Make Tim sit down. Hes wagging my

hat o!

It was not very long beore the two girls and

Timothy were in London, being put into the trainor Kirrin.

I wish the boys broke up today too, sighed

Anne. Then we could all have gone down to

Kirrin together. That would have been un.

Julian and Dick broke up the next day andwere to join the girls then at Kirrin Cottage. Anne

was really looking orward to seeing them again.

A term was a long time to be away rom one

another. She had been glad to have her cousin

George with her. The three o them had stayedwith George in the summer, and had had some

exciting adventures together on the little island

o the coast. An old castle stood on the island


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and in the dungeons the children had made all

kinds o wonderul discoveries.It will be lovely to go across to Kirrin Island

again, George, said Anne, as the train sped o

towards the west.

We shant be able to, said George. The sea is

terribly rough around the island in the winter. Itwould be too dangerous to try and row there.

Oh, what a pity, said Anne, disappointed.

I was looking orward to some more adventures

there.

There wont be any adventures at Kirrin in thewinter, said George. Its cold down there and

when it snows we sometimes get completely

snowed in cant even walk to the village because

the sea-wind blows the snow-drits so high.

Oooh that sounds exciting! said Anne.It isnt really, said George. Its boring

nothing to do but sit at home all day, or go out

with a spade and dig the snow away.

It was a long time beore the train reached the

little station that served Kirrin. But at last it waspulling in slowly and stopping at the tiny platorm.

The two girls jumped out eagerly and saw Georges

mother waiting or them.


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7Christmas holidays

Hello, George darling hello, Anne! said

Georges mother, giving them both a hug. Anne,Im so sorry about your mum, but shes getting on

all right, youll be glad to know.

Oh, good! said Anne. Its nice o you to have

us, Aunt Fanny. Well try to be good! What about

Uncle Quentin? Will he mind having our childrenin the house in the winter-time? We wont be able

to go out and leave him in peace as oten as we

did in the summer!

Georges ather was a scientist, a very clever

man, but rather rightening. He had little patiencewith children, and the our o them had elt a bit

scared o him at times in the summer.

Oh, your uncle is still working very hard at his

book, said Aunt Fanny. You know, he has been

working out a secret theory a secret idea andputting it all into his book. He says that once it is

all explained and nished, hes going to take it to

some high authority, and then his idea will be

used or the good o the country.

How exciting! said Anne. Whats the secret?I cant tell you that, silly, said her aunt,

laughing. Anyway, I dont know it. Come along,

now its cold standing here. Timothy looks very


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at and well, George.

Oh Mum, hes had a wonderul time at school,said George. He really has. He chewed up the

cooks old slippers . . .

And he chased the cat that lives in the stables

every time he saw her, said Anne.

And he once got into the kitchen and ate awhole steak pie, said George, and once . . .

I should think the school will reuse to have

Timothy next term, said her mother, in horror.

Was he punished?

No he wasnt, said George, going red. Yousee, Mum, we are responsible or our pets and

their behaviour ourselves so i ever Timothy

does anything bad Im punished or it, because I

havent shut him up properly, or something like

that.Well, you must have had quite a lot o

punishments then, said her mother, as she drove

the little pony-trap along the rosty roads. I really

think thats rather a good idea! There was a

twinkle in her eyes as she spoke. I think Ill keepon with the same idea punish you every time

Timothy misbehaves!

The girls laughed. They elt happy and excited.


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9Christmas holidays

Holidays were un. Going back to Kirrin was

lovely. Tomorrow the boys would come andthen Christmas would be there!

Lovely Kirrin Cottage! said Anne, as they

came in sight o the pretty old house. Oh look,

theres Kirrin Island! The two looked out to sea,

where the old ruined castle stood on the littleisland o Kirrin what adventures they had had

there in the summer!

The girls went into the house. Quentin! called

Georges mother. Quentin! The girls are here.

Uncle Quentin came out o his study at theother side o the house. Anne thought he looked

taller and darker than ever. And rownier!

she said to hersel. Uncle Quentin might be very

clever, but Anne preerred someone un and

smiling like her own ather. She shook handswith her uncle politely, and watched George

kiss him.

Well! said Uncle Quentin to Anne. I hear Ive

got to get a tutor or you! At least, or the two

boys. Youll have to behave yoursel with a tutor,I can tell you!

This was meant to be a joke, but it didnt sound

very nice to Anne and George. People you had to


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behave well with were usually very strict and

tiresome. Both girls were glad when Georgesather had gone back into his study.

Your ather has been working ar too hard

lately, said Georges mother to her. He is tired

out. Thank goodness his book is nearly nished.

He had hoped to nish it by Christmas so thathe could join in the un and games but now he

says he cant.

What a pity, said Anne, politely, though

secretly she thought it was a good thing. It

wouldnt be much un having to play charadeswith Uncle Quentin! Oh, Aunt Fanny, Im so

looking orward to seeing Julian and Dick and

theyll be really pleased to see Tim and George.

Nobody calls George Georgina at school, not

even our orm teacher. I was hoping they would,because I wanted to see what would happen when

she reused to answer to Georgina! George, you

liked school, didnt you?

Yes, said George, I did. I thought Id hate

being with a lot o others, but its un, ater all.But Mum, you wont nd my report very good,

Im araid. There were such a lot o things I was

bad at because Id never done them beore.


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11Christmas holidays

Well, youd never been to school beore! said

her mother. Ill explain it to your ather i he getsupset. Now go along and get ready or a late tea.

You must be very hungry.

The girls went upstairs to their little room. Im

glad Im not spending the holidays by mysel,

said George. Ive had much more un since Iveknown you and the boys. Hey, Timothy, where

have you gone?

Hes gone to smell all around the house to

make sure its his proper home! said Anne, with

a giggle. He wants to know i the kitchen smellsthe same and the bathroom and his basket. It

must be just as exciting or him to come home or

the holidays as it is or us!

Anne was right. Timothy was thrilled to be

back again. He ran around Georges mother,sning at her legs in riendliness, pleased to see

her again. He ran into the kitchen but soon came

out again because someone new was there

Joanna the cook a at, panting person who eyed

him with suspicion.You can come into this kitchen once a day or

your dinner, said Joanna. And thats all. Im

not having meat and sausages and chicken


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disappearing under my nose i I can help it. I

know what dogs are, I do!Timothy ran into the dining room and the

sitting room, and was pleased to nd they had

the same old smell. He put his nose to the door

o the study where Georges ather worked, and

snied very cautiously. He didnt mean to go in.Timothy was just as wary o Georges ather as

the others were!

He ran upstairs to the girls bedroom again.

Where was his basket? Ah, there it was by the

window-seat. Good! That meant he was to sleepin the girls bedroom once more. He curled himsel

up in his basket, and thumped loudly with

his tail.

Glad to be back, said his tail, glad to

be back!

five go adventuring again - excerpt

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