The Secret Series - Complete Collection. Enid blyton

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ need another blanket, too. And there are all sorts of little things we want.”

      “I badly want some more mending wool and some black cotton,” said Peggy. “I had to mend your grey trousers with blue wool yesterday, Jack.”

      “And I’ll have to have some more corn for the hens soon,” said Nora.

      “And it would be nice if we could get some flour,” said Peggy. “Because if I had a bag of flour I could make you little rolls of bread sometimes - I just long for bread, don’t you!”

      “It would be nice,” said Jack. “Well, listen, everyone. Don’t you think it would be a good idea if I took the boat and went to the village at the other end of the lake and bought some of the things we badly need?”

      The others all cried out in surprise.

      “You’d be caught!”

      “You haven’t any money to buy things with!”

      “Oh, don’t go, Jack!”

      “I shouldn’t be caught,” said Jack. "I’d be very careful. No one knows me at that village. Anyway, if you’re afraid, I’ll go on to the next village - only it’s five miles away and I’d be jolly tired carrying back all the things we want.”

      “But what about money, Jack?” said Peggy.

      “I’d thought of that,” said Jack. “If Mike will help me to pick a sackful of mushrooms early one morning, I could bring them back here, arrange them in the willow baskets we make, and then take them to the village to sell. With the money I get I’ll buy the things we want.”

      “Oh, that is a good idea, Jack,” said Peggy. “If only you don’t get caught!”

      “Don’t worry about that, silly,” said Jack. “Now we’d better make out a list of things we want, and I’ll try and get them when I go.”

      “I wish we could have a book or two,” said Peggy.

      “And a pencil would be nice,” said Nora. “I like drawing things.”

      “And a new kettle,” said Peggy. “Ours leaks a bit now.”

      “And a few more nails,” said Mike.

      “And the flour and the wool and the black cotton,” said Peggy.

      So they went on, making up a list of things they would like to have. Jack said them all over, and counted them up so that he wouldn’t forget them.

      “Mike and I will get the mushrooms from the field over the water to-morrow morning,” he said.

      “And I say, Jack - do you suppose you could sell some wild strawberries if you took them?” asked Nora eagerly. “I know where there are lots. I found a whole patch yesterday, ever so big, and very sweet!”

      “That’s a splendid idea,” said Jack, pleased. “Look here, we’ll make lots of little baskets to-day, and then we will arrange the mushrooms and strawberries neatly in them and I’ll take them in the boat to sell. We should make a lot of money!”

      The children were really excited. Mike went off to get a supply of thin willow twigs, and Peggy ran to get some rushes. She had discovered that she could make dainty baskets from the rushes, too, and she thought those would be nice for the strawberries.

      Soon all four children were sitting on the sunny hillside among the heather, weaving the baskets. The boys were as good at it as the girls now, and by the time the sun was sinking there was a fine array of baskets. Peggy counted them. There were twenty-seven!

      “I say! If we can fill and sell all those, Jack, you will have plenty of money to buy everything,” said Mike.

      The children went to bed early, for they knew they would have to be up at dawn the next day. They had no watches or clocks, and the only way to wake up early was to go to bed early! They knew that. It was a warm night, so they slept in their outdoor bedroom among the gorse bushes, lying cosily on their heather beds. Nothing ever woke them now, as it had done at first. A hedgehog could crawl over Jack’s legs and he wouldn’t stir! A bat could flick Mike’s face and he didn’t even move.

      Once a little spider had made a web from Peggy’s nose to her shoulder, and when Nora awoke and saw it there she called the boys. How they laughed to see a web stretching from Peggy’s nose, and a little spider in the middle of it! They woke Peggy up and told her - but she didn’t mind a bit!

      “Spiders are lucky!” she said. “I shall have some luck to-day!” And so she did - for she found her scissors, which she had lost the week before!

      The children awoke early, just as the daylight was putting a sheet of silver over the eastern sky. A robin was tick-tick-ticking near by and burst into a little creamy song when the children awoke. He was not a bit afraid of them, for they all loved the birds and fed them with crumbs after every meal. The robin was very tame and would often sit on Peggy’s shoulder whilst she prepared the meals. She liked this very much.

      They all got up and had their dip in the lake. Peggy thought of one more thing they wanted - a bar of soap! Their one piece was finished - and it was dificult to rub dirt off with sand, which they had to do now they had no soap. Jack added that to the list in his mind - that made twenty-one things wanted! What a lot!

      “Mike and I won’t be very long picking mush-rooms,” he said, as he got into the boat and pushed off. “You and Nora go and pick the strawberries, Peggy. Have a kettle boiling on the fire when we come back so that we can have something hot to drink.

      It’s rather chilly this morning.”

      How busy the four children were as the sun rose! Mike and Jack were away in the mushroom field, picking as many mushrooms as they could, and stuffing them into the big sack they carried. Nora and Peggy were picking the wild strawberries on the island. Certainly the patch Nora had found was a wonderful one. Deep red strawberries glowed everywhere among the pretty leaves, and some of the berries were as big as garden ones.

      “Don’t they look pretty in our little green baskets?” said Peggy, pleased. The girls had taken some of their baskets with them, and had lined them with strawberry leaves first. Then neatly and gently they were putting the ripe strawberries in.

      “I should think Jack could sell these baskets of strawberries for sixpence each,” said Peggy. “They are just right for eating.”

      The girls filled twelve of the rush baskets, and then went back to light the camp-fire. It was soon burning well, and Peggy hung the kettle over the flames to boil. Nora went to feed the hens.

      “I’ll milk Daisy, I think,” said Peggy. “It is getting about milking-time, and the boys won’t have time this morning. Watch the fire, Nora, and take the kettle off when it boils.”

      Soon the boys were back, happy to show the girls such a fine collection of white mushrooms. Peggy had finished milking Daisy and there was soon hot tea for everyone.

      The tin of cocoa had long been finished, and was added to the list that Jack had in his mind.

      Whilst the boys were having breakfast of fried eggs and mushrooms, СКАЧАТЬ