ALFREDO sat down on the grass, some way back from the fire. He set a little metal bowl in front ofhim, that smelt1 of petrol. He held up two things to show the children.
'His torches,' said Mrs. Alfredo, proudly. 'He eats fire from them.'
Alfredo called out something to the snake-man, dipping his two torches into the bowl. They were 50not alight yet, and to the children they looked like very large buttonhooks, with a wad of wool caughtin the hook-part.
The snake-man leaned forward and took a burning twig2 out of the fire. With a deft3 throw he pitched itright into the metal bowl. Immediately it set light to the petrol there, and flames shot up in thedarkness.
Alfredo had held his torches out of the way, but now he thrust first one and then another into theburning petrol in the bowl.
They flared4 alight at once, and red flames shot up as he held one in each hand. His eyes gleamed inthe brilliant light, and the five children sat still, spellbound.
Then Alfredo leaned back his head - back and back - and opened his great mouth wide. He put one ofthe lighted torches into it, and closed his mouth over it, so that his cheeks gleamed a strange andunbelievable red from the flames inside his mouth. Anne gave a little scream and George gasped5. Thetwo boys held their breath. Only Jo watched unconcerned. She had seen her uncle do this many timesbefore!
Alfredo opened his mouth, and flames rushed out of it, gushing6 like a fiery7 waterfall. What with theother torch flaring8 in his left hand, the burning petrol in the bowl, the torch in his right hand and theflames from his mouth, it really was an extraordinary scene!
He did the same with the other torch, and once more his cheeks glowed like a lamp. Then fire camefrom his mouth again, and was blown this way and that by the night breeze.
Alfredo closed his mouth. He swallowed. Then he looked round, opened his mouth to show that heno longer had any flames there, and smiled broadly.
'Ah - you like to see me eat fire?' he said, and put out his torches. The bowl was no longer flaming,and now only the fire-light lit the scene.
'It's marvellous,' said Julian, with great admiration9. 'But don't you burn your mouth?'
'What, me? No, never!' laughed Alfredo. 'At first may be, yes - when I begin years and years ago.
But now, no. It would be a shameful10 thing to burn my mouth - I would hang my head, and go away.'
'But - how is it you don't burn your mouth?' asked Dick, puzzled.
Alfredo refused to give any explanation. That was part of the mystery of his act and he wasn't goingto give it away.
'I can fire-eat too,' announced Jo, casually11 and most unexpectedly. 'Here, Uncle, let me have one 51of your torches.'
'You! You will do nothing of the sort!' roared Alfredo. 'Do you want to burn to bits?'
'No. And I shan't either,' said Jo. 'I've watched you and I know just how it's done. I've tried it.'
'Fibber!' said George at once.
'Now you listen to me,' began Alfredo again. 'If you fire-eat I will whip you till you beg me formercy. I will...'
'Now, Fredo,' said his wife, 'you'll do nothing of the sort. I'll deal with Jo if she starts any nonsensehere. As for fire-eating - well, if there's to be anyone else fire-eating here, I will do it. I, your wife.'
'You will not fire-eat,' said Alfredo obstinately12, evidently afraid that his hot-tempered little wifemight try to do it.
Anne suddenly gave a scream of fright. A long, thick body glided13 between her and Julian - one of thesnake-man's pythons! He had brought one with him, and the children hadn't known. Jo caught hold ofit and held on for dear life.
'Let him be,' said the snake-man. 'He will come back to me. He wants a run.'
'Let me hold him for a bit,' begged Jo. 'He feels so smooth and cold. I like snakes.'
Julian put out his hand gingerly and touched the great snake. It did feel unexpectedly smooth, andquite cool. How extraordinary! It looked so scaly14 and rough.
The snake slithered all the way up Jo and then began to pour itself down her back. 'Now don't you lethim get his tail round you,' warned the snake-man. 'I've told you that before.'
'I'll wear him round my neck,' said Jo, and proceeded to pull the snake's long body until in the end hehung round her neck like a fur. George watched in unwilling15 admiration. Anne had removed herselfas far from Jo as possible. The boys gazed in astonishment16, and felt a new respect for the little gypsygirl.
Someone struck up a soft melody on a guitar. It was Skippy, Bufflo's wife. She hummed a sad littlesong that had a gay little chorus in which all the fair-folk joined. Practically all the camp had comealong now, and there were quite a few the children hadn't seen before.
It was exciting sitting there round the glowing fire, listening to the thrum of the guitar, and the soundof Skippy's low, clear voice - sitting near a fire-eater too, and within arm's length of a snake who alsoseemed to be enjoying the music! He swayed about in time to the chorus, and then suddenly pouredhimself all down the front of Jo, and glided like magic to his master, the 52snake-man.
'Ah, my beauty,' said the funny little man, and let the python slide between his hands, its coils pulsingpowerfully as it went. 'You like the music, my beauty?'
'He really loves his snake,' whispered Anne to George. 'How can he?'
Alfredo's wife got up. 'It is time to go,' she told the audience. 'Alfredo needs his supper. Is it not so,my big bad man?'
Alfredo agreed that it was so. He placed the heavy iron pot over the glowing fire again, and in a fewseconds such a glorious smell came from it that all the five children began to sniff17 expectantly.
'Where's Timmy?' said George, suddenly. He was nowhere to be seen!
'He crept away with his tail down when he saw the snake,' said Jo. 'I saw him go. Timmy, come back!
It's all right! Timmy, Timmy!'
'I'll call him, thank you,' said George. 'He's my dog. Timmy!'
Timmy came, his tail still down. George fondled him and so did Jo. He licked them both in turn.
George tried to drag him away from Jo. She didn't like Timmy to show affection for the little gypsygirl - but he always did! He loved her.
The supper was lovely. 'What is in your pot?' asked Dick, accepting a second helping18. 'I've nevertasted such a delicious stew19 in my life.'
'Chicken, duck, beef, bacon, rabbit, hare, hedgehog, onions, turnips20...' began Alfredo's wife. 'I putthere everything that comes. It cooks and I stir, it cooks and I stir. Perhaps a partridge goes in oneday, and a pheasant the next, and...'
'Hold your tongue, wife,' growled22 Alfredo, who knew quite well that the farmers round about mightwell ask questions about some of the things in that stew.
'You tell me to hold my tongue!' cried little Mrs. Alfredo angrily, flourishing a spoon. 'You tell methat!'
'Woof,' said Timmy, receiving some nice tasty drops on his nose, and licking them off. 'Woof!'
He got up and went towards the spoon, hoping for a few more.
'Oh, Aunt Nita, do give Timmy a spoonful out of the stew,' begged Jo, and to Timmy's great joy hegot a big plateful all to himself. He could hardly believe it!
'Thank you very much for a very nice supper,' said Julian, feeling that it really was time to go.
He got up and the others followed his example.
53
'And thank you for fire-eating for us, Alfredo,' said George. 'It doesn't seem to have spoilt yourappetite!'
'Poof!' said Alfredo, as if such a thing would never enter his head. 'Jo - are you going to stay with usagain tonight? You are welcome.'
'I'd just like an old rug, that's all, Aunt Nita,' said Jo. 'I'm going to sleep under George's caravan23.'
'You can sleep on the floor inside, if you like,' said George. But Jo shook her head.
'No. I've had enough of sleeping indoors for a bit. I want to sleep out. Under the caravan will be a fineplace for me. Gypsies often sleep there when the weather is warm.'
They went back over the dark hillside. A few stars were out, but the moon was not yet up.
'That was a jolly interesting evening,' said Dick. 'I enjoyed it. I like your aunt and uncle, Jo.'
Jo was delighted. She always loved praise from Dick. She went under the girls' caravan, and rolledherself up in the rug. She had been taught to clean her teeth and wash and do her hair, by the foster-mother she had lived with for some months - but all that was forgotten now that she was leading agypsy life again!
'In a day or two she'll be the filthy24, dirty, tangly-haired, rude girl she was when we first knew her,'
said George, combing out her own hair extra well. 'I'm glad we're going to stay here after all, aren'tyou, Anne? I really do think the fair people are friendly towards us now.'
'Thanks to Jo,' said Anne. George said nothing. She didn't like being under obligation to Jo! Shefinished preparing herself for bed and got into her bunk25.
'I wish we'd seen that face at the window, don't you, Anne?' she said. 'I do wonder whose it was -and why it was there, looking out.'
'I don't think I want to talk about faces at windows just now,' said Anne, getting into her bunk.
'Let's change the subject.' She blew out the lamp and settled down. They talked for a few minutes,and then George heard something outside the caravan. What could it be? Timmy raised his head andgave a little growl21.
George looked at the window opposite. A lone26 star shone through it - and then something came infront of the star, blotted27 it out, and pressed itself against the glass pane28. Timmy growled again, butnot very loudly. Was it someone he knew?
George flashed on her torch, and immediately saw what it was. She gave a little giggle29. Then shecalled to Anne.
'Anne! Anne! Quick, there's a face at the window. Anne, wake up!'
54
'I'm not asleep,' said Anne's voice, and she sat up, scared. 'What face? Where? You're not justfrightening me, are you?'
'No - there it is, look!' said George and shone her torch at the window. A big, long, dark-brown facelooked in, and Anne gave a shriek30. Then she laughed. 'You beast, George - it's only Alfredo's horse.
Oh, you did give me a fright. I've a good mind to pull you out of your bunk on to the floor. Go away,you silly staring horse - shoo, go away!'
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1
smelt
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v.熔解,熔炼;n.银白鱼,胡瓜鱼 | |
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2
twig
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n.小树枝,嫩枝;v.理解 | |
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3
deft
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adj.灵巧的,熟练的(a deft hand 能手) | |
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4
Flared
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adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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5
gasped
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v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
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6
gushing
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adj.迸出的;涌出的;喷出的;过分热情的v.喷,涌( gush的现在分词 );滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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7
fiery
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adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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8
flaring
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a.火焰摇曳的,过份艳丽的 | |
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9
admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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10
shameful
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adj.可耻的,不道德的 | |
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11
casually
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adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地 | |
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12
obstinately
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ad.固执地,顽固地 | |
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13
glided
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v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
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14
scaly
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adj.鱼鳞状的;干燥粗糙的 | |
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15
unwilling
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adj.不情愿的 | |
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16
astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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17
sniff
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vi.嗅…味道;抽鼻涕;对嗤之以鼻,蔑视 | |
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18
helping
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n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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19
stew
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n.炖汤,焖,烦恼;v.炖汤,焖,忧虑 | |
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20
turnips
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芜青( turnip的名词复数 ); 芜菁块根; 芜菁甘蓝块根; 怀表 | |
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21
growl
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v.(狗等)嗥叫,(炮等)轰鸣;n.嗥叫,轰鸣 | |
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22
growled
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v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说 | |
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23
caravan
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n.大蓬车;活动房屋 | |
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24
filthy
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adj.卑劣的;恶劣的,肮脏的 | |
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25
bunk
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n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位;废话 | |
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26
lone
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adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的 | |
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27
blotted
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涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 ); (用吸墨纸)吸干 | |
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28
pane
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n.窗格玻璃,长方块 | |
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29
giggle
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n.痴笑,咯咯地笑;v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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30
shriek
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v./n.尖叫,叫喊 | |
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