Chapter 5 THE FIRST NIGHT - AND A MORNING VISITOR

Chapter 5 THE FIRST NIGHT - AND A MORNING VISITOR
'What's the time?' said Julian, looking at his watch. 'Good gracious - it's almost eight o'clock!
Anyone feel tired?'
'Yes,' said Dick, Anne and George, and even Timmy joined in with his deepest 'Woof'.
'With all that bicycling and then pushing that heavy cart up the hill, I can hardly move!' said Dick. 'Ivote we have a simple supper - something out of Anne's little larder¹ - and then spread our rugs oversome thick heather and sleep under the sky. Even up here, with a breeze, it's warm. I should be stifledin a tent.'
'Well, we're all agreed on that,' said Julian. 'Anne, what do you suggest for a light supper?'
'Bread, butter and some of Mrs. Thomas's farm cheese,' said Anne promptly². 'With a tomato or two ifyou like - and icy-cold milk and Benny's strawberries to finish with. That is - if the milk has had timeto get cold in the little hole under the spring.'
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'Sounds jolly good,' said Julian. 'What do you think, Timmy? Anne, if you and George get the supperready, Dick and I will prepare our heathery beds. Then we can all turn in as soon as possible. Ihonestly feel that once I sit down or lie down I'll not be able to get up again!'
'Same here,' said Dick, and went off with Julian to find the best place for sleeping. They soon foundone. They came across a giant of a gorse bush, thick, prickly and still full of golden blooms. In frontof it was a stretch of very close-set heather, as springy as the best mattress³ in the world. Dick satdown on it and grinned at Julian.
'Just made for us!' he said. 'We shall sleep like tops here. We hardly need a rug to lie on, it's so close-grown. Help me up, Ju - my legs won't do anything now I've sat down!'
Julian pulled him up and they called to the girls: 'Anne! George! Bring the supper here. We've founda good place. It's by this giant gorse bush.'
The girls came along with the meal, and the boys fetched a couple of rugs from the pile of things thatthey had brought in the hand-cart. They spread them on the heather.
'I say! This certainly is a good place,' said George, coming up with Anne and Timmy, carrying a loafof bread, a pat of butter and tomatoes. Anne had the milk and the cheese. Timmy was carrying a littlebag of his own biscuits.
'The gorse bush will shelter us from too much wind,' said Dick, taking the milk from Anne. 'It's anideal spot - and the view is superb.'
It was a very happy supper they had, sitting in the heather, while the sun sank lower and lower in thewest. The evenings were very light now, and certainly they would not need candles! They finished upeverything, and then went to wash at the little spring that bubbled out so cheerfully.
They lay down on their rugs in the heather while it was still daylight. 'Good night!' said Dick, andpromptly fell fast asleep. 'Good night!' called Julian, and lay for a few seconds looking at the view,which was now becoming dim and blue.
Timmy kept the two girls awake for a minute or two, trying to squeeze in between them. 'Do keepstill, Timmy,' said George. 'And just remember you're on guard, even though I don't expect there isanyone nearer than a mile - and that will be at Billycock Farm! Lie still now, or I'll push you off therug! Good night, Anne.'
George was soon asleep, and so was Timmy, tired out with so many miles of running. Anne layawake for a few minutes, looking at the evening star which shone large and golden in the sky.
She felt very happy. 'I don't want to grow up,' she thought. 'There can't be anything nicer in the 19world than this - being with the others, having fun with them. No - I don't want to grow up!'
Then she, too, fell asleep, and night came quietly down, with stars brilliant in the sky, and very littlenoise to be heard anywhere - just the gurgling of the spring some way away, and the far-off bark ofsome dog - perhaps Binky at the farm. The breeze died down, so that even that could not be heard.
No one except Timmy awoke at all that night. Timmy put up one ear when he heard a squeak⁴ justabove his head. It came again and he opened one eye. It was a small black bat circling and swooping,hunting for insects. Its squeak was so high that only Timmy's quick ear caught it. He put down hislistening ear and went to sleep again.
Nobody stirred until a very loud noise awakened⁵ them. R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! They allwoke up with a jump and the boys sat up straight, startled. What could it be?
'It's a plane,' said Julian, staring up at a small aeroplane flying over the hill. 'It must be one from thatairfield down there! I say - it's five past nine! Five past nine - we've slept for nearly twelve hours!'
'Well, I'm going to sleep for some more,' said Dick, snuggling down into his heathery bed again andshutting his eyes.
'No, you're not,' said Julian, giving him a shove. 'It's too good a day to waste in any more sleep.
Hey, you girls - are you awake?'
'Yes,' called George, sitting up, rubbing her eyes. 'That aeroplane wakened me. Anne's awake, too -and you can see that Timmy is; he's gone after a rabbit or something.'
'We'll all go and wash at the spring,' said Anne, scrambling⁶ off the rug. 'And George and I will getbreakfast. Anyone like a boiled egg?'
The sun shone down out of a blue sky, and the little breeze awoke and began to blow again. Theywashed in the cold water, and Timmy drank it, lapping it thirstily as it splashed down over his nose.
Then they had their breakfast.
It was easy to make a little fire in the shelter of the giant gorse bush, and boil the eggs in thesaucepan. Bread and butter and tomatoes completed the simple meal, with cold creamy milk to washit down.
In the middle of this Timmy began to bark frantically⁷, but as his tail was wagging all the time, theothers guessed that it must be Toby coming. They heard Binky's answering bark, and then the doghimself appeared, panting and excited. He greeted Timmy first of all, and then ran round to 20give everyone a lick.
'Hallo, hallo, hallo!' came Toby's voice, and he appeared round the gorse bush. 'Had a good night? Isay, aren't you late - still having your breakfast? My word, you're sleepy-heads! I've been up sincesix. I've milked cows and cleaned out a shed, and fed the hens and collected the eggs.'
The Five immediately felt ashamed of themselves! They gazed at Toby in admiration⁸ - why, he wasquite a farmer!
'I've brought you some more milk, bread and eggs and cake,' he said, and put down a basket.
'Jolly good of you,' said Julian. 'We must pay for any food we get from your farm, you know that.
Any idea of how much we owe for yesterday's food and for what you've brought today?'
'Well, my mother says you don't need to pay her,' said Toby. 'But I know you mean to - so I suggestthat you pay me each time and I'll put the money into a box and buy my mother a smashing present atthe end - from you all. Will that do?'
'That's a good idea,' said Julian. 'We couldn't possibly accept food if we didn't pay for it - but I knowwhat mothers are - they don't like being paid in money for their kindness! So we'll do what you say.
Now, reckon up what we owe so far, and I'll pay you.'
'Right,' said Toby in a business-like way. 'I'll charge you market prices, not top prices. I'll just tot upthe bill while you're cleaning up and putting away what I've brought.'
The girls washed-up in the spring, and the boys carried everything there for Anne to put in her'larder'. Toby presented Julian with a neatly-written bill, which he at once paid. Toby receipted thebill and gave it back.
'There you are - all business-like,' he said. 'Thanks very much. What are you going to do today?
There are super caves to be explored if you like - or there's the Butterfly Farm - or you can just comedown to our farm for the day.'
'No, not today,' said Julian, afraid that they might make themselves a nuisance to Mrs. Thomas. 'Idon't feel like seeing caves this morning either - so dark and eerie⁹ on such a sunny day. What shallwe do, girls?'
But before they could decide Binky and Timmy began to bark, each dog standing¹⁰ quite still, facingthe same way - towards the giant gorse bush.
'Who is it, Tim?' asked George. 'Go and see! Go on, then!'
Timmy ran behind the bush, followed by Binky, and then the children heard a surprised voice.
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'Hallo, Binky! What are you doing all the way up here? And who's your friend?'
'It's Mr. Gringle,' said Toby. 'One of the men who own the Butterfly Farm. He's often up here with hisnet, because it's a wonderful place for butterflies.'
A man came round the gorse bush - rather a peculiar¹¹ figure, untidy, with glasses slipping down hisnose, and his hair much too long. He carried a big butterfly net and stopped when he saw the fivechildren.
'Hallo!' he said. 'Who are all these, Toby? Quite a crowd!'
'Friends of mine, Mr. Gringle,' said Toby solemnly. 'Allow me to introduce them. Julian Kirrin, DickKirrin, Anne Kirrin, George Kirrin, their cousin - and their dog Timothy.'
'Ha - pleased to meet you!' said Mr. Gringle, and came shambling forward, his big butterfly net overhis shoulder. Behind his glasses shone curiously¹² bright eyes. He nodded his head to each of the fourcousins. 'Three boys - and a girl. Very nice lot, too. You don't look as if you'll leave litter about orstart fires in this lovely countryside.'
'We shouldn't dream of it,' said George, delighted that he had thought she was a boy. Nothing pleasedGeorge as much as that! 'Mr. Gringle - could we see your Butterfly Farm, please? We would so liketo!'
'Of course, my dear boy, of course,' said Mr. Gringle, and his eyes shone as if he were very pleased.
'We don't often have visitors, so it's quite an event when somebody comes along. This way, this way!'

1 larder   

n.食物贮藏室，食品橱

参考例句：

• Please put the food into the larder.请将您地食物放进食物柜内。
• They promised never to raid the larder again.他们答应不再随便开食橱拿东西吃了。

2 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

3 mattress   

n.床垫，床褥

参考例句：

• The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。
• The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

4 squeak   

n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another squeak out of you!我不想再听到你出声！
• We won the game,but it was a narrow squeak.我们打赢了这场球赛，不过是侥幸取胜。

5 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

8 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

9 eerie   

adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的

参考例句：

• It's eerie to walk through a dark wood at night.夜晚在漆黑的森林中行走很是恐怖。
• I walked down the eerie dark path.我走在那条漆黑恐怖的小路上。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

12 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。