The children stared after Mr. Wooh and the chimpanzee. They saw Charlie pick up two emptybuckets, one in each strong paw, and race off to the right with them.
'Where's he going?' said Anne, astonished at the rate he was running along.
'I bet he's going to get some water from the stream in those pails, and take them to whoever washesdown the horses,' said George. She was right! Charlie soon came back again, walking this time,holding a heavy pail of water in each hand!
'Well, I must say that chimpanzee is jolly useful!' said Dick. 'Look - there's Madelon who trains thosebeautiful horses that paraded round the ring last night - she's wearing old trousers this morning, shelooks quite different. There - Charlie has set the pails of water down beside her. I bet that as soon asshe wants any more water, he'll be off again to the stream!'
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'I rather like old Charlie,' said Anne. 'I didn't at first - but now I do. I wish he didn't belong to Mr.
Wooh.'
Julian stood up, looking down at the paper on which he had so carefully written lines of small figuresand drawn3 many peculiar4 diagrams. 'I somehow feel this isn't much good now,' he said. 'I think Mr.
Wooh must have guessed it was all a make-up as soon as he saw it. He gave himself away a bit,though - I saw him looking at the paper in a rather startled way, as if he'd seen something very like itvery recently indeed!'
'So he had, the wretch5, if he'd sent someone up to get my Dad's papers out of the tower room!'
said Tinker. 'I say - what about having a look round the circus, to see if we can spot a ladderanywhere - one tall enough to reach the tower room!'
'Good idea!' said Dick. 'Come on - we'll go now. Chuck that drawing-board and diagram paper overour fence, Ju. I hardly think it's worth your while to finish it.'
The Five, with Tinker and Mischief6, wandered down the field to where the circus was encamped.
Dick spotted7 a ladder, lying in the grass, and nudged Julian.
'Julian! See that? Would it reach the tower?' Julian walked over to it. It certainly was very, very long- but would it be long enough? No - he didn't think it would. Still - he might as well find out whoowned it. At that moment up came the Boneless Man, walking perfectly8. He grinned at the children -and then suddenly put all his double-joints9 to work, bent10 his knees into peculiar positions, twisted hishead round so that he was looking over his own back, and then bent his double-jointed arms thewrong way, so that he looked very peculiar indeed!
'Don't! I don't like it!' said Anne. 'You look so queer and strange! Why are you called the BonelessWonder? You aren't boneless - you just make yourself look as if you were, with all those queerdouble-joints of yours!'
The Boneless Man seemed suddenly to lose all his bones, and crumpled11 up on the grass in a funnyheap. The children couldn't help laughing. He didn't look as if he had any bones at all then!
'Er - can you climb ladders if you're double-jointed?' asked Julian, suddenly.
'Of course!' said the Boneless Man. 'Run up them backwards12, forwards, sideways - any way you like.'
'Is that your ladder, then?' asked Dick, nodding his head towards the ladder in the grass.
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'Well - I use it, but so does everyone else!' said the Boneless Man, turning his head the wrong wayround, so that it seemed as if it was put on back to front. It was odd to speak to someone whose headdid that - one minute they were talking to his face, the next to the back of his head!
'I wish you wouldn't do that,' said Anne. 'It makes me feel giddy.'
'Do you use that ladder to put the flag on the top of the circus tent?' asked Dick. 'It doesn't look longenough for that.'
'It isn't,' said the Boneless Man, turning his head the right way round, much to Anne's relief.
'There's a much longer one over there - it takes three men to carry it, it's so heavy - but the centrecircus pole is very tall, as you see. One man couldn't possibly carry the long ladder.'
The children looked at one another. That ruled out the very long ladder too, then. If it needed threemen to carry it, Jenny would certainly have heard a lot more noise last night!
'Are there any more ladders in the circus camp?'
'No - just the two. Why? Thinking of buying one?' said the Boneless Man. 'I must go. The Boss isbeckoning to me.' Off he went, walking in a most peculiar fashion, using his double joints for all hewas worth!
'What about the acrobats14?' said Julian. 'They must be used to climbing and clambering everywhere. Iwonder if any of them could have climbed the wall?'
'I don't think so,' said Tinker. 'I had a good look at it this morning - and although there is a kind ofcreeper climbing up the wall, it stops half-way - and above that there's just the stone wall.
Even an acrobat13 would have to have some help up the tower wall!'
'Could the clowns have found a way?' said George. 'No - I suppose they're not as good even as theacrobats at climbing. I don't believe the thief could have been anyone from the circus after all. Look -what's that on the ground over there - outside that tent?'
They all went over to see. It looked like a pile of dark-grey fur. George touched it with her toe.
'Oh - I know what it is - the donkey-skin!'
'Golly - so it is!' cried Tinker in delight, and picked it up - or tried to. It was much too heavy for himto hold up all of it.
In a trice Dick and George were inside that donkey-skin! Dick had the head, and found that he couldsee quite well where he was going, for the donkey-neck had neat eye-holes in it - the head itself wasstuffed with paper. George was the back legs, and kicked up her feet and made the donkey lookextremely lively. The others roared with laughter.
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Someone shouted loudly. 'Hey - you leave that donkey-skin alone!'
It was Jeremy. He came running up, looking furious. He had a stick in his hand, and hit out at thedonkey's hind15 parts, giving poor George a good old whack16, and making her yell.
'Hey! Stop that, it hurt!'
Tinker looked furiously at Jeremy. 'How dare you do that?' he shouted. 'Dick and George are in thedonkey-skin. Put down that stick!'
But Jeremy gave the donkey's hind legs another whack and George yelled again. Tinker gave a shouttoo, and flung himself on Jeremy, trying to get the stick out of his hand. The boy struggled, holdingon to the stick, but Tinker gave him a straight blow on the chest, and down he went!
'Ha! I said I'd knock you down sometime, and I have!' yelled Tinker. 'Get up and fight. I'll teach youto hit a girl!'
'Now stop it, Tinker,' said Julian. 'How could he have known George was inside? Come out of theskin, you two idiots, before old Grandad comes up. He looks as if he's on his way now!'
Jeremy was up now, and danced round Tinker with doubled fists. Before either boy could exchange ablow, Grandad's great voice came to them.
'NOW THEN! STOP IT!'
Jeremy swung his fist at Tinker, who dodged17, and then in his turn hit out at Jeremy, who ran back -straight into old Grandad, who at once clutched him.
By this time George and Dick were out of the donkey-skin, looking rather ashamed of themselves.
Old Grandad grinned at them, still holding on to the furious Jeremy. 'Fight's off,'
said Grandad to Tinker and Jeremy. 'If you want to go on, either of you, you can fight me, not eachother.'
However, neither of the boys wanted to take on old Grandad. He might be old, but he could still givesome mighty18 slaps, as Jeremy very well knew. They stood staring at one another, looking rathersheepish.
'Go on - shake hands and be friends,' said Grandad. 'Quick, now, or I'll do a little fighting myself!'
Tinker held out his hand just as Jeremy held out his. They shook, grinning at one another. 'That'sright!' said old Grandad. 'No harm done. No bones broken. You're quits now, so no more knockingeach other about.'
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'Right, Grandad,' said Jeremy, giving him a friendly punch. The old man turned to Dick and George.
'And if you want to borrow that donkey-skin, you're welcome,' said old Grandad. 'But it's manners toask the owner's permission first.'
'Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,' said Dick, grinning. He wondered what Professor Hayling and Jenny would sayif he and George did borrow it, and galloped19 into Hollow House at top speed. But no - he decidedreluctantly that Jenny might be scared stiff and give notice, and that would never do. She wouldn't atall like being chased by an apparently20 mad donkey, nor would Professor Hayling.
Grandad went off, and Julian spoke21 to Jeremy, who wasn't quite sure whether to go or to stay.
'We saw old Charlie carrying pails of water for the horses,' he said. 'My word, isn't he strong!'
Jeremy grinned, glad to be friends again, and to be able to stay with the Five and Tinker. Theywandered all round the field together, looking at the magnificent horses and at Dead-Shot Dick doinga little practising at shooting and then watched one small acrobat practising amazing jumps andsomersaults.
Mischief the monkey came with them. He was absolutely at home with everyone in the circus now,man, woman or animal. He leapt on to the horses' backs, and they didn't mind! He pretended to helpCharlie the Chimp1 to carry one of the pails of water - he ran off with Dead-Shot Dick's cap. He wentinto the chimp's cage and cuddled up in the straw with him, scrabbling about as if the cage belongedto him. He even went into Grandad's tent and came out with a small bottle of lemonade! He couldn'tget the top off, and took it to Charlie, who was watching near by! Charlie promptly22 forced it off withhis strong front paws - and then, to Mischief's disgust, tipped up the bottle, and drank the lot!
Mischief was very angry indeed. He ran to Charlie's cage, which was open, and sent the straw flyingeverywhere. Charlie sat outside his cage, and enjoyed the fun, grinning happily.
'Come out, Mischief!' called Tinker. 'You're making a nuisance of yourself!'
'Let him be,' said one of the acrobats, who was standing23 near by. 'Old Charlie enjoys a bit of temper -when it's someone else's! Look at him sitting grinning there.'
They watched for a few seconds more, to make sure that Mischief wasn't annoying the bigchimpanzee, and then turned to watch Monty and Winks24, the clowns, having an argument, whichended in Monty throwing water over Winks, and Winks emptying a basket of rubbish over Monty.
What a pair!
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When they turned to see if Mischief was still annoying Charlie, they saw that the little monkey hadleft the cage, and was tearing down the field to the fence. He leapt up, and over, and disappeared.
'He must think it's dinner-time,' said Tinker, looking at his watch. 'And golly, so it is. Buck2 upeveryone, Jenny will be in a fine old fury if we're really late - it's hot dinner today.'
Away they all went in a hurry. Hot dinner! Over the fence, then, and up the garden at top speed.
They mustn't keep a hot dinner waiting - or Jenny either!
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1
chimp
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| n.黑猩猩 | |
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buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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acrobat
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| n.特技演员，杂技演员 | |
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acrobats
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| n.杂技演员( acrobat的名词复数 )；立场观点善变的人，主张、政见等变化无常的人 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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whack
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| v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份 | |
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dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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winks
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| v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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