Chapter 5 THE TRAVELLING CIRCUS
Anne watched anxiously as Tinker went on and on over the field. There were now four caravanstrundling in, at the far gate, and behind them, in the lane, were vans - enormous vans - all withenormously large words painted on them.
TAPPER'S TRAVELLING CIRCUS
20
'Hoo! I'll tell Mr. Tapper what I think of him, coming into my field!' said Tinker to himself.
Mischief³ the monkey was on his shoulder, jogging up and down as Tinker marched along, mutteringfuriously.
Four or five children from the caravans¹ looked at him curiously⁴ as he marched along. One small boyrushed up to him, shouting in delight to see the monkey.
'A monkey, look, a monkey!' he cried. 'Much smaller than our chimp⁵. What's he called, boy?'
'Mind your own business,' said Tinker. 'Where's Mr. Tapper?'
'Mr. Tapper? Oh, you mean our Grandad!' said the boy. 'He's over there, look, beside that big van.
Better not talk to him now, boy. He's that busy!'
Tinker walked over to the van and addressed the man there. He was rather fierce-looking and had along, bushy beard, enormous eye-brows that hung down over his eyes, a rather small nose, and onlyone ear. He looked inquiringly down at Tinker, and put out his hand to Mischief.
'My monkey might bite you,' said Tinker, at once. 'He doesn't like strangers.'
'I'm no stranger to any monkey,' said the man in a deep-down voice. 'There isn't a monkey in theworld, or a chimp either that wouldn't come to me if I called it. Nor a gorilla⁶, see?'
'Well, my monkey won't come to you,' said Tinker, angrily. 'But what I've come to say is...'
Before he could finish his sentence, the man made a curious noise in his throat - rather like Mischiefdid when he was pleased about anything. Mischief looked at the man in surprised delight - and thenleapt straight from Tinker's shoulder to his, nuzzling against his neck, making little crooning noises.
Tinker was so amazed that he stared without saying a word.
'See?' said the man. 'He's my little friend already. Don't gawp so, little fellow. I've trained the monkeyfamily all my life. You lend me this little chap and I'll teach him to ride a small tricycle in two days!'
'Come here, Mischief!' said Tinker, amazed and angry at the monkey's behaviour. But Mischiefcuddled down still farther into the big man's neck. The man hauled him out and handed him toTinker.

分享到：