Chapter 4 SETTLING IN
The Five stared after Wilfrid in silence. Timmy wagged his tail and whined¹. He wanted the boy tocome back.
'Well, thank you, Timmy, old thing,' said Anne, patting the big dog on the head. 'We certainlywouldn't have had this lovely little cottage, with its incredible view, if you hadn't made friends withWilfrid. What a funny boy he is!'
'Jolly queer, I think!' said George, still amazed at the way that Timmy had gone to Wilfrid, when theboy had been about to strike him. 'I'm not sure that I like him!'
'Don't be an ass², George,' said Dick, who had been very much impressed by the boy's handling of thehares, the rabbits and the magpie³. 'That boy must have a wonderful love for animals. They wouldnever come to him as they did, if they didn't trust him absolutely. Anyone who loves animals as hedoes must be pretty decent.'
'I bet I could make them come to me if I had that pipe,' said George, making up her mind to borrow itif she could.
15
Anne went back into the cottage. She was delighted with it. 'It must be very very old,' she thought. 'Itstands dreaming here all day long, full of memories of the people who have lived here and loved it.
And how they must all have loved this view - miles and miles of heather, great stretches of sea - andthe biggest, highest, widest sky I've ever seen. It's a happy place. Even the clouds seem happy -they're scurrying⁴ along, so white against the blue!'
She explored the cottage thoroughly⁵. She decided⁶ that the room above, under the thatch⁷, should befor the three boys. There were two mattresses⁸ - one small, one larger. 'The little one for Wilfrid - thebig one for Dick and Julian,' she thought. 'And I and George can sleep down in the living-room, withTim on guard. I wonder if there are any rugs we could sleep on. Ah - wait a bit- this couch is a pull-out bed - just right for us two girls! Good!'

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