Chapter 3 MISCHIEF¹, TINKER - AND TIMMY!
Julian and Dick set to work to take a couple of old mattresses² up to the loft³, and some rugs and acouple of cushions for pillows. It was rather draughty! But what else was to be done? It was still toocold to sleep outside in a tent.
George was very sulky. 'That scowl⁴ will grow on your face, George, if you aren't careful,' said Dick.
'Cheer up, for goodness' sake. It's worse for your mother than it is for any of us. She's going to bevery busy this week.'
She certainly was! Meals for nine people, five of them very hungry children, were not easy toprovide. Joanna did an enormous amount of cooking, the girls helped with the housework, and theboys cycled off to Kirrin village in the mornings to do the shopping.
'Why can't that boy Tinker help?' demanded George, on the second day they were at home.
'What on earth does he think he's doing now? Look at him out in the garden rushing all round,making a frightful⁵ noise. Tinker, shut up! You'll disturb your father and mine.'
'You shut up yourself!' called back Tinker, rudely. 'Can't you see I'm a Bentley car, with a verypowerful engine? And see how well it stops when I put on the brakes - no jerk at all! And hear thehorn - marvellous!'
He gave a remarkably⁸ good imitation of a powerful car-horn. At once the study window shot up andtwo very angry men shouted together: 'TINKER! What do you think you're doing, making that noise?
You've been told to be QUIET!'
Tinker began to explain about the Bentley, but as this didn't seem to satisfy either of the angry men,he offered to be a little mini-car. 'You see, it goes like this,' said Tinker, beginning to move off,making a low purring noise, 'and it...'
But the window was slammed shut, so the little mini-car drove itself into the kitchen, and said it wasvery hungry, could it have a bun?
'I don't feed cars,' said Joanna. 'I have no petrol. Go away.'
The mini-car purred out of the kitchen on its two legs, and went to look for passengers.
Mischief the monkey

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