Chapter 1 BACK FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Chapter 1 BACK FOR THE HOLIDAYS
'George, can't you sit still for even a minute!' said Julian. 'It's bad enough to have the train rockingabout all over the place, without you falling over my feet all the time, going to look out of first onewindow and then the other.'
'Well, we're nearly at Kirrin - almost home!' said George. 'I can't help feeling excited. I've missed oldTimmy so much this term, and I just can't wait to see him! I love to look out of the window and seehow much nearer we are to Kirrin. Do you think Timmy will be on the station to meet us, barkingmadly?'
'Don't be an ass¹,' said Dick. 'He's a clever dog, but not clever enough to read railway time-tables.'
'He doesn't need to,' said George. 'He always knows when I'm coming home.'
'I really believe he does,' said Anne, seriously. 'Your mother always says how excited he is on the dayyou are arriving home from school - can't keep still - keeps going to the front gate and looking downthe road.'
'Dear, dear Timmy!' said George, falling over Julian's feet again, as she scrambled² once more to thewindow. 'We're nearly there. Look, there's the signal-box, and the signal is down.
HURRAH³!'
Her three cousins looked at her in amusement. George was always like this on the way home fromschool. Her thoughts were full of very little else but her beloved Timmy all the way home.
Julian thought how much she looked like a restless boy just then, with her short, curly hair, and herdetermined expression. George had always longed to be a boy, but as she wasn't, she made up for itby trying to speak and act like one, and would never answer to her full name of Georgina.
'We're coming into Kirrin station!' yelled George, almost falling out of the window. 'I can see ourporter. Hey, Peters - we're back again. WE'RE BACK AGAIN!'
The train slid into Kirrin station, and Peters waved and grinned. He had known George since she wasa baby. George opened the door and leapt out of the carriage.
'Home again! Back at Kirrin! Oh, I do hope Timmy will be at the station!' she said.
But there was no Timmy there. 'He must have forgotten you were coming,' said Dick, with a grin, andat once got a scowl⁴ from George. Peters came up, smiling all over his face, and gave 2them his usual welcome. Everyone in Kirrin Village knew the Five - which, of course, includedTimmy the dog.
Peters soon had the children's luggage out, and wheeled it down the platform on his trolley⁵. 'I'll sendit along to Kirrin Cottage as soon as the van comes,' he said. 'Had a good term?'
'Smashing!' said Dick. 'But it seemed very long, as Easter is so late this year. My word - look at theprimroses on the railway banks.'
But George had no eyes for anything just then. She was still looking out for Timmy. Where was he?
WHY hadn't he come to the station to meet them? He came last time and the time before!
She turned a troubled face to Dick.
'Do you think he's ill?' she asked. 'Or has he forgotten me? Or...'
'Oh, don't be an ass, George,' said Dick. 'He is probably in the house somewhere and can't get out.
Look out - the trolley nearly ran you over then.'
George skipped out of the way, glaring. WHERE was Timmy? She was sure he was ill - or had hadan accident - or was tied up and couldn't get away. Perhaps Joan, the cook, had forgotten to let himloose.
'I'm going to take a taxi home, if I've enough money,' she said, taking out her purse. 'You others canwalk. I must see if anything's happened to Timmy - he's never missed meeting our train before.'
'But George, it's such a lovely walk to Kirrin Cottage!' said Anne. 'You know how you love to seeyour island - dear old Kirrin Island - as we walk to your mother's house - and the bay - and hear thewaves crashing on the rocks.'
'I'm taking the station taxi,' said George, obstinately⁶, counting the money in her purse. 'If you'd like tocome with me, you can. It's Timmy I want to see, not islands and waves and things! I'm sure he's illor has had an accident or something!'
'All right, George, do as you please,' said Julian. 'Hope you find dear old Timmy is perfectly⁷ well- and has only forgotten the time of the train. See you later.'
The two brothers, and their sister Anne, set off together, looking forward to the walk to KirrinCottage. How lovely to see Kirrin Bay again, and George's island!
'Isn't she lucky to have a real island of her very own!' said Anne. 'Fancy it belonging to her family foryears and years - and then one day her mother suddenly gives it to George! I bet she 3worried and worried dear Aunt Fanny until she gave in to old George. I do so hope Timmy is allright; we shan't enjoy our holidays with George's mother if there's anything wrong with Timmy.'
'Oh, George will probably go and live in Timmy's kennel⁸ with him,' said Dick, with a chuckle⁹.
'Ha - look! The sea - and Kirrin Bay - AND the little old island as lovely as ever!'
'With its gulls¹⁰ circling round, and mewing like cats,' said Julian. 'And the old ruined castle there, justexactly the same as usual. Not a single stone fallen out of it, as far as I can see.'
'You can't possibly see that at this distance,' said Anne, screwing up her eyes. 'Oh, isn't the first day ofthe hols heavenly? We seem to have all the time in the world in front of us!'
'Yes. And then, alas¹¹, after a few days, the holidays rush by,' said Julian. 'I wonder if George is homeby now.'
'Well, her taxi passed us going at a tremendous pace!' said Dick. 'I bet old George was shouting at thedriver to go as fast as possible!'
'Look - there's Kirrin Cottage - I can just see the chimneys in the distance,' said Dick. 'Smoke iscoming from one of them.'
'Funny - why only one?' said Julian. 'They usually have the kitchen fire going, and a fire in UncleQuentin's study. He's such a cold mortal when he's working out all his wonderful figures for hisinventions.'
'Perhaps he's away,' said Anne, hopefully. She was rather afraid of George's hasty-tempered father. 'Ishould think Uncle Quentin could do with a holiday at times - he's always buried in rows and rows offigures.'
'Well, let's hope we don't disturb him too much,' said Julian. 'It's hard on Aunt Fanny if he keepsyelling at everyone. We'll try and be out of doors most of the time.'
They were nearly at Kirrin Cottage now. As they came near to the front gate, they saw George comerunning down the garden-path. To Julian's horror, she was crying bitterly.
'I say - it does look as if something has happened to old Timmy,' he said, scared. 'It's not like Georgeto cry - she never cries! What can have happened?'
In great alarm they began to run, and Anne shouted as she ran, 'George! George, what's the matter? Issomething wrong with Timmy? What's happened?'
'We can't stay at home,' wept George. 'We've got to go away somewhere. Something awful'shappened!'
4'What is it? Tell us, you idiot!' said Dick, in alarm. 'For goodness' sake, what's happened? Is Timmyrun over, or something?'
'No - it isn't Timmy,' said George, wiping her eyes with her hand, because, as usual, she had nohandkerchief. 'It's Joan - Joan, our dear, darling cook!'
'What's the matter with her?' asked Julian, thinking of all kinds of dreadful things. 'GEORGE, willyou please TELL US!'
'Joan's got scarlet¹² fever,' said George, sniffing¹³ dolefully. 'So we can't be at Kirrin Cottage.'
'Why not?' demanded Dick. 'Joan will have to go to a fever hospital - and we can all stay at KirrinCottage and help your mother. Poor old Joan! But cheer up, George, scarlet fever isn't much of athing to have nowadays. Come on - let's go in and see if we can comfort your mother.
Poor old Aunt Fanny, she will be in a stew¹⁴ - with all of us four cousins at Kirrin Cottage too!
Never mind, we can...'
'Stop jabbering¹⁵, Dick,' said George, exasperated¹⁶. 'We can't stay at Kirrin Cottage. Mother wouldn'teven let me go in at the front door! She shooed me away, and said I was to wait in the garden, thedoctor was coming in a minute or two.'
Someone called to them from a window of Kirrin Cottage. 'Are you all there, children? Julian, comehere, will you?'
They all went into the garden, and saw their Aunt Fanny, George's mother, leaning out of a bedroomwindow.
'Listen, dears,' she said. 'Joan has scarlet fever, and is waiting for an ambulance to take her to thehospital, and...'
'Aunt Fanny - don't worry. We'll all turn to and help,' called back Julian, cheerfully.
'Dear Julian - you still don't understand,' said his aunt. 'You see, neither your uncle nor I have hadscarlet fever - so we are in quarantine, and mustn't have anyone near us, in case we get it, and give itto them - and that might mean we'd give it to all you four.'
'Would Timmy get it?' asked George, still sniffing dolefully.
'No, of course not. Don't be silly, George,' said her mother. 'Did you ever hear of dogs gettingmeasles or whooping-cough or any of our illnesses? Timmy isn't in quarantine. You can get him outof his kennel as soon as you like.'
George's face lighted up immediately, and she shot round the back of the house, yelling Timmy'sname. At once there came a volley of barks!
5'Aunt Fanny - what do you want us to do?' asked Julian. 'We can't go to my home, because my peopleare still in Germany. Should we go to a hotel?'
'No, dear, I'll think of somewhere you can all go,' said his aunt. 'Good gracious, what a row Timmy ismaking! Poor Joan - she has such a splitting headache.'
'Here's the ambulance,' cried Anne, as a big hospital van drew up outside the gate. Mrs. Kirrindisappeared from the window at once to tell Joan. The ambulance man went up to the front door, hismate behind him carrying a stretcher. The four children watched in surprise. 'He's gone to fetch dearold Joan,' said Julian. And sure enough the stretcher was soon carried out with Joan lying on it,wrapped round in blankets. She waved to the children as the men carried her out.
'Soon be back!' she said, in rather a croaky voice. 'Help Mrs. Kirrin if you can. So sorry about this!'
'Poor Joan,' said Anne, with tears in her eyes. 'Get better quickly, Joan. We shall miss you so!'
The ambulance door closed and the van went off very smoothly¹⁷ and quietly.
'Whatever shall we do?' said Dick, turning to Julian. 'Can't go home - can't stay here! Oh, here'sTIMMY! How are you, Tim, old thing? Thank goodness you can't get scarlet fever. Don't knock meover, old boy. Down! Gosh, what a licky dog you are!'
Timmy was the only one in high spirits. The others felt really down in the dumps. Oh dear - what wasto be done? Where could they go? What a horrid¹⁸ beginning to a holiday! Down, Timmy, DOWN!
What a dog! Anyone would think he had never even heard of scarlet fever! WILL you get down,Timmy!

1 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

2 scrambled   

v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 hurrah   

int.好哇，万岁，乌拉

参考例句：

• We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。
• The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。

4 scowl   

vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容

参考例句：

• I wonder why he is wearing an angry scowl.我不知道他为何面带怒容。
• The boss manifested his disgust with a scowl.老板面带怒色，清楚表示出他的厌恶之感。

5 trolley   

n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车

参考例句：

• The waiter had brought the sweet trolley.侍者已经推来了甜食推车。
• In a library,books are moved on a trolley.在图书馆，书籍是放在台车上搬动的。

6 obstinately   

ad.固执地，顽固地

参考例句：

• He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬说他做得对。
• Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失业数字仍然顽固地居高不下。

7 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

8 kennel   

n.狗舍，狗窝

参考例句：

• Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。
• Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。

9 chuckle   

vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑

参考例句：

• He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
• I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个，我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。

10 gulls   

n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A flock of sea gulls are hovering over the deck. 一群海鸥在甲板上空飞翔。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The gulls which haunted the outlying rocks in a prodigious number. 数不清的海鸥在遥远的岩石上栖息。 来自辞典例句

11 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

12 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

13 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

15 jabbering   

v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的现在分词 )；急促兴奋地说话；结结巴巴

参考例句：

• What is he jabbering about now? 他在叽里咕噜地说什么呢？
• He was jabbering away in Russian. 他叽里咕噜地说着俄语。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

17 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

18 horrid   

adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的

参考例句：

• I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
• The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。