3
　　The first morning
　　The next day the two girls awoke first. It was early, but somebody was already about in the yard.
　　Lucy-Ann peeped out of the window.
　　‘It’s Effans,’ she said. ‘He must have been milking. Dinah, come here. Did you ever see such aglorious view in your life?’
　　The two girls knelt at the window. The sun was streaming across the valley below through theopening between two mountains, but the rest of the vale was in shadow. In the distance manymountains reared their great heads, getting bluer and bluer the further they were away. The skywas blue without a cloud.
　　‘Holiday weather – real holiday weather!’ said Dinah happily. ‘I hope Mother lets us gopicnicking today.’
　　‘There’s one thing about this holiday,’ said Lucy-Ann, ‘we shan’t have any awful adventures,because Aunt Allie is absolutely determined¹ to go with us, or send Bill with us, wherever we go.’
　　‘Well, we’ve had our share of adventures,’ said Dinah, beginning to dress. ‘More than mostchildren ever have. I don’t mind if we don’t have one this time. Hurry, Lucy-Ann, then we can getto the bathroom before the boys. Don’t make too much row because Mother doesn’t want to bewakened too early.’
　　Lucy-Ann popped her head in at the boys’ room on the way to the bathroom. They were stillsound asleep. Kiki took her head from under her wing as she heard Lucy-Ann at the door, but shesaid nothing, only yawned. Lucy-Ann looked closely at Philip’s bed.
　　Snowy the kid was still there, cuddled into the crook² of Philip’s knees! Lucy-Ann’s heartwarmed to Philip. What an extraordinary boy he was, to have every creature so fond of him, and tobe able to do anything he liked with them. The little kid raised its head and looked at Lucy-Ann.
　　She fled to the bathroom and washed with Dinah. They soon heard the boys getting up, andKiki’s voice telling somebody to wipe his feet.
　　‘She’s probably teaching a few manners to Snowy,’ giggled³ Lucy-Ann. ‘Kiki always tries toteach things to all Philip’s pets. Oh, Dinah – do you remember how funny she was with Huffin andPuffin, the two puffins we found when we had our last adventure?’
　　‘Arr,’ said Dinah, making the noise the puffins used to make. Kiki heard them. Arrrrr!’ shecalled from the boys’ bedroom. ‘Arrrrr!’ Then she went off into a cackle of laughter, and Snowythe kid stared at her in alarm.

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