Chapter Two THE STICK FAMILY
　　IT was lovely to wake up the next morning at Kirrin Cottage and see the sun shining in at thewindows, and to hear the far-off plash-plash-plash of the sea. It was gorgeous to leap out of bed andrush to see how blue the sea was, and how lovely Kirrin Island looked at the entrance of the bay.
　　"I'm going for a bathe before breakfast," said Julian, and snatched up his bathing trunks.
　　"Coming, Dick?"
　　"You bet!" said Dick. "Call the girls. We'll all go."So down they went, the four of them, with Tim galloping¹ behind them, his tail wagging nineteen tothe dozen, and his long pink tongue hanging out of his mouth. He went into the water with the others,and swam all round them. They were all good swimmers, but Julian and George were the best.
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　　They put towels round themselves, rubbed their bodies dry and pulled on jeans and jerseys². Thenback to breakfast they went, as hungry as hunters. Anne noticed a boy in the back garden and staredin surprise.
　　"Who's that?" she said.
　　"Oh, that's Edgar, Mrs. Stick's boy," said George. "I don't like him. He does silly things, like puttingout his tongue and calling rude names."
　　Edgar appeared to be singing when the others went in at the gate. Anne stopped to listen.
　　"Georgie-Porgie, pudding and pie!" sang Edgar, a silly look on his face. He seemed about thirteen orfourteen, a stupid, yet sly-looking youth. "Georgie-porgie pudding and pie!"George went red. "He's always singing that," she said, furiously. "Just because I'm called"George", I suppose. He thinks he's clever. I can't bear him."Julian called out to Edgar. "You shut up! You're not funny, only jolly silly!""Georgie-porgie," began Edgar again, a silly smile on his wide red face. Julian made a step towardshim, and he at once disappeared into the house.
　　"Shan't stand much of him," said Julian, in a decided³ voice. "I wonder you do, George. I wonder youhaven't slapped his face, stamped on his foot, bitten his ears off and done a few other things!
　　You used to be so fierce."
　　"Well - I am still, really," said George. "I feel frightfully fierce down inside me when I hear Edgarsinging silly songs at me like that and calling out names - but you see, Mother really hasn't been well,and I know jolly well if I go for Edgar, Mrs. Stick will leave, and poor old Mother would have to doall the work, and she really isn't fit to at present. So I just hold myself in, and hope that Timmy willdo the same."

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