Chapter 8 MOSTLY ABOUT WILFRID
Timmy was waiting for the children at the top of the hill, his tail waving, his mouth open as hepanted. He picked something up, as the children came, threw it into the air, and caught it.
'Another golf-ball, Timmy?' said Dick, as Timmy threw the ball into the air again with a toss of hisbig head.
'No - it's too big for that,' said George. 'drop it, Timmy. What have you found?'
Timmy dropped the ball at George's feet. It was bigger than a golf-ball, and had a hole right throughit. 'Oh, it's one of those balls that children throw up and try to catch on a stick,' said George.
'Somebody must have dropped it. All right, Tim, you can have it.'
'He won't swallow it, will he?' said Wilfrid, anxiously. 'It's not awfully¹ big - and I once saw a dogswallow something by mistake, that he threw into the air to catch.'
'Timmy's much too sensible to swallow any ball,' said George. 'You needn't worry about him.
Anyway, I can do any worrying necessary. He's my dog.'
'All right, all right, all right!' said Wilfrid. 'Miss High-and-Mighty can look after her own dog.
Fine!'
George looked round at him furiously and he made a face at her. Then he whistled to Timmy -yes, he actually dared to whistle to him!
'Nobody whistles for my dog except me,' said George. 'And anyway, he won't come to you.'
But, to her surprise and horror, Timmy did go to Wilfrid, and pranced² all round him, expecting agame. George called him sternly, and he looked at her in surprise. He began to trot³ over to her whenWilfrid whistled again, and obediently Timmy turned as if to go to him.
George caught hold of the dog's collar, and aimed a punch at the whistling boy. It missed him, and hedanced round, laughing.
'Stop it now, you two,' said Julian, seeing George's look of fury. 'I said STOP IT! Wilfrid, go onahead, and keep going. George, don't be an ass⁴. He's only teasing you to make you lose your temper.
Don't please him by losing it!'
George said nothing more, but her eyes blazed. Oh dear! thought Anne, now we shan't have anypeace! She won't forgive Wilfrid for making Timmy go to him! Blow Wilfrid - he really is a littlepest at times.
34
They were all very hungry for their lunch and very pleased with everything that Anne provided.
Dick went into the little cottage to help her, because George insisted on keeping her hand on Timmy'scollar all the time, in case Wilfrid should

分享到：