Read Online Five Go Down to the Sea by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online
Authors: Enid Blyton
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seen that light last night."
„Yes. Well, we"ll go tonight and watch for it," said Dick, determined. „It"s a wild enough day, all wind and scurrying clouds. If that light is used at night in weather like this, we"ll be able to see it again. But I"m blessed if I can understand why the wreckers" tower should be used nowadays. No ship would take any notice of an odd light like that when they"ve got the lighthouse signal ing hard al the time!"
„I go, too," nodded Yan, who had overheard this.
„No, you won"t," said Julian. „You can stay with Grandad. He"l wonder where you are if you"re not there."
It began to rain. „Blow!" said George. „I do hope the weather hasn"t broken up. It"s been so gorgeous. It"s quite cold today with this tearing wind. Come on, let"s go in, Anne.
We"ve got enough now to feed an army, I should think!"
They all went in, just as the rain came down properly. Mrs Penruthlan greeted them in excitement.
„The Barnies want our barn for tomorrow night!" she said. „They"re giving their first show in our barn, and after that they go to another place. Would you like to help clear out the barn and get ready?"
„Rather!" said Julian. „We"ll go now. There"s a lot of stuff to clear out. Where shal we put it?
In the other barn?"
The Barnies arrived in about twenty minutes and went straight to the barn, which they had been lent several times before for their shows. They were pleased to see the children and were glad of their help.
They were no longer dressed in fancy clothes, as they had been when the children had seen them on the Sunday evening. They were practically all dressed in slacks, the women, too, ready for the hard work of clearing the barn and setting up a simple stage and background.
Julian caught sight of a horse"s head being carried in by a little nimble fel ow who pranced along with it comical y.
„What"s that for?" he said. „Oh, is that Clopper"s head? The horse that can sit down and cross its legs?"
„That"s right," said the little fel ow. „I"m in charge of it. Never let it out of my sight! Guv"nor"s orders!"
„Who"s the Guv"nor?" asked Julian. „The fel ow over there?" He nodded to a grim-faced man who was supervising the moving of some bales of straw.
„That"s him," said the little man with a grin. „His lordship himself! What do you think of my horse, chum!"
Julian looked at the horse"s head. It was beautiful y made and had a most comical look in its eye. Its mouth could open and shut, and so could its big eyes.
„I"m only the hind legs," said the little man regretful y. „But l work his tail, too. Mr Binks over there is his front legs, and works his head, the horse"s head, I mean. You should see old Clopper when he performs! My, there isn"t a horse like him in the world. He can do everything short of fly!"
„Where are his back and front legs - and - er - his body part'?" asked Dick, coming up and looking with great interest at the horse"s head.
„Over there," said the little man. „By the way, my name"s Sid. What"s yours, and how is it you"re here?"
Julian introduced himself and Dick, and explained that they were helping because they were staying at the farm. He caught hold of a bale of straw, thinking it was about time he did some work.
„Like to give me a hand?" he asked.
Sid shook his head.
„Sorry. Orders are I"m not to put this horse"s head down anywhere. Where I go, it goes! I can tel you, me and Clopper are quite attached to one another!"
„Why? Is it so valuable?" asked Dick.
„It"s not so much that," said Sid. „It"s just that Clopper"s so popular, you know. And he"s important. You see, whenever we think the show"s flopping a bit, we bring Clopper on, and then we get the laughs and the claps, and the audience is in a good temper. Oh, Clopper"s saved the show times without number. He"s a jolly good horse is Clopper."
Mr Binks came up. He was bigger than Sid and much stronger. He grinned at the two boys. „Admiring old Clopper?"
„Yes. Well, we"ll go tonight and watch for it," said Dick, determined. „It"s a wild enough day, all wind and scurrying clouds. If that light is used at night in weather like this, we"ll be able to see it again. But I"m blessed if I can understand why the wreckers" tower should be used nowadays. No ship would take any notice of an odd light like that when they"ve got the lighthouse signal ing hard al the time!"
„I go, too," nodded Yan, who had overheard this.
„No, you won"t," said Julian. „You can stay with Grandad. He"l wonder where you are if you"re not there."
It began to rain. „Blow!" said George. „I do hope the weather hasn"t broken up. It"s been so gorgeous. It"s quite cold today with this tearing wind. Come on, let"s go in, Anne.
We"ve got enough now to feed an army, I should think!"
They all went in, just as the rain came down properly. Mrs Penruthlan greeted them in excitement.
„The Barnies want our barn for tomorrow night!" she said. „They"re giving their first show in our barn, and after that they go to another place. Would you like to help clear out the barn and get ready?"
„Rather!" said Julian. „We"ll go now. There"s a lot of stuff to clear out. Where shal we put it?
In the other barn?"
The Barnies arrived in about twenty minutes and went straight to the barn, which they had been lent several times before for their shows. They were pleased to see the children and were glad of their help.
They were no longer dressed in fancy clothes, as they had been when the children had seen them on the Sunday evening. They were practically all dressed in slacks, the women, too, ready for the hard work of clearing the barn and setting up a simple stage and background.
Julian caught sight of a horse"s head being carried in by a little nimble fel ow who pranced along with it comical y.
„What"s that for?" he said. „Oh, is that Clopper"s head? The horse that can sit down and cross its legs?"
„That"s right," said the little fel ow. „I"m in charge of it. Never let it out of my sight! Guv"nor"s orders!"
„Who"s the Guv"nor?" asked Julian. „The fel ow over there?" He nodded to a grim-faced man who was supervising the moving of some bales of straw.
„That"s him," said the little man with a grin. „His lordship himself! What do you think of my horse, chum!"
Julian looked at the horse"s head. It was beautiful y made and had a most comical look in its eye. Its mouth could open and shut, and so could its big eyes.
„I"m only the hind legs," said the little man regretful y. „But l work his tail, too. Mr Binks over there is his front legs, and works his head, the horse"s head, I mean. You should see old Clopper when he performs! My, there isn"t a horse like him in the world. He can do everything short of fly!"
„Where are his back and front legs - and - er - his body part'?" asked Dick, coming up and looking with great interest at the horse"s head.
„Over there," said the little man. „By the way, my name"s Sid. What"s yours, and how is it you"re here?"
Julian introduced himself and Dick, and explained that they were helping because they were staying at the farm. He caught hold of a bale of straw, thinking it was about time he did some work.
„Like to give me a hand?" he asked.
Sid shook his head.
„Sorry. Orders are I"m not to put this horse"s head down anywhere. Where I go, it goes! I can tel you, me and Clopper are quite attached to one another!"
„Why? Is it so valuable?" asked Dick.
„It"s not so much that," said Sid. „It"s just that Clopper"s so popular, you know. And he"s important. You see, whenever we think the show"s flopping a bit, we bring Clopper on, and then we get the laughs and the claps, and the audience is in a good temper. Oh, Clopper"s saved the show times without number. He"s a jolly good horse is Clopper."
Mr Binks came up. He was bigger than Sid and much stronger. He grinned at the two boys. „Admiring old Clopper?"
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