Read Five Go to Billycock Hill Online

Authors: Enid Blyton

Tags: #Famous Five (Fictitious Characters), #Juvenile Fiction, #General, #People & Places

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BOOK: Five Go to Billycock Hill
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„We ought to get to Bil ycock Farm about four o"clock," said Dick. „Or maybe sooner.

What time do we have our lunch, Julian? And where?"

„We"ll find a good place about one o"clock," said Julian. „And not a minute before. So it"s no good anyone saying they are hungry yet. It"s only twelve."

„I"m more thirsty than hungry," said Anne. „And I"m sure old Timmy must be dying of thirst!

Let"s stop at the next stream so that he can have a drink."

„There"s one," said Dick, pointing to where a stream wound across a nearby field. „Hey, Tim - go and have a drink, old fel ow!"

Timmy shot through the hedge to the stream and began to lap. The others dismounted and stood waiting. Anne picked a spray of honeysuckle and put it through a buttonhole of her blouse. „Now I can sniff it al the time," she said. „Delicious!"

„Hey, Tim - leave some water for the fishes!" shouted Dick. „George, stop him drinking any more. He"s swel ing up like a bal oon,"

„He"s not," said George. „Timmy! That"s enough! Here, boy, here!"

Timmy took one last lap and then raced over to George. He pranced round her, barking joyfully.

„There - he feels much better now," said George, and away they all went again, groaning as they cycled slowly up the many hil s in that part of the country, and shouting with delight as they sped furiously down the other side.

Julian had decided where to have their midday meal - on the top of a high hil ! Then they could see all the country for miles around, and there would also be a nice cooling breeze.

„Cheer up," he said as they came to the steepest hil they had so far encountered. „We"ll have our lunch at the top of this hil - and a good long rest!"

„Thank goodness," panted Anne. „We"ll be as stiff as anything tomorrow!"

It real y was lovely at the top of the hil ! It was so high that they could see the countryside spreading for miles and miles around them.

„You can see five counties from here," said Julian. „But don"t ask me which - I"ve forgotten! Let"s lie in this heather and have a bit of a rest before we have our lunch."

It was soft and comfortable lying in the springy heather, but Timmy did not approve of a rest before lunch. He wanted his bone! He went to where George had put her bicycle down, and sniffed in her basket. Yes - his bone was most certainly there! He glanced round to make sure that everyone was resting, and nobody watching him. Then he began to nuzzle a paper parcel out of the basket.

Anne was lying nearest to him, and she heard the crackling of the paper and sat up.

„Timmy!" she said, shocked. „Oh, Timmy - fancy helping yourself to our sandwiches!"

George sat up at once, and Timmy put his tail down, stil wagging it a little as if to say,

„Sorry - but after al , it is my bone!"

„Oh - he just wants his bone," said George. „He"s not after our sandwiches. As if he should take them, Anne! You might have known he wouldn"t!"

„I feel rather like having mine now," said Anne. „Julian, can"t we have some? - and I do want a drink."

The idea of a drink made everyone long to begin lunch and soon they were unwrapping ham and tomato sandwiches, and enormous slices of Joan"s fruit cake. Julian found the little cardboard drinking cups, and poured out the orangeade careful y.

„This is fine," said Dick, munching his sandwiches and gazing out over the rol ing countryside, with its moorlands, its stretches of farmland with the fields of green corn, and its sloping hil s. „Look - see that hil far away in the distance, Julian - over there - would that be Bil ycock Hil do you think? It"s rather a funny shape."

„I"l look through my field-glasses," said Julian, and took them from their leather case. He put them to his eyes and stared hard at the far-away hil that lay to the north of them.

„Yes - I think it probably is Billycock Hill," he said. „It"s got such a queerly-shaped top; it looks a bit like an old Billycock hat."

He handed the glasses round, and everyone looked at the far-off hil . George put the glasses to Timmy"s eyes. „There you are!" she said. „Have a squint, Timmy! Julian, it doesn"t look so very far away."

„It"s not, as the crow flies," said Julian, taking back his glasses and surveying the countryside around them again. „But it"s a long, long way through those hundreds of little winding lanes. Any more sandwiches, anyone?"

„There aren"t any more left," said Dick. „Or fruit cake either. Have a humbug if you"re stil hungry,"

The humbugs were passed round and Timmy waited hopeful y for his turn. George gave him one. „Not that it"s much use to you," she said. „You just swallow it without even one suck!"

„We"ll rest for half an hour more," said Julian. „Gosh, I do feel sleepy!"

They all snuggled down into the soft clumps of heather, and soon they were asleep in the warm sun. Even Timmy snoozed, with one ear half up just in case someone came by. But nobody did. In fact it was so very quiet on the top of the hil that three-quarters of an hour went by before anyone awoke. Anne felt something crawling up her arm and woke with a jump.

„Ugh - a big beetle!" she said, and shook it off. She glanced at her watch. „Dick! Ju! Wake up! We must get on, or we"ll never be there by tea-time!"

Soon they were once more on their way, tearing down the hil at top speed, shouting as they went, with Timmy barking madly beside them. Real y, the start of a holiday was the happiest thing in the world!

Chapter Three
BILLYCOCK FARM

The Five certainly cycled fast that afternoon, and would have arrived at Billycock Hill even sooner than they did if it hadn"t been for Timmy. He panted so much in the heat that they stopped for brief rests every fifteen minutes.

„It"s a pity he"s so big and heavy," said Anne. „If he had been a smal dog we could have taken turns at carrying him in our bicycle baskets."

Billycock Hill was soon very near. It certainly was a queer shape, very like an old-fashioned hat. It was partly heather-clad and partly sloping meadow land. Cows grazed in the meadows, and farther up the hil , where there was shorter, wiry grass, the farmer had put a good many sheep.

Nestling down at the foot of the hil was a rambling old farm-building, with outhouses and stables and a big greenhouse. „That must be Billycock Farm," said Julian. „Well, we"ve made very good time, you know - it"s only half past three. Let"s wash our faces in that stream over there - we all look rather hot and dirty. Timmy, you can have a bathe if you want to!"

The water was cool and silky to the touch, and the children laved it over their faces and necks, wishing they could do as Timmy was doing - lie down in the stream and let the water flow over him!

„That"s better," said Dick, mopping his face with an enormous handkerchief. „Now let"s go and present ourselves at Billycock Farm. I hope Toby"s remembered that we"re coming -

he promised to lend us all we wanted for camping out."

They combed their hair, brushed down their clothes with their hands, and then, feeling more respectable, made their way across a field-path to a farm gate. The field was bumpy, so they rode slowly.

Soon they were in a big farmyard, with hens pecking around them, and ducks swimming on a round duckpond. Farm dogs began barking from somewhere - and then something ran round the corner of the old house - something very smal and pink.

„Whatever is it?" said Anne. „Oh - it"s a pigling! What a pet! Oh, it"s come right up to us -

little pigling, have you escaped from your sty? How clean you are!"

The tiny pig gave funny little squeals, and ran up to Timmy, who sat back on his haunches in surprise, staring at this unexpected little creature. He thought it must be some sort of dog without any hair.

The pigling butted Timmy gently and Timmy retreated backwards. Julian laughed. „Tim can"t make it out!" he said. „No, don"t growl, Timmy - it"s quite harmless!"

„Hal o - who"s this?" said Dick as a small figure came round the house. It stopped when it saw the Five.

„What a dear little boy!" said Anne. „Is he Toby"s brother?"

The child didn"t look more than five years old. He had a head of bright yellow curls, big brown eyes, and a grin just like his big brother"s.

„That"s my pig," he said, coming slowly towards them. „He runned away from me."

Anne laughed. „What"s your pig"s name?" she said.

„Curly," said the small boy, and pointed at the pig-ling"s tail. „He"s got a curly tail. It won"t go straight."

„It"s a nice tail," said Anne. The pigling ran to the smal boy, and he grabbed it by its tail.

„You runned away again," he said. Then he picked up the pig and walked off.

„Hey! Is this Bil ycock Farm?" called Julian. „Have you got a brother called Toby?"

„Toby? Yes, Toby"s over there," said the boy, and he pointed to a big barn. „Toby"s ratting with Binky."

„Right," said Julian. The little boy disappeared with his queer pet, and Julian laughed.

„He"s rather a pet himself," he said. „Come on - let"s go and find Toby and Binky. Perhaps Binky is another brother."

„Or a dog," said George, and put her hand on Timmy"s collar. „Better be careful. He might go for Tim."

„Yes - Binky might be a dog, of course - probably a good ratter," said Julian. „Dick and I wil go to the barn and you two girls stay here with Timmy."

They went off to the barn. A great noise came from inside as the two boys approached.

Shouts and barks and the rap of a stick came to their ears.

„Get him, Binky - look, he went under that sack! Oh, you fathead, you"ve lost him again!"

Wuff-wuff-wuff! Rap-rap! More yells! In great curiosity Julian and Dick peered into the rather dark old barn. They saw Toby there, prodding under sacks, with a most excited collie beside him, barking incessantly.

„Hey, Toby!" yelled Julian, and Toby stood up and turned a red and perspiring face towards the two boys.

„Oh - you"ve arrived!" he said, going quickly to the door. „I thought you were never coming. Glad to see you! But are there only two of you? I got out tents and things for four."

„There are four of us - five counting Timmy," said Julian. „We"ve left the two girls over there with him - he"s our dog. Wil yours be friendly or not?"

„Oh, yes, so long as I introduce them," said Toby, and they all went out of the barn. As soon as Binky, Toby"s dog, saw Timmy, he stood stil , made himself stiff, and growled, while the hackles on his neck slowly rose up.

„It"s al right," shouted Toby to the girls. „Bring your dog here. He"l be all right with Binky in half a minute."

Rather doubtfully George brought Timmy across. Timmy was a bit doubtful himself of this big collie! Toby bent down and spoke into Binky"s ear.

„Binky, shake paws with this nice girl - she"s a friend."

He nodded at George. „Hold out your hand," he said.

George bent down to the collie and held out her hand. At once the dog put up his paw and allowed her to shake it solemnly.

„Now you," said Toby to Anne, and she did the same. She liked this dog Binky, with his bright brown eyes and long, sleek nose.

„Does your dog shake hands, too?" asked Toby. George nodded, „He does? Right - tel him to shake paws with Binky. Binky, shake!"

„Timmy, shake," commanded George, and very politely and solemnly the two dogs shook paws, eyeing each other cautiously. Timmy gave a sudden little whine - and then the two were tearing round the yard together, barking furiously, chasing one another, rol ing over, and having a wonderful game.

„That"s all right, then," said Toby, pleased. „Binky"s quite al right with anyone, human or animal, so long as he can shake hands with them. I"ve taught him that. But he"s a dud ratter! He just can"t seem to nip a rat. Well - let"s go and see my mother. She"s expecting you. She"s got a whopping great tea."

This was al very satisfactory! Just the kind of welcome the Five liked. Anne looked sideways at Toby. She thought he was rather nice. George wasn"t so sure. He had a rose in his button-hole - was it a trick one, and was he going to ask her to smell it?

„We saw a little yel ow-haired boy just now," said Anne. „With a tiny pigling."

„Oh, that"s Benny with his pet pig," said Toby, laughing. „He cal s it Curly - and he adores it!

We"ve offered him a kitten or a puppy - but no, he wants that pigling. They go everywhere together - like Mary and her lamb! Benny"s a pet - he really is. Kid brothers are usual y a nuisance, you know, but Benny isn"t."

„Kid sisters are a bit of a nuisance sometimes, too," said Dick, glancing slyly at Anne, who at once gave him a determined punch. „Stil - Anne"s not too bad, is she, Ju?"

Toby"s mother, Mrs Thomas, was a plump and jolly woman, with a smile as wide as Toby"s and Benny"s. She made them all very welcome.

„Come along in," she said. „Toby"s pleased you"re going to camp hereabouts - he"s got al the tents and rugs you"l need - and you can come every day and get eggs and milk and bread and butter and anything else you need from here. Don"t be afraid to ask!"

There was suddenly the scamper of little hooves and Curly the pigling came running indoors.

„There, now!" said Toby"s mother. „There"s that pigling again. Benny, Benny - you are NOT

to let Curly come indoors. Cats I don"t mind, nor dogs - but pigs I won"t have. Benny!"

Benny appeared, looking most apologetic. „Sorry, Mum - but he"s lively today. Oooh, I say

- what a tea! Can we have some yet?"

„I"l just make the tea - unless you"d rather have some of our creamy milk?" said Toby"s mother.

„Oh, milk, please, Mrs Thomas," said Anne, and they all said the same. Nothing could be nicer than icy-cold, creamy farm milk from the dairy on a hot day like this.

They all sat down to tea, and the four visitors wished they had not had such a big lunch!

A large ham sat on the table, and there were crusty loaves of new bread. Crisp lettuces, dewy and cool, and red radishes were side by side in a big glass dish. On the sideboard was an enormous cake, and beside it a dish of scones. Great slabs of butter and jugs of creamy milk were there, too, with honey and home-made jam.

BOOK: Five Go to Billycock Hill
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