chapter 5 six instead of five

'look here,' said richard, when they had tidied up everything, buried their bits of litter, and looked tosee that no one had got a puncture in a tyre. 'look here - i've got an aunt who lives in the direction ofthose woods - if i can get my mother to say i can come with you, will you let me? i can go and seemy aunt on the way, then.'

julian looked at richard doubtfully. he wasn't very sure if richard really would go and askpermission.

'well - if you aren't too long about it,' he said. 'of course we don't mind you coming with us. we candrop you at your aunt's on the way.'

'i'll go straight off now and ask my mother,' said richard, eagerly, and he ran for his bicycle. 'i'll meetyou at croker's corner - you saw it on the map. that will save time, because then i shan't have tocome back here - it's not much farther than my home.'

'right,' said julian. i've got to adjust my brakes, and that will take ten minutes or so. you'll have timeto go home and ask permission, and join us later. we'll wait for you; at least we'll wait for tenminutes, at croker's corner. if you don't turn up we'll know you didn't get permission. tell yourmother we'll leave you safely at your aunt's.'

richard shot off on his bicycle, looking excited. anne began to clear up, and george helped her.

timmy got in everyone's way, sniffing about for dropped crumbs.

'anyone would think he was half-starved!' said anne. 'he had a lot more breakfast than i had.

timmy, if you walk through my legs again i'll tie you up!'

julian adjusted his brakes with dick's help. in about fifteen minutes they were ready to set off.

they had planned where to stop to buy food for their lunch, and although the journey tomiddlecombe woods was a longer trip than they had made the day before, they felt able to cope 19with more miles on the second day. timmy was eager to set off too. he was a big dog, and enjoyedall the exercise he was getting.

'it'll take a bit of your fat off,' said dick to timmy. 'we don't like fat dogs, you know. they waddleand they puff.'

'dick! timmy's never been fat!' said george, indignantly, and then stopped as she saw dick's grin.

he was pulling her leg as usual. she kicked herself. why did she always rise like that, when dickteased her through timmy? she gave him a friendly punch.

they all mounted their bicycles. timmy ran ahead, pleased. they came to a lane and rode down it,avoiding the ruts. they came out into a road. it was not a main road, for the children didn't like those;they were too full of traffic and dust. they liked the shady lanes or the country roads where they metonly a few carts or a farmer's car.

'now, don't let's miss croker's corner,' said julian. 'it should be along this way somewhere, accordingto the map. george, if you get into ruts like that you'll be thrown off.'

'all right, i know that!' said george. 'i only got into one because timmy swerved across my wheel.

he's after a rabbit or something. timmy! don't get left behind, you idiot.'

timmy bounded reluctantly after the little party. exercise was wonderful, but it did mean leaving alot of marvellous wayside smells unsniffed at. it was a dreadful waste of smells, timmy thought.

they came to croker's corner sooner than they thought. the signpost proclaimed the name - andthere, leaning against the post, sitting on his bicycle was richard, beaming at them.

'you've been jolly quick, getting back home and then on to here,' said julian. 'what did your mothersay?'

'she didn't mind a bit so long as i was with you,' said richard. 'i can go to my aunt's for the night, shesaid.'

'haven't you brought pyjamas or anything with you?' asked dick.

'there are always spare ones at my aunt's,' explained richard. 'hurray - it will be marvellous to beout on my own all day with you - no mr lomax to bother me with this and that. come on!'

they all cycled on together. richard would keep trying to ride three abreast, and julian had to warnhim that cyclists were not allowed to do that. 'i don't care!' sang richard, who seemed in very highspirits. 'who is there to stop us, anyway?'

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'i shall stop you,' said julian, and richard ceased grinning at once. julian could sound very sternwhen he liked. dick winked at george, and she winked back. they had both come to the conclusionthat richard was very spoilt and liked his own way. well, he wouldn't get it if he came up against oldjulian!

they stopped at eleven for ice-creams and drinks. richard seemed to have a lot of money. heinsisted on buying ice-creams for all of them, even timmy.

once again they bought food for their lunch - new bread, farm-house butter, cream cheese, crisplettuce, fat red radishes and a bunch of spring onions. richard bought a magnificent chocolate cakehe saw in a first-class cake-shop.

'gracious! that must have cost you a fortune!' said anne. 'how are we going to carry it?'

'woof,' said timmy longingly.

'no, i certainly shan't let you carry it,' said anne. 'oh dear - we'll have to cut it in half, i think, andtwo people can share the carrying. it's such an enormous cake.'

on they went again, getting into the real country now, with villages few and far between. a farm hereand there showed up on the hillsides, with cows and sheep and fowls. it was a peaceful, quiet scene,with the sun spilling down over everything, and the blue april sky above, patched with great whitecotton-wool clouds.

'this is grand,' said richard. 'i say, doesn't timmy ever get tired? he's panting like anything now.'

'yes. i think we ought to find somewhere for our lunch,' said julian, looking at his watch. 'we'vedone a very good run this morning. of course a lot of the way has been downhill. this afternoon we'llprobably be slower, because we'll be getting into hilly country.'

they found a spot to picnic in. they chose the sunny side of a hedge, looking downhill into a smallvalley. sheep and lambs were in the field they sat in. the lambs were very inquisitive, and one cameright up to anne and bleated.

'do you want a bit of my bread?' asked anne, and held it out to the lamb. timmy watchedindignantly. fancy handing out food to those silly little creatures! he growled a little, and georgeshushed him.

soon all the lambs were crowding round, quite unafraid, and one even tried to put its little front legsup on to george's shoulders! that was too much for timmy! he gave such a sudden, fierce growl thatall the lambs shot off at once.

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'oh, don't be so jealous, timmy,' said george. 'take this sandwich and behave yourself. now you'vefrightened away the lambs, and they won't come back.'

they all ate the food and then drank their lime-juice and ginger-beer. the sun was very hot.

soon they would all be burnt brown - and it was only april. how marvellous! julian thought lazilythat they were really lucky to have such weather - it would be awful to have to bike along all day inthe pouring rain.

once again the children snoozed in the afternoon sun, richard too - and the little lambs skippednearer and nearer. one actually leapt on to julian as he slept, and he sat upright with a jerk.

timmy!' he began, if you leap on me again like that i'll . . .'

but it wasn't timmy, it was a lamb! julian laughed to himself. he sat for a few minutes and watchedthe little white creatures playing 'i'm king of the castle' with an old coop, then he lay down again.

'are we anywhere near your aunt's house?' julian asked richard, when they once more mounted theirbicycles.

'if we're anywhere near great giddings, we shall soon be there,' said richard, riding without hishandlebars and almost ending up in the ditch. 'i didn't notice it on the map.'

julian tried to remember. 'yes - we should be at great giddings round about tea-time - say fiveo'clock or thereabouts. we'll leave you at your aunt's house for tea if you like.'

'oh no, thank you,' said richard, quickly. 'i'd much rather have tea with you. i do wish i could comeon this tour with you. i suppose i couldn't possibly? you could telephone my mother.'

'don't be an ass,' said julian. 'you can have tea with us if you like - but we drop you at your aunt's asarranged, see? no nonsense about that.'

they came to great giddings at about ten past five. although it was called great it was really verysmall. there was a little tea-place that said 'home-made cakes and jams', so they went there for tea.

the woman who kept it was a plump, cheerful soul, fond of children. she guessed she would makevery little out of the tea she served to five healthy children - but that didn't matter! she set to work tocut three big plates of well-buttered slices of bread, put out apricot jam, raspberry, and strawberry,and a selection of home-made buns that made the children's mouths water.

she knew richard quite well, because he had sometimes been to her cottage with his aunt.

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'i suppose you'll be going to stay with her tonight?' she said to richard, and he nodded, his mouth fullof ginger cake. it was a lovely tea. anne felt as if she wouldn't be able to eat any supper at all thatnight! even timmy seemed to have satisfied his enormous appetite.

'i think we ought to pay you double price for our gorgeous tea,' said julian, but the woman wouldn'thear of it. no, no - it was lovely to see them all enjoying her cakes; she didn't want double price!

'some people are so awfully nice and generous,' said anne, as they mounted their bicycles to ride offagain. 'you just can't help liking them. i do hope i can cook like that when i grow up.'

'if you do, julian and i will always live with you and not dream of getting married!' said dick,promptly, and they all laughed.

'now for richard's aunt,' said julian. 'do you know where the house is, richard?'

'yes - that's it over there,' said richard, and rode up to a gate. 'well, thanks awfully for yourcompany. i hope i'll see you again soon! i have a feeling i shall! good-bye!'

he rode up the drive and disappeared. 'what a sudden good-bye!' said george, puzzled. 'isn't he odd?'