Blyton, Enid – Famous Five 14 – Five Have Plenty of Fun

Anne gave a little squeal of laughter. ‘He’s gazing at Sally exactly as he gazes at you, George!’ she cried.

But George was not at all pleased. In fact she was quite astounded. To think that Timmy should welcome another dog! To think that he should behave like this when she had told him to do the opposite!

‘Aren’t they sweet together?’ said Berta, pleased. ‘I thought Timmy would like Sally. Of course Sally is a pedigree dog, and cost a lot of money – and Timmy’s only a mongrel. I expect he thinks she’s wunnerful.’

‘Oh, Tim may be a mongrel, but he’s absolutely wunnerful too,’ said Dick, hastily, pronouncing the word like Berta, to try and get a laugh. He saw George’s scowl, and knew how cross she felt at hearing her beloved Timmy compared with a pedigree dog. ‘He’s a magnificent fellow, aren’t you, Timmy?’ went on Dick. ‘Sally may be a darling, but you’re worth more than a hundred darlings, aren’t you?’

‘I think he’s beautiful,’ said Berta, looking down at Timmy. ‘He’s got the loveliest eyes I ever did see.’

George began to feel a little better. She called Timmy. ‘You’re making rather a fool of yourself,’ she said to him.

‘Now that Timmy and Sally are going to be friends, can I have Sally to sleep on my bed at night, like George has Timmy?’ said Berta. ‘Please say yes, Aunt Fanny.’

‘No,’ said George at once. ‘Mother, I won’t have that. I won’t!’

‘Well, we’ll see what we can do about it,’ said her mother. ‘Sally was quite happy in the kennel last night, I must say.’

‘I’m going to have her sleep with me,’ said Berth, scowling at George. ‘My father will pay you a lot of money to make me happy. He told me he would.’

‘Don’t be silly, Berta,’ said Aunt Fanny, firmly. ‘This isn’t a question of money. Now, leave this for a little while, please, and go and do your jobs, all of you. And then we must consider your father’s letter, Berta, and see exactly what he wants done. We must certainly try to follow his advice about you.’

‘But I don’t want to…’ began Berta, and then felt a firm hand on her arm. It was Julian.

‘Come on, kid,’ he said. ‘Be your age! Remember you’re a guest here and put on a few of your best manners. We like American children – but not spoilt ones!’

Berta had quite a shock to hear Julian speaking like this. She looked up at him and he grinned down at her. She felt near tears, but she smiled back.

‘You haven’t any brothers to keep you in your place,’ said Julian, linking his arm in hers. ‘Well, from now on, while you’re here, Dick and I are your brothers, and you’ve got to toe the line, just like Anne. See? What about it?’

Berta felt that there was nothing in the world she would like better than having Julian for a brother! He was big and tall and had twinkling kindly eyes that made Berta feel he was as responsible and trustable as her father.

Aunt Fanny smiled to herself. Julian always knew the best thing to say and do. Now he would take Berta in hand and see that she didn’t upset the household too much. She was glad. It wasn’t easy to run a big family like this, with a scientist husband to cope with, unless everyone pulled together!

‘You go and help Aunt Fanny with the beds,’ said Julian to Berta. ‘And take your Sally-dog with you. She’s great! But so is Timmy, and don’t you forget it!’

Chapter Seven

A LITTLE CONFERENCE

Peace reigned in the house for a little while. George and Anne went to help the cook with the washing-up. Joan was pleased, because with eight people in the house, including herself, there was a lot to do.

She had been very astonished that morning to find a fifth child added to the household, but had been told that after breakfast she could go into the sitting-room and hear an explanation. Joan must certainly be in the secret too!

Upstairs Berta was helping with the beds – not very successfully because she was not used to doing things for herself. But she was very willing to learn and Aunt Fanny was quite pleased with her. Timmy and Sally darted about together and made things rather more dificult than they need have been, popping under beds and out again at top speed.

‘I’m glad Timmy likes Sally,’ said Berta. ‘I knew he would. I can’t think why George thought he wouldn’t. George is funny, I think.’

‘Not really,’ said Aunt Fanny. ‘She hasn’t any brothers or sisters to rub off her corners, and she didn’t even know her three cousins till a few years ago, or go to school. Lonely people aren’t so easy to get on with as others – but she is great fun now, as you will soon find out.’

‘I’m an only child too,’ said Berta. ‘But I’ve always had plenty of other children to play with. My Pops saw to that. He’s wunnerful – I mean wonDERful. I’ll say that word “wonDERful” twenny times, then maybe, I’ll get it right.’

‘Well, say the word “twenty” as well!’ said Aunt Fanny. ‘It has a letter T at the end as well as at the beginning, you know. It’s “twenTY” not “twenny”. But don’t make yourself too English. It’s nice to have a change!’

‘WonDERful, wonDERful, wonDERful! TwenTY, twenTY!’ chanted Berta, as she made the beds. Dick looked into the room and chuckled.

‘Great snakes!’ he said, with a grin, and an American accent. ‘You shore are wunnerful, baby!’

‘Don’t be so silly, Dick,’ said his aunt, laughing. ‘Now – I think we’ve finished all we have to do, Berta. We’ll go downstairs and have a conference. Tell the others, will you?’

Berta, followed closely by Sally, who was also followed closely by an adoring Timmy, went to tell Dick and Julian, and then George and Anne. George was not too pleased with Timmy.

‘Where have you been?’ she said. ‘Can’t you stop running about after Sally? She’ll get very very tired of you!’

‘Wuff!’ said Sally, in a high little bark, not at all like Timmy’s deep ‘Woof!’

Soon all five children and the two dogs, and also Joan, were in the sitting-room with Aunt Fanny. Berta began to look a little nervous. Aunt Fanny had the letter that Berta’s father had sent. She did not read it out to the children, but told them what was in it. She also explained to Joan about Berta.

‘Joan, you have always known what important work the master does,’ she said. ‘Well, Miss Berta’s father does the same kind of work in America, and he and the master are working on a great new scheme together.’

‘Oh yes, Mam,’ said Joan, very much interested.

‘Berta’s father has been warned by the police that it is possible Berta may be kidnapped and held to ransom, not for money, but for the scientific secrets that he knows,’ went on Aunt Fanny. ‘So she has been sent to us to be kept safe for three weeks. By that time the scheme will be finished and made public. Berta is going to the same school as Miss Anne and Miss George, and it is a good idea to let them know one another first.’

Joan nodded. ‘I understand that, Mam,’ she said. ‘I think we can keep Miss Berta safe, don’t you?’

‘Yes,’ said Aunt Fanny. ‘But her father has now put up some further ideas that he wants us to follow. He says it would be best to disguise her as a boy…’

‘Jolly good idea,’ interrupted Dick.

‘And to give her another name – a boy’s name,’ said Aunt Fanny. ‘He wants her to have her hair cut short and…’

‘Oh please not that!’ begged Berta, shaking back her fair, wavy hair. ‘I’d hate it. Girls with short hair like boys look so silly, they…’

Anne nudged her and frowned. Berta stopped hurriedly, remembering that George had curly hair cut as short as any boy.

‘I think we’ll have to do what your father says,’ said Aunt Fanny. ‘This is very important, Berta. You see, if anyone should come here looking for you, thinking of kidnapping, they would never recognize you if you were looking exactly like a boy.’

‘But my hair,’ said Berta, almost in tears. ‘How could Pops say I’m to have my hair off? He always said it was wunnerful!’

Nobody liked to point out that there was a D in wonderful just then! Berta was really so very upset about her hair.

‘Your hair will grow quickly enough,’ said Aunt Fanny.

‘Her head’s a good shape,’ said Julian, looking at it consideringly. ‘She should look nice with short hair.’

Berta cheered up. If Julian thought that, then it wouldn’t be so bad.