FIVE ON A HIKE TOGETHER by Enid Blyton

01 A LETTER FROM JULIAN

"Anne!" shouted George, running after her cousin as she went along to her classroom. "Anne! I've just been down to the letterboard and there's a letter from your brother Julian, I've brought it for you."

Anne stopped. "Oh thanks," she said. "What can Julian want? He only wrote a few days ago - it's most extraordinary for him to write again so soon. It must be something important."

"Well, open it and see," said George. "Hurry up - I've got a maths class to go to."

Anne ripped open the envelope. She pulled out a sheet of notepaper and read it quickly. She looked up at George, her eyes shining.

"George! Julian and Dick have got a few days off at our half-term week-end! Somebody's won a wonderful scholarship or something, and the boys have got two days tacked on to a weekend to celebrate! They want us to join them in a hike, and all go off together."

"What a glorious idea!" said George, "Good old Julian. I bet he thought of that. Let's read the letter, Anne."

But before she could read it a mistress came along. "Georgina! You should be in class - and you too, Anne."

George scowled. She hated to be called by her full name. She went off without a word. Anne tucked the letter into her pocket and rushed off joyfully. Half term with her brothers, Julian and Dick - and with George and Timmy the dog. Could anything be better?

She and George talked about it again after morning school. "We get from Friday morning till Tuesday," said George. "The boys are getting the same. What luck! They don't usually have a half-term in the winter term."

"They can't go home because the painters are in our house," said Anne. "That's why I was going home with you, of course. But I'm sure your mother won't mind if we go off with the boys. Your father never likes us in the middle of the term."

"No, he doesn't," said George, "He's always deep in the middle of some wonderful idea, and he hates to be disturbed. It will suit everyone if we go off on a hike."

"Julian says he will telephone to us tonight and arrange everything," said Anne. "I hope it will be a nice fine week-end. It will still be October, so there's a chance of a bit of warm sunshine."

"The woods will be beautiful," said George. "And won't Timmy enjoy himself, Let's go and tell him the news."

The boarding-school that the two girls were at was one that allowed the children to bring their own pets to school, There were kennels down in the yard for various dogs, and Timmy lived there during term-time. The two girls went to get him.

He heard their footsteps at once and began to bark excitedly. He scraped at the gate of the kennel yard, wishing for the thousandth time that he could find out how to open it.

He flung himself on the two girls, licking and pawing and barking.

"Silly dog. Mad dog!" said George, and thumped his back affectionately. "Listen, Tim - we're going off for the week-end with Julian and Dick! What do you think of that? We're going on a hike, so you'll love it. All through the woods and up the hills and goodness knows where!"

Timmy seemed to understand every word. He cocked up his ears, put his head on one side and listened intently while George was speaking,

"Woof," he said, at the end, as if he approved thoroughly. Then off he went with the girls for his walk, his plumy tail wagging happily. He didn't like term-time nearly as much as the holidays - but he was quite prepared to put up with kennel life so long as he could be near his beloved George.

Julian rang up that night as he had promised. He had got everything planned already. Anne listened, thrilled.

'It sounds super," she said. "Yes - we can meet where you say, and we'll be there as near as we can on time. Anyway, we can wait about if you others aren't there. Yes - we'll bring the things you say. Oh Julian, won't it be fun?"