FUN FOR THE SECRET SEVEN by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 6 BROWNIE GETS A NEW HOME

When the police vet had gone, Peter's father and mother, Mr Tolly and the two children and Scamper went into the summer-house for a good long talk.

"We have to decide straight away what we can do about Brownie," said Mr Tolly, anxiously. "He can't go back to Mester Dinneford, sir, to the farm. He'd be worked and worked there, or shot, maybe, and he's not as strong as he was. Have you examined his hind legs, sir? What did you think of them?"

"Well, it's a toss-up, Tolly," said Peter's father. "With careful, friendly handling Brownie might be as good as ever in six months' time ... but his hind legs are definitely not strong enough for hard work yet. But who's going to keep a horse for six months or maybe longer and not work him ... and possibly find at the end of that time he's no good at all? It would be money down the drain for anyone who bought him then."

"Sir ... would you tell Mester Dinneford that?" asked Tolly, anxiously. "If he'd sell Brownie now, while he would go cheap, I'd buy him. I wouldn't work him at all for six months, and I'd be glad to buy his fodder and see to him. I shall soon be leaving the farm up on the hill there " I can't work for Mester Dinneford any longer, and anyway, I've given in my notice. I could go somewhere with Brownie, and get a job for myself, and see that the old horse was quiet and happy till his legs were quite mended."

"You know you can stay here, Tolly," said Peter's father. "You're an old man now, you want a quiet job, with not too much heavy work. If you like to come to me and see to my horses for me, as I said, you'd be welcome. Sleep in the stables, or in the shepherd's old hut, or out on the hills, wherever you please."

"Thank you kindly, sir, you're a real gentleman," said Tolly, warmly. He turned to Peter. "Yes " you're lucky, you are ... that's a real gentleman your father is, and just see that you grow up like him, young sir. You won't go far wrong, then!"

Peter grinned, delighted at this praise of his father. "Are you going to buy Brownie from my father?" he said. "That's if Mr Dinneford will sell him, of course ... and I bet he will if he thinks he can't work Brownie for ages."

"Young sir, I haven't even five pounds to my name!" said Tolly. "Else I'd buy him this very minute. What with having to pay out for my rent and fire and light and clothes and food, and with having to help an old invalid sister of mine, I don't have as much money to spare as you have! But I'm going to ask your Dad if he'll keep back so much of my wages each week, so that when I've about ten pounds saved, I can buy Brownie for my very own. That's if Mester Dinneford will sell the horse to your father, of course!"

"Mr Tolly, would you let us share Brownie with you, if we pay half the ten pounds for him?" asked Janet. "If he's coming to live here with us, I'd so like to think we could share him."

"You can share him all you like, when he's mine," said Tolly. "You can consider him half yours and half mine. He'd like that. He likes children. You don't need to pay me."

"Oh but we must," said Peter. "We shouldn't feel as if he really was half ours, if we hadn't paid something for him. We'll buy the half with the bad legs, if you like, so that you can have the best half."

"Well, whatever will you say next?" said Tolly, astonished. "Now look ... you save up and buy half of him if you badly want to. I know how you feel. I feel like that myself. I shan't be happy till I've paid over that ten pounds to your father and then can look at old Brownie and say to myself, ' You beauty, you're mine. I've worked for you, and cared for you, and paid for you ... and now you're mine to look after for the rest of your life! ' There's something about horses that just gets me. And old Brownie ... well, he's ... he's..."

"The best horse in the world!" finished Peter, with a laugh. "I feel rather like that about Scamper, our dog. You know ... best dog in all the world! Are you, Scamper? Cook says you're just a scrounger with muddy feet and an inquisitive nose. But I think you're the Best Dog in the World!"