FUN FOR THE SECRET SEVEN by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 7 TOLLY AND BROWNIE

As soon as the children saw that Mr Dinneford had gone off and that Tolly was leading the horse to the stables, they raced out of the house to him.

"Tolly! What happened? Is he yours? You said you hadn't enough money to buy him. Oh, isn't he a darling?"

Brownie nuzzled both children gently. He liked them very much.

"He's mine all right," said Tolly, proudly, as he backed the horse into his new quarters. "There you are, my beauty. You stay there awhile till we find some supper for you and some water. Ha ... someone's put plenty of good straw bedding down for you. You'll be well-off here, old horse."

"Have you really bought him, Tolly? Was Mr Dinneford very angry? We heard him shouting," said Janet.

"Yes. I've bought him ... though he won't be rightly mine for five weeks," said Tolly, rubbing the horse's long nose lovingly. "Your Dad's going to take two pounds a week off my wages till Brownie's paid for ... ten pounds your father gave for him ... but I wouldn't sell him if you offered me five hundred!"

"Don't forget that you promised us we could have half of him for our own," said Janet. "We shall give you our share of the price as soon as we can. We've got some money in our money-boxes, and Granny is coming next week ... she always gives us about fifty pence each."

"Now don't you worry about the money," said Tolly. "You don't need to pay me a penny for your share of him, I'll willingly share him with you. It isn't often children love horses like you two. You deserve half of my Brownie!"

Brownie was very pleased with his new stable. He threw back his head and sent a loud, delighted whinny through the whole place. The two other horses who were there were startled, and said 'hrrrrumphs' in surprise.

"He'll be pleased when he goes out into the fields," said Peter. "I bet he'll gallop all over the place, and make friends with any animal there, horse, sheep, or dog!"

"Your Dad's been a right good sort over Brownie and Codger," said Tolly. "Well, I must go back to Mester Dinneford's and get all my things. Stay quiet now, Brownie. I'll be back to sleep with you tonight. Can't have anyone stealing you!"

He said good-bye to the children and went back up the hill to Mr Dinneford's farm. Now ... if that Mester Dinneford started on at him about old Brownie, he'd tell him a few truths and see what he made of those!

But Mr Dinneford didn't come near Tolly. He was now wishing that he hadn't told him to go! Tolly was a fine, trustable worker. Whatever would he do without him?

I'll clear up everything, and leave it all shipshape! thought Tolly. I'll miss all the horses ... but there, my new master will have plenty of them for me to care for!

That night Tolly went to see that Brownie was safe and happy in his new stable. In the afternoon the old horse had been out in the fields, getting to know one or two of the other horses who were grazing there. Then he had brought marigolds to the yard in a cart ... a very light cart indeed, which did not strain his back legs at all.

Tolly watched him, very pleased. "Those back legs of yours are better even than last week!" he told Brownie. "Now you be careful of them, see ... and lie down in your stable as much as you can. Don't stand all the time ... even if you do want to talk to the horses next to you!"

Brownie had given a happy little whinny, as if he had understood every word. He sensed that his master was happy, for some reason, and so he was happy too. He wondered why he was in such a strange place, but as long as he could hear Tolly whistling somewhere not too far off, he was content.

And now here was Tolly settling down on an old mattress in the empty stall next to Brownie. The old horse was delighted. He couldn't see Tolly there, but he could smell his familiar smell, and he was comforted to feel that Tolly was nearby, as he stood in his stall in the strange stable.

"Now I'm here, near you, old horse," said Tolly in a low voice. "Sleep well. Lie down in your straw. I'm here, close to you. Nice and warm, isn't it? Good night, Brownie. You don't need to be afraid of horse-thieves while I'm close beside you! And old Codger is here too, in the straw. Say good night, Codger! And Codger gave a small bark as if to say "Good night! Sleep well!"

Codger was the first one out and about the next morning. He scrabbled out of the straw in the stall he had slept in, and went to lick his master's face.

"Don't," said Tolly, sleepily. "How many times have I told... " And off he went to sleep again before he could finish his sentence!

Codger looked up at the half-door that shut him and his master into the stall. Yes ... he could just about jump it. He crouched ... leapt as high as he could ... and just failed to get over the half-door. Instead he fell back heavily on to Tolly who awoke with a jump and a shout.

"Hey! Who's this? Thieves, thieves!"

"Wuff!" said Codger, in a small, scared voice. Oh dear ... what had he done? Awakened his master, and made him think there were thieves about!

"You silly little idiot, Codger!" said Tolly, crossly. "What did you jump on me for? It isn't time to get up. Now you've woken up the horses. Hark at them hrrrumphing! I'll have to get out of this stall and quieten them!"

So up he got and went from stall to stall, pattingand stroking, trying to quieten the frightened horses. "Anyonewould think horse-thieves were about!" he grumbled, as the horses stamped and shuffleduneasily. "Now just you lie quiet, Codger, and don't move somuch as a whisper. I want to go to sleep!"