FIVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER - by Enid Blyton

02 THE STICK FAMILY

IT was lovely to wake up the next morning at Kirrin Cottage and see the sun shining in at the windows, and to hear the far-off plash-plash-plash of the sea. It was gorgeous to leap out of bed and rush to see how blue the sea was, and how lovely Kirrin Island looked at the entrance of the>bay.

"I'm going for a bathe before breakfast," said Julian, and snatched up his bathing trunks. "Coming, Dick?"

"You bet!" said Dick. "Call the girls. We'll all go."

So down they went, the four of them, with Tim galloping behind them, his tail wagging nineteen to the dozen, and his long pink tongue hanging out of his mouth. He went into the water with the others, and swam all round them. They were all good swimmers', but Julian and George were the best.

They put towels round themselves, rubbed their bodies dry and pulled on jeans and jerseys. Then back to breakfast they went, as hungry as hunters. Anne noticed a boy in the back garden and stared in surprise.

"Who's that?" she said.

"Oh, that's Edgar, Mrs. Stick's boy," said George. "I don't like him. He does silly things, like putting out his tongue and calling rude names."

Edgar appeared to be singing when the others went in at the gate. Anne stopped to listen.

"Georgie-Porgie, pudding and pie!" sang Edgar, a silly look on his face. He seemed about thirteen or fourteen, a stupid, yet sly-looking youth. "Georgie-porgie pudding and pie!"

George went red. "He's always singing that," she said, furiously. "Just because I'm called "George", I suppose. He thinks he's clever. I can't bear him."

Julian called out to Edgar. "You shut up! You're not funny, only jolly silly!"

"Georgie-porgie," began Edgar again, a silly smile on his wide red face. Julian made a step towards him, and he at once disappeared into the house.

"Shan't stand much of him," said Julian, in a decided voice. "I wonder you do, George. I wonder you haven't slapped his face, stamped on his foot, bitten his ears off and done a few other things! You used to be so fierce."

"Well... I am still, really," said George. "I feel frightfully fierce down inside me when I hear Edgar singing silly songs at me like that and calling out names... but you see, Mother really hasn't been well, and I know jolly well if I go for Edgar, Mrs. Stick will leave, and poor old Mother would have to do all the work, and she really isn't fit to at present. So I just hold myself in, and hope that Timmy will do the same."

"Good for you, old thing!" said Julian, admiringly, for he knew how hard it was for George to keep her temper at times.

"I think I'll just go up to Mother's room and see if she'd like breakfast in bed," said George.

"Hang on to old Timmy a moment, will you? If Edgar appears again, he might go for him."

Julian hung on to Timmy's collar. Timmy had growled when Edgar had been in the garden, now he stood stock still, his nose twitching as if he were trying to trace some smell.

Suddenly a mangy-looking dog appeared out of the kitchen door. It had a dirty white coat, out of which patches seemed to have been bitten, and its tail was well between its legs.

"Wooooof!" said Timmy, joyfully, and leapt at the dog. He pulled Julian over, for he was a big dog, and the boy let go his hold of the dog's collar. Timmy pounced excitedly on the other dog, who gave a fearful whine and tried to go into the kitchen door again.

"Timmy! Come here, sir!" yelled Julian. But Timmy didn't hear. He was busy trying to snap off the other dog's ears... or at least, that is what he appeared to be doing. The other dog yelled for help, and Mrs. Stick appeared at the kitchen door, a saucepan in her hand.