FIVE ON KIRRIN ISLAND AGAIN by Enid Blyton

11 GEORGE MAKES A HARD CHOICE

THERE was a horrified silence. George stared at her father in complete dismay. Everyone waited to see what she would say.

'But Father Timmy and I have never been separated once,' she said at last, in a pleading voice. 'I do see you want him to guard you and you can have him but I'll have to stay here too!'

 'Oh no!' said her father at once. 'You can't possibly stay, George. That's out of the question. As for never being separated from Timmy, well surely you wouldn't mind that for once? If it was to ensure my safety?' 

George swallowed hard. This was the most difficult decision she had ever had to make in her life. Leave Timmy behind on the island where there was some unknown hidden enemy, likely to harm him if he possibly could! And yet there was Father too he might be in danger if there was no one to guard him.

'I shall just have to stay here, Father,' she said. 'I can't leave Timmy behind unless I stay too. It's no good.' 

Her father began to lose his temper. He was like George he wanted his own way, and if he didn't have it he was going to make a fuss! 'If I'd asked Julian or Dick or Anne this same thing, and they'd had a dog, they would all have said yes, at once!' he raged. 'But you, George, you must always make things difficult if you can! You and that dog anyone would think he was worth a thousand pounds!' 

'He's worth much more than that to me,' said George, in a trembling voice. Timmy crept nearer to her and pushed his nose into her hand. She held his collar as if she would not let him go for a moment. 

'Yes. That dog's worth more to you than your father or mother or anyone,' said her father, in disgust.

'No, Quentin, I can't have you saying things like that,' said his wife, firmly. 'That's just silly. A mother and father are quite different from a dog - they're loved in different ways. But you are perfectly right, of course -Timmy must stay behind with you and I shall certainly not allow George to stay with him. I'm not going to have both of you exposed to danger. It's bad enough to worry about you, as it is.' 

George looked at her mother in dismay.

'Mother! Do tell Father I must stay here with Timmy.' 

'Certainly not,' said her mother. 'Now George, be unselfish. If it were left to Tim to decide, you know perfectly well that he would stay here - and stay without you. He would say to himself, "I'm needed here my eyes are needed to spy out enemies, my ears to hear a quiet footfall and maybe my teeth to protect my master. I shall be parted from George for a few days - but she, like me, is big enough to put .up with that!" That's what Timmy would say, George, if it were left to him.' 

Everyone had been listening to this unexpected speech with great attention. It was about the only one that could persuade George to give in willingly! She looked at Timmy. He looked back at her, wagging his tail. Then he did an extraordinary thing he got up, walked over to George's father, and lay down beside him, looking at George as if to say 'There you are! Now you know what I think is right!' 

'You see?' said her mother. 'He agrees with me. You've always said that Timmy was a good dog, and this proves it. He knows what his duty is. You ought to be proud of him.' 

'I am,' said George, in a choky voice. She got up and walked off. 'All right,' she said over her shoulder. 'I'll leave him on the island with Father. I'll come back in a minute.' 

Anne got up to go after poor George, but Julian pulled her down again. 'Leave her alone! She'll be all right. Good old Timmy you know what's right and what's wrong, don't you? Good dog, splendid dog!'