Five on Finniston Farm Read Free

to the other. „And what"s yours?"
    „Harry!"
    „But surely you don"t both have the same name?" exclaimed George.
    „Well, you see," explained their mother, „we called the boy Henry, and he became Harry, of course - and we cal ed the girl Harriet, and she calls herself Harry for short - so they"re known as the Harries."
    „I thought they were both boys!" said Dick in amazement. „I wouldn"t know which is which!"
    „Well, they felt they have to be alike," said Mrs Philpot, „and as Harry can"t have long hair like a girl, Harriet has to have short hair to be like Harry! I often don"t know one from the other myself."
    Dick grinned. „Funny how some girls want to be boys!" he said, with a sly glance at George, who gave him a furious look.

    „Twins, show the Kirrins up to the top bedroom," said Mrs Philpot, „and then take the boys out to the big barn. They can have the old camp-beds, if they like the look of the barn."
    „We sleep out there," said the Harries, both together, and scowled just like George.
    „Well, you shouldn"t," said their mother. „I told you to take your mattresses to the little room off the dairy."
    „It"s too stuffy," said the twins.
    „I say, look here - we don"t want to cause trouble," said Julian, feeling that the twins were too unfriendly for words. „Can"t we sleep in the room off the dairy?"
    „Certainly not," said Mrs Philpot, and sent the Harries a warning glance. „There"s room for you all in the big barn. Go on, now, twins, do as I tell you, take the four up to the top bedroom, with the cases, and then out to the barn."
    The twins went to pick up the suitcases, stil looking mutinous. Dick interposed himself between them and the cases. „We"ll carry them," he said stiffly. „We don"t want to be any more trouble to you than we can help."
    And he and Julian picked up a suitcase each, and set off after the Harries, who looked suddenly surprised. George fol owed with Timmy, more amused than cross. Anne went to pick up a spoon that Mrs Philpot had dropped.
    „Thank you, dear," said Mrs Philpot. „Look - don"t get upset by the twins. They"re a funny pair - but good at heart. They just don"t like strangers in their home, that"s all. Promise you won"t mind them? I do want you to be happy here."
    Anne looked at the kindly, tired face of the woman beside her, and smiled. „We"ll promise not to worry about the twins - if you"l promise not to worry about us!" she said. „We can look after ourselves, you know - honestly, we"re used to it. And please do tell us when you want anything done!"
    She went out of the room and up the stairs. The others were already in one of the two bedrooms at the top of the house. It was a fairly big room, whitewashed, with rather a small window and boarded floors. Julian looked at the boards he was standing on. „I say!
    Look at the wood this floor"s made of - solid old oak, worn white with the years! My word -
    this farm-house must be very old. And look at the beams running across the wal s and into the roof. Hey, twins, this is a fine old house of yours!"
    The twins unbent enough to nod in time together. „Seems as if you two go by clockwork -
    you speak the same words at the same time, you walk in time, you nod your heads in time!" said Dick. „But, I say - do you ever smile?"
    The twins looked at him with dislike. Anne nudged Dick. „Stop it, Dick! Don"t tease them.
    Perhaps they"d show you the barn now. We"ll unpack some clean things we"ve brought for you in our case, and come down with them when we"re ready."
    „Right," said Dick, and he and Julian went out of the room. Opposite, with its door open, was the other room, where the American boy slept. It was so very untidy that Dick couldn"t help exclaiming, „Gosh - how does he get his room into all that mess?"
    He and Julian went down the stairs, and Dick turnecl back to see if the Harries were following. He saw them standing at the top, each shaking a furious fist at the door of the American