Five on Finniston Farm Read Free Page B

said the jackdaw, and rose into the air. He settled himself neatly on the middle of the poodle"s back, and Snippet promptly went mad, and tore about the barn at top speed.
    „Roll over, Snippet!" shouted the Harries, and Snippet at once flung himself on his back -
    but the jackdaw, with a triumphant „chack" rose at once into the air, and alighted on one twin"s head.
    „I say - is he tame?" said Dick. „What"s his name?"
    „Nosey. He"s ours. He fell down a chimney and broke his wing," said the twins. „So we kept him til it was well and now he won"t leave us."
    „Gosh!" said Dick, starring at them. „Did you real y say al that - or was it the jackdaw? You can talk properly, after all."
    Nosey pecked at the twin"s ear nearest to him, and the twin gave a yell. „Stop it, Nosey!"
    The jackdaw rose into the air, with a „chack-chack-chack" that sounded very like a laugh, and disappeared somehere in the roof.
    Just then the two girls came to find the boys in the barn, sent by Mrs Philpot, who was sure they hadn"t heard the bel . Timmy was with them, of course, sniffing into every corner, enjoying the farm-smel s everywhere. They came to the barn and looked in.
    „Oh, there you are!" called Anne. „Mrs Philpot said we..."
    Timmy began to bark, and she stopped. He had caught sight of Snippet sniffing behind the sacks, stil hunting for the cheeky jackdaw. He stood stil and stared. What in the wide world was that funny little black creature? He gave another loud bark and shot over towards the poodle, who gave a tenified yelp and leapt into the arms of one of the twins.
    „Take your dog away," said both twins, fiercely, glaring at the four.
    „It"s al right - he won"t hurt Snippet," said George, advancing on Timmy and taking hold of his col ar. „He real y won"t."
    „TAKE YOUR DOG AWAY!" shouted the twins, and up in the roof somewhere the jackdaw said, „CHACK, CHACK, CHACK!" just as fiercely.
    „Al right, al right," said George, glaring as angrily as the twins, „Come on, Tim. That poodle wouldn"t be more than a mouthful for you, anyway!"
    They all went back to the farm-house in silence, Snippet having been left behind on the camp-bed belonging to one of the twins. They cheered up when they came into the big, cool kitchen. Tea was now laid on the farm-house table, a big solid affair of old, old oak.
    Chairs were set round and it al looked very homelike.
    „Hot scones," said George, lifting the lid off a dish. „I never thought I"d like hot scones on a summer"s day, but these look heavenly. Running with butter! Just how I like them!"
    The four looked at the home-made buns and biscuits and the great fruit cake. They stared at the dishes of home-made jam, and the big plate of ripe plums. Then they looked at Mrs Philpot, sitting behind a very big teapot, pouring out cups of tea.
    „You mustn"t spoil us, Mrs Philpot," said Julian, thinking that really his hostess was doing too much. „Please don"t let us make too much work for you!"
    A loud, commanding voice suddenly made them all jump. Sitting in a big wooden armchair near the window was someone they hadn"t seen - a burly old man with a shock of snowy white hair and a luxurious white beard almost down to his waist. His eyes were startlingly bright as he looked across at them.

    TOO MUCH WORK! What"s that you say? TOO MUCH WORK? Ha, people nowadays don"t know what work is, that they don"t! Grumble, grumble, GRUMBLE, asking for this and expecting that! Pah! PAH, I say!"
    „Now now, Grand-dad," said Mrs Philpot, gently. „You just sup your tea and rest. You"ve been out on the farm all day, and it"s too much work for you."
    That set the old man off again. TOO MUCH WORK! Now let me tell you something. When I was a young lad, I... hallo, who"s this?"
    It was Timmy! He had been startled by the sudden shouting of the old man, and had stood up, his hackles rising, and a low growl down in his throat. And then a very curious thing happened.
    Timmy walked slowly over to the