Five Go to Billycock Hill Read Online Free PDF

they had their breakfast.
    It was easy to make a little fire in the shelter of the giant gorse bush, and boil the eggs in the saucepan. Bread and butter and tomatoes completed the simple meal, with cold creamy milk to wash it down.
    In the middle of this Timmy began ta bark frantical y, but as his tail was wagging al the time, the others guessed that it must be Toby coming. They heard Binky"s answering bark, and then the dog himself appeared, panting and excited. He greeted Timmy first of all, and then ran round to give everyone a lick.
    „Hal o, hallo, hallo!" came Toby"s voice, and he appeared round the gorse bush. „Had a good night? I say, aren"t you late - stil having your breakfast? My word, you"re sleepy-heads! I"ve been up since six. I"ve milked cows and cleaned out a shed, and fed the hens and col ected the eggs."
    The Five immediately felt ashamed of themselves! They gazed at Toby in admiration - why, he was quite a farmer!
    „I"ve brought you some more milk, bread and eggs and cake," he said, and put down a basket.
    „Jolly good of you," said Julian. „We must pay for any food we get from your farm, you know that. Any idea of how much we owe for yesterday"s food and for what you"ve brought today?"
    „Well, my mother says you don"t need to pay her," said Toby. „But I know you mean to - so I suggest that you pay me each time and I"l put the money into a box and buy my mother a smashing present at the end - from you all. Wil that do?"

    „That"s a good idea," said Julian. „We couldn"t possibly accept food if we didn"t pay for it
    - but I know what mothers are - they don"t like being paid in money for their kindness! So we"ll do what you say. Now, reckon up what we owe so far, and I"l pay you."
    „Right," said Toby in a business-like way, „I"l charge you market prices, not top prices. I"l just tot up the bil while you"re cleaning up and putting away what I"ve brought."
    The girls washed-up in the spring, and the boys carried everything there for Anne to put in her „larder". Toby presented Julian with a neatly-written bil , which he at once paid. Toby receipted the bill and gave it back.
    „There you are - al business-like," he said. „Thanks very much. What are you going to do today? There are super caves to be explored if you like - or there"s the Butterfly Farm - or you can just come down to our farm for the day."
    „No, not today," said Julian, afraid that they might make themselves a nuisance to Mrs Thomas. „I don"t feel like seeing caves this morning either - so dark and eerie on such a sunny day. What shall we do, girls?"
    But before they could decide Binky and Timmy began to bark, each dog standing quite stil , facing the same way - towards the giant gorse bush.
    „Who is it, Tim?" asked George. „Go and see! Go on, then!"
    Timmy ran behind the bush, followed by Binky, and then the children heard a surprised voice.
    „Hal o, Binky! What are you doing al the way up here? And who"s your friend?"
    „It"s Mr Gringle," said Toby. „One of the men who own the Butterfly Farm. He"s often up here with his net, because it"s a wonderful place for butterflies."
    A man came round the gorse bush - rather a peculiar figure, untidy, with glasses slipping down his nose, and his hair much too long. He carried a big butterfly net and stopped when he saw the five children.
    „Hal o!" he said. „Who are al these, Toby? Quite a crowd!"
    „Friends of mine, Mr Cringle," said Toby solemnly. „Al ow me to introduce them. Julian Kirrin, Dick Kirrin, Anne Kirrin, George Kirrin, their cousin - and their dog Timothy."
    „Ha - pleased to meet you!" said Mr Gringle, and came shambling forward, his big butterfly net over his shoulder. Behind his glasses shone curiously bright eyes. He nodded his head to each of the four cousins. „Three boys - and a girl. Very nice lot, too. You don"t look as if you"l leave litter about or start fires in this lovely countryside."
    „We shouldn"t dream of it," said George,