Famous Five 19 Five Go to Demons Rocks

Famous Five 19

Five Go To Demon's Rock

By

Enid Blyton

Courtesy:

Shahid Riaz

Islamabad – Pakistan

[email protected]

http://esnips.com/UserProfileAction.ns?id=ebdaae62-b650-4f30-99a4-376c0a084226

“Famous Five 19 - Five Go To Demon's Rock” By Enid Blyton
2

‘Fanny!’ shouted Mr Kirrin, running up the stairs with a letter in his hand. ‘FANNY!

Where are you?’

‘Here, dear, here, helping Joan with the dusting,’ said Mrs Kirrin, appearing out of a bedroom. ‘Don’t shout like that. I’m not deaf, you know. What’s the matter?’

‘I’ve a letter here from that old friend of mine, Professor Hayling,’ said Mr Kirrin. ‘You remember him, don’t you?’

‘Do you mean the man who came here to stay a few years ago, and kept forgetting to come in for meals?’ said Mrs Kirrin, flicking some dust off her husband’s coat.

‘Fanny, don’t flick at me like that,’ said Mr Kirrin, crossly. ‘Anyone would think I was covered in dust. Listen - he’s coming to stay today for a week - instead of next week.’

Mrs Kirrin stared at her husband in horror. ‘But he can’t do that!’ she said. ‘George is coming home today - and her three cousins with her, to stay. You know that!’

‘Oh - I’d forgotten,’ said Mr Kirrin. ‘Well, ring up and tell George to stay where she is -

we can’t have them while Professor Hayling is here. I shall want to be quite undisturbed

- he and I have to confer about some new invention of his. Don’t look like that, my dear -

this may be very very important.’

‘Well, it’s important to the Five that their plans shouldn’t be spoilt,’ said Mrs Kirrin. ‘After all, George only went to stay with Dick, Julian and Anne because you had some urgent papers to write, and you didn’t want to be disturbed - and you knew today was the day they were due home. Quentin, you must ring up your Professor friend and say he can’t come.’

‘Very well, my dear, very well,’ said Mr Kirrin. ‘But he won’t like it. He won’t like it at all!’

He went off to his study to use the telephone, and Mrs Kirrin hurried up the stairs to get ready the rooms for the four cousins.

‘Anne can sleep with George as usual,’ she said to Joan. ‘And the two boys can sleep in the guest-room.’

‘It will be nice to have all the Five back again,’ said Joan, pushing the carpet-sweeper up and down the landing. ‘I miss them - and you should see the cakes I made yesterday, ma’am - two whole tins full!’

‘You’re too good to those children, Joan,’ said Mrs Kirrin. ‘No wonder they’re so fond of you. Now, we’ll - oh dear - there’s Mr Kirrin calling me again. All right, dear, I’m coming, I’m coming!’

She ran downstairs to the hall, and into the study. Mr Kirrin was standing there, holding the telephone receiver. ‘What shall I do?’ he almost shouted. ‘Professor Hayling has left and is already on his way here. I can’t stop him coming. And he’s bringing his son with him, so there are two of them.’

‘His son! Well, really!’ said Mrs Kirrin. ‘There isn’t room for them here, with the four cousins as well, Quentin. You know that.’

‘Well, ring up George and tell her not to come back for a week, but to stay with her cousins,’ said Mr Kirrin, crossly. ‘There’s no reason why they should ALL come here.’

“Famous Five 19 - Five Go To Demon's Rock” By Enid Blyton
3

‘But, Quentin, you know perfectly well that George’s aunt and uncle are shutting up the house today, and going on a cruise somewhere,’ said Mrs Kirrin. ‘Oh dear, oh dear!

Well, I’ll ring up George, and try to stop them all coming!’

So once more the telephone was used, and Mrs Kirrin tried anxiously to get in touch with George. For a long time nobody answered, and then at last a voice came. ‘Hallo -

who’s there?’

‘Mrs Kirrin here - may I speak to George, please?’

‘Oh - I’m sorry - all the Five have already left, on their bicycles,’ said the voice. ‘And the house is empty except for me. I’m a neighbour come in to lock everything up. I’m so sorry I can’t get George for you.’

‘Oh - thank you. Never mind!’ said Mrs Kirrin and put back the receiver. She gave a heavy sigh. NOW WHAT what was to be done? Professor Hayling and his son were on their way to Kirrin Cottage - and so were the Five - and none of them could be stopped.

What a household it would be!

‘Quentin,’ she said, going into the study where her husband was tidying up enormous piles of papers. ‘Quentin, listen - George and all the others are on their way here. And HOW I am going to put everyone up. I do - not - know. It looks as if somebody will have to sleep in Timmy’s kennel, and I’ve a good mind to make a bed up for you in the coal-house!’

‘I’m busy,’ said Mr Kirrin, hardly listening. ‘I’ve all these papers to get in order before Professor Hayling comes. And by the way, my dear, will you PLEASE tell the children to be quiet while the Professor is here - he’s rather short-tempered, and...’

‘Quentin, I’m beginning to feel rather short-tempered too,’ said Mrs Kirrin. ‘And if...’ She stopped very suddenly and gazed through the study window in horror. Then she pointed her finger at it. ‘Look! What’s that at the window?’

Her husband turned and stared in amazement. ‘It looks like a monkey!’ he said. ‘Where on earth did it come from?’

A voice called down the stairs. It was Joan. ‘Ma’am! There’s a car at the door - I think it’s the master’s visitors - a man and a boy!’

Mrs Kirrin was still staring in astonishment at the monkey, who was now scratching at the window-pane, chattering in a funny little prattle. He pressed his nose to the glass, just like a child.

‘DON’T tell me that your friend owns a monkey - and has brought him to stay too!’

groaned poor Mrs Kirrin. Slie jumped as a loud bang came from the front door, and went to open it.

Yes - there stood Professor Hayling, the man who had so often forgotten to come in for meals when he had stayed at Kirrin Cottage years before. And by him was a boy of about nine, with a face a little like that of the monkey now on his shoulder!

The professor strode in, calling to the chauffeur behind. ‘Bring the luggage in, man.

Hallo, Mrs Kirrin - nice to see you again. Where’s your husband? My word, I’ve some interesting news to tell him. Ah, Quentin, there you are! Got your papers all ready for me?’

‘My dear old friend!’ said Mr Kirrin, shaking hands warmly. ‘Fine to see you! So glad you could come.’

‘This is Tinker, my son,’ said Professor Hayling, clapping the boy on the back, and almost knocking him over. ‘I always forget what his real name is - we call him Tinker because he’s always tinkering with cars - mad on them, you know! Shake hands, Tinker.

Where’s Mischief?’

“Famous Five 19 - Five Go To Demon's Rock” By Enid Blyton
4

Poor Mrs Kirrin hadn’t been able to get in a word. The Professor was now in the hall, still talking. The monkey had leapt off the boy’s shoulder, and was on the hall-stand, swinging on a hat-peg.

Really, it’s like a circus! thought poor Mrs Kirrin. And the rooms not prepared yet - and what about lunch? Oh my goodness - and all the cousins coming as well. What is that monkey doing now? Making faces at himself in the hall mirror!

Somehow or other the visitors were pushed into the living-room, and they sat down. Mr Kirrin was so anxious to discuss some mighty problems with the Professor that he actually fetched a great sheaf of papers and immediately spread them over the table.

‘Not in here, dear - in your study please,’ said Mrs Kirrin, firmly. ‘Joan! Will you take the bags up to the guest-room. And make up a bed there on the couch for the little boy?

There won’t be room anywhere else.’

‘What about the monkey!’ asked Joan, eyeing it warily. ‘Is he to have a bed too?’

‘He sleeps with me,’ said Tinker, in an astonishingly loud voice, and leapt suddenly up the stairs, making a most extraordinary purring noise as he went. Mrs Kirrin stared after him in amazement.

‘Is he in pain, or something?’ she said.

‘No, no - he’s just being a car,’ said his father. ‘I told you he was mad about cars. He can’t help pretending to be one now and again.’

‘I’m a car, a Jaguar car!’ yelled Tinker, from the top of the stairs. ‘Can’t you hear my engine! R-R-R-R-R-R-R! Hey, Mischief come and have a ride!’

The little monkey scampered up the stairs and leapt on to the boy’s shoulder, chattering in its funny little voice. The Jaguar car then apparently made a tour of all the bedrooms, occasionally giving a very loud honk.

‘Does your boy always behave like that?’ asked Mr Kirrin, amazed. ‘How do you manage to do any work?’

‘Oh, I have a sound-proof workroom in my garden,’ said the Professor. ‘I hope your workroom is soundproof, too?’

‘No, it isn’t,’ said poor Mr Kirrin, still hearing the ‘car’ upstairs. What a boy! How could anyone bear him for more than two minutes? And to think he had come to STAY!

He shut the study door after the Professor - but no door could shut out the sound of the small boy honking upstairs!

Poor Mrs Kirrin was eyeing all the luggage brought in. Why hadn’t the Professor gone to a hotel? What was life going to be like, with the Five here, and the Professor, and a small boy who apparently thought he was some kind of car all the time. To say nothing of a monkey called Mischief! And WHERE were they all going to sleep?

George and her three cousins were already on their way back to Kirrin. They cycled along the lanes with Timmy, George’s dog, loping easily beside them.

“Famous Five 19 - Five Go To Demon's Rock” By Enid Blyton
5

‘Won’t it be fun to be at Kirrin Cottage again!’ said Anne. ‘It’s so lovely to look out of a window and see Kirrin Bay, blue as the sky! I vote we go over to the Island for a picnic!’

‘You’ll like to have your own kennel again, won’t you, Timmy?’ said George, and Timmy gave her ankle a quick lick, and barked.

‘It’s always so peaceful at Kirrin Cottage,’ said Dick. ‘And your mother’s so kind and jolly, George, I hope we shan’t upset Uncle Quentin with our talk and fun.’

‘I don’t think Father has any very important work on hand,’ said George. ‘Anyway, he’ll only have you for a week - it’s a pity that Professor friend of his is coming in a week’s time, or you could have stayed longer.’

‘Well, a week is quite a nice long time,’ said Julian. ‘Hallo - there’s our first glimpse of Kirrin Bay, look - as blue as ever!’

They were all glad to see the little blue bay, and to catch sight of Kirrin Island lying there peacefully in the sun. ‘You’re lucky, George, to have an island all of your own,’ said Anne. ‘One that is really and truly yours!’

‘Yes, I am lucky!’ said George. ‘I was never so pleased in all my life as the day Mother gave it to me. It’s belonged to our family for years, of course - and now it’s mine! We’ll go over there tomorrow!’

At last they came to the end of their journey. ‘I can see the chimneys of Kirrin Cottage!’

said Julian, standing up on the pedals of his bicycle. ‘And the kitchen fire is going - I can see smoke. The dinner must be cooking!’

‘I can smell it!’ said Dick, sniffing. ‘I think it’s sausages.’

‘Ass,’ said the other three together, and laughed. They rode up to the back gate, and leapt off their bicycles. They put them into the shed, and George gave a shout!

‘Mother! We’re HOME! Where are you?’

She had hardly finished yelling when Anne suddenly clutched her arm.

‘George - what’s that? Look! Peeping out of the window there!’

They all looked - and George shouted in astonishment: ‘It’s a monkey! A MONKEY! No, Timmy. No - come back! TIMMY!’

But Timmy too had seen the quaint little face peering out of the window, and had shot off to investigate. Was it a small dog? Or a queer sort of cat? Anyway, whatever it was, he was going to chase it away! He barked at the top of his voice as he galloped indoors, and almost knocked over a small boy there. The monkey, terrified, at once leapt on to the picture-rail that ran round the room.

‘You leave my monkey alone, you big bully you!’ cried a furious voice; and through the open door George saw a small boy give Timmy a sharp smack. She raced indoors, and gave the small boy a smack as sharp as the one he had given Timmy! Then she glared at him angrily.

‘What are you doing here? How DARE you hit my dog? It’s a good thing he didn’t eat you up. And what’s that creature doing up there?’

The little monkey was terrified. It sat clinging to the picture-rail, trembling, making a piteous chattering noise. Julian came in just as Joan and cook arrived from upstairs.

‘What’s all this?’ she said. ‘You’ll have your father racing out of his study in a minute, George. Stop barking at the little monkey, Timmy, for goodness sake! And stop crying, Tinker, and take your monkey away before Timmy eats him.’

‘I’m NOT crying,’ said Tinker fiercely, rubbing his eyes. ‘Come here, Mischief. I won’t let that dog hurt you! I’ll - I’ll...’

“Famous Five 19 - Five Go To Demon's Rock” By Enid Blyton
6