by Энид Блайтон
Then there came a spell of bad weather - just a few days. The island seemed very different then, with the sun gone, a soft rain-mist driving over it, soaking everything, and the lake-water as cold as ice.
Nora didn’t like it. She didn’t like feeding the hens in the rain. She asked Peggy to do it for her. But Jack heard her and was cross.
“You’re not to be a fair-weather person,” he told her. “It’s all very well to go about happily when the sun is shining and do your jobs with a smile - but just you be the same when we get bad weather!”
“Ay, ay, Captain!” said Nora, who was learning not to be such a baby as she had been. And after that she went cheerfully out to feed the hens, even though the rain trickled down her neck and ran in a cold stream down her brown back.
They were rather bored when they had to keep indoors in Willow House when it rained. They had read all their books and papers by that time, and although it was fun to play games for a while, they couldn’t do it all day long. Peggy didn’t mind - she had always plenty of mending to do.
She showed the boys and Nora how to weave baskets. They needed a great many, for the baskets did not last very long, and there were always raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries to pick. Mike, Jack, and Nora thought it was fun to weave all kinds and shapes of baskets, and soon they had a fine selection of them ready for sunny weather.
Then the sun came back again and the children lay about in it and basked in the hot rays to get themselves warm once more. The hens fluffed out their wet feathers and clucked happily. Daisy came out from under the tree which gave her shelter, and gave soft moos of pleasure. The world was full of colour again and the children shouted for joy.
The beans, radishes, lettuces, and mustard and cress grew enormously in the rain. Jack and Mike picked a good crop, and everyone said that never had anything tasted so delicious before as the rain-swollen lettuces, so crisp, juicy, and sweet.
All sorts of little things happened. The hole in the boat grew so big that one day, when Mike went to fetch the boat from its hiding-place, it had disappeared! It had sunk into the water! Then Jack and Mike had to use all their brains and all their strength to get it up again and to mend it so that it would not leak quite so badly.
The corn for the hens came to an end, and Jack had to go and see if he could find some more. There was none at his grandfather’s farm, so he went to Mike’s farm - and there he found some in a shed, but was nearly bitten by a new dog that had been bought for the farm. The dog bit a hole in his trousers, and Peggy had to spend a whole morning mending them.
Another time there was a great alarm, because Nora said she had heard the splashing of oars. Jack rushed off to get Daisy, and Mike bundled the hens into a sack - but, as nothing more seemed to happen, Peggy ran to the top of the hill and looked down the lake.
No boat was in sight - only four big white swans, quarrelling among themselves, and slashing the water with their feet and wings!
“It’s all right, boys!” she shouted. “It’s only the swans! It isn’t a boat!”
So Daisy was left in peace and the hens were emptied out of the sack again. Nora was teased, and made up her mind that she would make quite certain it was a boat next time she gave the alarm!
One day Jack slipped down the hillside when he was reaching for raspberries and twisted his ankle. Mike had to help him back to the camp on the beach. Jack was very pale, for it was a bad twist.
Peggy ran to get some clean rags and soaked them in the cold spring water. She bound them tightly round Jack’s foot and ankle.
“You mustn’t use it for a while,” she said. "You must keen quiet. Mike will do your jobs.”
So Jack had to lie about quietly for a day or two, and he found this very strange. But he was a sensible boy, and he knew that it was the quickest way to get better. Soon he found that he could hop about quite well with a stout hazel stick Mike cut for him from the hedges - and after a week or so his foot was quite all right.
Another time poor Peggy overbalanced and fell into a gorse bush below her on the hill. She was dreadfully scratched, but she didn’t even cry. She went to the lake and washed her scratches and cuts, and then got the supper just as usual. Jack said he was very proud of her. “Anybody else would have yelled the place down!” he said, looking at the scratches all over her arms and legs.
“It’s nothing much,” said Peggy, boiling some milk. “I’m lucky not to have broken my leg or something!”
So, with these little adventures, joys, and sorrows, the summer passed by. No one came to the island, and gradually the children forgot their fears of being found, and thought no more of it.
Jack Does Some Shopping
The summer passed away. The days grew gradually shorter. The children found that it was not always warm enough to sit by the camp-fire in the evenings, and they went to Willow House, where they could light the lantern and play games. Willow House was always cosy.
They had had to stuff the walls again with heather and bracken, for some of it crumbled away and then the wind blew in. All the willow stakes they had used in the making of the walls had put out roots, and now little tufts of green, pointed leaves jutted out here and there up the sticks! The children were pleased. It was fun to have walls and roof that grew!
One day Mike got a shock. He went to get another candle for the lantern - and found that there was only one left! There were very few matches left, too, for although the children were careful with these, and only used one when the fire had gone out, they had to use them sometimes.
“I say, Jack, we’ve only got one candle left,” said Mike.
“We’ll have to get some more, then,” said Jack.
“How?” asked Mike. “They don’t grow on trees!”
“Jack means he’ll go and get some from somewhere,” said Peggy, who was mending a hole in Jack’s shirt. She was so glad she had been sensible enough to bring her work-basket with her to the secret island. She could stop their clothes from falling to pieces by keeping an eye on them, and stitching them as soon as they were torn.
“But where could he get candles except in a shop?” said Mike.
“Well, I’ve been thinking,” said Jack seriously. “I’ve been thinking very hard. The autumn is coming, when we shall need a better light in the evenings. We shall need another blanket, too. And there are all sorts of little things we want.”
“I badly want some more mending wool and some black cotton,” said Peggy. “I had to mend your grey trousers with blue wool yesterday, Jack.”
“And I’ll have to have some more corn for the hens soon,” said Nora.
“And it would be nice if we could get some flour,” said Peggy. “Because if I had a bag of flour I could make you little rolls of bread sometimes - I just long for bread, don’t you!”
“It would be nice,” said Jack. “Well, listen, everyone. Don’t you think it would be a good idea if I took the boat and went to the village at the other end of the lake and bought some of the things we badly need?”
The others all cried out in surprise.
“You’d be caught!”
“You haven’t any money to buy things with!”
“Oh, don’t go, Jack!”
“I shouldn’t be caught,” said Jack. "I’d be very careful. No one knows me at that village. Anyway, if you’re afraid, I’ll go on to the next village - only it’s five miles away and I’d be jolly tired carrying back all the things we want.”
“But what about money, Jack?” said Peggy.
“I’d thought of that,” said Jack. “If Mike will help me to pick a sackful of mushrooms early one morning, I could bring them back here, arrange them in the willow baskets we make, and then take them to the village to sell. With the money I get I’ll buy the things we want.”
“Oh, that is a good idea, Jack,” said Peggy. “If only you don’t get caught!”
“Don’t worry about that, silly,” said Jack. “Now we’d better make out a list of things we want, and I’ll t
ry and get them when I go.”
“I wish we could have a book or two,” said Peggy.
“And a pencil would be nice,” said Nora. “I like drawing things.”
“And a new kettle,” said Peggy. “Ours leaks a bit now.”
“And a few more nails,” said Mike.
“And the flour and the wool and the black cotton,” said Peggy.
So they went on, making up a list of things they would like to have. Jack said them all over, and counted them up so that he wouldn’t forget them.
“Mike and I will get the mushrooms from the field over the water to-morrow morning,” he said.
“And I say, Jack - do you suppose you could sell some wild strawberries if you took them?” asked Nora eagerly. “I know where there are lots. I found a whole patch yesterday, ever so big, and very sweet!”
“That’s a splendid idea,” said Jack, pleased. “Look here, we’ll make lots of little baskets to-day, and then we will arrange the mushrooms and strawberries neatly in them and I’ll take them in the boat to sell. We should make a lot of money!”
The children were really excited. Mike went off to get a supply of thin willow twigs, and Peggy ran to get some rushes. She had discovered that she could make dainty baskets from the rushes, too, and she thought those would be nice for the strawberries.
Soon all four children were sitting on the sunny hillside among the heather, weaving the baskets. The boys were as good at it as the girls now, and by the time the sun was sinking there was a fine array of baskets. Peggy counted them. There were twenty-seven!
“I say! If we can fill and sell all those, Jack, you will have plenty of money to buy everything,” said Mike.
The children went to bed early, for they knew they would have to be up at dawn the next day. They had no watches or clocks, and the only way to wake up early was to go to bed early! They knew that. It was a warm night, so they slept in their outdoor bedroom among the gorse bushes, lying cosily on their heather beds. Nothing ever woke them now, as it had done at first. A hedgehog could crawl over Jack’s legs and he wouldn’t stir! A bat could flick Mike’s face and he didn’t even move.
Once a little spider had made a web from Peggy’s nose to her shoulder, and when Nora awoke and saw it there she called the boys. How they laughed to see a web stretching from Peggy’s nose, and a little spider in the middle of it! They woke Peggy up and told her - but she didn’t mind a bit!
“Spiders are lucky!” she said. “I shall have some luck to-day!” And so she did - for she found her scissors, which she had lost the week before!
The children awoke early, just as the daylight was putting a sheet of silver over the eastern sky. A robin was tick-tick-ticking near by and burst into a little creamy song when the children awoke. He was not a bit afraid of them, for they all loved the birds and fed them with crumbs after every meal. The robin was very tame and would often sit on Peggy’s shoulder whilst she prepared the meals. She liked this very much.
They all got up and had their dip in the lake. Peggy thought of one more thing they wanted - a bar of soap! Their one piece was finished - and it was difficult to rub dirt off with sand, which they had to do now they had no soap. Jack added that to the list in his mind - that made twenty-one things wanted! What a lot!
“Mike and I won’t be very long picking mush-rooms,” he said, as he got into the boat and pushed off. “You and Nora go and pick the strawberries, Peggy. Have a kettle boiling on the fire when we come back so that we can have something hot to drink. It’s rather chilly this morning.”
How busy the four children were as the sun rose! Mike and Jack were away in the mushroom field, picking as many mushrooms as they could, and stuffing them into the big sack they carried. Nora and Peggy were picking the wild strawberries on the island. Certainly the patch Nora had found was a wonderful one. Deep red strawberries glowed everywhere among the pretty leaves, and some of the berries were as big as garden ones.
“Don’t they look pretty in our little green baskets?” said Peggy, pleased. The girls had taken some of their baskets with them, and had lined them with strawberry leaves first. Then neatly and gently they were putting the ripe strawberries in.
“I should think Jack could sell these baskets of strawberries for sixpence each,” said Peggy. “They are just right for eating.”
The girls filled twelve of the rush baskets, and then went back to light the camp-fire. It was soon burning well, and Peggy hung the kettle over the flames to boil. Nora went to feed the hens.
“I’ll milk Daisy, I think,” said Peggy. “It is getting about milking-time, and the boys won’t have time this morning. Watch the fire, Nora, and take the kettle off when it boils.”
Soon the boys were back, happy to show the girls such a fine collection of white mushrooms. Peggy had finished milking Daisy and there was soon hot tea for everyone. The tin of cocoa had long been finished, and was added to the list that Jack had in his mind.
Whilst the boys were having breakfast of fried eggs and mushrooms, with a few wild strawberries and cream to follow, the two girls were busy arranging the fine mushrooms in the willow baskets, which were bigger and stronger than the rush strawberry ones. There were more than enough to fill the baskets
Peggy and Nora carried the full baskets carefully to the boat. They put them safely at the far end and covered them with elder leaves so that the flies would not get at them. The flies did not like the smell of the elder leaves.
The boys set off in the boat. It had been arranged that they should both go to the far end of the lake, but that only Jack should go to sell their goods and to shop. One boy alone would not be so much noticed. Mike was to wait in the boat, hidden somewhere by the lakeside, till Jack returned. Mike had some cold cooked fish and some milk, for it might be some hours before Jack came back.
“Here’s a good place to put the boat,” said Jack, as he and Mike rowed up the lake, and came in sight of the village at the far end. An alder tree leaned over the water by the lakeside, and Mike guided the boat there. It slid under the drooping tree and Jack jumped out.
“I can easily find my way to the village from here,” he said. “I’ll be as quick as I can, Mike.”
Jack had two long sticks, and on them he threaded the handles of the baskets of mushrooms and strawberries. In this way he could carry them easily, without spilling anything. Off he went with his goods through the wood, and Mike settled down in the boat to wait for his return.
Jack was not long in finding the road that led to the little village - and to his great delight he found that it was market-day there! A small market was held every Wednesday, and it happened to be Wednesday that day!
“Good!” thought Jack. “I shall not be so much noticed if there is a crowd of people - and I should be able to sell my goods easily!”
The boy went to the little market-place, calling “Fine mushrooms! Ripe wild strawberries!” at the top of his voice.
When people saw the neat and pretty baskets of mushrooms and strawberries they stopped to look at them. Certainly they were excellent goods, and very soon Jack was selling them fast. Shillings and sixpences clinked into his pocket, and Jack felt very happy. What a fine lot of things he would be able to buy!
At last his sticks held no more baskets. The people praised him - for his goods and the cleverly woven baskets, and told him to come again. Jack made up his mind that he would. It was a pleasant way of earning money, and he could buy all the things he needed if only he could get the money!
He went shopping. He bought a very large bag of flour. He bought wool and cotton for Peggy. He bought scores of candles and plenty of matches. He bought a new kettle and two enamel plates. Peggy was always wishing she had more dishes. He bought some story-books, and two pencils and a rubber. A drawing-book was added to his collection, some nails, soap, butter for a treat, some bars of chocolate, some tins of cocoa, tea, rice - oh, Jack had a load to carry before he had done!
When he could carry no more, and his mon
ey was all gone, he staggered off to the boat. He kept thinking what fun everyone would have that night when he unpacked the bags and boxes!
Mike was waiting for him impatiently. He was delighted to see Jack, and helped him to dump the things into the boat. Then off they rowed, home to the secret island.
Jack Nearly Gets Caught
What fun it was that evening, unpacking all the things Jack had brought! Mike helped Jack to take everything to the beach, and Nora and Peggy jumped up and down and squealed with excitement.
“Flour! What a lot! I can make you rolls now to eat with your fish and eggs!” cried Peggy in delight. “And here’s my wool - and my cotton!”
“And two pencils for me - and a rubber - and a drawing-book!” cried Nora.
“And butter - oh, and chocolate!” yelled Mike. “I’ve forgotten what chocolate tastes like!”
“Oh, Jack, you are clever,” said Peggy. “Did you sell all the mushrooms and strawberries?”
“Every single basket,” said Jack. “And, what is more, the people told me to bring more next week - so I shall earn some more money, and lay in a good stock of things for the winter! What do you say to that?”
“Fine, Captain!” shouted everyone joyfully. “We shall be as cosy as can be with candles to see by, nice things to eat, books to read, chocolate to nibble! Hurrah!”
“Have you brought the corn for my hens, Jack?” asked Nora anxiously.
“Yes, there it is!” said Jack. “And what about this new kettle and enamel dishes, Peggy? I thought you’d like those.”
“Oh, Jack, isn’t it all exciting?” cried Peggy. “Look here - shall we have supper now - and look at all the things again afterwards - and then put them away carefully? You and Mike will have to put up shelves in Willow House for all these new stores!”
Talking all at once and at the tops of their voices the children set to work to get supper. This was a rabbit stew, with runner beans picked by Nora and a baked potato each, with raspberries and cream afterwards. And as a special treat Jack gave everyone half a bar of the precious chocolate! The children were so happy - they really felt that they couldn’t be any happier! The girls had been lonely all day without the two boys, and it was lovely to be all together again.
