The Railway Children by E. Nesbit (classic books for 11 year olds TXT) 📗
- Author: E. Nesbit
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“It was simply ripping, Mother,” said Peter, when they reached home very happy, very tired, and very dirty, “right over that glorious aqueduct. And locks—you don't know what they're like. You sink into the ground and then, when you feel you're never going to stop going down, two great black gates open slowly, slowly—you go out, and there you are on the canal just like you were before.”
“I know,” said Mother, “there are locks on the Thames. Father and I used to go on the river at Marlow before we were married.”
“And the dear, darling, ducky baby,” said Bobbie; “it let me nurse it for ages and ages—and it WAS so good. Mother, I wish we had a baby to play with.”
“And everybody was so nice to us,” said Phyllis, “everybody we met. And they say we may fish whenever we like. And Bill is going to show us the way next time he's in these parts. He says we don't know really.”
“He said YOU didn't know,” said Peter; “but, Mother, he said he'd tell all the bargees up and down the canal that we were the real, right sort, and they were to treat us like good pals, as we were.”
“So then I said,” Phyllis interrupted, “we'd always each wear a red ribbon when we went fishing by the canal, so they'd know it was US, and we were the real, right sort, and be nice to us!”
“So you've made another lot of friends,” said Mother; “first the railway and then the canal!”
“Oh, yes,” said Bobbie; “I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don't want to be UN-friends.”
“Perhaps you're right,” said Mother; and she sighed. “Come, Chicks. It's bedtime.”
“Yes,” said Phyllis. “Oh dear—and we went up there to talk about what we'd do for Perks's birthday. And we haven't talked a single thing about it!”
“No more we have,” said Bobbie; “but Peter's saved Reginald Horace's life. I think that's about good enough for one evening.”
“Bobbie would have saved him if I hadn't knocked her down; twice I did,” said Peter, loyally.
“So would I,” said Phyllis, “if I'd known what to do.”
“Yes,” said Mother, “you've saved a little child's life. I do think that's enough for one evening. Oh, my darlings, thank God YOU'RE all safe!”
Chapter IX. The pride of Perks.
It was breakfast-time. Mother's face was very bright as she poured the milk and ladled out the porridge.
“I've sold another story, Chickies,” she said; “the one about the King of the Mussels, so there'll be buns for tea. You can go and get them as soon as they're baked. About eleven, isn't it?”
Peter, Phyllis, and Bobbie exchanged glances with each other, six glances in all. Then Bobbie said:—
“Mother, would you mind if we didn't have the buns for tea to-night, but on the fifteenth? That's next Thursday.”
“I don't mind when you have them, dear,” said Mother, “but why?”
“Because it's Perks's birthday,” said Bobbie; “he's thirty-two, and he says he doesn't keep his birthday any more, because he's got other things to keep—not rabbits or secrets—but the kids and the missus.”
“You mean his wife and children,” said Mother.
“Yes,” said Phyllis; “it's the same thing, isn't it?”
“And we thought we'd make a nice birthday for him. He's been so awfully jolly decent to us, you know, Mother,” said Peter, “and we agreed that next bun-day we'd ask you if we could.”
“But suppose there hadn't been a bun-day before the fifteenth?” said Mother.
“Oh, then, we meant to ask you to let us anti—antipate it, and go without when the bun-day came.”
“Anticipate,” said Mother. “I see. Certainly. It would be nice to put his name on the buns with pink sugar, wouldn't it?”
“Perks,” said Peter, “it's not a pretty name.”
“His other name's Albert,” said Phyllis; “I asked him once.”
“We might put A. P.,” said Mother; “I'll show you how when the day comes.”
This was all very well as far as it went. But even fourteen halfpenny buns with A. P. on them in pink sugar do not of themselves make a very grand celebration.
“There are always flowers, of course,” said Bobbie, later, when a really earnest council was being held on the subject in the hay-loft where the broken chaff-cutting machine was, and the row of holes to drop hay through into the hay-racks over the mangers of the stables below.
“He's got lots of flowers of his own,” said Peter.
“But it's always nice to have them given you,” said Bobbie, “however many you've got of your own. We can use flowers for trimmings to the birthday. But there must be something to trim besides buns.”
“Let's all be quiet and think,” said Phyllis; “no one's to speak until it's thought of something.”
So they were all quiet and so very still that a brown rat thought that there was no one in the loft and came out very boldly. When Bobbie sneezed, the rat was quite shocked and hurried away, for he saw that a hay-loft where such things could happen was no place for a respectable middle-aged rat that liked a quiet life.
“Hooray!” cried Peter, suddenly, “I've got it.” He jumped up and kicked at the loose hay.
“What?” said the others, eagerly.
“Why, Perks is so nice to everybody. There must be lots of people in the village who'd like to help to make him a birthday. Let's go round and ask everybody.”
“Mother said we weren't to ask people for things,” said Bobbie, doubtfully.
“For ourselves, she meant, silly, not for other people. I'll ask the old gentleman too. You see if I don't,” said Peter.
“Let's ask Mother first,” said Bobbie.
“Oh, what's the use of bothering Mother about every little thing?” said Peter, “especially when she's busy. Come on. Let's go down to the village now and begin.”
So they went. The old lady at the Post-office said she didn't see why Perks should have a birthday any more than anyone else.
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