Read Online Trouble at the Little Village School by Gervase Phinn - Free Book Online Page B

Danny.’
    ‘You gets all sooarts o’ birds in this garden an’ t’kestrel knows it an’ all. I’ve seen ’im ’overing up theer in t’sky watchin’ an’ waitin’. ’E got a pigeon last week. I don’t mind ’im gerrin’ pigeons because they’re a blasted nuisance – tree rats, mi granddad used to call ’em – but I don’t like it when ’e teks a blackbird or a linnet. Mind you, they’re offen too quick for ’im.’ He pointed to the chattering sparrows in the large sycamore tree. ‘Just listen to ’em. Yer blue tits and great tits are partial to nuts, but yer goldfinch and greenfinch and siskins, they likes them nyjer seeds.’
    ‘Whatever is a siskin?’ asked Elisabeth.
    The boy chuckled. ‘Yer might be t’ead teacher o’ t’school, miss, but tha dunt know much abaat birds, do ya?’
    ‘Not really,’ replied Elisabeth smiling. ‘I’m what you village folk call an “off-comed-un”. I’ve a lot to learn about the countryside.’
    ‘Well, a siskin is like yer greenfinch but smaller and with a streaked belly and forked tail. You can tell t’males ’cos they ’ave a black cap on their ’eads and they’re reight show-offs. Mi granddad liked siskins. Ya don’t see much of ’em in summer but you see lots in winter if ya keep your eyes oppen. “There’s nowt like t’sound o’ t’sweet twittering of a flock of siskins feeding among the trees in the wintertime.” That’s what mi granddad used to say.’ The boy became suddenly pensive and looked up at the sky. Then he rubbed his eyes.
    Elisabeth put a hand on Danny’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. ‘You think a lot about your grandfather, don’t you?’ she said.
    ‘Aye, I do. I do miss ’im,’ said the boy. ‘This were fust Christmas I’ve ’ad wi’out ’im.’
    Neither spoke for a moment but looked beyond the garden to a vast and silent landscape of fields and hills, criss-crossed by thin white walls which rose like veins impossibly high to the craggy fells.
    ‘You shouldn’t be spending all your money on food for my birds, Danny,’ said Elisabeth. ‘I’ll give you some money for the nuts before you go.’
    ‘Yer all reight, miss,’ said the boy, sniffing. ‘I get pocket money and don’t ’ave much else to spend it on after I’ve bought t’food for mi ferret.’
    ‘Where is your ferret, by the way?’ asked Elisabeth.
    Danny reached into the pocket of his jacket and produced the little sandy-coloured, pointed-faced creature with small bright black eyes. He held the animal under its chest, his thumb under one leg towards the ferret’s spine, and using the other hand he gently stroked the creature down the full length of its body. ‘I never go anywhere without Ferdy,’ he told her. Then he recalled the time he had taken the creature to school and it had bitten Malcolm Stubbins and landed him in trouble. ‘Except, of course, tekkin’ ’im to school.’ He returned the animal to the warmth of his pocket.
    Elisabeth smiled. ‘You’re happy with Dr Stirling, aren’t you, Danny?’
    ‘“Like a pig in the proverbial,” as mi granddad used to say. It’s champion, miss, it really is. ’E’s a proper gent is Dr Stirling. That’s summat else mi granddad used to say.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Mrs Devine,’ he said.
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘Can I asks you summat?’
    ‘Of course you can.’
    ‘When I’m adopted like, I’ll be sort of like Dr Stirling’s son, won’t I?’
    ‘You won’t be sort of like Dr Stirling’s son, Danny, you will be his son. It will be all legal.’
    ‘I don’t want to change mi name,’ said the boy, his forehead furrowing. ‘I want to still be called Danny Stainthorpe.’
    ‘I don’t think there will be a problem with that.’
    ‘Mrs Devine?’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘Do ya reckon Dr Stirling will let me call ’im Dad, like James does?’
    ‘I should think that he will insist on it,’ replied Elisabeth.
    The boy’s face broke into a great beaming smile. ‘I don’t know