The Cuckoo Tree by Aiken Joan

Author:Aiken, Joan [Aiken, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Europe, Humorous Stories, England, Conspiracies, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, General, People & Places
ISBN: 9780618070237
Publisher: Sandpiper
Published: 1971-01-02T07:00:00+00:00

"Cris!" exclaimed Dido. "What in the Blue Blazes are you doing up there?"

A silence followed, then a timid voice said,

"Dido? Is that you?"

"Well, o' course it's me, gal! But why the plague are you here, 'stead of up at the Manor, eating your dinner with a silver spoon? I call that downright ungrateful!"

There was another long pause, then Cris slid down the trunk. Her face was pale, and there were traces of tears on it; she had the old sheepskin jacket huddled over her velvets.

"Aswell won't come to me at the Manor," she said miserably.

"Oh, botheration," Dido muttered.

"Who be this, then?" Yan asked in an undertone. He had been even more startled than Dido by Cris's sudden appearance.

"Tobit's twin sister," Dido explained in the same tone. "Old Ma Lubbage had her hidden away all these years in her attic, ready for a bit o' blackmailing tick-tacks when Tobit got put away."

"Have you been up yonder tree afore, ducky?" Yan asked Cris.

"Many times. More than I can count," she told him.

"Then that explains a power o' puzzlement. Some o' my Wineberry Men would have it that there was a liddle Pharisee lived up the tree," said Yan, grinning.

"But, listen, Cris," said Dido, who was anxious to get back to the Captain. "You can't run off from Tegleaze Manor, you gotta give it a fair trial. Why, gal, you're in clover there, in the lap of thingummy—all found, four square meals a day—"

"It's lonesome!"

"Oh, crumpet it—"

"It would be different if my brother was there."

"Well, we're a-going to rescue him from quod this very arternoon. Though what us'll do with him then—"

"Are you?" Cris's face lit up. "I'll come too!"

Disconcerted, Dido and Yan stared at one another.

At this moment another voice broke in.

"Well!" it said gloatingly. "So I found ye out at last, did I? This is where ee went skrimshanking off to outa my loft, was it? The old Cuckoo Tree, eh?"

Mrs. Lubbage stood before them, arms akimbo, her face red with hurry and triumph.

Cris turned white as her ruffles, Dido drew a sharp breath.

"Make a slap-up liddle nestie for to play hide-and-seek in, did it? Well, I'll soon tell Amos Frill abouten it, time he'll bring his scoring axe and chop it down!"

"No!" cried Cris, and laid her hand protectively on the trunk.

"Ah! But I say yes, my young madam. And ee'd best come back to Tegleaze with me now; Sannie an' me'll put ee to bed with a shovel, I can tell ee!"

"Hold your tongue, you sidy old witch, or by the pize I'll give ee summat that'll misagree with ee," interrupted Yan angrily. "Let's have none o' that moonshine about cutting down the Cuckoo Tree. You know well, if ye was to lay a finger on it, there'd be no roof over your head by nightfall."

Mrs. Lubbage seemed to swell like a slug with rage; she darted an evil look at Yan.

"Moonshine is it, Yan Gusset? I know a thing or two about moonshine too! If ee have the roof off my head, I'll give ee neighbor's fare.

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