Chapter 7

The Famous Five had arrived at the markets by mid-morning.

"Oh, do look!" cried Anne, pointing to the ducklings in a pen nearby. "Aren't they darling?"

"Want to hold one, miss?" asked the farmer's wife who was tending them.

"Yes, please!" said Anne. The farmer's wife scooped up a little yellow duckling and placed it in Anne's hands. "Oh, isn't it the darlingest thing?"

The others smiled as Anne cradled the tiny duckling gently and took turns in patting the soft downy head.

"I wish I could take you back to school with me," she said to the little yellow bundle. George laughed.

"You might have to adopt one of the swans on the school lake instead," she said. Anne looked horrified.

"George, you know how they frighten me," she said. "Horrid beastly hissy creatures!" Reluctantly, she handed the duckling back to the farmer's wife, who replaced it in the pen and they moved on. "Oh, look! Lambs!"

Dick, George and Julian exchanged grins. Anne loved baby animals, preferring them to the grown-up ones she was often afraid of. Soon, they were all patting the woolly heads of the black-faced lambs. Timmy had been left tied up near the start of the common while they were looking at the animals. He was a friendly dog but George understood animals could be frightened by his barking. She would retrieve him later when they looked among the stalls and food.

They moved through the rest of the animals, avoiding the grown cows for Anne's sake. They bought sandwiches and ices and ginger beer from the stalls and sat in a grassy area to eat lunch. Timmy had been fetched and panted happily in the middle of the group.

"This is a jolly fine market," said Dick, tucking heartily into his sandwich. "There are even some sideshow amusements set up down the end of the common. It's almost a fair as well! Why, I would call it a fairket!"

The others laughed. Dick was a wiz at inventing new words for thing!

"I'm going to have a turn at the coconut shy after lunch," Dick continued. "I do believe I can win one of the big prizes!"

They sat in the sun and enjoyed their meal while watching the market activity.

"I feel jolly lazy now," said Julian. Dick had already jumped to his feet.

"Coconut shy!" he exclaimed. The others followed him over to the stall.

"Three throws for sixpence. Three throws for sixpence," called the man running the stall. "You there, lad! You look like you've got a good arm. Knock off the coconut, win a prize. Easy as you like. Step right up!"

Dick fished sixpence out of his pocket and received three white balls in return. His first two throws knocked coconuts from their perches but the last one was wide.

"Close, close, close," said the man, gathering up the balls and replacing the coconuts. "Nearly had it there. How about another try? Sixpence for three throws."

Dick already had another sixpence in his hand and gave it to the man. This time his third shot glanced the coconut but didn't knock it off. Dick sighed.

"Come on, Dick," said Julian in a low voice. "These games are usually crooked, you know!"

"Hie! Nothing crooked going on here, lad!" said the owner of the stall, overhearing him. "Why, I'll show you myself!" He replaced the coconuts and stepped over the barrier to where the children were standing. He deftly threw the balls at the coconuts and knocked off all three in quick succession. "See? It's all in the wrist, you know, all in the wrist."

Dick was determined to have one last turn and handed over another sixpence.

"That's the way, lad," said the man, taking his money and handing over the balls. "Got to be in it to win it, don't you know."

Dick took careful aim and knocked each coconut off, one by one.

"Oh, Dick!" squealed Anne. "Well done!"

"Jolly good throwing, Dick," said George.

"There you go, young sir," said the man, handing over an enormous stuffed dog.

"Er, thanks," replied Dick, wondering what on earth he was going to do with a giant dog.

"Sixpence for three throws, sixpence for three throws!" called the man to a group of children nearby. The Five wandered off.

"A ferris wheel!" exclaimed George. "Bags I go on that!"

"I'll come too," said Julian. Dick looked crestfallen.

"I spent all my money on the coconut shy," he replied.

"I'll stay with you, Dick," said Anne at once. She wasn't fond of heights and preferred to keep her feet on the ground.

"Thanks, Anne," said Dick gratefully, smiling at his sister. "We'll go and sit on that bench there and wait for you," he said to Julian and George.

"We'll wave to you from the top!" said George.

Anne and Dick took a seat on the bench with the toy dog between them and waved as Julian and George made their way over to the ticket box for the ferris wheel.