“Well, I thought I must bring them,” said George. “It’s the first hols I’ve had a chance to use them. Mother wouldn’t let me take them to school. I say — how much further is this ice-cream shop?”

“In the dairy here,” said Julian, marching her in. “And I advise you to start off with vanilla, go on to strawberry and finish up with chocolate.”

“You do have good ideas!” said George. “I hope you’ve got some money as well, if we’re going to eat ice-creams at this rate. Mother didn’t give me very much to spend.”

They sat down and ordered ice-creams. The plump little shop-woman smiled at them. She knew them by now. “This is very good weather for you,” she said. “Are there many caravanners up on Faynights Field?”

“No, not many,” said Julian, beginning his ice.

“Well, you’re going to have a few more,” said the little plump lady. “I hear there’s some fair-folk coming — they usually camp up in your field. You’ll have some fun if so.”

“Oh, good!” said Dick. “We’ll really be able to make a few friends then. We like fair-folk, don’t we, Timmy?”

Chapter Three

A pleasant morning

“Is there going to be a fair near here then?” asked George, starting on her strawberry ice. “What sort of a fair? A circus or something?”

“No. Just a mixed-up show,” said the shop-woman. “There’s to be a fire-eater, and that’ll bring the villagers to the show faster than anything. A fire-eater! Did you ever hear of such a thing? I wonder that anyone cares to make a living at that!”

“What else is there to be?” asked Anne. She didn’t somehow fancy watching anyone eating fire!

“Well, there’s a man who can get himself free in under two minutes, no matter how tightly he’s tied up with rope,” said the woman. “Fair miracle he must be! And there’s a man called Mr. India-rubber, because he can bend himself anywhere, and wriggle through drain-pipes and get in at a window if it’s left open just a crack!”

“Gracious! He’d make a good burglar!” said George. “I wish I was like india-rubber! Can this man bounce when he falls down?”

Everyone laughed. “What else?” said Anne. “This sounds very exciting.”

“There’s a man with snakes,” said the plump little lady with a shudder. “Snakes! Just fancy! I’d be afraid they would bite me. I’d run a mile if I saw a snake coming at me.”

“Are they poisonous snakes that he has, I wonder?” said Dick. “I don’t somehow fancy having a caravan next to ours with lashings of poisonous snakes crawling round.”

“Don’t!” said Anne. “I should go home at once.”

Another customer came in and the shop-woman had to leave the children and go to serve her. The four felt rather thrilled. What a bit of luck to have such exciting people in the same field as they were!

“A fire-eater!” said Dick. “I’ve always wanted to see one. I bet he doesn’t really eat fire! He’d burn the whole of his mouth and throat.”