and bone fever, ent you, my boy?’ he said, as he struggled to hold him.
Willie fixed his eyes on to the gate and held his breath.
‘Right,’ said Tom. ‘On yer marks, get set, go!!’
Willie shot forth, half running, half stumbling. He clenched his fists even tighter. Bang! He fell with a hard thud on to his knees. Pushing himself up, he staggered on, feeling angry and desperate inside. In his heart he wanted to run properly but his stupid legs were letting him down. He heard Sam barking behind him.
‘Go it,’ shouted Tom. ‘Go on, William!’ and, before he realized what he was doing, he was running too.
Willie propped himself up against the gate gasping for breath while Sam sat nonchalantly by his feet, an easy winner.
‘Cheer up, boy,’ said Tom. ‘It ent the end of the world.’
But to Willie it was. He was a sissie after all. It was true what his classmates called him. He was a Willie Weakling. A huge lump of misery welled up into his throat and he stiffened his jaw so that he wouldn’t disgrace himself by crying.
‘What’s up then?’ asked Tom. ‘Miserable because Sam beat you, eh?’
Willie nodded and stared at the ground.
‘Can’t expect to be good first time. Takes practice. Sam’s had more’n you. Anyways, you beat me, didn’t you?’
Willie looked up and gave a brief smile.
‘Yeh, yeh, I did!’
‘You needn’t look so pleased about it,’ said Tom in a disgruntled manner. He swung the gate open. ‘Well, what do you think?’
Willie found himself standing in a large field. On one side were rows and rows of furrowed earth with tufts of green leaves sticking out of them and on the other, far side, stood a large cluster of trees dripping with apples and pears.
‘There’s taters, cabbage, beans, peas, sprouts, turnips, all sorts! We’ll have to pick them all pretty sharpish. You can help me when it’s time.’
He closed the gate and they set off back down the dirt track towards the cottage.
They were leaning over the shelter putting more earth round the walls when Zach arrived.
‘You walk through Dobbs’s field?’ asked Tom sharply.
‘Yes, and I shut both gates.’
Tom gave a grunt.
‘Can Will come out and play?’
‘He’s out already, ent he?’
‘Yes, I s’pose he is,’ said Zach thoughtfully. ‘It’s a figurative expression that I haven’t really given a lot of thought to.’
‘Where’d you git all yer queer words from?’
‘Are they queer?’
‘Well, they ent normal.’
‘So I’ve been told often and oft,’ and he gave a sigh. ‘I say, Will, what on earth have you done to your hair?’
Willie looked blankly back at him, and pushed his fingers through it. His scalp didn’t itch any more. It tingled.
‘Wot’s wrong wiv it?’
‘Nothing. It’s just a different colour, that’s all. I didn’t realize you were so fair.’
It was true. The lank look had disappeared and it did look lighter.
‘Go and play, William,’ said Tom.
‘Play?’
‘Yes, play.’
‘Excuse me, Mr Oakley,’ interposed Zach. ‘Before we go, may I have a dekko inside the shelter. I’d like to see what it looks like in daylight.’
‘Please yerself,’ answered Tom, but before he could warn Zach about the waterlogged floor he had already leapt down inside. There followed a loud squelching sound and his feet sunk as if in quicksand.
‘Don’t you never look before you leap?’
‘Occasionally. Didn’t this time though, did I?’
Tom turned at the sound of the back gate opening. A rather disgruntled-looking George walked towards them, his hands stuffed into his pockets.
‘Mr Oakley,’ he said. ‘Me and the twins is goin’ blackberryin’, like, and takin’ a picnic.’ He glanced quickly at Willie. ‘Would William like to come with us? Mum ses, she’s makin’ enuff fer us all.’
‘I say,’ said Zach, poking his head out into the sunlight. ‘Can I come? I’d bring some food too.’
George stared at him in horror. He sighed inwardly. These
Willie fixed his eyes on to the gate and held his breath.
‘Right,’ said Tom. ‘On yer marks, get set, go!!’
Willie shot forth, half running, half stumbling. He clenched his fists even tighter. Bang! He fell with a hard thud on to his knees. Pushing himself up, he staggered on, feeling angry and desperate inside. In his heart he wanted to run properly but his stupid legs were letting him down. He heard Sam barking behind him.
‘Go it,’ shouted Tom. ‘Go on, William!’ and, before he realized what he was doing, he was running too.
Willie propped himself up against the gate gasping for breath while Sam sat nonchalantly by his feet, an easy winner.
‘Cheer up, boy,’ said Tom. ‘It ent the end of the world.’
But to Willie it was. He was a sissie after all. It was true what his classmates called him. He was a Willie Weakling. A huge lump of misery welled up into his throat and he stiffened his jaw so that he wouldn’t disgrace himself by crying.
‘What’s up then?’ asked Tom. ‘Miserable because Sam beat you, eh?’
Willie nodded and stared at the ground.
‘Can’t expect to be good first time. Takes practice. Sam’s had more’n you. Anyways, you beat me, didn’t you?’
Willie looked up and gave a brief smile.
‘Yeh, yeh, I did!’
‘You needn’t look so pleased about it,’ said Tom in a disgruntled manner. He swung the gate open. ‘Well, what do you think?’
Willie found himself standing in a large field. On one side were rows and rows of furrowed earth with tufts of green leaves sticking out of them and on the other, far side, stood a large cluster of trees dripping with apples and pears.
‘There’s taters, cabbage, beans, peas, sprouts, turnips, all sorts! We’ll have to pick them all pretty sharpish. You can help me when it’s time.’
He closed the gate and they set off back down the dirt track towards the cottage.
They were leaning over the shelter putting more earth round the walls when Zach arrived.
‘You walk through Dobbs’s field?’ asked Tom sharply.
‘Yes, and I shut both gates.’
Tom gave a grunt.
‘Can Will come out and play?’
‘He’s out already, ent he?’
‘Yes, I s’pose he is,’ said Zach thoughtfully. ‘It’s a figurative expression that I haven’t really given a lot of thought to.’
‘Where’d you git all yer queer words from?’
‘Are they queer?’
‘Well, they ent normal.’
‘So I’ve been told often and oft,’ and he gave a sigh. ‘I say, Will, what on earth have you done to your hair?’
Willie looked blankly back at him, and pushed his fingers through it. His scalp didn’t itch any more. It tingled.
‘Wot’s wrong wiv it?’
‘Nothing. It’s just a different colour, that’s all. I didn’t realize you were so fair.’
It was true. The lank look had disappeared and it did look lighter.
‘Go and play, William,’ said Tom.
‘Play?’
‘Yes, play.’
‘Excuse me, Mr Oakley,’ interposed Zach. ‘Before we go, may I have a dekko inside the shelter. I’d like to see what it looks like in daylight.’
‘Please yerself,’ answered Tom, but before he could warn Zach about the waterlogged floor he had already leapt down inside. There followed a loud squelching sound and his feet sunk as if in quicksand.
‘Don’t you never look before you leap?’
‘Occasionally. Didn’t this time though, did I?’
Tom turned at the sound of the back gate opening. A rather disgruntled-looking George walked towards them, his hands stuffed into his pockets.
‘Mr Oakley,’ he said. ‘Me and the twins is goin’ blackberryin’, like, and takin’ a picnic.’ He glanced quickly at Willie. ‘Would William like to come with us? Mum ses, she’s makin’ enuff fer us all.’
‘I say,’ said Zach, poking his head out into the sunlight. ‘Can I come? I’d bring some food too.’
George stared at him in horror. He sighed inwardly. These
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