and in they went.
«Good – you're both wearing your badges», said Peter, pleased. «Now where are Colin and Jack? They're late.»
Jack was waiting for Colin at the gate. He had forgotten the password! Oh dear, whatever could it be? He thought of all sorts of things – Nowell – Wise Men – what could it be? He felt sure it was something to do with Christmas carols.
He didn't like to go to the meeting-place without knowing the password. Peter could be very strict. Jack didn't like being ticked off in front of people, and he racked his brains to try to think of the word. He saw Colin away in the distance and decided to wait for him. Colin would be sure to know the word!
«Hallo!» said Colin, as he came up. «Seen the others yet?»
«I saw Pam and Barbara going in», said Jack. «Do you know the password, Colin?»
«Of course I do», said Colin.
«I bet you don't!» said Jack.
«Well, I do – it's Wenceslas!» said Colin. «Aha – sucks to you, Jack – you thought I didn't know it!»
«Thanks for telling me», grinned Jack. «I'd forgotten it. Don't tell Peter. Come on down the path. I say – look at the S.S. for Secret Seven on the door.»
They knocked. «WENCESLAS», said Colin in a very loud voice.
The door opened quickly and Peter's indignant face looked out. «Whatever are you shouting for? Do you want everyone in the village to know our password, you donkey?»
«Sorry», said Colin, going in. «Anyway, there's nobody but us to hear.»
«Wenceslas», said Jack, seeing that Peter was not going to let him in without the password. The door shut and the seven settled down. Peter and Janet took the flowerpots for themselves. Everyone else sat on the boxes.
«This is a jolly nice meeting-place», said George. «Warm and cosy, and right away from the house.»
«Yes. I must say you and Janet have got it very comfortable», said Barbara. «Even a little curtain at the window.»
Peter looked round at the little company. «We'll have our meeting first, and then we'll have the eats and drinks», he said.
Everyone's eyes went to the neat little shelf behind Colin. On it were arranged seven mugs, a plate of oatmeal biscuits, and a bottle of some dark-looking liquid. Whatever could it be?
«First of all», went on Peter, «we must arrange a new password, because Wenceslas doesn't seem right for after Christmas – besides, Colin yelled it out at the top of his voice, so everyone probably knows it now.»
«Don't be so – » began Colin, but Peter frowned at him sternly.
«Don't interrupt. I'm the head of this society, and I say we will choose a new password. Also I see that two of you are not wearing your badges. George and Colin.»
«I told you I forgot about mine», said George. «I'll find it when I get home.»
«And I think I must have lost mine», said Colin. «I didn't forget it. I hunted all over the place. My mother says she'll make me another tonight.»
«Right», said Peter. «Now what about a new password?»
«Hey – diddle-diddle», said Pam, with a giggle.
«Be sensible», said Peter. «This society is a serious one, not a silly one.»
«I thought of one last night», said Jack. «Would “Weekdays” do?»
«What's the sense of that?» asked Peter.
«Well – there are seven days in a week, aren't there – and we're the Seven Society», said Jack. «I thought it was rather good.»
«Oh, I see. Yes – it is rather good», said Peter. «Though actually, there are only six weekdays! Hands up those who think it's good.»
Everybody's hand went up. Yes, “Weekdays” was a good idea for a password for the Seven! Jack looked pleased.
«Actually I forgot our password today», he confessed. «I got it out of Colin. So I'm glad I've thought of a new one for us.»
«Well, nobody must forget this one», said Peter. «It might be very important. Now what about some grub?»
«Delumptious», said Barbara, and everyone laughed.
«Do you mean “delicious” or “scrumptious”?» asked
«Good – you're both wearing your badges», said Peter, pleased. «Now where are Colin and Jack? They're late.»
Jack was waiting for Colin at the gate. He had forgotten the password! Oh dear, whatever could it be? He thought of all sorts of things – Nowell – Wise Men – what could it be? He felt sure it was something to do with Christmas carols.
He didn't like to go to the meeting-place without knowing the password. Peter could be very strict. Jack didn't like being ticked off in front of people, and he racked his brains to try to think of the word. He saw Colin away in the distance and decided to wait for him. Colin would be sure to know the word!
«Hallo!» said Colin, as he came up. «Seen the others yet?»
«I saw Pam and Barbara going in», said Jack. «Do you know the password, Colin?»
«Of course I do», said Colin.
«I bet you don't!» said Jack.
«Well, I do – it's Wenceslas!» said Colin. «Aha – sucks to you, Jack – you thought I didn't know it!»
«Thanks for telling me», grinned Jack. «I'd forgotten it. Don't tell Peter. Come on down the path. I say – look at the S.S. for Secret Seven on the door.»
They knocked. «WENCESLAS», said Colin in a very loud voice.
The door opened quickly and Peter's indignant face looked out. «Whatever are you shouting for? Do you want everyone in the village to know our password, you donkey?»
«Sorry», said Colin, going in. «Anyway, there's nobody but us to hear.»
«Wenceslas», said Jack, seeing that Peter was not going to let him in without the password. The door shut and the seven settled down. Peter and Janet took the flowerpots for themselves. Everyone else sat on the boxes.
«This is a jolly nice meeting-place», said George. «Warm and cosy, and right away from the house.»
«Yes. I must say you and Janet have got it very comfortable», said Barbara. «Even a little curtain at the window.»
Peter looked round at the little company. «We'll have our meeting first, and then we'll have the eats and drinks», he said.
Everyone's eyes went to the neat little shelf behind Colin. On it were arranged seven mugs, a plate of oatmeal biscuits, and a bottle of some dark-looking liquid. Whatever could it be?
«First of all», went on Peter, «we must arrange a new password, because Wenceslas doesn't seem right for after Christmas – besides, Colin yelled it out at the top of his voice, so everyone probably knows it now.»
«Don't be so – » began Colin, but Peter frowned at him sternly.
«Don't interrupt. I'm the head of this society, and I say we will choose a new password. Also I see that two of you are not wearing your badges. George and Colin.»
«I told you I forgot about mine», said George. «I'll find it when I get home.»
«And I think I must have lost mine», said Colin. «I didn't forget it. I hunted all over the place. My mother says she'll make me another tonight.»
«Right», said Peter. «Now what about a new password?»
«Hey – diddle-diddle», said Pam, with a giggle.
«Be sensible», said Peter. «This society is a serious one, not a silly one.»
«I thought of one last night», said Jack. «Would “Weekdays” do?»
«What's the sense of that?» asked Peter.
«Well – there are seven days in a week, aren't there – and we're the Seven Society», said Jack. «I thought it was rather good.»
«Oh, I see. Yes – it is rather good», said Peter. «Though actually, there are only six weekdays! Hands up those who think it's good.»
Everybody's hand went up. Yes, “Weekdays” was a good idea for a password for the Seven! Jack looked pleased.
«Actually I forgot our password today», he confessed. «I got it out of Colin. So I'm glad I've thought of a new one for us.»
«Well, nobody must forget this one», said Peter. «It might be very important. Now what about some grub?»
«Delumptious», said Barbara, and everyone laughed.
«Do you mean “delicious” or “scrumptious”?» asked
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