Cast of Characters

Narrator
JULIAN: the eldest
DICK: Julian’s brother
ANNE: their younger sister
GEORGINA(GEORGE): their cousin, the same age as Anne

Narrator: The siblings, Julian, Dick, and Anne, come to visit the Kirrin Cottage, where their
aunt, uncle, and their child, Georgina live. The following evening, Anne wakes in the middle
of the night.

Anne: I'm at Kirrin Bay— and it's the holidays. (after a short pause) Are you Georgina?

George: (frowning) No, I'm not Georgina.

Anne: Oh! (surprisingly)Then who are you?

George: I'm George and I shall only answer if you call me George. I hate being a girl. I like
doing the things that boys do, like climbing and swimming.

Anne: Oh! All right! I don't care what I call you. George is a nice name, I think. Anyway, you
look like a boy.

George: Yeah. Don't you simply hate being a girl?

Anne: No, of course not. You see— I do like pretty frocks— and I love my dolls— and you
can't do that if you're a boy.

George: Pooh! Well, then you are a baby, that's all I can say.

Anne: You're not very polite. My brothers won’t like you if act like that. They're real boys, not
pretend boys, like you.

Narrator: Just then Julian and Dick enter.

Boys (Julian & Dick): Aren't you ready? Is Georgina there? Come out and see us.

Anne: She won't answer if you call her Georgina. She says she didn't want us to come
because we'll interfere with her. She laughed at me and was rather rude.

Julian: (putting his arm around Anne) Cheer up! You've got us to stick up for you. Come on
down to breakfast.

Narrator: After having breakfast, George's parents urge her to take the others to go down to
the beach. They follow an easy path that leads down to the bay.

Anne: You go fishing if you want to. If you don't want to be with us, you needn't.

Julian: But we'd like you to be with us.

Narrator: At the entrance to it lay a curious rocky island with what looked like an old ruined
castle on top of it.
Anne: Isn't that a funny place? I wonder what it's called.

George: It's called Kirrin Island. It's a lovely place to go to. If I like you, I may take you there
someday.

Julian: Who does the funny island belong to?

George: It belongs to me. At least, it will belong to me— someday!

Dick: What do you mean? Kirrin Island can't belong to you. You're just boasting.

George: No, I'm not. I think it's being a coward if you don't tell the truth— and I'm not a
coward.

Julian: Well, of course, we'll believe you if you tell us the truth. But it does sound a bit
extraordinary, you know. It does. Children don't usually own islands, even funny little ones
like that.

George: It isn't a funny little island. It's lovely. There are rabbits, big cormorants sit on the
other side, and all kinds of gulls go there. The castle is wonderful too.

Dick: It sounds fine. How does it belong to you, Georgina? (George glares at him) Sorry, I
didn't mean to call you that, George.

Julian: Go on, George— tell us how the island belongs to you.

Narrator: They all sat down in a sandy corner of the beach. George looked across at the little
island in the bay.

George: Years ago, we owned nearly all the land around here. But, we had to sell most of it.
Though, we could never sell that little island, as the castle has been ruined for years, and
wasn’t worth anything.

Dick: Fancy nobody wanting to buy a dear little island like that! I'd buy it at once if I had the
money.

George: All that's left is our own house, Kirrin Cottage, and a farm a little way off— and
Kirrin Island. Mother says when I'm grown up it will be mine.

Dick: Oh Georgina— I mean George! I do think you're lucky. It looks like such a nice island. I
hope you'll be friends with us and take us there one day soon. You simply can't imagine how
we'd love it.

George: Well— I'll see. I never have taken anyone there yet.

Dick: Hey, is it possible for us to go there?

George: No, it's only possible to get to it by boat. It's farther out than it looks—and the
water is very, very deep. There are rocks all about too. It's a dangerous bit of coast here.
There are a lot of wrecks.

Julian: Wrecks! I've never seen an old wreck. Are there any to see?
George: There’s one to the other side of the island. It's deep down in the water. My great-
great-great-grandfather was bringing gold— big bars of gold— back in his ship—and it got
wrecked off Kirrin Island.

Anne: Oooh— what happened to the gold?

George: Nobody knows. Must have got stolen from the ship.

Julian: Golly— this does sound exciting. Wish I could see the wreck.

George: We might perhaps go this afternoon when the tide is right down.

Anne: Oh, how wonderful! I do so want to see a real live wreck! (Others laugh)

Dick: Well, it won't be very alive. So George— let’s

George: I must go and get Timothy first.

Dick: Who's Timothy?

George: Can you keep a secret? Nobody must know at home.

Julian: Well, go on, what's the secret? You can tell us. We're not sneaks.

Narrator: Timothy was George's very greatest friend; she couldn't do without him. But
Mother and Father didn't like him, so she had to keep him in secret.

George: I'll go and fetch him.

Narrator: She ran off up the cliff path. The others watched her go. They thought she was the
queerest girl they had ever known. They sat up and looked to see what Timothy was like.
They saw no fisher-boy— but instead a big brown mongrel dog with an absurdly long tail
and a big wide mouth that seemed to grin!

George: This is Timothy. Don't you think he is simply perfect?

Anne: Oh, you darling!

Dick: Isn’t he grand!

Julian: I wish I had a dog like this. Oh, George— he's fine. Aren't you proud of him?

George: I love him. I found him when he was just a pup. At first, Mother liked him too, but
when he grew bigger, he got naughty.

Anne: What did he do?

George: Well, he's a chewy kind of dog. He chewed up everything he could— a new rug
Mother had bought— her nicest hat— Father's slippers— some of his papers, and he barked
too. Father said I couldn't keep Timothy anymore, and Mother backed Father up and said
Tim must go. I cried for days— which I never do, because boys don't and I like to be one.

Anne: Boys do cry sometimes (looking at Dick)

(Dick gave her a sharp nudge)

George: I went to Alf, a fisher-boy I know, and I asked him if he'd keep Tim for me, if I paid
him all the pocket-money I get. That's why I never have any money to spend.

Anne: How do you manage when you want any sweets or ice-creams?

(George shakes her head)

Julian: Well— I suppose the other children who play on the beach share their sweets and
ices with you sometimes, don't they?

George: I don't let them. If I can never give them any myself it's not fair to take them.

Narrator: The tinkle of an ice-cream man's bell was heard in the distance. Julian jumps up
and rushes off. In a few moments, he is back again, carrying 4 fat chocolate ice-cream bars.
He passes it to the others.

George: No thanks.

Julian: You can take it from us. We're your cousins. (George shakes her head) Listen, you've
got a lot of things we'd like to share if only you'd let us. You share those with us, and let us
share things like ice with you. See?

George: What things have I got that you want to share?

Julian: You've got a dog, and a lovely island. We'd be simply thrilled if you'd share it
sometimes. And you've got a wreck. Ices and sweets aren't so good as those things— but it
would be nice to make a bargain and share. It would be nice for Tim to have three new
friends.

George: Yes— it would. Thank you, Julian. I will share it with you. But promise you'll never tell
anyone at home that I'm still keeping Timothy?

Julian: Of course, we'll promise.

George: You're nice. I'm glad you've come after all. Let's take a boat out this afternoon and
row around the island to have a look at the wreck, shall we?