Who is it?
Biff and Chip.
Mum and Kipper.
Floppy and a spaceman.
No, it's Dad.
Mum and Dad.
Mum, Kipper and Dad.
Mum, Kipper, Dad and Chip.
Biff, Mum, Kipper, Dad, Chip, and Floppy.
The frying pan, the flour, the eggs, the milk, the butter, the pancake, the pancake race.
Dad and Mum.
Mum and Dad. Kipper, Chip and Biff.
Kipper, Biff and Dad.
Mum, Chip and Floppy.
Chip, Biff and Kipper.
Dad and Floppy.
Oh Floppy!
A rug, a sheet, a big box, a little box,
Kipper.
Oh, Floppy!
No, Floppy!
Oh, Floppy!
No, Floppy!
Floppy Floppy.
Is it Kipper?
It is Kipper.
Is it Biff?
It is Biff.
Is it Chip?
It is Chip.
Is it Floppy?
Yes.
It is Floppy! 
Get on.
Get on, Biff.
Biff got on.
Get on, Chip.
Chip got on.
Get on, Kipper.
Kipper got on.
Oh, no!
Chip did this.
It is Biff.
Biff did this.
It is Kipper.
Kipper did this.
It is Mum.
Oh, no!
Floppy did this.
Go on, Dad!
Get Biff.
Go on, Dad!
Get Chip.
Go on, Dad!
Get Kipper.
Go on, Mum!
Get Dad.
Up you go, Kipper.
Go!
Up you go, Biff.
Go, go!
Chip, up you go.
Go, go, go!
No, Dad.
No, no, no!
I see Biff.
I see Chip.
I see Mum and Dad.
We see Kipper.
We see Floppy.
I see Biff and Chip.
I see me.
Everyone went to the park.
Chip went on the slide.
Biff went on the horse.
Kipper went on the swing. Mum went on the see-saw.
Floppy went to sleep.
Mum was a scarecrow.
Biff was a pirate. Chip was a pirate.
Kipper was an angel.
Dad was a chicken.
Everyone was happy.
Mum put on a big red nose.
Mum put on a big pillow.
Mum put on big boots.
Mum put on big eyebrows. She put on a big beard.
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" said Mum.
Dad had a trumpet.
Chip had a drum.
Biff had a recorder.
Kipper had a guitar.
Mum had a headache. 
Everyone wanted a pet.
Chip wanted a rat.
"Oh no!" said everyone.
Biff wanted a spider. "Oh no!" said everyone.
Kipper wanted a snake. "Oh no!" said everyone.
Everyone wanted a goldfish.
The car was stuck.
Mum pushed it.
Biff and Chip pushed it. Mum pulled it.
The tractor pulled it.
Oh no!
Dad was fierce.
Chip was sad.
Biff was good.
Mum was frightened.
Kipper was hungry.
It was a cold day.
Everyone got wet.
Everyone got cold.
Floppy got tired. Kipper got miserable.
Mum got cross.
Dad got a goal. 
"I'm bored," said Kipper.
"I'm hungry," said Biff.
"I'm thirsty," said Chip.
"I'm cross," said Dad.
"I'm lost," said Mum.
"Hooray!" said everyone. 
Chip wanted some sugar.
He went to the supermarket.
He got some crisps.
He went to the shop.
He got a comic.
He went to the market.
He got a ball.
He forgot the sugar.
Mum was cross.
"Who did that?" she said.
"It was Chip," said Biff.
"It was Kipper," said Chip.
"It was Floppy," said Kipper.
"It was Floppy," said Biff.
"It wasn't Floppy," said Dad.
"It was me. "
Mum made a dress.
Dad made some jam.
Chip made a scarf. Biff made a lorry.
Kipper made a birthday card.
Everyone made a mess.
Can I get an ice cream?Yes, I can!
Come on, run to the ice cream van.
I want the big one. Look at that!
Look out, Kipper!
Oh no!
Splat!
Can you see my teddy bear?
Can you see my dog?
Can you see my picture of a big, red frog?
You can see my tiger, if you look in the tree. Are you looking?
Can you see me?
I'm a good dog. Look at me.
I'm very good, as you can see.
You say, "Sit," I sit.
That's it. If you call, I get the ball.
You say, "Stay," I stay.
That's that.
But not if I can see a cat.
Biff has a pan and a big, red pot.
Chip has a tin. What has Kipper got?
Kipper has a can. Dad has a bin.
Bang, crash, bang!
What a din!
What a din!
See me skip.
This is the way. I like to do this every day.
"Come on, Dad.
Can you skip too?"
"Yes, I can.
I skip like you. "
"Look at me.
Look at me go!"
"Look out, Dad!"
Oh no! Oh no!
This is mud in my hand.
Put in water. Mix in sand.
Tip it out. Pat it flat.
This is a mud pie...
... not a hat.
Can you see us?
Can you see me?Yes, I can see you.
Can you see me?Yes, we can see you.
Can you see me?Yes, we can see you.
We can all see Dad.
We are all in red.
We are all in blue.
Come on the reds!
Come on the blues!
Who is in red?Who is in blue?
We are all muddy. 
Come and look at this.
Come and look at this. Is it a big monster?
Come and look at this. Is it a big dinosaur?
Come and look at this. Is it a big giant?
No.
It is Dad.
Look at me, Mum.
Look at me, Mum. Look at me on my bike.
Look at me, Mum. Look at me on my bike.
Look at me, Mum. Oh, no!
Look at me!
Go away, Floppy.
Go away, Floppy. We are skipping.
Go away, Floppy. We are painting.
Come back, Floppy. Floppy, come back.
We are sorry.
It was a wet day.
It was a windy day. I went to the shops.
It was a sunny day. I went to the pool.
It was a hot day. I went to the park.
It was a fun day.
Dogs like to play.
They like to walk. Floppy likes to walk.
They like to sleep. Floppy likes to sleep.
They like to run. Floppy likes to run.
Floppy hates this. 
Go away, little cat.
Go away, little cat. A dog is coming.
Go away, little cat. A big dog is coming.
Go away, little cat. Floppy is coming.
Oh, no!
"Go on, Mum," said Chip.
"Go on, Mum," said Biff.
"I am going," said Mum.
"Go on, Mum," said Kipper.
"I am going," she said.
"Go on, go on," said Dad.
"I am going," said Mum.
"I am not going again. "
This is Kate.
She went up the net. "I like this," she said.
She went on the slide. "I like this," she said.
She went up the ladder. "I like this," she said.
"We like this," said Biff.
This is for Dad.
This is for you, Dad. It is a bunch of flowers.
This is for you, Dad. It is a box of chocolates.
This is for you, Dad. It is a bunch of grapes.
This is for the best Dad of all.
Look at all the dogs.
We like this dog. This is a little dog.
We like this dog. This is a big dog.
We all like this dog. This is the top dog.
We like Floppy best of all.
Floppy had a bone.
A dog took the bone. Floppy ran after the dog.
"Come back!" said Mum.
She ran after Floppy.
"Come back," said Dad.
He ran after Mum.
"Come back!" said Biff and Chip.
They ran after Dad.
The dog stopped. A big dog took the bone.
The big dog ate the bone. Oh no!
"Hook a duck," said Mum.
Chip had a go.
He got a pen.
"Have a go," said Mum.
Biff had a go.
Biff got a cat. "Go on.
Hook a duck," said Mum.
Kipper had a go.
He got a dog.
It was a big dog. "What a big dog!" said Kipper.
"Grrr!" said Floppy.
Chip had a box.
"This is my robot," he said.
"Can you see it?"
"This is a leg," said Chip.
"Can you see the robot?"
"This is an arm," said Chip.
"Can you see my robot?"
"Can you see it, yet?" said Chip.
"No," said Biff.
"This is the head," said Chip.
"Now can you see my robot?"
"We can see it now!" said Biff.
Chip had a box.
He put sand in it. "Pat it flat," he said.
Kipper had a box.
He put sand in it.
Biff had a bucket.
She put sand in it.
Biff put the bucket on top.
"Good," she said.
It was a sandcastle.
It was a good sandcastle.
It was the best sandcastle.
Dad had a map.
He hid the map in the sand.
Biff found the map. "It is a treasure map," she said.
The map said," Dig here. "
"Dig here," said Biff.
Chip dug in the sand.
Chip found a box. "Is it a box of treasure?" he said.
No.
It was a box of sweets!
"One wheel," said Chip.
"Look," said Chip.
"One wheel. "
"Look," said Mum.
"I am on two wheels. "
"Look at me," said Kipper.
"I am on three wheels. "
"Look at me," said Biff.
"I am on four wheels. "
"Look at Dad," said Mum.
"He is on one wheel. "
"Oh no," said Dad.
"No wheels. "
Kipper was fishing.
He got a hat.
Biff was fishing. She got a crab.
Chip was fishing. He got an octopus!
Mum was fishing. She got a bucket.
Dad was fishing.
He got a boot.
SPLASH!
Floppy got a fish! 
Wilma made a snowman.
It had a red nose.
It had a blue scarf.
It had green gloves.
It had a black hat.
The hat fell on Floppy.
Floppy ran. Oh no!
No snowman!
Kipper ran.
Kipper got a banana.
Mum ran.
She got an apple.
Biff and Chip ran.
They got an orange.
Dad ran. Floppy ran.
Oh no! Dad fell.
Dad got a duck!
"Picnic time!" said Dad.
Biff sat on a log.
Some sheep came.
"Run!" said Kipper.
They sat on a bridge.
Some ducks came.
"Run!" said Chip.
They sat on a wall.
Some donkeys came.
"Run!" said Biff.
They sat on a rock.
Oh no! The rain came!
It was Dad's birthday.
Dad had a cake.
He had a bike.
He got on the bike.
"Go on, Dad," said Biff.
"Go on, Dad," said Chip.
"Go on, Dad," said Kipper.
Dad fell off!
Oh no!
Mum had a new hat.
The wind blew.
It blew Mum's hat off.
"Get my hat," said Mum.
Dad ran.
The wind blew. Oh no!
"Get that hat," said Dad.
Kipper ran.
The wind blew. Oh no!
"Get that hat," said Kipper.
Biff ran.
The wind blew. Oh no!
"Look at my new hat!" said Mum.
Floppy went on the concrete.
Floppy went in the mud.
Floppy pulled the washing down.
Floppy pushed the Lego over.
"What a bad dog!" said Mum.
Floppy barked and barked. Dad couldn't sleep.
Dad was cross. "What a bad dog!" said Dad.
The tray was on fire.
What a good dog!
Biff couldn't sleep.
Dad told her a story.
The story was about a dragon.
Biff dreamed about the dragon.
It was a nasty dragon.
It was a very nasty dragon.
Biff had to fight it.
Biff went downstairs.
Mum told her a story.
The story was about a dolphin.
Biff dreamed about a dolphin.
Dad made a go-kart.
Biff wanted the go-kart. Chip wanted the go-kart.
Biff wanted a go. Chip wanted a go.
Biff pushed. Chip pulled.
They had a fight.
"Stop it," said Dad.
"Stop it," said Mum.
Dad put the go-kart away.
They made a swing.
Oh no!
Kipper wanted a dog.
Everyone wanted a dog.
They went to the dogs' home.
They looked at the dogs.
Kipper wanted this dog. It was too big.
Biff wanted this dog. It was too little.
Mum wanted this dog. It was too strong.
Everyone liked this dog.
They took the dog home.
Kipper wanted a party.
Nobody wanted to come.
He got his toys.
He wanted a cake.
He put in cornflakes.
He put in tomato sauce.
He put in milk.
He put in jam.
He put in sugar.
He put in baked beans.
Mum was cross.
Kipper was sorry.
Chip wanted new trainers.
He liked this pair.
Chip wore the new trainers.
Chip went to play.
The trainers got muddy.
The trainers got wet.
Dad was cross.
Chip washed the trainers.
Oh no!
Wilma had a creepy-crawly.
She put it in the bath.
Wilma called Dad. "Get it out," said Wilf.
"Ugh!
I couldn't," said Dad.
Wilf called Mum.
"Get it out," said Wilf.
"Ugh!
I couldn't," said Mum.
Wilma called Chip. "Get it out," said Wilf.
"Ugh!
I couldn't," said Chip.
Wilf called Biff.
"Get it out," said Wilma.
"Ugh!
I couldn't," said Biff.
Everyone called Kipper. "Get it out," said Wilf.
"Easy!" said Kipper.
The children went to the zoo.
They looked at the giraffes. The giraffes were tall.
They looked at the seals. The seals were hungry.
They looked at the crocodiles. The crocodiles were asleep.
They looked at the parrots. The parrots were noisy.
They looked at the elephants. The elephants were big.
They looked at the monkeys. The monkeys were funny.
They looked for Kipper.
Kipper looked like a monkey.
Two children came.
They climbed on the furniture. They jumped on the sofa.
They climbed up the curtains. They jumped on the bed.
They climbed up the tree. They jumped on the flowers.
"Oh no!" said Mum.
Biff had an idea.
They climbed up the ladder. They jumped off the log.
They climbed on the net. They jumped off the wall.
Everyone was happy. "What good children!" said Mum.
The children went home.
The children went to a show.
Mum and Dad took them.
A conjuror was in the show.
She was called Sheena.
She took Dad's tie.
She put it in a bag.
She took Mum's ear-ring.
She put it in the bag.
She took Dad's watch.
She put it in the bag.
She took Dad on to the stage.
She put the bag on Dad's head.
Sheena took a big box.
She put Wilma inside.
Sheena took her wand. "Hey presto!" she said.
"Hey presto!" said Wilma.
The children were in the pool.
Wilma climbed on the duck.
"Get on," said Wilma.
Wilf climbed on.
"Get on," said Wilf.
Chip climbed on.
"Get on," said Chip.
Biff climbed on.
"Get on," said Biff.
Kipper couldn't get on.
"Get on," said everyone.
Kipper couldn't get on.
"Get on," said everyone.
Kipper climbed on.
Oh no!
The children were noisy.
The children were silly.
The children were messy. The children were untidy.
"Oh dear!" said Mrs May.
"It's the weather. "
The children were cross. The children were grumpy.
The children were unhappy.
"Oh dear!" said Mrs May.
"It's the weather. "
The sun was shining. The children were good.
"What a day!" said Mrs May.
The children put on a play.
"I am the king," said Chip.
"Fight the dragon. "
"I am the knight," said Wilma.
"I will fight the dragon. "
"I am the dragon," said Kipper.
"But I am a little dragon. "
"I am the princess," said Biff.
"I like dragons. "
The princess played with the dragon.
They played under the tree.
"I am the knight," said Wilma.
"I am frightened," said the dragon.
"I am cross," said the princess.
She pushed the knight in the pond.
"What a good play," said everyone.
Mrs May had a puppy.
It was called Sniff.
Sniff ran off.
Mrs May was upset. Sniff was lost.
Biff and Chip looked.
They couldn't find Sniff.
Wilf and Wilma looked.
They couldn't find Sniff.
Mum and Dad looked.
They couldn't find Sniff.
Everyone looked. Nobody could find Sniff.
Floppy looked for his bone. Sniff was by the tree.
"What a clever dog!" said everyone.
The children went to the park.
It was "Give a tree" week.
Everyone wanted to give trees.
Dad gave a tree.
He put it by the shed.
Chip gave a tree.
He put it by the stream.
Biff gave a tree.
She put it by the pond.
Wilf gave a tree.
He put it by the bridge.
Wilma gave a tree.
She put it by the swing.
Floppy gave a bone.
He put it in a hole.
"A funny tree," said Chip.
"A funny bone," said Dad.
Dad played his trumpet.
He played in the house.
Floppy barked at Dad.
Dad played in the garage.
Floppy barked at Dad.
Dad played in the shed.
Floppy barked at Dad.
Dad played in a band.
The band played in the park. Floppy went to the park.
The band played. Floppy barked.
Floppy barked and barked. The band couldn't play.
"What a bad dog!" said Dad.
Mum and Dad went shopping.
Dad wanted a book.
He went up.
Mum wanted a paintbrush.
She went down.
Mum went up. Dad went down.
Mum couldn't see Dad.
She went up.
Mum went down.
Dad went up.
Dad went down.
Mum went up.
Mum came down. "Stop!" she said.
"Up and down!" said Dad.
Floppy barked.
Floppy barked and barked. "What is it?" said Biff.
Biff looked. "What is it?" she said.
Wilf looked. "What is it?" he said.
"What is it?" said Wilma.
"Is it a frog?"
"What is it?" said Chip.
"Is it a lizard?"
Mum looked at it. "What is it?" said the children.
"It's a salamander," said Mum.
"It's lost," she said.
The salamander was safe.
The children fed the hens.
They looked for eggs. They put the eggs in a box.
Dad had an idea.
Kipper went on looking.
"Look at this egg," said Kipper.
"This is too big. "
Kipper looked at the hen.
"This is too big for you," he said.
"Come and see this," said Dad.
"This is too big for you," said Mum.
"This is too big for me," said Dad.
Dad had a little box.
It was a present for Mum.
Dad had an idea. He wanted to make Mum laugh.
Mum and Dad had a party.
Mum gave Dad a present. Dad gave Mum a big box.
Mum had a smaller box. "What is it?" she asked.
The present got smaller... and smaller... and smaller. "This is for you," said Dad.
"And this is for you," said Mum.
"Oh Dad!" said Mum.
"Oh Mum!" said Dad.
Biff's spade was no good.
Dad got a big spade. "Let me dig a hole," he said.
Dad dug a hole. The children helped.
The hole got bigger... and bigger,... and deeper... and deeper.
All the children came.
They played in the hole.
The water came in. "I can't stop it," said Dad.
The tide came in. Dad's spade was in the hole.
Next day, the hole had gone. Dad's spade was under the sand.
"Let's dig," said Dad.
"Come and help," said Mum.
Biff was looking at the TV. "In a bit," she said.
Dad had a job for Chip. "Come and help," he said.
Chip was looking at the TV. "In a bit," he said.
Kipper's room was in a mess. "Come and help," said Mum.
Kipper was looking at the TV. "In a bit," he said.
"What can we do?" said Dad.
Mum had an idea.
Biff, Chip and Kipper wanted dinner.
"In a bit," said Mum and Dad.
Floppy was not well.
He lay on his bed. "He looks bad," said Kipper.
Biff wanted Floppy to get well. Kipper was sad.
Mum took Floppy to the vet. Chip went, too.
Chip looked at the pets. "I can see six cats," he said.
Floppy just looked at the cats. He was not well.
The vet looked at Floppy. "Give him some pills," she said.
Mum took Floppy home. Floppy had some pills.
Floppy was soon better.
"Look at this," said Biff.
She had a crab in her hand. "Put it back," said Chip.
Biff put the crab back. "Let's look on the sand," said Dad.
"Come and see this," said Chip.
He had a net.
"Come and see this," said Mum.
She had a bit of wood.
"Look at this shell," said Kipper.
"This is the best of all. "
The shell had legs. "Oh no!" said Kipper.
"What is it?"
"It's a hermit crab," said Dad.
"It's a crab that lives in a shell. "
"Put it back," said Kipper.
The baby-sitter came.
"Go back to bed," said Dad.
The children came downstairs. "We couldn't sleep," they said.
Kipper got his books.
He wanted a story.
Biff was hungry. They made a sandwich.
Chip wanted a pillow fight. Everyone joined in.
The children went back to bed. "What a mess!" said the baby-sitter.
Mum and Dad came back. "Was everyone good?" said Mum.
"Yes and no," said the baby-sitter.
Floppy saw a rabbit.
Floppy chased it.
It went under a fence.
Floppy got wet.
Floppy got muddy.
They took Floppy home. "What a soggy doggy!" said Kipper.
They put Floppy in the bath.
Mum and Dad washed him.
Biff and Chip dried Floppy.
Floppy looked clean. "What a good dog!" said Kipper.
Oh no!
Mum and Dad went shopping.
Kipper bought a balloon.
They went to the supermarket. The balloon went bang.
Kipper bought a new balloon. Dad went to the toilet.
Dad saw a balloon. "Kipper's balloon!" he said.
Dad ran after it.
The balloon flew away. Dad chased it.
The balloon was on a statue. Dad got it down.
"Oh no!" said Dad.
It was Kipper's birthday.
Kipper wanted a party. Everyone wanted to come.
Biff put up balloons. Mum made a cake.
Dad took a sandwich. "Stop it," said Mum.
Everyone came to the party.
Dad wanted to play a game. But Kipper put the television on.
"Oh no!" said Mum, "What a mess!"
The children played with the bubbles.
"What a good party!" everyone said.
Kipper had spots.
Biff and Chip had spots too.
The doctor came. "Stay in bed," she said.
Mum had spots. "Stay in bed, too," said the doctor.
Dad looked after everyone.
He put the washing out.
He went shopping. "What a job!" said Dad.
Everyone got better. "Oh, no!" said Mum.
Dad had spots. 
Everyone was hot.
The children wanted to go swimming. Dad said "No!"
Biff got the paddling pool. Kipper filled it with water.
Chip pushed Biff in the water.
He grabbed the hose.
They had a water fight.
Mum got wet. "Stop it!" said Dad.
Dad got a bucket of water. He chased Chip.
Dad threw the water at Chip. Oh no!
"Sorry!" said Dad.
Biff made an aeroplane.
Mum helped her. The aeroplane looked good.
Biff wanted to fly it. She went to the park.
The aeroplane flew up.
It went over the trees.
It went over the houses.
Biff looked for the aeroplane. Everyone helped.
Biff looked and looked.
She couldn't find it.
She wanted to cry. She went upstairs.
The aeroplane was on the bed.
Floppy wanted a new basket.
Mum and Biff went to the market.
They got a new basket.
Mum and Biff went to the toilet. "Stay Floppy," said Biff.
Floppy saw a cat.
He chased it.
The cat jumped over the oranges.
Crash went the oranges.
The cat jumped over some plates.
Crash went the plates.
The cat jumped over some clothes. "Got you!" said a man.
Everyone was cross. "What a bad dog!" everyone said.
"What a good dog!" said Mum.
A fire engine went by.
There was a fire. Everyone ran to see.
"Get back," said a fireman.
A barn was on fire.
A little dog ran to the barn.
She barked and barked.
Floppy ran to the barn.
He jumped in the window.
"Get Floppy," said Chip.
The firemen pushed the door down.
Floppy ran out.
He had some puppies.
Everyone looked at Floppy. "What a good dog!" everyone said.
What a hero!
Kipper wanted new shoes.
He couldn't tie his laces. Dad helped him.
Kipper was at school. The class had P. E.
Kipper couldn't tie his laces. Miss Green helped him.
Kipper was upset. He told Dad.
Dad made a block.
Kipper tried...
and tried...
and tried and tried. "Hooray!" said Kipper.
Kipper was at school.
He did up his laces.
"Oh no!" said Kipper. 
Kipper had a wobbly tooth.
Mum wanted to pull it out. "No!" said Kipper.
Dad wanted to pull it out. "No, no, no!" said Kipper.
Biff went on the swing. Kipper pushed her.
Oh no! The swing hit Kipper.
The tooth was gone. Kipper had swallowed it.
Kipper was upset.
"Sorry," said Biff and Chip.
"Never mind," said Mum.
"Never mind," said Dad.
"I'm not sad," said Kipper.
"I'm glad. "
It was foggy.
Dad wanted to go shopping. "Oh no," said the children.
They got into the car.
They were fed up.
The fog got worse. Dad couldn't see.
Dad stopped the car. They had to walk home.
The fog got worse. They were lost.
"This way," said Biff.
"No, this way," said Chip.
They saw a light. "A monster!" said Dad.
"It's Mum!" said the children.
Floppy saw a toy rabbit.
"Poor old rabbit," said Floppy.
"Nobody wants it. "
Floppy took it to Kipper.
"Poor old rabbit," said Kipper.
Kipper took it to Mum.
"Look at this rabbit," said Kipper.
"Nobody wants it. "
"Poor old rabbit," said Mum.
Dad washed it.
Kipper brushed it.
Chip and Wilma mended it.
Everybody wanted it now.
Oh no!
"Poor old rabbit," said Kipper.
"Look at Dad," said Mum.
"Dad looks silly," said Wilma.
"No, he looks good," said Wilf.
Dad put on a red nose. "Oh!" said Wilma.
"Dad looks so silly. "
Dad had a bucket. "Put your money in here," he said.
Oh no! A man took Dad's money.
"Stop!" called Mum.
"Come back. "
But the man didn't stop.
Dad got on a bike.
The man ran fast...
but Dad went faster.
"Got you," said Dad.
"Help!" said the man.
"Super Dad!" said Wilma.
Floppy was dreaming that he was in the jungle.
A tiger jumped out. "Got you!" he said.
"I can trick a tiger," said Floppy.
"Look out!" said Floppy.
"There's a bee on your nose. "
"Oh no!" said the tiger, and he let Floppy go.
A crocodile jumped out. "Got you!" she said.
"I can trick a crocodile," said Floppy.
"Look out!" said Floppy.
"There's a bee on your nose. "
"Oh no!" said the crocodile, and she let Floppy go.
A snake slid out. "Got you!" she said.
"I can trick a snake," said Floppy.
"Look out!" said Floppy.
"There's a bee on your nose. "
"Oh no!" said the snake, and she let Floppy go.
A rabbit jumped out. "Got you!" said Floppy.
"Look out!" said the rabbit.
"There's a bee on your nose. "
Buzzzzzzzzz! "Oh no!" said Floppy. 
Gran took the children on a monster hunt.
Biff saw some monster footprints.
Chip saw a monster glove, and...
Kipper saw the monster!
"Come on," said Gran.
"Let's get that monster!"
The monster ran.
It ran up the hill.
It ran into the mill... and hid.
"Come on," said Chip.
"Let's get that monster!"
They went into the mill.
"Ssh!" said Gran.
"I can see the monster's tail. "
Gran pulled the monster's tail. "Got you!" she said.
"AARGH!" said the monster.
Crash! went a sack.
Crash! went the monster.
The monster looked at the children. "Help!" he said.
"Monsters!"
Floppy saw a big bone.
"I want that bone," said Floppy.
So he took it!
"Stop! Stop!" said Biff.
"Drop the bone!" said Chip.
But Floppy didn't stop, and he didn't drop the bone!
He ran up the hill.
He ran into a wood...
and onto a bridge... and stopped!
Floppy looked down.
He saw a dog in the water.
The dog had a big bone.
Floppy wanted that bone, too.
Grrrrrrrrrr! went Floppy.
SPLASH! went the bone.
SPLASH! went Floppy.
"Oh no!" said Floppy.
"The dog I saw was me!" 
Floppy was dreaming that he was in the desert.
It was hot in the desert. The sand was hot. "Ouch!" said Floppy.
Floppy saw a girl on a horse.
The girl was Biff!
"Quick!
Come with me," said Biff.
"A sandstorm is coming. "
The wind blew the sand. Biff put Floppy on the horse.
The horse went fast. "Go faster!" said Biff.
"The sandstorm is coming!"
The horse went faster. "Ouch!" said Floppy.
The horse stopped. Oh no!
Floppy flew off the horse. "Ouch!" said Floppy.
"Oh!
There's my cactus," said Biff.
Floppy barked at a cat. The cat ran up a tree.
Biff was cross with Floppy. Wilma climbed on the wall.
Wilma climbed up the tree.
She couldn't get the cat.
Wilma couldn't get down. Wilma's dad was cross.
He put the ladder up. Wilma climbed down.
Wilma's dad climbed the tree. He couldn't get the cat.
Wilma's dad was stuck. The cat jumped down.
The fireman put a ladder up. Wilma's dad climbed down.
"Oh no!" said everyone.
Kate came to stay.
Mum and Kate made a cake. Kate put little eggs on it.
Wilma looked at the little eggs.
She had an idea.
Wilma went to the park.
She wanted to hide some eggs.
She put them in the trees.
She put them in the flowers.
Wilf and Kate came to the park. "You can look for eggs," said Wilma.
Kate looked for the eggs. "Where are they?" she said.
The squirrels had them. "Squirrels like eggs," said Kate.
"So do I," she said. 
Wilf was cross.
Nobody wanted to play. He went to the park.
Wilf played on the rocket. "I am a spaceman," he said.
He played on the see-saw. "I am a juggler," he said.
He played on the horse. "I am a cowboy," he said.
He played on his bicycle. "I am a stuntman," he said.
He climbed up the ladder. "I am a fireman," he said.
He climbed on the wall. "I am a spiderman," he said.
Whoops!
The children went to the stream.
They looked at the swing. Wilf climbed on the swing.
Chip pushed Wilf. Floppy looked at the rope.
Biff climbed on the swing. Floppy barked and barked.
Chip climbed on the swing. Floppy barked and barked and barked.
Kipper went on the swing. "What a silly dog!" said Kipper.
Wilma went on too. "What a silly dog!" said Wilma.
The children went home. Floppy looked at the rope.
Splash! Oh no!
Biff and Chip played on the sand.
Dad went to sleep. Biff and Chip put sand on Dad.
They made a sandcastle.
They put Dad's hat on top.
They went to get an ice cream. Dad was still asleep.
Chip looked at the donkeys. Biff looked at the boat.
They looked at the go-karts.
They looked at Dad's hat. "Oh no!" said Biff.
Dad was hiding. Biff was cross.
The hat was on a stick. 
Mum and Dad sat on the rug.
The children played by the stream. Biff went on the bridge.
They dropped sticks in the water. Kipper couldn't see.
Kipper climbed up.
He dropped Teddy in the water.
"Get Teddy," said Kipper.
Biff couldn't get Teddy.
"Get Teddy," said Kipper.
Mum couldn't get Teddy.
"I want Teddy," said Kipper.
Dad couldn't get Teddy.
Dad fell in. Splash!
"I am a frogman," said Dad.
Wilma had an idea.
The children made six ducks. "Let's have a duck race," said Wilma.
Mum began the race. "Drop the ducks in," said Mum.
The ducks went down the stream. Oh no! Wilma's duck sank.
Chip's duck got stuck in the reeds. Biff's duck got stuck in the weeds.
Wilf's duck got stuck on a log. "Get it off with a stick," said Chip.
Kipper's duck went fast.
It went past Dad's duck.
Two swans flew down.
They landed on the ducks!
"Six soggy ducks," said Kipper.
Wilf and Dad went to the ice rink.
They put skates on.
They went on to the ice. "Hold my hand," said Dad.
Wilf held Dad's hand. "This is fun," said Wilf.
Wilf let go of his Dad's hand.
He began to skate.
Whoops! Wilf sat down with a bump. "This ice is cold," said Wilf.
Dad began to skate.
He went round the rink.
"Look at me spin!" said Dad.
"Look at me jump!"
Dad got some cold drinks. "Look out, Dad," said Wilf.
Oh no! A banana skin. 
Dad was playing football.
He ran with the ball. "Go on Dad!" called Chip.
"Kick it!"
Dad fell over in the mud. Splat! "Bad luck, Dad!" said Biff.
"Oh Dad," said Mum.
"What a mess. "
"I want a bath," said Dad.
Dad went up to the bathroom.
He ran a bath.
Dad came down. There was football on TV.
Dad looked at the football. "Go on!" he called.
"Kick it!"
Dad forgot the bath. Drip! Drop! Drip! Plop! Plop! Splat!"What was that?" said Dad.
Splash! "Oh no," said Dad.
Wilf and Wilma were at the pond.
The net got stuck. "Help me pull," said Wilf.
They pulled the net. It was stuck on some junk.
Wilma got a big stick. "Let's pull it out," she said.
Wilf and Wilma pulled.
They couldn't pull the junk out.
Mum and Dad helped. They pulled out an old pram.
Plop! A frog hopped out.
It made Wilf jump.
Splash! A fish jumped up. "A pram full of fish," said Dad.
"Pram dipping!" said Wilma.
"Will you look after Sniff today?" said Mrs May.
Wilf and Wilma were happy. They wanted to look after the puppy.
They took Sniff to the park.
The puppy was excited.
Sniff liked to roll on her back...
jump up for a stick.
run after a ball.
and bark at a cat.
Then Sniff went in the mud.
She ran after a duck.
She jumped in the pond, and she barked at a dog.
"I am hot," said Wilf.
"I want a rest. "
"I am hot, too," said Wilma.
"I want a drink. "
Mum couldn't find Sniff.
She couldn't find Wilf and Wilma.
Mum and Dad looked and looked. "They must be lost," said Mum.
They were fast asleep. "They are worn out," said Dad.
A band came to play.
"My name is Stan," said a man.
"I want you to help us. "
"I want you to clap," he said.
"Clap your hands and tap your feet. "
"I want you to sing a song. "
"Sing it with us. "
The children sang with the band. "Now clap as you sing," said Stan.
"Who wants to play in the band?"
The children put up their hands.
Everyone wanted to play. "You can all play," said Stan.
Wilf hit the drum. "Tap it," said Stan.
"Don't bang it. "
What a grand band!
The children put on a circus.
Kipper was a clown. Floppy pulled his leg.
Chip was a strong-man. He made everyone laugh.
Wilma and Biff did gymnastics.
Everyone had a drink. "What a good circus!" said Mum.
Wilf was a stuntman. Kipper was fed up.
He wanted to be a stuntman. "Look at me!" he said.
Everyone looked at Kipper. Oh, no!
"I'm a clown, after all," said Kipper. 
Mum and Dad were spring-cleaning.
Mum looked in a drawer. Dad threw things out.
The children looked at the junk. They played with the old toys.
Mum put the old toys in the car. The children were sad.
They all went to the jumble sale.
The children wanted to buy something. "What a lot of junk!" said Wilf.
The children saw their toys. They counted their money.
It was time to go home. "What's in the bags?" said Mum.
Oh no!
Dad took Kipper to school.
They went past the library. A lady was painting the wall.
Kipper ran into the playground. He wanted to play.
There was a drawing on the wall. It was a drawing of Kipper.
The wall looked a mess. Mrs May was cross.
The children were painting. Kipper had an idea.
Miss Green drew circles on the wall. The children painted faces.
The wall looked good. Everyone liked it.
"Good for Kipper!" everyone said. 
The family went on holiday. Wilf and Wilma went, too.
The hotel had burned down. "Sorry!" said the man.
They looked at a new hotel. "Too expensive," said Mum.
They looked at an old hotel. "No, thank you," said Dad.
Every hotel was full. "Sorry!" said everyone.
They had to go home. But the car broke down.
A farmer stopped his tractor. "Can I help?" he said.
The farmer had a bus. "You can stay here," he said.
"What a good holiday!" said Wilf. 
It was snowing. "Hooray," said the children.
They saw Wilf and Wilma. Wilf was sweeping the snow.
Biff had a good idea. She made a giant snowball.
Everyone pushed the snowball. Floppy barked and barked.
Wilf had an idea. He wanted to play a trick.
The children made a giant snowman.
Wilf's dad opened the door.
He saw the snowman.
Wilma's mum took a photograph. The snow fell off the roof.
"Six snowmen!" said Wilma's dad.
Dad wanted to make jam.
He picked some strawberries. They were too small.
Mum took everyone to the pick-your-own. "You can all help," said Dad.
They all picked strawberries. Kipper put some in his pocket.
Chip took the strawberries to the car. The car was locked.
He forgot about the strawberries.
The children had an ice cream. It was time to go home.
The car ran over the strawberries. "Oh no!" said everyone.
"Traffic jam!" said Dad.
Wilf's dad wanted a party. He put up some lights.
Wilma and Dad made a barbecue. Wilf and Mum took the food outside.
Everyone helped. The dads lit the fire.
The fire went out. The children were hungry.
The dads lit the fire again. It began to rain.
The dads cooked burgers. The children were fed up.
The burgers burned. "Yuk!" said Chip.
Oh no! The dads got wet.
"Hooray!" said the children.
It was book week.
The children made books.
They made a big picture.
They put it on the wall.
An author came. He made everyone laugh.
The children dressed up. Kipper was a caterpillar.
He ate an apple. They had a book party.
Kipper ate a lettuce.
He was the hungry caterpillar.
There was a book sale. Kipper was hungry.
"I am a hungry Kipper," he said.
Everyone went to the school fair.
Wilma wanted a book. Her dad bought it for her.
Wilf kicked the ball.
He won a goldfish.
Dad wanted to win a teddy. He had to hit a bull's-eye.
Dad got cross. He couldn't hit the bull's-eye.
Wilma was in the gym display. Wilf and Dad forgot to watch her.
Wilma was cross. "You forgot to watch," she said.
Wilf and Wilma had a fight. They bumped into Dad.
Bull's-eye! Dad won a teddy.
The mums and dads were busy.
They made a giant shoe.
They put it on a trailer.
The children dressed up. Dad was the old lady.
The giant shoe looked good. They took it to the carnival.
The car broke down. "Oh no!" everyone said.
"Come on!" said Wilma.
Biff, Chip, and Wilf pushed.
"Come on!" said Kipper.
"Come on!" said everyone.
There was an old lady.
She lived in a shoe. She had so many children.
It was a good job, too.
The children were in the sea.
They played in the waves. Dad made them laugh.
Everyone was cold. Kipper was very cold.
Everyone wanted to jog. Kipper sat on the rug.
"Come on, Kipper," said Mum.
"I'm too cold," said Kipper.
"Come on, Kipper," said Dad.
"I'm too cold," said Kipper.
"Come and help," said everyone.
"I'm too cold," said Kipper.
"Ice cream!" said Kipper.
He ran to the van.
Everyone looked at Kipper. "I'm not that cold," he said.
Kipper went to the swimming pool.
Wilma's mum took him. She took Biff and Chip, too.
It was a new pool. Everyone wanted to swim.
Kipper looked for his trunks.
He couldn't find them.
Kipper couldn't go in the pool. "Sorry," said the man.
Wilma's mum was in the water. "Oh dear," she said.
Wilma's mum took Kipper to a shop. She bought him new trunks.
They went back to the pool. "Oh no!" said Kipper.
"I put them on at home," he said.
Midge fell off his bike.
The ambulance came. The man looked at Midge's foot.
They took Midge to hospital. Midge was frightened. He didn't want to go to hospital.
A doctor looked at Midge's foot. A doctor gave Midge a sweet.
Midge's mum came to see him.
She gave him a toy.
Midge's nan came to see him.
She gave him some fruit.
Midge's friends came to see him.
They gave him some books.
"It's not so bad in hospital," said Midge.
"It's good to be home. "
Roy had a budgie.
He called it Joey.
Joey flew outside. "Oh no!" said Roy.
Roy couldn't get Joey. Joey flew away.
Roy went to the wood.
He looked for Joey.
Roy couldn't see Joey. An ostrich was in the wood.
Roy looked at the ostrich. The ostrich looked at Roy.
They saw the zoo-keeper. The zoo-keeper had a budgie.
"It's my ostrich," said the zoo-keeper.
"It's my budgie," said Roy.
"Thanks," they said.
Pip went to the zoo.
Pip's dad was a zoo-keeper. Pip helped her dad.
Pip gave the deer some food.
The deer pushed Pip over.
Pip gave the monkeys some bananas. A monkey took Pip's hat.
Pip gave the elephants some water. The elephant took Pip's sweets.
Pip gave the parrots some fruit. A parrot pecked her finger.
"Do you want to feed the crocodiles?"
"No thanks," said Pip.
Joe went to speedway.
Joe liked speedway. His dad was a speedway rider.
Joe's dad was in a race. He was in front. "Come on!" shouted Joe.
Joe's dad fell off. "Oh no!" said Joe.
Joe's dad pushed his bike. "What a rider!" said Joe.
It was Joe's birthday. His dad gave him a bike. Joe liked the bike.
Joe was in a race. He was in front. "Come on!" shouted Dad.
Joe fell off. "Oh no!" said Dad.
"What a rider!" said Dad.
Midge's mum wanted some eggs.
Midge went to the egg shop. He put the eggs in a bag.
"Come and play," said his friends.
"I can't," said Midge.
"My Mum wants these eggs. "
Midge saw his friend. His friend had a go-kart. Midge wanted a go.
Midge put the bag down.
He went on the go-kart.
He forgot the eggs.
A man put the bag in the truck. "Oh no!" said Midge.
"The eggs!"
Midge's mum looked at the bag. "Sorry, Mum," said Midge.
Midge's mum went to the egg shop. She got some more eggs. She put the eggs in a basket.
Oh no!
Pip was at the zoo.
Pip's dad was a zoo-keeper. Pip helped her dad.
They looked at a little monkey. The monkey was ill.
They took the monkey home.
The monkey got better. Pip played with it.
They took the monkey to the zoo. Pip cried and cried.
She wanted to keep the monkey.
They went to the monkey house. The little monkey ran to its mum.
The little monkey jumped and jumped.
It was happy.
Pip was happy too.
"That old stump has to go," said Dad.
Dad pulled the old stump, but it didn't come up.
Dad called Mum to help. "I'll push it.
You pull it," said Dad.
"When I say pull," said Dad,
"I want you to pull!"
Mum pulled and pulled, but the stump didn't come up.
Dad called Biff.
"I want you to pull," said Dad.
Mum and Biff pulled... but the stump still didn't come up.
Dad wanted Chip to help. "When I shout pull," said Dad, "I want you to pull. "
They all pulled... but the stump still didn't come up.
Kipper wanted to help. "Come on, then," said Dad.
"When I shout pull... PULL!"
They pulled and they pulled... but the stump still didn't come up.
"I'll pull as well," said Dad.
"When I yell pull PULL!"
They all pulled and pulled... but the stump still didn't come up.
Floppy saw a bone. He dug and he dug, and... up came the stump!
BUMP! "Good old Floppy!" said Chip.
Nadim had a hamster.
He called it Jaws.
"Jaws is a funny name for a hamster," said Biff.
Nadim put Jaws in his cage, but he forgot to shut the cage door.
Jaws got out of the cage and ran away.
Nadim saw the cage was open. "Oh no!" he said.
Nadim was upset. "Jaws has run away," he said.
The children looked for Jaws. They looked and looked.
Biff looked under the sink. Chip looked in the fridge. Nadim looked under the cupboard.
Nadim's Dad looked for Jaws. He pulled up the floorboards. "Maybe Jaws is down here," he said.
Then Chip had an idea. "Let's get Floppy," he said.
"He can find Jaws. "
Sniff, sniff, went Floppy.
Sniff, sniff!
SNIFF! SNIFF! "Look in here," said Chip.
Jaws was in the clothes basket. He had made a nest.
"Look!" said Nadim.
"You can see why I called him Jaws. "
The children ran onto the sand.
"Let's play here," said Biff.
Wilma threw a ball and Floppy ran after it.
Floppy ran back with the ball. Dad ran up. "Stop!" he said.
"Look at that," said Dad.
"Dogs can't go on the sand. "
"Poor Floppy!" said Mum.
"I'll take him for a walk. "
The children were upset.
They didn't want Floppy to go.
"Let's give Mum a surprise," said Dad.
They made a big pile of sand. Everyone helped.
"Now let's pat it flat," said Dad.
"Let's make his head," said Biff.
"And his ears," said Chip.
"Let's put in his eyes," said Wilf.
"And make his tail," said Kipper.
Mum came back. "Surprise! Surprise!" said Biff.
"A Floppy made of sand!" said Mum.
"It's a good sand dog," said Kipper.
"But I love the real Floppy best. "
The children were at the river. It was raft race day.
Mum and Dad made a raft. The children helped. "It's a good raft," said Dad.
"Let's get it into the water. "
They slid the raft into the water. Dad pulled it. Wilma and Chip pushed.
Mum and Dad got on. "Don't fall in," said Wilf.
The raft race started. Mum and Dad went fast. "Go!
Go!
Go!" shouted Biff.
"You can win. "
Mum and dad went faster. "Come on!" panted dad.
"We can win. "
Oh no! The raft broke in half. SPLASH! Dad fell in the water.
"Go on, Mum," shouted Wilf.
"You can still win. "
Mum kept going.
Dad got back on his raft. "Go on, Dad," shouted Wilma.
"Go as fast as you can. "
Oh no!
The raft broke again. SPLASH! Dad fell in the water.
Mum kept going and she won the race!
"Good old Mum," said Wilma.
"Poor old Dad," said Wilf.
Floppy went to sleep and he began to dream.
A spaceship landed. "Wow!" said Kipper.
"A real spaceship!"
An alien came out. "I am Zig," he said.
"And this is my dog, Zog. "
"Let's go into space," said Zig.
"Oh yes!" said Kipper.
"Oh no!" said Floppy.
WHOOSH! The spaceship took off.
It flew up into space.
"What's that?" said Kipper.
"Oh no!" said Zig.
"Fireballs!"
WHOOSH! Suddenly, there were fireballs all around them. "Help!" said Zog.
CRASH! A fireball hit them. The spaceship began to spin round.
Zig and Kipper bumped heads. "Oh my head!" said Kipper.
"Oh my head!" said Zig.
Floppy saw a very big fireball.
It was going to hit them!
"Help!" said Floppy.
"We're in danger!" said Zog.
"I don't know what to do. "
"I know what to do," said Floppy.
"I can fly the spaceship. "
ZOOM! Floppy flew the spaceship out of danger. "Phew! Just in time," he said.
"Well done, Space Dog Floppy," said Zig.
"You saved us!"
Floppy was dreaming about dragons.
Floppy saw a baby dragon with its mother.
The mother dragon saw Floppy.
"Go away," she roared.
The dragon roared again and flapped her wings.
She flew towards Floppy. "Oh help!" he said.
WHOOSH! Flames came out of the dragon's mouth.
Floppy hid, but the dragon saw him.
Floppy ran onto a bridge. WHOOSH! More flames came out of the dragon's mouth. "Help!" said Floppy.
"The bridge is on fire. "
Floppy ran back across the bridge.
He ran past a rock and saw the baby dragon again.
The mother dragon roared at Floppy.
She flew up onto a high rock.
Oh no! The rock started to fall.
CRASH! The rock fell down...
but Floppy pulled the baby dragon out of danger.
"Phew!
Just in time," he said.
What a brave dog!
This house was for sale.
Dad liked the house. Mum liked it too.
Biff and Chip looked at the house.
Everyone liked it. Kipper pulled the wallpaper.
They went into a room. Everyone liked this room. Kipper looked up the chimney.
Biff wanted this bedroom. It was a big room. Kipper jumped on the bed.
Chip wanted this bedroom. It was a big room. Kipper sat on a chair.
They went down the garden. They looked at the tree house. Kipper climbed the tree.
Biff and Chip climbed the tree. They went in the tree house. Kipper pulled a can down.
Everyone liked the house. Floppy liked it too.
A van came to the house.
"What a big van!" said Chip.
"What a big man!" said Kipper.
The man looked at the things. "What a lot of things!" he said.
Mum and Dad helped the man. They put things in the van. "What a job!" said Dad.
The children helped too. Kipper put his toys in the van. Biff and Chip put the go-kart in.
They put a box in the van. "What a job!" said everyone.
"What a big box!" said Biff.
"Goodbye," said Biff.
"Goodbye," said Chip.
"Come and play soon," they said.
The van went to the new house. Dad looked at Biff and Chip. "Oh no!" said Biff and Chip.
"What a job!" they said.
Dad was painting the door. Mum went out.
Wilf and Wilma came to play. "Come in," said Dad.
Three children came to the house.
They came to play with Biff. "Come in," said Biff.
Four children came to the house. They came to play with Chip. "Come in," said Chip.
Five children came to play. They wanted to play with Kipper. "Come in," said Kipper.
Mum came home. "What a lot of children!
What a mess!" she said.
Mum looked for Biff, Chip and Kipper.
They were watching television. Mum was cross.
Mum gave the children some biscuits. They all went home.
Mum went outside. "Oh no!" said Mum.
Biff and Chip liked the new house. They helped Mum and Dad.
Mum put wallpaper on the wall. Chip helped her. Dad painted a door. Biff helped him.
Biff was in her room. Dad looked at the wallpaper. Biff wanted new wallpaper.
They went to the wallpaper shop. Biff looked at the wallpaper. She liked this wallpaper.
Mum and Dad pulled the wallpaper off. Biff and Chip helped. "What a job!" said Chip.
Biff found a door. The door was stuck.
Mum opened the door.
She found a room. Everyone looked inside.
Mum went into the secret room.
She found a little house. "It looks like our house," said Mum.
Biff opened the little house. Everyone looked inside. "It looks like our house inside," said Biff.
Kipper found a little dog. "Look at this little dog," said Kipper.
"It looks like our dog.
It looks like Floppy. "
Chip found three little children. "Look at the children," said Chip.
"They look like us. "
Biff liked her bedroom.
She liked the secret room too. Dad painted the secret room. Biff put things inside.
Biff was in bed.
She was fast asleep.
She dreamed about the little children.
Biff and Chip went to school. They went with Wilf and Wilma.
Biff and Chip liked Mrs May.
They were in her class. Wilf liked Mrs May. He was in her class too.
It was story time. The story was The Wizard of Oz.
It was about a girl and her dog.
The girl was Dorothy. There was a storm. The wind blew the house away.
Dorothy met the Scarecrow.
She met the Tin Man.
She met the Lion. Dorothy met a witch.
There was a storm. It was playtime.
The children couldn't play outside.
The children played inside. They played The Wizard of Oz.
Mrs May liked the little play.
Mrs May put on a play. The play was The Wizard of Oz.
Wilf's mum helped Mrs May.
Chip was the Tin Man. Wilf was the Lion. Biff was a witch.
Wilf's dad helped Mrs May.
He painted a house. The children helped him.
The mums and dads came. They liked the play. "What a good play!" they said.
The children liked the play. They gave Mrs May some flowers. "It was good fun," said Wilf.
It was time to go home. There was a storm. "It's like the play," said Chip.
Wilf and Wilma came to the house. They came to play.
The children went outside.
They climbed the tree.
They looked in the tree house. "What a mess!" said Biff.
Dad helped the children. He mended the roof. Biff and Wilma mended the door.
Chip and Wilf painted the tree house. Wilf painted the door. Chip painted the walls.
The tree house looked good. The children put things inside.
They had a party in the tree house.
It was bedtime. Biff was in her room.
Biff looked outside. There was a storm.
It was time for school. Wilf and Wilma came. "What a storm!" said Mum.
The wind blew. The rain came down. "What a storm!" said Mrs May.
It was time to go home. The mums and dads came. "What a wind!" they said.
"Oh no!" said Biff.
The tree was down. "What a mess!" said Kipper.
The children climbed on the tree. Floppy barked and barked.
Floppy found something. It was a box.
Everyone looked at the box. Mum opened it. They found a key inside.
Chip wanted the box.
He put it in his room.
The children were outside. A hot air balloon went by.
Mrs May had a secret.
She told Wilf what it was. She wanted to go in a balloon.
It was time to watch television. The television went wrong. "Oh no!" said Mrs May.
The photocopier went wrong. "Oh blow!" said Mrs May.
The computer went wrong. "Oh bother!" said Mrs May.
Wilf and Wilma came home. They had a letter. The school wanted money. Wilf had an idea.
Everyone liked Wilf's idea. "It's a good idea!" everyone said.
Everyone bought tickets.
Mrs May bought lots of tickets.
She wanted to go in the balloon.
Mrs May won the prize. She won a ride in the balloon. "Hooray!" said Wilf.
Mrs May went up in the balloon. "Hooray," shouted everyone.
"It's wonderful," said Mrs May.
Mrs May saw the stream.
She saw the houses. She looked down at the park.
She took this photograph.
The school made lots of money.
They bought lots of things. Mrs May was pleased. She gave Wilf a present.
"Thank you," said Wilf.
Dad bought a camcorder.
The children had a race. Dad made a video. "Smile everyone," said Dad.
Dad went to the sports day. He took the camcorder.
He made a video of Wilma.
It was Jo's wedding. Dad took the camcorder.
He made a video of the wedding.
It was Mum and Dad's anniversary. Wilma wanted to make a video. Dad showed Wilma the camcorder. "It's easy," he said.
Wilma made the video. "It's easy," she said.
"Smile please!" said Wilf.
The children watched the race.
They saw the sports day.
They looked at Jo's wedding. They laughed at Wilma's video.
They went to the tree house. Wilma wanted to make a video. Dad let her use the camcorder.
Wilma made the video. She saw two men. They were burglars.
The burglars were running away. Wilma made a video of them. "Call the police," she shouted.
Dad got the phone.
He phoned the police.
Wilma got the burglars on video.
The police came. They looked at the video. "Well done!" they said.
The police caught the burglars. "Thanks to Wilma," said Dad.
Dad got a boat.
Everyone sat in the boat. Dad pushed the boat out.
Oh no! Dad was stuck.
Mum pulled Dad. Wilma pushed the boat.
They went down the river. Nobody got wet. "What a good job!" said Mum.
They had a picnic. It began to rain. But nobody got wet.
The boat floated away. "Oh no!" gasped Mum.
"Help me get the boat. "
Mum pulled the boat in. "Don't let me fall in," said Mum.
Mum didn't get wet. "Nobody got wet," said Dad.
It was time to go home.
Oh no! Everyone got wet!
It was sports day.
Wilma was in the long jump. She came first.
Wilf and Chip were in a race. They came second. "Hooray!" shouted Kipper.
Dad was in the egg and spoon race. He came third. "Well done, Dad," shouted Wilf.
Mum was in a race. "Oh no!" said Wilma.
Mum came last. "Poor old Mum," said Wilf.
Mum was disappointed. "What a shame!" said Dad.
Dad put a blindfold on Mum. Wilf and Wilma had a surprise.
"Good old Mum," said everyone.
Jo was Mum's sister. She was getting married.
Wilma was happy. She wanted to be a bridesmaid. Wilf was unhappy. He didn't want to be a pageboy.
The grandparents came. They came for the wedding. "What a journey!" they said.
Mum made Wilma's dress. Grandmother helped. Wilf looked at the material. "Oh no!" he thought.
Grandmother made the cake. Wilma put a bride and groom on it. "It's wonderful," said Jo.
Wilma's dress was finished. Biff and Chip came to see it. "I like weddings," said Chip.
"I don't," said Wilf.
Jo took Wilf's measurements.
She gave them to Mum. Wilf was unhappy. He didn't want to be a pageboy.
Mum had been shopping. She had a surprise for Wilf. "What is it?" asked Wilf.
"It's a suit," said Mum.
"You're not a pageboy," said Jo.
"It was a joke," said Grandmother.
It was the day of the wedding. Dad made a video. Biff took a photograph.
Wilf liked his suit. He was glad he wasn't a pageboy. He was happy. Everyone was happy.
There was a big party. Everyone danced. "I like weddings," said Wilf.
"Will you get married?" asked Wilf.
"I don't know," said Wilma.
Dad went to the building site.
He took Wilf and Wilma.
They looked at the crane. Wilma spoke to the man in the cab.
A van came to the building site.
It had a weather vane on the back.
Wilf looked at the weather vane. Dad had an idea.
Wilf jumped over the weather vane. "Be careful," said Dad.
"Take a photograph," said Wilma.
She jumped over the weather vane.
The weather vane went on the roof. Wilf took a photograph.
"See the weather vane," said Wilf.
"We've jumped over it," said Wilma.
"What a tall story!" said Biff.
But Wilf had a photograph. "See," he said.
Mrs May made a dragon. The children helped her.
Mrs May painted the head.
The children painted the body.
The dragon had a long body.
The children liked the dragon. They wanted to do the dragon dance.
The children got inside the body. Mrs May helped them. "It's made of paper," said Mrs May.
"Be careful. "
Anneena was inside the head. "Be careful," said Mrs May.
"Don't tear the paper. "
The mums and dads came. The children did the dragon dance. "What a good dragon," said everyone.
Oh no! The dragon dance went wrong. The dragon tore in half.
The children were upset. "Never mind," said Mrs May.
"It was only made of paper. "
Anneena's mum had an idea.
She told the mums and dads. "What a good idea," they said.
The mums and dads made a dragon.
They made a long body.
They made a big head.
The dragon looked wonderful.
The children were pleased. They wanted to do the dragon dance.
The children went into town.
They did the dragon dance. "Come to the school fair," said Chip.
"What a lot of people," said Mrs May.
"Thanks to the dragon. "
Mum went shopping.
She took the children.
The children looked up. There was an elephant on the roof. The elephant looked funny.
The elephant was fat.
The children laughed. "Look at that fat elephant," they said.
"An elephant?" said Mum.
"Don't be silly. "
There was a storm. The wind blew. It rained and rained.
It was a bad storm. The wind was strong.
It blew the elephant away.
The children went to school. The elephant was in the playground. The children laughed.
The children told Mrs May.
"Look at that fat elephant," they said.
"An elephant?" said Mrs May.
"Don't be silly. "
The children liked the fat elephant.
They wanted it to stay. "Sorry," said the man.
"We want it back. "
"Look at the fat elephant," said Biff.
"It's a flat elephant now," said Wilma. 
Dad looked at the water butt. The water butt was leaking.
Mum looked at the hose. The hose was leaking. "Oh bother!" said Mum.
Dad mended the water butt.
He put a patch on it. "What a tricky job!" he said.
The water butt burst. All the water came out. Dad got wet.
Mum mended the hose.
She put a patch on it. "What a tricky job!" she said.
Mum put the hose on the tap. The top of the tap came off. Mum got very wet.
Dad got a new water butt.
He put it on the bricks. He got the hose.
He filled up the water butt.
The water butt fell over. The water poured out. Dad got wet again.
Mum got a new hose.
She joined it to the old hose. She wanted to water the roses.
Kipper wanted to help.
He turned the tap on. Mum got wet again. "Oh no!" said Mum.
The children got the paddling pool.
They put it on the grass. Dad got the new hose. Biff turned on the tap.
No water came out of the hose.
"Funny!" said Dad.
He looked down the hose.
Oh no! The children got wet.
Dad was painting the back door. The children were outside.
Floppy wanted to come in. He jumped up.
He put his paws on the paint.
Dad painted the door again.
Biff kicked a ball. The ball hit the door.
Dad painted the door again. Kipper pushed the door.
He got paint on his hands.
Dad was fed up. He painted the door again. "What a job!" said Dad.
Biff and Chip had a pillow fight. The pillow split open. "Oh no!" said Biff.
The wind blew. It blew the feathers. "Oh no!" said Chip.
"Wet paint!"
There was no wet paint. The door had gone. Dad had put up an old door.
The back door was inside. "It's safe here," said Dad.
Anneena liked knitting.
She made a scarf.
Anneena's mum helped her. The scarf was long and warm. "It's a good scarf," said Anneena.
Biff and Chip came to play. It was a cold day.
Anneena put on her scarf.
"What a cold day!" she said.
Biff looked at Anneena's scarf.
"What a long scarf!" she said.
"I made it," said Anneena.
"I couldn't stop knitting. "
The children went to the park.
They went to the pond. The pond was frozen.
It had ice on it.
Some children ran up.
They pulled Anneena's scarf.
"Stop it!" shouted Anneena.
"Stop it!" shouted Anneena's mum.
A boy went on the ice. The ice was dangerous. "Get off," shouted Anneena's mum.
"The ice is not safe. "
Anneena's mum couldn't get the boy.
She couldn't go on the ice. Everyone was frightened. "Help!" shouted the boy.
Anneena had a good idea. She took off her scarf. "Make a rope," she said.
Anneena's mum made a rope.
She made it out of scarves and coats. She threw it to the boy.
Everyone pulled the rope.
They pulled the boy out of the pond. The boy was safe. "Hooray!" shouted Anneena.
"I am sorry!" said the boy.
"Thank you. "
"Ice is dangerous," said Anneena.
Anneena looked at her scarf. "I'm glad I made it long," she said. 
Nadim found a bat.
It was broken.
Nadim mended the bat. His dad helped. The bat looked good.
Chip had a robot.
The robot was broken. Chip liked Nadim's bat.
He swapped the robot for the bat.
Nadim mended the robot.
He painted it silver. The robot looked good.
Biff had a skateboard.
It had no wheels. Biff swapped it for the robot.
Nadim mended the skateboard.
He put on new wheels. "It's a good skateboard now," he said.
Wilma had a bike.
The bike was broken. She swapped it for the skateboard.
Nadim mended the bike.
He painted it black. The bike looked good.
"Not bad," said Nadim.
The children were outside.
They were playing football.
Wilf kicked the ball.
It landed in a bush. "Sorry," said Wilf.
Wilf couldn't get the ball. "I can get it," said Kipper.
Kipper found a case. "Look at this," he said.
"I found it in the bush. "
Dad looked at the case.
He couldn't open it.
Wilf looked at the case. "What can be in it?" he asked.
"It looks important. "
"What is in it?" asked Wilma.
"I don't know," said Chip, "but it looks very important. "
"What is in the case?" asked Kipper.
"I don't know," said Biff, "but it looks very, very important. "
"What is in this case?" asked Dad.
"We don't know," said the police officer, "but it is very important. "
A man came in a big car. "Who is he?" asked Kipper.
"I don't know," said Dad, "but he looks important. "
The man took the case. "It's my case," he said.
"Thank you.
It was stolen.
It is very important. "
The man got in the car. "Excuse me," said Wilma.
"What is in the case?"
"Ah!" said the man.
"My sandwiches. " 
The children were by the stream. Wilf had an idea.
Wilf found some sticks. "Let's make a den," he said.
"Put the sticks like this. "
They all found some sticks. Chip found lots of branches and Wilma found some straw.
Biff found some logs. "We can sit on them inside the den," she said.
The children sat in the den but it began to rain. The rain splashed into the den. "I'm getting wet," said Kipper.
"We're all getting wet," said Dad.
"It's time to go. "
"Can we come back soon?" asked Biff.
It rained all week. The children couldn't go out to play. They wanted the rain to stop.
They wanted to go back to the den.
The rain stopped. The children went back to the den. "Oh no!" said Wilma.
"We can't play in the den!"
"Shh!" said Wilf.
The children put some tables outside.
They wanted to help Children in Need. Chip made a poster.
It said, "Help Children in Need".
Biff and Nadim had some plants.
Kipper and Wilma had some clothes.
Wilf had some books.
Anneena had a good idea.
She invented a game. Dad looked at Anneena's game.
"Let me have a go," he said.
A man put Dad's jacket on.
"It's a good fit," he said.
"It's five pounds," said Wilma.
The man bought the jacket.
Dad looked for his jacket.
"Oh no!" said Wilma.
"I'm sorry.
A man bought it. "
Dad ran after the man. "Stop!" he called.
"That's my jacket. "
"No, it's my jacket," said the man.
"Give me ten pounds for it. "
"Oh no," said Dad.
He gave the man ten pounds.
The man gave the jacket to Dad.
The man gave Wilma ten pounds.
"It's for Children in Need," he said. 
The children went for a walk.
It was a muddy walk.
"What a muddy path!" said Biff.
"Baa!
Baa!"
"What was that?" asked Chip.
"Baa!
Baa!"
"What is that?" asked Wilma.
"It's a sheep," said Dad.
"Put Floppy on a lead. "
"Oh no!" said Chip.
"A sheep is stuck in the mud. "
The sheep couldn't get out. The mud was too deep.
"Help me get it out," said Dad.
Dad went to help the sheep.
He sank into the mud. Wilma and Chip went to help.
They sank into the mud.
Dad pushed.
Wilma and Chip pulled. They got the sheep out. "Baa!
Baa!" went the sheep.
Wilma and Chip were muddy. Dad had lost a boot. Wilma went to get Dad's boot.
"Help!" said Wilma.
"Now I'm stuck!"
Mum had been shopping.
Biff had a new dress. Chip had a shirt and Kipper had a new top.
Biff looked at the dress.
"Put it on," said Mum.
"I want you to look smart. "
Kipper looked at the top.
"Put it on," said Mum.
"I want you to look smart. "
"Come here, Chip," said Mum.
"Put on this shirt. "
"I know," said Chip.
"You want me to look smart. "
Dad came in with a tray.
He fell over a bag.
A cup fell over.
Some chocolate went over Kipper's top. "Oh no!" said Kipper.
"Chocolate all over my top. "
Biff sat down.
She sat on Mum's lipstick. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"Lipstick on my dress. "
Floppy ran in with muddy paws. He jumped up at Chip. "Oh Floppy!" said Chip.
"Mud all over my shirt. "
"I can put on my old top," said Kipper.
"No," said Mum.
"I want you all to look smart. "
"Smart clothes," said Mum.
" Put them on. "
The children put them on.
They set off for the party. A lorry went by. Splash!
"What a good job!" said Dad.
"Nobody looks smart. "
The children went to the park.
They went with Mum and Dad.
They went to the stream. Chip saw a rope.
It was by a tree.
Dad had an idea.
"We can skip," he said.
He tied the rope to the tree.
Dad and the children began to skip. "Go on, jump!" said Mum.
"Jump!
Jump! Jump!"
They all jumped.
They jumped too soon. Whoops! They all fell over.
Mum had an idea.
"Let's have a tug of war," she said.
Dad threw the rope over the stream.
Mum went over the bridge.
The children began to pull. Mum and Dad began to pull.
"Easy," said Wilf, and he let go.
Mum and Dad pulled and pulled.
"Easy," said Wilma, and she let go.
Mum and Dad pulled and pulled.
"Easy," said Biff and Chip, and they let go.
"Pull, Dad!" called Wilma.
"Easy," said Kipper.
"Look at me. "
He pulled Mum and Dad into the stream.
"Easy," said the man.
Adam and Yasmin went on holiday.
They stayed with Grandmother.
Grandmother had a party. Everyone wanted to come.
Grandmother had a kid goat. The kid was called Lucky.
Yasmin looked after Lucky.
She gave her a bottle. She gave her a cuddle.
She played with her every day.
The holiday was over. Yasmin was sad.
Adam had spots. They couldn't go on the aeroplane. "Chicken pox," said the doctor.
"Come back in two weeks. "
"Lucky!" said Yasmin.
Yasmin couldn't sleep.
The rain woke her up.
Yasmin went downstairs.
"Oh help!" she said.
Mum and Dad came downstairs. "Oh help!" said Dad.
The shop was flooded.
Everything was wet.
"What a mess!" said Yasmin.
The cloth was wet.
They took the cloth outside. "Hang it up to dry," said Yasmin.
Everyone helped. The sun came out.
"It looks lovely," said everyone.
"Let's have a party," said Yasmin.
Everyone was happy.
Yasmin went to a mosque school.
Adam wanted to go. But he was too little.
He wanted to look inside.
Adam couldn't see.
He climbed on the lamp post.
Adam got stuck. "Oh no!" said his Mum.
"Help!" called Adam.
Everyone ran to help.
The firemen came.
They got Adam out.
"You can go to mosque school," said Grandad.
"Hooray!" said Adam.
Adam had a new car.
He saw a car on television.
It looked like his car.
Adam had an idea.
He went to the flour bin.
He put flour on the car.
He dropped the car.
"Oh no!" said Adam.
He looked in the flour.
He couldn't find the car.
The bin fell over.
The flour went everywhere.
Mun was cross.
Adam was sorry.
Yasmin had a new dress.
Her mum had made it. Yasmin put it on.
Yasmin looked pretty. "What a pretty dress!" said Dad.
Yasmin went to Gran's. "What a pretty dress!" said everyone.
Yasmin and Adam went to play. Adam got paint on his hands.
Adam got paint on Yasmin's dress. "Oh no!" said Yasmin.
Yasmin was cross.
Adam was upset.
Grandfather got the paint off.
Everyone was happy.
Mum and Dad went shopping.
They took Adam and Yasmin.
Mum wanted a kettle. Adam wanted to go home.
Yasmin wanted some shoes. Adam was bored.
Dad wanted a track suit. Adam was fed up.
Adam was tired.
He went into a tent.
Mum and Dad looked for Adam. They couldn't find him.
Everyone looked for Adam.
Adam was fast asleep.
The box was by Chip's bed.
Something was glowing inside it.
Chip looked at the box.
"It's magic," he said.
Chip ran into Biff's room.
"Biff," he called.
"Look at the box. "
Biff and Chip looked at the box.
Something was glowing inside it. They opened the box.
They looked inside.
"It's magic," they said.
A key was in the box.
The key was glowing. "It's a magic key," said Biff.
She picked up the key and the magic began.
Biff and Chip got smaller and smaller and smaller. "Oh help!" said Biff.
"It's magic," said Chip.
Biff and Chip looked at the room.
Everything looked big. "Look at my big slippers," said Biff.
"Everything looks big. "
Chip picked up a pencil.
"Look at this big pencil," he said.
Biff picked up a pin.
"Look at this big pin," she said.
They looked at the house.
It looked like a big house. The windows were glowing. "It's magic," said Chip.
Biff and Chip ran to the house.
They looked in the window.
Biff went to the door.
She pushed and pushed, but she couldn't get in.
They went to the window.
Chip pulled and pulled, but he couldn't get in.
Something was coming. Chip picked up the pin.
"Oh help!" he said.
It was a little mouse.
Biff and Chip looked at the mouse.
The mouse ran away.
Something was glowing.
It was the magic key. Biff picked it up.
Biff and Chip got bigger and bigger and bigger. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"Oh help!" said Chip.
"It's the magic," they said.
The magic was over. "What an adventure!" said Biff and Chip.
Biff was looking at a book.
The book was about pirates. "I don't like pirates," she said.
Wilf and Wilma came to play.
They went to Biff's room.
They looked at the little house. "It's a magic house," said Biff.
"Don't be silly," said Wilma.
They looked at the key.
"It's a magic key," said Chip.
"Don't be silly," said Wilf.
The key began to glow.
The magic was working. "Oh help!" said Wilma.
The magic was working.
The children got smaller and smaller and smaller. "Oh no!" said Wilf.
"Oh help!" said Wilma.
"We don't like this," they said.
They looked at the house.
The windows were glowing. Biff went to the door.
She put the key in the lock.
She opened the door.
The children went inside the house. "It's a magic house," they said.
"Look at the sand," said Biff.
"Look at the sea," said Chip.
"Come on," they said.
They ran to the sea.
Wilf picked up a shell.
Chip picked up a coconut.
Biff climbed up a tree.
Wilma went in the sea. "This is magic," they said.
They played on the sand.
They played in the sea. "What an adventure!" said Biff.
A pirate came up.
He looked at the children.
"Children!" said the pirate.
"Pirates!" said the children.
"Oh help!" they said.
"Come on," said the pirates.
The pirates had a boat. They went to the pirate ship. "I don't like pirates," said Biff.
"Look at that pirate," said Biff.
"Look at that big rope," said Chip.
"I'm frightened," said Wilf.
"We wanted a party," said the pirate.
"Nobody wanted to come.
Will you come to the party?"
The children went to the party.
It was a good party. "I like pirates," said Biff.
The key was glowing. It was time to go. "Goodbye," said Chip.
"Thank you for the party. "
"Oh no!" said the pirates.
"What an adventure!" said Wilma.
"I liked the pirates," said Biff.
Wilf looked at the little hat.
Kipper was looking at a book.
The book was about a dragon.
Kipper couldn't read the story.
Biff didn't want to read it.
She didn't like dragons.
Kipper went into Chip's room.
Chip read the story. "I like dragons," said Chip.
Something was glowing.
It was the magic key. "Oh no!" said Chip.
Chip picked up the box.
He ran into Biff's room. "The magic is working," he said.
Biff picked up the key.
They looked at the magic house. "The door is open," said Biff.
The magic was working. It took the children inside.
It took Floppy too.
It took them to a wood. Floppy didn't like the wood.
He was frightened.
Biff pulled Floppy.
"Come on," she said.
"Don't be silly. "
An owl flew out of a tree.
Floppy didn't like the owl.
He ran away.
Floppy ran out of the wood. "Come back," called Biff.
"Come back," called Chip.
It was no good. Floppy ran and ran. "Oh help!" said Biff.
The children looked for Floppy.
They called and called. "Floppy!
Come back!" they called.
The children came to a tree.
It was called "The Dragon Tree".
A dragon lived under the tree.
The dragon had Floppy.
He wanted Floppy for supper.
Floppy was frightened. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"What a nasty dragon!
I don't like dragons!"
Biff looked at the dragon's tail.
She took off her belt.
She put it round the tail.
Chip helped her.
Kipper went inside the tree.
He pulled Floppy out.
Chip helped him. The dragon was cooking.
It didn't see them.
"Come on!" called Chip.
They ran and ran. The key was glowing. "The key is glowing," called Biff.
"It's time to go home. "
"What an adventure!" said Chip.
"I don't like dragons," said Biff.
A car came to the house.
The children ran to see. "It's Gran," said Kipper.
"Come in," said Mum.
"Come in," said Dad.
The children helped.
They took Gran's things. "What a lot of things!" said Kipper.
The children liked Gran and Gran liked the children. "Come and see my toys," said Kipper.
"Come and see my room," said Biff.
"Come and play," said Chip.
Gran played with the children.
They played inside.
"Oh no!" said Mum.
They went outside and played football. "Oh no!" said Dad.
Gran took the children out.
They went in Gran's old car.
Wilf and Wilma went too. "What an old car!" said Wilf.
"It's a good car," said Gran.
Gran took them to the fun park. "This looks fun," said Gran.
"Come on, everyone. "
The children began to run. They wanted to go on everything. "Come on, Gran," they called.
"Look at this," said Kipper.
"It's a castle.
It's called Jumping Castle. "
The children went on the Jumping Castle. "This is fun," called Wilma.
The children jumped and jumped, and bounced and bounced. "Come on, Gran," they called.
Gran went on the castle.
She jumped and bounced. "Good old Gran," called the children.
Gran made a hole in the castle. "Oh no!" said the children.
The castle began to go down.
A man ran up.
He was cross with Gran. "Look at my castle," he yelled.
"Go home," yelled the man, "and don't come back. "
Gran took the children home.
Biff told Mum about the castle. Mum was cross with Gran. Gran was sad.
Gran was in Chip's room.
She looked at the magic key.
The key was glowing.
Gran picked up the key and ran into Biff's room.
"Look at this," she said.
"Oh no!" said Kipper.
"It's the magic.
The magic is working. "
The magic took them to a new adventure.
The magic took them to a castle.
Three witches lived in the castle.
They were nasty witches. One was a black witch.
One was a red witch.
One was a green witch.
The magic took the children inside the castle.
It took them to a room. A frog was in the room. "I am a king," said the frog.
"I am the king of this castle. "
"The witches turned me into a frog.
Help me," he said.
A witch was coming.
It was the black witch. "Look out!" said the frog.
The witch opened the door.
Gran pushed the witch.
Chip took the witch's keys. They ran out of the room.
Chip locked the door.
The witch couldn't get out.
Everyone ran. "Look out!" called Chip.
A witch was coming.
It was the red witch.
"I don't like witches," said Gran.
She put a net over the witch.
The witch couldn't get out. "Good old Gran," called Biff.
Gran went to the green witch.
"I don't like witches," said Gran.
"I don't like nasty witches. "
Gran threw the witch on the floor. "Help!" yelled the witch.
"Good old Gran," said the children.
Some frogs came in and jumped on the table.
One was the king. "Help us," he said.
Biff and Gran looked in the witches' book.
The frogs turned into people.
"Thanks!" said the king.
The witches turned into frogs. Gran put the book on the fire. "Oh no!" said the witches.
The king had a party.
Everyone went to it. "What a good party!" said Chip.
"What an adventure!" said Biff.
"I like adventures," said Gran.
"Good old Gran!" said everyone.
The magic key was glowing.
"It's time to go," said Biff.
"Goodbye," said the king.
The magic took them back to Biff's room.
They fell on to Biff's bed. "Oh no!" said Mum. 
The children were at school.
It was playtime. "Come in," called Mrs May.
Mrs May told the children a story.
The story was about a village. The village was in the mountains. Everyone liked the story.
It was called The Village in the Snow.
The children went to Biff's room.
They wanted an adventure. Biff picked up the magic key.
The key began to glow. "The magic is working," said Biff.
The magic took the children to the village in the snow.
"It's lovely," said Biff.
Kipper jumped in the snow.
"I like the snow," he called.
"This is fun. "
They played in the snow.
They made a snowman and put Kipper's hat on top.
They jumped in the snow.
They threw snowballs. "Look," said Wilma.
They saw a little boy.
The boy was pulling a toboggan. Some big boys ran up. They pushed the little boy over.
They pushed the toboggan over and they ran away.
The children ran up.
They helped the little boy.
Kipper picked up his hat. The little boy told them about the big boys. Kipper was cross.
Kipper put on the little boy's hat.
He put on his coat.
"Come on," he called.
The big boys looked at Kipper.
Kipper looked like the little boy. "Come on," said the big boys.
The children threw snowballs at the big boys. "Help!
Help!" yelled the big boys.
The big boys ran away.
The little boy jumped and jumped in the snow.
The children put the little boy on the toboggan.
They pulled him home. The little boy lived with his grandfather.
Grandfather gave the children a drink.
The children told Grandfather about the big boys. They told Grandfather about the snowball fight.
The children played in the snow.
They went on the toboggan. " This is fun," said Wilf.
The magic key began to glow.
"It's time to go," said Biff.
"Come on," she said.
The magic took the children home. "What an adventure!" said Chip.
Gran wanted a new car. Biff and Chip were sad. They liked Gran's old car.
Gran liked this car. Biff was worried. The car was too fast for Gran.
Gran bought the fast car.
She drove it home. "Oh no!" said Dad.
Mum was cross with Gran. "That car is too fast," she said.
Gran was upset.
The magic key glowed. The magic took Biff and Chip.
It took Gran, too.
The magic took them to a race. "Come on," said Gran.
"This is my new car. "
"Oh Gran!" said Biff.
"What would Mum say?"
"Never mind Mum," said Gran.
Gran found a map. They all looked at it. A man looked at Gran. He was a bad man.
He was called the Baron.
The children looked at the Baron. The Baron looked at the children. "Ha!" said the Baron.
"You won't win. "
A man changed the signpost. "Ha! Ha!" said the man.
"Now the Baron will win. "
The map blew away. "Which way?" asked Gran.
Chip didn't know. They didn't see the signpost. Gran turned left. "Grrr!" said the man.
They came to the mountains. "Slow down," shouted Biff.
"No. This is fun," said Gran.
The Baron put oil on the road. "That will do it," he said.
"That will stop them. "
The car skidded on the oil.
It crashed through the fence and went down the mountain.
"Hold on," shouted Gran.
"Oh no!" shouted Biff.
"Oh help!" shouted Chip.
The Baron was behind. Gran was in front. She was winning the race. Biff looked behind. "Come on Gran," she shouted.
"Which way?" called Gran.
Chip didn't know. Gran turned on to a bridge. The bridge was dangerous. "Not this way!" called Chip.
The bridge broke.
The Baron's car crashed into the river.
Gran won the race. "Hooray!" called Biff and Chip.
The magic key glowed.
Gran took the fast car back. She bought a little car. "This one will do," she said.
Mum and Gran went on holiday. They went to Scotland.
They took the children.
They stayed in a cottage. The cottage was by a lake. It had a boat. "I like it here," said Biff.
"We can go sailing. "
"And fishing," said Kipper.
Everyone had a good time. Biff and Kipper went fishing. Gran and Chip painted a picture. Mum sat in the sun and read a book. "This is fun," she said.
Everyone looked at Gran's picture. "Oh Gran!" said Chip.
She had painted a monster. Kipper looked at the monster. Gran laughed. "There's no such thing," she said.
Mum went shopping.
She took Kipper. Biff and Chip stayed with Gran.
Mum looked at the shops. "Let's get Dad a postcard," she said.
Kipper went into a shop. "I want a monster for me and a postcard for Dad," he said.
Kipper posted the card to Dad. "I wish Dad was here," he said.
Gran wanted to play a joke on Mum. "Let's make a monster," she said.
"I don't get it," said Biff.
"Wait and see," said Gran.
They put the monster in the lake. It made the children laugh. "It looks brilliant!" said Chip.
"What a good joke," said Biff.
"What a good joke to play on Mum. "
Mum and Kipper came back. Gran pulled the rope. The monster went across the lake. "A real monster," said Kipper.
"I don't believe it," said Mum.
"There's no such thing. "
Some people saw Gran's monster. They were amazed.
They took photographs.
The children watched television. "Gran's monster!" said Chip.
"Oh no!" groaned Biff.
The next day lots of people came. There were lots and lots and lots of people. They wanted to see the monster. "Oh Gran!" said Mum.
"Now look what you've done. "
Gran told everyone about the monster. "It was just a joke," she said.
A man from the television came. Mum was cross with Gran but everyone laughed.
Gran was sorry. "A monster?" she said.
"There is no such thing. "
Mrs May was ill. The children had a new teacher. He was called Mr Fry.
It was story time. The children sat in the reading corner. Mr Fry had a new story. The story was about a king. He was called King Arthur.
"Here is King Arthur," said Mr Fry, "and here are his knights.
They lived a long time ago. "
King Arthur had a round table. All the knights sat round it. They liked the round table.
The children did a project. The boys were knights. "It's not fair," said Biff.
Biff wanted to be a knight. "It's not fair," she said.
"Why can't girls be knights?"
Biff was in her room. She wanted to go skateboarding. But the magic key began to glow.
"Oh blow!" said Biff.
"I wanted to go skateboarding. "
The magic took Biff to King Arthur's castle.
It put her in a dress. "Yuk!" said Biff.
"I wanted to be a knight.
Knights don't wear dresses. "
Biff was cross with the magic. She saw some knights. "Can I be a knight?" she said.
The knights laughed. "But you are a girl," they said.
"Girls can't be knights. "
Biff got on her skateboard. "You couldn't do that," she said.
"Now can I be a knight?"
The knights were amazed. "We'll have to ask King Arthur," said the knights.
The knights took Biff to King Arthur. "This is Biff," they said.
"She wants to be a knight. "
King Arthur laughed. "Girls can't be knights," he said.
"Why not?" asked Biff.
King Arthur called a meeting but the knights argued. No one wanted to sit down. They all wanted to sit near King Arthur.
Biff had a good idea. She spoke to King Arthur. "Get a round table," she said.
The knights liked the round table. "It's brilliant!" they said.
"Now we won't argue. "
The knights sat round the table. "See!" said Biff.
"Now can I be a knight?"
But everyone laughed. "I'm sorry," said King Arthur, "but girls can't be knights. "
The magic adventure was over. "It's not fair," said Biff.
"Girls are as good as boys. "
The children were in the cellar. They wanted to find a secret tunnel.
The children looked everywhere.
They tapped on the floor.
They tapped on the walls. But there was no secret tunnel. "It's no good," said Biff.
Kipper ran to the cellar. He had the magic key. The key was glowing.
They ran to Biff's bedroom. "Come on!" called Kipper.
"It's time for a magic adventure. "
The magic took them underground. They were in a big tunnel. Wilma picked up a lamp. "Come on," she said.
"Let's go!"
There were elves in the tunnel. But they were shy. "Oh no!" they said.
"Children!"
The children went down the tunnel.
They didn't see the elves. "This way," said Wilma.
The children came to a big cave. "Wow!" said Biff.
The elves looked at the children. "Oh dear!" said the elves.
"Oh dear! Oh dear!"
The cave had an echo. "Whoooooaa!" called Kipper.
"Whoooooaa!" went the echo.
"Whoooooaa!" went Kipper.
The elves laughed. They laughed and laughed.
The elves came out. They ran to say hello. "Whoooooaa!" they went.
"Whoooooaa!" went the echo.
And everyone laughed.
The elves were sad. They had no work.
"Can you help?" said the elves.
"Our gold has run out.
We don't know what to do. "
Wilma had a good idea. She told the elves what it was. The elves liked Wilma's idea. They painted some signs. The children helped.
The elves put lights in the caves. The cave looked beautiful. People came to see them. The elves were happy.
The elves were busy. "Thanks to the children," they said.
The magic key began to glow. It was time to go home.
"What an adventure!" said Wilf.
"I have a good idea," said Chip.
"What do you think?"
The children were at school. They made a little theatre.
They made it out of a box.
The children put on a play.
The play was about a wizard. He was called Wizard Blot. Wizard Blot made mistakes.
Wizard Blot made a spell. The spell went wrong. "Oh dear!
Oh dear!" said Wizard Blot.
Everyone laughed. Everyone liked the play. Mrs May liked Wizard Blot.
Biff was in her room. The key began to glow. "Chip!
Chip!" called Biff.
Chip ran into Biff's bedroom. The magic took them inside the little house.
The magic took them to Wizard Blot's house. The Wizard wanted some help. "Come in!" said the Wizard.
"I wanted one helper, but two will do. "
"Come in!" said the Wizard.
"You can wash up, then you can tidy up. "
Biff and Chip looked at the mess. "Don't be lazy," said the Wizard, "or I'll turn you into frogs. "
Biff and Chip did the washing up. "I don't like this," said Chip, "but I don't want to be a frog. "
"I don't like ironing," said Biff, "but we don't want to be frogs. "
Oh no! Biff dropped a bottle.
It was vanishing cream.
"Help!" said Biff.
"This is vanishing cream. "
Chip looked at his hands. "Oh no," he said.
"Bits of us are vanishing. "
He rubbed his face. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"Your face is vanishing. "
A man came to the house.
He climbed through the window.
The man didn't see Biff and Chip. He took all the Wizard's computer disks.
"Help! Help!" said the man.
"I'm being attacked by the washing. "
Wizard Blot came back. Biff told him about the vanishing cream.
Chip gave Wizard Blot the computer disks. The Wizard was pleased.
It was time to go home. "Thank you," said Wizard Blot.
"Do come again. "
Biff had a little bottle. "Don't drop it," said Chip.
"It's vanishing cream. "
Mum and Dad painted the kitchen. Dad painted the ceiling. Mum painted the walls.
Mum pulled up the old carpet. "The walls look good," she said.
"But this looks a mess. "
Dad looked at the floor. "We need a new carpet," said Biff.
Mum found a trap door.
She pulled it up. Everyone looked. "It's a cellar," said Dad.
Mum went into the cellar. "It looks big," she said.
The children looked in. "It looks dark," said Biff.
"It looks spooky," said Chip.
Dad got a light. They went into the cellar. Kipper found an old sheet. "I'm a ghost," he said.
"Whooooooooooooaa...!"
"Look at this," said Kipper.
"What is it?" asked Chip.
"I don't know," said Mum.
"It's a whatsit," said Dad.
Wilf and Wilma came to play. They looked at the whatsit.
"What is it?" asked Wilma.
"It's a whatsit," said Chip.
"We found it in the cellar. "
Two men came to the house. They came in a lorry. They took away the old things. One man looked at the whatsit. "What is it?" he asked.
"It's a whatsit," said Dad.
The men took the whatsit.
They put it in a lorry. A car stopped. A lady jumped out and called to the men. "Stop!" she said.
The lady wanted the whatsit. She wanted it for a museum. The men put it in the car. The lady gave Dad some money. "Come to the museum," she said, "and bring the children. "
The whatsit was in the museum. Mum and Dad went to see it.
They took Biff, Chip and Kipper.
"So that's what it is," said Dad.
Mum and Dad had a surprise. It was for the children. "What is it?" asked Biff.
"It's a whatsit," said Dad.
He pulled off the sheet.
The whatsit was a snooker table. "It's brilliant!" they said.
Mum and Dad went camping.
They took the children. They went to a farm.
Mum and Dad had a new tent.
They put it up. Wilf helped. Wilma got some water. "I like it here," she said.
"I like camping. "
Mr Jones was the farmer. He had to milk the cows. "Come and watch," he said.
"What a lot of cows!" said Wilf.
Mr Jones laughed.
"We milk them every day," he said.
Mum wanted some milk. She went to the farmhouse. "I want some eggs too," said Mum.
Mrs Jones was expecting a baby.
She was expecting it soon. "It may come today," she said.
Dad cooked supper. "I like it here," said Wilf.
"It's fun in this tent. "
Everyone went to bed but there was a storm. Nobody could sleep.
The wind blew. Everyone had to get up.
The wind blew the tent down. They had to go to the farmhouse.
Mr Jones called Mum. "The baby is coming," he said.
Mrs Jones had to go to hospital. She got in the car. Mum helped her.
The storm got worse. The wind blew and blew.
The wind blew a big tree down. The car couldn't get past. Mr and Mrs Jones went back to the house.
Mr Jones called for help. He called the hospital. "A helicopter's coming," he said.
Mr Jones pointed to a field.
"The helicopter can land there," he said.
Mr Jones got some bags. The children helped. They got some big stones.
They made a big cross out of the bags.
They put stones on the bags.
The helicopter came.
It landed near the cross. "At last!" said Mr Jones.
There was a doctor in the helicopter. "Come on!" said Mr Jones.
The doctor ran to the house but Mum came to the door.
She was laughing. "Too late!" said Mum.
"Mrs Jones has had the baby.
She's had a baby boy. "
Everyone looked at the baby. "He's very sweet," said Wilma.
"Will he like camping?"
Some people came to the school.
They put a fence across the playground.
The children looked at the fence. "What is it for?" asked Wilf.
Nobody knew. A lorry came to the school. It had blocks on it. "What are they for?" asked Biff.
Then a digger came. The children were excited. Some men dug a long trench across the playground. "What is it for?" everyone asked.
It was time to go in but the children didn't want to. They liked the digger. Mrs May looked at the trench. "It's for a new classroom," she said.
The children were excited. They wanted to find out about the new classroom. The children looked at some books. Wilf found a book about diggers. Chip painted a picture of one.
Mrs May took the children outside. They talked about the digger. Mrs May took a photograph.
Everyone looked at the blocks. "The classroom will go on the blocks," said Mrs May.
Then a crane came to the school. The children were excited. They looked at the driver. "What is the crane for?" asked Biff.
"Wait and see," said Mrs May.
The children watched the crane. It lifted the classroom over the wall. Everyone watched the classroom. "Don't drop it," called Chip.
Biff looked at the classroom. Something was wrong. "Mrs May! Mrs May!" called Biff.
"Don't shout, Biff," said Mrs May.
The crane put the classroom down.
It put the classroom on the blocks.
The crane lifted the roof and put it on the classroom. Something was wrong.
"Mrs May!" called Biff.
"Something is wrong. "
"Don't shout, Biff," said Mrs May.
Everyone gasped. The classroom was upside down. "Oh dear!" said Mrs May.
"I said something was wrong," said Biff.
"But nobody would listen. "
The crane put the classroom the right way up. The children wanted to look inside.
The children went inside. Wilf saw a door. "What's in here?" asked Wilf.
Everyone gasped. "Oh no!" said Wilf.
Mum and Dad went to a car boot sale.
They took the children.
Mum looked at a dinghy. She called Dad. Dad looked at the dinghy. "What is it?" asked Dad.
"It's a dinghy," said Mum.
Mum wanted the dinghy. She called the children.
"Look at this," she said.
The children looked at the dinghy. "What is it?" they asked.
"It's a dinghy," said Mum.
They took the dinghy home. Dad pumped it up but it went down again.
Mum mended the dinghy.
She put a patch on it. The children helped.
Dad put the dinghy on the car. They took a picnic and went to the river. Dad looked at the river.
He pointed at the weir.
"The weir is dangerous," he said.
Mum and Dad had a good idea. "Let's put everything in the dinghy.
Everyone can help," they said.
They found a good spot for the picnic. The children paddled the dinghy.
It was time for the picnic. Mum and Dad put the rug down and got the picnic out.
Floppy ran out of the water.
He shook water over Dad. "Go away, Floppy!" said Dad.
The river was busy. Biff and Chip watched the boats go by.
Biff liked the big boats. "I wish we could go on a big boat," she said.
It was time to go home. "What a good day!" said Dad.
"It was a good picnic. "
"Look!" said Biff.
"There is nobody on that boat. "
"My boat is in danger," called a lady.
"Help!
Get my boat!"
Mum put the dinghy in the river.
She paddled to the boat. "Be careful," called everyone.
Mum climbed on to the boat.
She started the engine. She was just in time.
Mum brought the boat back. "Hooray!" everyone shouted.
"Mum to the rescue!" said Kipper.
Dad let go of the dinghy rope. The dinghy went over the weir. "Oh no!" said everyone.
The lady had an idea. "I will lend you my boat to say thank you," she said.
The family had a holiday on the boat. "Thanks to the dinghy," said Mum.
Jo had some good news. She was expecting a baby. "What good news!" said everyone.
Wilma's mum found the old buggy. "Oh look!" said Wilma's dad.
"Wilf had it when he was a baby. "
The buggy looked a bit scruffy. A wheel had come off. "We can do it up," said Wilma's mum.
Wilma told Biff and Chip.
"Jo is expecting a baby," she said.
"What good news!" said Chip.
Biff and Chip went home. "Jo is expecting a baby," said Chip.
"What good news!" said Mum.
Dad found the old cot. "Oh look!" said Mum.
"Kipper had it when he was a baby. "
The cot looked a bit scruffy.
It needed a new mattress. "We can do it up," said Dad.
Biff and Chip told Kipper.
"Jo is expecting a baby," they said.
"That's brilliant!" said Kipper.
Kipper found an old toy rabbit. It looked a bit scruffy. "Can we do it up?" he asked.
Kipper was in Miss Green's class. He told Miss Green about Jo's baby. "How exciting!" said Miss Green.
Kipper looked puzzled. "When will Jo's baby come?" he asked.
Miss Green told the children about babies. Mums and dads came to school. They told the children about babies too.
Kipper played with the baby.
He gave it a rattle. The baby made a funny noise.
The children made a book.
The book was about babies.
Kipper gave Jo the book. Biff and Chip gave Jo the cot. Jo was pleased.
Wilf wanted the baby to be a girl. Wilma wanted it to be a boy so Wilf made a big chart.
"The baby is coming," said Jo.
"It's time to go. "
"How exciting," said Wilf.
Wilma called her mum. "Jo's baby is coming," she called.
"How exciting!" said Wilma's mum.
Jo went to the hospital.
She went in the car. "Good luck," called Wilma's mum.
Jo was in hospital.
She had a baby girl. "She is called Vicky," said Jo.
Jo brought Vicky home. Everyone wanted to see the new baby.
Jo looked at Kipper. "You know about babies," she said.
"Do you want to help?"
Kipper looked at Vicky.
"No, thank you," said Kipper.
It rained and rained. It rained all day long.
The children were fed up.
The children went outside. They wanted to play but it was too wet.
Dad looked out of the window. "Come inside," he said.
"It's too wet to play outside. "
The children went to Biff's room. Suddenly, the key began to glow.
It was time for a magic adventure. "What a good job!" said Kipper.
"I want a magic adventure."
I'm fed up with all the rain. "
The magic key took them into a new adventure. But it was raining. "Oh no!" said Kipper.
"We don't want an adventure in the rain. "
The children saw a boat. "What is it?" asked Kipper.
"It's Noah's Ark," said Biff.
"Noah has to put the animals on the Ark or they will drown," said Chip.
"It's raining so much," said Biff.
"The water's going to cover everything. "
"Don't worry," said Chip.
"Noah will save all the animals. "
"Will he save us too?" asked Kipper.
"Hello," said Noah.
"What do you want?
Have you come to help?"
Noah looked at the water.
He pointed at the Ark.
"I want some help," he said.
The children looked at the animals. "It is time to put the animals on to the Ark," said Noah.
The animals went on to the Ark. They went on in twos.
First, Noah put the big animals on.
A man pushed the elephants.
They pulled the crocodiles up in a big net.
A camel didn't want to go on to the Ark. They pushed it and pulled it.
"All the animals are on," said Noah.
"It's time to go. Please get on to the Ark. "
The children went on to the Ark. Noah looked at Floppy. "Stop!" shouted Noah.
"I'm sorry," said Noah.
"We put two dogs on the Ark.
We can't have three dogs. "
The children couldn't leave Floppy.
"Floppy can't go on the Ark, so we won't go on it," said Biff.
The Ark sailed away.
The children floated in Noah's big umbrella. "It's still raining," said Biff.
Just then, the magic key began to glow.
The magic took the children home. "What an adventure!" said Biff.
"Oh no!" said Kipper.
Biff and Chip had a little garden.
They planted seeds and they put in plants.
The birds liked the garden. They ate the seeds and pecked the plants. Biff was cross. "Look at the birds," she said.
"Go away! Go away!"
Biff and Chip had an idea. "Let's make a scarecrow," they said.
"What a good idea," said Mum.
They got some old clothes and made the scarecrow's body. Mum helped them.
Biff got a bag. Chip painted a face on it. Mum made the scarecrow's hair.
Chip wanted the scarecrow to be a boy.
He called it Fred.
Biff wanted it to be a girl. "All scarecrows are boys," said Chip.
The key began to glow. The magic took them inside the little house.
The magic took them to a field. The scarecrow came to life. "I'm alive!" called Fred.
Fred jumped in the air.
"It's magic!" he called.
There were some scarecrows in the lane. Fred waved at them.
Fred ran up to the scarecrows. "Hello!" he called.
"Where are you going?"
A scarecrow pointed to a barn. "We're going to the barn dance.
You can come too. "
Then the scarecrows looked at Biff and Chip. "Oh dear!
You can't come. "
Biff and Chip weren't scarecrows. They couldn't go to the dance but Fred had an idea.
Fred made Biff and Chip into scarecrows. They went to the dance.
The band began to play. "Come on," called Fred.
"Let's dance. "
Biff began to dance with the scarecrows. "This is fun," called Chip.
Biff danced with Fred. Chip danced with Biff. They all danced with the scarecrows. "See!" said Biff.
"There are girl scarecrows.
I told you so. "
Suddenly, the key glowed. It was time to go home. "Oh no!" said Fred.
The magic took them home. Biff and Chip had an idea.
"I didn't know there were girl scarecrows," said Mum.
"Well, there are," said Chip.
The children went to pick blackberries.
There were lots of blackberries.
The bushes had thorns. "Mind the thorns," called Wilma.
"Ow!" said Chip.
"The thorns are sharp. "
Wilma saw some big blackberries. She had some thick gloves and some clippers. Wilma put on the thick gloves.
She cut the stems with the clippers.
The children went home. They ate some blackberries. "Yuk! This isn't ripe," said Biff.
Biff picked up the magic key. It began to glow.
"The magic is working," said Biff.
The magic took them to a castle. "Wow! Look at these thorns," said Kipper.
A man was stuck in the thorns. "Ow! Help!" he called.
"I can't get free. "
Wilma put on the gloves.
She got the clippers.
Then she cut the man free. "Thanks," said the man.
"I wanted to get to the castle, but I got stuck in the thorns. "
"I am a prince," said the man.
"I need to get in the castle.
There is a princess in there. "
"We can help," said Wilma.
"We can lend you these clippers. "
The thorns were sharp but the prince cut a way in. "Mind the thorns," he called.
At last, they got to the castle. The prince pushed the door open.
They went inside the castle. Everyone was fast asleep. There was dust on everything. "Yuk!" said Kipper.
"Look at the cobwebs. "
There were cobwebs everywhere. There were even cobwebs on the people.
At last, they found the princess. She was fast asleep. "Now what do I do?" said the prince.
"You kiss the princess," said Kipper.
"Then she wakes up.
Everyone knows that!"
The prince kissed the princess. "Yuk," said Chip.
The princess woke up.
"At last!" said the princess.
Everyone in the castle woke up. The magic key glowed. "Time to go," said Biff.
"The prince doesn't need us now. "
The magic adventure was over. Dad was fast asleep. "He's no Sleeping Beauty!" said Biff.
The children went to an adventure park. They were excited.
They all wanted to go on the Treetop Adventure. "This looks exciting," said Chip.
Chip put on a harness. The harness had a clip at the front.
Chip went across the log bridge. "Come on, Biff," he called.
"You can't fall off. "
Biff began to go across the bridge. "This is exciting," she said.
Kipper went on the rope runway. "Off you go!" said Mum.
"Here I come," called Kipper.
He went down fast. "I want to go next," said Biff.
Biff and Dad went in a red canoe. "Come on!" called Biff.
"You won't fall in!"
Mum, Chip and Kipper went in a green canoe.
They went across the lake. It was fun in the canoes. Chip saw a big bird in the sky. "Look at that big bird," he said.
"What do you think it is?"
It was time for a barbecue. They all helped to bring the food. Dad lit the barbecue. "I am hungry," said Kipper.
"It won't be long," said Dad.
They all sat at the table. Dad was busy.
There was a lot to cook. "This looks good," said Dad.
"Look at this chicken leg!
What a good cook I am!"
A big bird swooped down.
It had straps on its legs. It took the chicken leg from Dad's hand. The bird flew back into a tree.
It began to eat the chicken leg.
The bird sat in the tree. Everyone looked up at it. "It must be hungry," said Biff.
Dad got his mobile phone. "A bird has escaped," he said.
A woman came to catch the bird. It flew down and landed on her arm.
"This bird is called a falcon," said the woman.
"It took Dad's chicken leg!" said Biff.
The woman took the falcon home. Everyone went with her. They looked at all the birds. "What beautiful birds," said Chip.
They went back but the chicken legs were burnt. "I'm still hungry!" said Kipper.
Mum was going to make a cake. She wanted Kipper to help.
First Mum gave Kipper an apron.
Then she looked at his hands. "What dirty hands!" said Mum.
Mum looked at Kipper's nails.
Kipper's nails were long. "Let me cut them," said Mum.
Kipper made a fuss. He didn't want Mum to cut his nails.
He didn't want to wash his hands. "I must cut your nails," said Mum.
"No!
No! No!" said Kipper and he ran out of the room.
Kipper ran into Biff's room. Biff looked at Kipper's long dirty nails.
"Yuk!" said Biff.
"You look like a troll. "
"It's not fair," said Kipper.
But then the key began to glow. It was time for a magic adventure.
The magic took them to a stream. There was a bridge over the stream. Biff wanted to cross the bridge. "We can pick the flowers over there," she said.
"Come on!"
Kipper ran after Biff. But there were trolls under the bridge.
Suddenly the trolls jumped out. "Oh no!" said Kipper.
"Trolls can be nasty. "
"Hip, hip, hooray!" sang the trolls.
"This is the troll bridge.
Do come across. "
"Will you eat us up?" said Kipper.
"No! No! We will not," sang the trolls.
"We are not nasty," said a troll.
"We just look nasty. "
"Nobody likes us," said a troll.
"We want to have a party but nobody wants to come. "
The trolls went under the bridge.
They got the party food and set out the party. "Tuck in," said a troll.
The trolls had long dirty nails.
"Yuk!" said Kipper.
"Look at her long, dirty nails. "
"Look at the troll food," said Biff.
"Have a slug bun," said a troll, "or some slime jelly. "
"Have a mud mint," said another troll.
"Mud mints are yummy. "
"Yuk!" said Biff.
"Have some bug pie," said a troll.
"Yuk!" said Kipper.
"Look at his hands. "
Suddenly the key began to glow. The adventure was over. "At last," said Kipper.
The magic took them home. Kipper washed his hands.
Then he went to get his nails cut.
"I'm not a troll," said Kipper.
"Trolls have dirty hands and long nails!
Yuk!" 
Chip and Wilf were tracking Dad. "This is a good game," said Wilf.
"Put this in your hat," said Chip.
"Dad won't see us.
Then we can track him. "
Chip and Wilf hid in the trees. "Keep down," said Chip.
"Here comes Dad. "
Dad went past. He looked for the boys, but he couldn't see them.
Floppy went sniff, sniff, sniff!
"Go away, Floppy!" said Chip, but Floppy wouldn't go.
Chip and Wilf went home. They looked for Biff but she was not there.
The key began to glow. It took Chip and Wilf into a magic adventure.
The magic took them to Africa. Some zebra were going to drink at a pool. Chip and Wilf looked around. "A herd of zebra!" said Wilf.
"Don't let them see us!"
Chip saw a lorry by a tree.
Some men got out. They began to creep up to the zebra. "What do they want?" said Wilf.
"Oh no!" said Wilf.
"They are going to catch a zebra. "
"We must stop them," said Chip.
He had an idea. "Come on," he said.
The boys ran to the lorry. Chip pressed the horn. "Beeeeeeeep!" it went.
"Beeeeeeeep!" went the horn again.
The zebra looked up.
The horn scared the zebra. They ran away. The men were scared, too. They ran back to the lorry. "Quick! Let's go," one called.
"Quick, Wilf," said Chip.
"Run!"
They ran away.
Chip and Wilf hid in a bush. They didn't want the men to see them.
The men couldn't start the lorry. Suddenly a jeep drove up. There were rangers in the jeep. The men jumped out of the lorry and ran away. The rangers chased after them.
A ranger shook Chip's hand. "Thank you," he said.
"You saved a zebra. "
The magic key began to glow. It was time to go. It had been an exciting adventure.
"Why wouldn't the lorry start?" asked Wilf.
"Ha!
I took the key!" said Chip.
Dad went running. Floppy went with him.
Dad went running every day. "I want to get fit," he said.
Biff and Chip went with Dad. They went on bikes. "Keep going, Dad," said Biff.
Dad had an idea. He wanted to do the Fun Run.
"What a good idea," said Mum.
"But it's a long way to run!"
Biff and Chip told everyone. "Dad is going to do a Fun Run," said Biff.
"It's to help Children in Need," said Chip.
"Will you sponsor Dad?"
It was the day of the Fun Run. They all went to the park. "It's a long way to run," said Chip.
"Go!" called a man and the Fun Run began.
"Go on, Dad!" called Kipper.
The Fun Run went around the park. "Ten times round the park," said Dad.
"10"
"It's a long way to run. "
Dad ran well. He ran round the park four times.
There was still a long way to go.
Oh no! Dad's foot went into a hole.
Dad fell down. "Ouch!" said Dad.
"My foot!"
A man looked at Dad's foot. "You must rest it," he said.
"You can't run on it. "
Dad couldn't finish the Fun Run.
"What bad luck!" said Mum.
"Poor old Dad!"
Dad was upset. "Oh no!" he said.
"Now I can't help Children in Need. "
Wilf had an idea. "We can push you in the old pram," he said.
Wilf and his mum ran home.
They got the old pram and ran back with it.
"Come on, Dad," said Chip.
"Get in the pram. "
"We will all push you," said Mum.
Dad sat in the pram. They pushed him round the park.
"Hooray!" everyone called.
"It's not far now!"
"But it's a long way to push a pram," said Mum.
"Keep going!" said Dad.
It was the end of the run. The wheels came off the pram. Dad fell out. "What a way to end the run," said Dad.
"But thank you for pushing me. "
"That was a fun run," said Kipper.
"But it was a long way to push a dad!"
Wilma had a lot of drawings. They were all pictures of girls.
"I like drawing clothes," Wilma said.
Biff looked at Wilma's pictures. "They are good," she said.
Chip was painting a picture. He was painting a volcano.
Wilma moved her leg.
She kicked Chip's water over. "Whoops!" said Wilma.
"Sorry. "
The water ran over Chip's picture. Chip was cross. "My picture is a mess now!" he said.
Chip flicked paint over Wilma's picture. "Your drawings are silly," he said.
Biff told Chip to say sorry.
Chip was too cross to say sorry. He flicked paint at Wilma. Then the key began to glow.
The magic took them to a volcano. It looked like Chip's painting. But where was Chip? "Look at those girls," gasped Wilma.
"They look like the ones in my drawings.
Look at their clothes. "
The girls called to Wilma. "Do you like my top?" said a girl.
"Do you like my boots?"
Suddenly, the volcano began to spit out blobs of red paint. Splat! A big blob landed by Biff.
"Come on!
Run!" yelled Biff. "Run!
Or the volcano will get us. "
"I can't run in these boots," said a girl.
"Run!" yelled Wilma.
"We can't," said a girl.
"I can't run in this dress!"
Splat! Red blobs landed everywhere. "It's red paint!" said Biff.
Splat! A red blob hit a girl. Red paint began to gush out of the volcano.
It looked like a big, red river.
Wilma had an idea. She began to draw jeans and tops. Biff helped her. "Quick! Put these on," said Wilma.
"Oh! We like these," said the girls.
"Now run!" called Wilma.
They all ran.
Chip was in the paint river. "Help! Help!" he called.
"Get me out!"
Biff and Wilma saw Chip. "Stop!" they called.
"We must get him out. "
Wilma had an idea. She drew a long rope. "Hold on, Chip," she called.
They pulled Chip out. "I'm glad this is only paint and not a real volcano," said Biff.
"Phew!" said Chip.
"Am I glad you pulled me out!"
The magic key began to glow.
"Now are you sorry, Chip?" said Biff.
Chip had a blob of paint on him. "I am," he said.
"Sorry!"
The family was going away. "Look after Floppy," said Dad.
Gran liked looking after Floppy. She took him for lots of walks.
She threw sticks for him to chase and balls for him to catch.
Gran had a motorbike.
It was bright red. "Jump in, Floppy," said Gran.
Gran put on her crash helmet. "Where are we going?" thought Floppy.
Soon, they were zooming into town. "Isn't this fun!" said Gran.
"Not for me!" thought Floppy.
At last, Gran stopped. She parked the motorbike on the sand.
"Stay here, Floppy," said Gran.
"Look after the motorbike.
I'm going shopping. "
Gran was away for a long time. The tide started to come in. A wave splashed the front wheel.
Then a wave splashed the back wheel.
"Gran has parked too close to the sea!" thought Floppy.
"I must find Gran," thought Floppy.
He ran into the town as fast as he could.
Sniff! Sniff! went Floppy. He could tell where Gran had been. She had been in the butcher's shop.
"Yum! Bones," thought Floppy.
"Get out!" yelled the butcher.
"No dogs in here!"
Floppy ran back into the street. "I must find Gran," he thought.
Sniff! Sniff! went Floppy. Gran had been in the bread shop. "Get out!" yelled the baker.
"No dogs in here!"
Floppy ran back into the street. "I must find Gran," he thought.
Then Floppy saw Gran. She was in the hat shop. Floppy ran in and barked.
"Get out!" said the lady.
"No dogs in here!"
"Come on, Gran!" thought Floppy.
Floppy ran out of the shop. Gran ran after him. "Come back!" called the lady.
"You haven't paid for that hat. "
Floppy ran back to the beach. Gran puffed after him.
"Oh no!
My motorbike," shouted Gran.
She ran into the sea and pushed her motorbike out. "Well done, Floppy," said Gran.
"You saved my motorbike!"
Gran spoke to Mum.
"I'm not looking after Floppy," she said.
"He's looking after me!"
Wilf was staying with Chip. It was very hot.
"It's too hot to sleep," said Chip.
"I wish we were in the Arctic," said Wilf.
"It's cold there. "
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
It took them into an adventure.
The key took Chip and Wilf to the Arctic. There was snow everywhere. The snow felt cold. "Brrrr!" said Chip.
"Now, I'm freezing. "
Wilf saw a girl. "Help!" he called.
"We are freezing in this snow. "
The girl came over. "You need some warm clothes," she said.
"My name is Oona," said the girl.
"Put these clothes on. "
"Now you can help me catch some fish," said Oona.
"You can't catch fish in the snow," said Chip.
"I can," said Oona.
There was ice under the snow.
Under the ice was the sea. Oona made a hole and they started to fish.
Soon, they had five fish. Suddenly, Chip saw a polar bear. "Run!" he gasped.
"It's going to eat us!"
Chip and Wilf ran. "It's hard to run in the snow," panted Wilf.
"Stop!" called Oona.
"The bear just wants some fish. "
"She's only a cub, and she's lost," said Oona.
"I've been helping my dad to find her. "
The cub ate the fish and soon fell asleep. "I'll call Dad now," said Oona.
Oona's dad came. "Well done, Oona," he said.
"Now we can get the cub back to her mother. "
They put the cub on a sled and set off across the snow. "The cub needs her mother," said Oona.
"She hasn't learned to hunt yet. "
They saw a big bear on the ice. "Is that her mother?" asked Wilf.
The mother bear gave a roar. Then she dived into the sea and swam to her cub.
"I'm glad we helped the cub find her mother," said Oona.
"I'm glad I'm not a polar bear!" said Chip.
Just then, the key began to glow.
"That was a cold adventure," said Wilf.
"But it's still hot!" said Chip.
The family went camping. They put up a tent.
It took a long time to put up the tent. Floppy was hungry. Floppy was so hungry, he ran off to look for food.
A man was cooking. "That smells good," thought Floppy "and I'm so hungry. "
"Go away!" called the man.
"You can't have our dinner. "
Floppy ran off.
Floppy saw a dog's bowl. "This smells good," he thought, "and I'm so hungry. "
A big dog barked at Floppy. "Go away" growled the dog.
"You can't have my dinner. "
Floppy was lost.
He saw lots of tents but they all looked the same to him.
Floppy could smell something. He sniffed and sniffed. Something smelled good.
Floppy went inside the tent. He saw three plates. There was a slice of cake on each one.
By now, Floppy was very hungry. So he ate the big slice.
He was still hungry, so he ate the smaller slice.
But Floppy was still hungry, so he ate the very small slice, too. "I need a rest now," he thought.
There were three beds. Floppy went on the blue bed, but it was too hard.
Then Floppy went on the green bed, but it was too soft.
In the end, he lay on the red bed. It was not too hard or too soft.
It was just right. So he went to sleep.
Soon, a girl came back to the tent with her mum and dad. It was Anneena!
"Someone has eaten my cake," said Anneena.
"Someone has eaten all the cake," said Anneena's mum.
"And look who's sleeping on your bed. "
"It's Floppy!" said Anneena.
"What are you doing here, you naughty dog?"
Anneena and her dad looked for Biff and Chip. At last, they found them.
"What a surprise to see you!" said Biff.
Anneena told them about Floppy.
"Never mind," said Dad.
"Stay and have some of our cake. " 
Dad did the washing, but he put the clothes in a hot wash.
"Oh no!" said Dad.
"The clothes have shrunk. "
"Look at my top," said Kipper.
"Look at my jeans," said Biff.
"Sorry," said Dad.
"I forgot to set the washing machine.
It was too hot. "
Chip made a little boy with the clothes that had shrunk. "That's a good joke," laughed Biff.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
It took the children into an adventure.
The key took them to a shop. It sold magic tricks and strange things. "Wow!" said Chip.
"It's a joke shop.
But there's nobody here. I think the shop is shut. "
Suddenly, there was a loud POP and a puff of purple smoke.
"What's that?" asked Chip.
A boy was standing in the shop. "I'm sorry about all the smoke," he said.
"I'm Jake," said the boy.
"I'm learning to be a wizard.
Watch this. "
"Hooray!
It works," said Jake, "but learning to be a wizard is not easy. "
Jake took a tin out of his pocket.
"I want to try this," he said.
"It's shrinking powder," said Jake.
"I want to see if it works. "
He shook some over Kipper.
Kipper began to shrink. "Help!" he said.
"Everything looks big. "
"Hooray!" said Jake.
"It works!"
"Oh no!" said Biff and Chip.
"Kipper has shrunk. "
"It's not funny," said Kipper.
Jake tapped Kipper with a wand. "Now I'll make him big," he said.
Suddenly, Kipper had huge ears. "Whoops!" said Jake. ""
"That's not quite right... let me try again. "
Jake waved the wand.
Suddenly, Kipper had long, green hair. "This is not funny," said Kipper.
Jake waved the wand again. "I am sorry," said Jake.
"I can't make him big. "
Chip was cross. He took Jake's wand. "Let me try," he said.
Just then, the key glowed.
The key took them back. Kipper's big ears and green hair had gone, but he was still small.
"Dad is coming," said Chip.
"We can't let him see Kipper. "
"Let's put a box on him," said Biff.
Suddenly, Kipper was big again. "What are you up to?" asked Dad.
"Shrinking Kipper," said Biff.
"That's a good joke!" laughed Dad.
It had been snowing. Kipper wanted Floppy to pull his sled. "Go on, Floppy!
Pull!" he called.
Floppy didn't want to pull the sled. He ran and hid in Biff's bedroom.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. It took Floppy into an adventure.
The magic took Floppy to a dark, cold forest. There was snow everywhere. The snow felt cold on Floppy's paws and a cold wind was blowing. "Brrrr!" thought Floppy.
Floppy began to walk, but his paws sank in the deep snow. He heard a howling sound. AOOOOOW!
"What is that?" thought Floppy.
Oh no! It was a pack of wolves. They had red eyes and long white teeth. They growled at Floppy.
Floppy was scared of the wolves. He ran through the trees.
Suddenly, Floppy fell down. He rolled over and over.
He went faster and faster.
Then he hit a tree.
BUMP!
Floppy lay in the snow with his eyes shut. A man ran up. "Quick!" he said.
"My boy is sick.
I must get him to hospital. I need another dog to pull the sled. "
The man took Floppy to the sled. "Oh no!" thought Floppy.
"Another pack of wolves!"
But they were not wolves, they were husky dogs. The dogs growled. "Are you the new dog?
You look too floppy to pull a sled," they said.
The man put straps on Floppy. "You've got to run fast," he said.
"We must get to the hospital. "
The biggest dog barked at Floppy. "Just keep up, you floppy dog," he said.
"We've got to run fast. "
Floppy was cross.
"Don't call me a floppy dog," he said. "I'll show you!"
The sled went faster and faster. "Slow down!" panted the husky dogs.
"We can't keep up with you. "
At last, they got to the hospital. "Thank you!" shouted the man.
"You've saved my son. "
The husky dogs looked at Floppy. "Wow! You can run fast!" they said.
"You're not a floppy dog. "
"You can stay with us," said the husky dogs.
"We need a dog like you. "
The magic key began to glow. "Good!" thought Floppy.
"I need a rest. "
"Come and pull my sled, Floppy," said Kipper.
"Oh no!" thought Floppy.
Gran took the children and Floppy to see an old castle.
The children went up the path to the castle. Suddenly, Chip stopped. He pointed to a window at the top. "Look, there's a face," he said.
Everyone looked, but the face had gone. "It can't be a face," said Gran.
"The castle is empty. "
They went into the castle. "It looks very old," said Biff.
"And very scary!" said Kipper.
"Let's play hide and seek," said Chip.
The children ran in and out of the rooms. "I'll play too," said Gran, and she went into the next room.
Gran looked for a place to hide. She saw a gate and pulled it open.
CLANG! The gate banged shut. Gran pushed it, but it was stuck. "Help!
Help!" she shouted.
The children ran to see what had happened. "I'm trapped," said Gran.
The gate was very stiff. The children pulled and pulled. At last, it opened.
"I'll keep the gate open with this old chest," said Gran.
"I don't want to be trapped again. "
"Come on," said Kipper.
"Let's see where these stairs go. "
They all went up the stairs.
Suddenly, they heard a noise. Woo... ooo! Woo... ooo! "What was that?" said Biff.
The noise came again. Woo... ooo! Woo... ooo! Floppy pulled at his lead and raced up the stairs.
"Come on!
We must go after Floppy," said Chip.
They all ran to the top of the stairs.
Floppy was scratching at a small door. Gran slowly turned the handle.
They saw a small dusty room. "Come on, Floppy," said Biff.
"Let's have a look around. "
Something went flapping across the room. "What's that?" said Biff.
Chip pointed. "It's an owl," he whispered.
"It must be the face I saw at the window. "
"Poor thing!
It must have come down the chimney," said Gran.
She picked it up very gently.
Gran took the owl over to the window and opened it. The owl blinked its big round eyes.
"Go on, owl," said Kipper.
"Fly away!"
The owl flapped its wings and flew up into the sky.
Kipper watched the owl fly away. "It must be horrible to be trapped," he said.
"It is, Kipper," said Gran.
"It is!"
Kipper went into Chip's room and picked up the magic key. The key began to glow. "Oh help!" said Kipper.
Kipper ran outside and looked for Biff and Chip. "Help!" he called.
"The key is glowing. "
Biff and Chip were playing with Wilf and Wilma. They were playing in the sandpit. "Look at the magic key," called Kipper.
Biff was cross with Kipper. "Come on everyone," she yelled.
"Run inside.
Get to the magic house. "
It was too late. The magic began to work. The children got smaller and smaller.
The children were in the grass and everything looked big. The grass was like a jungle. "What big flowers!" said Kipper.
Chip saw a bumble-bee. He didn't like it and he didn't like the jungle. "Let's get out of here," he called.
The children came out of the jungle. They came to a mountain.
"What a big mountain!" said Wilf.
Chip began to climb. He wanted to get to the top. "Come on," he said.
"Let's climb up. "
The children got to the top. Kipper was hot. "I don't like climbing mountains," he said.
The children looked at the sand. "It looks like a desert," said Biff.
"Let's go down. "
"Oh no!" said Kipper.
"Look at the toy car," said Wilma.
"Let's get inside and ride down.
We can ride down to the desert. "
Whoosh! The car took them down the mountain.
"This is fun," said Wilma.
The car stopped in the sand. The children climbed out. "Oh no!" said Wilf.
"Look at that big cat. "
The children climbed inside a bottle. Kipper was frightened. "I don't like this," he said.
The cat looked inside the bottle. It pushed it with its paw. "Go away, cat," shouted Kipper.
"Shoo!" everyone yelled.
Floppy chased the cat away. The children climbed out of the bottle. "Good old Floppy!" said Biff.
They walked over the desert. Everyone felt hot. Everyone felt very hot. "I want a drink," said Kipper.
"Look!" said Wilf.
"Giant strawberries!"
The children ran to eat them. "I love strawberries," said Chip.
"So do I," said Wilf.
The children ate the strawberries. They pulled off big lumps. Kipper licked his lips. "I like this adventure now," he said.
It began to rain. "What big drops!" said Wilma.
"I feel sick now," said Kipper.
"So do I," said Chip.
The children ran to a giant flowerpot.
They hid under it. The key began to glow.
The magic was over. "I can't see," said Chip.
He had the flowerpot on his head. "I like the hat," said Wilma.
Dad looked at his strawberries. "I don't know," he said.
"There must be giant slugs round here. "
Kipper was watching television. He was watching a programme called "The Angry Giant".
He liked the programme.
The angry giant lived in a castle near a village. Nobody in the village liked the giant. He was always cross. When the giant was cross he stamped his feet and the houses shook. "Oh no!" everyone said.
"He's cross again.
He's always cross. "
Kipper went to find Chip but he was out. He picked up the magic key and it began to glow. "Ooh!" said Kipper.
He ran to get Biff but she was out with Chip. The magic began to work.
It took Kipper inside the magic house.
The magic took Kipper to the gate of the giant's castle. Kipper was frightened.
He saw a signpost. It pointed to the village. He didn't want to meet the giant, so he went to the village.
Kipper came to the village but it was tiny. Kipper was a giant. "Oh no!" said Kipper.
"Go away," yelled the people.
"We don't want you.
We've got one giant.
We don't want another one. "
The people threw things at Kipper. "Go away," they yelled.
"We don't want another giant.
We don't want you. "
"Stop it," shouted Kipper.
"I'm not a giant.
I'm a boy. "
The people said, "Well, you look like a giant. "
Kipper began to cry.
"I'm not a giant," he said.
"I'm a little boy and I don't like this adventure. "
"Giants don't cry," said the people.
"Perhaps he is a little boy but he looks like a giant to us.
Perhaps he can help us. "
Kipper helped the villagers to mend their houses.
He put back the broken roofs.
"Good old Kipper," everyone said.
"The giant threw this big stone at us," said the people.
"We don't want it here.
Can you put it outside the village?"
"Yes," said Kipper, "I'll try. "
He picked up the stone and took it outside the village. "Good old Kipper!" everyone called.
All the people liked Kipper. "Thank you," they said.
"You have helped us a lot. "
The village band played for him.
The giant came back.
He was very angry when he saw Kipper in the village.
"I'm the giant here," he shouted.
He ran towards the village. Crash! He fell over the stone. "Ouch!" he yelled.
The people were frightened but Kipper went to help the giant. He picked up the giant's things and put a bandage round his head.
Kipper was bigger than the giant. "Be a good giant," said Kipper.
"Stop being angry and the people will like you. "
So the giant stopped being angry. "I'll try to be good," he said.
"Hooray!" shouted the people.
"Let's have a party!"
The key began to glow. "It's time for me to go now," said Kipper.
"Goodbye. Thank you for the party. "
The magic took Kipper home. "Nobody likes an angry giant," said Kipper.
"What an adventure!"
A bus came to the school. The children climbed in. "I like going out," said Wilf.
"Don't push," said Mrs May.
The bus set off. "Hooray!" shouted the children.
"We're going to the zoo. "
"Don't shout, children," said Mrs May.
Biff sat with Chip. Wilf sat with Nadim. "This is fun," shouted Nadim.
"It is if you don't shout," said Mrs May.
The bus stopped on the way. The children climbed out. Some children looked at the water. Some children went to the toilet. "Don't run away," said Mrs May, "and don't go too near the water. "
Wilf kicked a stone and his shoe came off.
The shoe landed in the water with a splash. "Oh Wilf!" said Biff.
Wilf couldn't get his shoe.
He told Mrs May about it. "What a silly thing to do!" she said.
"I don't know what we can do. "
When they got to the zoo it began to rain. The children climbed out of the bus and Mrs May went to get the tickets. Nadim wanted to see the elephants. Wilf wanted to see the lions and Biff wanted to see the crocodiles. "I hope the rain stops," said Mrs May.
It rained and rained. The children were fed up. The animals were fed up too. "Don't get wet," said Mrs May.
The rain didn't stop so the children climbed back on the bus.
"Can we go to the museum?" asked Nadim.
"What a good idea!" said Mrs May.
They went to the museum.
"This is good," said Wilf.
"We can see dinosaurs here. "
"I like dinosaurs," said Nadim.
They began to run towards the dinosaurs. "Don't run," called Mrs May.
"The dinosaurs won't go away. "
They looked at a big dinosaur. "What is this one called?" asked Wilf.
"I don't know yet," said Nadim.
"Let's go and see. "
Biff had her camera. She took a photograph of the dinosaur. "What is it called?" she asked.
"It's an apatosaurus," said Nadim.
The children went into a room. A lady told them about dinosaurs and showed them some pictures.
"I know what that one is called," said Nadim.
"It's called an apatosaurus. "
"Good, Nadim," said Mrs May.
The children went to the shop. Wilf got a book about dinosaurs. Nadim got a model to make.
It was a modelof an apatosaurus. "I can make it at home," he said.
Chip said, "Come to our house.
We can help you. "
The bus got back to school. It was time to go home.
"Thank you," said the children.
"Thank you for a lovely day. "
"Goodbye, Mrs May," said Nadim.
"Can we draw dinosaurs tomorrow?"
"What a good idea!" said Mrs May.
Nadim and Wilf went home with Biff and Chip. They went to Chip's room and began to make the model.
The magic key began to glow. Biff ran to the box and picked it up. "Come on," she called.
"It's time for a magic adventure. "
"Come on Nadim," called Chip.
"We're going on a magic adventure.
We're going to the land of the dinosaurs. "
Every week Mrs May took some of the children to the swimming pool. The children were good swimmers and they liked going with Mrs May.
The children were taking a swimming test. "It's time to begin," said Mrs May.
"Who wants to go first?"
"We do," said Nadim.
Biff, Chip, Wilma, and Nadim jumped into the pool.
The water was warm. "Off you go," called Mrs May.
They had to swim up and down the pool. They had to swim ten lengths.
Wilma was first to swim ten lengths and Biff and Nadim were next.
It was hard for Chip to swim the ten lengths.
"Come on, Chip," called Mrs May.
"Don't stop.
This is the last length. "
So Chip went on and everyone was pleased.
Next they had to swim to the bottom of the pool. They had to pick up a brick and swim with it to the top.
All the children passed the swimming test. Mrs May was very pleased. "Well done, everyone," she said.
The children were pleased too.
Biff and Chip told Mum and Dad about the swimming test.
"We passed," they said.
Mum and Dad were very pleased too. Mum and Dad had a surprise for them. Biff and Chip couldn't see what the surprise was. "What is it?" asked Biff.
"It's a fish tank," said Biff.
"What a lovely surprise!"
Everyone looked at the fish swimming about in the tank. "There is room for more fish," said Dad.
"We can get some next time we go shopping. "
The next day they went shopping. Dad took them to a shop that sold fish. "What a lovely shop!" said Biff.
"Look at all the fish. "
There were big fish and little fish. Kipper liked the big fish in a tank.
"Don't tap the glass," said Dad.
"The fish don't like it. "
Dad put some more fish in the tank. He put rocks on the bottom.
Next to the rocks he put a ship and a little box. Wilma and Nadim came to see the fish tank. "It looks lovely," said Wilma.
"I wish I could swim in there. "
They went to play in Biff's room. Chip ran in with the magic key. The key was glowing. "It's time for an adventure," said Biff.
The magic began to work. It took the children into a new adventure. This time it was a different sort of adventure.
The magic took them underwater. The children had masks and flippers and tanks of air. They could swim underwater. The children had never seen so many fish.
They were all different colours. "This is better than the pool," thought Chip.
"I feel like a fish," thought Wilma.
The children loved swimming under the water. It was lovely to see all the fish and to swim with them.
Chip and Nadim swam to the bottom and picked up a big shell. Biff looked at a jellyfish but she didn't swim too close.
They saw a ship under the water. It was an old ship that had been under the water for a long time. They swam up to the ship. Wilma didn't want to swim too close to it. It looked dangerous.
They saw an octopus.
Oh no! It was sitting on a chest. They couldn't look inside the chest with an octopus sitting on the lid.
They blew bubbles at the octopus. The octopus didn't like the bubbles so it swam away.
"Good!" thought the children.
"Now we can look inside. "
The children opened up the chest and looked inside. It was a treasure chest and it was full of gold. Biff and Wilma pushed the chest over and all the gold fell out. Nadim picked up a necklace and Biff picked up a gold cup.
Biff and Nadim were busy looking at the treasure. They didn't see what Chip and Wilma saw. A shark was coming. Chip and Wilma couldn't tell Biff and Nadim. They pulled them away and pointed at the shark.
The children were frightened. They swam and swam but the shark swam after them. Then the magic key began to glow.
The magic key took them out of the adventure. "Wow!
What an adventure!" said Biff.
"The treasure chest was like the one in our fish tank. "
The children ran to look in the fish tank. "Look, there's the treasure," said Chip.
"How did it get there?" asked Nadim.
"It's magic!" said Biff.
"We are going on a magic adventure," said Chip.
The children went through the door of the magic house. "Oh help!" said Nadim.
The magic took the children to the land of the dinosaurs. "I don't want this adventure,"said Nadim.
"I don't want to meet a dinosaur. "
A dragonfly flew by. "Look at this," said Chip.
"It's a giant dragonfly.
What a big one!"
Chip found a footprint.
It was a giant footprint. "Come and look," said Chip.
"It must be a dinosaur's footprint. "
Biff took a photograph of the giant footprint. "I can take this photograph to school," she said.
Nadim found some eggs.
They were big eggs. "They must be a dinosaur's eggs," he said.
One of the eggs began to crack. "It's going to hatch out," said Biff.
Something came out of the egg. "It's a little dinosaur," said Nadim.
Something flew by. The children were frightened.
"What is it?" asked Chip.
"I don't know," said Biff.
The children ran. "It's a flying dinosaur," said Nadim, "and it's a big one.
Come on, let's hide. "
The flying dinosaur flew down to the eggs.
It picked up the little dinosaur in its teeth.
"Oh no!" said Biff.
"It's going to eat it. "
She picked up a stick and ran out. "Go away!" she yelled.
The dinosaur flew away but Chip was cross with Biff. "You were silly," he said.
"It could have got you. "
Wilf ran on and climbed a hill. He wanted to look for an apatosaurus. "Come up here Biff," he called.
"You can take a photograph. "
Wilf had not climbed on a hill. He had climbed on a dinosaur and it was enormous. It looked round at Wilf. Wilf was frightened. "Oh help!" he said.
He jumped down and ran. "Let's get out of here," he called.
"Don't be frightened," said Chip.
"It's an apatosaurus.
It's like the one in the museum.
It won't hurt us. "
Biff took a photograph of it. "What a long neck it's got and what a long tail!" she said.
"I need a bigger camera. "
The apatosaurus ran into the water. "What an enormous splash!" said Wilf.
Nadim looked frightened. "Oh help!" he called.
Another dinosaur was coming and it looked very fierce. "Let's get out of here," yelled Chip.
Biff took a photograph. "Come on," yelled Chip, "don't stop for that.
This one could eat us!"
They began to run away. Wilf's other shoe came off in the mud. Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. "Just in time!" said Chip.
The magic took the children to Biff's bedroom. "What an adventure!" said Biff.
"I've got some good photographs. "
"This is the fierce dinosaur," said Chip.
"Did you take its photograph?"
"Yes," said Biff.
"Let's tell Mum and Dad. "
"I took photographs of dinosaurs," said Biff.
"Oh yes," said Dad.
"Well, I'm sorry, I didn't put a film in the camera. "
Biff and Wilma went to the pantomime. They went with Wilma's mum. They had a friend called Anneena. Anneena went to the pantomime with them.
The pantomime was about Robin Hood. Robin Hood was a good man. He lived in a wood with his men. Everyone liked Robin Hood and they gave a cheer every time he came in.
There was a bad man called the Sheriff. Nobody liked the Sheriff. He wanted to catch Robin Hood and lock him up. "Look out, Robin!" shouted the children.
The next day, Wilma and Anneena went to play with Biff. They sang a song about Robin Hood. Wilma played her guitar and Anneena played her recorder. Kipper didn't like the song. He put his hands over his ears and made a face. "Woooooooh," said Kipper.
Kipper had a key round his neck. It was the magic key. Biff was cross with Kipper. "Put the key back in the box," she said.
Suddenly the key began to glow. "Look out, Anneena," said Biff.
"This is a magic key and the magic is working.
It's time for an adventure. "
The magic took the children to a wood. It was the wood where Robin Hood lived. The children could see Robin with some of his men. Robin Hood had not seen the children. Anneena was frightened. "I hope he is a good man," she said.
"Come on," said Kipper.
"I can smell food. "
Robin Hood saw the children. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Are you lost in the woods?
Come and sit down. "
The children sat by the fire. "We saw you in a play," said Anneena.
"We can sing a song about you. "
"Oh no!" said Kipper.
"Not the song again. "
Biff, Wilma and Anneena sang the song. The song said everyone liked Robin but nobody liked the Sheriff. Robin Hood's men gave a cheer. "What a good song!" said Robin Hood.
"Sing it to me again. "
Kipper looked inside a big black pot. Nobody saw the Sheriff coming.
Suddenly the Sheriff's men ran in. They grabbed Robin Hood and put a rope round him.
"Got you at last!" said the Sheriff.
They jumped on Robin's men and they grabbed Biff, Wilma, and Anneena.
They put them all into a cart. "Take them away!" said the Sheriff.
Kipper hid in the big black pot. The Sheriff's men didn't see him. "Oh no!" he said.
"What can I do? I must help them. "
The Sheriff took them to a village. He said, "My castle is too far away, so we will stop here.
One of my men will see you. Don't get away. "
Kipper went up to the man.
He gave the man a sweet. "What is that thing?" he asked.
"You lock people up in it," said the man.
"You can't lock people in that," said Kipper.
"You can't get them in. "
"Oh yes you can," said the man.
"Look. "
He put in his head and his hands.
"Ha!" said Kipper.
"You fell for it. "
He locked the man in and took away his keys. "Grrr!" said the man.
Kipper set them free. "Come on everyone," said Robin Hood.
"Let's go back to the woods.
We don't want the Sheriff to catch us. "
They went to a new part of the woods. "Three cheers for Kipper," said Robin Hood.
"Now let's sing that song about me again. "
"Oh no!" said Kipper.
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. "Just in time," said Kipper.
"It's time for us to go. "
"Goodbye," said the children.
"Goodbye," said Robin Hood, "and thanks. "
"What an adventure!" said Anneena.
"I liked Robin Hood and his men.
Let's sing the song. "
"Aaaaaah!" said Kipper.
" -- -"
Kipper didn't want to go to sleep. "Biff and Chip are at Gran's," he said.
"I don't like being on my own. "
"Poor Kipper," thought Floppy.
"I'll stay with him. "
"Oh no, Floppy," said Mum.
"Kipper is going to sleep. "
But Kipper wasn't going to sleep. He was wide awake. "I can't go to sleep," he grumbled.
"I just can't!"
Kipper laughed. "I know! I'll play a trick," he said.
"I'll trick Dad and get him to come upstairs. "
He jumped up and down on his bed. "Dad!" he yelled.
"There's a hairy-scary monster!
It's coming to get me, Dad. Help!"
!"
Dad ran up to Kipper's bedroom. Floppy barked and ran after him.
"What monster?" said Dad.
"Where is it?"
Kipper pointed to the curtains. "It's behind the curtains," he said.
"It's got sharp yellow teeth and glowing red eyes. "
Dad looked behind the curtains, but he didn't see a monster. "There's no monster here," he said.
"Look!"
"It was a trick," laughed Kipper.
"It was just a trick!"
Dad laughed, and tucked Kipper up. "Be a good boy and go to sleep," he said.
"And no more tricks!"
Floppy was hiding. He didn't like monsters. "Come out, Floppy," said Dad.
"Kipper is going to sleep. "
But Kipper wasn't going to sleep. He was still wide awake. "I don't like being on my own," he grumbled.
"It's boring. "
Kipper laughed. "I know!
I'll play another trick," he said.
"I'll trick Mum and get her to come upstairs. "
"Mum!" yelled Kipper.
"There's a hairy-scary monster!
It's going to eat me up. Mum, help!"
!"
Mum ran up to Kipper's bedroom. Floppy barked and ran after her. "What monster?" said Mum.
"Where is it?"
Kipper pointed to the wardrobe. "It's in the wardrobe," he said.
"It's got long sharp claws and hairy jaws. "
Mum looked in the wardrobe, but she didn't see a monster. "There's no monster here," she said.
"Look!"
"It was a trick!" laughed Kipper.
"It was just a trick. "
Mum tucked Kipper up again. "Be a good boy and go to sleep," she said.
"And no more tricks!"
Kipper began to fall asleep. His eyes were just closing when he heard something under the bed.
It was something that was snuffling. It was something that was snorting. It was something that was hairy and very, very scary!
"Help!" yelled Kipper.
"There really is a monster!
Mum, Dad, help me!
I'm scared!"
Mum and Dad ran upstairs. "What's wrong, Kipper?" they said.
"There's a monster," he sobbed.
"There's a monster under the bed. "
Dad looked under the bed. "There is a monster!" he said.
"It's the Hairy-Scary Floppy Monster!"
The children were dipping strawberries into chocolate. "They look yummy!" said Chip.
"They taste yummy!" said Kipper.
Kipper went to Biff's room. He had chocolate on his hands. He got chocolate on everything he touched. "Go away, Kipper!" said Biff.
"You're getting chocolate on everything," said Chip.
"I wish everything I touched turned into chocolate," said Kipper.
"That's just greedy," said Chip.
Just then the magic key began to glow. It took the children into an adventure.
They saw a girl sitting by a river. She was crying. "What's the matter?" asked Biff.
"Come with me and I'll show you," said the girl.
"My name is Zoe. "
Zoe took them to a palace. The children gasped. The palace was made of gold, and a gold tree stood outside.
Zoe took the children inside. Everything was made of gold, even the food on the table!
"My father is King Midas," said Zoe sadly.
"He made a wish that everything he touched turned into gold.
Now his wish has come true!"
"If the food turns into gold, how can he eat it?" asked Chip.
"He can't," said Zoe.
"And if he touches me, I'll turn into gold too. "
Just then King Midas came in. Zoe hid behind Biff. "My father used to hug me," she said, "but he mustn't do it anymore. "
King Midas saw Floppy. "I love dogs," he said.
"Come here!"
"Stop!" called Chip.
"Don't touch that dog!"
It was too late. King Midas patted Floppy and he turned into gold.
"I'm so sorry," said King Midas.
"I forgot that everything I touch turns into gold.
I wish I could turn him back into a real dog again. "
"Who granted the wish?" asked Biff.
"It was Dionysus," said the king.
"Then we must go and see him," said Biff, "and ask him to help. "
Dionysus lived on Mount Olympus. It was a long way to walk, but at last King Midas and the children arrived. "Why have you come back to see me?" asked Dionysus.
"I have come to ask you to help me," said King Midas.
"I want everything back the way it was," said King Midas.
"My wish was silly. "
"You were foolish and greedy," said Dionysus.
"But you have learnt your lesson.
Now go back and do what I tell you. "
Dionysus told them to get water from the river. They had to pour it onto everything that had turned into gold.
"It works!" said King Midas.
"I'm so glad your dog is back. "
"So am I!" said Kipper.
King Midas gave Zoe a hug. "What a fool I have been," he said.
"I'm glad I can hug you now.
I will never ask for gold again!"
King Midas looked at the children. "Thank you for helping us," he said.
The key began to glow. It was time to go home.
"Hey!
Why did you do that?" asked Kipper, crossly.
"To stop you from turning into chocolate," laughed Chip.
Chip didn't feel very well. His throat was sore and he couldn't talk.
"Chip has lost his voice," said Dad.
"Oh no!" thought Floppy.
Mum took Chip to the doctor. Dad took Biff and Kipper to school. Floppy was all on his own.
"Chip has lost his voice," he thought sadly.
"I wish I could help him. "
"I know!" thought Floppy.
"I'll go and find Chip's voice.
I'm good at finding things. "
He wagged his tail and ran upstairs.
Floppy ran into Chip's bedroom.
He looked under the bed.
He found a ball, a toy car, a sticky sweet and a dusty sock...
...
... but he didn't find Chip's lost voice.
....
Floppy looked in the toy box. He found lots of toys and lots of books...
...
... but he didn't find Chip's lost voice.
...
Suddenly, the phone rang. "There are voices in the phone," thought Floppy.
"I bet Chip's voice is in there. "
Floppy hit the phone with his paw. CRASH! It fell down. A voice said, "Hello!
Is anyone there?"
But it wasn't Chip's voice.
Floppy looked at the radio. "There are voices in the radio," he thought.
"I bet Chip's voice is in there. "
He hit the radio with his paw. Nothing happened. He hit it harder... and harder!
CRASH! The radio fell over and someone started to sing. "What a horrible noise," thought Floppy.
"That isn't Chip. "
"I bet Chip's voice is in the television," thought Floppy.
He ran to look. His paw hit the switch and the television came on.
Floppy saw a dog on the television. It ran out of a shop with a big bone.
"Wow!
That bone looks good," thought Floppy.
The dog ran faster and faster. A voice shouted, "Stop!
Stop that dog!"
"That isn't Chip," thought Floppy, and he went back upstairs.
Floppy saw Teddy on Kipper's bed. "Teddy!" he thought.
"I bet Teddy has got Chip's voice. "
Floppy shook Teddy hard.
Grrrrrrrr! growled Teddy.
"Help!" barked Floppy.
He dropped Teddy and ran into Biff's bedroom.
WHOOSH!
Floppy went skidding across the floor. CRASH! Biff's clock fell over. "Wake up!" it shouted.
Floppy was scared. He hid under Chip's bed and shut his eyes. Soon, he was fast asleep.
Chip came home. He was feeling a lot better now. "Where are you, Floppy?" he called.
Floppy jumped up. "Chip has found his voice!" he thought.
He wagged his tail and ran downstairs.
Just then, Biff came in. Her throat was sore and she couldn't talk. "Biff has lost her voice," said Dad.
"Oh no!" thought Floppy.
The children put on a play called The Golden Statue.
Chip was the statue. He had on a golden cloak and gold face paint.
"I like this gold face paint," said Anneena.
The magic key began to glow.
The magic took the children to a palace. They saw a man talking to a girl. "Don't cry, Eva," he said.
"What's the matter?" asked Biff.
"This is my brother, Aran," said Eva.
"He guards the golden statues in the palace. "
"The statues all have jewels," said Aran.
"But someone is stealing the jewels, and I must catch the robber. "
Aran showed the children the golden statues. "The robber might steal more jewels tonight," he said.
"What can I do?"
Chip had an idea. "You can dress up as a golden statue," he said.
"Then you can keep watch. "
That night, Aran dressed up as a golden statue. "I'm glad we've got this gold face paint," said Anneena.
Aran went into the statue room. He stood in the deepest shadows. "You need a jewel," said Eva.
She gave him her necklace, and went out.
Suddenly, a secret door slid open. Two men crept into the room. They took the rest of the jewels.
One of the men spotted Aran. "I didn't see that statue last night," he said.
"Let's get that necklace. "
Aran held his breath as the man grabbed the necklace. At last, he heard a soft thud as the secret door slid shut.
Aran called the children.
He showed them the secret door. They all crept down some steps and along a shadowy tunnel.
Suddenly, Biff tripped and fell. "Who's there?" shouted the men.
"Run!" whispered Nadim.
"Hide under the steps. "
A robber came up to the steps. He held up his lamp but the children were as still as statues. "There's nobody here," he said.
The men went into a dusty room. The children followed them and peeped round the door.
"There's another door!" said Aran.
"It must lead into the palace garden.
They might escape through that. "
"I know what we can do," said Nadim, and he told the others his plan.
"That's a good idea," said Eva.
Eva raced back up the steps. She told the guards to go to the garden door. Then she ran back to the others.
Aran marched stiffy into the dusty room. "Give me back my necklace!" he roared, in a voice like thunder.
The robbers jumped up. "Help!
The statue is alive!" they screamed.
They raced out of the garden door...
...
... and ran right into the guards!
...
The next day, Aran and Eva gave the children a golden statue. "Thank you for helping us," they said.
The magic key began to glow.
The magic took the children home. "The statue looks just like Eva," said Nadim.
"Yes," said Chip.
"And Anneena looks just like the statue!"
The children were playing on the computer. They were playing Chip's new game, Secret of the Sands.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. "Look at the key!" cried Biff.
"It's time for an adventure. "
Floppy growled. He didn't want an adventure, but the magic was starting to work.
The magic took the children into a desert. They saw a boy riding a camel across the hot sands.
The boy rode up to them. "My name is Ali," he said.
"You must come to my tent.
You can't stay out in this hot sun. "
Ali helped the children climb onto the camels. Floppy sat with Kipper.
"This camel is too bumpy for me," thought Floppy.
Ali took the children to his tent. He gave them some cooler clothes.
Then he showed them a map.
"I'm going to the village on this map," said Ali.
"Nobody lives there now, but long ago my father hid some treasure there.
He called it the Secret of the Sands. "
"
"Secret of the Sands!
"
That's the same name as my game," cried Chip.
"Can we help you to find the treasure?"
"Oh yes!
I'd like you to help," said Ali.
"Come on, let's go!"
They rode through deep, rocky valleys and up steep, sandy hills.
At last, they came to the village. There was sand everywhere. It had blown into the empty rooms and drifted over the walls.
"There must have been a sandstorm," said Ali.
"It all looks different from the map.
I don't know where to look. "
Wilf pointed to an old tower.
"That's the tower on the map," he said.
"We must be very near the treasure.
Let's look here. "
They looked into the shadowy rooms and poked the sand with sticks. "I'll help, too," thought Floppy, and he dug some deep holes.
Suddenly, Floppy disappeared. "Help!" shouted Biff.
"Floppy has fallen down a hole.
We must rescue him. "
They climbed down into a hidden room. Wilma shone her torch around and something glittered in the light. It was a treasure chest!
The chest was full of glittering gold and sparkling jewels. "The Secret of the Sands!" said Ali.
""
"How beautiful!"
The children put the chest onto Ali's camel. Suddenly, they heard a noise. It grew louder and louder.
Two men on a motorbike came speeding towards them. "They're desert robbers," cried Ali.
"They're after the treasure!"
The children raced away but the robbers came closer and closer. "They're going to catch us," cried Biff.
"What can we do?"
Suddenly, there was a loud crash!
"Floppy has saved us!" shouted Kipper.
"The robbers have fallen into one of his holes.
They'll never get us now. "
They got back safely, and Ali gave Floppy a golden camel. "Thank you for saving us," he said.
The magic key began to glow. "It's time for us to go," said Biff.
The magic took the children home. "What an adventure!" said Chip.
"What glittering gold!" said Wilma.
"What big bumpy camels!" thought Floppy.
Biff was showing Wilma her new music box. "It's like a little house," said Wilma.
Biff opened the box and the music began to play. Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
The magic took Biff and Wilma to a mountain railway station. "The station looks just like my music box," said Biff.
There was a big wooden horn at the station. A boy called Max told them that it was used to send for the Mountain Rescue helicopter. "My Uncle Hans flies the helicopter," he said.
"He's taking me to see an eagle's nest today.
You can come with us. "
The children got into a train. It took them higher up the mountain. Uncle Hans was waiting at the station.
"Hi Max," said Uncle Hans.
"I'm glad some of your friends have come with you. "
Uncle Hans and the children went up a steep track. They saw some people climbing a steep rock.
"That looks scary!" said Biff.
Just then, Uncle Hans's phone rang. "I have to go back, but you can see the eagle's nest from here," he said.
The eagle was sitting on her nest. Suddenly, she squawked and flew into the sky.
"A man has climbed up to the nest!" said Biff.
"He's putting the eagle's egg into his bag. "
"Put that egg back!" shouted Wilma.
The man looked up. He saw the children watching him and started to run.
"He's going to the station," said Max.
"Quick! Let's follow him and get the egg back. "
They slipped and scrambled down the steep path.
At last, they reached the station. Wilma ran up to the man. "We saw you take an egg from the eagle's nest," she said.
The man was angry. "I didn't take an egg," he said, and he opened his bag.
There was no egg inside.
Suddenly, there was a shout.
"One of the climbers has fallen!" said Max.
"We must call the Mountain Rescue Team. "
Wilma ran to blow the horn, but the man tried to stop her. "Give me that horn!" he shouted, but Wilma pulled it away from him.
Wilma looked in the horn. "He's hidden the egg in here!" she said.
The man started to run but Biff tripped him up... CRASH!
....
Max took the egg and wrapped it in his jacket to keep it warm.
Then Wilma blew the horn.
BOOM!...
...
BOOM!...
...
BOOM!
...
The Mountain Rescue helicopter flew into the sky. Everyone cheered as the climber was lifted to safety.
The helicopter landed and Max showed Uncle Hans the eagle's egg.
"We must put the egg back before it gets cold," said Uncle Hans.
Uncle Hans climbed up to the nest and put the egg back. The eagle saw the egg and flew back to her nest.
Three big feathers floated gently down to the children.
"The eagle is saying thank you," said Biff, as the magic key glowed.
"Look!
There's a wooden horn on your music box now," said Wilma.
"How did it get there?"
"It must be magic," smiled Biff.
Biff wanted to help Mum, so Mum gave her a job. "Pick up the apples so I can cut the grass," said Mum.
Biff picked up an apple.
"Yuk!" she said.
"Some of the apples are bad. "
She didn't pick up the rotten ones.
Mum made Biff pick up all the rotten apples.
"Put them in the box," said Mum.
"This is a rotten job," said Biff.
Biff put the box of apples by the dustbin.
"Yuk!
Rotten apples!" she said.
Kipper was excited. "Come and see this!" he said.
"What is it?" asked Biff.
"Come and see," said Kipper.
A man with a horse and cart came down the street. The man stopped outside the house.
"It's Harry Smith," said Chip.
Everyone liked Harry Smith.
He made people laugh. He wore a top hat and a red coat. He sold things from his cart.
Harry Smith rang a bell.
"Come and see!" he said.
"I've got some birds going cheap. "
Biff and Chip laughed.
Mum bought some logs. The logs were heavy. Harry Smith helped Mum to carry them.
Biff looked at the horse.
"Can we give the horse an apple?" she asked.
"Yes," said Harry Smith.
Biff picked up an apple.
She held it out. The horse took it with its big teeth.
The horse saw the box of apples.
It began to eat them. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"It's eating all the bad ones. "
Biff told Harry Smith about the horse.
Harry laughed. "I didn't know she liked rotten apples," he said.
Biff looked in the box. It was empty. All the apples had gone. "What a greedy horse!" said Biff.
The children wanted a ride. "Jump up!" called Harry Smith.
The children climbed on the cart. "Hold on!" said Harry.
The horse began to run. Harry Smith pulled the reins.
"Slow down!" he shouted.
But the horse went faster and faster. The horse ran down the street. "Slow down!" shouted Harry Smith.
"Stop!" shouted Mum.
"Help!" shouted the children.
The horse wouldn't stop. It ran and ran. Mum ran after it. Harry Smith pulled the reins.
It ran into a car park.
"Look out," shouted Harry Smith.
The horse began to sway.
It made a funny noise.
The horse went slower and slower. Suddenly, it stopped. Then it sat down and went to sleep. Harry Smith and the children climbed off the cart.
"The horse is drunk," said Mum.
"Why is it drunk?" asked Biff.
Harry Smith looked at the horse.
"The rotten apples made the horse drunk," he said.
Biff was sorry. Harry Smith laughed.
He didn't mind. People came to see the horse. They bought things from the cart.
Harry Smith sold everything.
He gave the children a present. "Biff's rotten apples did me a good turn," he said.
It was Christmas Eve. The children were excited, but Mum was hot and Dad was cross.
"Christmas is hard work," said Dad.
Dad put up some decorations. He wanted the children to help, but they didn't want to.
They were watching television.
Dad turned off the television. "Oh!" said Kipper.
"We were watching a good programme. "
"It's time to help," said Dad.
Just then, Wilf and Wilma came.
They had presents for Biff, Chip and Kipper.
"We can help later," said Chip.
Biff and Chip had presents for Wilf and Wilma. "Don't open them until tomorrow," said Biff.
The magic key began to glow. "It's time for a magic adventure," said Chip.
"I hope it's a Christmas adventure. "
The magic key took the children to the land of Father Christmas. "Hooray!" said Wilf.
"We can tell Father Christmas what to bring us. "
The children were excited.
They all wanted special presents. "I want a new bike," said Kipper.
"I want a new skateboard," said Biff.
The children rang the door bell. They rang and rang, but nobody came to the door. "That's funny!" said Chip.
The children looked for Father Christmas, but he was not there. There was nobody there. "Where is everyone?" asked Wilma.
The children were disappointed. "It's not fair," said Chip.
"I wanted to ask Father Christmas for a computer. "
The children looked for Father Christmas.
They came to his house. "Maybe he's in here," said Kipper.
The children went inside.
An old man was asleep in a chair. "It's Father Christmas," said Wilf.
"Why is he asleep in a chair?"
Biff looked at the date. "It's the 25th of December," she said.
"Father Christmas must be tired.
He's been at work all night. "
Suddenly, Father Christmas woke up. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"It's Christmas Day.
Did I forget to call at your house?"
Father Christmas hadn't put up his decorations. "I've been too busy.
It's the same every year," he said.
Father Christmas had no Christmas dinner. "I didn't have time," he said.
"Children want so many presents. "
The children were sorry for Father Christmas. They found a Christmas tree and put it up. They found some decorations and put them up. "I haven't had decorations up for years," said Father Christmas.
Wilma and Chip made some strawberry jam sandwiches.
Father Christmas found some lemonade and some crackers.
Father Christmas put on his red coat. "Ho!
Ho! Ho!" he laughed.
Everyone cheered.
"Thank you," said Father Christmas.
"Most children just want things, but you've given me a good Christmas. "
Just then, the key began to glow. "Happy Christmas," said everyone.
"Goodbye," said Father Christmas.
"Thank you for everything. "
The magic took the children home.
It was Christmas Eve again. "What else can we do to help?" asked Chip.
Wilma and Biff saw a notice.
It was about a go-kart race. Wilma had an idea.
She told Biff about it.
Biff and Wilma were excited.
They told Mum about the race. "We need a go-kart," said Biff.
"What about the old one?"
Mum went to the shed.
She found the old go-kart, but it was broken and rusty.
"Oh no!" said Biff.
Biff told Dad about the race. Dad looked at the old go-kart. "This one is broken," he said.
"But we can make a new one. "
The mums and dads made a new go-kart.
Everyone wanted to help. Biff and Mum looked at the plans.
Wilma helped her dad.
Mum painted the go-kart.
Chip helped.
He was good at painting. "It looks brilliant!" said Biff.
Everyone looked at the new go-kart.
Biff wanted a go, but Mum said she couldn't.
The paint was still wet.
Mum took the children to a park. There was a hill in the park.
It was a good place to try the new go-kart. Wilma went first, but everyone had a go. Biff went last. "It's brilliant!" she said.
Wilma saw another go-kart. "It's Anneena," she said.
"She's got a go-kart too. "
Everyone looked at Anneena's go-kart. "It looks fast," said Wilma.
"But I bet ours is faster. "
"I bet it's not," said Anneena.
Wilma and Anneena had a race. The go-karts raced down the hill.
Anneena was in front. "Come on!" shouted Biff.
Suddenly, a dog ran in front of Anneena.
Her go-kart crashed into a bush.
Wilma crashed into Anneena.
Everyone looked at the go-karts.
Wilma's front wheels were bent.
Anneena's go-kart was broken. Everyone was upset. Chip looked at the broken go-karts.
He had an idea. He told Mum what the idea was. "What a brilliant idea!" said Mum.
The mums and dads made a new go-kart.
They made one go-kart out of two.
They put the front of Anneena's go-kart on the back of Wilma's.
The children liked the new go-kart.
They called it Silver Bullet.
"What about the race?" asked Biff.
"I bet Silver Bullet will win. "
It was the day of the race.
Everyone was excited. "Look at all the go-karts!" said Biff.
Biff wanted to drive, but so did Wilma and Anneena. In the end, Mum tossed a coin and Anneena won.
It was time for the race. "One... two... three... go!" called the starter.
"Come on, Anneena!" called Biff.
The go-karts raced down the hill. Everyone shouted and cheered. Anneena went fast.
Silver Bullet was in front.
Anneena didn't win.
Two go-karts went faster.
Silver Bullet came third. "Oh no!" said Biff.
Anneena was upset. "I wanted to win," she said.
"Don't worry," said Biff.
"Silver Bullet's still the best. "
Silver Bullet did win a prize.
It was the best-looking go-kart. "Hooray!" everyone cheered.
"We said it was the best!"
Biff and Chip went to stay with Gran.
They went to stay for a week. "Be good," called Mum.
"Don't worry," said Gran.
"I will. "
Gran's house was small.
It had two bedrooms.
Biff and Chip had to sleep in the same bedroom. Biff wanted the bed by the door.
Chip wanted the bed by the window. "That's good," said Gran.
Gran took Biff and Chip for a walk. They went to the woods.
Biff saw some blackberries.
She wanted to pick some. Gran had some plastic bags.
She gave one to Biff and Chip. "We can make some blackberry jam," she said.
Gran made the blackberry jam. Biff and Chip helped. Chip made some labels and Biff licked the spoon. They made nine jars of jam. "You can take a jar home for Kipper," said Gran.
"And a jar for Wilf and Wilma. "
The children loved Gran's house.
It was very old.
It had a big fireplace. Biff helped Gran light the fire.
Chip helped Gran get some logs. "Do you have ghosts?" he asked.
Gran laughed. "There are no such things," she said.
They sat by the fire.
Gran made some toast.
Biff wanted to try the new jam. "It's still too hot," said Gran.
Chip had a new game.
It was called Haunted House.
"Can we play Haunted House, before we go to bed?" he asked.
It was time for bed. Gran got Chip a hot water bottle. "Is this house haunted?" asked Biff.
"Don't worry," laughed Gran.
"I don't have ghosts in my house.
There are no such things. "
Biff and Chip couldn't sleep. Biff had an idea.
She wanted to play a joke on Chip. She had a torch in the bed.
Biff put the sheet over her head.
She switched on the torch. The sheet glowed. "Whooooooo!
I am a ghost," said Biff.
Chip laughed.
He wasn't frightened.
He pulled the sheet off Biff. "That was a good joke," he said.
Biff and Chip heard a noise.
It came from outside. "Whoooo!
Whoooo!" went the noise.
"Oh no!" said Biff.
"It's a ghost. "
Chip looked out of the window. "It's not a ghost!" he laughed.
"It's an owl.
Come and look. "
Biff and Chip looked outside. "Oh no!" said Chip.
"I can see a ghost.
It is a ghost this time. "
Biff and Chip ran to Gran's room. "Gran!
Gran!" called Biff.
"There's a ghost outside. "
But Gran wasn't in bed.
Biff and Chip ran downstairs. "Gran!" called Biff.
"Where are you?
We've seen a ghost. "
But Gran wasn't downstairs.
The door opened.
Biff and Chip were frightened. "Oh no!" they said.
Gran came in.
"We were frightened," said Chip.
"You looked like a ghost. "
Gran laughed. "I'm not a ghost," she said.
"I don't have ghosts," said Gran.
"But I do have two little monsters!"
Gran laughed and so did Biff and Chip.
Chip had a new book.
It was about a princess who couldn't laugh. Nobody could make her laugh.
Chip had an idea. "Try and make me laugh," he said.
Biff made a funny face, but she couldn't make Chip laugh.
Biff put on a funny wig.
She told a funny joke, but she still couldn't make Chip laugh. "It's no good," she said.
Kipper had some joke teeth.
The joke teeth were new. The teeth went click, click, click.
Everyone laughed and laughed.
The magic key began to glow. The children ran into Biff's room.
The magic took them on a new adventure.
The children were in a village.
They saw a notice on a tree.
It was about a princess who couldn't laugh.
Kipper had an idea. He still had the joke teeth. "I can make the princess laugh," he said.
The king was in the village. A girl told him a joke. "That's not funny," said the king.
"That won't make the princess laugh. "
"Who's next?" called the king.
"I am," said a man.
"Oh no!" groaned the king.
"Not another chicken!"
The children went to the king. "We can make the princess laugh," said Biff.
"How?" asked the king.
The teeth went click, click, click.
Everyone laughed and laughed. "That will make the princess laugh," said the king.
Kipper dropped the teeth.
A dog caught them and ran off with them in its mouth.
"Stop that dog!" shouted the king.
"Stop that dog and get the teeth. "
Everyone ran after the dog. "Get the teeth!" shouted the king.
The dog was too fast.
Nobody could catch it. "Stop that dog!" shouted the king.
The dog ran this way and that.
People tried to grab it, but it was too fast. "Get the teeth!" shouted Kipper.
The king ran after the dog.
Everyone ran after the king. The king fell over.
The dog saw a bone and it stopped. Chip grabbed the dog and the dog dropped the teeth.
Kipper picked up the joke teeth.
Everyone looked at them.
The teeth were broken. "Oh no!" said the king.
The king put the teeth on a cushion. "What a pity!" he said.
"Now they won't make the princess laugh. "
The princess heard the noise.
She looked out of a window. She saw the king and she started to laugh.
The king had mud on his clothes.
He had the teeth on the cushion.
He looked so funny that the princess laughed and laughed.
The king looked at the princess. "I've made the princess laugh," he said.
Everyone laughed and cheered. The magic key began to glow.
The magic took the children home. But nobody saw the children go.
Everyone was laughing.
"What made the princess laugh?" asked Kipper.
"I don't know," said Chip, "but people laugh at silly things. "
Chip was watching television.
The magic key was on the arm of the chair. Nadim came to play.
Chip didn't want to play. He wanted to watch television.
He wanted to watch a programme about magpies.
Nadim wanted a magic adventure. Chip looked for the magic key, but he couldn't find it. Nadim helped Chip to look.
Chip looked at the armchair. "I put the key on the arm of the chair," he said.
Suddenly, he had an idea.
The children looked in the armchair.
They found lots of things. Chip found Mum's missing ear-ring. "Mum will be pleased," he said.
Chip found the key. It was stuck to a toffee. "Yuk!" said Chip.
"It's all sticky. "
Chip told Mum about the armchair.
He gave Mum the missing ear-ring. Nadim cleaned the key.
He made it very shiny.
The children went into Biff's room.
Biff looked at the key. "Oh no!
It looks very shiny," she said.
"I hope the magic still works. "
Suddenly, the key began to glow.
It looked very bright. The magic took the children into a new adventure.
The children were in a wood. Chip didn't like it. The wood was dark and gloomy.
"Come on!" he said.
Suddenly, Biff saw something shiny.
She picked it up. "What a beautiful ring!" she said.
"Somebody must have dropped it. "
The children saw some soldiers. The soldiers saw the ring.
They grabbed the children. "That ring is stolen," they said.
The soldiers took the children to the prince. "We've found your thieves," they said.
"Here's your ring. "
"Here are the thieves," said the prince.
"What else have they stolen?"
"My watch was stolen," said a man.
"My ear-ring was stolen," said a lady.
A soldier took the magic key. "Look at this shiny key," he said.
"These children have stolen things.
They must have locked them away. "
The soldiers took the children to a prison. "Where are the stolen things?" they asked.
"Tell us, or we'll lock you up. "
Suddenly, a magpie flew down.
It took the magic key. "Stop that magpie!" called Biff.
"It's stolen the key. "
The magpie flew to the woods. "The magpie is the thief," said Chip.
The children ran after the magpie.
Everyone ran after the children.
The magpie flew to a tree. "Look in its nest," said Chip.
Nadim climbed the tree. "Be careful," called Biff.
Nadim looked in the magpie's nest.
It was full of shiny things. Nadim gasped. "What beautiful things!" he said.
"You see!" said Anneena, crossly.
"We aren't thieves.
The magpie took your things. "
"Sorry!" said the soldier.
Everyone was pleased. "Here's my missing ear-ring," said a lady.
"Here's my watch," said a man.
The prince gave the children a medal. "The magpie was the thief," he said.
"Sorry, we thought it was you. "
The magic key began to glow.
"Magpies like shiny things," said Biff.
"So it was a good job Nadim made the magic key shiny, after all. "
Everyone was excited. It was holiday time.
Kipper couldn't wait. "Only two days to go!" he said.
Chip looked at Floppy.
He was running round and round. They all laughed at him. "See!
Even Floppy is excited," said Chip.
Mum came in.
She gave a big sigh. "Dad wants a family meeting," she said.
"What's that?" asked Kipper.
"Dad has a Grand Plan. "
"A Grand Plan?" said Chip.
"What's a Grand Plan?"
"I don't like the sound of it," said Biff.
Everyone sat at the table.
Dad had made a long list of jobs. "I want everyone to help, then nobody gets cross," he said.
Everyone looked at the list.
They all had jobs to do. Mum liked Dad's Grand Plan.
Chip was not so sure!"I've packed my bag," said Biff.
"And I've packed my bag," said Kipper.
"I have not packed yet," said Dad.
"Why not?" asked Mum.
"I can't find my socks," said Dad, crossly.
The socks were in the washing machine. "Why were they in there?" asked Dad.
"That was where you put them," said Mum.
It was time to go. Dad's Grand Plan had worked.
Nothing had gone wrong. "There's still time," whispered Chip.
Mum drove the car. Kipper was fed up.
He didn't want to sit in the middle. "You can take turns," said Mum.
Kipper was hot.
He began to moan. "Can we stop for a drink?" said Chip.
"No," said Dad.
"It will make us late. "
Kipper wanted to change seats, but Dad didn't want to stop. "Maybe we should," said Mum.
"Yes, we are all thirsty," said Biff.
Mum saw a place and stopped.
She looked in the back of the car. "Where's Floppy?" gasped Mum.
"We can't have forgotten him!"
But it was true.
They had forgotten Floppy. "We'll have to go back for him," said Mum.
"So much for Dad's Grand Plan," said Biff.
They went back and got Floppy. But now they were late.
Mum drove fast. "Slow down, Mum," said Kipper.
"I feel sick. "
There was a bump. "What was that?" asked Dad.
A bag had fallen off the roof rack.
Mum stopped the car. The bag was in the road.
It had come open.
There were clothes everywhere. "They look like Dad's clothes," said Biff.
Dad's socks were in the road.
His shirts were in the hedge.
His pants were in a tree.
The children couldn't help laughing. "Don't stand there laughing," said Dad.
"Help me pick up my clothes. "
"This wasn't in Dad's Grand Plan," said Mum.
At last they got to the holiday cottage. Next to it was a little stream.
There was a rope swing on the tree. "It looks great!" said Kipper.
Dad unlocked the door.
Everyone went inside. "There's soot everywhere!" said Dad.
"It has come from the chimney. "
"What's that?" said Mum.
A black bird was in the room. "It's a crow!" said Dad.
"It came down the chimney," said Mum.
Dad caught the crow and let it out. Everyone was sorry for it. "I'm glad it's gone," said Biff.
"But what a mess it's made!"
"Cleaning up soot wasn't in Dad's Grand Plan," said Biff.
"Nor was having my pants in a tree!" laughed Dad.
Chip was in his bedroom.
He was busy drawing. "Chip!" called Biff.
"Wilf and Wilma are here!"
Chip went downstairs.
Chip showed them his drawing.
He had made a pattern. "What is it?" asked Wilf.
"It looks like a word," said Wilma.
"Come up to my room," said Chip.
"Then I can show you. "
They went up to Chip's room.
Chip put a mirror on the paper.
The pattern said "Chip" in mirror writing.
Biff wanted to do some mirror writing but Chip had run out of paper.
Biff went to her room to get some paper. The magic key was glowing.
It was time for an adventure. "Come here everybody," she called.
The magic took them to an island. "We have been here before," said Wilma.
"We met some pirates," said Wilf.
Wilma saw some footprints in the sand. "There must be someone on the island," she said.
"Oh help!" said Wilf.
"There he is. "
"He looks fierce," said Biff.
"Run for it!"
The children began to run. "Stop!" called the man.
"Come back!"
And he began to cry.
"Why are you crying?" asked Wilma.
"Do I frighten you?" asked the man.
"Yes," said Biff.
"You look so fierce.
You have such long hair. "
"I don't look that bad, do I?" asked the man.
Chip gave him the mirror.
The man looked in it.
"Oh no!" screamed the man.
"I look terrible!
No wonder you were frightened. "
He began to cry again.
"My name is Captain Crow," he said.
"I've been alone for ten months and six days.
My crew took the ship. " "Why did they do that?" asked Wilf.
"We couldn't find the treasure," said Captain Crow.
"They said I was useless. "
Captain Crow had a treasure map.
The children looked at it. "It looks odd," said Captain Crow.
"I couldn't understand it. "
"Look at these funny words," said Biff.
"What do they mean?"
"I think I understand it," said Chip.
"It's in mirror writing!"
Chip put the mirror on the map.
Captain Crow could read the writing. "It says, Here lies the treasure," he said.
He began to run.
"Where are you going?" said Biff.
"To get my spade!" said Captain Crow.
"Come on!" said Wilma.
"It looks as if we have some digging to do. "
Captain Crow looked at the map. "This is the place to dig," he said.
He dug and dug.
Soon he had dug a deep hole. At last the spade hit a wooden box. "It's a big chest," said Captain Crow.
"Thanks to you and your mirror, I've found the treasure!"
Captain Crow opened the chest. Everyone gasped.
It was full of gold and silver. "Hooray!" shouted Captain Crow.
"I'm rich!"
Wilma saw a ship.
It was sailing past the island. "Help!" shouted Captain Crow.
"I'm over here.
Come and rescue me!"
"It can't see you," said Wilf.
Wilma had a good idea. "Use the mirror," she cried.
"Flash it at the ship!"
The ship flashed back at Captain Crow. "Now I can leave the island!" he yelled.
"Help me hide the treasure.
I will come back for it one day. "
The magic key began to glow. "It's time for us to go," said Biff.
"You can keep the mirror," said Chip, "to have a shave and a haircut!"
Everyone was in the playground. Nadim had a surprise.
It was a plastic snake.
He had bought it on holiday.
Mrs May called everyone inside. Anneena had an idea.
She wanted to play a trick on Mrs May. "Leave the snake here," she said.
The children went inside.
Mrs May told them to sit down. "Mrs May!
Mrs May!" called Anneena.
"I can see a snake in the playground!"
"I can see it too!" said Wilf.
Everyone said they could see it. Mrs May looked outside. "There is a snake outside," she said.
Mrs May gave Anneena a plastic bag.
She told her to put the snake in the bag. "Oh, Mrs May, you knew it was a plastic snake!" said Biff.
"Now for my snake," said Mrs May.
"What snake is that?" said Biff.
"The adder!" said Mrs May.
"You can all do some addition sums!"
Everyone was doing addition sums. The sums were hard.
Then Wilf looked outside. "Look!" he yelled.
There was a donkey in the playground. "It's a donkey!" called Anneena.
"Mrs May!
Mrs May!" everyone called.
"There's a donkey in the playground!"
Mrs May looked cross. "Is it made of plastic, too?" she said.
"It's true, Mrs May!" said Wilf.
"Look out of the window!"
Mrs May looked out of the window.
She saw the donkey. "Someone will have to catch it," said Anneena.
"Mrs May can catch it with a plastic bag!" called Nadim.
Mrs May was cross. "Don't be silly, Nadim!" she said.
"Should we phone Animal Rescue?" asked Biff.
"That's a good idea, Biff," said Mrs May.
"Sit quietly while I go to the phone. "
At playtime the children talked about the donkey. "It was easy to catch... " began Wilf.
"But then it wouldn't move," said Anneena.
"Two people pulled it... " began Chip.
"And two people pushed it!" said Biff.
"We didn't do any more work!" said Nadim.
"Well, it's time to work now!" said Mrs May.
"Come back to the classroom.
You can learn to spell something. "
"Spell what, Mrs May?" said Wilf.
"Donkey!" said Mrs May.
Everyone was doing spelling.
Wilf looked into the playground. "Look!" he yelled.
There was a goose outside. "It's a goose!" said Anneena.
"Mrs May!
Mrs May! There's a goose in the playground!"
Mrs May looked cross. "Don't be silly, Anneena," she said.
"It's true, Mrs May!" said Chip.
"Look out of the window!"
Mrs May looked out of the window. "Oh my goodness!" she said.
"But it may not be a goose.
It may be a gander. "
"Will you call Animal Rescue?" said Nadim.
"Yes," said Mrs May.
"But I'm going to shoo it on to the field.
The children wanted to help. "No," said Mrs May.
"Sit quietly. "
She went outside and waved her arms at the gander.
The gander looked at Mrs May.
Then it began to chase her. "The gander has pecked Mrs May on the bottom!" yelled Biff.
Mrs May came inside. "Are you all right, Mrs May?" asked Anneena.
"Yes, thank you," said Mrs May.
"I've got a joke," said Nadim.
"What fruit do ganders like?"
"We don't know," said Chip.
"Gooseberries!" laughed Nadim.
The children were doing a project on France. Mrs May showed them some pictures of Paris.
Mrs May showed them a picture of the Eiffel Tower. "It looks very tall," said Biff.
After school Mum came to meet Biff and Chip. Biff had a picture of Paris. "We are doing a project on France," she said.
Later Nadim and Anneena came to play with Biff and Chip. Anneena had a model of the Eiffel Tower.
"I know," said Chip.
"Let's paint the French flag. "
He got a big sheet of paper and they began to paint it.
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. It was time for an adventure. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"I wanted to finish painting the flag. "
The magic took them back in time.
It took them to a busy town. "There are no cars," said Chip.
"This must be a long time ago. "
"I know where we are," said Biff.
"We are in Paris.
Look at all the flags. "
Anneena was excited. "We can go and see the Eiffel Tower," she said.
The children looked for the Eiffel Tower but they couldn't find it. "Are you sure this is Paris?" asked Chip.
Nadim asked a policeman. "Do you know where the Eiffel Tower is?" he asked.
"The Eiffel Tower!" said the policeman.
"There is no such thing. "
Anneena asked a lady. "Do you know where the Eiffel Tower is?" she asked.
"The Eiffel Tower!" said the lady.
"There is no such thing. "
"I know why we can't find the Eiffel Tower," said Biff.
"It hasn't been invented. "
Just then they saw a man.
He was pulling a cart. "Will you help?" asked the man.
"I can't get the cart up this step. "
The children helped the man pull the cart into a hall.
The man pulled a sheet off the cart. "This is my model," he said.
"What is it?" asked Nadim.
"It is a torch," said the man.
"It will be taller than all the houses in Paris.
People will see it for miles. Here is a picture.
It will look like this. "
The children looked round the hall.
There were lots of models. "It's a competition," said Chip.
"I know which one will win... the Eiffel Tower!"
"But I can't see the Eiffel Tower," said Nadim.
Some people began to look at the models to see which was the best.
"Everyone will see my torch for miles," said the man.
"At night the top will light up like this!"
He plugged in the torch.
There was a loud bang.
The top of the torch blew off.
Then it fell over with a crash.
"Ah!" said the man.
"It needs a little work. "
Anneena had an idea.
She began to lift the broken torch. "Help me, everyone," she said.
The children turned the torch upside down. "What does it look like to you?" asked Anneena.
"It looks like the Eiffel Tower," said Biff.
She spoke to the man. "Excuse me," she said.
"Why not make the torch into a tower?"
"Excuse me," said Anneena.
"But is your name Eiffel?"
"Brilliant!" said the man.
"Brilliant!"
Just then the magic key began to glow.
"I wonder if that was Monsieur Eiffel," said Biff.
"And if that was how the Eiffel Tower was invented!" said Nadim.
The family went to see an old castle. Most of it had fallen down a long time ago. "It's just a ruin," said Chip.
Kipper wanted to climb on a wall, but Dad said "no".
"We must look after old ruins," he said.
"Once upon a time, it was a big castle," said Biff.
"I wonder what it was like to live here. "
Mum found a good spot for a picnic. Floppy saw a rabbit hole.
He began to dig in the ground. Chip saw something shining in the dirt, so he picked it up. "It's a glass bead," he said.
"I wonder who lost it?" said Biff.
Chip looked at the bead through his magnifying glass.
Then he put it in his pocket. "I don't think it's valuable," he said.
Later, Chip came into Biff's room.
He had a book about castles. Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
The magic took Biff and Chip back in time.
It took them to the castle. Some people were waiting outside a big door. An important man came up. "I am Lord Kent," said the man.
"Where is your present for the prince?"
Biff and Chip didn't have a present. "Think of something, Chip," said Biff.
"Er... we have a magic glass," said Chip.
"It makes small things look big. "
"That is a good present," said Lord Kent.
"The prince will like it.
Put it on this cushion.
Then wait outside in the line. "
At last, Biff and Chip went into a hall. "That was quick thinking, Chip," said Biff.
"I wonder who this prince is. "
"He must be important," said Chip.
The prince was sitting on a throne. Chip gave him the magnifying glass. "I love it!" said the prince.
The prince jumped off the throne and looked through the magnifying glass. "Tomorrow is an important day," he said.
"Tomorrow I will be king. "
"You can call me Henry, but tomorrow I will be King Henry," he said.
"Come with me. " He ran out of the hall.
Henry ran up some stairs. "Come and see my crown," he said.
"I want to look at it through this magic glass. "
Two guards looked at Biff and Chip. "We are here to see that the crown is not stolen," said a soldier.
"Hold your arms up. We must search you. "
Henry took Biff and Chip into a small room in a tower. Biff and Chip gasped when they saw the crown. "It looks very valuable," said Chip.
"If it was stolen, I could not become king," said Henry.
"But it is safe in this tower.
Nobody could take it from here. "
Henry took Biff and Chip to see his horse. "I shall ride him when I become king tomorrow," he said.
Suddenly, they heard shouting.
Lord Kent ran up to Henry. "Come quickly!" he shouted.
"Your crown has been stolen. "
Henry ran back up the stairs to the crown room. The guards were still outside the door. "The crown is missing," said a guard.
"How can it be missing?" asked Henry.
"We don't know," said a guard.
"Nobody has been here, except you. "
"I know who stole it," said Lord Kent.
"These children have stolen it," Lord Kent went on.
"They used magic to do it.
Throw them in prison at once. "
"Oh!" said Biff.
"Now we're in trouble!" 
"These children stole the crown," said Lord Kent.
"Throw them in prison. "
"Stop!" said Henry.
"I don't think they stole my crown. "
Henry spoke to the guards. "Who has been in this room today?" he asked.
"You and Lord Kent," said a guard.
"Nobody could have taken it out of this room," said the other guard.
"We search everyone. "
"The children took it," said Lord Kent.
"We didn't take it," said Biff, "and nobody else could get in from the outside. "
Chip saw something on the floor.
It was a broken arrow. He asked Henry to lend him the magnifying glass.
"Someone tied string to the window," said Chip.
"I think I know how the crown was stolen. "
"Someone was in this room.
Then someone outside the castle shot an arrow through the window.
It had string tied to it. "
"The person in the room put the string through the crown.
Then they tied the string round this bar in the window. "
"The crown slid down the string.
Then the person in the room untied the string and left. It was easy. "
"I know who stole the crown," said Henry.
"You, Lord Kent.
You want to stop me being the king. "
Suddenly, Lord Kent ran off. "Ha!" he shouted.
"You will not be king.
I will! You have lost the crown. "
"Catch him!" shouted Henry.
"Don't let him get away. "
Biff and Chip grabbed Lord Kent's cloak and pulled him over. "Throw him in prison!" shouted Henry.
Henry ran out of the castle. "Come on!" he called to Biff and Chip.
"We have to get my crown back. "
Suddenly, Henry stopped running. Two men were searching for something in the grass. "Keep down," hissed Henry.
"Don't let them see us. "
"What are they looking for?" asked Biff.
One man took the crown out of a bag. "This is bad news," he said.
"The biggest jewel in the crown is missing. "
"We must find it," said the other man.
"Lord Kent will think we have stolen it. "
"It must be here," said the first man.
"I hope it didn't fall in the moat. "
Chip had an idea. In his pocket was a glass bead. "Is this the jewel?" he asked.
"No," said Henry.
"The jewel is much bigger. "
"Give Biff the magnifying glass, Henry," said Chip, "and stay where you are. "
Biff and Chip went up to the men.
Biff held the magnifying glass over the bead. "Are you looking for this big jewel?" she said.
"We have just found it. "
Suddenly, Biff dropped the bead. The men bent down to get it. She grabbed the crown and Chip pushed the men into the moat. Splash!
Biff threw the crown to Henry. "Don't drop it!" yelled Chip.
"Now run!
You can be king after all!"
"I'm glad I'm not a king," said Chip.
"You just can't trust anyone. "
"But you can trust the magic key," said Biff.
"It's glowing. "
"Henry was just a boy," said Chip.
"I wonder if he was king for a long time?"
"Who knows?" said Biff.
"I wonder if he found that missing jewel?"
The children were doing a project on the Olympic Games. "Tomorrow we will go to the museum and next week it's sports day," said Mrs May.
"Everyone can enter a race on sports day," said Mrs May.
"I think the girls should have a sewing race!" laughed one of the boys.
After school, Anneena and Wilma went to play with Biff.
Anneena was cross. "Some boys are so silly," she said.
The magic key began to glow.
The magic took the girls back in time, to a village in Greece. A boy was calling to the villagers. "Follow me to the games," he said.
"Can we go too?" asked Biff.
"Anyone can come!" said the boy.
"As long as they are male. "
The men and the boys from the village went to the games. "It's not fair!" said Anneena.
"Let's follow them," said Biff.
Outside the games, there were lots of guards. They only let men and boys in to the games. "We'll never get in," said Biff.
"I wish we could see!" said Wilma.
Anneena had an idea. "Let's climb a tree," she said.
The girls climbed an olive tree.
They could see the games. They watched a race.
Lots of men ran with shields.
The winner won a prize.
The prize was a vase. A man put a crown on the winner's head.
Then the girls watched some men throwing discs as far as they could.
"Hey you!" shouted a girl.
The girl was under the tree. "If anyone catches you here, you'll be in for the high jump!" she said.
"Then, why are you here?" asked Biff.
"I'm picking olives," said the girl.
"My name is Hera.
You'd better come with me to the village. "
In the village, they met Hera's friend, Mila. "It's always quiet when the games are on," said Mila.
"It's so boring!"
Suddenly, Anneena had an idea. "Can you get all of your friends together?" she asked.
The girls in the village came to the meeting. "This is my grandmother," said Mila.
"She paints the vases for the games. "
"Listen everyone," said Anneena.
"Why should boys have all the fun?
Let's have a girls' Olympic Games!"
There were all sorts of races and all the girls took part. There was a three-legged race and a sack race.
Mila's grandmother gave the girls some old plates.
The girls threw them like discs.
They threw them as far as they could.
The girls had an olive-and-spoon race.
Biff dropped her olives and Hera slipped on them!
Mila's grandmother painted the girls on a vase. Hera made some crowns from olive twigs. "We're all winners!" she said.
The boys and the men came back. "Girls doing sports?" said one boy.
"That will never catch on!"
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
The next day, Mrs May took the class to the museum. There was a display about the Greek Olympics. In a glass case there was a broken vase.
"A long time ago, a girls' Olympics began," said Mrs May.
Anneena looked at the boys. "And did the idea catch on?" she asked.
Wilma's mum took the children to an adventure playground. It was a new playground and it looked exciting.
They all wanted a go on the zip wire. Chip went first. It was hard to get on it, so Wilma's mum helped him. The zip wire went fast. "Yee ha!
This is scary," called Chip.
"I love it. "
Wilma was next, but she felt scared. Then the wind blew and it began to rain. "It's too windy and it's raining," said Wilma.
"I can't go. "
"It's a bad storm," said Mum.
"Let's go home.
We can come back another day. "
So they all ran back to the car.
Wilf and Wilma went back to Biff and Chip's house. They went to Biff's room to play. "I hope we go back to the adventure playground," said Wilf.
"I want a go on the zip wire. "
Then the magic key began to glow.
The magic took the children back in time.
It took them to a cliff near the sea. A bad storm was blowing. Suddenly, there was a bang. A bright light lit up the sky. Then a girl ran down the path.
Behind her was a man on crutches.
"Will you help us?" asked the girl.
"The storm has blown a ship on to the rocks.
The light in the sky was a call for help. "
"We can't help," said Wilma.
"You need to call the lifeboat. "
"We can't," said the girl.
"The lifeboat has gone to help another ship. "
"My name is Jane," said the girl.
"I'm Jane's father," said the man.
"I should be out with the lifeboat, but I've hurt my back. "
"The ship is stuck on the rocks," said Jane.
"People are in danger.
If you help us, we can rescue them. "
They ran to the lifeboat station. Jane loaded things on to a donkey.
She gave the children long poles to carry.
They went back along the path. The waves were crashing over the ship.
"This is a bad storm," said Wilf.
Jane told the children to lash two poles together. "We must make sure they don't fall over," she said.
Jane's father had a special cannon. He shot a line out over the water.
The line flew through the air and landed on the ship.
Jane tied a rope to the line.
The people on the ship pulled it across.
Then they tied the rope to the ship.
Jane's father put a pulley on the rope.
The pulley had a ring tied to it. "I get it," said Wilf.
"The people sit in that funny-looking ring. "
"Now we pull them in," said Jane.
"And I thought the zip wire was scary," said Wilma.
It was hard pulling the people across on the pulley. The rope dipped in the middle and it swung in the wind.
The last to come was the captain. "I've lost my ship, but you've saved our lives," he said.
"Thank you. "
Jane looked at the children. "Thank you for helping us," she said.
Then the key began to glow.
"I'm glad I wasn't on that ship," said Wilma.
"The zip wire at the playground won't seem scary, now. "
"Not even in a storm?" asked Wilf.
Everyone was excited. It was half-term. "For homework," said Mrs May.
"I'd like you to keep an autumn diary. "
"Oh no!" said Biff.
"Homework!"
Chip phoned Gran. "We can't stay with you all week," he said.
"We've got to keep a nature diary.
It's homework. "
"Don't worry," Gran replied.
"We can get the homework done and have some fun. "
The next day, Dad took Biff and Chip to Gran's. They picked up Nadim on the way.
He was going too. "It will be fun at Gran's," said Biff.
"I know," said Nadim.
"But when will we get time to write our nature diary?"
They got to Gran's, but she didn't come to the door. "How odd!" said Dad.
"She knows we are coming.
Let's look in the garden. "
There were lots of things in the garden. "How odd!" said Biff.
"Why has Gran put sunbeds out?
It's not summer. "
Suddenly, Gran opened the door of the shed. "Surprise!" she said.
The children looked inside. They all gasped. "I've made a nature laboratory," said Gran.
"We can do the nature project in here.
It will be fun. "
Gran took the children into the woods. "Let's start with the trees," she said.
They collected lots of different leaves. Gran gave Nadim paper and crayons. "Put the paper against the tree.
Then rub the crayon over it," she said.
"It's called a bark rubbing. "
Back in the laboratory, they looked at the bark rubbings. "Each type of tree has a different bark," said Nadim.
They stuck the leaves in their diaries. Gran had seeds from the trees. "We'll plant these in pots," she said.
"One day they will grow into trees. "
The next morning Gran got up early. She mixed seeds and nuts with melted fat and poured it into little pots.
"What is that smell?" asked Chip.
"Breakfast!" said Gran.
"I don't want to eat that!" said Biff.
"It's not for you!" said Gran.
"It's for the birds!"
When the fat had set in the pots, Gran hung them in the garden. "We can watch the birds," she said.
In the afternoon, Gran took them to a special place in the woods. "Now for a secret," said Gran. "Look!"
The children looked around.
There were coloured mushrooms everywhere. "It's amazing!" gasped Nadim.
"Look, but don't touch," said Gran.
On the way home Chip found some marks in the mud. "Are they animal tracks?" he asked.
Gran got some powder out of her bag.
She mixed it with water and made a paste.
Then she poured the paste on to the animal track. "This is plaster," said Gran.
"It will dry in the shape of the animal track.
It's called a cast. "
They took the cast back to the laboratory. Biff looked up the animal track in a book. "It's from a badger," she said.
"Tonight I have another surprise," said Gran.
"We need to wrap up warm and we'll need the sunbeds. "
"Sunbeds?" asked Biff.
They lay on the sunbeds and looked up.
The sky was full of shooting stars. "This is amazing!" said Chip.
"And it's your homework!" said Gran.
The next day was Mum's birthday. Chip had a box of chocolates for her.
Kipper had made her a monkey at school.
Biff didn't know what to get.
Biff asked Anneena's mum to help her buy a plant. They went into a big greenhouse.
The greenhouse was hot, and it was full of plants. "What a lot of plants!" said Biff.
"It's like a jungle in here.
I don't know which one to buy. "
In the end, she found one that she liked. "I'll get this one for Mum," she said.
The next day was Mum's birthday and the children gave her their presents.
Mum liked them all. "Thank you," she said.
"What a lovely plant, Biff!"
Dad had a present for Mum.
It was a plant. "I didn't know Biff had a plant as well," said Dad.
"I don't mind a bit," said Mum.
Anneena came to play with Biff and Chip. "This is from my mum," she said.
Wilma's mum came round with a plant too. "Thank you," said Mum.
"I love plants.
It's quite like a jungle in here. "
The children went to play in Biff's room. Anneena looked at the little house. "Can we have a magic adventure?" she asked.
"We can if the key glows," said Kipper.
Just then the key did begin to glow.
The magic took them into a jungle.
The jungle was full of plants. "It's wonderful," said Biff.
"Look at that one; it's ten times bigger than the one I gave Mum. "
They saw a monkey up a tree.
It jumped up and down on the branch. "That monkey looks cross," said Kipper.
"I don't think it likes us. "
"It looks like you," said Chip.
The monkey was angry with the children. It shook the branch.
Then it began to throw things at them. "We can't stay here," said Biff.
"Come on. "
They ran through the jungle, but suddenly Chip stopped. "Oh no!" he said.
"Look at this. "
There was a big snake in the way. "We can't go this way," said Chip.
"Come on. "
They came to a river.
There were alligators asleep on the bank. "Don't wake them up," said Kipper.
"They might get angry. "
"They might like you for dinner," said Biff.
Suddenly they fell into a big net.
It pulled them up in the air. "Oh help!" called Anneena.
"We're in a trap. "
The children were hanging in the net.
The net was a trap to catch animals. "Help!
Help!" called the children.
"Let us down!" called Kipper.
A man and a lady came out of the trees.
They were explorers. "Don't worry," said the lady, "we'll soon get you down. "
"What are you doing in the jungle?" asked the man.
"Are you lost?"
"Yes," said Biff.
"I think we are. "
"So are we," said the lady, "but then we have been lost for years. "
She showed them a picture. "We are looking for this place," she said.
"It's called the Lost City.
Nobody lives there.
It's been lost for years and years. "
The children liked the explorers.
They wanted to help them find the Lost City.
"Maybe we can find it today," said Kipper.
"I don't think so," said the man.
"We have been looking for years. "
They came to a rope bridge. "Maybe the Lost City is over there," said Biff.
"Let's go and see. "
They began to cross the bridge. "I hope it's safe," said Kipper.
They found a boat on the bank of the river.
The boat was full of water. "Oh good!" said the explorers.
"We lost this boat years ago. "
They got in the boat and paddled up the river. "Look at all the alligators!" said Chip.
"I hope it's not their dinner time. "
They came to a waterfall. The explorer could not stop the boat.
The paddle had broken. "Look out!" he called.
"We're going to get wet. "
The boat went through the waterfall. "Oh help," said Anneena, "I don't like getting wet. "
"Think of the alligators," said Chip.
"It's better than getting eaten!"
Behind the waterfall there were some steps.
The steps went up and up for a long way.
Nobody could see how far they went. "This may be the way to the Lost City," said the lady.
"Come on. "
As they climbed the steps, some bats flew past them. "If this is the way to the city, I can see how it got lost," said Anneena.
"It's such a long way up. "
"It's the Lost City!" shouted the explorers.
"We have found it at last. "
The man threw his hat in the air and his wife jumped up and down. "I knew we'd find it today," said Kipper.
Nobody had been in the city for years.
There were plants and trees everywhere. Biff pulled a plant out of a wall. "This is like the one I gave Mum," she said.
They went to a big building and they opened the doors. "Oh look!" they all gasped.
Everything inside the building was made of gold. The floor was gold and the walls were gold.
There were some gold steps that went up to a gold throne. "What a wonderful place!" said Anneena.
"There's gold everywhere. "
Kipper sat on the gold throne.
A monkey jumped down behind him. "Look at me!" he said.
"Look at that monkey behind Kipper," said Biff.
"Which one is the monkey?" asked Chip.
Suddenly, the key began to glow. "It's time to go home," said Chip.
"Goodbye," said the explorers.
"Thank you for helping us find the Lost City. "
"I wish we had a magic key," said the man.
The magic took the children home. Biff still had the plant she found in the Lost City. "I'll put it in Mum's jungle," she said.
"I know where we can get a monkey too. "
Kipper wanted a magic adventure but the magic key would not glow. It had not glowed for a long time. "Maybe it will glow if I keep it with me," he thought, so he put it in his pocket.
Mum had to go shopping.
She wanted Kipper to go with her. "I want to get you some new trainers," she said, "so come on. "
Kipper forgot he had the key in his pocket.
On the way to the shops, Mum let Kipper stop and play. He ran to the rocket and the key fell out of his pocket and on to the grass.
"Look at me, Mum!" he called.
Kipper looked in his pockets but the key was not there. "Oh no!" said Kipper.
"Where is the key?
I can't have lost it, can I?"
But he had lost the key.
Kipper wanted to go and look for the key, but Mum would not let him. It had started to rain and Mum wanted to get home. "Ask Biff and Chip to look for it," she said.
A man came to cut the grass.
He cut it with a mower. The mower ran over the magic key with a clang. "What was that?" said the man.
The key had broken the mower. "Grrrrr!" the man said, crossly.
"Now I shall have to mend the mower. "
He was so cross that he threw the magic key in a bin.
Two boys came to play on the swings. One of the boys looked in the bin and found the key. "Look at this old, bent key," he said.
"What shall we do with it?"
The boys took the key with them. One of them had some string.
He tied the key to the string and spun it round and round.
Suddenly the string broke and the key flew through the air.
It hit a greenhouse with a crash and broke the glass.
"Oh no!" said the boys.
"Look at my greenhouse!" yelled the man.
"The glass is broken. "
The boys ran away as fast as they could. "Just you come back here," called the man.
Kipper had to tell Biff and Chip that he had lost the magic key. "I think I lost it by the rocket," he said, "but Mum wouldn't let me look for it. "
"Come on," said Chip.
"We must find it. "
Wilf and Wilma helped them look for the lost key. Biff asked the man if he had seen it. "Yes," said the man.
"I threw it in that bin, but two boys took it out. "
The children saw the two boys.
They asked them if they had found the key. "Yes," said the boys, "but we lost it again.
We broke a man's greenhouse with it. "
They saw the man with the greenhouse. "We are sorry about the broken glass," said Chip, "but could we have the key?"
"Sorry," said the man.
"I sold the key to the junk shop to help pay for the glass. "
The children went to the junk shop. They told the lady about the key and asked her if she had it. "Sorry," said the lady.
"I have just sold it. "
The lady told them who had it. "A man came in," she said.
"He wanted some old keys. "
She told them that the man had a shop down the street.
The children went to the man's shop. In the window there were pictures and paintings. "Why do you think the man wants old keys?" asked Wilf.
Wilma looked inside the shop. It was closed and she couldn't see the man. "We must get our pocket money," said Biff.
"We may have to buy the key back. "
"Let's go home, then," said Chip.
Mum went to the shop with the children. She told the man about the key and how Kipper had lost it. She asked if they could have the key back. "Yes," said the man.
"If you can find it. "
The man had painted some pictures and had put lots of keys in them.
All the keys had been painted. The children looked at the pictures but they couldn't see the magic key.
They looked at all the pictures. "All the keys look the same," said Biff.
Suddenly Kipper saw a little picture.
It had one key in it. "Here it is," he said.
"This is our key. "
The man told them that they would have to buy the picture. Biff and Chip gave Mum their pocket money, and Mum paid the man. "It's a lot to pay for an old key," she said.
The children pulled the key from the picture and rubbed off the paint.
Then they looked at it. "The key has not glowed for a long time," said Biff.
"Perhaps it has lost its magic. "
"It's been out in the rain," said Wilf, "and it's been bent by a mower. "
"It's been through a window," said Chip, "and it's been stuck on a painting. "
"It's had a bad time," said Wilma.
The children wanted the key to glow. Wilma picked it up. "Do you think it will ever glow again?" she said.
"Do you think the magic will still work?"
"I don't know," said Biff.
"I hope so. "
But the key didn't glow and the magic wouldn't work. Kipper told the key about the adventures he would like to have.
But still the magic wouldn't work.
The next day, Wilf and Wilma came to the house with Nadim and Anneena. The children were sorry about the key. It still wouldn't glow and they were all very sad. "How can we make the magic work again?" asked Wilma.
Anneena thought of a good idea. "Let's remind it of the magic adventures," she said.
"Maybe that will make it work. "
But the key still didn't glow. At last the children gave up. Mum told Biff and Chip it was time for their friends to go home. "Cheer up," said Mum.
Kipper was sorry about the key. "It's all my fault," he said and he began to cry.
"Don't cry, Kipper," said Chip.
"Maybe the magic has just run out. "
Biff and Chip let Kipper take the key to bed. Kipper looked at it for a long time.
At last he fell asleep. Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
Wilf came to play with Chip. They made a rocket ship out of bits and pieces. The rocket ship looked quite good.
Wilf and Chip played in the rocket ship. They pretended to be spacemen. "The rocket is going to take off," said Wilf.
"Five... four... three... two... "
Floppy ran up.
He wanted to get in the rocket ship with Wilf and Chip. "Go away, Floppy," called Chip.
"The rocket is going to take off!"
Nadim came to play.
He had his computer with him, but he liked the look of the rocket ship.
He wanted to play in it too. Just then, it began to rain. "There's not room for all of us," said Chip.
"Let's go inside and play with Nadim's computer. "
They played a game on the computer.
It was called Red Planet.
They had to land a rocket on the planet. Wilf and Chip crashed the rocket.
Nadim didn't.
He was good at the game.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. Chip and Wilf pulled Nadim away from the computer and ran into Biff's room. "Come on," called Chip.
"It's time for an adventure. "
The magic took them to a rocket ship.
It took Floppy too. The rocket looked as if it was about to take off, but the door was open. Nadim wanted to look inside the rocket. "Come on," he called.
Chip didn't want to go inside. "It may not be safe," he said.
"Why not?" said Nadim.
"This is a magic adventure. "
They went inside the rocket.
There was nobody there. "Look at this computer," said Nadim.
Floppy jumped up and put his paw on a button.
Five... four... three... two... one.
The rocket began to take off. Up it went and out into space. "Oh no!" said Chip.
"I don't know where we're going. "
They began to float about inside the rocket. Nadim found some boots.
He put them on. "We must put these boots on," he said.
"They will keep us down on the floor. "
They went to the window and looked out.
They saw a big red planet. "We are going to land on that planet," said Nadim.
"We will soon be there. "
Nadim made the rocket land. "I wouldn't like to do that again," he said.
"It's a good job Nadim knows about computers," thought Wilf.
"I wouldn't like to crash here. "
There was red dust all over the planet.
There were red rocks and red mountains. Floppy didn't like the look of it.
He began to bark and bark. "There are no trees," he thought.
They wanted to go outside and look at the planet. They found a space buggy.
They looked in the space buggy and found some spacesuits. "Let's put these spacesuits on," said Wilf.
"Then we can go outside. "
"Do you think it will be safe outside?" asked Chip.
"I don't know," said Wilf.
They went out on the planet in the buggy. The buggy bumped over the rocks and the red dust flew up. "I don't like this," thought Floppy.
"I'm not made for space adventures. "
Suddenly the ground cracked and a big hole opened up. "Oh help," said Chip, Wilf, and Nadim as the buggy fell into the hole.
They fell down and down inside the planet. "I don't like this," thought Floppy.
"I want to go home. "
They all landed with a bump.
The buggy landed with a crash and broke in two. They were inside a big cave.
"What a place!" said Wilf.
"Look at it. "
Chip looked at the buggy. "It's broken," he said.
"It's had it!"
"How will we get back to the rocket?"
Floppy began to bark. There were some creatures in the cave.
They looked like funny little people. "Oh no!" said Nadim.
"Look at them!
I hope they like us. "
The creatures looked at the boys.
They climbed on the broken buggy and pulled out a spacesuit.
One of them turned a tap on Floppy's spacesuit.
Floppy's spacesuit began to fill with air.
It got bigger and bigger. Then Floppy began to float. "Get Floppy!" yelled Chip.
"Don't let him float away!"
Wilf asked the creatures how to get out of the cave. They told him that there was no way out. They said that they had never been outside.
Wilf had a good idea. He took a spacesuit out and he filled it with air.
The spacesuit got bigger and bigger.
It began to float up and up.
"Hold on," called Wilf, "and don't let go!"
The spacesuit floated up out of the cave. "We can float back to the rocket," said Chip.
"What a good idea!"
"I hope it won't go pop," thought Floppy.
They floated back to the rocket. Wilf let the air out of the spacesuit and it came down to the ground. "Good old Wilf!" said Nadim.
"I don't like floating," thought Floppy.
They went inside the rocket and it took off. Nadim turned on the computer and looked at the screen. "We'll soon be home," he said.
Just then the magic key began to glow. "That's good," thought Floppy.
"They won't have to land the rocket.
Dogs don't like space adventures. "
The magic took them back home. "I liked that adventure," said Wilf.
He looked at the little spacesuit. "So did I," said Nadim, "but I'm glad I didn't have to land that rocket again. "
It was games time at school. The children were outside on the field. Anneena ran up to Mrs May. "Come and see something, Mrs May," she said.
Someone had broken the fence down and dumped junk on the field. Wilf was cross. "We don't want junk on our field," he said.
"The field isn't a dump," said Mrs May.
Then Mrs May saw something in the junk. "Do you see this?" she asked the children.
"It's a mangle.
It gets the water out of wet clothes. "
"How does it do that?" asked Anneena.
Mrs May took the mangle into the classroom.
She showed the children how it worked. First she got a big sheet and made it wet. Then Nadim turned the handle and Biff helped Mrs May put the sheet through. The water ran out of the sheet and went into a bucket. "We don't use mangles now to get clothes dry," said Mrs May.
"What do we use?"
Mrs May showed the children a picture of someone washing clothes a long time ago.
Mrs May asked the children if they had any old things at home. Some of the children said they had.
When Biff and Chip got home from school they looked at the little house. "The house looks very old," said Chip, "and so do these little children.
Let's take them to school. "
Kipper didn't want them to take the little house to school. "What about the magic?" he asked Biff.
"The magic won't work if we don't take the key," said Biff.
Some of the children took old things to school. "What a lot of things," said Mrs May.
"We can find out all about them and have a display. "
Mrs May liked the little house and so did all the children. Biff and Chip didn't say that the house was magic. That was a secret. Wilf was being silly. He climbed on Mrs May's table and pushed some books over. The books fell on to the little house with a crash. "Oh no!" said Biff.
One of the books made a hole in the roof. Wilf was very upset when he saw that the roof was broken. "I'm sorry," he said.
"Perhaps I can get my dad to mend it. "
Biff and Chip took the house home. Kipper was cross when he saw that it was broken. He had the magic key in his hand. "Will the magic still work?" he asked.
Just then the key began to glow.
A new adventure began. The magic took the children back in time.
It took them to their house a long time ago. The house looked new but the roof was broken. There were three children playing outside and two men were mending the roof. "Didn't our house look nice a long time ago?" said Biff.
"But how did the roof get broken?"
The children saw Biff, Chip and Kipper, and ran up to them.
"Hello," they said. "Who are you?"
"I'm Biff," said Biff.
"This is Chip, and this is Kipper. "
"What funny names!" said the girl.
"My name is Victoria, this is Edward, and this is Will. "
"What funny clothes you have!" said Will.
"Not as funny as yours!" said Kipper.
Kipper looked up at the men on the roof. "How did the roof get broken?" he asked.
"We don't know," said Edward.
"It was broken when we woke up. "
"That's funny," said Kipper.
A lady came out and called to the children. "Go inside and wash your hands," she said.
"It's time for tea. "
"Is that your mother?" Biff asked.
"No," said Edward.
"That's our cook. "
The children went into the kitchen. The cook looked at Biff, Chip and Kipper.
"May they stay to tea?" asked Victoria.
"They have funny clothes," said Cook, "but yes. "
Biff looked round the kitchen. "This is not like our kitchen," she said.
Cook looked at Chip's hands. "Go and wash your hands," she said.
"You can't have tea until you do. "
After tea, Cook made the children wash their hands again. Then she told Edward to take some tea to the workmen. "Come and see our rooms," said Edward.
The broken roof was in Edward's room. "Is it mended yet?" he asked.
"It won't be long now," said the man.
"Thanks for the tea. "
The children went into Victoria's room. Victoria had a little room in her bedroom.
It was the one Biff had. "We keep toys in here," said Victoria.
"Come and look. "
Biff, Chip, and Kipper looked at the children's toys.
"I wish we had a horse like this," Chip said.
"So do I," said Biff.
Victoria took Biff, Chip, and Kipper into the little room.
"Come and see this," she said.
"What is it?" asked Kipper.
Victoria showed them a little house. She told them that her father was making it for them. "It will look like this house," she said.
"We know," said Biff.
Edward looked at Chip's watch and Chip looked at Edward's boat. "Do you want to swap?" asked Edward.
"Yes, please," said Chip, "then I can take the boat to school to show Mrs May. "
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. "It's time to go," said Kipper, "but I don't want to. "
"Will you come back?" asked Edward.
"We don't know," said Biff.
"Maybe. "
The magic took the children home. They looked at the little house. "The broken roof has been mended," said Biff.
"How did that happen?"
"I don't know," said Chip, "maybe Dad mended it. "
"I think the workmen in the adventure did it," said Kipper.
"We saw them. "
"I think it was magic," said Biff.
"I liked that adventure best of all," said Biff.
"I liked those children long ago.
I'd like to go back and see them again. "
"Me too," said Chip, looking at the boat.
"Maybe I could get my watch back!"
A new girl came to the school.
She was in Biff and Chip's class. The new girl was called Rosie, and she didn't look very friendly. She pulled a face at Anneena.
Rosie sat next to Chip. Chip didn't like her. She took his pens and scribbled on his picture. So Chip scribbled on her picture.
Rosie got Chip into trouble. She went to Mrs May. "He scribbled on my picture," she said.
Mrs May was cross with Chip.
She told him off.
Nobody liked the new girl. She was a bully.
She called everyone nasty names. She called Chip a motor mouth, and she called Wilf a parrot face.
Rosie was nasty to Biff. She took her crisps and called her a toffee nose.
Biff was frightened of Rosie.
Everyone was frightened of her.
Rosie was nasty to Anneena.
She called her a goody-goody and pulled her hair.
"Ow!
Stop it!" said Anneena.
"Leave me alone. "
Wilma was bigger than Rosie, so she ran to help Anneena. But Rosie was a bully.
She called Wilma a dinosaur brain and she pushed her over.
Rosie pulled Chip's ear and she wouldn't let go. "Tell me a secret," she said.
"Go on!"
Chip didn't want to tell her a secret. "Go on, Motor Mouth," said Rosie.
Rosie pulled Chip's ear even harder. "Tell me a secret," she said.
"Go on!"
Chip didn't want to, but he told Rosie about the magic key.
Rosie wanted to see the magic key, so she made Chip take her home. "Let me see this key," she said.
"I want a magic adventure. "
The children went to Biff's room. Rosie looked at the magic key, but it wouldn't glow. "It's just an old key," she said.
"It isn't magic at all. "
The magic key wouldn't glow when Rosie was holding it. But, as soon as Chip took the key, it began to glow. "It's a trick," said Rosie.
The magic key took the children on a new adventure.
It took Rosie, too. "Help!" called Rosie.
"I don't like this.
Make it stop!"
The magic key took the children to a school playground. "This is just a playground," said Rosie.
"This isn't a magic adventure. "
"How do you know?" asked Chip.
Rosie was cross with Chip. "This is a silly adventure, Motor Mouth," said Rosie.
"The magic key is silly. "
The magic key began to glow, but this time it glowed red.
The magic turned Rosie into a motor mouth. "What's happening?" shouted Rosie.
"I don't like this. "
"You're a motor mouth," said Nadim.
Rosie tried to grab the magic key, but Chip threw it to Wilma. "Give the key to me, Dinosaur Brain," shouted Rosie.
The magic key glowed red again.
The key turned Rosie into a dinosaur brain. "Help!" shouted Rosie.
"I don't like this. "
The children began to laugh. "Give me the magic key!" shouted Rosie.
Wilma threw the key to Wilf. Rosie tried to grab it. "Give me that key, Parrot Face," she shouted.
But the key glowed again.
The magic key gave Rosie a parrot face. The children laughed and laughed. "I don't like this," said Rosie.
"It's not fair.
Give me the magic key. "
Wilf threw the key to Nadim. "Give me that key!" shouted Rosie.
She tried to grab it, but Nadim threw it to Anneena.
Rosie got very angry. She tried to hit Wilf, but the key glowed red again. The magic made Rosie hit herself. "Ow!" she said.
"That hurt. "
Rosie began to cry. She wanted the magic adventure to stop. Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. This time, it took the children home.
Biff and Chip looked at Rosie, then they looked at the magic key. "This key is magic," said Biff, "and it doesn't like bullies.
Nobody likes bullies. "
Rosie ran home. The children were glad, but Biff felt a bit sorry for her. "That was a strange adventure," said Biff.
"The magic was different this time. "
The next day, two big children saw Rosie. The big children were bullies, too. They wanted Rosie's sweets, so they pushed her against the wall. Then the bullies pulled Rosie's ear. "Help!" called Rosie.
"That hurts.
Let me go!" she shouted.
Chip and Wilma saw the bullies.
They didn't know what to do.
Wilma had an idea. She ran and told Mrs May about Rosie and the bullies. "Come quickly, Mrs May," called Wilma.
"Rosie needs your help. "
Mrs May went to help Rosie.
She told the bullies off. "Nobody likes bullies," said Mrs May.
"Bullying is nasty.
Don't bully people again. "
Mrs May spoke to all the children. "Nobody likes bullies," she said.
"Wilma was right to tell a grown-up.
Always tell a grown-up about bullies. We don't want bullies in this school. "
Rosie was glad that Chip and Wilma had helped her. "Thank you," she said.
She was sorry she had been a bully, and she didn't bully anyone again.
The next day, a new boy came to the school. His name was Sam, and he didn't look very friendly. "Oh no!" said Chip.
Wilma's mum had a charm bracelet.
It was made of gold. The bracelet had ten charms on it.
The charms were made of gold too. "It's a beautiful bracelet," said Chip.
Wilma's mum was washing her hands at the sink.
She had the bracelet on. One of the charms fell off the bracelet, and it went down the plug hole.
Wilma's mum was very upset. "I hope I can get the charm out of the plug hole," she said.
Chip ran and got his mum. "She can get the charm out," he said.
Mum put a plastic bowl under the sink. Everyone looked in the bowl. "There's the charm," said Mum.
"Yuk!" said Wilma.
"It's got dirt on it. "
Wilma's mum was glad to get it back.
Mum found something else. "Yuk!" she said.
"Look what I've found. "
It was Wilf's old chewing gum. "What a place to stick old chewing gum!" said Wilma's mum.
The children went to Biff's bedroom. Wilf had three packets of chewing gum.
He gave some gum to Chip. "This is my bedroom," said Biff, "so mind where you put the old chewing gum. "
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. The magic took the children on a new adventure. "Help!" said Wilf.
"I don't know what to do with my old chewing gum. "
The magic took the children back in time.
It took them to a river.
A boy and a girl were looking for something in the water. The boy and the girl had big pans.
They scooped up little stones from the river.
Then they looked for tiny bits of gold in the bottom of the pans.
The boy and girl got angry when they saw the children.
They didn't want them to look for gold. "This is our bit of river," they shouted.
"Go and look for gold somewhere else!"
Wilf gave the boy and girl some gum. They hadn't seen chewing gum before.
They didn't know what to do with it. "You just chew it," said Wilf.
"Chew it, but don't swallow it. "
The boy was called Luke and the girl was called Alice. They lived in a hut by the river. Alice and Luke looked for gold every day.
It was a hard life. The family hadn't found any gold, and Luke and Alice were always hungry. "Looking for gold is hard," said Luke.
"Do you want to help us?"
The children helped look for gold. Wilf and Biff helped Luke's father.
Wilma and Chip helped Alice and Luke. "I'm glad I brought the gum," said Wilf.
"This is hard work. "
It was cold in the river, and the children soon got tired. "We do this every day," said Luke, "and we still haven't found any gold. "
Suddenly, Luke's father shouted. "Gold!" he yelled.
"We've found gold. "
He picked up a big nugget of gold and jumped up and down. Everyone ran to see.
Everyone looked at the gold nugget.
It felt heavy and cold. "Hooray!" shouted Luke's mother.
"We have found gold at last," she said.
"I thought we'd never find any. "
The children went to town with Luke's mother and father.
Luke and Alice were excited. "We can sell the gold," they said, "and we can buy some food. "
"We can buy new clothes," said Luke's mother.
"And a new spade," said Luke's father.
"And some chewing gum," said Luke.
"What's chewing gum?" asked Luke's father.
Some men were waiting in the road. "Oh no!" said Luke's father.
"Robbers!
They will steal our gold nugget. What shall we do?"
Wilf had an idea. He spoke to all the children. "Give me your chewing gum," he said.
"Give me all the old chewing gum, and give me the gold nugget. "
The robbers wanted gold and money. "But we're just a poor family," said Luke's father.
"We haven't got any money and we haven't found any gold. "
The robbers looked everywhere.
They searched everyone. "We're only children," said Alice.
"We haven't got any gold and we haven't got any money. "
The robbers couldn't find the gold.
They let everyone go. "Hooray," said Luke.
"Wilf's chewing gum saved the gold. "
"Is that chewing gum?" asked Luke's father.
Luke's father and mother got some money for the gold. "I can have a new dress," said Alice.
"And I can have new boots," said Luke.
Luke's father bought a new cart.
It was bigger than the old one. "We need a new cart," said Luke.
"There is so much to take home. "
The children helped them put everything on the cart. "This is hard work too," said Biff.
"These magic adventures are not all fun. "
They all went back to the river. The family put on the new clothes. Wilma and Biff looked for gold. "I hope we find some," said Wilma.
"I'd love to find a gold nugget. "
Suddenly, Biff saw a little yellow speck in the pan.
She had found some gold. "It's very small," she said.
Just then, the magic key began to glow.
The magic took the children home. Biff looked at the gold. "It looks really tiny, now," she said.
"It looks like a speck of dust!"
Suddenly, Chip sneezed.
The speck of gold blew out of Biff's hand.
It blew on to the carpet. "Did you see where it went?" asked Biff.
"Oh no!
Sorry!" said Chip.
The children looked and looked.
They couldn't find the little speck of gold. "I don't think we ever will," said Biff.
"Oh no!" said everyone.
It was raining. The children were fed up. Biff and Anneena were bored, and Chip was in a bad mood.
He wanted to play with the frisbee.
Mum had an idea.
She had a new jigsaw puzzle.
She gave it to the children. "You can do this jigsaw," she said.
"It's a good one. "
Everyone looked at the jigsaw.
It was a picture of soldiers and a boy. "The soldiers are asking the boy a question," said Mum.
"They want to know where his father is. "
The jigsaw puzzle had lots of pieces. The children liked the jigsaw, but it was hard to do. Soon, Chip got bored with it.
He began to play with the frisbee.
In the end, everyone got bored. The magic key began to glow. The magic took the children into a new adventure.
The magic took the children to a time long ago.
It took them to a big house. Some children were playing with their mother and father. Kipper looked at the children. "What funny clothes they're wearing," he said.
"They look like the children in the picture on the jigsaw," said Anneena.
Kipper spoke to the girl and boy. "Hello," he said.
"My name's Kipper.
This is Biff, Chip and Anneena. "
"What funny names!" said the girl.
"And what funny clothes you're wearing. "
"What are your names?" asked Chip.
"My name is Jane," said the girl.
"My name is Edmund," said the boy, "and my father is very important. "
"We don't mind," said Kipper.
Edmund had never seen a frisbee before. "Why have you got a plate?" he asked.
"It's not a plate," said Kipper.
"It's a frisbee. "
Everyone played with it. Suddenly, there was a shout. A man ran towards Edmund's father. "Quickly, you must hide!" he said.
"Get inside the house.
The soldiers are coming!"
Edmund's father ran inside. "Quickly!" shouted Edmund.
"We must help my father to hide.
The soldiers mustn't find him. "
Everyone ran into the house.
The soldiers came to the house. They knocked on the door. "Let us in!" they shouted.
"Open the door, or we'll smash it down. "
Everyone ran to the library. The library had a secret room.
The room was behind a bookcase. Edmund's father hid in the secret room. "Good luck, Father," said Edmund.
Edmund's mother pushed the bookcase back. "Don't tell the soldiers about the secret room," said Jane.
"They will kill my father if they find him. "
The soldiers ran into the house.
They looked for Edmund's father. "Tell us where he is!" they shouted.
The children were frightened, but they didn't say anything.
The soldiers looked everywhere, but they couldn't find Edmund's father. One of the soldiers found a sword. "His sword is here," he said, "so he must be here somewhere. "
The soldiers took everyone into a room. Some men sat at a big table.
They looked at the children.
One of them looked at Kipper. "Come here, little boy," he said.
"Where is your father?" asked the man.
Kipper was frightened, but he didn't say anything. None of the children said anything.
The important men were angry. "Your father is hiding," they shouted.
"Tell us where he is.
If he is hiding in this house, we will soon find him. "
Nobody said anything, so the soldiers began to pull up the floor.
They tapped on the walls.
Edmund's mother was frightened. "They may find him," she said.
Edmund and Jane were frightened. They wanted to help their father. Suddenly, Chip had an idea. "Maybe your father could escape, if he dressed up as a woman," he said.
Biff and Anneena had an idea too. Biff threw the frisbee at a soldier.
The soldier laughed.
He had never seen a frisbee before. "Come and look at this!" he shouted.
The soldiers wanted a rest, so they stopped looking for Edmund's father.
They all went outside and played with the frisbee. Soon, everyone was laughing.
The soldiers liked the frisbee.
They played with it for a long time. Suddenly, an old woman came up. She looked very poor.
She wanted some money.
The soldiers stopped playing with the frisbee.
They shouted at the old woman. "Go away!" they shouted.
"We don't have any money. "
Suddenly, one of the soldiers looked at the house.
He saw someone running away. "Look!
Over there!" he shouted.
"Someone's running away. "
The soldiers chased the woman. "It's not a woman, it's a man," they shouted.
"It must be the man we want.
Don't let him get away. "
The soldiers caught the man and took him back to the house. "Oh no!" said Anneena.
"They've caught Edmund's father.
Our idea didn't work. "
The soldiers thought they had caught Edmund's father.
But it was a trick. "Grrr!" said the soldiers.
"Hooray!" said the children.
The children found some old clothes. "So Edmund's father was the old woman," said Anneena.
"What a good trick," laughed everyone.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
The jigsaw puzzle was finished. Mum looked at something in the picture. "That's funny," she said.
"That looks like a frisbee. "
"It must be a plate," said Chip.
Biff and Chip went to stay with Gran.
Gran lived in a little village. Biff and Chip liked staying with Gran. She was good fun.
She made Biff and Chip laugh.
Gran took Biff and Chip to the shed.
She had a surprise for them. "Open the door," she said.
"I've got a surprise for you. "
"What is it?" asked Chip.
Biff and Chip opened the door and looked inside the shed.
They had a big surprise. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"There's a dragon in the shed!"
"It's not a real dragon," said Gran.
"It's a kite. "
Biff and Chip looked at the kite. "It's a Chinese dragon kite," said Gran.
"It's wonderful," said Biff.
The children wanted to fly the kite. "It's a good day for a picnic," said Gran.
"And it's a good day to fly the kite.
It's quite windy. ""Can I fly it first?" asked Biff.
Gran found a good place for the picnic.
It was near her house. "This is a good place to fly the kite," she said.
She let Biff fly the kite first. The wind took the kite up in the sky.
It went higher and higher. "It looks wonderful," said Chip.
Suddenly the wind got stronger. "Don't let go," called Gran.
The wind pulled the dragon kite out of Biffs hand. It blew away and landed in a tree.
Biff was upset. "I couldn't hold on to it," she said.
Chip climbed the tree and pulled the kite, but it wouldn't come down. "Be careful," said Biff.
"Mind you don't tear it. "
"And mind you don't fall," said Gran.
The kite was stuck in the tree.
Chip couldn't get it down. In the end, someone got the kite down with a long pole. "Thank you," said Biff and Chip.
Biff and Chip went to fly the kite again. Chip saw some wild flowers. "Mind those flowers!" he said.
"Don't step on them. "
Gran looked upset. "What's the matter, Gran?" asked Chip.
"They want to build a motorway.
They want to put it right here," said Gran.
Biff and Chip were upset, too. They didn't want a motorway there. "We won't be able to have picnics or play in the wood," said Biff.
"And we won't be able to fly the kite. "
A woman pointed to the wood.
Then she pointed to the village. "This is where the motorway will go.
It will go between the wood and the village," she said.
Gran was very upset. She looked at the village and she looked at her house. "We don't want a motorway here," she said.
"We must stop it. "
Gran told people in the village about the motorway. Everyone was upset. "We don't want a motorway here.
We must stop it," they said.
Everyone wanted to stop the motorway. "We don't want it here," said Gran.
"It will spoil our village. "
"It can't be helped," said a man.
"We can't stop it. "
People came to Gran's house. They made banners and posters.
Gran made a big banner. Biff helped her. The banner said, "Stop the motorway".
Chip was good at painting. He made a poster.
The poster said, "Save our woodland".
"The banner looks good," said Biff.
"And Chip's poster looks good too. "
Everyone went to a meeting. An important woman was there.
The woman pointed to a map. "We have to put the motorway here," she said.
"We don't want the motorway here," said Gran.
"It will spoil the village. "
"It can't be helped," said the woman.
"It has to go somewhere.
I can't stop it. "
Soon, big lorries and bulldozers came to the village. Nobody wanted the motorway.
Everyone wanted to stop it, but the bulldozers began to dig. Gran looked at the bulldozers. "The motorway will spoil the countryside," she said.
"Now we won't be able to walk in the woods and go on picnics. "
The children watched the bulldozers. Biff looked at the wild flowers. "Oh no!" she said.
"The bulldozer will dig them up soon.
Let's pick some for Gran. "
Biff and Chip made Gran a cup of tea.
They gave her the flowers. "We picked these flowers for you," said Chip.
"The bulldozer will dig them up soon. "
Gran looked at the flowers. "I think these flowers are very rare," she said.
"I've never seen them before. "
She jumped up and ran inside the house.
Gran looked in a book.
She found a picture of the flowers. "This is wonderful!" shouted Gran.
"These flowers are rare.
Now we can stop the motorway. "
People came from everywhere.
They looked at the rare flowers. "This is amazing," they said.
"We've never seen these flowers before.
They must be saved. "
"Hooray!" shouted Gran.
"These flowers will stop the motorway.
They can't put a motorway here. They can't dig up rare flowers. "
The rare flowers were saved, and so was Gran's village. The bulldozers and lorries went away, but they left a big hole in the ground. "Thank you for helping us stop the motorway," said Gran.
"What will you do about the hole?" asked Biff.
Gran smiled.
She had an idea.
The big hole was made into a lake. Ducks came to live on it and wild flowers grew round it. "The children will like this," said Gran.
"It's better than a motorway. "
Biff and Chip were doing a project on the Romans.
The project was for Mrs May. Biff made a chariot and Chip drew a picture.
Mum and Dad looked at the project. "The Romans are interesting," said Biff.
Chip showed Mum his picture.
It was a picture of a Roman chariot.
The chariot was pulled by four horses. Biff showed Dad the model. "The Romans had chariot races," said Biff.
"The races were dangerous.
A chariot was so heavy, it needed four horses to pull it. "
Mum and Dad played a joke on Biff and Chip. They dressed up as Romans. "It's time for supper," called Dad.
Kipper had some pizza and Mum had some grapes. "This is a Roman supper," said Mum.
"Romans didn't have pizzas," laughed Biff.
"How do you know?" asked Mum.
Biff and Chip went to Biff's room. Biff wanted to take the chariot to school, but she still had to paint it. Chip was good at painting, so he helped Biff.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. The magic took Biff and Chip on a new adventure. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"I'm still painting the model chariot. "
The magic took the children back to Roman times.
It took them to Rome. Biff and Chip saw a girl.
She was playing in the street. The girl looked at Biff's model. "It's a good model," she said, "but it doesn't look quite right. "
"We've never seen a real chariot," said Biff.
The Roman girl was called Diana. She had a brother called Mark.
He was a chariot driver. Mark looked at Biff's model chariot. "I can show you a real chariot," he said.
Mark opened some big doors.
Inside was a real chariot. It was like Biff's model, but it was very big. "Wow!" said Biff.
Mark let Biff go on the chariot.
Biff pretended she was a chariot driver.
She pretended she was in a race. "I wish I could be a chariot driver," said Biff.
Mark laughed at Biff. "You have to be strong to race chariots," he said.
"I'm in a race today.
Come and watch it. "
Everyone was hungry, so Diana took the children home. "We can have some bread," she said.
"My father is a baker.
He makes the best bread in Rome. "
Everyone looked at the bread, but something was wrong. The bread didn't look right.
It was flat.
It didn't look like bread at all.
Diana's father made some more bread.
He baked it in the oven, but it was flat, too. "This is bad," said Diana's father.
"Nobody will buy bread like this. "
Chip looked at the flat bread.
He had a good idea. "We can make pizzas," he said.
"What are pizzas?" asked Diana.
"We don't know what pizzas are. "
Chip told Diana's mother how to make pizzas. Everyone helped. Diana's mother cooked the pizzas in the big oven. The pizzas looked good. "I hope you like them," said Chip.
"Everyone likes pizzas," said Biff.
"They smell good," said Diana's mother.
The pizzas tasted good too. Diana's father was pleased. "Now we can sell them," he said.
"We can sell lots and lots.
What a good job the bread was flat. "
They went outside to sell the pizzas, but there was nobody in the street.
There was nobody to buy the pizzas. "Where is everyone?" asked Biff.
Everyone had gone to the chariot races.
Diana's father was upset. He looked at the pizzas. "All that work for nothing," he said.
"How can we sell pizzas when everyone is at the chariot races?"
Diana had an idea. She put some pizzas in a basket. "Come on," she called.
"If everyone is at the chariot races, we can sell the pizzas there. "
They took the pizzas to the chariot races. "Come and buy a pizza," called Diana.
But nobody bought the pizzas. Everyone was looking at the races.
The children saw Mark, so they gave him one of the pizzas. "These pizzas are good," said Mark.
Biff looked at the chariot and she had a good idea.
The children had a banner.
It was about the pizzas. Mark put it on his chariot. The people laughed when they saw the banner. "Why has Mark put a banner on his chariot?" people asked.
"And what are pizzas?"
The race began and everyone cheered when Mark came first.
The people ran to buy the pizzas. "These pizzas are good," they said.
"What a good idea to put a banner on the chariot. "
Just then, some soldiers grabbed the family and the children. "You must stop selling pizzas," they said.
"The Emperor wants to see you.
Come with us. "
The Emperor was angry. "This has got to stop," he said.
"Who put this banner on the chariot?
And what are pizzas?"
"Would you like to try one?" asked Diana.
"They taste good," said the Emperor.
"You can deliver some to the palace.
But I don't want banners on the chariots, so take your banner away. "
Just then, the magic key glowed.
Chip looked at the little banner.
He put it on Biff's chariot. "The Emperor didn't like banners on chariots," he said.
"I wonder what Mrs May will think. "
Biff and Chip were at a car boot sale. They saw Nadim. "Nadim! Over here!" called Biff.
Nadim ran to see them.
He had bought something at the sale.
It was a blue and white plate.
He showed it to Biff and Chip. "It's a present for my mum," said Nadim.
"It's a willow pattern plate.
My mum collects them. "
"Why is it called a willow pattern plate?" asked Chip.
"I don't know," said Nadim, "but I think the pattern tells a story. "
"I wonder what the story is," said Biff.
Mum and Dad looked at Nadim's plate. "It's a present for my mum," said Nadim.
Biff asked if Nadim could come and play. So Nadim went to play with Biff and Chip.
They went up to Biff's bedroom. "What shall we play?" asked Nadim.
"I don't know," said Biff.
Suddenly, the key began to glow.
The magic took the children into a new adventure. "What's happening?" called Nadim.
"Help!" said Biff.
"Everything is going blue!"
"What a strange place!" said Chip.
"What strange trees!"
"Everything looks blue and white," said Nadim.
"We're in the land of the willow pattern. "
They were in a big garden.
It had a high wall all round it and blue trees grew everywhere. "I can see water," said Biff.
"Is the garden next to the sea?"
"No, it's next to a lake," said Nadim.
"There's a bridge," said Biff.
"It's like the one on the plate. "
"I can see a little house down by the water," said Chip.
Down by the lake they saw a girl.
She was all alone. "She looks unhappy," said Biff.
"Why is she all alone and why is she crying?"
The girl was called Kim Shee.
She lived in the little house by the lake. She had a cruel father.
He would not let her go out of the garden.
Kim loved a boy called Chang.
She wanted to marry him.
But Chang was too poor. Kim's father wanted her to marry a rich man, but Kim loved Chang.
Kim Shee heard Chang calling. "Kim Shee," he called.
"Are you alone?"
"Chang!" said Kim.
"How did you get here?"
"I swam across the lake," said Chang.
"Nobody saw me. "
"Oh!" said Kim.
"You are cold and wet. "
"It does not matter," said Chang.
But Kim Shee was afraid. "You must go away," she said.
"My father must not see you here. "
"This garden is like a prison," said Chang.
"Your father never lets you go out. "
"But what can we do?" asked Kim.
"We must run away," said Chang.
"Then I can marry you. "
"But how can I leave the garden?" asked Kim.
"There are guards everywhere. "
"Don't worry," said Chang.
"I will think of something. "
Kim heard the sound of a twig snapping. "Someone is watching us!" she gasped.
Chang jumped to his feet.
He held up a stick. "Who is there?" he called.
Then they saw Biff, Chip and Nadim.
"Don't be afraid," said Biff.
"We are friends. "
"We have never seen children like you before," gasped Chang.
"How did you get into this garden?"
"We didn't mean to listen," said Chip, "but we heard what you were saying. "
"We know you want to run away," said Biff.
"But how can we?" asked Kim.
"There are guards all round the garden. "
Nadim had a good idea.
He told them what it was. "It's a brilliant idea!" said Chip.
"I'm sure it will work," said Biff.
"But what if we are caught?" asked Chang.
"Do you have a better idea?" asked Biff.
"No," said Chang.
"It is our only chance. "
"First, you must hide," said Nadim.
"Then, be ready to run over the bridge," said Chip.
"Now we must get ready," said Nadim.
Kim had a long sash round her waist. "Give me your sash, Kim," said Biff.
Kim gave Biff her sash.
Biff tied Kim's sash to the bridge.
There were lemon trees in the garden. Nadim and Chip climbed into one.
They picked as many lemons as they could.
Then they waited.
Kim and Chang hid by the bridge.
Biff held on to the end of the sash. "I hope Nadim's idea works," she thought.
Nadim called from the tree. "Willow Pattern Plot -- begin!" he said.
Chip and Nadim began to shout at the guards. "Come and get us!" they yelled.
"We're over here. "
The guards ran into the garden.
They ran towards Kim Shee's little house.
Now that the guards were in the garden, Kim Shee and Chang could escape. Someone else ran into the garden. "My father is coming!" gasped Kim Shee.
Kim and Chang began to run, but the guards saw them. "Stop them!" shouted Kim Shee's father.
Nadim and Chip threw the lemons at the guards.
Chang and Kim Shee ran over the bridge.
The guards chased after them.
Biff got ready. "I hope Kim's sash is strong!" she said.
The guards ran onto the bridge. Biff pulled the sash tight.
The guards tripped over it.
They fell over with a crash. "You fools!" shouted Kim Shee's father.
Chip and Nadim climbed down from the lemon tree.
They ran across to find Biff. Kim Shee's father saw them. "Catch those children," he yelled.
"Well done, Biff!" said Chip.
"Kim and Chang have got away!"
"I hope we get away, too," said Biff.
The magic key was glowing. "Hooray!
It's time to go!" she said.
"What an adventure!" said Chip.
Nadim picked up his plate and looked at it. "I wonder what happened in the real willow pattern story," he said.
Everyone was in the playground. "I've got a good joke," said Wilf.
"What goes black, white, black, white?"
"I don't know," said Biff.
"A penguin rolling down a hill!" said Wilf.
"I've got one," said Anneena.
"Why couldn't the skeleton go to the party?"
"Why couldn't the skeleton go to the party?" asked Chip.
"It had no body to go with!" said Anneena.
"Time to come inside!" called Mrs May.
"Line up quietly, everyone. "
"What do sea monsters eat?" said Nadim.
"Fish and ships!"
"That's a terrible joke!" said Biff.
"Get in, you chatterboxes," said Mrs May.
"Didn't you hear the whistle?"
"Sorry, Mrs May," said Wilf.
"We were telling jokes. "
"Well, it's time to stop now," said Mrs May.
"Mrs May!" called Biff.
"What does an elephant do on a motorway?"
"Not now, Biff," said Mrs May.
"Tell me later.
In you go everyone. "
"Biff," whispered Nadim.
"What does an elephant do on a motorway?"
"About two miles an hour!" said Biff.
"Biff!
Nadim!" said Mrs May.
"Go inside quietly!"
It was nearly time to go home. "Well done!" said Mrs May.
"You have worked hard today.
Now it's time to tidy up. "
"Mrs May!" called Anneena.
"Do you want to hear one of Nadim's jokes?"
"Well, just one," said Mrs May.
"I want to get home tonight. "
"Why do cows wear bells?" asked Anneena.
"I don't know," said Mrs May.
"Why do cows wear bells?"
"Because their horns don't work!" said Nadim.
Mrs May clapped her hands. "I want to ask you something," she said.
"Who knows about Help the Children Day?"
"There's a special day," said Chip.
"People raise money to help children," said Wilf.
"How could we raise money for Help the Children Day?" asked Mrs May.
"We'll have to think hard," said Anneena.
"Tell me your ideas tomorrow," said Mrs May.
Everyone was at Biff and Chip's house. "I can't think of anything," said Chip.
"Nor can I," said Anneena.
"What ideas have we had so far?" asked Biff.
"Read out the list, Nadim. "
Nadim read out the list. "Ideas for Help the Children.
Washing cars, toy sale. "
"That's only two ideas!" said Anneena.
"Well, we've only had two ideas," said Wilf.
"I don't think washing cars is a good idea," said Chip.
"I don't think Mrs May would let us. "
"And I gave all my old toys to the last toy sale," said Wilf.
Then Nadim had a good idea. "What about a joke machine?" he said.
He told them all about his idea. Everyone was excited. "I can't wait to tell Mrs May," said Chip.
The next day, they were back at school. "Mrs May!" called Anneena.
"We've got an idea for Help the Children!"
"It must be a good one," said Mrs May.
"You all sound excited. "
They told Mrs May what the idea was. "It's a joke machine!" said Biff.
"We write jokes on slips of paper," said Chip.
"Then we put the jokes in a box. "
"The box is the joke machine," said Wilf.
"It's a great idea!" said Anneena.
"People pay for a joke!"
"They give some money," said Wilf.
"Then they get a joke from the box. "
"I think it's a lovely idea," said Mrs May.
"But I can see one problem. "
"What's that?" everyone asked.
"You will need lots and lots of jokes," said Mrs May.
The joke machine was finished. "It's brilliant!" said Chip.
"Look! I've finished the poster. "
"A laugh does you good," read Wilf.
"Do good with a laugh. "
"We have put the jokes on the computer, now we can print them off," said Nadim.
"And here's the next one:
What game do horses play?"
"Stable tennis!" laughed Anneena.
"How many jokes have we got?" asked Wilf.
"Forty-nine," said Nadim.
"I wish we had some more. "
"Here is one more for you," said Mrs May.
"What can fly and has four legs?"
"We don't know!" they all said.
"What can fly and has four legs?"
"Two birds!" said Mrs May.
Everyone laughed.
They took the joke machine to the shopping centre. "Roll up!
Roll up!" they shouted.
"Support the children!
Buy a joke for not less than 50p!"
A man came up to buy a joke. "He's given us a pound!" called Chip.
"Thank you very much. "
The man wanted them all to tell the joke.
So they told it together.
"What has only one foot?" they all said.
"I don't know," said the man.
"What has only one foot?"
"A leg!" they said.
Everyone laughed.
"I have some good news," said Mrs May.
"The mayor loves your joke machine.
She wants to buy all your jokes! Guess how much she will pay you for each one?"
"We don't know," said everyone.
"How much will she pay for each one?"
"Two pounds!" said Mrs May.
"Fifty jokes at two pounds each!" said Nadim.
"That's a hundred pounds!"
"But we've sold twenty jokes," said Wilf.
"There are only thirty left. "
"I've been putting them back," said Nadim.
"There are still fifty in there. "
"Three cheers for Nadim!" said Anneena.
"It was his brilliant idea!"
"And three cheers for the joke machine!" said Mrs May.
"I've thought of another joke," said Nadim.
"What card game do crocodiles like?"
"We don't know," they all said.
"What card game do crocodiles like?"
"Snap!" said Nadim.
Everyone groaned.
Wilf and Wilma had come to play at Biff and Chip's house. It was Wilf's birthday. "Happy birthday, Wilf," said Biff and Chip.
They gave him a big card.
Wilf had a large box. "This is my birthday present," he said.
Everyone looked inside the box. "What is it?" asked Chip.
"It looks like a submarine," said Biff.
"It's a kind of submarine," said Wilf.
"It explores the sea bed. "
"That's right," said Wilma.
"It goes to the bottom of the sea. "
"What a brilliant present!" said Biff.
The submarine looked like a car.
It had big windows and it had headlights. Wilf put the headlights on. "It's brilliant," said Chip.
Biff looked at the magic key. Suddenly it began to glow.
It was time for a new adventure. "I wonder where the key will take us," said Wilf.
The magic took the children to the sea, where there were lots of boats. Chip pointed to a yellow submarine. "Look at that one," he said.
"It looks just like Wilf's submarine!"
The children went to look at the submarine. "I wish we could look inside," said Chip.
Just then a hatch began to open and a man looked out.
The man peered at them. "Hello!" he said.
"I'm Professor Tangle. "
"How do you do," said Wilf.
"My new crew?" said Professor Tangle.
"You look a bit young. "
"We're not your new crew," shouted Wilf.
"How do you do!"
Professor Tangle didn't hear properly.
He got things muddled up. "You know what to do?" he said.
"That's good!
Get on board," went on the Professor.
"And tell me your names. "
"I'm Biff," said Biff, "and this is Wilma.
This is Wilf, and this is Chip. "
"No, it's not a ship," said the Professor.
"It's a diving machine. "
"We know that," said Wilf.
"We've never been in one," said Wilma, "and we're not your new crew!"
"You flew?" said Professor Tangle.
"I didn't see an aeroplane.
Now shall we go?"
Everyone smiled, and they all climbed into the submarine.
Professor Tangle shut the hatch. "There's not much room," said Wilma.
"No," said Biff.
"I hope it doesn't leak. "
"Of course you can speak," said the Professor.
Professor Tangle started the engines. "It's time to dive," he said.
The submarine went under the water.
"Glub! Glub! Glub!" it went.
Everyone looked out of the window. They could see fish everywhere. "It's wonderful," said Chip.
"It's amazing to be under the sea. "
"You can't see?" said Professor Tangle.
"Look out of the window, then. "
"Come on, crew!" said Professor Tangle.
"Time to do some work.
Push that button, Biff. Press that handle, Wilf. Pull that lever, Chip. "
"We're not the crew!" yelled Biff.
"Things might go wrong. "
"Sing a song?" said Professor Tangle.
"There's no time for that.
There's far too much to do. "
The submarine began to dive.
It went deeper and deeper.
"Glub! Glub! Glub!" it went.
"Where are we heading?" shouted Chip.
"Will we dive deep?"
"No, you can't go to sleep," said Professor Tangle.
"You're the crew!
You have to stay awake! We are going to dive deep. "
"This thing scares me," said Wilma.
The submarine went deeper and deeper. "Glub! Glub! Glub!" it went.
Everyone looked out of the window. "I can see a shark!" said Wilma.
"It's getting very dark," said the Professor.
The submarine went even deeper. Professor Tangle was excited. It began to get dark. "It's getting dark," said Biff.
"Put the lights on, Professor. "
The Professor pushed the light switch. "Bother!
The lights don't work," he said.
Biff looked out of the window. "Oh no!
Help! Professor Tangle! I can see huge rocks," she called.
"No, I don't need clean socks," said the Professor.
"Now, where's that fuse?"
He began to look for his tool box. "Look out!" yelled Chip.
"We're going to crash!"
Professor Tangle pushed a button and he pulled a lever. The submarine didn't crash.
It just missed the rocks. "Phew!
That was close," said Wilma.
There was a cave ahead of them.
The submarine was heading for it. "Slow down, Professor," called Wilf.
"We are heading for a cave in the rocks. "
"Yes, it was in the box," said the Professor.
He held up the fuse. "Professor, slow down!" yelled Wilf.
"We're going into a cave. "
"Well, why didn't you say so?" asked Professor Tangle.
"We'd better slow down. "
He pulled a lever and the submarine slowed down just in time.
The submarine went into the cave. Professor Tangle put the new fuse in.
All the lights came on. The cave shone and sparkled.
There were diamonds all over the walls. "Diamonds!
I'm rich!" said the Professor.
"But you can't get at them," said Biff.
"Oh bother!" said Professor Tangle.
Suddenly the walls of the cave began to shake.
Rocks and stones fell all around them. "We must get out," said the Professor.
"Full speed ahead. "
"Oh no!
We aren't going to make it," said Wilma.
The submarine got out just in time. "Phew!
That was close!" said Biff.
"We're sorry you couldn't get the diamonds, Professor," said Chip.
Just then the key began to glow.
The magic took them back to Biff's room. "That was a good adventure," said Chip.
"We must go home for tea," said Wilma.
"What's that?" joked Wilf.
"You want to go back to sea?"
The family was going on holiday.
They were taking Biff and Chip. Mum and Dad were busy packing the car. "Will you pack these for us, please?" asked Wilma.
"There will be lots to do," said Dad.
"You won't need those. "
"We will," said Wilf.
"We must take the games station.
I've got a great new game. "
"We want to watch these films," said Wilma.
"We haven't seen some of them yet. "
"And can we take the CD player?" asked Biff.
It was a long journey.
It took hours. They stopped for a break. "Let's get a drink," said Mum.
"Can we play a game in the arcade first?" asked Wilf.
At last they arrived at the cottage. "We're in the middle of a forest," said Wilf.
"We're in the middle of nowhere," said Wilma.
They went inside the cottage.
Mum and Dad began to unpack the car.
There was a big television in the front room. "Great!" said Chip.
"Let's watch TV. "
"We could play some games," said Wilf.
"Could you bring in our games station, Dad?"
"Not now," said Dad.
"Come and help us unpack the car. "
At breakfast Wilma put on a film. Dad sighed.
"Get dressed everyone.
We didn't come on holiday to watch TV. "
"Can we watch this first?" asked Wilma.
"Later," said Dad.
"Let's go out. "
"Wasn't it fun on the beach today?" said Mum.
But nobody said anything.
Wilf and Biff were busy playing a game.
Chip and Wilma were listening to a CD.
Suddenly all the lights went out.
The television and the CD player went off. "What's happened?" called Biff.
Dad came in with a torch. "There's been a power cut!" he said.
Mum found a lamp. "What if the power doesn't come back on?" asked Chip, looking at the TV.
"We'll have to do without it," said Dad.
"Oh no!" said the children.
The power didn't come back on. "It may be off for a long time," said Dad.
It was time to eat. They all sat round the table and had supper by candlelight. It was fun eating in the dark. They took it in turns to tell stories. Dad told them a funny story about a time when he was a little boy.
It made them all laugh.
That night the power didn't come back on. The children had to use the lamp to go to bed. Chip made a shadow on the wall with his hands. "Guess what it is," he said.
Wilma shone a torch under her chin.
The light made her face look scary. "Whoooh!" she said.
"I'm a monster. "
Everyone laughed. Then Mum came in and said it was time to go to sleep.
The next morning there was still no power. So the family spent all day on the beach. They played lots of games. "It's late," said Mum.
"It's time to go. "
"Can't we stay a bit longer?" asked Wilf.
"I've got an idea," said Dad.
"Let's build a fire.
We could cook supper. "
"Brilliant!" they all shouted.
"Let's get some driftwood," said Mum.
"I'll go and get the food," said Dad.
It was getting dark by the time the fire was finished. "Hey Wilf!
That looks like a giant bird's nest," said Mum.
"You light it, not lay an egg in it!"
Dad cooked lots of food on the fire.
Then Mum toasted some marshmallows. They all sat and looked at the stars. "I have a surprise," said Dad.
"Sparklers!"
"Sorry," said Dad the next morning.
"Still no power. "
"We can do without it," smiled Chip.
"Last night was magic," said Wilf.
"What shall we do tonight?" asked Biff.
That night Wilma had a good idea. "We could play hide and seek," she said.
"If you are 'It' you have a torch. "
Everyone hid around the dark cottage. Wilf was 'It'.
He counted to a hundred.
Wilf looked in every room. "Found you, Biff!" he called.
Biff was hiding behind a big plant. He found Chip lying in the bath.
Wilma was behind the TV.
Mum was under a bed.
But where was Dad? Suddenly, the moon came out from behind the clouds.
It lit up the windows. Dad was hiding behind the curtains. "That gives me an idea," thought Wilma.
The next day Biff, Chip and Wilf went with Wilma to the woods.
"Why have we brought the boxes and a sheet?" asked Chip.
"And why are we here so early?" yawned Wilf.
"There's loads to do before tonight. "
Wilma's eyes sparkled. "This evening, we are going to do a shadow play!"
"Brilliant!" said Chip.
"What's that?"
The children worked all day. They cut out shapes from the cardboard boxes.
Wilf tied the sheet between two trees. "What are you doing?" Dad asked.
"It's a surprise," said Wilma.
There was a golden sunset that evening. The children had put down lots of candles in jars. "How beautiful!" said Mum.
"It's like magic!" gasped Dad.
Suddenly Biff turned up the lamp. The sheet glowed.
The play began. It was about elves.
The elves were cardboard puppets. Wilf and Chip moved the puppets around. Biff did the elves' voices.
Wilma played the guitar.
They all sang songs. It was a good story.
It was funny and sad. It made Mum laugh and Dad cry.
The play had finished. Everyone bowed. "Hooray!" shouted Mum.
"Well done!"
"Now," said Dad.
"I've got a surprise. "
"What is it?" asked Wilma.
"You'll see," smiled Dad.
They went back to the cottage.
It was pitch black. "We can't see anything," said Wilf.
"I said 'you'll see' and now you can," said Dad.
''
He turned on the power.
Dad laughed. "Surprise!" he said.
"I wanted you to enjoy the holiday without TV.
There was no power cut. "
"Turn it off again," said the children.
"We can do without it. "
Floppy had not been for a walk. "We should take Floppy out," said Mum.
Chip groaned, "Walking Floppy is boring. "
"Well, you could bring the boomerangs," said Mum.
Biff threw her boomerang really hard.
It flew up into the sky. "I'll show them I'm not boring!" thought Floppy.
"I'll make them laugh. "
Floppy chased after the boomerang. Suddenly it turned in the air.
Floppy turned as well. "Mind the pond!" shouted Mum.
"Too late!" laughed Chip.
Splash! Floppy landed in the pond. "Oh Floppy, you're filthy!" said Mum.
Everyone laughed. Floppy was pleased. "At least I made them laugh," he thought.
Floppy was not so pleased when he got home.
Mum wanted to give him a wash. "Let's use the hose-pipe," she said.
"Oh no!" thought Floppy.
Floppy hid under Biff's bed. "Why do I need a wash?" he thought.
"Dogs like being dirty. "
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
It was time for a new adventure. "Dogs don't have magic adventures by themselves, do they?" thought Floppy.
"Well, it's better than a bath. "
The magic key took Floppy to Australia.
It took him to a red desert. The sand was hot.
It hurt Floppy's paws. Suddenly, a boomerang flew over his head. Whoosh! Another one landed next to him. Then Floppy saw some men. "Go away you dirty dingo!" they shouted.
Floppy ran away. The men chased him.
He ran past some rocks. "Quick!" said a voice.
"Hide here!"
The men ran past.
Behind the rocks were four dogs.
They all laughed at Floppy. "What floppy ears!" said one of them.
"What's your name?" asked another.
"Floppy," said Floppy.
"My name is Red," said Red.
"This is Ginger, she's Amber, and he's called Tan.
We're dingos. "
"What's a dingo?" asked Floppy.
"That's what men call us," said Amber.
"Why did they chase me?" asked Floppy.
The dingos looked sad. "We used to be friends," said Tan.
"But now men don't like us because we have fleas. "
"We'll show you," said Red.
The dingos took Floppy to a cave.
On the walls of the cave were paintings. Some of the paintings were of animals Floppy had never seen before. "These are very old paintings," said Amber.
"They show a time when men and dingos lived together. "
"We used to help men get food and sleep near their fires," said Red.
"If only we didn't have fleas," said Tan.
Outside the cave it was getting dark. The night was cold.
Far away, the men had lit a fire. "Let's hide near the men," said Red.
One of the men was telling a story.
It was about a time long ago, when the world began. "Those times long ago were called The Dreamtime," whispered Amber.
The story was about a creature called a kangaroo. The kangaroo wanted to steal fire from men. Floppy was tired.
He closed his eyes.
He began to dream. In Floppy's dream he met a strange animal with a long tail.
It looked like one of the cave paintings. "What's your name?" asked Floppy.
"They call me Kangaroo," he said.
Kangaroo wanted to make a fire.
He rubbed two sticks together. "This is how men make fire," he said.
Suddenly, the sticks caught fire.
It made Kangaroo jump.
He dropped the sticks.
The dry grass caught fire.
The fire spread quickly. Kangaroo jumped up and down. "It's hot!
It's hot!" he said.
"Run to the water-hole," said Floppy.
All the animals ran to the water-hole. As they went into the water, fleas began to jump off their backs. "Ah!
Fleas don't like getting wet!" thought Floppy.
Floppy woke up. He had an idea. He crept up to one of the men and picked up his boomerang.
"I have a plan," Floppy said to the dingos.
"I think I can get rid of your fleas. "
"You can?" said Amber.
"Then we can make friends with the men. "
"We need to find a water-hole," said Floppy.
"Follow us," said Red.
They walked for a long time.
At last, they got to the water-hole.
"Pick up the boomerang," said Floppy.
"And walk backwards into the water. "
Ginger walked backwards into the water.
The fleas on his legs began to crawl on to his back.
They did not want to get wet. "Keep going!" said Floppy.
Ginger went deeper.
Soon his back was under the water.
The fleas crawled on to his head.
They did not want to get wet.
All the fleas were now on Ginger's head. "Now put your head under the water," said Floppy.
Ginger lay down in the water.
The fleas crawled up his nose and on to the boomerang.
"Let go of the boomerang!" said Floppy.
The boomerang floated away.
The fleas stayed on the boomerang. "Hooray!" cheered the dingos.
"Now we can all get rid of our fleas and make friends with the men," said Amber.
"I hope so," said Floppy.
The magic key began to glow. It was time for Floppy to go home.
"Oh no!" said Floppy.
"I didn't bring anything back from my adventure. "
Floppy heard Mum calling. She was still in the garden. "Floppy!
It's bath-time," she said.
Mum washed Floppy with the hose-pipe. "Fleas!" she said.
"How did you get fleas?"
Floppy picked up the boomerang. "I'm off to the park," he thought.
"I need to find a water-hole!"
Dad had pulled up some floorboards. "Hello!" he said.
"What's this?"
Under the floor was a stone.
It had some strange writing on it.
Dad was going to throw the stone away, but Chip wanted to keep it. "Look at this," he said to Biff.
"Do you think the writing is Chinese?"
"I don't know," said Biff.
Chip took the stone to school.
He showed it to a boy called Hong. "It is written in Chinese," said Hong.
"I can't read it, but my grandfather can. "
Hong's grandfather always came after school to take Hong home. Chip showed him the stone. "Yes, it is Chinese," said Hong's grandfather.
"It says, 'Do You Mind?'"
:''
"What a strange question," said Biff.
"It may be a riddle," said Hong's grandfather.
"See!
The stone is broken.
Maybe the answer is on the other half. "
Chip gave Hong the stone to keep. He put it in his bag. "May Hong come round to play with us?" asked Biff.
"All right," said Hong's grandfather.
They went to play in Biff's room. "What is a riddle?" asked Chip.
"It's a puzzle in words," said Hong.
"Here is a good riddle," said Hong.
"How do you spell 'hungry horse' using only four letters?"
''
"We don't know," said Biff.
"It's easy," laughed Hong.
"Here's another riddle. What is this?
The more it dries the more it gets wet. "
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
The magic took them to a rocky valley. Four paths met. There was a signpost pointing four ways.
Each way pointed to Riddle Mountain. A boy was sitting on a rock. "My name is Ty," he said.
"I want to go to Riddle Mountain, but I don't know which path to take.
I can't think of the answer to this riddle. "
The riddle was on a tall post.
It said,
It's only one colour, but it can grow. Sticks to your feet, wherever you go. There in the sun, not in the rain. Never does harm, never feels pain. "
"The answer is a shadow," said Hong.
"Look at the shadow of the post.
It points up that path.
That must be the way. "
"Are you sure?" asked Biff.
"Yes, it's a riddle," said Ty.
"Let's go!"
"It is hard to get to Riddle Mountain," said Ty.
"It will be dangerous.
I may never get there. "
"Then why do you have to go?" asked Biff.
"I want to be the Riddle Maker," said Ty.
"I have to get to Riddle Mountain.
I have to answer all the riddles on the way. The last riddle is the hardest.
No one has ever found the answer. "
Suddenly, a huge giant stood in the way. "I hope he's friendly," said Chip.
"Answer this riddle and you can pass by," roared the giant.
"Write down how much I weigh," he said.
"But he must weigh tonnes!" said Biff.
"No, it's a riddle," said Hong.
"I can do it. " He wrote down the answer.
"Good luck in the Land of Riddles," said the giant.
''
"What did you write down?" asked Chip.
"I wrote the words 'how much I weigh'," said Hong.
''
It was not far to the top of the hill.
Suddenly, a dragon stood in the way. "I hope he's friendly," said Hong.
"Look!" said Biff.
"There are bubbles coming out of his mouth!"
The dragon spoke. "Over there is Riddle Mountain," it said.
"You have a long way to go. "
"Help!" said Ty.
"The journey looks dangerous. "
Below was a black lake.
Across the lake, the land was dry and rocky. Beyond, there was a deep river and dark forest.
Far away was a tall, grey mountain.
Huge bubbles came out of the dragon's jaws. "Answer this riddle," it said.
"How many sides does a bubble have?"
"That's easy," said Hong.
"It has two. "
"The inside and the outside," he said.
"Good," said the dragon.
"Now step inside this bubble. "
Hong stepped into the bubble.
It began to float away.
"Step into a bubble," yelled Hong.
They all stepped inside the bubbles and floated up and up. "This is scary," said Biff.
"What if the bubbles pop?"
They floated on and on. At last, they began to float down to the black lake. "I hope the bubbles don't pop here," yelled Chip.
Then the bubbles popped and the children fell into the lake. Suddenly, a huge serpent rose out of the water. "I don't like this adventure," said Biff.
"What is this?" said the serpent, "the more it dries, the more it gets wet?"
"It's easy," said Hong.
"It's a towel. "
"Good," said the serpent.
"Now climb on my back. "
The serpent swam across the lake. "How do you know the answer to all these riddles, Hong?" asked Ty.
"I don't know," said Hong.
"They just come to me. "
Goblins were waiting for the children.
They pulled and pinched them. "Ouch!
That hurts," said Chip.
"Ha!
You won't answer the next riddle," said one of the goblins.
The goblins put the children in a cage.
One of the goblins stole the magic key. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"Now we can't get back from this adventure. "
The Goblin King spoke to them. "Answer this," he said.
"How do you want to die?"
"We don't want to die," said Chip.
Hong began to laugh. "It's not funny," said Biff.
"We don't want to die. "
"It's a riddle," said Hong.
"Don't worry. I know the answer. "
The Goblin King looked at the children.
His small eyes glinted and he snapped his long, thin fingers. "How do you want to die?" he asked.
"We want to die of old age," said Hong.
"Grrr!
That is the right answer," said the Goblin King.
"So I must let you go. "
He opened the door of the cage.
"Brilliant!" said Chip.
"But how did you know the right answer?"
"I don't know," said Hong.
"I just did. "
"Let's find the next riddle," said Ty.
"The goblins still have the magic key," said Biff.
"We must get it back. "
"Give us back our key," said Chip.
"No," said a goblin.
"We won't. "
"Give it back!" shouted Chip.
"Make us!" called the Goblins.
Hong had an idea. He spoke to the Goblin King.
"We will ask you a riddle," Hong said.
"You must give us back the key if you can't answer it. "
"All right," said the Goblin King.
"What is the riddle?"
Hong wrote in the sand, 1 + 1 = 6.
1+1=6
"Make this work by drawing a straight line," he said.
The goblins scratched their heads. At last they said.
"We can't do it. "
Hong put a line on the 'plus'. "One, and one, and four add up to six!" said Hong.
"Very clever," said the Goblin King and he gave Biff the key.
The children went on. At last, they came to a flat desert. There were strange shapes in the sky. Suddenly, the shapes flew down and whizzed over the children's heads.
"Ouch!
That one hit me," said Ty.
The flying shapes were kites.
The kites dived at the children. "What is the answer to this riddle?" shouted the kite flier.
"I can be cracked, I can be played, I can be told, I can be made. What am I?"
"I know this one," said Hong.
"The answer is a joke. "
The kite flier let them pass, but next they came to a wide river. "We can never cross this," said Chip.
"It's too deep and dangerous. "
Then they saw an old man on a raft. "I will take you across," said the old man.
"But first answer this riddle.
I have seven children.
Half of them are boys. How can this be?"
"I know the answer," said Hong.
"All your children are boys. "
"That is right," said the old man.
"I will take you across the river. "
"How do you know the answer to all the riddles," Ty asked Hong.
"I don't know," said Hong.
"The answers just come to me. "
The children came to a dark, gloomy forest.
The trees were bent and twisted. "What a scary place," said Biff.
"I can see eyes looking at us. "
Suddenly, wolves sprang out of the trees.
They had red eyes and long, sharp, white teeth. "They're after us," yelled Chip.
"Run!"
The children ran fast, but the wolves were faster. "Quick!" yelled Biff.
"Climb a tree. "
The children climbed quickly, but Hong was a bit slow.
A wolf sprang up at him.
The wolf snapped at Hong.
It sank its teeth into his bag and pulled it off his back. "Help!" yelled Hong.
Then a strange woman came out of the trees. The wolves ran up to her.
The Wolf Woman told the wolves to sit.
She told the children to climb down.
The Wolf Woman picked up Hong's bag, but she gave it to Ty.
"Answer this riddle," she said.
"It lives half its life.
It dies half its life.
;
It dances to no music.
It drinks with no mouth. "
This time, Ty knew the answer. "That's easy," he said.
"It's a tree. "
"Good," said the Wolf Woman.
"The next riddle is at Riddle Mountain.
No one has ever got it right. "
The children went on. Then Biff said, "Hong has known the answers to all the riddles, but not the last one.
Why?"
"I don't know," said Hong.
"It's strange," said Biff.
By now they were at Riddle Mountain.
At the top was a cave. "The last riddle will be up there," said Ty.
"Come on!"
They climbed up to the cave. "What a climb!" said Chip.
"I'm tired. "
"Let's have a rest," said Ty.
The children sat down. Ty took off Hong's bag.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. A stone statue rose up out of the earth. The statue opened its hand and spoke. "Who answers this riddle, will be the Riddle Maker!" it said.
"This is the riddle," said the statue.
"If the answer I give is 'yes', but what I mean is 'no', then what is the question?"
Everyone looked at Hong.
"I don't know the answer," said Hong.
"Neither do I," said Ty sadly.
"We've failed," said Biff.
"Wait!" said Chip.
"I have an idea!"
"Where is that stone with the Chinese writing?" he asked.
"It's in my bag," said Hong.
"Ty knew the Wolf Woman's riddle and he had Hong's bag," said Biff.
"Maybe whoever has the stone can answer riddles," said Chip.
Ty took the stone out of the bag. "I know the answer to the question," he said.
"It is 'Do you mind?'"
''
Ty put the stone in the statue's hand. "It is the right answer," said the statue.
"You are the new Riddle Maker. "
Just then the magic key began to glow.
The adventure was over.
"So we knew the answer all along," said Chip.
"It was on the stone. "
"Well, I didn't want to be the Riddle Maker," said Hong.
"Did you?"
"No," said Biff.
"And I never want to hear another riddle. "
"It's the last day of the holiday," said Kipper.
"I've seen something I want to buy before we go home. "
Kipper took Biff and Chip to an old shop. Inside, it looked dark and dusty. In the window was a model of a fishing boat. "I want to buy that boat," said Kipper.
The shop was full of things for boats.
An old man sat in the corner. "Excuse me," said Chip.
"We'd like to buy the model boat.
How much is it?"
"It's not for sale," said the old man.
"That boat is a model of my great grandfather's fishing boat.
It was made after he was lost at sea. "
"What happened to him?" asked Biff.
"No one knows," said the old man.
"One day he went to sea in his boat and he never came back. "
The old man began to cough. "Now go away.
I want to shut the shop," he said.
Kipper was upset. "He wasn't a very nice man," he said.
"Never mind, Kipper," said Mum.
"I'll buy you an ice lolly to cheer you up. "
The children sat on the sea wall eating their lollies. Suddenly, they heard a cough.
It was the old man.
He was holding a little model rowing boat. "What do you want?" asked Biff nervously.
"I am sorry I was rude," said the old man.
"I've bought you a present. "
He gave Kipper the little boat. "It's from the model you liked," he said.
The little boat was made of wood.
It looked very real.
It even had a little pair of oars. "Oh, thank you," said Kipper.
He looked up, but the old man had gone.
It's time to go home I'm afraid, said Dad.
"Did you see where the old man went?" asked Chip.
"What old man?" asked Dad.
When they got home, the children went to Biff's room.
They wanted to play with the model boat. "Oh!" said Chip.
"I've broken off an oar!"
Just then the key began to glow.
The children landed in water.
The magic had taken them out to sea. "Where are we?" yelled Biff.
"I'm scared!" said Kipper.
"I'm not a very good swimmer. "
Suddenly, the oar splashed into the sea next to them.
"Hold on to the oar!" said Biff.
"It will keep us afloat. "
The children held on to the oar.
They floated for a long time. "There's nothing but sea," said Biff.
"I don't like this adventure," said Chip.
It began to get foggy. Then they saw a strange shape through the fog.
It was getting bigger and bigger. "Now I'm scared!" said Biff.
A sailing boat came out of the fog.
It drifted towards the children. "Over here!" shouted Chip.
"Help!" yelled Kipper.
"I can't see anyone," said Biff.
As the boat got near, Chip saw a rope hanging into the water. "Tie the rope to the oar, then we can climb on board," said Chip.
They climbed up on to the boat. "Phew!" said Kipper.
"That was scary. "
"Let's find the crew," said Biff.
"They can tell us where we are. "
They looked around. On deck there were nets and baskets of fish.
There was an open hatch leading down into the boat. "Maybe they are down below," said Chip.
The children went down into a large cabin.
It was lit by lamps.
There was a big table in the middle of the cabin.
The table was set for dinner. In the corner, a big pot of stew was bubbling away on a stove. On the table there were three mugs of hot tea. "This is strange," said Biff.
"There's nobody on board. "
"There has to be," said Chip.
"Why would the food be hot?"
"And who lit the lamps?" asked Kipper.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash above them.
The boat shook.
The children ran up on deck. The fog had gone.
It was windy. "The crash must have been the sail," said Biff.
"It has caught the wind. "
"The boat's turned around!" said Chip.
The boat started to move quickly. "I'll try to steer it," said Biff.
"Good," said Chip.
"I'll tie down the sail.
Kipper, go to the front and look out. "
"Look out!" shouted Kipper.
"Rocks!"
"Hold on!" shouted Biff.
She turned the wheel hard.
Chip fell over, but the boat missed the rocks. "That was close!" yelled Kipper.
The boat sailed on. Suddenly, Kipper saw a little rowing boat.
In it were two men and a boy.
They were waving. "Help us!" they shouted.
"We can't row. We've only got one oar!"
Chip pulled up the oar.
He threw it to the men. They caught the oar.
Then the men rowed to the boat and climbed on.
"Who are you?" asked Biff.
"I'm Captain Turbot, this is Flounder, and the boy's called Shrimp," said the Captain.
"This is our boat, The Barnacle. "
"What happened to you?" asked Kipper.
"We were about to eat," said Flounder.
"Shrimp was pulling up the last net when we struck a rock and he fell in. "
"We got in the boat to help him," said the Captain, "but we only had one oar.
We couldn't row back. "
"Where did you find our oar?" asked Shrimp.
"It's a mystery," said the Captain.
"We always keep the oars in the rowing boat. "
Chip thought about the model. "It is a mystery," he said.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
The magic took them back to Biff's room. "Oh no!" said Kipper.
"We left the oar. "
They looked at the model boat.
It had both its oars. "It's a mystery," said Chip.
"Ding, ding!
Ding, ding!"
Dad came into Chip's room.
He was ringing a bell. Chip sat up in bed. "It's time to get up," said Dad.
"Mum's away and we have a lot of jobs to do. "
Dad rang the bell on the stairs. "Time to get up!" he called.
"Do we have to?" asked Biff.
"It's the weekend. "
"Yes," said Dad.
"Mum gets back tonight.
The house is a mess.
We must tidy up. "
"I suppose so," yawned Chip.
"Good.
I'll start breakfast," said Dad.
The children came down for breakfast. "Bad news," said Dad.
"The milk has gone off, I've burned the toast and we've run out of juice.
I'm sorry. "
"Oh no!" said Kipper.
"I'm hungry!"
"We'll have to go to the supermarket," said Dad.
"We need some more food. "
"I've got a better idea," said Chip.
"Let's have breakfast in the caf. "
"You can eat what you like," said Dad.
"Then we'll do the shopping. "
"Hooray!" said Kipper.
"I'm going to have a big breakfast!"
"I'd like blueberry pancakes," said Biff.
"I want eggs," said Kipper.
"Why not have a kipper, Kipper?" said Chip.
"Only if you have chips, Chip!" said Kipper.
At home, Dad told the children to start their jobs. "I'll put the shopping away," he said.
"You go and tidy your rooms.
That big breakfast should give you lots of energy. "
The children looked at the mess. "Let's tidy up later," said Chip.
"I'm so full, I can't move!"
"No chance of a walk then," thought Floppy.
Just then, the magic key began to glow.
The magic took them back in time.
It took them to a big house.
It took them into a large hall with a big staircase. "It's still dark outside," said Biff.
"Ding, ding!"
A bell began to ring. Suddenly, a door opened. A little girl came in.
She was holding a candle. "I'm Rose.
You must be the new servants. The housekeeper will see you now.
Follow me," she said.
Rose took them down a corridor into a large storeroom.
The housekeeper was waiting for them. "You are late," she said, sternly.
"There are lots of jobs to be done. "
She gave the children lists of jobs. "Begin with the cleaning," she said.
"It has to be done before breakfast.
Ah! I see you have brought a dog. Good. "
Rose took them to a large kitchen. "This is Mrs Fry," said Rose.
"She's the cook. "
"Hello," said Mrs Fry.
"I see you have brought a dog. Good. "
"Why is everyone pleased that we have brought a dog?" asked Chip.
Mrs Fry pointed at a wooden wheel. "Put your dog in here," she said.
"I may not like this," thought Floppy.
Rose put Floppy inside the wheel. "The wheel turns the meat over the fire," said Rose.
"It stops the meat burning. "
"You look like a giant hamster," laughed Kipper.
"Now we must hurry, there's so much to do," said Rose.
"Lord Plum will be up soon.
We must finish the jobs, then we can get his breakfast ready. "
Mrs Fry put the meat on the spit. "We need this for Lord Plum's breakfast. "
She looked at Floppy. "Keep walking and don't stop!" she said.
"Funny way to get a walk," thought Floppy.
"What else is for breakfast?" asked Biff.
"Kippers, oyster bread, beetroot pancakes, ale and ice-cream.
Nothing too fancy," said Rose.
"I'll get it ready.
You get on with the jobs on the list. "
Biff had to scrub the clothes clean. She beat the rugs. Then, she had to make some bread... and put powder on some wigs.
Chip had to clean all the fireplaces. Then, he had to collect a lot of coal. Next, he had to polish the silver...
... and polish all the boots.
Kipper churned milk to make butter. He got ice cream from the icehouse. He had to carry water to the bathrooms... and scrub all the floors.
"Come quickly," said Rose.
"The food is ready.
We must take it to the dining room. "
"Hurry up and don't forget Lord Plum's newspaper," said Mrs Fry.
The children put out the dishes on a big table. "Hurry up," said the housekeeper.
"Lord Plum will be down soon.
He won't want to see you in here. "
At last, breakfast was finished. "Was Lord Plum happy with his breakfast?" asked Kipper.
"No!" said the housekeeper.
"You forgot to iron his newspaper!"
"I'm worn out," said Kipper.
"I never want another walk," said Floppy.
"At least we can have a rest now," said Chip.
"A rest?" said Rose.
"We have to start getting ready for lunch!"
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. It was time to go home. "What a relief!" said Biff.
"That was hard work," said Biff.
Dad came into Biff's room. "Hurry up," he said.
"We've still got lots of jobs to do.
Then we have to walk Floppy. "
"Oh no!" said everyone.
Early next morning, the children made Mum a surprise breakfast. "What a big breakfast!" said Mum.
"You have gone to so much trouble. "
"It was nothing," said Biff.
Kipper was sad because the magic key would not glow. He looked at the key for a long time.
At last he fell asleep. Suddenly, the key glowed and the magic began to work.
Kipper's toys were coming to life. Teddy gave Kipper a shake. "Wake up," he said.
"The magic key is glowing.
The magic is working. "
Kipper sat up and rubbed his eyes.
He looked at his toys. "Come on, Kipper," said Catsimir.
"Hurry up!
It's time for a magic adventure. "
The toys ran to the little house. "Hurry up, Kipper," called Teddy.
"Be quick, or it will be too late. "
Kipper could feel the magic working. It pulled him inside the magic house.
The magic whizzed Kipper round and round. "Oh help," called Kipper.
"I feel different.
This is a different sort of magic. "
The magic took them to an airport. It was a very busy airport.
Catsimir was excited. "Maybe we can catch a plane," he said.
"Maybe we can have an exciting adventure!"
There were bears everywhere.
They were going to Switzerland. "They're going to the Teddy Bears' Picnic," said Teddy.
"They have one every year. "
"Maybe we can go too," said Bunbury.
Kipper was not so sure. "How can we?" he asked.
"Of course we can go," said Teddy.
"This is a magic adventure. "
Kipper and his friends went on the aeroplane to Switzerland. They flew over lakes and mountains. "What a beautiful place for a picnic!" said Kipper.
When the plane landed everyone got off. There were lots and lots of bears.
Kipper had never seen so many. They had come from all over the world. "It's going to be a big picnic," said Kipper.
There was a bus at the airport.
It was going to the Teddy Bears' Picnic. "Come on," said Catsimir, "if we run we can catch this bus. "
Kipper liked Switzerland. "It's beautiful here," said Kipper.
It was fun on top of the bus. The bears waved at everyone and everyone waved back.
At last the bus arrived.
Everyone got off. "I've never seen so many bears," said Kipper.
"We'd better stay together, in case we get lost. "
Kipper and his friends found a good place to sit. Suddenly, everyone shouted and cheered. A famous bear had come on to the stage.
He waved at the crowd. "Welcome to the Teddy Bears' Picnic," he said.
"I know him," said Kipper.
"He's a very famous bear indeed.
I've read all his books. "
Another famous bear came on to the stage.
He began to tell jokes and sing funny songs. Everyone laughed and cheered. "I know that famous bear, too," said Kipper.
"I've seen him on TV. "
A famous pop group came on to the stage. They played while the bears had their picnic. "This is the best picnic I've ever been to," said Kipper.
Kipper had an autograph book.
He wanted some of the famous bears to sign their names. "I can show them to Biff and Chip," said Kipper.
"Then they'll know I've had a magic adventure. "
They went to find the famous bears.
But there was trouble.
Some nasty bears were pushing the famous bears into a car. "It's a kidnap," said Bunbury.
"We must do something. "
The car sped away. Catsimir saw a van. "Come on!" he shouted.
"Get in!
We can follow the kidnappers in this van!"
Catsimir drove the van as fast as he could. The car went even faster.
It drove up a mountain road. "Faster, faster," called Bunbury.
"Don't lose them!" called Teddy.
The car drove through some big gates and stopped in front of a house. The famous bears were pushed inside. "It looks dangerous," said Kipper, "but we must rescue them.
I have a plan. "
Kipper and Catsimir went to the house. Kipper rang a bell.
Some nasty bears came to the door. "Free honey!" called Kipper.
"Free honey for every bear. "
The nasty bears were greedy and they couldn't resist the honey. They didn't see what Teddy and Bunbury were doing. Teddy went to the car and took out the keys.
Bunbury went to the back of the house and looked through a window. He saw the famous bears.
They were tied up.
Bunbury set the famous bears free.
Then they all climbed out of the window. "Come on," said Teddy.
"Follow me and don't make a sound. "
The famous bears crept into the honey van. The nasty bears didn't see them because they were too busy eating the honey.
One of the nasty bears saw that the famous bears were escaping. "They're in the honey van!" he shouted.
"Go after it!"
Catsimir drove the honey van as fast as he could. The nasty bears ran after the van but they got stuck in the honey. "Hooray!" shouted Kipper.
The famous bears were pleased with Kipper and his friends. "You were very clever," they said.
"Thanks to you the Teddy Bears' Picnic can go on!"
The magic key began to glow.
It was time for Kipper's adventure to end. "I can't wait to tell Biff and Chip about it," he said.
"The magic key glowed last night," said Kipper.
"I had a magic adventure. "
"We don't believe you," said Biff.
"No, it was just a dream," said Chip.
Wilf and Wilma came to the door. It was time to go to school. Kipper told everyone about his adventure at the Teddy Bears' picnic.
But nobody believed him.
Biff, Chip and Wilf were in Mr Johnson's class.
The children liked Mr Johnson.
He made everything interesting and he told lots of good stories. Mr Johnson had a model ship. "Can you tell me what sort of ship this is?" he asked.
Wilf put up his hand. "It's a Viking ship," he said.
"Well done, Wilf," said Mr Johnson.
Mr Johnson showed the children a picture of a Viking ship. "This ship was called a longship," he said.
"It had oars and a sail and it moved very fast through the water. "
"The Vikings lived a long time ago," said Mr Johnson.
"They crossed the sea in ships like this. "
Mr Johnson showed the children a Viking helmet and a Viking shield.
Mr Johnson helped the children with a Viking project. It was very interesting.
They made model longships and they made Viking shields and helmets.
Mr Johnson took the children into the school hall. They made a big longship.
Then they all dressed up as Vikings and pretended to row it. "It's hard work being a Viking," said Biff.
The children came home from school.
They looked at the magic key.
They wanted it to glow because it had not glowed for a long time. Kipper told them about his magic adventure but still nobody believed him. Kipper was upset. "The magic key glowed in the night," he said.
"It glowed when it was dark.
It did, it did, it did!"
Biff looked at the key. "I wonder... " she said.
Biff had a good idea. "Maybe the key will glow in the dark," she said.
She got a torch and then she found a big thick blanket. The children sat on the floor and they pulled the blanket over themselves. It was dark under the blanket. Suddenly, the key began to glow. The magic was working after all. "I told you so," said Kipper.
There was no wind.
The Vikings rowed the longship across the sea.
Every man pulled on the oars. It was hard work being a Viking. Suddenly, the wind began to blow. "Hooray!" said the Vikings.
"Now we can put up the sail.
The wind can blow the ship along and we won't have to work so hard. "
One of the Vikings heard a noise.
He went to look.
He found the children. "Oh no!" said Wilf.
"We're on a Viking longship.
I don't believe it!"
The Viking jumped back.
He couldn't believe it, either! He looked very fierce. "Oh dear," said Kipper.
"He doesn't look pleased to see us. "
The Viking pushed the children to the back of the longship. "Look at all these animals," said Kipper.
"I don't like it here.
It smells. "
The wind began to blow harder. The Vikings put up the sail. The wind blew harder and the ship tossed up and down.
The waves splashed over the children. They got cold and wet.
Kipper began to feel sick. "It's not much fun on a longship," he said.
At last the longship landed. "Hooray!" shouted the Vikings.
They jumped into the water and carried boxes and barrels to the shore. The children looked over the side of the longship. "I hope we don't have to jump in," said Kipper.
"It looks cold and wet. "
"You don't have to jump in," said the Viking.
"I'll throw you in!"
The children waded to the shore.
The villagers were amazed.
They had never seen children like these before.
Kipper had some sweets.
He shared them with the Viking children. They had never seen sweets before.
They didn't know what to do with them.
The Vikings took the children into a long hall.
A fire was burning in the middle of the floor.
There was smoke everywhere. It began to get dark and soon it was time to have some food. "So this is what Vikings eat," said Wilf.
As soon as it was dark a longship sailed close to the shore. On the longship were some Viking raiders.
They were going to attack the village. One of the villagers saw the longship and ran into the long hall. "Help!
Help!" he called.
"Raiders are landing!"
The raiders looked very fierce.
They ran towards the village. "They're going to attack!" said Wilf.
"What can we do?"
"I wish the magic key would glow," said Kipper.
Biff had an idea. She shone her torch. The raiders and the villagers had never seen a light like this before. They were frightened and they all fell to the ground.
The raiders ran back to their longship and sailed away. "Hooray!" said the villagers.
"They won't come back here in a hurry. "
The Vikings looked at Biff's torch. "This is a magic thing," they said.
"It frightened us, but it frightened the raiders even more and it saved our village!"
The villagers lit a big fire on the beach. They had a party for the children.
They gave Biff a shield. "Thank you," said Biff.
"It's beautiful. "
Biff wanted to give the torch to the Vikings but Wilf told her not to. The magic key began to glow.
It was time for the adventure to end.
Biff showed the Viking shield to Mr Johnson. "It's very good," said Mr Johnson, "but Viking shields didn't look like this. "
Biff looked at Wilf and smiled.
It was raining, but the sun was shining at the same time. The children looked up and saw a rainbow across the sky. "I wonder where the rainbow begins?" asked Wilf, "and where it ends?"
In a place far away, there was a lorry. It was a very big lorry because on the back was a very big machine. The machine made rainbows and was called The Rainbow Machine. There are seven colours in the rainbow.
It took seven people to look after the rainbow machine. They cleaned it and polished it and they made sure it worked properly.
The rainbow machine had to be ready at any time. Sometimes weeks and weeks went by and a rainbow was not needed. But when the call came, the rainbow makers had to work fast.
Off they went in the lorry. While it was going along, the rainbow makers got the machine ready. Then, one... two... three... Go!
They pressed a button and the rainbow shot out of the machine.
When there was a rainbow, everyone stopped to look at it. Children ran to their mums or dads and said, "What a beautiful rainbow!"
Sometimes the rainbow was very bright but sometimes it was quite pale. Often the children ran towards it. They wanted to find the end of it, and play in all the colours. But, of course, they never could.
One of the rainbow makers was a young man called Fred. He was new and he was learning to be a rainbow maker. One day, the other rainbow makers said, "Look after the lorry, Fred.
We won't be long. "
The lorry was on a double yellow line. Fred saw a traffic warden. "Oh no!" said Fred.
"I must move the rainbow machine. "
So he climbed into the driver's cab and drove away.
Fred drove the lorry along the road. "This is fun," he said.
"But I'd better not be too long. "
He wanted to turn the lorry round, so he drove into a field.
Oh no! The lorry stuck in the mud. The wheels spun round and round and the lorry sank deeper and deeper. "Now what shall I do?" thought Fred.
Suddenly, there was a door in the field. Biff and Chip came through it with Wilf, Nadim and Anneena.
Biff had the magic key. A new adventure had begun. The children saw that a lorry was stuck in the field.
Then they saw Fred. "Can you help me?" called Fred.
"Will you push the lorry?"
The children pushed, but it was no good. The lorry was too big, and it was far too heavy.
Suddenly, it began to rain even though the sun was shining.
On the lorry, things began to buzz and flash. "Oh no!" said Fred.
"A rainbow is needed.
This is The Rainbow Machine.
It makes rainbows. You must all help me. "
The children helped Fred to pull the cover off the rainbow machine. "Wow!" said Biff.
"Is that where rainbows come from?"
"Yes," said Fred, "but I don't know how to work the computer yet. "
Nadim was good with computers. He looked at the rainbow keyboard.
He didn't really know what to do, but he didn't like to tell Fred. "Don't worry, I can work it," he said.
"Right," said Fred.
"One... two... three. "
The rainbow machine sent up a rainbow. "Hooray!
It's working," said Wilf.
The rainbow was too bright for them to see it properly so Fred gave everyone some dark glasses.
The children looked up at the rainbow they had made. It didn't look quite right. Fred called to Nadim. "Are you sure you can use that computer?"
The rainbow didn't look right. First it went straight up.
Then it went straight along and then it went straight down. "Oh dear," gasped Anneena.
"It's got straight sides. "
Everyone stopped to look at the rainbow. Children ran to their mums and dads. "What a funny rainbow!" they said.
"It's got straight sides.
We've never seen one like that before. "
The rainbow makers were having a cup of tea. They looked out of the window.
Everyone was staring at the sky. "Oh no!" said the rainbow makers.
"What has Fred done?"
They ran out into the road but the rainbow machine had gone. "Oh no!" said the rainbow makers.
"Where has Fred gone?"
In the sky was a broken rainbow. "What a funny rainbow!" everyone said.
The rainbow changed again. This time it was twisted and it was very bright. "I like that one," said a little boy.
"It looks wonderful. "
"We must find the rainbow machine," called the rainbow makers.
They looked up at the sky.
The rainbow had changed again. "Oh no!" said one of them.
"I don't want to look!"
Back at the rainbow machine, something had gone wrong. Nadim had been too clever. The rainbow was leaking and all the red was running out.
The sky was turning red. "Oh no!" said Nadim.
"I can't stop the red.
Turn the rainbow machine off. "
Fred turned pale. "I can't turn it off," he said.
The rainbow makers found the lorry.
They were cross with Fred. "It will take days to get the sky blue again," they said.
The rainbow machine had to bleach the sky. "We've never had to do this before," said one of the rainbow makers.
"I hope it works. "
The sky had turned white.
The sun wasn't yellow anymore. "It's a lot better than a red sky," said one of the rainbow makers.
"A red sky makes everyone bad tempered. "
"We're very sorry," said Nadim.
"It was all my fault.
Please don't blame Fred. "
"It's all right," said the rainbow makers.
"The sky will soon turn blue again. "
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
The sky was blue and the sun was shining. "The rainbow isn't really made like that, is it?" asked Kipper.
"You had better go to the end of one and find out," said Anneena.
Biff's carpet was torn.
It had a big hole in it. Biff showed Dad but he said, "We can't afford a new one.
Sorry, Biff. "
Biff and Chip were shopping with Dad. Dad wanted to buy a bookcase for Kipper's room. They saw one outside the junk shop. "I'll get this for Kipper," said Dad.
Biff found an old carpet in the back of the shop. "This would do for my room," she said.
She asked Dad if she could have it.
Dad looked at the old carpet. "You don't want that thing," he said.
"It's old and dirty. "
"But I like it," said Biff.
"Please may I have it?"
So Dad said, "Yes, as long as it doesn't cost too much. "
Biff beat the carpet.
It was full of dust and dirt. "I didn't think a carpet could be so dusty," she said.
"I wonder who had it last.
Someone who didn't wipe their feet!"
Biff and Mum gave the carpet a shampoo. "I don't think it has ever had a shampoo before," said Biff.
"It looks better already. "
The carpet looked beautiful. "It is a nice carpet," said Biff, "I told you so!
It looks quite old, so maybe it's worth a lot of money. "
Biff was in her bedroom reading a book. Kipper came in and they sat on Biff's new carpet. Kipper was learning to read and he wanted to read to Biff.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow.
Another adventure had begun. This time Biff and Kipper were on a flying carpet. "This is a new kind of adventure," said Biff.
"The carpet is coming with us. "
The carpet went very fast. "Oh help," said Kipper.
"I hope we don't fall off. "
The carpet flew on and on.
It flew over deserts and mountains. "I wonder where we're going!" said Biff.
At last, the carpet slowed down. Biff and Kipper looked over the side.
The carpet was flying over a town. "I've never seen a town like this one," said Biff.
"I wonder if we're going to land. "
But the carpet didn't land.
Instead it went slower and slower.
Then it stopped by a window at the top of a tower. "I wonder why we've stopped here," said Kipper.
Biff and Kipper looked through the window.
They saw a little boy.
He was crying and he looked very unhappy. "He must be a prisoner," said Biff.
Biff and Kipper climbed into the little room. When the boy saw them, he jumped up in surprise. "Why are you locked up in this tower?" asked Biff.
"What have you done?"
"I am the real king of this land," said the boy sadly, "but my wicked uncle locked me in this tower.
"When I was king everyone was happy.
I promised to rule the country wisely and well.
But my uncle was jealous.
He wanted to be the king, instead.
"One day my uncle and his soldiers attacked the palace.
They captured me and put me in prison. My mother escaped.
She ran away to the mountains and took her army with her.
"My uncle is a bad man.
He is cruel and greedy. He makes the people pay him money even if they are poor. If they can't pay, he puts them in prison. Nobody is happy.
"Every day the people ask my mother and her army to attack the city.
She will not give the order to attack because she is afraid my uncle will harm me. I am a hostage in this palace. "
"Then we must set you free," said Biff.
"The carpet will take us to your mother. "
Biff and Kipper helped the boy to climb out of the window.
Then they all sat on the carpet. "How do we make it fly?" asked Kipper.
"How will it know where to take us?"
"Make a wish," said Biff.
"Then it'll go where we want it to. "
They made a wish, and the carpet zoomed off.
The carpet sped towards the mountains. At last it began to slow down. "I hope it knows how to land," said Kipper.
"It looks a long way down. "
The carpet landed safely. When the boy's mother saw him, she couldn't believe her eyes. She looked at the carpet and she looked at Biff and Kipper. "My son is safe," she said, "thank you. "
The boy's mother called all her soldiers.
She told them her son was free. "Now he is safe, we can attack the city," she said.
"My son will be king again. "
"Hooray!" shouted the soldiers.
They came down from the mountains and marched to the city. There was a big battle.
Biff, Kipper and the boy watched the battle from a safe place.
When the battle was over everyone was pleased that the boy was king again.
But the boy was not pleased. "Where is my uncle?" he asked.
"He must be punished for what he did. "
Biff and Kipper saw someone running away.
It was the wicked uncle. "Oh no!" said Kipper, "he's getting away.
How can we stop him?"
Biff had the magic carpet with her. "I wonder if... " she thought.
Biff made a wish and the magic carpet flew after the wicked uncle. The wicked uncle rode as fast as he could but the carpet was faster. "Stop him!" called Biff.
The carpet pulled the wicked uncle from his horse.
It wrapped itself round him and then it rolled him back to the city. "Help!
Help!" called the wicked uncle.
"Get this carpet off me!"
Biff and Kipper took the wicked uncle to the boy. "Thank you," he said.
"It's my uncle's turn to go to prison.
Now I can be a good king and look after my people again. "
The boy gave Biff and Kipper a present. It was a beautiful toy camel. "Thank you," they said.
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. "It's time for us to go," said Biff, "but we'll take our carpet if you don't mind. "
The magic key took Biff and Kipper home. "What an adventure!" said Kipper.
"Do you think if I wish very hard, the carpet will take me to school each day?"
"You'll be lucky!" said Biff.
Gran came to stay.
The children ran to meet her. "Hooray!" said Kipper, "I love it when Gran comes to stay.
She's good fun!"
Gran brought presents for everyone. She gave Mum and Dad an ornament. Kipper had some little golf clubs and Biff and Chip had a keyboard.
"I've another surprise for you," said Gran.
She gave the children some funny-looking parcels. "Thanks Gran," said everyone.
"What are they?" asked Kipper.
"Boomerangs," said Gran.
The children wanted to see how the boomerangs worked. Gran took them outside. She threw a boomerang and it whizzed through the air. "Look out!" shouted Gran.
Kipper wanted to play with the golf clubs. Gran showed him what to do. She hit the ball, but she hit it too hard and it smashed a window.
"Oh dear," said Gran.
Next day, Wilf, Wilma, Nadim and Anneena came to play.
Biff and Chip showed them the keyboard. Gran had a good idea. "Let's have a band," she said.
The band made a lot of noise and the children had a good time. "Whatever will Gran do next?" said Dad.
"She's worse than the children!" said Mum.
Gran had promised to take the children on an outing. She said that Nadim and Anneena could go too. "I'll take you all to London," she said.
"Look after Gran," said Mum as they got into the car.
"Try and stop her getting into trouble. "
"We'll do our best," said Biff, "but it won't be easy. "
When they got to London, Gran parked the car. "Now we'll take the tube," said Gran.
"It's the best way to get around. "
There were lots of people waiting on the platform. When the train came in everyone rushed to get on. "Now I know why it's called a tube," said Anneena, "everyone gets squeezed!"
They went to Trafalgar Square. On top of the column was a statue of Nelson. "I wouldn't like to be up there," said Biff.
"I don't like heights. "
There were lots of pigeons in Trafalgar Square. Gran bought some nuts.
The children fed the pigeons. "Oh help!" said Nadim.
"I didn't know that pigeons were so greedy. "
They went to Buckingham Palace. "This is where the Queen lives," said Gran.
"It's enormous," said Anneena.
"The Queen must be busy with all those rooms to clean. "
A big car drove past and everyone cheered and waved.
The children couldn't see who was inside the car. "Perhaps it's the Queen," said Biff.
Gran took them on a boat. They went under Tower Bridge. The children were excited because the bridge began to open. It began to rain and the wind blew. Everyone felt cold. "Never mind," said Gran.
"We'll think of somewhere warm to go next. "
They went to the waxworks. "What is a waxworks?" asked Kipper, as they went in.
"It has wax models of famous people," said Anneena.
They looked at the models. "Don't they look funny?" said Kipper.
"You can tell they are models and not real people," said Anneena.
"Who are these people?" asked Kipper.
"That is Queen Victoria," said Gran, "and some of her grandchildren. "
"She had lots of grandchildren," said Nadim.
"Queen Victoria looks very fierce," said Biff.
"I bet she wasn't like you, Gran. "
"Well, I wouldn't like to be a queen," said Gran.
"It must be a hard job. "
They looked at a street scene. "This is what London was like a long time ago," said Gran.
"A lot of people were very poor. "
"Poor children didn't go to school in those days.
They had to work instead," said Gran.
"That boy carrying brushes is a sweep.
His job was to climb up chimneys and brush soot down. "
Gran went off to look at the Royal Family while the children stayed at the street scene. "Do you think Gran should go off by herself?" said Biff.
"She can't do much harm in here," said Chip.
Gran dropped her handbag, and some money rolled among the models. Gran went to pick it up.
As she bent down she knocked into the waxworks and they began to fall over.
Gran picked the models up and put the heads back on. The children couldn't believe it. "Gran!
What are you doing?" said Biff.
"Don't just stand there," said Gran.
"Help me. Pick the models up before anyone sees. "
"Oh Gran," said Biff.
"I let you out of my sight for a second, and this happens. "
They picked the models up and put the heads back on. "They look strange," said Anneena.
"I don't think the heads are right. "
"Oh no!" said Gran.
A lady ran up.
She was very cross with Gran. "I can't think how you knocked the models over in the first place," she said.
"It's never happened before. "
"I'm very sorry," said Gran.
"I don't know," said Biff.
"I don't think they will let Gran in the waxworks again. "
"Never mind," said Chip.
"Gran didn't mean to knock them over. "
"Thank you for a great day out," said Nadim.
"We had never been to London before. "
"I liked the ride on the boat best," said Kipper.
"Even if it was cold. "
"I liked everything," said Anneena.
"Home at last," said Gran.
"We can tell Mum some of our adventures, but not all of them... and not the one about beheading the Queen. "
Biff and Chip had been to London with Gran. They had some pictures which they put into a scrapbook. They wanted to take the book to school.
Gran came into Biff's room to look at the children's scrapbook. "We had a great time in London," said Biff.
"Thank you, Gran. "
Gran was pleased.
Suddenly, the magic key glowed.
It was time for an adventure. The magic took the children into the little house. But did it take Gran?
The magic took them back in time to a street on a foggy day. A boy was standing under a gas lamp.
He looked at the children in surprise.
"Excuse me," said Biff.
"Do you know where we are?"
"Don't you know?" said the boy.
"This is London. "
He took his cap off.
It wasn't a boy; it was a girl!
"I'm called Vicky," said the girl.
"I'm called Vicky after the queen. "
"What queen?" asked Biff.
"Queen Victoria," said Vicky.
"Don't you know anything?"
"I'm hungry," said Vicky.
"Have you got any money?"
"No, sorry," said the children.
"Come on, then," said Vicky.
"I know where we can get some.
Follow me. "
They followed Vicky down winding streets. At last, they came to a blacksmith's. The blacksmith was looking at a horse's hoof.
The horse needed a new shoe. "Got any jobs, mister?" asked Vicky.
"I'll give you a penny to pump the bellows," said the blacksmith.
The children pumped and pumped until the fire glowed hot. It was hard work.
The children were hot and thirsty. Vicky took them to a pump and everyone had a drink. Then Vicky pumped the water and the children washed their faces.
The children were hungry. Vicky took them to a baker's shop. She bought some bread with the penny.
She gave some to Biff, Chip and Kipper.
The bread was hot and it smelled good.
Next, Vicky took them to a street with a high wall.
A boy called Jack was waiting there. He looked at Biff, Chip and Kipper.
"Who are they?" he asked.
"They're my new friends," she said.
They all climbed on the wall.
They had to help Kipper up. They could see a big house. "It's Buckingham Palace," said Biff.
"We saw it when we went to London with Gran. "
Suddenly, a light flashed at a window.
It flashed on and off.
It was flashing at Jack and Vicky. Jack had a lamp.
He shone it back. "Good," he said.
"Come on, follow me!"
The children jumped off the wall and ran to the palace. "Keep down," called Jack, "and run fast. "
Someone opened a window and they all ran towards it.
There were three children inside.
They were the grandchildren of Queen Victoria. "They're staying with the Queen but it isn't much fun for them," said Vicky.
"We come to play with them every night. "
The Queen's grandchildren looked at Biff, Chip and Kipper.
"They're my new friends," said Vicky.
"They've come to play tonight. "
"Great, now we can have some real fun," said one of the grandchildren.
The children played together. First they played hide and seek. Then they played tag. After that they played hop-scotch. Biff and Chip taught them how to play basketball. "This is a good game," said one of the grandchildren.
"How did you learn to play it?"
"We saw it on television," said Chip.
"On what?" asked Jack.
"Oh... never mind," said Chip.
"It's fun playing in a palace," said Kipper, "but will we see Queen Victoria?"
"I hope not," said Vicky, "we shouldn't be here. "
"If the grown-ups find out, there will be trouble. "
At that moment, a grown-up came in and saw them.
"Oh no!" said everyone. "Trouble!"
The grown-ups were very cross.
They were cross with all the children. "I told you there would be trouble," said Vicky.
The royal grandchildren were sent to bed.
A policeman came to take the others away. "This is a serious matter," said the policeman.
"You're not allowed to play with the Queen's grandchildren.
Come along with me. "
The children were taken to a police station.
They were locked up. "You can't go home until we find your mothers and fathers," said a policeman.
"Oh no," said Biff.
"We'll be here forever. "
"I don't like this adventure," said Kipper.
"It isn't much fun. "
He wanted the magic key to glow, but it wouldn't.
The next day, an important man came to see the children. "The Queen has sent for you," he said.
"Come with me. "
The policeman let them out.
The important man took them to Buckingham Palace. "Do you think we are going to have our heads chopped off?" said Kipper.
Gran was having tea with Queen Victoria. "Gran!" said Chip.
"What are you doing in our adventure?"
"I'm having an adventure of my own," said Gran.
Queen Victoria looked at all the children and smiled. "Your grandmother has told me that you are good children," she said.
"You can play with my grandchildren and stay to tea. "
The children played in the throne room.
They had a sack race. "Come on Biff," called Gran.
"Come on Vicky," called the Queen.
"This is fun," everyone said.
"You can have one more race," said the Queen, "and then it will be time for tea.
I hope you like scones and home-made strawberry jam. "
The magic key began to glow.
It was time for the adventure to end. "Goodbye," said Kipper.
"Thank you for having us. "
"It was a pleasure," said Queen Victoria, "do come again. "
Dad wanted a meeting. "I have had a good idea," he said.
Chip groaned. "I don't like the sound of this," he said.
Dad had a big piece of paper. "I don't like the look of it, either," said Biff.
"It's no fun on holiday," went on Dad, "if Mum and I do all the work. "
"That's true," said Mum.
"There are still lots of jobs to be done. "
"This is where my idea comes in," said Dad.
"This is the pocket money chart. "
Biff, Chip and Kipper looked at the chart.
It had their names on it next to a list of jobs. "The idea is that everyone has to help!" said Dad.
"It's brilliant!"
"But why is it called a pocket money chart?" asked Kipper.
Dad tapped the chart. "If you do the jobs without a fuss," he said, "you get extra pocket money. "
Mum liked the idea. "You need extra pocket money on holiday," she said.
"I suppose so," said Biff.
So Biff washed up and Kipper dried.
Chip took Floppy for a walk.
Dad blew up the beds with a pump. "I like the idea of this pocket money chart," said Mum.
"I don't," said Kipper.
The next day they went to the beach. It was cold and windy so nobody wanted to sit on the sand.
Mum and Kipper played with Floppy.
He chased a ball into the sea. Biff, Chip and Dad went to look for shells.
Biff looked along the beach for shells.
She picked up a strange-looking rock. "Look at this," she called.
"It's a rock with a spiral pattern in it. "
She showed it to Chip. "It looks like a shell made of rock," he said.
"You've found a fossil," said Dad.
"Once it was a shellfish.
Now it has turned into a rock. "
They showed it to Mum. "It's millions of years old," she said.
"Millions of years!" said Biff.
"That's amazing. "
They all began to look for fossils. Chip found a broken one. Biff liked looking for fossils.
She wanted to find a really good one. "It's time for supper," said Mum.
"Come on! Let's go back to the campsite. "
On the way back they stopped at a shop. Biff, Chip and Kipper had time to look round.
The shop sold all kinds of things.
It sold shells and beach toys. Kipper wanted to buy a boat. "I haven't got enough pocket money," he said.
Biff saw some fossils for sale. "This one is amazing," she said.
"But it's very expensive. "
"Well, it is millions of years old," said Chip.
"I'll need the extra pocket money to afford this," said Biff.
Back at the camp, Biff had an idea. "I'll do everyone's jobs," she thought.
"I can get all the extra pocket money. "
She told Chip she would wash and dry the dishes. "Good," said Chip.
"I hate drying up. "
Kipper had to take Floppy for a walk round the field.
He had to keep Floppy on a lead. "I'll take him if you like," Biff said to Kipper.
Kipper was pleased. "That's good.
I hate that job," he said.
Dad saw Biff taking Floppy for his walk. "What's she up to?" he wondered.
When Biff came back, he asked her why she was doing everyone's jobs. Biff went red. "I want to earn all the extra pocket money," she said.
"I'm sorry, Biff," said Dad.
"I'm afraid you can't.
You all have to do the jobs -- not just you. "
"But Chip and Kipper don't mind," said Biff.
"That's not the point," said Dad.
"The idea is that we share the jobs. "
"But I worked hard," said Biff.
Biff was still upset when they went to the beach the next day. "It's just not fair," she said.
"I did extra jobs, but I still won't get any more money. "
"Come on, Biff," called Dad.
"It's such a lovely day to play in the sea. "
Biff, Chip and Kipper played in the sea.
They had a little plastic dinghy and they took turns to sit in it. "It's my turn," called Biff.
"No!
I'm not getting out," said Kipper.
"Then we'll tip you out," laughed Chip.
They all felt cold after they had been in the sea. Dad took them for a walk along the beach.
Mum stayed behind. Biff began to look for fossils. "If I can't buy one, maybe I can find a really good one," she thought.
They came to a little rocky cove. Some people were in the cove.
A camera team was doing a fashion shoot. "I bet the girl is a model," said Chip.
"They are taking photos for a magazine. "
The girl smiled at them. "I'd hate to be a model," said Biff.
"All you do is stand around for ages. "
"Just look at those cameras," said Chip.
"Come on," said Kipper.
"We're looking for fossils, remember?"
They walked a long way, but they didn't find any good fossils. It was time for lunch so they went back to find Mum. "We saw those people taking photographs," said Chip.
After lunch Biff and Chip went with Mum to the little rocky cove. The tide was coming in again and the cove was filling with water. Biff pointed to something on a rock.
It was a camera.
"The photographers must have left it behind," she said.
"It will soon be under water," said Mum.
"You could swim across and get it," said Chip.
"But I'm not a very good swimmer," said Mum.
"I might drop it. "
Biff had an idea. "The dinghy has a long rope.
I could paddle across quite safely," she said.
Mum thought about this. "Well, go and see what Dad thinks," she said.
"But hurry up," said Chip, "or it will be too late. "
Biff ran to ask Dad. When he saw the camera he agreed to let Biff rescue it in the dinghy. "Just be careful, Biff," called Mum.
"It's all right," said Biff, "but look at the camera.
It's going to be under water any second. "
Biff got to the camera just in time.
She put it in a plastic bag and Dad pulled the dinghy safely back.
"Hooray," said Kipper.
"The camera is safe. "
"Biff to the rescue!" laughed Biff.
At that moment, the photographer ran up. "Have you seen a camera?" she gasped.
"I left one behind in the cove. "
Biff held up the plastic bag. "Here it is," she said.
"I've just rescued it in the dinghy. "
The photographer was pleased. "Cameras like these are expensive," she said.
"I'm so glad to get it back. "
She took a photograph of everyone to say thank you. "Will we be in a magazine?" asked Kipper.
Then the photographer wanted to give Biff some money. "It's a reward for saving my camera," she said.
Biff said she couldn't take the money. "I'm just pleased you got your camera back safely," she said.
Kipper was cross with Biff. "Why didn't you take that money?" he asked.
"I would have. "
Chip looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure what I would have done," he said.
Dad smiled at Biff. "I'm very proud of you, Biff," he said.
"I think you were right not to take the money," agreed Mum.
"If you do someone a good turn, you shouldn't expect to get a reward. "
The next day, Dad gave Biff, Chip and Kipper some extra pocket money.
"May we do what we like with it?" asked Chip.
"Of course you can," said Dad.
"Then we'll give it to Biff," said Kipper.
So Biff bought the fossil she wanted so badly.
Biff had an idea.
She wanted to try an experiment. So one day, she put a bottle over a tiny apple. "I wonder if the apple will grow in the bottle," she thought.
"I'll have to wait and see. "
After a long, long time Biff went to see if the experiment was working. It was! In the bottle was a big apple. Biff showed the bottle to Nadim. When he saw the apple, he was amazed. "How did you get that in there?" he asked.
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. The magic took the children into another adventure. "I wonder where the magic is taking us," called Kipper.
The magic took them to a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. Floppy hated magic adventures. "Oh no!" he groaned.
"We're on a bare island with only one tree in the middle. "
"Why have we come here?" asked Biff.
"Maybe there's a reason why the magic has brought us here," said Nadim.
"But what?" moaned Kipper.
"There's nothing here. "
"No, I don't like the look of this," said Biff.
"This is not going to be a good adventure. "
"Help me climb the tree," said Nadim, "and maybe I can see a ship going past. "
Biff saw a bottle sticking out of the sand.
It was tied to the base of the tree. "How strange," thought Biff.
She untied the bottle and picked it up.
Suddenly Nadim began to wave and shout. "I can see a boat," he called, "but it's a long way off. "
They all waved and shouted.
The boat turned and came towards them. "Hooray!
It's coming," yelled Kipper.
The boat reached the island.
There was a boy sailing it. "What are you doing on this tiny island?" he asked.
"You wouldn't believe us, even if we told you," said Biff.
The boy said he would rescue them, so they all climbed into the boat. "I hate boats!" thought Floppy.
Biff took the bottle with her. "It's very heavy," she said.
"I wonder what's in it. "
The boy sailed the boat away from the island. "My name is Kamar," he said.
"I am the son of Hassan the Explorer. "
"Why are you all by yourself?" asked Nadim.
"I am looking for my father," said Kamar.
"He has been missing for four years. "
Biff showed Kamar the bottle she had found on the island. "It's a very strange-looking bottle," she said.
"I found it on the island. "
"There's something heavy inside," said Kamar.
"Let's open it. "
Kamar pulled the cork out of the bottle.
Then, something terrible happened. There was a loud bang and a cloud of smoke.
An evil genie shot out.
There was a terrible smell like rotten eggs. "Oh!" gasped Biff.
"What have we done?"
"Ha!
I am free at last!" shouted the genie.
"You will be sorry you let me out!"
"Why?" asked Biff.
"You should be thankful. "
"Not me!" cried the genie.
"I hate all people.
But most of all I hate the man who put me in this bottle. "
"His name is Hassan," cried the genie.
"And now I'm off to deal with him. "
Then the genie grew very big. "First I will deal with you," he said.
He puffed out his cheeks and blew very hard. "Help!" called Kamar.
"He's making a storm. "
The wind snapped off the mast.
Big waves tossed the boat up and down. "Hang on everyone," yelled Kamar.
"We're being blown on to a big island. "
"Biff said this wasn't going to be a good adventure," shouted Kipper.
The boat was swept on to the shore.
It hit some rocks and turned over.
They were all thrown on to the beach. Then the storm stopped. Biff and Nadim looked round. They were all wet, but nobody was hurt. Everyone looked at the boat.
There was a big hole in the bottom. "If we can't mend this hole," said Kamar, "we will be stuck on this island. "
"Things are getting worse," thought Floppy.
"There are too many flies here. "
Then they saw a man running towards them. He had a long black beard and long hair.
It was Kamar's father, Hassan. When Kamar saw him he shouted, "Father!
Is it you? I am your son, Kamar. "
Hassan gave Kamar a hug.
Hassan told them that his ship had been wrecked on the island. "I live in a hut made out of bits of wood.
I have been alone for four years," he said.
"Then I will take you home," said Kamar.
"All we have to do is mend my boat. "
Kamar's father showed them a big chest. "It was washed up in a storm," he said.
"It may be full of treasure, but I can't open it.
I don't have a key. "
Nadim looked at the chest. "It would need a special key to open it," he said.
Suddenly there was a whooshing sound and a terrible smell of rotten eggs. The evil genie appeared! His voice sounded like thunder. "Aha!" he shouted.
"You trapped me in a bottle.
Now I will deal with you, Hassan!"
Floppy hated the adventure, and he hated the genie even more. He began to bark and snarl at the genie. "Floppy!" called Biff.
"Don't do it. "
But Floppy barked even more. "Help!" cried the genie.
"I hate dogs. "
The genie flew away. "Hooray!" shouted Kipper.
"Good riddance to the horrid, smelly old genie. "
Hassan looked upset. "But how did he escape?" he asked.
"I put him in a bottle years ago. "
Hassan told them about the genie. "He can't touch you himself, but he can get other things to hurt you. "
"Like the way he made the storm?" asked Biff.
"Yes," said Hassan.
"But he can only do two bad things a day. "
On the island was a mountain.
On the top of it lived a large bird. The genie flew up to where the bird lived. "Now, I will deal with that stupid dog," he said.
He used his powers on the bird. "Get the dog!" he called.
The bird flew down from the mountain. They felt the cold wind from its beating wings. "Quickly!" yelled Hassan.
"Get inside the hut. "
Floppy was frightened of the bird.
He ran away from the hut. "Floppy, come back!" yelled Biff.
The bird swooped on to the beach.
It picked up Floppy in its claws. Biff, Nadim and Kipper ran out of the hut, but the bird flew off with Floppy.
"Floppy!" yelled Kipper.
"This is terrible," said Kipper.
"We'll have to rescue Floppy. "
"This must be because of the genie," said Nadim.
"We'll have to get him back into the bottle. "
"There must be a way to do it," said Biff, "if only we knew what it was. "
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. "Oh stop!" called Nadim.
"We can't go now.
We haven't rescued Floppy. "
The magic began to take them home. "Don't glow, magic key," cried Biff, "we can't leave Floppy behind. "
The magic took the children home. "What can we do about Floppy?" asked Kipper.
"We can't leave him stuck in an adventure. "
"Can we make the key take us back?" said Nadim.
"How?" asked Biff.
"We can never make it glow.
It only glows when it wants to. "
Just then Mum came into Biff's room. "It's time for Nadim to go home," she said.
"And it's time for Kipper's bath. "
Kipper didn't want a bath, and Nadim didn't want to go home. They wanted to go back into the adventure.
"What's up, Biff?" asked Chip.
"You look upset. "
Biff told Chip about Floppy. "We must go back and rescue him," said Chip.
"We've got to find a way to get the genie back into the bottle. "
"If only the magic key would glow," said Biff.
The last magic adventure had gone wrong.
Floppy had been left behind. A giant bird had flown off with him.
This was because a horrid genie had escaped from a bottle. "And it was all my fault," said Biff.
"We've got to rescue Floppy," said Chip.
"We must go back into the adventure. "
"But we can't make the key glow," said Biff.
"I know," said Chip, "but we must try.
We have to find a way to get the genie back in the bottle. "
Biff and Chip looked at the magic key. "Oh, if only it would glow," said Biff.
Then the magic key did begin to glow. The magic took the children back into the last adventure.
The magic took them to an island. Biff had been there before.
It was the island where the giant bird had flown away with Floppy. Kamar was still there.
He was with his father, Hassan. Hassan and Kamar were mending their boat. Kamar ran to meet them. "You have come back!" he said to Biff.
"Where have you been?"
"You wouldn't believe it," said Biff, "even if we told you. "
"This is my brother, Chip," said Biff.
"We have come back to rescue Floppy. "
Kamar shook his head. "That will be very dangerous," he said.
"The giant bird took him up to the top of that mountain. "
"I know," said Biff, "and that's where we're going.
We must get up there as fast as we can. "
"Stop!" shouted Kamar.
"Don't go!
Have you forgotten about the evil genie?"
"We'll worry about him later," said Chip.
Biff and Chip went as fast as they could, but it was hard work. They had to climb over big rocks. At last they came to the mountain. Biff was tired.
She sat on a rock for a rest. The mountain looked steep and rocky. "How can we climb up?" asked Biff.
Then Chip found a dried up stream. "Come on," called Chip.
"This gully looks an easy way up. "
Biff and Chip began to climb up the gully. Suddenly there was a loud noise and a terrible smell. It was the evil genie.
He was standing at the top of the gully. "Ha!
I can soon get rid of you," he shouted.
The genie clapped his hands.
Water began to gush down the gully. Biff and Chip had no time to climb out.
The water rushed towards them. "Quickly, Biff!
Climb on to this rock and hang on," shouted Chip.
Biff and Chip hung on to the rock.
The water roared past them. Biff and Chip were frightened. "What are we going to do?" shouted Biff.
"I don't know," called Chip.
"It's too far to jump to safety. "
Then they saw Kamar. He had followed them to the mountain. "Hang on!" he shouted.
"I'll soon have you safe. "
He threw a rope across the gully.
It caught on a branch on the other side.
Biff and Chip climbed to safety on the rope. "We are so pleased to see you!" said Biff.
"I thought we'd never get off that rock. "
"The evil genie did this," said Chip.
"It's a good job I came when I did, said Kamar.
"I came to help you rescue Floppy. "
They began to climb the mountain again. Biff and Chip were pleased that Kamar had come to help them. The giant bird was flying high above them. "What have you done with Floppy?" yelled Biff crossly.
It took them a long time to get to the top of the mountain. At last they reached the nest of the giant bird. "Ugh!" said Chip.
"Look at all these bones.
I hope the bird hasn't eaten Floppy!"
"Floppy," called Biff, "where are you?"
Then they saw Floppy. He was fast asleep and he had a contented look on his face.
In front of him was a pile of bones. "Oh Floppy!" said Biff.
"Wake up!"
Floppy woke up and wagged his tail.
"We must get back quickly," said Kamar.
"The evil genie may use his powers again. "
"I'm glad we're going," thought Floppy, "but I'm sorry I can't take all the lovely bones. "
They went down the mountain as fast as they could.
Then they saw Hassan. He had come to look for them. "I am so glad I have found you," he said.
"I have been worried about you. "
"We are all safe," said Kamar, "and we have rescued Floppy. "
Hassan was worried.
He looked at Kamar. "The genie may use his powers again.
We must get away from the island as quickly as we can," he said.
They began to load things into the boat. Chip looked at the old chest on the beach. It had been washed up in a storm. "I don't know what's inside it," said Hassan.
"It could be treasure. "
"Why don't you open it?" asked Chip.
"I don't have a key," said Hassan.
Chip had an idea. "Lend me the magic key, Biff," he said.
He put the key in the lock and turned it. The lid of the chest sprang open. Everyone looked in the chest, but it was completely empty.
Suddenly there was a crackling sound and a terrible smell of old burnt socks. The evil genie appeared! "Ha!" he shouted.
"You have escaped my powers too many times.
Now I will deal with you once and for all. "
Chip thought of a way to trick the genie. Quickly he shut the lid of the chest. "Why did you shut that chest?" asked the genie.
"What is inside it?"
"Er... it's something very valuable," said Chip.
"Is it treasure?" asked the genie.
"It's a lot more valuable than treasure," said Chip.
The genie looked in the chest. "There's nothing valuable in here," he shouted.
"Oh, but there is," said Chip.
"You're just not looking hard enough. "
The genie bent inside the chest to look.
Suddenly Chip pushed the genie into the chest and slammed down the lid.
Then he locked it with the magic key. "How dare you!" shouted the genie.
"You will pay for this when I get out. "
"But you can't get out," called Chip.
"Oh yes I can," shouted the genie.
"I can't get out of bottles, but it's easy to get out of a chest. "
"But you're locked in," said Chip.
"We don't believe you can get out. "
"I'll use my powers," said the genie.
The genie made himself thin and started to slip through the keyhole. Chip held the bottle over the keyhole.
And the genie slid into it. "He fell for my trick," said Chip.
"I thought he would. "
Hassan and Kamar shook Chip's hand. "That was brilliant, Chip!" said Kamar.
"The genie is safely in the bottle.
Now we can all go home. "
"I'm glad it was all right in the end," said Biff.
"And I'm glad Floppy is safe. "
The magic key began to glow.
It was time to go. "I bet Floppy hated this adventure," said Chip.
Floppy looked at them both. "I don't know," he thought.
"I quite enjoyed it, really. "
The magic took them home. Kipper ran into Biff's room. "Hooray!
You rescued Floppy!" he said.
"What happened to the evil genie?"
"We put him back in the bottle," said Chip.
The children looked at the little chest. "I'm glad the bottle didn't come back from the adventure," said Kipper.
Biff tried to lift the lid of the chest, but it wouldn't open. "And now the key won't fit," she laughed.
The children were excited.
They were going to take part in a play.
It was all about the history of the town. The play was going to be held in the park, and the children had to rehearse their scene. "I hope we don't forget what to do," said Chip.
Gran had come to watch the rehearsal. "My goodness!" she said.
"I don't believe it!
Biff is wearing a dress!"
"That's because we're children from World War Two," said Biff.
"Girls didn't wear trousers then. "
"Our town was bombed in the war," said Chip.
"The bombing was called the Blitz. "
Gran could remember it. "I was only a girl," she said, "but I remember the Blitz well. "
"You wore awful clothes like these?" said Biff.
"We have to carry these boxes," said Wilma.
"But they are empty. "
"They weren't empty in the war," said Gran.
"They had gas masks in them.
We had to take them to school every day. "
"Gas masks?" gasped Wilf.
"Fantastic!"
The children rehearsed their parts. In the play, they were sent away to live in the country.
It wasn't safe to stay in the town because of the bombing. "We have to pretend to be upset," said Wilma.
Chip tried to pull a sad face. "I'm going to pretend to cry," said Wilf.
He made a loud noise blowing his nose. "Stop it," said Biff.
"You're making me laugh. "
The others began to laugh too. "We shouldn't laugh," said Wilma.
Gran spoke to the children. "The war was a terrible time for everyone," she said.
"It wasn't funny. "
"We're sorry, Gran," said Chip.
"But it was a long time ago. "
After the rehearsal, Wilf and Wilma went home with Biff and Chip. Chip thought about the war. "It must have been a hard time for children then," he said.
"It's hard to imagine what it was like," said Wilf.
"I can't wait to take these clothes off," said Biff.
"I hate wearing this dress. "
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. The magic took the children off on another adventure.
It took them back to a street in London.
"We've come back to the war," gasped Chip.
"This looks like the scene in our play. "
They saw a little boy all by himself. "I was with my schoolmates," said the boy, "but I got lost.
May I come with you?"
Suddenly there was a long wailing sound. "That's an air raid warning," said Wilma.
"It means we're going to be bombed. "
People began to run.
A man shouted at them. "Hey!" he yelled.
"Get into the shelter!"
Everyone went into the shelter. Above the shelter, bombs were landing.
Everything rocked and shook. "I'm scared," said the little boy.
"So are we," said Wilma.
"I hope it's safe down here," said Biff.
The noise went on for about twenty minutes.
Then it stopped.
Everything was quiet for a little while. Then the loud wailing noise began. The air raid was over. "That was really frightening," said Wilf.
The children came out of the shelter. They couldn't believe their eyes. The street had been bombed.
There was smoke and dust everywhere. Wilma put her arm round the little boy. One building was gone.
It was just a pile of bricks. Another building was on fire.
Firemen were starting to put the fire out. "This is terrible," said Wilf.
"I didn't think it would be like this. "
A woman ran up to the children.
She took the little boy's hand. "Oh! I'm so glad I found you," she said.
She looked at the others. "You must all have got lost, too," she said.
"Come on! The train will be leaving soon. "
The station was crowded with children.
They all had gas masks and they looked upset and unhappy.
"We are being sent away," said the little boy.
"It's because of the bombing.
It's too dangerous to live here. "
A woman gave them all a brown paper bag.
Wilma looked inside hers. "It's a dry old sandwich and an apple," she said, "but no sweets or chocolate bars. "
"Of course not," said the woman.
"What did you expect?"
A man blew a whistle. "Gas masks on," he ordered.
"And don't worry, there is no gas.
This is just a practice. "
"We don't have gas masks," whispered Chip.
"We only have empty boxes. "
Wilf opened his box.
Inside it was a gas mask. They all had gas masks in their boxes.
"I can't believe it!" he gasped.
"Hurry up!" shouted the man crossly.
"You must put them on quickly. "
Biff hated wearing the gas mask.
It felt tight and uncomfortable.
It had a funny smell and it felt hot. When she talked, her voice sounded funny and the gas mask steamed up.
She couldn't wait to take it off.
"Ugh!" said Biff.
"That was terrible.
It was so hard to breathe in that gas mask. "
The man blew his whistle again. It was time to get on the train.
All the children had to line up.
The little boy began to cry.
"I don't want to go away," sniffed the boy.
"I don't even know where we are going. "
"But it's not safe to stay," said Chip.
"My mum has to stay," said the boy.
Wilma gave the boy a packet of tissues. "I've never seen tissues before," said the boy.
At last the train came in. "It's a steam engine," said Wilf.
The train puffed out smoke and it made a clanking noise.
As it stopped, it gave a loud hiss. Smoke and steam filled the air. The grown-up began to call the children's names out.
Then they were told to get on the train. "I don't think our names are going to be called out," said Wilma.
"They don't know who we are. "
Wilma was right. The man came across to them. "Why aren't you on the train?" he asked.
The woman looked at her list. "There shouldn't be anyone left," she said.
"I don't know who these children are. "
"We can't leave them behind," said the man.
"We can find out who they are later.
But we'll have to split them up. "
"We don't want to be split up," said Biff.
"We want to stay together. "
"I'm sorry," said the man.
"I don't think you can. "
"We can't always keep children together," said the woman.
"Not even brothers and sisters. "
"That's terrible," said Chip.
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. The adventure was over.
"I didn't like that adventure," said Chip.
"I was so scared being in that air raid. "
"I felt sorry for the children," said Biff.
"Imagine having to leave home and going to live with people you don't know. "
"That poor little boy!" said Wilma.
Chip asked Gran to tell them about the war. "I never saw a banana," said Gran.
"There wasn't much food.
We didn't have lots of sweets or chocolate.
We didn't have nice soap and shampoo.
We only had a bath once a week. "
It was the night of the play.
Biff, Chip, Wilf and Wilma didn't laugh when they played their parts.
They remembered the magic adventure.
They thought of the children waiting for the train to come in.
Gran was pleased with them. "You were really good," she said.
Biff told Gran a secret. "The magic key showed us how hard it was in the war," she said.
"I'm glad we only had to act it. "
It had been raining for days. "All this rain," said Biff.
"I wish it would stop. "
"I'm taking Floppy for a walk," said Mum.
"Who wants to come?"
Biff and Chip looked at her. "Not us!" they said.
"It's raining!"
In the end, Biff said she would go with Mum. They went into the park.
It was not much fun in the rain. "Look at Floppy," said Mum.
"He can't help getting muddy.
The ground is so wet and squelchy. "
Biff and Mum walked across the park. They wanted to cross the little bridge, but the stream had flooded. "I've never seen it this high," said Mum.
Biff was excited. "Oh look!" she said.
"The bridge is under water. "
Biff began to wade across the bridge, but Mum called her back. "It's not a good idea," said Mum.
"The stream is flowing really fast and you can't see the edge of it.
What if you slipped in?"
"If it goes on raining, the water will flood across the park," said Biff.
Mum looked thoughtful. "I hope the rain stops," she said.
"We don't want the flood to get as far as our house. "
The next morning, when Biff and Chip were at school, it was still raining.
The children couldn't go out to play. "Another wet playtime," sighed Chip.
"I wish it would stop raining. "
"So do I," sighed Mrs May, too.
In the afternoon it stopped raining. "Hooray! Now we can play football," said Wilf.
But there were big puddles on the field. "I'm sorry," said Mrs May. "We can't play football today. The ground is too wet. "
That evening Biff, Chip and Kipper were watching television.
The weather forecast came on.
Some bad storms were coming, with a lot more rain. "Not more rain!" sighed Chip.
The storm came in the middle of the night. The rain beat on the roof of the house and it lashed against the windows. It was so loud that Biff and Chip couldn't sleep.
Mum brought them a hot drink. "Poor Floppy," said Biff.
"He hates this. "
In the morning, Dad took Floppy for a walk.
Chip went with him. When they got to the park, Chip gasped. The park was flooded.
It was like a giant lake. Chip thought the floods were fun. Dad looked worried. "I don't like the look of this," he said.
"We don't want the water to get as far as our house. "
Chip grinned at Dad. "It couldn't go that far," he said.
"Could it?"
But it didn't stop raining, and the floods grew worse. The water reached the edge of the park.
Then it began to creep up the road.
It came through the fence and flooded the end of the garden.
The road near Wilf and Wilma's house was flooded. The children watched the cars going through the flood.
One car had broken down and was stuck in the middle.
That day, the school was closed. The hall was flooded and there was no heating. "What are we going to do all day?" asked Wilf.
"I'm sorry," said Mrs May.
"We can't open the school today. "
When the children got home, they saw a lorry in the street.
It was loaded with sandbags.
People were taking the sandbags to their houses. "We need you all to help," said Mum.
Biff and Chip helped to carry the sandbags. They were very heavy.
Dad put them in front of the doors. "I just hope the water doesn't come up this far," said Dad.
Mum looked upset. "The floods may get worse," she said.
"So there's only one thing to do. "
She picked up a chair. "We'll have to take things upstairs," said Mum.
They all began to carry things upstairs.
It was hard work and Kipper began to get worried.
"What will happen if the water floods into my bedroom?" he asked.
"Don't worry," said Biff.
"It won't. "
Some things were too big and heavy to carry upstairs. "What shall we do with the sofa?" asked Dad.
Mum had a good idea. She got a folding table. "We can put the sofa up on this," she said.
It rained in the night.
Dad couldn't sleep.
He was too worried about the flood. Then he heard the sound of water.
He went downstairs and looked. Oh no! The flood water had come in.
Everyone woke up. The lights didn't work, so Mum lit a lamp. They all looked downstairs.
The hall was full of water. "This is terrible," said Chip.
"Lots of houses must be flooded. "
The next day, Biff, Chip and Kipper looked out of the window.
The whole street was flooded. "I can't believe it," said Kipper.
"It looks like a river. "
"It's amazing," said Biff.
A man paddled past in a canoe. It looked funny to see a canoe in the street. The man shouted up to them. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"Yes thank you," Chip called back.
"But we wish the flood would go away. "
Some fire officers came to the street.
They wore big, long boots. "Can we take you to somewhere warm and dry?" asked a fire officer.
"Yes please," said Mum.
"I don't think we can stay here. "
The fire officers brought a dinghy to the front door.
Everyone got in.
Dad carried Floppy. "I never thought we'd sail up our street in a boat," said Chip.
Wilf and Wilma were in their house.
They were looking out of the window. Biff, Chip and Kipper waved at them.
"You can come and rescue us, next," called Wilma.
A cat was stuck on a fence. The fire officer stopped the dinghy.
Dad rescued it and gave it to Mum. Floppy looked at the cat, but he didn't even bark. "He is being a good dog," said Kipper.
They went to a hall in the town.
A lot of people were there. Wilf and Wilma came in with their mum and dad.
Biff showed Wilma the rescued cat. "Poor little thing," said Wilma.
"We may have to stay here tonight," said Wilf.
"We can't go back home to sleep. "
Kipper was upset. There were too many people in the hall.
He didn't want to sleep there. "I want to go home," he said.
Later in the day, Gran came to the hall. "You can all stay with me until the flood goes down," she said.
The children were pleased. "It will be fun staying with Gran," said Kipper.
"Thank you Gran. "
When the floods were over they went back home. They gasped when they saw the house. The floors were covered in mud. "What a mess!" said Kipper.
"I hate it. "
"Never mind," said Dad.
"Bad things like this happen sometimes. "
He gave the children a big hug.
Then he gave them some mops and brooms. "And what's more important than all this mud? We are," said Mum.
Nadim and Anneena came to play at Biff and Chip's house. Nadim had a book about the Ancient Egyptians. "It isn't just a book to read," said Nadim.
"It's a special sort of book. "
"It's a model book," said Nadim.
He opened it to show everyone. "I get it," said Chip.
"You press out the shapes.
Then you fold and glue them to make a model. "
The book had lots of shapes to press out and fold. Nadim pointed to one. "Can you see what this will be?" he asked.
"Of course we can," said Anneena.
"It will be a pyramid. "
Chip found some glue. Then Nadim pressed out the shapes and the others began to fold them.
First they made the pyramids. Anneena had a difficult shape to fold. "This is a sphinx," she said.
They pressed out some tiny trees and people.
Biff glued them all on to a sheet of paper.
It made a scene of Ancient Egypt. The children were pleased with it. "I'm really pleased with the sphinx," said Anneena.
At last the model was finished.
It looked so good they called Mum upstairs to have a look. "What a good job you made of it," said Mum.
"I like the pyramids and the sphinx. "
"The sphinx was hard to make," said Anneena.
Floppy ran into the room. He didn't see the model on the floor and he trod on it with his big paws.
He knocked over a tree and crushed the sphinx. "Oh Floppy!" everyone yelled.
Floppy looked unhappy.
He knew he had upset the children. "Never mind," said Chip.
"It wasn't Floppy's fault.
The sphinx looks even better than before. "
Suddenly the magic key began to glow.
The key took the children back in time.
It took Floppy too. "It's not my day!" thought Floppy.
"First, I get into trouble.
Now, it's a magic adventure. "
The magic took them back to Ancient Egypt. They were standing by a pyramid.
The pyramid was still being built. Far off they could see two more pyramids. "This is amazing!" said Nadim.
"I didn't think the pyramids were so big. "
Some people were pulling on long ropes.
They were moving a big block of stone. "That's amazing too," said Chip.
"I didn't know the pyramids were made with such big blocks of stone. "
"Look over there!" gasped Anneena.
She pointed to a huge stone sphinx. "Let's go and look at the sphinx," she said.
They all began to run towards it. Floppy didn't go with them.
He had seen a cat!
The cat hissed at Floppy. Floppy couldn't stop himself.
He chased it! It leaped on to some blocks of stone.
Floppy jumped up too, but the cat was too fast for him.
Biff saw Floppy chase the cat.
She called to the others. They all went back to get Floppy, but he was stuck on the blocks of stone.
He couldn't get down. "Oh Floppy! You silly dog," said Biff.
The children looked up at Floppy. "He's a long way up!" laughed Nadim.
"I'll just have to climb up and help him down," said Biff.
Then a man ran over. He looked at Floppy and gasped.
The man called to some people.
They ran over to the children. At first they were talking and shouting.
Then they all went quiet. "What are they doing?" asked Biff.
"Why are they looking at us like this?"
The people put their hands together and raised them in the air.
Then they sank down on their knees. "They are bowing to us," said Chip.
"They must think we're important. "
"How strange!" said Nadim.
The people were not bowing down to the children.
They were bowing to Floppy. "I don't believe it!" whispered Chip.
"They must think Floppy is important.
I wonder why?"
The people took Floppy away.
The children followed. Floppy couldn't believe all this was happening to him. "A magic adventure is bad enough," he thought, "and now this!"
The people took Floppy to the king's palace. The king came out on to the steps. "In Egypt a king is called a pharaoh," said Chip.
"This pharaoh looks very fierce. "
Everyone bowed when they saw him. "We'd better bow down, too," said Biff.
"We don't want to get into trouble. "
A man spoke to the pharaoh. "Great Pharaoh!" he said.
"See what we have brought. "
"The yellow dog!" gasped the pharaoh.
The pharaoh took Floppy inside the palace.
Then he clapped his hands. "Look after the yellow dog," he said.
"Give him whatever he wants. "
"Hmm!" thought Floppy.
"I'm beginning to enjoy this adventure. "
"I just don't get it," said Biff.
"Why are they making this fuss of Floppy?"
The pharaoh clapped his hands again. Some people ran into the palace.
One of them began to paint a picture of Floppy.
Suddenly Biff sneezed. The pharaoh saw the children. "Strangers in my palace," he shouted.
"How did they get in?"
A guard grabbed Chip and Anneena.
Another one grabbed Biff and Nadim.
The guards took the children outside.
They took them to one of the pyramids. The people were moving the big blocks of stone. "You all look strong," said a guard.
"You can work here. "
The children had to help pull one of the big blocks.
They had to put rollers down to slide it along. "This is hard work," moaned Biff.
"These rollers are heavy. "
It was time for a rest. The children had to drink from a skin bag. "Ugh!" said Chip.
"This water is warm and it tastes funny too.
I'd rather have an ice-cold can. "
The Egyptians were carving a giant stone block.
The children had to pick up all the chips of stone that fell off. "This is hard work, too," said Nadim.
"It's no fun being an Egyptian slave. "
Anneena looked at the carving. "I wonder if they are making a sphinx?" she said.
"A sphinx has the body of a lion but that doesn't look like a lion's tail. "
"Hmm! That tail looks familiar," said Biff.
The carving was finished. "I said it looked familiar," gasped Biff.
"It isn't a sphinx at all -- it's Floppy. "
At that moment the pharaoh came to see the carving. Some Egyptians carried Floppy. Suddenly the magic key began to glow. Floppy jumped down and ran over to the children. "Come back, yellow dog," called the pharaoh.
"I'm glad it's time to go," thought Floppy.
"It was all getting too much of a good thing. "
"What an adventure," said Nadim.
"I didn't like being an Egyptian slave. "
Anneena picked up the model sphinx. "A sphinx has a lion's body and a man's head," she said.
"But this does look a bit like Floppy. "
Mr Johnson took his class away for the week. They went to a big house called Seabay House.
Mrs May went too. The children were excited. Seabay House was near the sea and there were lots of interesting things to do.
Everyone unloaded the bus. "Some of these bags and cases are heavy," said Mr Johnson.
"We're only here for a week. "
Mrs May found a toothbrush. "Whose toothbrush is this?" she asked.
"Oh dear," said Biff.
"I think it's mine. "
Mr Johnson showed the boys their room. "You'll be sleeping in here," he said.
"I want the top bunk," shouted Chip.
"No, I want the top bunk," shouted Wilf.
Mr Johnson tossed a coin. "Heads or tails?" he said.
Mr Johnson gave the children a map.
Then he took the children for a long walk. After a while they stopped for a rest. The children looked at their maps.
Mr Johnson showed them the places they could see. "Your map's upside down, Biff," said Wilf.
Nadim pointed to a little island out at sea. "What's that island called?" he asked.
"Look on your maps," said Mr Johnson.
"Who can tell me what the island is called?"
Chip and Anneena knew. "It's called Green Island," they said.
Everyone was hungry after the long walk. When they got back it was time for supper. The children served the food, and then they helped wash up.
"I don't like washing up at home," said Wilf, "but it's fun washing up here. "
That night the children were tired but they couldn't sleep. Chip kept telling jokes and making silly noises. In the end, Mr Johnson came in. He was cross with Chip. "I'll send you to bed at six o'clock tomorrow, if I hear any more noise. "
The next day, the children did a beach study. Some children worked with Mr Johnson. They made squares on the beach and looked at everything in each square. Biff found a shell with a crab inside it. "It's called a hermit crab," she said.
Some children worked with Mrs May. They looked carefully in all the rock pools. Nadim and Wilf caught a large crab. "Look at this," they called.
Mrs May showed them how to hold the crab. "We'll look at it, then we'll let it go," she said.
Chip and Anneena found a seagull.
It couldn't fly. "Oh dear!" said Mr Johnson.
"It can't fly because it has oil on its feathers.
Oil is hard to get off, so be careful, everyone. Mind you don't get oil on you. "
"How do we get the oil off the seagull?" asked Chip.
Mr Johnson took the children to see Mrs Honey. "If anyone can help the seagull, Mrs Honey can," said Mr Johnson.
"This poor old gull needs a clean," said Mrs Honey.
She looked at Anneena and Chip. "And so do you," she said.
"Oil is terrible stuff," said Mrs Honey.
"You can see what it does to animals and birds if it spills into the sea. "
"It is terrible," said Mrs May.
"I'm having trouble getting it off Chip and Anneena. "
"I feel really sorry for the seagull," said Chip.
"What will happen to the seagull?" asked Wilf.
"Its feathers will be damaged," said Mrs Honey.
"So first we'll clean the oil off.
Then we'll look after it for a week or two. It has to get strong again, and its feathers have to get better. Then we'll let it go. "
Mrs Honey looked after all kinds of animals. She showed the children an otter.
Then she gave it some fish. "She's a sea-otter," she said.
"I call her Fiona.
She was hurt by a boat. Now she's better, I'm going to let her go. "
"Sea-otters live on Green Island," said Mrs Honey.
"If you like, you can come to the island with me and watch me let Fiona go. "
Mrs Honey had a boat. "There's room for everyone," she said.
"If we're lucky, we may see some more sea-otters. "
The children went across to Green Island in the boat. Mrs Honey stopped a little way from the island. The children looked carefully. Suddenly Anneena pointed to some rocks. "I can see another otter," she said.
"Look, everyone. "
"There aren't many sea-otters left!" said Mrs May.
"So that was a wonderful thing to see. "
Mrs Honey let Fiona go. The otter dived into the sea and swam towards the rocks. "Will Fiona be all right now?" asked Wilf.
"I hope so," said Mrs Honey.
Mrs Honey took the boat to the other side of the island. "You can get out, and explore," she said.
"If you keep quiet, you will see all kinds of interesting sea birds. "
The children jumped out of the boat and went to look around the island.
The children saw a small cave.
They ran to see it. "I wonder if it has treasure in it," called Wilf.
"Maybe it's a secret tunnel," said Nadim.
"Maybe it leads to a secret computer base. "
But when they got to the cave, they found something else. In the cave were some drums.
"I don't like the look of this," said Mrs Honey.
"These drums have been dumped on Green Island.
They are full of toxic waste. "
"Keep away from them, everyone," said Mr Johnson.
"Why would anyone want to dump them here?" asked Biff.
"It's hard to get rid of toxic waste," said Mrs May.
"It costs a lot of money to do it safely.
So people dump it. "
"We should tell the police," said Mr Johnson.
"These drums can't stay here," said Mrs Honey.
"They could do a lot of harm to the wildlife. "
Suddenly, Chip and Wilf ran up to Mr Johnson. "There's a boat coming to the island," said Chip.
"There are four people in it. "
"I don't like the sound of this," said Mr Johnson.
"Keep out of sight, everyone," said Mrs Honey.
"I want to see what these people are doing. "
The boat stopped at the island and four people got out. They lifted some drums out of the boat and began to carry them towards the cave. "They're dumping more waste on the island," said Mrs Honey.
"I want everyone to run back to my boat.
Don't make a sound. I have an idea. "
The children did what Mrs Honey told them.
They ran to the boat with Mrs May and climbed in. "I hope the boat will start," said Mrs May.
"If it doesn't, I don't know what we shall do. "
"Do you think those people are dangerous?" asked Chip.
Wilf and Chip pushed the boat out with the oars and Mrs May started the engine. "So far, so good," said Mrs May.
"Let's hope Mrs Honey's idea works. "
"I hope Mrs Honey and Mr Johnson will be all right," said Wilf.
Mrs Honey's idea worked. She and Mr Johnson had taken the other boat. The other people couldn't get off the island without it. "Hooray!" shouted the children.
"They won't get off Green Island unless they swim all the way back!"
"What are you doing with our boat?" shouted a man.
"Bring it back!"
"I'll get the police to bring it back," shouted Mrs Honey.
"You can tell them why you've dumped toxic waste on Green Island. "
"Grrr!" said the man.
The police took the people off the island. "Taking their boat was a brilliant idea," said Mr Johnson.
"I'm glad we caught them," said Mrs Honey.
"And I'm glad you were with me.
I couldn't have taken their boat by myself. "
"What an adventure!" said Mrs May.
"Look at those drums of toxic waste," said Wilf.
"I can't think why people would dump them where they could do so much harm. "
"I'm glad the otters will be safe on the island now," said Anneena.
At the end of the week, there was a party. Mrs May played her guitar and everyone sang songs. Mrs Honey came. She told the children stories about some of the animals she had looked after. "But you have the best story to tell," she said.
"It isn't every school trip that becomes famous!"
A photographer came. She made everyone stand in a group.
Then she took a photograph. "We're going to be in the newspaper," said Wilf.
"We are going to be famous. "
"I've never been famous before," said Chip.
"I wonder what it feels like. "
The next day the story of Green Island was in the newspaper. The children were excited. "I'm going to buy three newspapers," said Chip.
"One for me, one for Mum and Dad, and one for Gran. "
"Now I'm famous I don't feel any different," said Wilf.
Nadim's mum and dad had to go away, so Nadim came to stay at Biff and Chip's house. Nadim had a bag with all his things, but he had a big box, too.
"What's in that big box?" asked Chip.
"Wait and see," said Nadim.
The children went to Biff's room.
Nadim had the big box. He opened it and took out his computer. "Brilliant!" said Chip.
"I've got some new computer games," said Nadim.
"But we can play with them later.
I've got something else to play with. "
Nadim had some robots. "These are great," said Kipper.
"I'm going to get one like this.
It's my favourite. "
Biff and Chip had a robot, too.
They went to fetch it. "We're going to have a great time," said Nadim.
Wilf came to play. He had one of his new toys.
It was a space craft. Biff, Wilf and Kipper played with all the toys.
Kipper said he wanted to be a robot when he grew up. "You can't," said Biff.
"People can't be robots. "
Chip and Nadim played on the computer. One of Nadim's new games was called "Storm Castle".
It looked exciting. "It's quite hard," said Nadim.
"I'll show you how to play, then you can have a go. "
"It looks great," said Chip.
Everyone watched Nadim play Storm Castle. "You have to go through all the rooms," he said.
"But there is a danger in every room. Look. "
In the first room, the floor opened. You could fall through, but Nadim didn't. "That was clever," said Chip.
Nadim was good on the computer.
He got through all the rooms safely. "Chip can have a go next," said Nadim.
"You can all have a go if you like. "
"You're brilliant at it," said Chip.
"I won't be very good when I have my go. "
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"I don't want the key to glow.
I don't want a magic adventure.
I want to play on Nadim's computer. "
"I don't want a magic adventure, either," said Chip.
"I think I know where it will be. "
"Where do you think it will be?" asked Kipper.
"Storm Castle," said Chip.
"Oh no!" said Wilf.
"I don't think we're going to like this adventure.
Storm Castle is full of dangers. "
"It's a good job Nadim is with us," said Biff.
The magic didn't take them inside the castle. It took them to a desert.
Storm Castle was in front of them. "Why didn't the magic take us inside the castle?" said Wilf.
"And where's Nadim?" asked Chip.
"Oh no! Giant robots," said Wilf.
"Run for it!"
The children ran as fast as they could.
The robots were not very fast, but there were lots of them. "We'll have to get into Storm Castle," said Biff.
"Come on. "
The children saw a bridge. It was the only way to the castle. "This is the way in," said Wilf.
"The robots can't get across this. "
"I hope it's safe," said Chip.
"It's a long way to fall. "
Suddenly, the bridge began to open in the middle. "Jump for it!" called Chip.
"If it opens too much, you won't get across. "
Biff and Kipper ran as fast as they could.
Then they jumped across.
Wilf was still on the other side.
The gap was getting wider and wider. "Come on, Wilf!" called Biff.
"You can do it.
Run as fast as you can and jump.
We'll grab you. "
Wilf ran and jumped. "Hooray! He's made it," shouted Kipper.
The gate of the castle was closing.
It was getting lower and lower. The children ran as fast as they could. Chip ran to the gate and rolled under it. "Come on!" he shouted.
"We don't want to be shut out of the castle. "
They got under the gate just in time.
Then it shut with a loud clang. Biff didn't like the adventure much.
It was hard work. "It's not fair," she said.
"This is Nadim's adventure and he's not even here. "
The children came to three doors.
They didn't know which one to open. "I think we should go through this one," said Wilf.
"It looks like a keyhole. "
He pushed the door and it began to open. "Come on, let's go through," he said.
The door shut and they found themselves in a room full of mirrors.
Each mirror made them look a funny shape. In one mirror they looked fat and round.
In another they looked long and thin.
In another they had funny-shaped heads. The mirrors made them look so funny that they all laughed and laughed. "I've got an enormous head and a little, thin body," laughed Wilf.
"I hope we don't go on looking like this," said Chip.
"Think what Mum and Dad would say. "
Kipper looked in one mirror but he couldn't see anything. "That's funny," he said.
"Come and look at this mirror, everyone.
It doesn't work. "
"It isn't a mirror," laughed Chip.
"It's a doorway. "
In the doorway was a monster. Biff, Chip and Wilf were frightened.
They ran away, but Kipper didn't.
He wasn't frightened at all. He had always wanted to have an adventure with a monster in it, and this monster didn't look very frightening.
The monster tried to frighten Kipper.
It jumped up and down and yelled, "Aaaarrrgh!"
"Aaaarrrgh!" Kipper yelled back.
"Aren't you frightened?" asked the monster.
"Not at all," said Kipper.
"I've always wanted to meet a monster like you. "
The monster was friendly.
He told the children that they had to go through a maze. "What's a maze?" asked Kipper.
The monster showed them a map of the maze.
He showed them how to go through it. "Don't get lost," said the monster.
The children went into the maze.
Soon they came to a dead end. "I think we went wrong at the last turning," said Biff.
"We'll have to go back. "
Wilf remembered the monster's map. "I think I know which way to go," he said.
"Follow me. "
The children came to a hall with squares on the floor.
Some of the squares had numbers on them. There was a doorway at the end of the hall, but it was high up in the wall. "How do we get up to that door?" asked Kipper.
"I wish Nadim was here," said Biff.
"He'd know. "
The children had to cross the numbers and stand on an empty square. The right one would take them up to the door.
The wrong one would drop them through the floor. "How do we know the right square?" asked Chip.
Suddenly, Biff said, "I know which one it is. "
Biff began to cross the floor. "It's this way," she said.
"This way the squares add up to six. "
"I don't get it," said Chip.
"How do you know this way leads to the right square?"
"All the rest add up to fifteen," said Biff.
"I still don't get it," said Chip.
Biff was right. The square lifted the children up to the door in the wall. Chip looked at the floor. "I see," he said.
"All the squares add up to fifteen whichever way you cross them.
Only one way adds up to six. "
"Mind you don't fall," said Biff.
They came to a new room. A nasty -- looking robot began to come towards them. "Help," called Kipper.
"It's going to get us. "
The robot came closer. "That's funny," said Chip.
"It's just like one of Nadim's toys. "
Suddenly, Chip began to laugh. "I'm not frightened of this robot," he said.
"Come on, everyone," he called.
"Help me to push. "
He ran up to the robot and gave it a push.
The others helped.
The top of the robot began to open. "Look who's inside," shouted Kipper.
Nadim was sitting inside the robot. "That was clever of you, Chip," he said.
"How did you know I was inside here?"
"Because you wrote a story about this robot at school," said Chip.
"Well done, Chip," said everyone.
The magic key glowed and the adventure was over. Nadim was sorry. "It was fun being the Master of Storm Castle," he said.
"We had to go through the castle and you didn't," said Biff.
"You can put your computer away, and we'll have a game of football. "
The "Dog of the Year Show" was on television.
"I love the way the dogs run so quickly," said Mum.
"They seem to enjoy it, too. "
They watched a dog called Pepper.
She ran quickly and didn't make a mistake. "I hope Pepper wins," said Chip.
The next dog was called Raffles. Kipper liked him more than Pepper. "I want Raffles to win," said Kipper.
"Look how fast he can run. "
Everyone was excited as Raffles came to the end, but he didn't win.
Pepper did. "I knew Pepper would do it," shouted Biff.
Floppy was asleep on the floor.
Biff poked him with her toe. "Wake up, Floppy," she said.
"Look at all these clever dogs on television.
Why can't you do clever things like them?"
Floppy opened one eye.
Then he yawned and went back to sleep.
The next day, Biff, Chip and Kipper went outside to play.
Wilf and Wilma came round. Floppy was fast asleep on the grass. "Did you see the 'Dog of the Year Show' on television?" asked Biff.
"Yes. It was brilliant," said Wilma.
"I wonder if Floppy could do some of the things we saw on television," said Chip.
Biff found a box. "Come on, Floppy," she said.
"Let's see what you can do.
Jump on this box. "
Floppy looked at the box. "Oh no! I'm too old to do tricks," he thought.
The children made a course for Floppy. It had all kinds of things for him to run round or jump over. "We must give him a treat every time he does well," said Biff.
"That's the way to train a dog. "
"Oh no!" thought Floppy.
"I don't believe this. "
At first, Floppy did quite well.
But he soon got tired and fed up. He didn't like the way the children shouted at him all at the same time. "I don't want to be Dog of the Year," he thought.
"I just want to be left alone. "
"Oh Floppy! You're hopeless!" said Kipper.
Wilma's mum came round.
She wanted to take everyone swimming. Kipper liked going swimming with Wilma's mum. "She always buys us an ice cream," he said.
Floppy was pleased, too.
He just wanted to find a quiet place to go to sleep.
Floppy crept up to Biff's room.
He knew Biff and Chip wouldn't be back for a long time. He was almost asleep when something made him open one eye. The magic key was glowing. Dogs don't have magic adventures by themselves, do they?
The magic began to work.
Floppy was in a big city. The city was full of people and traffic.
Everyone was busy.
There was noise everywhere. "Well," thought Floppy.
"So this is the big city!
I've never seen so many people.
And I've never seen such tall buildings. What a place!"
Floppy explored the city. He came to a steep hill.
A tram took people up and down the hill. He had never seen buses like these before. A lady went past with two dogs. "What funny dogs," thought Floppy.
"I've never seen dogs with coats on before. "
There was a pram outside a shop.
In the pram was a baby. Suddenly the pram began to move.
The baby's mother had forgotten to put the brake on. At first, nobody saw the pram moving.
But then it began to move faster and faster. "Stop that pram!" someone shouted.
The pram rolled out into the road. By now, it was going too fast for anyone to stop it. "Oh no!" screamed the mother.
"My baby will be killed.
Do something, somebody. "
Floppy saw the pram running down the hill. "This looks like a job for me," he thought.
Floppy ran after the pram and grabbed it with his teeth.
He stopped it just in time. "Phew! That was a close thing," thought Floppy.
Everyone came running up. "Did you see what that dog did?" shouted a man.
"He's a hero. "
"He saved my baby!" cried the mother.
Everyone made a fuss of Floppy. "Did you see that dog?" people said.
"He stopped a runaway pram. "
"He's a superdog," someone shouted.
"It was nothing," thought Floppy.
Then suddenly, he saw something else happening.
A lady had put her handbag with her shopping.
She was looking at the baby in the runaway pram. Suddenly, a thief grabbed the handbag and ran away with it. "Help!" shouted the lady.
"My handbag has gone. "
"Another job for Superdog," thought Floppy.
Floppy ran after the thief. The thief tried to get over a wall, but Floppy was too quick for him. He grabbed the man by his trousers and the man dropped the handbag. "Got you!" growled Floppy.
"All right! All right!" said the thief.
"I didn't mean to keep it anyway. "
People made a fuss of Floppy. "This dog is a hero," someone shouted.
"He got my handbag back," said the old lady.
"It had all my money in it. "
"This dog really is Superdog," said a man.
"It was nothing," thought Floppy.
A big ship was coming in. Floppy went to the dock to see it. There were lots of people watching the ship.
Some of them were waving. The people were so excited that some of them went too close to the edge of the dock. Suddenly, Floppy saw something happen.
A boy had fallen in the water. Everyone was cheering, so nobody saw the boy fall in. "Another job for Superdog," thought Floppy.
He jumped in the water and swam to the little boy. "Oh no!" shouted a man.
"It's my little boy.
He's in the water. "
"Don't worry," someone called.
"He'll be all right.
Superdog will save him. "
Floppy held the boy's shirt in his teeth and pulled the boy out of the water. "What a dog!" said the man.
"He saved my son. "
"Think nothing of it," thought Floppy.
There was a story about Floppy in the newspaper.
There were some pictures of him, too. Everyone wanted to read about Floppy the hero. The newspapers said that Floppy was called Superdog.
"It's better than being called Floppy," thought Floppy.
Everywhere Floppy went, people said, "There's Superdog!
He's a hero. "
When Floppy crossed the road, all the cars stopped to let him across. "It's Superdog!" shouted the car drivers.
"Can we take you anywhere?
Do you need a lift?"
There were some mean dogs in the city. The meanest dog was called Fang.
He went round with a dog called Hook and a dog called Snap.
Fang, Hook and Snap met a lost dog.
"We don't like dogs who wear coats," growled Fang.
"What are you doing in our part of town?"
Floppy saw what was happening. He walked up to Fang, Hook and Snap.
"I hope you're not being nasty to this lost dog," he said.
"Er... no... of course not, Superdog," said Fang.
"We were just offering to take him home. "
"Don't worry," said Floppy.
"I'll take him. "
Some men were working on a tall building. It was dangerous working so high up. Suddenly, one of the men slipped and fell.
He was on a girder and couldn't get off. The fire service raced to the rescue, but the ladders weren't long enough. "We need to get a rope to him.
But how?" shouted one of the firemen.
"We can't use a helicopter. "
A crowd of people stood in the street.
Everyone looked up at the building. "Someone will have to take the rope to him.
But who?" shouted a man.
"Another little job for me," thought Superdog.
Floppy went to the rescue. He took the rope in his teeth.
Then he went slowly along the girder to the man. "Don't look down, Superdog," shouted the man.
"It's a long way to fall. "
"Oh dear!" thought Floppy.
"What am I doing in this adventure?
I don't like being up here. "
The man grabbed the rope from Floppy. "Thank you, Superdog," he called.
"You're a real hero. "
Everyone cheered. Suddenly the magic key began to glow.
It was time for Floppy's adventure to end. "I can't say I'm sorry," thought Floppy.
Biff was cross when she found Floppy on her bed. "You know you mustn't sleep on the bed," she said.
"What a bad dog you are, Floppy!"
Floppy jumped off the bed, and crept downstairs. "I don't know," he thought.
"I'm a hero one minute, and a bad dog the next. "
The children took Floppy outside. "It's time to do the Dog of the Year course again," they said.
Suddenly Floppy ran off.
He jumped over the fence and ran away as fast as he could. "Come back, you bad dog," shouted Chip.
Floppy ran into the park and hid inside a giant pipe. "They won't find me in here," he thought.
"I don't want to be the Dog of the Year, and I'm not Superdog.
I'm just me.
I'm just a floppy old dog who wants a bit of peace. "
Wilf and Wilma's mum and dad took some of the children for a picnic.
They went to a place called White Horse Hill. It was a warm summer's day and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
It was a perfect day for a picnic in the country.
Wilma's mum had brought lots of food so everyone had something to carry. "We'll have our picnic at the bottom of the hill," she said.
"I know a good place to sit. "
Wilma's dad spread out a rug and everyone sat down. "This is a great picnic," said Biff.
"These sandwiches are really good. "
"And this is a great place on a day like this," said Wilma.
"I can see for miles. "
"You can see even more from the top of the hill," said Wilma's dad.
After the picnic, the children wanted to walk up the hill. Biff and Wilf began to run ahead.
They both wanted to be first to get to the top. "I'll race you up there," called Biff.
Wilma's mum called everyone back. "Look at all the litter you've left behind," she said.
Wilma's mum made the children pick up the litter.
She told them to put it in a bag. "We'll take the litter back to the car with the picnic things," she said.
"This place would look terrible if everyone left cans and packets behind. "
They took the picnic things back to the car, then they walked up the hill. It took quite a long time to get to the top.
Everyone sat down for a rest. "Dad's right," said Wilma.
"I can see for miles and miles.
The houses and cars look really small. "
A strange-looking aircraft flew past. "What's that?" asked Chip.
"It looks like a flying chair. "
"It's a microlight," said Wilma's dad.
"I suppose it is a bit like a chair with wings. "
"I'd love to fly in one," said Biff.
"I wouldn't," said Chip.
"It doesn't look safe. "
They walked through a wood.
Floppy ran in and out of the trees. Suddenly he yelped. "Oh no!" said Chip.
"Look at Floppy.
I think he's hurt himself. "
Floppy couldn't walk properly. He started to limp.
His paw was bleeding.
Wilma's mum looked at Floppy's paw. "It looks as if he's cut it," she said.
Wilf found a broken bottle. "He must have cut it on this," he said.
Wilma's mum was angry. "It's so dangerous to leave broken bottles lying about," she said.
The children wanted to play cricket, so they had a game before they went home. Floppy tried to join in, but he couldn't because his paw was too sore.
"Poor old Floppy!" said Biff.
"Just his luck to step on some broken glass!"
At last, it was time to go home. "Thank you for taking us," said the children.
"All this fresh air has made me hungry," said Wilma's dad.
"Maybe we can stop for something to eat on the way home. "
"Hooray!" said everyone.
Everyone wanted chicken and chips, so Wilma's dad stopped to get some.
"I wonder why food tastes better when you eat it outside," said Wilf.
"It tastes good because we're all hungry," said Wilma's dad.
When they had finished, Chip and Wilf looked for the litter bin. There was only one bin and it was full. Chip threw his litter on the ground. "I don't think we should do that," said Biff.
"Well, what else can we do?" said Wilf.
"The litter bin is full, so what does it matter?"
The children were tired after the picnic. Chip was glad to get into bed. The magic key was in the box next to Chip's bed. Suddenly the key began to glow. "Oh no!" gasped Chip.
"This means a magic adventure, and I'm on my own.
Kipper's asleep, and Biff is still downstairs. "
The magic whisked Chip through the door of the little house. He felt himself spinning round and round. "Help! Help!" called Chip.
He knew that he was not going to enjoy this adventure. "I wish Biff was here," he thought.
The magic took Chip to the Litter Queen's palace. It was a horrible place.
There was litter and junk everywhere. The Litter Queen was sitting on her throne.
She had two giant rats by her side. "I knew this was going to be a bad adventure," thought Chip.
"Welcome to my kingdom," said the Litter Queen.
"You can start work right away. "
"Start work?" gasped Chip.
"What do you mean?"
"Your job is to help me spread litter and junk everywhere.
There are still plenty of pretty places to spoil. "
The Litter Queen took Chip to her Litter Centre.
There were piles of litter and junk everywhere. "It looks horrid," said Chip.
"And it smells. "
"Horrid? Horrid?" snapped the Litter Queen.
She stamped her foot crossly. "It's lovely.
And it's time for you to do some work. "
The Litter Queen gave Chip a uniform to put on. "Take a large bag and fill it with litter," she ordered.
"You can start by making a mess of a few parks and playgrounds.
If you don't make a good job of it, I'll get very angry. "
"Oh, I don't like this," thought Chip, unhappily.
The Litter Queen took Chip to a park.
She told him to start spreading litter. The park looked tidy, but soon it was covered with cans and paper. Chip didn't want to spoil the park. "It looked good before we came," he thought.
"But now it looks horrid. "
The Litter Queen watched Chip. "Come on! Come on!" she shouted crossly.
"I want this park to look a complete mess. "
Chip wanted to throw all his litter in a bin, but he was afraid of the Litter Queen. "This is a horrid adventure," he thought.
"These are my microlights," said the Litter Queen.
"I use them to spread litter all over the countryside.
You will fly in this microlight," she said.
"I don't want to," said Chip.
"I don't want to throw litter all over the countryside. "
"How dare you!" screamed the Litter Queen.
"Do as you're told.
If you don't, I will lock you up with my giant rats. "
Chip was so frightened of the Litter Queen that he climbed on to the microlight. "I wish this adventure was over," he thought.
The microlight took off.
Soon it was flying over the countryside. Chip held on tight. Below him he could see meadows and fields.
He could see streams and tiny houses.
He could see woods and green hills. "The countryside looks so pretty," he thought.
"Oh no!" gasped Chip.
"That looks like the place where we had our picnic.
I can see the wood where Floppy cut his paw. "
The microlight began to fly lower.
This was the place he had to drop the litter. "I don't want to drop litter here," he thought.
"I hate the magic key," said Chip.
"I don't like this adventure, and I wish it was over. "
Suddenly, the microlight went out of control.
It began to spin. It went round and round, getting faster and faster. Chip's bag of litter burst open. Chip was falling.
He seemed to be falling for a very long time. He was falling with the litter.
There were cans and bottles and bags and wrappers.
Everything was spinning round and round. The magic key flew out of Chip's pocket.
"Where's the magic key?" shouted Chip.
"I must find the magic key!"
Chip was in bed.
The adventure was over. But was it a magic adventure or just a bad dream?
Mum and Dad heard Chip shouting. They came into his room to see what was wrong.
"You were having a bad dream," said Mum.
"I expect you ate too much at the picnic. "
"It was a magic adventure," said Chip.
"But I lost the key. "
Dad looked at Mum. "Perhaps he's not well," he said.
"Perhaps he's got a temperature. "
The next day, Chip was at school. He spoke to Mr Johnson in the playground. "Look at all the litter," he said.
"There are crisp packets and wrappers all over the ground. "
"Yes," said Mr Johnson.
"But how do we stop everyone from throwing litter on the ground?"
"Let's do a litter project," Chip said.
The children in Mr Johnson's class picked up all the litter around the school.
Then they made posters and wrote stories. Mr Johnson put the project in the "Save our Countryside" competition.
Mr Johnson's class won the competition.
Chip won a special prize for his story called "The Litter Queen".
An important person came to give out the prizes. "That was a very good story, Chip," she said.
"It was a nightmare!" said Chip.
"I'm writing a story about a quest," said Wilma, "but I'm stuck.
I don't know what to put next. "
"I don't know what a quest is," said Biff, "so I don't think I can help you. "
"It's a journey that someone makes to look for something that's been lost," said Wilma.
Biff still didn't understand what Wilma meant, so Wilma read the story to her. "Long ago, and far away, there was a beautiful land called Ulm.
Flowers grew everywhere.
Animals lived in the woods and forests.
Everyone was happy there.
"In a big cave, deep underground, was the crystal bell of Ulm.
It was very beautiful.
Even in the dark cave, it glowed like fire. When it rang, its note was like music. The sound of the bell told every animal, every plant and every tree when it was spring or summer.
"The evil Grimlock lived outside Ulm.
He lived in the cold, black mountains of Grim.
He wanted the crystal bell of Ulm, and he spent years looking for it. At last, Grimlock found the bell. 'Now it will be mine for ever!' he said.
"Grimlock took the bell back to the land of Grim.
He carried it through the forest.
Then he crossed the rocky desert.
At last, he reached his castle high in the mountains. In the sunlight, the bell looked so beautiful that Grimlock could not bear to look at it.
"Without the bell, the land of Ulm became dark and grey.
Flowers grew in the winter and were killed by the frost.
Snow fell in the summer. The people of Ulm were sad and unhappy. All the beauty had gone from the land and the days were cold and long. "
Wilma looked at Biff. "That is as far as I've got," she said.
"What do you think?"
"It's brilliant!" said Biff.
"So will someone go on a quest to try to get the bell back?"
"That's right," said Wilma.
"But it will have to be someone brave, like a knight. "
Dad came into Biff's room. Biff and Chip had to go to the dentist for a check-up. "I don't know how long I'll be at the dentist," said Biff.
"Do you want to go home, Wilma?"
"Do you mind if I stay and get on with my story?" asked Wilma.
"I've got an idea. "
After Biff had gone, Wilma picked up her pen and began to write her story about the quest.
"A girl should bring back the crystal bell," she thought.
"Yes, a girl should go on the quest. "
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow, and Wilma was taken into a magic adventure.
The magic took Wilma to the Land of Ulm.
The land was cold and bare. Grimlock was waiting for Wilma. He was hiding behind a tree.
He wanted to stop Wilma from going on the quest, so he turned himself into an old woman.
As Wilma went by, Grimlock said, "Hello, my dear.
What are you doing in the forest?"
"I can tell an old woman," Wilma thought.
"I'm going to rescue the crystal bell from the evil Grimlock," she said.
Grimlock pointed. "Then go that way," he said.
Wilma went along the path that Grimlock had shown her. Soon the ground became wet and muddy. Wilma's feet sank into the mud. "Is this really the right way?" she wondered.
Suddenly she sank into a muddy swamp. "Oh help!
I'm sinking.
Help me, somebody!"
Wilma was frightened. She was sinking deeper and deeper.
She couldn't get out of the swamp. Suddenly she saw a white unicorn, standing on the edge of the swamp.
"Don't be frightened," it said.
"Hang on to this branch and I'll pull you out. "
"Quickly!
Jump on my back!" cried the unicorn.
"We must get away. "
As the unicorn galloped through the forest, Grimlock fired an arrow at Wilma. "You'll never bring back the crystal bell," he shouted angrily.
"You'll never get past the dragon. "
At last, the unicorn stopped. "You must go on alone," it said.
"This is as far as I can go.
There is a ring tied to a ribbon round my neck. Take the ring.
It will only give you one wish, so don't waste it. "
Wilma took the ring and the unicorn galloped away.
Wilma walked across the rocky desert. She was hot and tired.
She almost wished for a drink but she stopped. She didn't want to waste her wish. Then she heard a shout.
It was a gnome. "Help me, someone," shouted the gnome.
"Be quick, before it is too late. "
Wilma untied the gnome. "Oh thank you! Thank you!" he cried.
"I was tied up here by Grimlock.
This is where he feeds his dragon. "
"But why did he want to feed you to the dragon?" asked Wilma.
"Because I burned his toast," said the gnome.
Suddenly, the gnome began to tremble. "Oh no!" he squeaked.
"The dragon's coming for his dinner. "
"Oh help!" said Wilma.
She looked at the ring. "Maybe I should use the wish to kill the dragon. "
The gnome gave her a lemon. "Try this," he said.
"Dragons hate lemons.
They can't bear the smell. "
Wilma began to peel the lemon. "Will the dragon run away?" she asked.
"I don't know," said the gnome.
"I've never tried it.
This is a chance to find out. "
"Aahh... aahh... tishoo!" went the dragon.
It gave a terrible roar and flew away.
"Hooray!" shouted the gnome.
"You did it. "
"I was very frightened," said Wilma.
"But the lemon worked. "
The gnome handed Wilma a mirror. "Take this mirror.
You'll need it to kill the basilisk. The basilisk is even worse than the dragon. "
"What's a basilisk?" asked Wilma.
"And how can I kill it with a mirror?"
"Its eyes can kill you," said the gnome.
"When you see it, don't look into its eyes or you'll be turned to stone.
Hold up the mirror and let it look into its own eyes. "
"Does it work?" asked Wilma.
"I don't know," said the gnome.
"I've never tried it.
This is a chance to find out. "
Suddenly, with a great roar, the basilisk charged at them.
Wilma held up the mirror and the monster was killed by its own terrible eyes.
"Hooray!" called the gnome.
"You did it.
See, it's turned to stone. "
"I was really frightened," said Wilma.
"You are brave and good," said the gnome.
"I've never met a brave, good person before.
I am going to help you with your quest. "
The gnome took Wilma up the mountain to Grimlock's castle.
They went up a steep path. The gnome knew a secret way to get into the castle. "This way to the kitchen," whispered the gnome.
"Come on!
But don't make a sound. "
"I'm frightened," said Wilma.
Wilma and the gnome didn't see anyone in the castle. At last, they came to the room where the crystal bell was hanging. Wilma gasped when she saw it.
She couldn't believe how beautiful it was. "I've been expecting you," said Grimlock.
"You can spend the night here," hissed Grimlock.
"Tomorrow, I'll feed you both to the dragon. "
"Oh dear! Oh dear!" said the gnome.
"What shall we do now?"
Wilma looked at the magic ring. "It's time I made my wish," she said.
Wilma's wish started to work. The bell began to ring.
Its sound grew louder and louder.
It rang so loudly through the castle that cups and saucers broke, and the glass in the windows cracked.
Hour after hour, the bell rang. Grimlock's ears hurt as the bell grew louder and louder.
Grimlock could not bear the noise any longer.
He tried to smash the bell with a hammer, but it wouldn't break. "Stop it! Stop it!" cried Grimlock.
"I can't stand it.
The sound of the bell will kill me.
I think my ears will burst. "
At last, Grimlock asked Wilma if she could make the bell stop ringing. "I can," said Wilma.
"But you must let me take it back to Ulm.
If you don't, it will begin to ring again, and it will never stop. "
"Take it!" said Grimlock.
"Take it back to Ulm. "
So Wilma and the gnome took the bell back to Ulm and the quest was over.
When the bell returned, beauty came back to the land of Ulm again. Birds sang, flowers bloomed and new leaves grew on the branches of the trees.
Everyone cheered Wilma and the gnome. The magic key began to glow. "It's time for me to go," said Wilma.
She gave the ring to the gnome. "The magic is used up," she said.
"But keep the ring to remember the quest. "
The gnome's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you!" he said.
"I shall never forget you. "
Biff came back from the dentist. "Sorry I was a long time," she said.
"Did you finish your story?
Did they get the bell back?"
Wilma gave Biff her book. "Why don't you find out?" said Wilma.
"You can read it if you like. "
Wilf took a tent round to Chip's house.
He and Chip were going to sleep in it. "I've never slept in a tent before," said Chip.
"I wonder what it will be like?"
"It will be fun," said Wilf.
"But we'll need a survival kit. "
Wilf had lots of things in a rucksack. "These can go in our survival kit," he said.
"We'll need them to survive outside.
I've got a torch, a ball of string, a plastic sheet, some chocolate and a first aid box.
What else will we need to survive?"
"I've got a mirror, a pencil and notebook, and a bag of crisps," said Chip.
Biff came out with a big umbrella. "You might need this.
It's going to rain," she said.
"You can't have an umbrella in a survival kit," said Wilf.
"Don't be silly, Biff. "
That evening, it began to rain. It rained so hard that Chip and Wilf couldn't sleep outside in the tent. In the end, Mum said they could camp on Chip's bedroom floor. "You won't need a survival kit here," said Biff.
Suddenly, the magic key began to glow. The children were pulled into a new adventure. "If this is going to be a survival adventure," said Biff, "I'm taking the umbrella. "
"You won't need an umbrella on a survival adventure," shouted Chip.
"Don't be silly. "
Amy was tired and fed up. The wagons were stuck.
They had been stuck for two days. Amy's family was on a long journey.
They were going to a new land. They were taking everything in the wagon. They had come a long way and they had a long way to go. "Stay close to the wagon train," said Amy's father.
"Don't wander off.
It's easy to get lost in the woods. "
Amy didn't listen to her father.
"I'll go and pick some wild berries," she thought.
"If I don't go far, I won't get lost. "
Amy found lots of blueberries in the wood, but she didn't stay close to the wagon train.
She just went on and on. "I must get back," she thought at last.
But she couldn't find her way.
All the trees looked the same. "Oh no! I'm lost!" she thought.
Amy was frightened.
She didn't know which way to go. Suddenly, something closed on her foot.
It was a trap, and she couldn't get it off. "Help! Help!" shouted Amy.
"Help me, somebody. "
But Amy was a long way from the wagon train and nobody could hear her.
Little Fox was tired and fed up. He had been in the woods all day looking for honey.
But he hadn't found any. Every time he found a tree with a bees' nest, the honey was gone. Now he was lost. Little Fox knew why there was no honey. There was a brown bear in the woods.
The bear had taken all the honey. Little Fox was frightened. He was a long way from the village, and the bear was not far away. "I must be careful," thought Little Fox.
Little Fox heard Amy shouting. "Someone is in trouble," he thought.
He ran through the trees as fast as he could.
He found Amy caught in the trap. Little Fox tried to open the trap, but he wasn't strong enough.
The bear was a long way away, but he heard Amy shouting too. He stood on his hind legs and sniffed the air. The bear could smell Amy and Little Fox. He was a bad-tempered bear.
He didn't like people in his part of the wood.
The magic key took Biff, Chip and Wilf to the woods where Little Fox was helping Amy.
Little Fox and Amy were amazed.
They had never seen children like these before. Biff, Chip and Wilf were amazed too.
"It looks like they're in trouble," said Chip.
The children could see that Amy was caught in the trap.
They ran to help Little Fox.
Together they pulled open the jaws of the trap. "Ugh!" said Chip.
"What a horrid thing. "
"The trappers use them to catch animals," said Little Fox.
"Traps like this are cruel. "
The trap had hurt Amy's leg.
Wilf put a bandage on it. Biff and Little Fox smashed the trap with a rock. "It's a good idea to smash the trap," said Little Fox, "but we shouldn't make all this noise.
The bear will hear us. "
Suddenly, the children heard a roar. The bear came out of the trees and ran towards them. All the children were frightened. "Oh help!" shouted Wilf. "This bear doesn't look very friendly. Run!"
"I can't," said Amy.
Biff had an idea. She opened the umbrella and shut it. Then she opened it and spun it round and round.
The bear stopped.
He was afraid of the umbrella.
He had never seen anything like it. Then he gave a roar and ran away.
"That was brilliant," said Chip.
"But how did you know that bears are afraid of umbrellas?"
"I didn't," said Biff.
Suddenly, it began to rain. "Now who says you can't have an umbrella in a survival kit?" she asked.
"Don't get wet everyone.
Come under the umbrella. "
After it stopped raining, the children went on. At last, they came to a river. Little Fox told everyone to keep quiet.
Then he lay down on the bank and put his arm in the water. Suddenly, he caught a fish. "That's amazing," said Chip.
"I couldn't do that. "
"How do we cook it?" asked Amy.
"We don't have a fire. "
But Little Fox made a fire.
He made it with a bow and a stick. "That's amazing, too," said Chip.
"He's lit a fire without any matches. "
It was getting dark and it was beginning to rain again. Chip and Wilf put up the tent.
Biff and Amy put up the plastic sheet to make a shelter. Little Fox cooked the fish and the children sat round the fire. They ate the fish, and the berries that Amy had picked.
Then they ate the chocolate. Amy told everyone about her mother and father.
She told them how the wagon train had got stuck in the mud. Amy began to cry.
"Maybe I'll never see my mother and father again," she said.
"Don't worry," said Wilf.
"We'll find them. "
Suddenly, Biff grabbed the umbrella and jumped to her feet.
She ran outside and began to shout. "Help!" she called.
"We've been surrounded. "
Everyone jumped up. Biff spun the umbrella round and round. "Go away! Go away!" she shouted.
Little Fox laughed and laughed.
Everyone laughed. "This is my father," said Little Fox.
"He thought I was lost.
He was looking for me. "
"Sorry!" said Biff.
"You were very brave," said Little Fox's father.
"Yes, she frightened the bear," said Little Fox.
The children told Little Fox's father about their adventures in the wood.
They told him about the trap. He laughed when they told him how the bear was afraid of Biff's umbrella. "It's easy to get lost in the woods," said Little Fox's father.
Amy told Little Fox's father about the wagon train. "My mother and father will be worried about me," she said.
"They will think I have been killed by a bear. "
"Don't worry," said Little Fox's father.
"We will soon find the wagon train. "
In the morning, Little Fox's father found the wagon train.
Amy's mother and father were glad that Amy was safe. "We looked and looked for you in the woods," said her father.
"When we couldn't find you we thought you had been killed by a bear. "
"I almost was," said Amy.
The wagons were still stuck. "We've been stuck like this for three days," said Amy's father.
Little Fox looked at his father. "Can't we help?" he said.
"Can't we all help pull them out?"
Little Fox's father laughed. He spoke to his men. Soon they pulled the wagons out of the mud.
At last, the wagon train was able to go on. The children watched them for a long time. "I wouldn't like to be on that wagon train," said Biff.
"It will be a hard journey.
There are no shops to buy food.
And there isn't a doctor if they are ill. "
The magic key began to glow.
It was time for the adventure to end. Biff gave Little Fox the umbrella. "You can use it to frighten away the bears," she laughed.
Biff looked at Wilf and Chip. "Umbrellas are useful in a survival kit after all," she said.
The children liked the survival adventure. The next day, they put the tent up. Biff wanted to make Wilf and Chip laugh. "Look what's outside!" she said.
"And I haven't got my umbrella, now. "
"Oh no," laughed Wilf.
"What shall we do?
We can't survive without Biff's umbrella. "
Mum was tidying up.
Biff and Wilf were helping her. They found an old case. "It's quite heavy," said Wilf.
"I wonder what's inside it. "
Mum opened the case and laughed.
"Some of Dad's old toys," she said.
They called Dad and showed him the toys. Dad laughed. "Well," he said.
"They're not much use.
Most of them are broken.
I don't know why I kept them. "
Biff pulled a bag out of the case. "What's in this bag?" she asked.
"It's quite heavy. "
The bag was full of marbles. Biff tipped them out on a tray. "They're all different," she said.
"Some of them are beautiful. "
Dad told Mum to throw the old toys away, but he said Biff could keep the marbles.
Biff and Wilf went up to Biff's room. They looked at the marbles. "What a collection," said Wilf.
"There are all sorts -- big ones and small ones. "
Biff picked up the biggest marble of all.
"See this blue one," she said.
"It's a beauty. "
Wilf put the marbles back in the bag. "Let's play with them outside," he said.
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"I don't want the key to glow.
I don't want a magic adventure.
I want to play with the marbles. "
The magic took them to a town.
They were in a narrow street.
The houses were close together. "I wonder where we are," said Biff.
"I don't know," said Wilf.
"But I don't like this place.
It's scary. "
Suddenly, some men ran down the street.
They were shouting and yelling. Biff and Wilf hid in a doorway. The men kicked open a door.
They ran inside one of the houses. "I told you this place was scary," said Wilf.
A window opened upstairs.
A woman climbed out.
Then she jumped. She landed on an awning.
She slid down it and dropped into the street. The men looked out of the window.
They shouted as the woman ran away.
The men ran out of the house and chased after the woman.
They didn't see Biff and Wilf. "Why are they chasing that woman?" asked Biff.
Wilf saw a little package lying in the street.
He picked it up.
"She dropped this," he said.
Wilf undid the package.
Inside was a round blue stone. It glowed as if it was on fire. Biff gasped. "It's beautiful," she said, "but what shall we do with it?
We can't keep it. "
"No," said Wilf.
"Come on.
We must find the woman and give it back. "
At the end of the street was a market.
It looked very busy. "There are so many stalls," said Wilf, "and so many people. "
"Let's stay together," said Biff.
"The people don't seem very friendly. "
They looked round the market. The stalls had strange things.
Biff and Wilf had never seen things like them. "Look, there's a snake charmer," said Biff.
Biff and Wilf looked for the woman, but they couldn't see her. Then someone pulled Biff's arm. Biff looked round and saw a man in a cloak.
He looked very strange.
Biff looked again. It was not a man.
It was the woman who had jumped out of the window.
"Who are you?" asked Biff.
"I am Princess Aisha.
If you have found the blue stone you are in danger," said the woman.
"The stone belongs to my father," she went on.
"It was stolen from my kingdom.
I came here to get it back. "
"The stone is called the Blue Eye," said Princess Aisha.
"Without it I cannot become Queen. "
Suddenly there was a shout.
Some men began to run towards them. "Quick! Run!" said Princess Aisha.
"These men are dangerous. "
They sprinted down the narrow streets.
The men chased after them. "Come on," called Princess Aisha.
"Go as fast as you can. "
Suddenly, Biff thought of the bag of marbles.
It gave her an idea. One man was catching them up.
Biff threw some marbles along the ground. The man slipped on them and went crashing down.
The other men fell over him in a heap. "Well done," called Princess Aisha.
"But keep running. "
They raced down the narrow streets and little alleys. Suddenly Princess Aisha gasped, "It's a dead end.
We're trapped. "
The men were very close to them.
Biff held up the big, blue marble.
It was the same size as the Blue Eye. "You can have the Blue Eye!" she shouted.
She threw the marble.
It flew into the air.
The men dived to catch it. "Quick!" yelled Biff.
"Run. "
At first they thought Biff's trick had fooled the men.
But they began to chase them again. "That blue marble didn't fool them for long," panted Wilf.
"Come on," called Princess Aisha.
"Get on this motorbike. "
The motorbike roared away.
Princess Aisha drove towards some gates. "Oh no!" shouted Biff.
"Someone is closing the gates. "
"Hold on tight!" yelled Princess Aisha.
"And close your eyes. "
The gates were almost shut.
There was only a little gap left. "Here goes!" called Princess Aisha.
Suddenly, she tilted the motorbike on to its side. "Oh help!" shouted Wilf.
The motorbike just got through the gap. "We made it!" shouted Wilf.
The motorbike sped along the road. After a few miles, Biff looked round.
There was a jeep behind them. "Oh no!" said Biff.
"They are chasing us again. "
The motorbike roared past a lorry.
The lorry had a big load of hay. "Hang on," shouted Princess Aisha.
She slowed down.
Then she cut a rope on the side of the lorry. All the hay fell out.
The hay spilled into the road.
Most of it landed in the jeep.
It covered the men. "Brilliant!" called Biff.
"That's stopped them. "
Princess Aisha pointed to an aeroplane. "There's my plane," she said.
"I hope I can start it. "
They jumped off the motorbike and climbed into the aeroplane. "Get in the front," said Princess Aisha.
"I'll try to start the engine. "
The plane began to move. "Be quick!" cried Biff.
"They're coming again!"
The men drove towards the plane.
They tried to block its path. "Hold on to your seats," called Princess Aisha.
The plane took off. The men ducked as it flew over them. "Hooray," said Princess Aisha.
"We're safe. "
Princess Aisha pointed. "Look down there," she called.
"That is my kingdom. "
Wilf didn't look.
He had his eyes closed.
"I don't like flying," he said.
"It's time to land," called Princess Aisha.
"Don't tell me," said Wilf.
"I don't like landing. "
People ran to meet Princess Aisha. "Have you brought back the Blue Eye?" they called.
"These children helped me," she said.
"They were very brave. "
Everyone cheered.
The King arranged a big feast. Princess Aisha put on special clothes.
She had the Blue Eye in her turban. Biff and Wilf gasped when they saw her. "The Princess looks beautiful," said Biff.
"Now I have the Blue Eye back I can become Queen," she said.
The key began to glow.
It was time for the adventure to end. "Goodbye," said Biff.
"This was an exciting adventure. "
Biff and Wilf were sorry the adventure was over. "Well," said Biff.
"Let's go outside and play with the marbles. "
She looked in the bag. "Oh no!" she said.
"There are only four left. "
Wilf had a bubble kit.
He and Biff were blowing bubbles. "Wow! These bubbles are huge!" said Biff.
Suddenly the magic key began to glow. "The key is glowing," said Wilf.
"Where will the magic take us this time?"
The magic took them to a flat rocky place.
There were no trees and all around them were high mountains. "There's nothing here," said Wilf.
"Why has the magic key brought us here?"
"I don't know," said Biff.
Suddenly they heard the sound of an aeroplane.
They both looked up. Wilf pointed. "There's a plane," he called.
"I think it's trying to land. "
"It's an odd place to land a plane," said Biff.
"I hope it can make it. "
The aeroplane flew round in a circle.
It came in very low.
Then it touched down. The plane bounced on the rough ground.
It bumped on the rocks and stones. Wilf held his breath.
"I think it's going to crash," he said.
Then, one of the wheels hit a boulder.
There was a crunch as the wheel was torn off. The plane spun round and stopped. One of the wings had been ripped away. Biff and Wilf ran to the plane. "I hope the pilot isn't hurt," gasped Biff.
The pilot climbed out of the wrecked plane.
She looked at the torn-off wheel and broken wing. Biff and Wilf raced up. The pilot took off her goggles and looked at them. "I've had better landings," she said.
"I know you!" said Biff.
It was Princess Aisha. Biff and Wilf had met her before in another adventure. "Goodness," said Aisha.
"It's you again. "
"Why have you crashed?" asked Biff.
"I didn't mean to," said Aisha.
"My sister, Lisa, has been kidnapped.
I've come to rescue her. "
"Will you help me?" asked Aisha.
"There's no time to waste.
We have to find my sister and get her away safely. "
"But how will we do that? You don't have a plane, now," asked Biff.
"I'll think of something," said Aisha.
They set off. They came to a steep rock face.
Aisha climbed up. Next, she helped Biff. Then, she let down the rope to Wilf. "Now it's your turn, Wilf.
Tie the rope on.
But take it slowly. "
"This is scary," said Wilf as he climbed up.
At last they came to a fort high up on a cliff.
It had thick walls and heavy doors. "That's where Lisa is," said Aisha.
"But how will you get her out of there?" asked Biff.
"I'll think of something," said Aisha.
"But keep out of sight. "
Aisha put her hands together.
She blew into them to make a noise like a bird. Then they saw someone wave from a window. "There she is," cried Aisha.
"She's heard me. "
"But we can't climb up there," said Wilf.
"No, she'll have to climb down," said Aisha.
Aisha told Biff and Wilf to keep a look-out.
She tried to throw a rope up to Lisa. At first, she couldn't throw it high enough. She tried again and again. At last Lisa managed to grab the rope.
Biff and Wilf were keeping a look-out.
They heard shouting. "Someone's coming," hissed Biff.
"What shall we do?"
"Try and stop them," said Aisha.
"But how?" asked Biff.
"You'll think of something," said Aisha.
Wilf did think of something. He had an idea. He remembered the bubble kit and began to blow bubbles. The bubbles drifted towards the men. They had never seen such huge bubbles before. They chased after them and tried to pop them. Lisa dropped to the ground. "Well done," said Aisha.
Wilf blew one more string of bubbles. "Now run," he hissed.
The others ran quickly. "See!
I knew you'd think of something," said Aisha.
At first they thought they had got away. Then Wilf looked back.
The men were chasing them. They saw a lorry. "I'll try and start it," said Aisha.
"You stop the men. "
"How do we do that?" yelled Biff.
"You'll think of something," said Aisha.
There was a pile of tyres in the lorry.
They gave Biff an idea. "Roll the tyres on to the road!" she shouted.
They rolled the tyres down the track.
They bounced towards the men. "That will stop them," shouted Lisa.
Aisha started the lorry. "Hold on tight!" she shouted.
Biff, Wilf and Lisa cheered as the lorry roared away down the track.
"Hooray! We made it," laughed Aisha.
"That was great!"
The road was very steep and narrow.
The lorry jolted and bumped over the rough rocks and loose stones. "Hang on!" yelled Aisha.
"Watch out," shouted Lisa.
"We don't want to end up in the river. "
Suddenly, the road started to slip away.
It was sliding into the gorge. "Look out," shouted Lisa.
"There's a landslide.
The road is slipping down the hill. "
Aisha tried to stop the lorry, but it was too late.
The lorry began to slide down into the gorge.
It went faster and faster, crashing over rocks and tearing through bushes.
"Oh no!" called Wilf.
"We're heading straight for the river. "
"Hang on," shouted Aisha.
The lorry stopped on the edge of the river.
The front wheels hung over the rocky bank. "Phew!" said Aisha.
"That was close. "
"Now what are we going to do?" asked Biff.
"I don't know," said Aisha.
"But we'll think of something. "
Biff and Lisa looked back to the road.
In the distance, they saw the men coming. "We'd better think of something quickly," said Lisa.
"Those men will be here soon. "
"We have to get away from them," said Aisha.
"We can't let them catch us. "
Wilf had found some inner tubes in the back of the lorry. He had an idea. "We can float down the river in these tubes," he said.
"We just have to blow them up. "
Aisha looked in the back of the lorry and found a pump.
She began to inflate the tubes.
She pumped up the last one just in time. The children each sat on one tube and Aisha pushed them out into the river. She jumped onto the last tube just as the men clambered down to the water. "Ha! Too late!" she shouted.
The four of them floated downstream on the rubber tubes. They moved quickly down the fast-flowing river.
They passed through a narrow gorge.
It had tall steep sides. Then the gorge grew narrower.
The river began to flow faster.
Ahead, they could see foaming water. "This is scary," called Biff.
"I can see white water ahead.
What if it's a waterfall?"
"Don't worry," called Aisha.
"We'll think of something. "
The water rushed and roared through the gorge.
The tubes bucked and bumped through the water as they went faster and faster. "Hang on tightly," yelled Aisha.
"It won't last long. "
"I'm getting wet," shouted Wilf.
"At least there isn't a waterfall," said Biff.
At last they floated into calm water. "Wow! That was exciting!" said Lisa.
Biff looked down the river.
She saw a boat coming towards them. "Oh help!" she said.
"It looks like those men again.
Now what are we going to do?"
Aisha and Lisa laughed. "We are back safely in my kingdom, now," said Aisha.
"These are my people. "
She shook everyone's hand. "I bet not many people arrive here on an inner tube," laughed Wilf.
The men said they would take Aisha and Lisa home to their palace. "The key is glowing.
It's time to go," said Biff.
"We won't be able to ride on a camel. "
"Goodbye.
Thank you for helping," said Aisha.
"Goodbye," called Wilf.
"That was an exciting adventure," said Biff.
"I liked Princess Aisha.
She was fun. "
Chip came into Biff's room. "Shall we go outside to play?" he asked.
"What shall we play?" asked Biff.
"You'll think of something," grinned Wilf.
Dad went to the supermarket.
He took Biff and Chip.
He wanted them to help. "You can choose some cereal," said Dad.
"Do you want corn flakes?"
"Can we get some Crunch Buds?" asked Biff.
"All right," said Dad.
"Just for a treat. "
They went to the cheese counter.
A lady was selling special cheese. "This is Dutch cheese," said the lady.
"It is called Edam.
It is made in the Netherlands. "
The lady let them taste some Edam cheese. "I like it," said Chip.
There was a special offer. "Buy two cheeses and you get a free baseball cap," said the lady.
Dad bought two cheeses and gave the cap to Chip. "That's not fair," said Biff.
So, in the end, Dad bought four cheeses.
Dad took the shopping to the car. There was a lot to carry.
Dad put the cheeses on top of the car. Oh no! He forgot all about them and drove off with the cheeses on the roof.
"Why are people waving at us?" asked Biff.
A dog ran into the road.
Dad stopped suddenly. The cheeses slid off the roof.
They fell on to the road and rolled down the hill. "Help!" said Dad.
He ran after the cheeses. "It's chase the cheese," laughed Biff.
"Poor old Dad," said Chip.
Two of the cheeses were run over by a lorry.
They were squashed fat. One was badly dented.
Only one was all right. Dad pulled a face. "What a shame!" he said.
"You sound cheesed off," laughed Biff.
"It's not funny," said Dad.
At home, Biff and Chip went to Biff's room. They wanted to play some music. Suddenly the key glowed. "It's time for an adventure," said Biff.
"I hope it's not an adventure about cheese," said Chip.
The magic took them back in time.
It took them to the Netherlands. They were on a high bank called a dyke.
On one side the land was very flat.
On the other side was the sea. The dyke kept the sea away from the land. Chip looked round. "There are windmills everywhere," he said.
"I think we're in the Netherlands. "
"The land is very flat," said Biff.
"But I can't see any houses. "
"Come on," said Chip.
"Let's try to find a village. "
They began to walk.
A horse and cart came along.
A boy was driving it.
On the back of it were some large round cheeses. "How far is it to the nearest village?" asked Biff.
"It's quite a long way," said the boy.
"Jump up on the cart.
I'll give you a lift. "
"My name is Hans," said the boy.
"I'm taking these cheeses to market. "
"I'm Biff," said Biff.
"And this is Chip. "
"What funny names!" said Hans.
The horse began to trot.
The cheeses began to bump around in the back of the cart.
"This cart looks a bit old," said Chip.
"Should you go so fast?"
"No," said Hans, "but I'm late for market.
I have to sell all these cheeses. "
They went past a man on a bicycle. "Slow down," called Biff.
At that moment a wheel came off the cart. "Oh help!" shouted Biff.
The cheeses slid off and rolled round the man on the bicycle. "Look out!" shouted the man.
He fell off his bike and his cheese bounced out of his basket.
The man jumped up and down with rage. "Look at my bike!" he shouted.
"And where's my cheese?
Which one of these cheeses is mine?"
Hans looked at all the cheeses on the ground. "What does it matter?" he said.
"They're all the same.
Take any one. "
The man picked up the cheeses.
He looked at each one. "I must find my cheese," he shouted.
At last he found it.
"This one is mine," he said.
Hans looked at the broken cart. "I'll never get these cheeses to market now," he groaned.
"Let's carry them," said Chip.
"We'll help you. "
Hans put the cheeses in some sacks.
Biff and Chip helped him carry them. The sacks were heavy and it was hard work. The road was very long and straight.
It ran along the top of the dyke.
The sea was just below the road.
"Phew!
This sack is heavy," said Biff.
Suddenly they heard someone shouting.
It was a girl. They ran to see what was wrong. Water was spouting through the dyke.
The girl was trying to stop it. "Help!" she shouted.
The girl held her hands over the leak but water was still pouring through. "My name is Trudy," she said.
"We must stop the water.
If the hole gets bigger, the dyke will burst. "
"If that happens, there will be a terrible flood," said Hans.
The hole was getting bigger and bigger.
The water began to pour through even faster.
They couldn't stop it with their hands. Biff had an idea. "Push the cheeses into the hole," she said.
"They have wax round them.
They might keep back the water. "
Chip pulled the sacks down the bank and they pushed the cheeses into the hole. "We need one more," said Trudy.
Just then the man went past. "Help us, please," yelled Hans.
"The dyke is leaking. "
"No, I'm in a hurry," said the man.
They filled the hole as well as they could.
Water still came through in places. "I'll have to go and get help," said Trudy.
"But why wouldn't that man help us?"
Chip went with Trudy.
Biff and Hans stayed to try and stop the leak getting worse.
Trudy and Chip ran to a windmill. "I hope someone is there who can help us," said Trudy.
Near the windmill, they saw the man's bike.
It was leaning against a fence. "That's odd," said Chip.
"I thought that man was in a hurry. "
Trudy and Chip looked through the window.
The man was inside. He had a knife.
He was cutting the cheese in half. "Why's he doing that?" said Chip.
"It looks like he doesn't want anyone to see him. "
"Ssh!" whispered Trudy.
Inside the cheese were some diamonds. "I'm so clever," laughed the man.
"No one will ever find out that I stole the diamonds.
The cheese was a clever place to hide them. "
"He's a thief," whispered Chip.
"We must do something. "
Trudy and Chip ran to find Trudy's father.
They told him about the leaking dyke. "We filled it up with cheeses," said Trudy.
"Whose idea was that?" asked Trudy's father.
Then Chip told him about the man with the stolen diamonds hidden in the cheese. 
Trudy's father called the villagers and they ran to the windmill.
The mayor was with them. The thief was inside the windmill.
He was still looking at the diamonds. "Those diamonds belong to my wife," said the Mayor.
"You stole them from my house. "
The villagers tied the thief to the windmill. "Help!" he shouted.
"Let me down!"
"That will teach him," said Trudy.
"He wouldn't help us. "
"Well, he can stay there until we've fixed the dyke," said the Mayor.
The villagers mended the dyke.
Hans helped, and so did Biff and Chip. "Phew! This adventure is hard work," said Biff.
"The cheeses were heavy but the sand is even heavier. "
"I don't want to see another cheese," said Chip.
Hans looked worried. "There will be no money this week," he said.
"My cart is broken.
Now I have no cheeses to sell. "
"Never mind," said Trudy.
"You helped save the dyke. "
"And we caught a thief," said Chip.
Everyone went to the village. "Thank you," said the Mayor's wife.
"I got my diamonds back.
Here is a reward. "
"Three cheers for Trudy and Hans and their friends," said the Mayor.
"They stopped a bad flood.
Using cheeses was a brilliant idea. "
The magic key began to glow.
It was time for Biff and Chip to go. Hans bought two cheeses from the market.
He gave them to Biff and Chip. They gave Hans and Trudy their baseball caps. "Goodbye," they said.
The magic took Biff and Chip home. Dad came into Biff's bedroom. "Where are your free baseball caps?" he asked.
"Er... um... we've lost them," said Biff.
Dad was cross. "He's cheesed off again," said Chip.
Anneena came round to play with Biff and Chip. Wilf and Wilma came too, and so did Nadim. "I'm six next week," Kipper told them.
"Do you want to come to my birthday?"
"Six? You're catching up with me," said Wilma.
Mum took Kipper to the shops. When he had gone, Wilma had an idea. "Let's form a band.
Then we can play Happy Birthday to Kipper. "
"But his birthday is next week," said Nadim.
"We'll need the time to practise," said Wilma.
Biff liked the idea of forming a band.
The boys were not so sure. "We can't play instruments," said Wilf.
"You and Chip can play the kazoo," said Biff.
"Nadim can play the tambourine. "
"And we can all sing," said Anneena.
At last they were ready to play. Wilma started them off. "One... two... three," she said.
They began to play Happy Birthday.
It sounded quite good. It sounded even better when they played it again. Suddenly the magic key began to glow.
The magic took the children on another adventure. "Help!" called Anneena.
"We still have our instruments. "
"I hope my guitar doesn't get broken," said Wilma.
The magic took the children back in time.
It took them to the Middle Ages. "Who are those people?" asked Nadim.
"Why are they doing tricks?"
"They must be entertainers," said Anneena.
"I think they are practising. "
At first the entertainers didn't see the children.
They went on practising. The juggler kept dropping the balls.
The girl on stilts held on to the tree. "If they're entertainers, they're not very good," said Biff.
"No wonder they're practising. "
One of the entertainers saw the children.
He ran across to them. "My name is John," he said.
"You must be musicians. "
"We're not proper musicians," said Wilma.
"I have a job for you," said the man.
"But... but...," said Biff.
The man looked at Wilma's guitar.
"What a strange instrument," he said.
The girl looked at Biff's recorder.
"What a strange pipe," she said.
"You look a bit young to be musicians," said John.
"You'd better play us a tune. "
Suddenly a man on a horse rode up.
He looked very cross. "Are you the entertainers?" he shouted.
"You should be at the castle by now. "
"The musicians were late," said John.
"But we are ready now. "
"Then hurry!" said the man.
"The Duke hates to be kept waiting. "
He peered at the children. "Are these the musicians?" he asked.
"They look very young. "
"They are the finest in the land," said John.
"But... but...," stammered Wilma.
The man made everyone go to the castle. The children ran behind. "How can we entertain the Duke?" Biff said.
"We're not proper musicians. "
"Don't worry," said John.
"I bet you can play something.
You all have instruments. "
"We can only play one song," said Nadim.
"It's called Happy Birthday.
You only play it on someone's birthday. "
"I don't know it," said John, "but it sounds perfect.
It is the Duke's birthday.
That's why we're going to entertain him. "
The Duke was waiting with his wife and daughter.
They looked at the entertainers. The entertainers gave a low bow. The Duke's daughter looked surprised. "We'd better bow as well," whispered Wilf.
"It's not every day we meet a duke. "
The Duke peered at the children. "The musicians are very young," he said.
"They are the finest in the land," said John.
"They had better be good," said the Duke.
"I am very fond of music. "
"They have made up a song for you," said John.
The entertainers went to practise.
They were still not very good. "They're terrible," said Nadim.
"I don't think they're proper entertainers.
Something funny is going on. "
"Look out, here comes the Duke's daughter," said Wilf.
The Duke's daughter ran up to one of the entertainers.
She gave him a hug.
"Oh, Hugh! I'm so glad you're here," she said.
"I said I would find a way," said Hugh.
"You see!" said Nadim.
"I said something funny was going on. "
The Duke's daughter was called Edith.
She and Hugh were in love. "We are not really entertainers," said John.
"We are here to help Edith. "
"My father won't let me marry yet," said Edith, "so we want to run away. "
"Why pretend you are entertainers," said Chip, "when you are so terrible at it?"
"This was the only way we could get into the castle," said Hugh.
"Please help us," said John.
"Oh, all right," said Anneena.
Hugh gave Edith a bottle of sleeping mixture. "Pour this mixture into the wine," he said.
"Do it before the feast begins tonight. "
"It will send everyone to sleep," said John.
"Then we can get away safely. "
Edith took the bottle. "Leave it to me," she said.
The entertainers made the children dress up. "I feel silly, dressed like this," moaned Chip.
"You need to look the part," said John.
"Won't everyone be asleep?" asked Anneena.
"We hope so," said John.
It was time for the Duke's feast.
Many people were there. Servants took in great dishes of food.
There was plenty of wine for everyone to drink. Edith was worried. She had put the sleeping mixture into the wine, but no one had fallen asleep. Now it was time for the entertainment. "This is not part of my plan," hissed John.
"Why has no one fallen asleep?"
"The mixture isn't working," said Chip.
"What shall we do now?" asked Hugh.
"We'll just have to entertain them," said John.
The entertainers were terrible. Everyone began to shout and throw food at them. The Duke was angry. "Entertainers?" he shouted.
"You are terrible.
I'll put you in the dungeons. "
"Wait!" begged John.
"Please hear the musicians.
They are the finest in the land. "
The children got ready to play.
Wilma started them off. "One... two... three," she said.
They began to play Happy Birthday.
It sounded quite good. It sounded even better when they played it again. The people clapped and cheered.
"Excellent," said the Duke.
"Play it again. "
Wilma had an idea. She whispered to Hugh.
"Creep out now and take Edith. "
Then she clapped her hands. "This time I am going to teach you the words," she said.
"You can all join in. "
Wilma taught everyone the words to Happy Birthday.
Edith slipped away.
No one saw her go.
Everyone was singing loudly. "You are the finest in the land," said the Duke.
"What other tunes can you play?"
Hugh and Edith escaped from the castle.
There were some horses waiting for them. "Tomorrow we will get married," said Hugh.
"Do you think your father will give you his blessing?"
"Of course he will," said Edith, "when he sees how happy we are. "
"This note is from Edith," said the Duke.
"She has run away to get married.
I suppose we should chase after her. "
Suddenly the Duke gave a yawn. "I feel very sleepy," he said.
"Maybe I'll chase after her when I've had a snooze. "
"Everyone is asleep," said Wilma.
"So the sleeping mixture worked in the end. "
The magic key began to glow. "What a strange end to the adventure," said Chip.
"There's no one left awake to say goodbye to. "
The magic took them home.
"We don't need to practise Happy Birthday again," said Nadim.
"We're pretty good at it. "
Then Kipper came in. "What have you all been doing?" he asked.
"Just messing about," said Biff.
It was Kipper's sixth birthday.
The band played Happy Birthday.
"That was brilliant," said Kipper.
"I didn't know you were such good musicians. "
"Of course we are," said Wilma.
"We're the finest in the land. "
Nadim was at the airport with his mum and dad. They had been to America for a holiday.
Now it was time to fly home. Nadim's dad was nervous. "I don't like flying," he said.
"I hate taking off. "
"I don't hate it," said Nadim.
"I love it. "
On the flight there was a surprise for Nadim.
The steward asked him if he wanted to see the controls. Nadim was excited.
He had always wanted to see the flight deck of an aeroplane. "Oh brilliant!" he said.
"Yes, please!"
The steward took Nadim and his dad through the aeroplane. "These planes are huge," said Nadim.
"They hold about four hundred people," said the steward.
"That's a lot of people in one plane," said Nadim.
Nadim and his dad went on to the flight deck.
They met the captain. "We're flying on auto-pilot," said the captain.
"The plane is flying by itself. "
Nadim looked at all the controls. "I'd like to be a pilot," he said.
"It takes a long time to learn," said the Captain.
"But what's to stop you?"
"Don't let him take over the controls just yet," joked Nadim's dad.
"I'm a nervous passenger. "
"Oh Dad!" said Nadim.
After Nadim got home, he went to play at Biff and Chip's house. Anneena was already there. Nadim told everyone about his holiday. "I went on to the fight deck of the aeroplane," he said.
"I'd love to be a pilot," said Anneena.
Mum called Biff and Chip.
They had to go downstairs to help wash up. "We won't be long," said Chip.
Anneena picked up the magic key. Suddenly it began to glow.
It took Anneena and Nadim on an adventure.
The magic took Nadim and Anneena back in time.
It took them to a place in America. "Why has the magic key brought us here?" asked Anneena.
They heard the sound of an engine. The sound was coming out of a big cloud of dust.
A man was driving towards them in a strange-looking car. "What on earth is it?" asked Nadim.
"It looks like a really old car. "
"You can't stand there!" called the man.
"You'll be in the way of the flying machine. "
A strange-looking aeroplane was standing by a barn.
Nadim and Anneena had never seen anything like it. Another man was working on the aeroplane. The first man got out of the car and went over to him. Anneena gasped.
The two men looked alike. "They must be twins," she said to Nadim.
"Hello," said the second man.
"I'm Henry and this is my twin brother, Harold.
Who are you?"
"I'm Nadim.
This is Anneena," said Nadim.
"You're not spying on us, are you?" asked Harold.
"Why would we do that?" asked Anneena.
"We're just about to try out the flying machine," said Henry, "but it's a secret. "
"No one has ever made a flying machine before," said Harold.
"We will be the first people to do it. "
"It's amazing," said Nadim.
"We've not seen an aeroplane like this before. "
The twins laughed. "A hairy plane," said Harold.
"That's a good name for it -- a hairy plane!"
"But it will never fly," said Anneena.
"Of course it will," said Henry.
Harold sat in the flying machine. "I'm ready!" he shouted.
Henry started the engine.
The propeller began to turn.
It spun faster and faster.
But the flying machine didn't move. "I told you so," said Anneena.
"It's the propeller," said Anneena.
"It will never work.
It's too flat. "
She picked up two pieces of wood. "It needs to be like this," she said.
"It acts like a screw to pull the plane through the air. "
"Well, we could try it," said Henry.
The twins changed the shape of the propeller. "But it still won't fly," said Nadim.
"You only have a flat wing.
You have no way to make it lift up. How will it take off?"
"Ha!" said Harold.
"We've made a ramp!
The faster we go, the higher it will fly. "
Harold got into the aeroplane.
Henry started the engine. "We'll see if you're right," he yelled.
The propeller spun round and the aeroplane began to move faster and faster. "It's working!" shouted Henry.
"It still won't fly," said Nadim.
The plane zoomed up the ramp at full speed. It rose in the air like a heavy bird. "Yee-ha!" called Henry.
"It's flying. "
The plane flew straight up.
It went backwards in a loop.
Then it dived towards the ground. "Help!" yelled Harold.
The plane hit the ground with a heavy bump.
Harold was thrown out. It was still going at full speed.
It roared towards Nadim and Anneena. "Stop it!" yelled Harold.
"Look out!" shouted Henry.
No one could stop the plane.
It headed towards a big water tank. "It's going to crash!" gasped Nadim.
The plane went under the water tank.
The wings snapped off, but the plane went on. "It hasn't stopped," said Henry.
The plane didn't slow down.
It roared on towards a farm. Harold and Henry jumped into their car and chased after it. "One thing's for sure," said Nadim to Anneena, "your propeller works well. "
Henry and Harold's mother and father lived on the farm. Their mother had just done the washing.
She was hanging it out to dry. Their father was watering his prize melons and pumpkins. Henry and Harold followed.
Nadim and Anneena chased after them. "Aw heck!" said Harold.
"Why won't it stop?"
"Oh my!" said Henry.
"It's heading for the farm. "
"Oh dear," said Anneena.
"I don't like the look of this. "
The plane roared on.
It ran through the washing.
It squashed the melons and pumpkins. "It hasn't stopped," shouted Harold.
"Now what are we going to do?"
"Let's hope it runs out of gas soon," said Henry.
The plane headed towards the town. A woman was painting her house.
She heard the sound of an engine. "Whatever is that?" she wondered.
"It sounds like a roaring bull. "
The plane ran into the ladder and knocked it down. The woman fell to the ground.
She still had the paint brush in her hand. The plane went on. "What the heck was that?" gasped the woman.
At last the plane stopped in the middle of the town.
It had crashed into a statue. People ran to see what all the noise was about. Henry and Harold stopped the car.
They both jumped out. "This doesn't look good," said Harold.
Nadim and Anneena ran to see where the plane had stopped. Nadim spoke to Harold and Henry.
"You see!" he said.
"The propeller works. Now you need to make flaps and a rudder. "
Suddenly there was a noise.
It sounded like an engine. It came from up in the sky. Everyone looked up.
An aeroplane was flying over the town. "It's a flying machine!" someone shouted.
"Another hairy plane," joked Anneena.
The people waved and cheered.
The pilot of the plane waved back at them.
"I know who that is," called a man.
"It's Wilbur Wright.
He and his brother are the first men to fly. "
"Well I'll be darned!" said Henry.
"So we aren't the first men to fly after all," said Henry.
"The Wright brothers have beaten us to it. "
"Never mind," said Harold.
"I have an idea for a boat that goes under the water. "
The magic key began to glow. It was time for Nadim and Anneena to go.
"Sorry we were such a long time," said Biff.
"There was a lot of washing up to do. "
"Never mind," laughed Anneena.
"The time just flew by. "
"And it wasn't just the time that flew," joked Nadim.
Gran had come to stay. She had presents for the children.
She had bought each of them a Super Squirter. "Oh no!" groaned Dad.
"A Super Squirter!
That's brilliant!" said Chip.
"Thank you, Gran."
The children went outside to play with the Super Squirters. "Wait for me," called Gran.
Dad and Mum watched them. "Just look at Gran!" sighed Dad.
"It's like having a naughty girl to stay. "
Gran had a surprise for Mum and Dad.
She had some photograph albums. "What are these?" asked Dad.
"Old photographs," said Gran.
"I thought you might like them. "
"Old photographs of what?" asked Dad.
Some of the photographs were of Mum when she was a little girl. "Look at Mum," said Biff.
"She was quite pretty when she was little. "
"And look at Gran," said Chip.
"She was quite young once upon a time. "
Biff and Chip went out to play. Gran showed Kipper some more photographs. "Here I am when I was a little girl," said Gran.
"Why is everything grey coloured?" asked Kipper.
"Was it all like that in those days?"
"No," laughed Gran, "only the photographs. "
Kipper put the television on.
There was an old film about two men moving a piano. "That's funny," he thought.
"They are grey coloured, too.
They're just like Gran's old photographs. "
The men made Kipper laugh.
At last, Kipper turned off the television. He went to find Biff, but she wasn't in her room. Then Kipper saw that the magic key was glowing. "Oh no!" he thought.
"I'm all by myself!"
The magic took Kipper into a strange grey world. "Everything is grey," thought Kipper.
"This is just like the film I saw on television. "
Two men were trying to move a piano.
They didn't see Kipper. "There is no colour," said Kipper.
"I don't like all this grey.
I want to go back home.
This is a silly adventure. "
He banged the key on the wall. "Take me back," he said crossly.
"Or put some colour in this adventure. "
The men were still pushing the piano.
They had to get it through a door. "Come and help us," they called.
Kipper didn't want to, but he went across to help. "We have to take the piano outside," said the big man.
"Then we have to lift it down some steps," said the little man.
"Now! We'll take the back," said the big man.
"And you take the front," said the little man.
"All right," said Kipper.
He squeezed past the piano and got ready to help.
"When I call 'pull', you pull," said the big man.
"Pull!" he shouted.
Kipper tried to pull the piano. Suddenly it shot forward and slid down the steps. Kipper grabbed the top and jumped on.
The piano ran down the street.
It went faster and faster.
Kipper hung on to the top. "Now look what you've done," shouted the big man to the little man.
"It's not my fault," said the little man.
"I told you not to push so hard," said the big man.
Suddenly the piano came to a stop.
It crashed into a hedge. Kipper flew over the hedge and landed in a soft garden chair. "Hey!" shouted the big man.
"Look what you've done to our piano. "
Kipper was cross. "This is a silly adventure," he shouted.
"I hate it. "
He took the magic key out of his pocket and banged it again. "I don't like you," he yelled.
"I want to go home. "
Suddenly the magic key began to glow.
The magic took Kipper home. Kipper was pleased the adventure was over. But the adventure was not over.
Something had gone wrong! Kipper was a grey colour.
He looked like an old photograph of himself. Kipper did not notice this. He put down the magic key and went to find Biff and Chip. They were in the garden with Gran. They all gasped when they saw Kipper. "Oh!" said Biff.
"Something's gone wrong.
You look grey, like an old photograph. "
At that moment Mum and Dad came out of the house. "This is terrible!" said Chip.
"Do something to stop them, Gran.
They mustn't see Kipper. "
"Leave it to me," said Gran.
"You take Kipper inside. "
Gran picked up a Super Squirter.
She ran towards Mum and Dad. "Gran!" shouted Mum.
"Don't you dare.
We're not in the mood for this. "
"But I am!" laughed Gran.
She began to squirt Mum with water.
Gran chased Mum and Dad round the garden. Biff and Chip grabbed Kipper by the arms and took him inside. "Good old Gran," said Biff.
"Now let's get Kipper upstairs. "
"Ouch!
Stop it! What's wrong?" cried Kipper.
Kipper looked at himself in the mirror. "It's the key," he said.
"I didn't want to go on an adventure.
Now the magic has gone wrong. "
"What are we going to do?" asked Biff.
Kipper began to cry. "I don't want to look like an old photograph," he moaned.
Gran came upstairs. "Mum and Dad are not too pleased with me.
But I've made them a cup of tea," she said.
"You were great," said Chip.
"But what can we do?" asked Biff.
"We can't let Mum and Dad find out about the magic key. "
Chip had an idea. "Kipper's clothes look grey," he said.
"Get him to change his clothes. "
Kipper went to his room.
He put on a red top. "Oh no," said Chip.
"Your top's turning grey.
You still look like an old photograph. "
Just then they heard Dad coming upstairs. "Do something," hissed Biff.
"We mustn't let Dad see Kipper. "
Gran grabbed some sheets from the beds. "Pretend you're playing spooks," she said.
"It's dinner time in ten minutes," said Dad.
Dad went back downstairs.
He looked cross. "Oh dear!" said Mum.
"What's the matter?"
"It's Gran," said Dad.
"Now what's she up to?" asked Mum.
"Playing spooks," said Dad.
"Whatever will she get up to next?"
It was time for dinner. Gran and the children came downstairs. "Have you washed your hands?" asked Dad.
"And where's Kipper?" asked Mum.
"Well," said Biff.
"We've made a little surprise for you. "
Kipper came into the room.
Mum and Dad looked at him. "Oh Kipper!" gasped Mum.
"Oh goodness me!" said Dad.
"Is this your idea of a joke?"
"You look so... different," said Mum.
"What do you think?" said Biff.
"Gran has made him look like a man in an old film. "
"We love it when Gran comes to stay," said Chip.
"Isn't she clever?"
"Er... yes," said Dad.
Mum frowned at Kipper. "Your mouth is a funny colour," she said.
"Show me your tongue. "
"Oh no!" whispered Chip.
"His tongue is grey. "
Kipper put out his tongue. "Oh dear!" said Mum.
"Look at your grey tongue.
You must be ill.
I'm calling the doctor. "
After dinner, Mum sent Kipper upstairs. "Put on your proper clothes," she said.
"The doctor can see you in half an hour. "
"Oh no!" said Biff.
"Now Mum and Dad will find out about the magic key.
Do something, Gran. "
"I don't know what to do," said Gran.
Kipper went upstairs.
Biff and Chip went with him. Kipper picked up the magic key. "I'm sorry," said Kipper.
"I didn't mean to be nasty to the key. "
The key gave a little tiny glow. At that moment all Kipper's colour came back.
"I'm glad I don't have to go to the doctor," said Kipper.
"The magic worked just in time. "
"I think it was always going to," said Biff.
"You mean it wouldn't have let Mum and Dad find out?" said Chip.
"I don't think it would," said Biff.
"Do you?"
It was the night of Ben's birthday.
He was trying to get to sleep.
But he couldn't.
There was his best present, shining and silver. It was a robot dog.
It was brilliant! It barked.
It came for its bone.
It even fell asleep and snored.
He called it Robo-dog. Rob for short.
Ben got out of bed and started to play with Rob. Mum had to come upstairs three times. Then she took Rob and put him in the toy box outside Ben's room.
After that, Ben fell asleep.
At last, the house was quiet. Everything was dark. Nothing moved.
Just after midnight, a red light glowed in the toy box.
Beep, beep, beep!
Fast asleep in his bedroom, Ben heard nothing.
Something was moving. The red light began to flash.
"I'm bored," said a voice. It was a strange voice. It sounded like a computer. "Let's go, go, go."
It was the robot dog.
"Who are you?" asked a doll.
"Hi there! I'm Rob," said the dog. He wagged his metal tail.
"Well, mind my dress," said the doll. "The sparkly bits come off very easily."
"No problem," answered Rob.
"I'm Jilly," the doll added. "I belong to Sarah. That's Teddy."
A furry teddy bear in the bottom of the box sat up. He rubbed his eyes with his paws. He looked half asleep.
"So come on. Let's go and see the night life," said Rob.
Jilly and Teddy stared at him.
"What? Go downstairs?" said Jilly. "We never go anywhere. We stay put."
"Time for a change then," said Rob, cheerfully. "Let's go, go, go."
Jilly giggled. "All right," she said. "Let me take off my high heeled shoes first."
Then she climbed out of the box.
She was good at climbing.
"Coming, Teddy?" Rob began to move smoothly. He was whirring gently.
"It's very dark," said Teddy.
"No problem," answered Rob. A light, set in his head, switched on. It made a bright, narrow path in front of Rob.
"That's good," said Jilly. "I want an adventure."
"Don't leave me," squeaked Teddy. He scrambled out of the box.
He did not feel very happy. He did not want an adventure. Adventures were dangerous. He sighed and hurried after them.
Chapter 3
The Cat Flap
Rob and Jilly were already downstairs. They seemed to move easily, like Ben. Teddy had stiff legs. Suddenly, he slipped.
"No problem," said Rob. "Good idea to slide. Now, how do we get out of the house?"
"Out?" squealed Jilly. "You can't go out!" Her golden curls bobbed with excitement.
"There's a cat flap," said Teddy. "But it's not very big."
"No problem," Rob answered. "The cat flap is a good idea."
Teddy led them into the kitchen. A good idea! It made him feel quite important. He felt so important that he forgot the cat's water bowl.
"Oh, dear," said Teddy.
Rob swung his light on him. Teddy was sitting in the water bowl.
"No problem," said Rob. He helped Teddy up. "You'll dry."
Teddy plodded across the kitchen. He felt rather damp behind.
The big back door was closed, but Jilly slipped easily through the cat flap.
"Now you, pal," said Rob. Teddy put his head through.
He could see stars. They were the sparkly bits on Jilly's dress. He put one paw through. Then the other. So far, so good. Now he could see the real stars.
Then he got stuck.
"Oh, dear," he said. "My front half is out but my back half is in."
"No problem," said Rob. His red light winked. He was thinking. Then his green light came on. "Jilly," he called, "when I count to three, pull hard."
Rob ran backwards a little. He began to whirr. All his lights flashed. "One, two, three!" He dashed at Teddy.
Rob hit the part of Teddy which was sticking out into the kitchen. This was nice and soft for Rob, but Rob's head was not soft.
"Ouch!" yelled Teddy and POP!
He shot out of the cat flap. He landed on Jilly. He could see all sorts of stars now.
As Teddy lay there, puffing, Rob came smoothly through the cat flap.
"No problem," said Rob.
Rob, Teddy and Jilly stood on the edge of the lawn. It was very dark and quiet.
In the distance, an owl hooted. It was hunting.
"So this is the Great Outdoors," said Rob. "I've never seen it before."
"I've only seen it in daylight," said Jilly. Her eyes sparkled like her dress.
"I don't get out much," said Teddy. "I'm an indoor type. In fact, I'm a bit scared."
"No problem," said Rob. "Bears live in woods, you know. You'll love it."
It was true, thought Teddy. He was a bear. Perhaps he'd get used to it.
Rob led the way across the grass.
Jilly gave a little cry. "Our special bush!"
"We used to have picnics here," sighed Jilly. "That was before Sarah and Ben went to school. I used to sit here on a rug. The toy soldiers were allowed to climb the branches."
She looked sad. "I never did."
Jilly showed them a gap under the bush. When they crawled in, there was a little den. There was a faded plastic tea set there.
"Climb up now," said Rob. '
"No problem."
Jilly looked at him.
"Should you really?" asked Teddy. "Yes, I should," said Jilly.
She took off her tiara and began to climb. They heard her grunting. The leaves rustled. "Nearly there," she shouted.
Then, she screamed.
Branches crashed and shook. There was a terrible screeching noise. Rob and Teddy looked up.
Rob's light caught the sparkle of Jilly's dress. Beside her, hunched on the branch, was a big, dark shape.
An enormous owl sat on a branch above them. It stared down at them with huge eyes.
Teddy saw its hooked beak. Worst of all were its feet. One set of sharp talons held on to the branch. The other clutched Jilly. Her eyes were shut.
Rob whirred. He did not say, "No problem."
"Go away!" shouted Teddy.
The owl lifted its big wings and hissed. It glared at Teddy. Then it blinked and turned its head. Teddy looked at Rob's light. The owl did not seem to like the brightness.
It was then that Teddy had his best idea. He whispered to Rob. Rob nodded and started to talk. "Hi there. Good evening. I think you may have made a mistake."
The owl did not move.
"I expect you think you have a mouse there," Rob went on. "Now, I have to tell you something. Mice do not wear sparkly dresses. No, sir!"
As Rob talked, Teddy got hold of a branch. He started to climb. So that was what his claws were for! He moved very quietly. He climbed higher and higher. Soon, he was just under the owl's branch.
Poor Jilly hung down from the owl's talons. Teddy saw her open one eye. She let one hand drop towards him. She gave a tiny nod.
"Now!" shouted Teddy, and he roared a grizzly bear roar. He almost frightened himself.
Rob turned his light straight into the owl's eyes. Teddy grabbed Jilly's hand and pulled. Jilly kicked hard.
The owl raised its big wings. Then it flapped away. Jilly and Teddy tumbled down through the leaves. They sat on the ground. All three had a big hug until they felt better.
"You see?" said Rob. "No problem."
The sky looked lighter. "Time to go home," said Teddy.
"I've had an adventure at last," said Jilly. "You were brave, Teddy."
"Me?" said Teddy. He was amazed. They trudged slowly across the lawn.
"I shall never get through that cat flap again," sighed Teddy.
Rob pointed to an open window. "You're a great climber, Teddy. Go through that window. You'll miss out the stairs, too."
When Ben woke, the toys were back in the toy box. He went straight to find Rob. He did not notice filly, but he did notice Teddy.
"Yuk! Teddy," he said. "You're all damp." He sat him on the radiator. "Come on, Rob." He ran downstairs.
"I'm just going to have a snooze," said Teddy. It was lovely and warm on the radiator. "Adventures do wear you out, don't they?"
"They do," said Jilly. "Will you be all right, up there?"
"No problem," said Teddy, sleepily.
Last Christmas, a friend brought a silvery, robot dog to visit. It barked, ran round the room and had a little argument with a sheepskin rug. I was sure that such a busy, bossy little dog could persuade even a comfy old teddy to go out at night and have an adventure.
My stories often start with something real which then gets turned into an adventure.
So, what do your toys get up to when you are asleep?
Some people call him Brother Rabbit. Some people shorten the name to Brer Rabbit. But, whatever you call him, you can be sure that he is the cleverest animal in the world.
And Brer Rabbit is not only clever. He is clever in a tricky kind of way.
He is not only clever in a tricky kind of way. He is funny in a clever, tricky kind of way. Which is why he is forever pestering the other animals, playing jokes and making mischief.
Brer Rabbit's neighbour, Brer Fox, knows all about those jokes. In fact, he was the one who opened Brer Rabbit's trickbag.
It all started one day when Brer Fox was walking down the big road. As he strolled along, he happened to spot Brer Terrapin. That made Brer Fox give a chuckle, down in his red belly.
"Heh-heh-heh," he went.
Then he slipped into the shadows, with his small eyes fixed on Brer Terrapin's leathery little head.
Brer Terrapin waddled slowly up the road, humming quietly to himself. As he came past, Brer Fox pounced and flipped him into a sack.
Then he slung the sack across his back and headed home.
Brer Terrapin yelled out and struggled about, but Brer Fox didn't pay any attention.
I'm going to boil him up," he said, "Nothing tastes as good as a hot pot of terrapin stew."
But, if you had looked very carefully into the bushes up the road, you would have seen two, long, brown ears.
Below those ears you would have seen a pair of eyes as dark and soft as velvet. It was Brer Rabbit.
He was lying beside the road, kicking at the butterflies and nibbling at the grass stalks.
As Brer Fox came past, his ears pricked up and he looked out through the leaves.
"Now I wonder what that old rascal's got in that sack?" Brer Rabbit asked himself. And he decided that there would be no harm in going to find out. So off he went.
He took a short cut along the ditch, over the turnip field and through the bramble patch.
That way, he got to Brer Fox's house first.
Before long, Brer Fox came home and, as soon as he opened the door, Brer Rabbit poked his head through the window. He pretended to be in an awful panic.
"Brer Fox! Brer Fox!" he called. "What?" asked Brer Fox, giving a jump.
"Your watermelon patch!" gasped Brer Rabbit. "Somebody's up there trampling on everything! I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen! Hurry up if you want to catch them!"
"What? Not my juicy watermelons?" cried Brer Fox. "Thanks for telling me, Brer Rabbit."
He dropped his sack in the corner and scurried off to his watermelon patch as fast as his skinny legs could carry him.
Brer Rabbit's beady eyes looked right, then left. Then he hopped in through the window, as quietly as a cat.
Once inside, he picked up the sack. "Ouch!" squeaked a voice from inside. "Let me out! Let me go! Ow! Ouch!"
Brer Rabbit jumped back in surprise. Then he said, "There's only one animal around here who squeaks as loud as that. It's Brer Terrapin."
With that, he reached in and pulled his old friend out of the sack.
"Brer Rabbit!" squeaked Brer Terrapin. "Help me! Brer Fox is going to boil me into a hot pot of terrapin soup!"
"Okey-dokey," said Brer Rabbit, wondering what to do. Then he gave a little smile. He'd had an idea.
He carried Brer Terrapin up into the woods where he would be safe and sound.
Next he hunted around in the trees until he found what he was looking for.
Then he went back to Brer Fox's house with the sack. He was very careful with that sack.
There was something in it, just the same size as Brer Terrapin. But it wasn't Brer Terrapin.
Brer Rabbit laid it gently in the corner of Brer Fox's room. Then he skipped and hopped back up to the woods and sat down beside Brer Terrapin.
It was only a minute or two before Brer Fox was back, panting and grumbling. He hadn't found anyone in his watermelon patch.
"That Brer Rabbit," he muttered. "One more trick and I'm going to skin him alive!"
He pushed open the door and he smiled. His bag was just where he had left it.
"Well, that's all right," he nodded, reaching for his cooking pot. "Now where was I?" He picked up his bag.
Moments later, there was a crash as if a cooking pot had been thrown at the ceiling.
This was followed by a banging and a whooping that was so loud the chimney wobbled on the rooftop. It sounded as though a herd of cows was running through the place.
Brer Rabbit and Brer Terrapin could hear chairs being thrown around and plates being smashed.
Then the door flew open. Out came Brer Fox with his ears flat on his head and a swarm of wasps after him.
"You put a wasps' nest in the sack!" squeaked Brer Terrapin.
"I suppose I must have done!" said Brer Rabbit, with a giggle.
Brer Fox ran yelping down the path towards the pond.
When he got to the water, he splashed in head first. That made Brer Rabbit shake with laughter so much that Brer Terrapin couldn't help joining in.
"Don't, Brer Rabbit! Don't!" squeaked Brer Terrapin, clutching his stomach. Brer Rabbit tried to control himself.
But then Brer Fox came sneezing and sloshing out of the pond with a twirl of duckweed tangled round his ears.
And that made the two friends burst out laughing again. They rolled around, shaking their heads and kicking up the leaves.
"Right!" spluttered Brer Fox, swishing his soggy tail from side to side. "That skinny little floppy-eared pinhead Brer Rabbit has HAD IT!"
Brer Fox was so angry with Brer Rabbit that he hardly knew which way to turn.
"I've got to find a way to catch him," he muttered. "Then he'll see! I'll have his skin for sausages!"
And the thought of it made him give a chuckle, down in his red belly. "Heh-heh-heh!"
Then, who should he see coming past his house but his friend, Brer Wolf.
"How are you, Brer Wolf?" he called through the window.
"I'm fine," said Brer Wolf, smiling with his big teeth.
Brer Wolf stopped to chat and Brer Fox told him all about Brer Rabbit's trick with the wasps' nest.
"It's time we caught that Brer Rabbit," said Brer Wolf. "And I've got a clever idea. We'll get him into your house. Then we can grab him."
"But how are we going to get him into my house?" asked Brer Fox.
"We're going to fool him in," said Brer Wolf.
"And who's going to do the fooling?"
"Leave the fooling to me," said Brer Wolf. "All you need to do is get into bed and pretend to be dead."
"What's Brer Wolf up to?" Brer Fox wondered. "Something clever, I'll bet. Because he's just about the cleverest animal around here."
Then Brer Fox lay down and pretended to be dead.
Meanwhile, Brer Wolf was already knocking on Brer Rabbit's door, "BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!"
Brer Rabbit peeped out and saw that it was Brer Wolf. He blinked his dark eyes.
"Open the door Brer Rabbit," said Brer Wolf.
"I don't have time," Brer Rabbit replied.
"It's important," said Brer Wolf. "What I'm doing is important, too."
"This is a matter of life and death!" said Brer Wolf.
Well, Brer Rabbit didn't have much choice.
"Okey-dokey," he said. "I'll open the door a crack. But don't come anywhere near me. I've just come down with a terrible attack of fleas."
With that, the door creaked open a crack and Brer Wolf's grey eyes peered inside.
"I've got some awfully sad news, Brer Rabbit," he said, putting his hand on his heart. "Poor Brer Fox is dead. He's lying on the bed up at his house, as dead as a dodo."
Brer Rabbit looked at Brer Wolf's serious face and asked himself, "Now, is he tricking me or not?"
Brer Rabbit couldn't help feeling curious. So he told Brer Wolf he was sorry to hear the news. And he decided to go up the road to Brer Fox's place, just to see what was what.
When he got there, everything was quiet. He pushed open the door, just a little.
Then he looked inside. Sure enough, there was Brer Fox, stretched out on the bed with his eyes shut.
So Brer Rabbit walked in.
"Well, I'll be blessed," said Brer Rabbit in his saddest voice. "Poor Brer Fox is dead. At least, he looks as if he's dead. But maybe he isn't. Because I've heard that whenever a visitor comes to see a dead body, the dead body lifts up its hind legs and shouts WAHOO!"
There was a moment's silence. Then Brer Fox lifted up his hind legs and shouted, "WAHOO!"
Brer Rabbit shook his head, as if he felt sorry for Brer Fox for being such a fool. Then he called out, "So long, neighbour!"
And he shot out of the house, leaving Brer Fox with his skinny legs still sticking up in the air.
Brer Fox slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He knew that he'd been outwitted again. And he put his hand on his jaw like someone with a painful toothache.
"That fluffy-tailed, flea-bitten little blabbermouth!" he muttered. "If he thinks he's ever going to trick me again, he's wrong by about a thousand miles!"
Brer Rabbit, meanwhile, was almost home. As he ran down the middle of the road, he kicked his legs up in the air and shouted, "WAHOO!"
Soon, the weather changed for the worse. It was cold. It was wet. It was windy. Winter had arrived and that meant there would be hard times for a few weeks.
There was nothing much to eat and many of the animals went to bed hungry. But Brer Rabbit didn't let that stop him traipsing around and getting into frolics.
One day he noticed something strange. Although all his friends were getting thinner and thinner, Brer Wolf was getting fatter and fatter. That bothered Brer Rabbit.
"Here we are so hungry that our ribs are showing!" he said to himself. "And Brer Wolfs looking as fat as a ball of butter. Something's up."
So he kept an eye on Brer Wolf and, before long, he found out what was going on. Brer Wolf was stealing chickens from Mr Man's farm.
Then, every week, he went to the market on his old horse-cart with a bag full of chickens to sell.
That way, he always had enough money to buy food.
So, the next market day, Brer Rabbit woke up before sunrise and set off walking towards town.
Before very long, Brer Wolf came past on his horse-cart, with a bag full of chickens on the back.
"'Morning Brer Rabbit," he said. "How are you?"
"Not so good," replied Brer Rabbit, wiping his brow. "I've got to go to the market to buy myself a new pocket hanky and it's an awfully long walk."
"Mmm..." said Brer Wolf, widening his stony eyes, "I'm going to the market myself."
"Oh, are you?" beamed Brer Rabbit. "Can I have a lift?"
"You're more than welcome," said Brer Wolf, feeling that his chance to catch Brer Rabbit had come at last.
Brer Rabbit jumped up on to the old horse-cart, and off they went.
Great, grey clouds were blowing across the sky and it was bitterly cold. The sun was only just starting to peep through the trees.
After a time, Brer Wolf said,
"Brer Rabbit, I'm freezing! I'm so cold I don't know what to do."
"There's a big fire across there in the woods, Brer Wolf," said Brer Rabbit, looking into the trees with his velvety eyes. "You could go and warm yourself beside it. And, since you've been so kind, giving me a lift, I'll wait here with the horse-cart."
Brer Wolf looked at the red glow of the sun through the trees and he thought that it was a fire.
"That's a good idea," he said.
He jumped down and went swishing off through the wet leaves towards the sunrise.
As soon as he had gone, Brer Rabbit hopped off the cart, and cut the tails off the horses. He hid the horses and cart in some bushes.
Then he stuck the tails down deep in the mud and stood holding them.
After a while, Brer Wolf came back huffing and puffing.
"Did you warm yourself up?" asked Brer Rabbit.
"No!" panted Brer Wolf. "That was a very strange sort of fire, Brer Rabbit. I ran and I ran, but the closer I got to it, the further away it was!"
"Well," shrugged Brer Rabbit. "I had worse luck than you. Look! The horses got restless and ran off into this quicksand. The cart sank altogether. Luckily, I managed to grab hold of the horses' tails before they disappeared." "My old horse-cart!" groaned Brer Wolf. "My chickens!"
"Never mind about them!" said Brer Rabbit. "Grab hold of one of these tails and pull, or you'll lose your horses as well!"
So Brer Wolf grabbed hold of a tail and the two of them pulled.
"I think mine's coming!" said Brer Wolf, gritting his teeth.
"So's mine!" said Brer Rabbit. Suddenly, both the tails came flying out of the mud.
Brer Wolf looked down at the tails.
Then he looked across at Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbit scratched his head. "Well I never!" he said. "We pulled so hard that their tails came right off!"
For a moment Brer Wolf looked as if he'd been hit on the head with a frying pan.
He hung around for a few minutes, peering down into the mud.
But, what with the cold wind, it wasn't very long before he gave up and went home.
Brer Rabbit waited until he was out of earshot.
Then he got the horse-cart out of the bushes, and drove it away with the bag full of chickens still on the back.
When he got home, he invited all of his friends round for a party. Brer Terrapin came, Brer Raccoon, Sister Cow, little Mr Cricket, Brer Billy Goat and Mr Benjamin Ram. They danced so much that they nearly fell through the floorboards.
Brer Rabbit's wife cooked the chickens, and that night none of them went to bed hungry.
The next morning, the sun came out. Brer Wolf threw open his curtains, and what should he see but his old horse-cart standing outside his house? But no bag of chickens on the back.
It didn't take him very long to work out what had happened.
"That mangy little rabbit-brained muppet, Brer Rabbit!" he growled. With a face like thunder, he set off up the road towards Brer Fox's house.
When Brer Rabbit woke up, he felt just fine.
His wife said that since the sun had come out, he ought go down to the hardware shop to buy some things for the family.
"What do we need?" asked Brer Rabbit.
"Seven tin cups for the children to drink from," said his wife. "Seven tin plates for them to eat off. And a new coffee-pot to put on the stove." "Okey-dokey," said Brer Rabbit.
He skipped off down the big road towards the hardware shop. And he whistled up at the birds when he spotted them circling in the blue sky.
But he didn't spot the small eyes of Brer Fox and the grey eyes of Brer Wolf, watching him from the woods.
"He must be going to the hardware shop," blinked Brer Fox.
"Well, that's just fine," said Brer Wolf, snapping his big teeth together. "Let's arrange a little surprise for him."
Brer Fox nodded and gave a chuckle, down in his red belly.
"Heh-heh-heh!"
The two of them headed off through the woods towards the home of their old friend, Brer Bear.
It was a long, dusty walk to the hardware shop. Brer Rabbit bought the tin cups, he bought the tin plates and he bought the coffee-pot to put on the stove.
Then he headed home. But the walk back was no shorter than the walk there. And, when he got to the steep hill between the cornfields, he was feeling pretty tired. So he sat down by the side of the road to catch his breath.
Now, as he was sitting there, he noticed some prints in the sand. Someone had been there only a short while before.
He scratched his head and looked a little closer at the marks in the sand.
One was the print of something with a long, bushy tail. Beside it was the print of something with a long, thin tail. And beside that was a great, big, round print of something that didn't have a tail at all.
Brer Rabbit knew full well who those tails belonged to. And he knew who had left the big, round print as well.
"Brer Fox and Brer Wolf are playing smart, are they?" he said to himself.
"They've come up here to lay a trap for me. And they've brought Brer Bear along with them, too. It won't be the first time they've tried it. And it won't be the first time I get them before they get me."
He sneaked off into the bushes, away from the road, and up to the top of the hill. From the hilltop he could look down on everything for miles around.
Sure enough, there they were, hiding down in the cornfields.
Brer Wolf was on one side of the road with his ears pricked up. Brer Fox was on the other side of the road, scratching his nose. And Brer Bear was lying in the ditch, having a nap.
Brer Rabbit knew at once what he was going to do. And he liked the idea so much that he did a little dance round and round. He had to put a paw over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
First, he turned the coffee-pot upside down and stuck it on his head.
Next, he ran his belt through the handles of the tin cups, so that they were hanging round his waist.
Then he picked up a tin plate in each hand and set off running down the hill.
"Clickety, rickety, rackety, clackety!" went the cups round his waist as he gathered speed.
Brer Fox and Brer Wolf looked around and saw the strangest looking creature racing towards them. They had never seen anything like it before. It had huge shiny hands and a great long beak.
The two animals hopped out on to the road with eyes as wide as windows.
"CLICKETY, RICKETY, RACKETY, CLACKETY!" went the cups round Brer Rabbit's waist. "SLAMBANG!" went the plates, as he smashed them together like a pair of cymbals.
That woke up Brer Bear. He saw the savage thing hurtling towards him, and he panicked. He stumbled up on to the road and crashed into Brer Wolf.
"I'm a wolf! Don't push me! Don't push me!" yelled Brer Wolf, as Brer Rabbit bounded through the bushes towards them.
I'm a fox..." said Brer Fox, but, before he could say anything else, Brer Rabbit leapt out of the bushes and on to the road.
For a moment, Brer Bear looked as though he was going to protect his smaller friends. But Brer Rabbit slapped the plates together again and came leaping along the middle of the road.
"Gimme room! Turn me loose! I'm Old Man Spewter-Splutter with long claws and scales on my back! I'm snaggle-toothed and double-jointed! GIMME ROOM! GIMME ROOM!"
And Brer Bear ran off so fast that he brought down a whole section of the fence around the cornfield.
Meanwhile, Brer Fox and Brer Wolf hoisted up their tails and shot off so fast that they nearly ran past their own shadows.
"SLAMBANG!" went Brer Rabbit's tin plates one more time, just to see them off.
None of the animals turned round until they were right the way across the cornfield. And, when they did look back, who should they see but Brer Rabbit.
He was shaking his ears out of the coffee-pot and quivering with the giggles.
Brer Fox, Brer Wolf and Brer Bear hardly knew how to control themselves. But Brer Rabbit didn't bother. He fell down by the side of the road, kicked up his heels and laughed until he couldn't laugh any more.
Brer Fox was after him. Brer Wolf was after him. Brer Bear was after him, too.
But they haven't caught him yet...
I was born in England, but now spend a lot of time in Brazil.
Throughout the world you will find tales about Brer Rabbit the "trickster" -someone who can "wheedle the whiskers of a thistle".
The Brer Rabbit stories were told by African-American storytellers and written down by Joel Chandler Harris. Re-telling the stories was, to quote him, "a monstrous gigglement".
My name is Sandy Longtail. I live with my Mum and Dad and Jem my sister at Monkey Land Safari Park, home of the most intelligent monkeys in the whole world. It's a nice place to live. Trouble is, nothing much ever happens here...
Then one day, exciting news reached my tree.
The head keeper, Mr Otterbank, had lost his big bunch of keys. And a monkey had found them!
An urgent meeting was called about it.
The meeting was held that night at the tree of Milton Grizzlefur, the cleverest monkey in all of Monkey Land.
He doesn't look clever though. That's because he spends all day in a tyre hanging from an old tree.
(I say it looks like he's fast asleep. "No, no," says Mum. "Not asleep. Milton Grizzlefur is thinking.")
We all stood waiting for Milton Grizzlefur to wake up -- I mean, to stop thinking.
At last he opened one yellow eye. "Ah, yes, as I was saying," he said, his grey whiskers looking a bit like a human's beard.
"You weren't saying anything at all," I thought. But I kept quiet about it.
"The keys," continued Milton Grizzlefur. "And what to do with them. Of course, we shall give them back. But the question is... Do we do it at once, or shall we -- hmm -- have a little fun with them first?"
His tyre spun him round the wrong way. This gave me and the other monkeys time to think.
We all knew what Milton Grizzlefur was getting at. It was the dearest wish of every monkey there to see the world outside Monkey Land.
We knew there was a lot to see. Nearly every night, Milton Grizzlefur read out the most interesting bits from a newspaper, rescued from the rubbish bin. But although we had learned many things about the world, it was not the same as seeing it with our own eyes.
By the time the tyre had turned him back again, most monkeys had made up their mind.
Dad cleared his throat.
"Before we give Mr Otterbank his keys back, I should like to see what lies behind the big wire fence," he said. "For one night, I should like my freedom."
Monkey heads all around nodded in agreement. Oh look! Mine was nodding with them.
"But won't we need a disguise?" called Tonto Gribb, the big ginger monkey. "The humans will get nervous if they see a band of monkeys on the loose."
"That's true," added Mum. "It wouldn't be fair to get Mr Otterbank into trouble."
"Ah," said Milton Grizzlefur, "I've already thought of that. Anyone who wants to go on this little adventure, raise your paw."
Of course everyone did.
"Good, then follow me."
Milton Grizzlefur climbed down his tree. And because he was so old, he climbed slowly. He walked slowly too, stopping now and again to sniff the air.
"I wish he'd get a move on," said Jem. "Where do you think he's taking us?"
"How do I know baboon face? It looks like Mr Otterbank's house."
And so it turned out to be.
We all stood at the wire gate leading into Mr Otterbank's garden.
The house was already dark. Mr Otterbank went to bed at sundown and got up again at sunrise.
Milton Grizzlefur said, "I have been looking at Mr Otterbank's keys. This one, for example, will open this gate, here."
Click. He had opened it. And before we knew it, we had followed him into Mr Otterbank's garden.
"This one will open Mr Otterbank's front door," Milton Grizzlefur went on, holding up a different key.
"How did Mr Otterbank manage to lock it, then?" asked Stanley Woolback, looking puzzled.
"Mrs Otterbank has a spare set of keys," Milton Grizzlefur explained.
Mum raised her paw to ask another question.
"Why do we need to get into Mr Otterbank's house at all?"
"Dear Mrs Longtail," said Milton Grizzlefur. "We need to borrow some human clothes. Only for the night, you understand. We need the clothes of Mr Otterbank, Mrs Otterbank and both their children.
("Wow," I thought. "I get to wear trousers!")
"Now," continued Milton Grizzlefur. "I need a couple of volunteers, willing to be our burglars, so to speak."
I was so excited, I jumped up in the air. When I came down, I landed on Dad's tail. Then he jumped in the air. He jumped in surprise!
Milton Grizzlefur thought we were volunteering.
"Well done, Otis and Sandy. In you go!"
"But... but..."
Poor Dad. He was still 'but... butting' as we were pushed through Mr Otterbank's door and into his hallway. "Good luck," said Milton Grizzlefur.
Dad and I wandered through a few rooms, getting used to the dark. Neither of us made a sound with our paws.
"Dad," I whispered, "I've just had a thought. Where do humans keep their clothes?"
"How do I know?" said Dad. He was still cross about his tail. "Fur has always been good enough for me."
"What about in here?" I pulled open a likely looking door.
A light came on. I jumped into the air and landed on a table.
Dad sighed and gently shut the door. "That, Sandy, is called a fridge. Humans keep their food in it. I think we have to look upstairs."
We went along the hall and up the stairs. These are a good invention in houses, but they wouldn't work so well in trees.
"I can hear Mr Otterbank snoring,"
I giggled.
"Just as long as he doesn't hear you" said Dad, tweaking my ear. "Now, this is called a bedroom -- "
We went inside. Mr and Mrs Otterbank were two big lumps in a bed. Some clothes were on a chair, and we grabbed them.
"There must be more somewhere," said Dad. "Look in those drawers. They pull out, so be careful."
Soon we had a big pile of clothes which we took out into the hallway. Then Dad went to search in the children's room. I opened a window and threw out everything we had into the garden.
Below me I heard the mutter of monkey voices, saying things like:
"Has anyone got the other shoe?" "Do purple and orange go together?" And, "Paws off! I saw that first."
Dad came out with the children's clothes, and he said it sounded like a real old jumble sale. Before I could ask what a jumble sale was, Dad tossed the clothes out of the window. We hurried downstairs and out of the house.
What a sight we saw. Little humans!
That's what they looked like. Of course, the clothes were rather large for monkeys. (Even though Mr Otterbank and his wife are quite small for humans.) Everyone was busily turning up cuffs and trousers.
I didn't recognize Mum and Jem. It was a good job Mum called to us.
"Over here," she said. "I've saved you some stuff."
When we were dressed, Milton Grizzlefur inspected us. He was wearing golfing pants and a cap. His ears still stuck out somewhat.
"You need to pull down your hats to hide your faces," he said. "Scarves will do just as well. I know it's hot. You little monkeys, do up those buttons. And for heaven's sake stop chewing them. Good. Are we ready to face what lies outside Monkey Land? Then off we go."
I don't mind telling you, I was more than a little bit scared as Milton Grizzlefur unlocked the main gateway and we all went under the sign that said: welcome to monkey land. I even let Jem hold my paw.
We saw we were on the edge of a big town.
"Now," said Milton Grizzlefur, "we had better break up into little groups so the humans don't become suspicious.
And we'll go in different directions. Watch out for traffic. Cars go much, much faster outside Monkey Land. And above all things, remember to behave like a human. Always walk on your back two legs. Now go. Everyone be back here an hour before sunrise."
So we went our different ways in our little monkey bands. Mum and Dad gripped our paws for safety.
Milton Grizzlefur was right about the traffic. It zoomed along faster than a charging rhino.
There was so much to see. And so much that Jem and I didn't understand, and so much which had to be explained to us.
Just then, Mum was telling us about something called a lettuce box.
She said, "I've heard that humans put lettuces in that slot and post them to hungry friends -- " Then she suddenly stopped. "Oh, help! Look, Otis, humans!"
"Don't panic, dear," said Dad. "It'll be all right."
Some humans went by. They looked at us strangely.
"What an ugly bunch of people," said one, when they were several steps on.
"And they must be sweltering in those heavy clothes," said another.
They turned a corner and we all burst out laughing.
"That was close," said Dad. Let's walk on the other side of the road. It's not so brightly lit."
As we were crossing the road, a dirty white van shot into view. Its horn blared. Its lights blazed.
"Look out!" screamed Mum.
We jumped for our lives. The van just missed us.
Dad went absolutely ape!
"You mad man!" he yelled. "You could have killed us." And he jumped on a fence, beat his chest and shook his head from side to side, which monkeys only do if they are seriously mad.
Mum stayed calm. "For goodness sake, Otis! Remember what Milton said. Act human!"
But it was too late. The white van had screeched to a halt and was reversing back.
Dad should never have lost his temper like that. He was sorry now. We all were.
Two humans got out of the van -- one was tall, the other was short. Yet even the short one towered over us. We found that frightening. Mum and Dad huddled together with Jem and me in the middle.
The tall human was very smart. He wore a flower in his button hole. (Later, we found out his name was Bantam Fogg.)
The short one smelt like -- well, not very nice. He was called Chas Smeelly. "Well, Chas," said Bantam Fogg.
"Well, Mr Fogg," said Chas Smeelly. His hand flew out and snatched off Dad's hat. "Just as we thought, Mr Fogg. Flaming gorillas!"
"Monkeys, Chas, monkeys," corrected Bantam Fogg. "From that Monkey Land place, no doubt. But these are no ordinary monkeys, Chas. Look at them. Pretending to be humans... I expect they can understand what we say, too. You'd best open the van doors, Chas."
Chas Smeelly grinned as he opened the doors. "Doors opened, Mr Fogg," he said.
"Good." And to us Bantam Fogg said, "Listen to me, you monkey chaps. You're coming with us. There's a little job I want you to do."
And we climbed inside the van, feeling very small and very frightened.
The back of the van had no windows, so we couldn't see where we were going. It was very bumpy. Chas Smeelly drove fast and said a lot of bad words about other drivers.
Then the van slowed right down. It felt as if we were sneaking up to some place where we shouldn't be.
Then it stopped.
Chas Smeelly turned off the engine and Bantam Fogg looked back at us. His smile was as friendly as a shark's.
"Now listen, you monkey chaps," he said, smiling. "I want you two big monkeys to do a job for us. Here's what I want you to do. This is Hambone Hall, a big house full of lovely expensive things. I want you to climb up and get in through the top window."
He went on. "Then I want you to start collecting up some of those lovely things. Collect as many as you can and bring them back to me and Mr Smeelly. We'll be waiting here, ready to fill our sacks."
Chas Smeelly turned around and the smell of him seemed to get stronger. "And just so you don't try any monkey business, like escaping, we'll keep the two little monkeys in the van for..." he grinned, "... safety."
Mum looked at Dad. For the second time in one night, a spot of burglary was to be done. But this was proper burglary. Chas Smeelly and Bantam Fogg meant to keep everything for themselves.
Poor Mum and Dad. There was nothing they could do about it.
The van doors opened, and they slowly climbed out.
"We'll be back soon," said Mum. She looked so worried.
Then they were gone.
"Oh, Sandy!" wailed Jem, jumping up and down.
"Quiet in there," hissed Chas Smeelly. "Or I'll make you two into a pair of furry mittens!"
We stood up on our back legs and looked over the front seats and through the windscreen. There was a big house and Bantam Fogg was pointing up at one of its dark windows.
We saw Dad and Mum take off their shoes. Then they began to climb up a drainpipe.
After that, I couldn't bear to look. I turned away and when I did,
I saw something that made me whoop with joy.
"Don't do that!" said Jem, angrily.
"But, Jem. Look -- "
I pointed with my paw.
"It's a key," said Jem. "Haven't keys got us into enough trouble tonight?"
"But that's not a door key," I said. "It's a key to start up the engine. I know because I've watched humans in the car park. If we can drive this thing, we can go and get help."
"And you reckon you can drive it?" Jem asked, excitedly.
"Of course!" I said, even though I wasn't really that sure.
And the next moment I was sitting in the driving seat, clutching the steering wheel with my paws, all four of them!
It was then that I found out that vans are not made for monkeys to drive.
I couldn't see out of the windscreen. Jem would have to give me directions. She would also have to stand on the pedals to make the van go or stop. I explained to Jem how the pedals worked.
"Brake... accelerator," she repeated.
It was crowded in the driving seat. Jem had to stand on tiptoe and put her head out of the side window to see. "Ready?" I said.
"I suppose so," she said.
I turned the key.
The engine came alive. "Accelerator!" I shouted at Jem. Suddenly we were rushing forward. Outside, I could hear Bantam Fogg and Chas Smeelly snarling. Their running feet crunched on the gravel as they chased after us.
Bam! We hit a statue and knocked off its head.
"Which way, Jem?" I hollered. "Left!" she cried.
Baff! A different statue lost both its arms.
"Sorry, I meant right."
We clipped a tree and the main gateposts before we were back on the road. Luckily, we had left Bantam Fogg and Chas Smeelly far behind.
After a mile or two, Jem and I became much better. A team, you might say. I began to feel proud of myself. But the van must have looked very odd -- as if it were driving itself!
Certainly, that was what it looked like to PC Duffle. He was parked in a side street, eating a sandwich. He shook his head. "Nah. Must be a trick of the light," he told himself, as we drove by.
Following the signs, we came in sight of Monkey Land. Jem was so excited, she forgot to say one small, important word: "Brake."
CRASH! We went right through the gates and ended up outside Mr Otterbank's house.
A light went on. A window flew open. And Mr Otterbank's head poked out.
"It's a van," he said, turning to Mrs Otterbank, who was in bed with the quilt pulled up to her chin.
"Blow me -- Sandy and Jem have just climbed out. And... and Sandy is writing something with his paw in the dirt beside the van."
"Let me see... HELP! Mum and Dad prisoners at Hambone Hall. Come quickly. I'd better go and see what this is all about."
It was then that he discovered all of his clothes had gone.
"Every drawer and cupboard empty!" he wailed.
Luckily, Mrs Otterbank remembered there was something he could wear. Something Mr Otterbank had worn at a fancy dress party last New Year's Eve.
Jem and me both screamed when a big, hairy gorilla stepped out of Mr Otterbank's house.
"It's only me," said Mr Otterbank's muffled voice. "Quickly, back inside the van, both of you. No, I'll drive now, if you don't mind."
He reversed the van past the shattered gates and we were off again.
Meanwhile, PC Duffle had finished his sandwich and was eating an iced bun. "Hmm," he thought. "Isn't that the white van that looked like it didn't have a driver? I'll look more carefully this time."
And so he did.
"That's all right," he said with a sigh of relief. "There's a gorilla at the wheel... A GORILLA?"
A second later, a half-eaten iced bun was tossed aside. Blue lights flashed and a siren wailed.
I tugged at Mr Otterbank's sleeve.
Mr Otterbank glanced in the mirror.
"No time to stop now, Sandy," he said, and he raced on until he reached Hambone Hall.
In the headlights, we saw Bantam Fogg and Chas Smeelly. Mum and Dad were filling open sacks with treasure from the house.
They all looked surprised when the van screeched to a halt and a gorilla sprang out, with two mean-looking monkeys on either side of him.
"Hold it right there!" cried Mr Otterbank.
"Hold it yourself," shouted Bantam Fogg, throwing a sack of treasure at him.
A big fight started: gorilla and monkeys against burglars. And then PC Duffle arrived.
He climbed out of his patrol car looking very confused.
He decided to arrest the gorilla for speeding.
But when he got him in a headlock, Mr Otterbank's mask came off.
That was too much for PC Duffle. He was so shocked that he fainted.
Outnumbered now five to two, Bantam Fogg and Chas Smeelly were quickly defeated. Mum and Dad sat on them and Mr Otterbank ran to get some rope from the van to tie them up.
"Ever been made a monkey of?" said Mr Otterbank cheerily.
Chas Smeelly used some more of his bad words. He really did know quite a few.
With the help of Mum and Dad, Mr Otterbank put Bantam Fogg and Chas Smeelly into the patrol car, with a note which read: Arrest these two villains. They use innocent monkeys as burglars. Me and Jem put the treasure nearby for evidence.
Mr Otterbank said, "Now, let's get out of here before that policeman comes to his senses."
Nobody had to be told twice. We jumped into the van, and Mr Otterbank drove off.
He didn't say much as he drove. It seemed like he was busy thinking.
And when he saw lots of little figures in badly-fitting shoes and clothes hurrying back to Monkey Land, he slowed down and became even more thoughtful.
He stopped outside his house and turned to Dad. "Otis," he said, "I am going back to bed. Please make sure that all the things you borrowed are left on my doorstep. And the keys, too. Goodnight."
And he went inside.
"Well," said Mum surprised. "I thought he'd be more cross than that."
Next morning in Monkey Land was pretty much like any other, as far as the visitors were concerned. But for the monkeys there were a lot of stories to be swapped. And everyone wondered what Mr Otterbank would do.
Clifton Moke said he expected Mr Otterbank would build an electric fence.
Jem's friend, Crystal, said it was more likely he would dig a moat and fill it with crocodiles.
But I knew Mr Otterbank wasn't like that at all. I was right. About a week later, several big plastic bags of old clothes appeared by the tyre tree.
And on a twig was a newly cut set of keys and a note which said: Use these wisely.
Of course, a meeting had to be held about what this might mean. Everyone gathered at the tyre tree.
Milton Grizzlefur sat high up in his tyre, scratching himself and waiting for silence. At last he began to speak.
"Mr Otterbank is the best human who ever lived," he told us. "He realizes we are not ordinary monkeys. He knows we need to see the outside world from time to time... And it looks like he's given us permission to do so. But listen to me, monkeys. We have to be much more careful in future." "You can say that again," I muttered.
Later I went for a nap in my favourite tree.
"You know," I thought to myself, as I was falling asleep, "the outside world's all right, but... yawn... really, there's no place like home."
I don't like zoos or animal parks. I always feel so sorry for the animals that I want to let them out... Luckily, the monkeys in my story don't need me to do that for them. They are clever enough to get out all by themselves.
Although, now I come to think about it, the idea of meeting a monkey on a bus or in a supermarket might be rather alarming!
It was a sunny afternoon in Volcano Valley. The dinosaurs had met next to the lake. They were going to play boulder ball. Steggs and Tricky were the team captains.
"I want to be a captain," squeaked Cosmo. He was the smallest dinosaur.
"Don't be silly," laughed the others. "You're not big enough."
"It shouldn't matter how big I am! said Cosmo.
The dinosaurs stood in a line.
The captains picked teams.
Cosmo and Patty were picked last. Nobody wanted them.
Cosmo was too small.
The captains chose a boulder.
Then the game began.
Cosmo and Patty tried to get the boulder. They tried very hard.
Patty ran after it. But she was too slow. Someone else always got there first.
Cosmo could get to the boulder. But he was too small. He couldn't move it -- no matter how hard he tried. The other dinosaurs laughed at him.
"It's not fair," said Cosmo. "If I were captain, I'd choose a small boulder. One that everyone could play with."
Just then, a dreadful roar echoed across the valley.
"Oh, no!" wailed Steggs. "It's Tyro!"
Tyro was a terrible tyrannosaur. She was always gobbling up other dinosaurs.
"Quick!" shrieked Tricky. "We'd better hide -- or she will eat us."
The dinosaurs ran off. Patty and Cosmo were left by the lake.
Patty was very scared. She was too big to hide and too slow to run. Her large eyes filled with tears.
"Don't wait for me, Cosmo," she said sadly. "You had better go and hide."
Cosmo was scared too. But he stuck by his friend and thought fast.
Shake, Rattle, and Roar!
The ground shook and the lake shivered as Tyro stomped into the valley.
Her mouth and claws were dripping with blood.
She had already eaten two megalosaurs that morning.
But they were just a snack.
Now she was ready for a proper meal. "DINNER TIME!" she roared.
Tyro arrived at the lake, but there was no one there. Even Patty had disappeared!?
Tyro was not stupid. She knew the dinosaurs were hiding. And she knew how to find them.
"What shall I have to eat?" she said, as if thinking out loud. "A juicy iguanodon? Or a fat triceratops?
No! What I REALLY fancy is a crunchy STEGOSAURUS!"
The dinosaurs were hiding behind a pile of rocks.
Steggs heard Tyro say that she was going to eat him. He was very, very scared.
He trembled so much that the plates on his back were rattling.
"Shush," whispered the other dinosaurs. "Tyro will hear you."
But it was too late. Tyro was already coming towards them.
Tyro had almost reached the pile of rocks, when she heard a squeaky voice.
"Hey, SWAMP-BREATH! If you want to pick on someone, why not pick on me?"
Tyro looked round and saw Cosmo. He was dancing up and down next to the lake.
"Don't be silly," snorted Tyro.
"I wouldn't waste my time chasing you. You are only a little mouthful."
And she turned back towards the rocks.
Tyro had almost found the other dinosaurs, when Cosmo called out again.
"You tyrannosaurs are all the same," he said. "If someone stands up to you -- you run off with your tail between your legs."
Tyro stopped in her tracks.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" she snarled.
"You heard me," yelled Cosmo.
"You're a SCAREDY-SAURUS!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" shouted Tyro "I'll show you who's a scaredy-saurus."
The tyrannosaur swung around and stormed towards the lake.
Cosmo did not look frightened. But he was just pretending. He was really very scared.
Tyro's huge jaws swooped down.
It looked as if he was going to be snapped up! He was going to be chewed into a thousand soggy pieces! 
But Cosmo didn't run away!
At the last moment, Cosmo jumped backwards into the lake.
He landed on a small island, close to the shore.
"Come on, CLUMSY-CLAWS," he yelled. "Come and get me. If you dare."
Tyro hesitated. She didn't like water. But the island was very close to the shore.
"Hey, FOSSIL-FACE. What's the matter?" shouted Cosmo. He waved his tiny fists. "Are you a scaredy-saurus after all?"
That settled it.
Tyro wasn't going to be called any more names. She charged into the water and waded towards the island.
The other dinosaurs peered out from their hiding place. They were amazed by what was happening.
"What does Cosmo think he's doing?" asked Tricky. "Has he gone mad?"
"And where is Patty?" asked Steggs.
Tyro thrashed through the water towards Cosmo.
The little dinosaur was still laughing. The more Cosmo laughed, the madder Tyro got. She was so mad, she didn't notice that Cosmo's island was MOVING. It was leading her further and further into the lake.
All of a sudden, Tyro was up to her neck in water.
"HELP! HELP! I CAN'T SWIM!" she shrieked.
"Oh, dear," said Cosmo. He wasn't scared any more. "I don't suppose you want my help. I'm only a little mouthful."
"PLEASE!" howled Tyro. "I'll do anything you want."
"Anything?" asked Cosmo.
"Anything," spluttered Tyro.
"Do you promise to leave our valley and never come back?"
"Yes! Yes! I promise," gurgled Tyro. She was desperate. "Just get me out of this water."
"All right, then," said Cosmo.
He stamped his foot on the island. Patty's head popped out of the water next to him.
Then, everyone realized what had happened.
Cosmo wasn't standing on a real island. He was standing on Patty's back!
That was how she had disappeared. That was why the island had been moving.
The other dinosaurs had come out from their hiding place. They were clapping and cheering.
Tyro felt terrible. And she hated being laughed at. She struggled to her feet.
Then she trudged out of the valley, without saying a word.
The dinosaurs thanked Cosmo and Patty for saving them.
"I thought I was going to be eaten," said Steggs.
"I would never have dared to lead Tyro into the lake," said Tricky.
"It was all Cosmo's idea," said Patty. "He's the one you should thank."
"Nonsense," said Cosmo. "I could never have done it without Patty. It was just good teamwork."
"Now, what happened to our game of boulder ball?" asked Cosmo.
"I think we should start again," said Steggs.
"With new captains," said Tricky.
"Someone who will look after their whole team," agreed Steggs.
"COSMO AND PATTY!" shouted all the others.
I made up this story when I was seventeen. I was asked to tell a dinosaur story at a cub-scout camp-fire.
Instead of using a story from a book,
I made one up and drew lots of large pictures to go with it.
The story worked well and, years later,
I wrote it down to make this book.
All day, every day, Dick stood and watched his master's pigs. And as he stood, he dreamed.
Dick dreamed of living in a place full of people and buildings, instead of pigs and trees.
One day, the squire's son came riding by. He looked down from his high horse and he asked Dick, "What are you staring at, Pig Boy? Have you never seen fine clothes from London before?"
"Please, sir, have you been to London?" asked Dick.
"Not yet," said the squire's son. "But I shall go to London next year to become a fine gentieman. Did you know that the streets of London are paved with gold?"
"With gold?" said Dick. "Wow!"
That evening Dick knocked on his master's door.
"What is it?" asked the farmer.
"Er," said Dick. "I've come to tell you that I'm leaving. I'm going to London." "To London?" said the farmer.
"Yes," answered Dick. "In London the streets are paved with gold."
"Indeed?" said the farmer with a smile. "Well, good luck to you, Dick. But remember that you can always come home if things don't work out as you hope."
The farmer gave Dick a few coins and his wife gave Dick some food to eat on his journey. Dick bundled his things into a cloth. Then he tied it onto his pig stick and set off.
After five days of walking, Dick came to the top of a hill and looked down on London at last.
"Oh, it is golden!" said Dick, because the sinking sun on the river made it look that way. "It's beautiful!"
Spires and turrets and sailing ship masts and flags spiked the sky within a great wall that hugged all around London.
Dick could hear church bells, their sounds all tumbling together. They seemed to be calling Dick to them.
Dick swung his stick over his shoulder and he ran the rest of the way.
Dick went through a gateway into streets crowded with houses and people and smells and sounds that were strange to him.
He looked down at the ground under his feet. "It's just ordinary cobblestones!" he said.
"Well, what were you expecting?" asked a man.
"Gold," said Dick.
"Gold?" laughed the man. "I can see that you've not been to London before. But you've chosen a good day to come. Watch what happens in these streets tonight. You'll see a sight as fine as any street paved with gold!"
The evening darkened. Bonfires and lanterns were lit. Then a grand and noisy procession began.
Dick pushed through to the front of the crowd to watch. There were archers and soldiers with breastplates glinting in the torchlight.
There were drummers and pipers. Trumpeters on horseback blasted sounds that Dick felt in his throat. He cheered with the rest of the crowd.
Last of all came rows of boys in fine cloaks. Dick pointed. "Please," he asked a woman. "Who are they?"
"Those are the apprentice boys. They are learning a trade," she told him.
"In a year or two, they will all be fine gentlemen."
"Like the squire's son," thought Dick. "And that's what I want to be! An apprentice"
"See that man there?" said the woman. She pointed to a man splendid in red and gold. "That's our Lord Mayor. He was an apprentice boy himself, once."
"Please, how can I become an apprentice boy and march with them?" asked Dick.
"You?" laughed the woman. "You can't. You're only a beggar boy"
In the days that followed, Dick earned a penny or two by helping to load and unload the ships.
He listened to the sailors' talk about India, Africa and China. He saw the fine silver and rich silks, and smelled the wonderful spices and sweet perfumes that came from these faraway places.
"I'd like to be a merchant, trading English wool for all these wonderful things," thought Dick.
Each night, as he settled to sleep beside the slap-slopping, salty, smelly river, Dick dreamed.
He dreamed of owning a big, beautiful ship and a warm home to come back to. Dreaming helped him to forget the rats that scrabbled for scraps in the mud.
One night, a sudden squeaking made Dick sit up. He saw two rats fighting fiercely. But then he saw that one of them wasn't a rat, after all.
It was a little cat.
She was fighting a rat that was bigger than she was.
"Leave her alone!" shouted Dick.
The rat twisted around to bite the cat on the neck. But Dick picked up his stick and he whacked the rat away.
Then Dick picked up the cat. He knew how to care for animals.
"Hey, hey, little Puss," he soothed.
He stroked her until her trembling turned into purrs and they curled up to sleep together.
The next morning, Dick woke nicely warm with the cat still on his chest. "Hello, Puss" he said. "Are you as hungry as I am?"
They went looking for food. The cat sniffed around the feet of the fish stall owners. But Dick dawdled, looking longingly at a pile of richly coloured silks and velvets.
"Do you like them?" asked the grand gentleman who stood by the stall.
Dick nodded.
"Are you hungry?" asked the man.
"I am, sir," said Dick.
"Then you may go into my kitchen and till Cook that I have sent you for a meal"
"Thank you, sir," said Dick with a bow.
Mr Hugh Fitzwarren's house was very grand. Cook was big and loud, clattering her pans in a kitchen hot with smoke and steam.
She gave Dick a piece of eel pie and sent him outside to the yard.
There were rats skittering amongst the empty barrels, looking for scraps.
"Do you want some pie?" Dick asked Puss. But Puss was busy, prowling and pouncing around the barrels.
She soon caught a big brown rat.
"Clever Puss!" said Dick, and he gave her a piece of his pie.
A scuffle and squeak later, and Puss was back with a second rat.
"Good Puss!" said Dick.
Just then, Mr Fitzwarren strode into his yard.
Dick jumped up and bowed low. Puss paced forward with her nose up high and dropped a rat at the fine gentleman's feet.
Mr Fitzwarren bent down to Puss and rubbed her behind her ears.
He said to Dick, "Your little cat is quite a hunter. We have too many rats. Will you sell your cat to me?"
"No, sir," said Dick. "She's not for sale."
"In that case," said Mr Fitzwarren, "Would you and your cat both like to work for me? I will pay you."
"Oh, yes, please, sir!" said Dick.
So Dick and Puss were sent to work in the kitchen.
Cook shut Puss outside.
"You go and catch them rats," she said.
Dick worked in Mr Fitzwarren's kitchen for many months.
He scrubbed vegetables and he plucked the feathers off birds.
He turned the spit over the roasting fire. He emptied the slops and he swept the floor.
Dick had a warm place to sleep in a corner of the kitchen. He had his friend Puss and plenty to eat, but it was hard work.
And Dick still dreamed of having his own ships that would sail the seas and bring things from across the world.
Cook scolded Dick for his daydreaming. "You're a useless good for nothing, Dick Whittington! Stop thinking of what will never be. Fetch that pan and be quick about it!"
But nobody can stop a person from dreaming.
One cold day, Puss jumped onto a window sill and saw Miss Alice Fitzwarren sitting beside a fire.
Puss slipped into the room and Alice took Puss onto her knee. Alice became good friends with Puss, and with Dick too.
"I won't always be a kitchen boy," Dick told her. "I want to be a merchant like your father."
"Then you'd better learn to read and write," said Alice.
She taught Dick to read and to write with a quill pen.
Cook was cross, of course. "Who do you think you are, Dick Whittington? Too high and mighty for honest kitchen work, now?"
Mr Fitzwarren seemed to think that Dick was.
"Dick," he said one day. "I need you and your cat to move into my warehouse. You must write down everything that comes and goes and keep a record of it.
And Puss can catch the rats that have been gnawing my fine fabrics."
So Dick moved his bundle of belongings to the warehouse by the river. Ships came and ships went. Dick kept a record of it all.
"We're quite grand now, aren't we Puss?" he said.
But suddenly things changed. Somebody arrived who knew that Dick wasn't grand at all.
The squire's son arrived to be Mr Fitzwarren's new apprentice. He wasn't pleased to find Dick already there.
"Dick is really just a pig boy," he told the other apprentices. He made piggy faces to make the other boys laugh.
"I'm not!" said Dick.
He took a step towards the squire's son The squire's son stepped back and tripped -- splat -- into the smelly river mud! Then the other boys laughed at the squire's son.
"Pigs like rolling in mud!" they said, as they pointed and jeerd at the squire's son.
The squire's son shouted at Dick, "I'll get you back for this, Pig Boy!"
Next day, Mr Fitzwarren's finest ship was due to sail.
"My ship, The Unicorn, is to go on a long voyage," he told everyone in his house. "She will sail to new places in search of new things to buy and sell. The Captain may find great treasure -or he may return home with nothing. He might even sink at sea."
Mr Fitzwarren continued, "Now, would any of you boys like to share in this big adventure? If you give something small to the Captain, he will try to trade it for you."
"Why don't you send something?" Alice asked Dick.
"I have nothing to send," he told her.
The squire's son knew how much Dick loved Puss.
"Every ship needs a cat, Pig Boy," he grinned.
"I've told you before," said Dick. "Puss is not for sale."
But after Dick had watched the ship slide slowly down the river to the sea, he couldn't find Puss anywhere.
"Puss!" Dick called in the warehouse. "Puss!" he shouted along the riverside.
Puss didn't come. But the squire's son did.
"Your cat's on the ship," said the squire's son "My friends gave her to the Captain for you, Pig Boy!"
"You stole Puss!"
Dick jumped at the squire's son.
They fought hard, wrestling and punching, but Dick won. Then he went back to the warehouse on his own and Mr Fitzwarren found him there.
"Is it true that you hit the squire's son, Dick Whittington?" asked Mr Fitzwarren. His face was red with anger. "Yes, said Dick. "But only because..."
"There is no excuse for that sort of behaviour!" said Mr Fitzwarren.
Dick was ashamed. He had let down the man who had given him a job and a home.
Dick was lonely too, without Puss.
"I can't ever become a gentleman now," he thought. "I'd best go back to being a pig boy for my old master, the farmer."
Dick packed his bundle and put it onto his stick. He swung the stick over his shoulder and he ran through the streets and out of London.
He didn't stop until he was in open fields.
Then Dick looked down on London and listened to the church bells, just as he had when he first arrived all those months before.
But this time, Dick knew where the bells were ringing from.
The bells from Bow Church seemed to be calling to him. Words came into Dick's head to fit their tune.
"That's true!" thought Dick.
"I may not be rich. I may not always be good, but I am as worthy a citizen as anyone!"
He remembered how Puss hadn't given up when the big rat attacked her. "And neither will I," thought Dick. And the bells agreed.
So Dick swung his bundle onto his back and headed back to London and the warehouse.
Months passed before Dick heard anything about The Unicom. The ship was waiting for the tide to bring her up the river to London.
"Please let Puss be safe on board!" thought Dick.
A crowd gathered to see the ship arrive. Dick helped to unload the bundles and trunks and baskets of goods.
"Please, have you seen my cat?" he asked again and again. But no one had time to think about cats.
That evening there was a feast at Mr Fitzwarren's house. Everyone was invited, even Dick.
Mr Fitzwarren told his apprentice boys, "There is something for each one of you in return for the goods that you sent on the voyage."
Dick watched as one by one the boys went up to get money and praise from the Captain. Last of all, the Captain called Dick.
"I have a story for you, young Dick," he said.
The Captain told a tale of a faraway land on the Barbary Coast of Africa.
He told of a grand king who gave a feast that was spoiled by rats.
"The rats stole all the food and there wasn't a cat in the place to sort them out," said the Captain.
"So I sent for Puss. She soon dealt with the rats, as you can imagine. None better! Then the king of that place said that he wanted Puss to catch all the rats in the kingdom."
Dick's hands clenched into fists.
But the Captain went on, "Look in that chest, Dick. There's your reward from the King."
Slowly, Dick lifted the lid off the chest. Then he stared in wonder at piles of pearls and topazes, emeralds and diamonds, gold and spices and silks that lay within.
"What do you think of that, then?" asked the Captain.
Dick shook his head. However much treasure lay in that chest, he would still rather have Puss back.
The Captain smiled. "I didn't sell Puss," he said. I sold her three kittens to the king."
"Kittens?" asked Dick.
The Captain laughed. "Your Puss grew plump on board ship and it wasn't from the mice and rats that she was catching."
The Captain continued, "One sunny evening in the southern seas, Puss settled on my bunk. When I went to bed, I found four fine kittens nestling at Puss's side!
So, Dick, you have your cat back and you have treasure to make you a gentleman. That's the neatest bit of trading I've seen in all my years!
I think that Mr Fitzwarren would agree."
"Yes, well done, Dick," said Mr Fitzwarren.
"Please, sir," said Dick. "Where is Puss now?"
Mr Fitzwarren pointed to Alice's room. "In there," he said.
Dick pushed the door and saw Puss, purring beside Alice.
Puss rose up on her toes and stretched and seemed to smile. She strode slowly across to Dick to rub against his legs.
"Puss!" laughed Dick, and he picked her up and cuddled her.
"And here's her handsome son," said Alice. She held up a kitten the colour of gold.
Dick gave the golden kitten to Alice. He sold the treasure. Then he paid to become Mr Fitzwarren's new apprentice.
In the years to come, Dick became a merchant with apprenties of his own. And ships too. And a comfortable home.
Dick and Alice married. Master Dick Whittington was made Lord Mayor of London three times over.
He wore red and gold and the crowds cheered for him.
So his dream did come true.
And who do you think told all who would listen that Master Whittington had been his friend since they were boys together?
It was the squire's son, grown plump and bald and kind.
He would boast how he had known that grand man Dick Whittington, from the time they both lived in the same village.
And Dick would put an arm around the squire's son and say, "I wouldn't have all that I do now, if it wasn't for you."
Which was true, when you think about it.
But Dick never forgot where he had come from.
Every Christmas he sent fine cloth to his old master, the farmer, and his wife.
He would sometimes visit old Cook in her kitchen. He let her scold him for not behaving like a gentleman when he sat and peeled the potatoes and listened to her grumbles.
Dick spent his money on hospitals and libraries, churches and schools for the poor of London. He gave them clean water and had drains made to take away the smelly filth.
And at the end of each day, Dick would sit with a cat on his lap and he would listen to the evening bells.
"Listen, Puss," he would say.
"Can you pick out Bow Bells from that jangle?"
And one of Puss's children's children would open an eye and twitch her ears and hear.
Then she would purr happily.
And Dick Whittington would feel like purring, too.
I've always loved the story of Dick Whittington as a pantomime at Christmas -- except for one thing. I don't like Dick selling his good friend, the cat, in exchange for his fortune. So I've put that right in my version of the story!
There was a real Richard Whittington who became Lord Mayor of London three times, almost seven hundred years ago.
He didn't start life as a poor pig boy and may not even have had a cat. But stories don't have to be true to be good!
Dick Whittington dreams of the great city of London, with its streets paved with gold. He dreams of being a rich merchant too. Some people laugh at a "pig boy" having such ideas. But maybe his friend the cat can help Dick's dreams come true...
Chapter 1: Everyone's Favourite little Monster
"Oh, Denzil!" cried his mother, when he flicked chicken curry, SPLAT! over her best dress.
"Denzil, you are disgusting!" said his father, when he squirted tomato ketchup, WHOOSH! over the table.
And they both smiled at him admiringly.
Denzil felt proud. He knew he was disgusting. People often told him so.
"Denzil, you're the most disgusting little monster in Monster City," they said.
Every morning he stared happily at himself in the mirror.
His hair was spiky, his nose ran and his mouth dribbled.
No wonder his mother and father adored him.
No wonder his teacher, Miss Peabody, gave him lots of stars.
He was everyone's favourite little monster.
Until the day when it all began to go badly wrong.
It started like any other day, with a really mucky, yucky breakfast.
Denzil managed to get it all over everything.
"Good shot!" said Dad, taking a piece of black pudding from his left eye.
"Another winner!" said Mum. She picked up the piece of toast he had dropped, jam side down, on the floor. Denzil smiled proudly.
Suddenly, Mum turned pale. "Donovan..." she said. (Donovan was the name of Denzil's dad.) "Donovan, can you fetch my suitcase?
Quickly, please!"
Denzil didn't ask why his mother wanted her suitcase in the middle of breakfast. He was too busy slurping up his milk. Slurp, slurp, guzzle, BURP!
"Did you hear that, Mum?" he boasted.
But his mother didn't tell him how clever he was, like she usually did. She just said, "Go to school, Denzil." And she pushed him out of the house, without even kissing him goodbye.
Puzzled, he made his way to school.
There, to his relief, things got better again. The first lesson was Mucky Jokes. He told a joke about a monster who sat on a plate of mouldy cheese.
The other little monsters fell about laughing.
"Oh, Denzil," said Miss Peabody. "That was the most disgusting joke I've ever heard!" She gave him four red stars, the highest mark you could get.
The rest of the day wasn't bad, either. In the art lesson, they had to do a self-portrait. "That means you have to paint yourself," explained Mr Boggis, the art master.
So Denzil painted himself all over in red and yellow stripes.
And, in the music lesson, he blew his nose so loudly that everyone thought there was an earthquake.
Yes, it was a very good day!
Until he went home and Dad told him he had a new baby sister.
Her name was Devora.
Dad took Denzil to see her at the hospital. She lay in a cot beside Mum's bed. "Come and look at her," said Mum. "Little Devora. Isn't she sweet?"
The baby had a bald head, a scarlet face, a blobby nose and screwed-up eyes. Yes, thought Denzil, she was rather sweet. But he wasn't going to say so.
Mum and Dad were gazing at her and making silly goo-goo noises.
"Who's Daddy's pride and joy, then?" cooed Dad.
Pride and joy? Denzil was shocked and hurt. That's what Dad had always called him. Yet, the baby had done nothing to deserve such praise.
Nothing at all. It just lay there, like a -- well, like a baby.
Suddenly she yawned -- a yawn so enormous that Denzil stepped back hastily.
The baby's mouth was like a deep, red cavern.
He had never seen a mouth so huge. It seemed about twice the size of the rest of her body. Yet, when she shut it again, it looked quite normal.
"Give her to me," said Mum. "I want to hold her."
Gently, Dad lifted the baby out of the cot. He placed her in Mum's arms. The baby opened her eyes and smiled. Then she sicked up a whole lot of white stuff.
"What a clever girl!" cried Dad. "I reckon she's going to be even more disgusting than Denzil."
A cold, clammy fear took hold of Denzil. He stared at his baby sister.
Devora dribbled and coughed. Then she yawned again, showing her toothless gums in an awesome display of disgustingness. Was she really going to be worse than him?
"Little Devora," said Mum, tenderly.
From the moment Devora came home from the hospital, Denzil's life changed. The baby was all that anybody wanted to look at.
"Isn't she amazing!" they cried. "Isn't she gorgeous!"
Nobody took any notice of Denzil, at all.
And Devora put on a real show for them. She was disgusting at the top end, forever dribbling and blowing raspberries. And she was even more disgusting at the bottom end. Well, it's probably better not to say what happened at the bottom end.
Even Denzil had to admit that it was far more disgusting than anything he could do.
"Denzil, would you like to hold your baby sister?" offered Mum.
"No, thanks," he said.
"Go on, take her," said Mum. "She won't hurt you."
She put the baby into his arms. Denzil stared down at Devora. Devora stared up at Denzil. Then she opened her mouth and screamed.
Now, when Devora screamed, it was worse than when she yawned.
She made the most terrible noise, and her mouth was so huge that you could see right down to her stomach.
At least, that's how it seemed to Denzil.
And he was scared. He was so scared that he wanted to run away.
Yet, he couldn't. He just sat there, staring into the large red hole that was Devora's mouth.
Mum laughed. "Oh dear, I expect she's got a dirty nappy. You can help me change her."
Denzil was stunned into silence. When it came to disgustingness, Devora beat him every time.
How would he ever make people notice him again?
Denzil thought and thought.
He had to think of something brilliant. Something that would make Mum and Dad take notice of him again. At last he had an idea.
He went into the garden and collected the biggest, fattest, ooziest slugs that ever lurked under a stone.
Not snails, they weren't disgusting enough. He took them into the living room and tipped them on to the carpet.
"Look what I've got," he said, proudly.
No one bothered to look. They were too busy gazing at Devora. She was lying on a blanket, kicking her legs and gurgling wetly.
"LOOK WHAT I'VE GOT," said Denzil in a louder voice. "Slugs Masses of them. Lovely oozy, boozy, woozy slugs."
Mum glanced at them briefly. "Very nice," she said, and went back to admiring Devora.
"Look, Dad," said Denzil. "They're leaving a slimy trail all over the carpet."
"Mmm," said Dad, and went back to admiring Devora.
Denzil sighed sadly.
Then Devora saw a slug slithering across the carpet towards her. A look of wonder and delight came over her face. She waited until the slug came closer. Then, quick as a flash, her fat little hand shot out.
She grabbed it.
"Oh, look!" said Mum. "She likes them. Go and find her some more, Denzil."
Sadly, Denzil went back outside. His plan had failed. Once again, Devora had beaten him.
What next?
At the bottom of the garden was a pond. It was a truly mucky pond, full of weeds and stinking slime. Denzil drew a deep breath and waded in with all his clothes on.
Then he waded out again. He stood on the bank, dripping wet and covered in smelly, green slime.
Disgusting!
Proudly, he went indoors. "Look at me. I fell in the water," he said.
This wasn't true. But he didn't want to admit that he had walked into the pond on purpose.
Dad sniffed the air. "What's that lovely pong?"
Denzil puffed out his chest. "It's me!" he boasted.
"No, it's Devora," said Mum. "Her nappy needs changing again."
Denzil's shoulders sagged with disappointment.
At that moment, Devora saw him. She smiled and held out both her arms.
"Oh, the little love!" said Mum. "She wants you to pick her up, Denzil."
"I don't think it's Denzil she wants," said Dad. "It's that fish poking out of his pocket."
Denzil looked down. Sure enough, there was a large, slippery, slithery fish sticking out of his pocket. It must have got there while he was wading through the pond.
He pulled it out and stared at it.
Devora chuckled with delight. She got up from the floor and staggered towards him.
"Her first steps!" cried Mum.
"Give her the fish, Denzil," said Dad. "She deserves a reward."
But Denzil didn't have time to give her the fish. She had already snatched it out of his hands. Next moment, she opened her huge mouth. She dropped the slimy, slippery fish inside.
Then she snapped her mouth shut and swallowed hard.
Denzil couldn't speak. He had never felt so disgusted in his life.
"Her first real food!" cried Dad. "She's growing up fast. She'll be talking next."
Denzil's heart sank to the bottom of his squelchy boots. Every time he tried to be disgusting, Devora managed to be even more disgusting.
It was hopeless. Nothing he could do would ever make his family admire him again.
Sadly, he turned around and walked out of the front door.
Nobody even saw him go.
Sadly, Denzil trudged along the street.
"Hello, Denzil," called out Mrs Wart. "I hear you've got a new sister. Congratulations!"
Denzil couldn't even manage a smile. He shrugged and walked on.
"Hello, Denzil," called out Miss Peabody, his teacher. "I hear your baby sister's growing up fast. She'll soon be ready to come to school."
Denzil opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. The thought of Devora coming to school was too awful. Bad enough having her grab all the attention at home, without having to compete with her at school as well.
He shrugged and walked on.
"Hi, Denzil!" called out Sickening Susan, who sat next to him in class. "You are lucky, having a new baby sister. I wish I had one."
"You can have mine," was what he wanted to say. But he didn't. He just shrugged and walked on. At last he came to the park.
He sat down on a bench.
Two large tears rolled down his cheeks. He was no longer the most disgusting little monster in Monster City. Only the brother of the most disgusting little monster in Monster City.
Someone came to sit beside him. Denzil brushed away the tears.
Mustn't let anyone see him crying.
Then he realized who it was: Boastful Bertha. She was holding on to a pram.
Not another baby! Denzil had had quite enough of babies, thanks very much. He got up to go.
"Look, Denzil," said Bertha. "This is my baby brother. Isn't he disgusting?"
Denzil glanced at the baby in the pram. It looked a pretty boring sort of baby he thought.
"Not as disgusting as my baby sister," he said.
The baby sicked up something revolting and green.
"Look at that," said Bertha. "He's been eating grass. I bet your baby sister doesn't eat grass."
"She eats fish," said Denzil. "Raw." The baby screwed up his eyes and made a very rude noise.
"He's got wind," said Bertha. "I bet your baby sister doesn't make noises like that."
"When my baby sister has got wind," said Denzil, "everyone runs out in the street. They think there's a war going on."
The baby's face turned red. He opened his mouth and screamed.
"I bet your baby sister can't yell as loud as that," said Bertha.
"When my baby sister yells," said Denzil, "you can hear her a hundred miles away And when she opens her mouth, it's so big you can see right down to her stomach. Her mouth is bigger than a shark's. I bet she could swallow a whole person if she wanted to."
Bertha stared at him. "That's impossible."
Denzil shrugged. "Come round to our house and have a look."
"When?"
"Now."
Denzil set off. Behind him, he heard the pram wheels squeaking as Bertha followed him home.
"Hello, Mum," he called out, as he opened the front door. "Can Boastful Bertha have a look at Devora?"
"Yes, of course," said Mum. "Is that your new baby brother, Bertha? My, isn't he disgusting!"
"He's not so disgusting as Devora," said Denzil. And there was definitely a note of pride in his voice.
They entered the living room. A crowd stood around Devora, gazing at her admiringly. They made way for Denzil and Bertha, who was carrying her baby brother.
When Bertha's baby brother saw Devora, he opened his mouth and screamed.
Devora looked up in surprise.
Then she, too, opened her mouth and screamed.
Everyone drew back hastily, covering their ears. Bertha turned pale.
Bertha's baby brother stopped screaming. He clutched her tightly. Bertha stared down at Devora's huge mouth. It was getting bigger and bigger with every scream.
As soon as the other baby had gone, Devora stopped screaming. She closed her mouth and smiled. She looked up at Denzil and said in a hoarse, booming voice, "Den -- zil."
Everyone gasped.
"Listen to that!" cried Dad. "Her first word."
"I knew it wouldn't be long before she started talking," said Mum. "The little love."
Denzil nearly burst with pride. Devora was far, far more disgusting than Bertha's baby brother. And her very first word had been his name.
"Den -- zil," Devora said again, loudly and clearly. "Den -- zil, Den -- zil, Den -- zil." She held out both hands, waggling her short fat fingers.
"Look at that," sighed everyone. "How she loves her big brother!"
Dad looked puzzled. "I think she wants something," he said.
Denzil smiled. "Slugs, I expect," he said. "The others have all wriggled away. I'll fetch her some more." Happily, he picked up a cardboard box and went into the garden.
I've written stories ever since I can remember, but I was quite grown up before I had my first book published. That was about a dinosaur. Since then I've written about dogs, cats, snakes, iguanas and all kinds of creatures.
But I've never written about a monster before. So this is a story about a really, really disgusting little monster...
Denzil is everybody's favourite little monster. From his mucky breakfast in the morning, to his yucky supper at night, Mum and Dad are proud of him. Surely, Devora can't be more disgusting than he is?
Chapter 1: The Little Blue Book.
What about the things in this box, Dad?" asked Eric. "Shall I throw them out?"
Eric was at the zoo, where Dad was a zoo keeper. It was the summer holidays. He was helping Dad clear out some old cupboards.
"What are they?" asked Dad.
"Yuk!" said Eric "They're animals' ears! Loads of them!"
"That's disgusting!" said Dad. "Get rid of them!"
"Hang on. They're not real ears, Dad," said Eric, looking again.
He pulled out a pair of big, flappy elephant ears. They were made of grey cloth.
"Good, aren't they?"
He tipped the box on to a table. Lots more ears fell out.
"Someone made all these animal ears," said Eric, puzzled. "What for?"
Dad looked puzzled too. Then he said, "Wait a second. Is there a book with the ears? And a hat?
Eric picked a tatty blue notebook out of the heap of ears.
"Is this weird thing a hat?" he asked Dad. It looked like a swimming cap. "But why has it got two little horn things on it?"
"To fit the ears on, of course," said Dad.
"Dad! What are you talking about?" asked Eric, impatiently.
"All that stuff is really old," explained Dad. "It belonged to a zoo keeper who once worked here.
He believed in ear language."
"Ear language?"
"Look in the little blue book," said Dad.
Eric opened the book.
Giraffe Talk, it said. Three twitches with the left ear means: These flies are annoying me.
Eric turned to the next page.
Hippo Talk. Two twitches and a waggle of both ears means: Your water hole is dried up!
"I get it," said Eric, getting excited. "This zoo keeper thought animals talked to each other by moving their ears?"
"That's right," said Dad.
"And he thought he could talk ear language too!" said Eric. "If he put on this cap!"
He picked up the silly cap and fitted elephant ears on to it.
He pulled it on his head. "What are these strings for?" he asked Dad.
"To make the ears move, of course." Eric pulled a few strings.
"I can't see. Are my ears moving?"
"They sure are," laughed Dad.
"Those elephant lugs are flapping like mad! But you'll have to look in the little blue book to find out what you've just said."
"Now I can talk to the zoo animals," said Eric, thrilled. "After I've practised a bit."
Dad laughed. "I bet it doesn't work. It's a crazy idea."
"Oh," said Eric, dreadfully disappointed. "Shall I just throw them away then?"
"Might as well," shrugged Dad.
But Eric didn't throw anything away. He packed the ears and the cap and the little blue book back into the box. Then he took the box home with him.
For a whole week, Eric spent hours in his bedroom, secretly practising ear language. Then he went with Dad to the zoo.
"It might work," thought Eric. "You never know. It just might."
At the zoo, Dad went off to feed the monkeys.
"Now," murmured Eric, "who shall I talk to first?"
He began wandering round the zoo. He felt very nervous. Lots of the animals were big and fierce and wild. Would they want to talk to a small, weedy human?
The giraffes looked haughty. The lions were scary. The polar bears were asleep. At last, he stopped outside the elephant pen.
He put on the cap. He fitted on the big, flappy elephant ears.
"What shall I say first?" he thought.
He gave his ears four twists and two waggles. That meant, "I, a human child, have come to see you!"
The elephants took no notice. They carried on chewing leaves.
"Dad's right," thought Eric, sadly. "This ear language is rubbish!"
He gave it one more try.
"Hello!" he signalled, waggling his left ear. Nothing. None of the big elephants waggled "Hello!" back.
Then two baby elephants wandered up to the fence.
They were called Maya and Miko. Maya began waggling her ears. Three flaps, two left ear waggles.
"Does that mean anything?" thought Eric. He hardly dared to hope. He looked it up in his little blue book.
"Yes, it does!" he cried. He was thrilled. "An elephant is actually talking to me!"
"What is outside the big gates?" Maya was asking him.
"Outside?" thought Eric. "Does she mean outside the zoo?"
He frowned. He looked at the little blue book. It was a very hard question to answer. Ear language had no words for cars or crowds or busy roads.
There was a quiet little park just outside the zoo gates. But there was no word for 'park' in ear language, either.
Maya was getting impatient.
"Ah, here's something!" thought Eric. He'd found a word. It wasn't right, but it would have to do.
Flap, flap went his ears. "There is a jungle outside the big gates," Eric told the baby elephants.
Maya waved her trunk in surprise. "The jungle is so close?"
"Yes," answered Eric.
He thought of the little park. It wasn't exactly a jungle. But it did have a few trees. And Maya was never going to find out. She was a zoo animal. She was never going to go outside.
"I have heard about the jungle," Miko's ears told him.
"I, too," waggled Maya. "The old elephants tell us stories. The jungle is a wonderful place."
"It is freedom," added Miko, with a longing look in his tiny, bright elephant eyes.
"What are they saying?" thought Eric. He couldn't keep up. Their ears were flapping so fast they were just a blur.
Maya and Miko rushed off, still talking ear language. They seemed really excited.
"Maybe it's because they talked to a human for the first time!" thought Eric.
He felt much more confident now. He swapped ears. He felt like having a chat with the hyenas.
The hyenas told jokes about visitors. They laughed at them all the time. "Look at that silly man. His face is as red as a baboon's bottom!"
Eric talked with the timid gazelles, next. They seemed to worry a lot. Their ears twitched like mad as they told him, "We are afraid of the crocodiles. They might eat us all up!"
He even dared to have a word with the lions. They seemed very keen to invite him inside their cages.
"Come closer, human child!" waggled an old shaggy-haired lion. His eyes glittered greedily. "Come closer, so I may smell you."
"Er, sorry, I haven't got time," Eric told him. "I'm just off to see some potbellied pigs."
"Ah, pigs! I adore pigs," the lion replied, licking his lips.
"I'm really glad I didn't throw these ears out," thought Eric, as he rushed around the zoo. "It's brilliant fun!"
He felt as if he'd been talking ear language all his life!
Then, soon after, something strange happened at the zoo. Eric could feel it, as soon as he got out of Dad's car. The gazelles were skipping about. The hyenas were running round in mad circles.
"Why are they all so excited?" Eric wondered.
He headed for the elephant pen.
He had to ask Maya and Miko about it.
He fixed on his elephant ears.
Two flicks and a waggle meant: "What's going on?"
But Maya and Miko didn't run up to greet him.
Maya and Miko were far away, at the other side of their pen. Their grey ears seemed busy.
They had lots to say. But they were talking to the kangaroos over the fence, not to him. Eric felt rather left out.
"What are they saying?" he wondered.
He watched their ears. He could keep up now, no matter how fast they moved.
"Don't be silly," Maya was telling the kangaroos. "We elephants can't jump."
"No!" waggled Miko. "We will all find our own way out. The kangaroos can jump fences, the hyenas can dig under them. The elephants will use their strength to push the fences down!"
"And then," Miko told them, "we will all meet up outside the gates in the jungle. The jungle the human child told us about."
"We will all be free!" waggled Maya.
As Eric watched, he felt his heart grow cold. He suddenly realized what they were up to.
The animals were planning a mass break-out! And it was all because of him. He hadn't used the right words. He'd told them there was a jungle outside the zoo.
There were motorways out there. The animals would get run over. And where would they find food? There were no keepers to feed them outside the gates.
"I can't believe this is happening!" thought Eric, horrified.
He had to find out more.
He crept along the side of the elephant pen so he could see what Maya and Miko were saying. He felt like a spy.
"We will escape today!" they were telling the kangaroos. "Pass it on!"
Like Chinese whispers, the message spread all round the zoo. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Eric could hear the whoops as the monkeys got it. Then the roar as it reached the lions. Soon, the whole zoo was buzzing with news of the mass break-out. 
Suddenly, Maya saw Eric. "Hello, human child!" she flapped. "Did you hear what we said?"
"Yes," admitted Eric. He didn't want to lie to the animals. They thought he was their friend.
"We are very grateful to you!" said Miko. "You told us the truth. The jungle is so close! We cannot wait to get there. It is our dream!"
Eric took hold of the strings that worked his elephant ears. He wanted to waggle, "There is no jungle! You don't understand! It will be terrible out there. You could all die!"
But he just couldn't do it.
He couldn't spoil the animals' dreams. He let his hands drop.
"What is that kangaroo asking us?" asked Maya, puzzled. "I can't quite see."
Miko squinted through the fence with his tiny, elephant eyes. "He is asking, "Does the human child know about our plans? What if he tells the keepers? They will stop our escape!"
Miko looked angry. His ears flapped furiously. "We can trust the human child! He is on our side!"
Eric felt terrible. There was so much he should say, but he couldn't say any of it.
Eric trudged away from the elephant pen. His mind was in torment. What on earth was he going to do?
Dreadful thoughts were growing like monsters in his brain. He'd only thought about the animals, up to now. He hadn't thought about the danger to humans. What if the lions escaped? With a shudder, Eric thought of the sharp, yellow teeth of the shaggy -haired lion.
"I'm going to have to tell!" Eric decided. "I'm going to have to!"
He set off to find Dad. He was still struggling to make up his mind.
He passed the gazelles. They were skipping about in a frenzy. Their ears flickered, "We are going outside to the jungle. The jungle!"
"Oh, no," groaned Eric. "What if they get hit by cars? What if they meet the crocodiles?"
It was no good. He couldn't wriggle out of it any longer. He pushed open the door to the keepers' room. He knew Dad would be having his tea break.
"Dad," he said, in a small shaky voice. "I've got something really important to tell you."
At first, Dad didn't believe him.
He kept saying, "This is a joke, isn't it?" And Eric insisted, "No, no, honest, Dad, it isn't!"
But a keeper dashed in, shouting, "You'll never believe what's happening! Two gazelles and a kangaroo have just jumped over the fence!"
Then Dad began to believe it.
"Call out all the keepers!" he cried. "This is an emergency!"
The animals' escape was over before it began. The keepers saw to that. The two gazelles and the kangaroo were put back in their pens.
As the kangaroo was led back, he saw Eric standing with the keepers. His ears started waggling. Only Eric knew what he was saying: "We were fools to trust you, human child!"
The first gazelle twitched her ears angrily. "Traitor!"
And the second one told him, "None of us will ever talk to you again!"
On the way home, Eric told himself, "You did it to save the animals. You did it so humans wouldn't get hurt. You had to tell!"
The keepers thought he was a hero. But that didn't make him feel any better. The animals thought he was a big sneak. Eric felt really upset about that.
At home, Eric stood by the dustbin.
"I'm going to throw this ear language stuff away," he decided. It was useless. None of the animals would ever speak to him again. And, anyway, it had caused nothing but trouble.
He threw the elephant ears into the bin. Then the gazelle ears. Then all the other ears. At last, there was just one pair of ears at the bottom of his box.
"What are these?" he thought, lifting them out.
They were long and floppy. They were white and silky.
"Wait a minute, I know!" said Eric. He'd meant to throw everything away. But, instead, he ran down to the end of the garden.
Fluffy, his pet rabbit, was out in her run.
Eric searched through the little blue book. He found the page headed Rabbit Talk.
He just couldn't stop himself. He fitted the ears on to the hat. He put the hat on his head. Three waggles and two flicks meant, "What is your favourite food?"
"Dandelions," Fluffy told him, blinking her pink eyes.
"And what do you like doing best?" waggled Eric.
"Sunbathing," answered Fluffy.
"At least I've still got one animal to talk to!" thought Eric, happily.
Talking to your pet rabbit wasn't as exciting as talking to lions and elephants.
"But I've had enough excitement for one day," thought Eric.
I seem to have learned a lot about ears lately.
The other day, my husband, Phil, told me his mum could waggle her ears not just both at once, but one at a time. Then I read about a scientist who made a cap with animals ears fixed to it, so he could "talk" to animals.
With all these fascinating facts about ears buzzing around in my brain, I just had to write a story like Eric's Talking Ears.
"Talking to animals?
With home-made ears?
What rubbish!" says Dad.
But Eric wants to talk to the zoo animals. He opens the little blue book. He waggles his ears...
It can't work. Can it?
Four Foofs in a Field.
A Problem for Charlie
Farmer Skiboo called Charlie to help with the bull.
Charlie looked at the bull.
The bull looked at Charlie.
The bull didn't think much of Charlie.
"Get the bull out of this field, Charlie," said Farmer Skiboo. "But don't wreck my hedge when you do it!"
"Right!" said Charlie.
Charlie looked at the bull and the hedge. The hedge was quite small.
The bull was a whole lot of bull.
"Well, here goes, I suppose!" Charlie said.
He crawled in under the bull.
The bull looked in under himself. He saw Charlie there...
He still didn't think much of Charlie.
Charlie tried to stand up.
He had the bull on his back.
He was trying to lift the bull over the hedge.
Charlie puffed and he pulled. He couldn't budge the old bull.
"Ned!" Charlie said. "Give me a hand with this bull."
Ned took one end of the bull.
Charlie stood at the other.
They puffed and they pulled.
They still couldn't budge the old bull. "Send for Bert and Sid," Ned told Charlie.
Bert and Sid came, and they each took a leg of the bull.
"ONE, TWO, THREE, LIFT."
And they puffed and they pulled, but they couldn't budge that old bull.
They sat down to think.
The four fools looked at the bull.
The bull looked at the fools.
The bull didn't think much of the fools.
"We could dig a bull tunnel, under the hedge," Charlie said.
Nobody wanted to dig. "We're stuck with that bull!" Charlie said.
Small Anne to the Rescue
Along came Farmer Skiboo's daughter, Small Anne.
"I know how to do it!" she said.
Small Anne opened the gate.
She LED the bull out of the field, without touching the hedge.
She closed the gate.
She patted the bull on the head.
Then Small Anne walked away whistling.
Ned, Bert, and Sid beamed at the bull. But Charlie stood scratching his head.
"What if Farmer Skiboo wants that bull BACK in the field?" Charlie said. "How can we put the bull back without busting the hedge?"
"I dunno..." sighed Ned.
"Me neither!" sobbed Bert.
"Forget it!" said Sid.
Then...
"GOT IT!" Charlie said. "If he wants the bull back in the field, we just send for Small Anne."
And that's what they did.
Faithful Dog Tom has woken up Farmer Skiboo. It is the middle of the night, but all the farm animals think it is morning. Have they gone mad?
Just for a Minute.
Does your grandmother tell you that children were always good when she was young? Maybe, maybe not. That's all I'm saying -- but read on.
This happened a long time ago when my grandmother was young.
I'm going to tell you about Mary-Anne.
She was a lively sort of girl. On Sundays she could look like a little angel. She wore coloured ribbons in her long, dark hair.
On other days, she lost her ribbons and her hair stood on end.
She wasn't an only child. She had three brothers and two little sisters. There was a big sister, too.
Oh! I nearly forgot the new baby.
So that was eight children.
No wonder their mother was always busy. This meant Mary-Anne often did things without asking her mother first.
If you promise not to copy her, I might just tell you about the time Mary-Anne got the cat mixed up with the new baby.
The new baby was very new. It slept a lot. It screamed a lot as well. To tell the truth, it was often quite smelly. Mary-Anne didn't like it much.
She also had a cat. That was quite new, too. The cat slept a lot as well. It never screamed and it was lovely and furry.
Mary-Anne thought Muffin the cat was much nicer than the baby.
One morning, there was just Mary-Anne and her mother at home. Mother was upstairs with the baby.
Mary-Anne was supposed to do the potatoes for dinner but the sun was shining.
It looked so nice outside. Perhaps she could go into the yard first.
Just for a minute.
The big pram stood in the yard. Prams in those days were like carriages that horses pulled. They were high and had bouncy springs.
Mary-Anne touched the pram. It bounced. She took the brake off and pushed it a little way.
Soon, she was parading up and down the yard, pushing the pram.
As she passed the gate for the third time, she heard a scuffling noise on the other side. An eye was looking at her through a knothole in the fence.
The latch rattled and lifted and a boy came in. He wasn't like Mary-Anne. He was very tidy.
"You're not allowed to touch the pram," he said.
"It's supposed to be your tongue, silly," said Josh. "Can I have a push?"
Mary-Anne let him. After all, whatever it looked like, Josh was her best friend.
Josh took a turn with the pram. It was boring, pushing an empty pram. "We need a baby/' said Josh.
"Not ours," said Mary-Anne.
The baby's clothes were dancing on the washing line.
Mary-Anne looked at Muffin, then she looked at the little bonnet and lacy shawl.
Josh looked, too.
"I'll tell,' he said but he took away the prop so Mary-Anne could reach the bonnet and shawl.
Mary-Anne wrapped Muffin in the shawl and laid him in the pram. Then she put his bonnet on and tied it carefully under his chin.
Muffin closed his eyes.
Mary-Anne and Josh looked at each other.
"Open the gate," said Mary-Anne. "Muffin needs to go for an airing. It's good for him. All babies need to be aired. Mother said so."
And they pushed the pram out into the street.
Mary-Anne and Josh paraded down the High Street, pretending to be grown-ups. They stopped and looked in the windows.
"Where shall we go?" asked Josh.
"Well," said Mary-Anne. "Mother always goes past the butcher's, past the greengrocer's and into the sweet shop."
"She never does!" replied Josh. "She goes into all the other shops and straight past the sweet shop."
They waved to the greengrocer.
He came out of his shop and stood by the fruit and vegetables.
"Doing the shopping?" he asked. "Yes," said Mary-Anne, "and airing the baby."
"Helping your ma," nodded Mr Green. He smiled at someone behind them. "Good morning, Mr Burton."
Mary-Anne and Josh looked at each other.
Mr Burton was Mary-Anne's Uncle Henry! He might know that Mary-Anne was not allowed to take the new baby out on her own. He might look in the pram.
Mr Green came over to them and put his hand on the pram handle.
"Here's two good little children,' he said. "Your niece is helping her Ma to look after the baby."
"Is she now!" said Uncle Henry.
Both men bent over and looked in the pram.
"What the...?" gasped Mr Green. "Mary-Anne!" said Uncle Henry. "What have you been up to?"
Both men started to laugh.
"Your new nephew will have to start shaving quite soon. Look at those whiskers."
"Good head of hair, too," said Uncle Henry. "Takes after me."
They laughed again and Uncle Henry gave them a penny each.
"Thank you, Uncle Henry," said Mary-Anne in a little, polite voice.
Mr Green picked out two apples and rubbed them on his apron.
"Here you are. Do call again."
"Thank you, Mr Green," they said.
They looked at each other. Then they both looked at the sweet shop.
They parked the pram and stood gazing in the window.
They took ages to choose. Sweets did not come in packets in those days.
They were in big, glass jars.
Josh chose the humbugs in the end and Mrs Munns weighed him out a pennyworth into a little cone of paper. Mary-Anne chose a big stick of barley sugar.
As they left, Josh tripped over the step and nearly swallowed his humbug. Mary-Anne had to give him a big thump on his back.
They strolled away down the road. They were very happy.
Muffin snored gently in his pram outside the shop.
They had forgotten him!
They did not talk much as they walked along. They were too busy sucking their sweets.
As they turned towards the park, a woman bustled towards them.
"Oh no!" cried Mary-Anne, "There's Mrs Belling. She'll want to see the baby."
"Don't worry," replied Josh calmly, "she never has her glasses."
"That's true," agreed Mary-Anne, but she still felt something was wrong.
They both turned and ran back the way they had come. Their boots clattered on the pavement.
Outside the shop, the pram was still there, just as they had left it. They peered inside and Muffin was still asleep.
As they began to push the pram again, Mrs Belling came round the corner.
"My dears! How lovely. You're taking the new baby for a walk. What's the little angel's name? What does he weigh? Who does he look like?"
"His name is Muffin," said Josh.
"He hardly weighs anything," said Mary-Anne.
"He looks like his mother," said Josh. "With bits of his father," said Mary-Anne.
Mrs Belling smiled. "You funny little things. I'll just peep. I won't wake him." She leaned forward and looked under the hood.
She drew back. She looked again. The she fumbled in her bag.
She had one last look in the pram. Then she turned and hurried away up the street without saying goodbye.
"She didn't seem to mind,' said Mary-Anne. "I hope she doesn't tell Mother."
They walked on to the park.
On the round bandstand, men in uniform were playing a march.
Mary-Anne and Josh stopped to listen. They tapped their feet. They waved their arms. It was no good, they had to march.
This time, they did not forget Muffin. Mary-Anne pushed him round and round the bandstand in time to the music.
They were enjoying themselves so much, they didn't see someone watching. A face peered out of the bushes.
It was a dirty face. They didn't see him, but he certainly saw them.
Mary-Anne and Josh were out of breath. They sat, puffing, on the grass.
A nursemaid came along, pushing a very shiny pram. An older boy walked by her side.
Mary-Anne called to the nursemaid, "Can you tell me the time, please?"
"Nearly midday," answered the nursemaid.
"Help! Mother will skin me!" yelped Mary-Anne.
"Never mind him," cried Mary-Anne. "I've got to hurry home."
They pushed the pram down the path which ran between the trees. They hurried as fast as they could.
Josh looked at the bushes beside the path. "Can you hear something?" he whispered.
Mary-Anne listened. "Yes. There's something in the trees."
"It's following us," said Josh in a very quiet voice. "I think it's a big animal. I heard it sniff."
"Wolves!" said Mary-Anne. "They can smell us. They'll hunt us down."
"No, it's human!" yelled Josh. "Run!"
They flew down the path towards the park gate. But the rustling and crashing continued. It got faster, keeping up with them.
Mary-Anne and Josh kept their hands on the pram and their eyes on the gate. Only a little further...
Then a dark shape shot out of the bushes and stood in their path.
"Got you," it said.
It was the owner of the dirty face which had been peering out of the bushes at them. The rest wasn't too clean, either.
Harry's hair was even worse than Mary-Anne's. He had better things to do than worry about his hair. On good days, he looked like a hedgehog. On bad days, his hair looked like the brush they used to clean the school toilets.
"Go away, Harry Banks," said Mary-Anne.
In fact Mary-Anne rather liked Harry. He was more exciting to play with than Josh.
"Don't have to," said Harry. "It's a free country. What's in the pram?"
"It's the baby," said Mary-Anne.
Then she made a silly mistake.
She added, "but you can't look at it." Now, Harry Banks was not very interested in babies. Until that moment, he had not even wanted to see the baby.
"I can look at it if I want to," he said. "Anyone can look at a baby."
"Just can't look at this one," said Mary-Anne, very quickly. "This one is different." Which was true, of course.
"How is it different?" asked Harry, moving nearer.
Mary-Anne and Josh stood in front of the pram.
"We'd like to show him to you but it might be a shock," said Mary-Anne.
"You might faint," added Josh. "We'll be going now."
Harry stood in the middle of the path, looking puzzled.
"I'll pay you," he said at last.
Mary-Anne and Josh looked at each other. They smiled.
"All right," said Mary-Anne, "but be careful."
Harry handed over his marble. Then, very quietly, he crept up to the pram.
"Muffin is a baby," said Mary-Anne, setting off quickly towards the gate.
"Give me my marble back!"
Harry grabbed the pram handle.
Josh grabbed Harry's jumper. Harry was yelling.
Some kind of rocket shot out of the bushes. It was a barking rocket.
"Get 'em boy" shouted Harry.
"It's only your Nip," said Mary-Anne. Nip danced around, mad with excitement. He smelled something.
With a leap, Nip was on the pram.
Muffin had been woken up by the noise. He saw Nip. He exploded out of the shawl and landed on the path. They saw him streak out of the park gates, still wearing the bonnet. Behind him raced Nip, barking happily.
Harry set off behind his dog.
Josh was still hanging on to Harry's jumper.
Last of all, Mary-Anne ran along as well as she could, pushing the pram. Mary-Anne was really in trouble now!
Mr Green was arranging the piles of apples in his window.
"My goodness! A cat in a hat! It must be Mary-Anne's kitten,' he said, as Muffin flew past.
Then, "Josh and Harry in a hurry. What is going on?
Muffin ran as fast as he could but he was only a kitten. He could still hear Nip behind him, panting hard.
In front of him was a tree. He leapt onto the trunk. He scrabbled with his claws.
The next moment, he was perched on a high branch, looking down on Nip.
Nip sat under the tree and waited.
Harry and Josh arrived next. They were out of breath and cross with each other.
Mary-Anne and the pram arrived last. She was out of breath, too.
She looked up.
"Come to me, Muffin," cooed Mary-Anne. "You're quite safe now."
Muffin stayed where he was.
Mrs Belling had finished her shopping. She was with Mrs Whiting and they both saw the children.
"There's something strange about the Burtons' new baby," she whispered to her friend.
"Is there, dear? Surely not."
The Mrs Belling saw Muffin.
Mrs Whiting tried to calm her.
"Don't be silly dear. It's not a baby it's a kitten. What happened?"
Mary-Anne explained about Nip, and Mrs Whiting took charge.
"Harry, Josh, can either of you climb that tree?"
"Easy, peasy," said Harry, and he started to climb.
As he climbed, Muffin scrambled higher up the tree.
"I can't get any higher," said Harry. His voice sounded a bit wobbly.
"Now we've got Harry and Muffin up the tree," sighed Josh.
"Mary-Anne,' said Mrs Whiting, "Run and fetch Mr Green. Tell him to bring the shop steps."
Mr Green came running.
He put the steps under the tree.
He climbed to the top step and stretched and swayed.
He still couldn't reach either of them.
"Wait a minute," said Mrs Whiting. "The window cleaner does this street on a Tuesday. Run to the corner, Josh, and see if he's coming."
Josh returned with the window cleaner. He was carrying a very long ladder.
For some reason, he had a very big grin on his face. He set his ladder against the tree.
"Which shall I rescue first?" he asked. "The big creature or the pretty one?" Mary-Anne began to feel better.
The window cleaner almost ran up the ladder. He didn't mind the height at all. He guided Harry safely down.
"I could have done it if I hadn't got stuck," said Harry.
Mary-Anne felt sorry for him and gave him a piece of barley sugar.
The window cleaner climbed again.
This time he stayed under Muffin, making little cheeping noises and speaking softly.
Soon, he gently put out his hand and Muffin let him pick him up.
He buttoned the kitten into his jacket and brought him down.
Mary-Anne put Muffin back in the pram and the three children, followed by Nip, began to walk home.
It was rather a sad little procession.
Even Nip was quiet. Mary-Anne was worrying about what Mother would say. She still hadn't done the potatoes and it was so late.
Muffin, of course, slept on.
They turned out of the High Street into the narrow, cobbled lane.
When they reached Mary-Anne's gate, she opened it very quietly.
They crept in one by one, leaving Nip outside.
The yard was empty. The back door was still open but they could hear no sound.
"Mother's gone out to look for me," gasped Mary-Anne. "Now I'm in trouble."
"Go and check," said Josh.
Mary-Anne went indoors.
Josh took Muffin out of the pram and put him to sleep in the sun.
Then he gave the shawl and bonnet a good shake and pegged them back on the line.
Mary-Anne appeared in the doorway looking puzzled.
"They're asleep,' she whispered. "Even Mother! She's fast asleep."
"Get the dinner ready then," said Harry. Under his hedgehog hair, he had brains.
Very quietly, they peeled the potatoes and put a pot of water to boil on the big cooking range.
Mary-Anne was not allowed to put coal in the stove, so Harry did it. Soon, they felt the whole kitchen warming up.
They went outside again and stood looking at each other.
"Clean the pram," said Harry.
Mary-Anne fetched a brush and some dusters and they started to work on the pram.
Suddenly, above their heads, a window opened.
Mother was looking out of the window.
Mother came hurrying into the yard.
"Oh dear," she said, "I'm all behind this morning. Baby was crying all night and we both just fell asleep."
Then she realised they were cleaning the pram.
"Just helping out, Mrs Burton," said Harry.
"The dinner!" gasped Mother.
"The potatoes are on, Mother," said Mary-Anne. It seemed best not to say anything else.
"Wonderful,' said Mother. "I'll just heat the stew and there's some blackberry pie left. You must stay and eat.
Josh, run and ask your mother. Harry, what about you?"
"Ma's not in," said Harry, firmly. He liked stew and blackberry pie.
They sat round the big wooden table and tucked in. Their adventure had made them hungry but they were on their best behaviour.
"Now, what have you been doing today?" Mother asked.
"We went for a little walk," said Mary-Anne. "We met Mr Green."
"I hope you remembered your manners."
"We met Mrs Belling, too. She asked about the baby."
"How kind. What about you, Harry?" "Well Mrs Burton..." Harry was thinking quickly.
"That's excellent," said Mother, smiling. "So you all had lots to do."
"Not really," said Mary-Anne.
"Just the usual."
It was true, you know. For Mary-Anne, that sort of day was usual.
My grandmother was born in Queen Victoria's time. She was always complaining about me and my brother and sisters. "You modern children!" she would say shaking her head. "The way children behave these days!" Then she would tell us about what she used to do when she was little. I can tell you, we were angels compared with her.
This is one of her stories, and now I'm passing it on to you. I hope you enjoy it as much as we used to.
"Are monsters real?" said Nelly, looking up from her comic.
"Yes," said her dad.
"Well, I've never seen one," said Nelly.
"That's because they never go out," said her dad.
"Why don't monsters ever go out?" asked Nelly.
"Because they can never get a baby-sitter," said her dad.
Nelly thought about what her Dad had said. It certainly seemed to make sense. After all, her mum and dad never went out unless they could find a baby-sitter.
"I wouldn't mind being a monster-sitter," thought Nelly.
The next day, Nelly put an ad in the local newspaper.
It read: Monster-sitting. After school and weekends. Call Nelly.
That evening, Nelly was eating her tea when the phone rang.
"Hello," said Nelly in a bright and cheerful voice.
"Hullo," growled a monster in a deep, scary voice. "Can I speak to Nelly the monster-sitter please?"
"That's me!" said Nelly.
"We were wondering if you might monster-sit for us?" growled the deep, scary voice. My wife and I haven't been out since our lovely, furry baby was born. We'd so like to go to the cinema.
Can you help?"
"Of course I can," said Nelly. "Where do you live?"
"Number 42," said the monster.
"I'll be there in an hour," said Nelly. At 7 o'clock, Nelly knocked on the door of Number 42.
The door opened with a creak and a big red eye looked out.
"Are you Nelly, the monster-sitter?" asked the deep, scary voice.
"That's me!" said Nelly. "Can I come in?"
"Aren't you frightened?" asked the monster, "I'm pretty scary to look at."
"My dad says it doesn't matter how people look on the outside," said Nelly. "It's the way they are on the inside that counts."
"My name is Grit," said the monster. And this is my wife, Blob." Nelly looked down the hallway. A blue, shaggy monster with green, dangly earrings was approaching.
"Pleased to meet you,' said Nelly, shaking Blob's middle paw.
"Come and meet our daughter, Freeb," said Grit, leading Nelly into the lounge.
Freeb was doing a jigsaw on the carpet.
"She's very hairy isn't she?" said Nelly.
"Thank you," said Blob proudly.
"We think she's got her dad's eye, too."
Nelly sat down with Freeb and began looking for some edge pieces.
"O. K." said Nelly. "You go and have some fun. Please be back by 9.30."
The two monsters left Nelly with Freeb and came back at nine o'clock with a big tub of popcorn in their paws.
"This is for you, Nelly" said Grit.
"The film was really good," smiled Blob, "We've had a lovely time."
"So have I," said Nelly, kissing Freeb on the forehead.
"If you want to go out again, just ring me," said Nelly, waving goodbye.
The next evening, the phone rang again.
"Hello," said Nelly.
"Hillooo," said a growly, snarly voice. "Are you Nelly the monster-sitter?"
"That's me!" said Nelly. "Where do you live?"
"Number 76," said the monster.
"I'll be round at 6.30," said Nelly.
At 6.30, Nelly rang the doorbell of Number 76.
The door opened slowly and two large, spiky heads peeped nervously round the door.
"Hello," said Nelly "I'm Nelly the monster-sitter. Can I come in?"
Green, scaly fingers pulled the door open and Nelly stepped inside.
"I like your two heads,' said Nelly with a smile.
"Really?" said the monster. "We thought you might be frightened."
"Two heads are better than one, my mum always says," smiled Nelly.
The green, scaly, two-headed monster took Nelly inside to meet his yellow, scaly, two-headed wife and pink, scaly, two-headed daughter.
"Her name is Lump," said the green, scaly monster. "She loves building with play bricks."
"I'll see what we can build together, then!" chuckled Nelly.
The two monsters left Nelly with Lump and went to have some fun.
"Be back by 8.30," said Nelly.
At 8.15, the two monsters returned with a big stick of pink candyfloss in their hands.
"This is for you," said Lump's mum. "We've been to the fair. We've had a super time."
"I've had a super time too," said Nelly, kissing Lump on both foreheads.
The next evening, Nelly's phone rang again.
"Hello," said Nelly.
"Hellope," said a sucking, thwucking voice.
"Can you monster-sit for us, too please?" said the monster from Number 93.
"I'd love to!" said Nelly. "I'll be round at 7.15."
At 7.15 Nelly knocked on the door of Number 93. The door opened and a purple, rubbery head poked out.
"Are you Nelly the monster-sitter?" asked the monster with a suckery thwuck.
"That's me!" said Nelly. "Can I come in?"
They had thwuckery, suckery twins. "How can you tell the difference?" asked Nelly
The purple, rubbery monster opened the door and Nelly ' went inside to meet her purple, thwuckery husband.
"Blotch has a tiny, orange birth mark behind her fourth ear," said the monster mum lovingly. "And if you look closely, Bog's fourth eye is slightly greener."
"I'll remember that!" said Nelly. "You go and have fun. Be back by nine o'clock."
Just before nine o'clock, the monsters arrived home with a napkin full of mints.
"These are for you, Nelly.
We've been out for a meal and we've had a lovely time."
"So have we, haven't we, girls!" said Nelly.
Blotch and Bog gave Nelly a monster hug and Nelly waved goodbye.
The next day, Nelly had her own phone plugged into her bedroom.
All the monsters in the neighbourhood had heard about Nelly.
Nelly the monster-sitter was very much in demand.
On Monday, she sang songs to Curdle, the prickly baby monster at Number 16.
On Tuesday, she played hide-and-seek with Gunk, the slimy little monster at Number 7.
On Wednesday, she did some colouring with Grimp the half-hairy, half-feathery monster at Number 81.
On Thursday, she made muffins for Sludge, the slithery little monster at Number 38.
And on Friday, Nelly monster-sat the Squidlets at Number 2.
"I like being a monster-sitter," thought Nelly, happily.
It was Saturday evening at 5.45 when Nelly's phone rang again. "Hello," said Nelly.
"Hello," said a faint and whispery voice. "Are you Nelly the monster-sitter?"
"That's me!" said Nelly.
"Could you please, please, please monster-sit for us this evening?
We'd so, so, so like to go out and have some fun," croaked the voice.
"Of course I will. Where do you live?" said Nelly.
"Number 28," said the voice.
"I'll be round as soon as possible," said Nelly.
At 6.30, Nelly walked up the garden path of Number 28.
She pressed the doorbell. "I had no idea so many monsters lived in the street!" she smiled.
It was some minutes before Nelly heard footsteps shuffling towards the door.
The door handle turned and the door opened slowly. Two bloodshot eyes peered round the door at Nelly.
"Are you Nelly the monster-sitter?" said the voice.
"That's me!" smiled Nelly. "Can I come in?"
The door opened wide to reveal two, stooping, drooping figures.
They had two arms, two legs and one head each, just like Nelly's mum and dad.
In fact they didn't look like monsters at all.
Slowly and wearily they turned and shuffled down the hallway.
"My name is Paul,' whispered the man.
"My name is Caroline," groaned the woman.
Nelly followed them to the doorway of the lounge, where Paul lifted his arm weakly and pointed.
"And this is Rowan."
Nelly stepped into the lounge and saw a little boy. He was standing on the table with a play brick in his hand.
He looked at Nelly with wild eyes, growled like a lion and threw the play brick at her with a roar.
Nelly ducked as the play brick flew over her head and into the hallway 'That's not all he does," groaned Paul. "He screams, shouts, bites, kicks, scratches and punches."
"The only thing he doesn't do," said Caroline, "is sleep."
"Mmmm," smiled Nelly. "You go and have a lovely time, I'll be fine with Rowan.
"Are you sure?" said Rowan's mum and dad.
"I'm sure," smiled Nelly. "Can you be back by nine o'clock?"
Nelly watched Rowan's mum and dad leave the house. When they had turned the corner at the end of the street, she closed the door.
She scratched her head for a moment and frowned. She had never baby-sat a monster like Rowan before.
She thought really hard. She scratched her head three more times.
Then she made a few phone calls on her mobile.
She was just sweeping up a vase that Rowan had thrown at the wall when the doorbell rang.
Nelly answered the door.
"Hullo, Hillooo, Hellope, Hollollolloo, Nelly," said the monsters "How can we help?"
Monsters to the Rescue.
Nelly took the monsters into the lounge to meet Rowan.
When Rowan saw them he picked up a toy car to throw at them.
"I can throw bigger things than you." said Freeb, picking up the armchair with one hand. "But I much prefer to do jigsaws."
Rowan put the toy car down and growled.
"I can growl twice as loud as you said both of Lump's heads. "But I much prefer to play with bricks."
Rowan stopped growling and made some gnashy noises with his teeth.
"I could bite the roof off this house if I wanted to" said Bog. "But I much prefer to do potato prints."
Rowan stopped gnashing and kicked out with his foot.
"We can kick, big time," said the Squidlets, lifting up their seven legs, "but we much prefer doing drawing."
Rowan stopped kicking and sat quietly down on the carpet.
Nelly smiled and went to get some gel pens.
At 8.30, Rowan's mum and dad returned home.
"These are for you," said Rowan's mum, handing Nelly a big packet of plasters and some bandages.
"I don't need those," said Nelly with a smile. "Have you had a lovely time?"
"We've had a lovely, lovely, lovely time. We went to the library and sat in wonderful, wonderful, wonderful peace and quiet."
"We've had a lovely, lovely, lovely time too,' said Nelly, taking Paul and Caroline by the hand. She led them into the lounge.
Paul and Caroline looked at Rowan in amazement. He was sitting on the carpet doing a jigsaw.
When he saw his mum and dad he jumped up, ran to them with a smile and gave then a great big kiss and a giant hug.
"Rowan!" said Caroline "you're not a monster any more!"
"Nelly!" said Paul, "You're a miracle-worker, you're a marvel, you're an angel. You're the best monster-sitter in the world!"
Nelly smiled and blew them a monster kiss from the door.
"That's me!"
Is there a freckle on the back of your head? Are there faeries at the bottom of your garden? Are there gnomes living under your carpet? Are there goblins in your sock drawer? Are there monsters living in your street?
Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean that they're not there.
"Why don't monsters ever go out?" asks Nelly.
"Because they can never get a baby-sitter," says her dad.
Nelly decides that she would like to be a Monster-sitter. But how will she handle the monster of all monsters?
Robot Gets a Job.
The only space was next to Chelsea Carter. Robot didn't want to sit next to Chelsea Carter.
"Sit down, Robot," said his teacher,
Miss Turner.
Robot's real name was Robert. But when he was little, he couldn't say "Robert" properly. So he ended up as Robot. And now that's what most people called him. He sat down.
"We've got a special visitor today," said Miss Turner. "The Mayor's coming to see us!" She gave her warning look. "So you'll all be good, won't you?" 
Chelsea Carter smiled. She thought she was always good.
Miss Turner began to call the register.
Robot thought about the visit. A mayor sounded important. Like a king. Only with a gold chain instead of a crown. And a big car.
Chelsea Carter pushed Robot hard. "Wake up! You've got to say 'Yes, Miss Turner.'"
"That's enough Chelsea," said Miss Turner. "Leave Robot alone."
That told her, thought Robot. He smiled at Miss Turner. Miss Turner smiled back.
"I need someone to take the register. Will you do it, Robot?"
Robot could hardly believe his ears. She was asking him to take the register to the office!
Chelsea Carter couldn't believe her ears either.
"No," said Miss Turner. "This job is for Robot."
She handed him the register.
An important job! On his own!
Robot beamed.
Where is Everyone?
"Straight there and straight back," said Miss Turner.
Robot set off. He loved helping. It was easier than writing and number work. Mostly, he didn't get chosen. He'd never had an important job.
"Robert Weston!" barked Mrs Peters. "Stop making a noise in my class!"
It wasn't fair! He hadn't made a noise.
In the hall, Mrs Peters' class was round the piano. Robot tiptoed carefully.
His trainers squeaked.
The Head's room was empty. So was Mrs Gohill's office. It was spooky. Where was everybody?
Robot went through to the entrance hall. There was no one there. Just the fish, drifting round their tank.
Robot put the register on Mrs Gohill's desk. On her computer, a spaceship turned slowly. Robot gazed at it. He'd like one of those. And a telephone. And a special tray for paper clips and pens.
Robot suddenly felt scared. He shouldn't be there on his own. What if Mrs Mason, the Head, found him? He'd get told off! He dashed out of the office.
Robot skidded to a halt in the entrance hall. A lady and a man were by the fish tank. They had smart suits -- and enormous gold chains.
A Good Idea
"Hello," said the lady. "We wondered where everyone was. Let me guess. You're the caretaker."
Robot grinned. "She comes after school."
"You must be the Head, then!" said the lady.
Robot giggled. "No! I'm Robot."
The lady laughed. "Wonderful! A school run by a robot!" And she shook Robot's hand.
Robot tried to look grown up. But he didn't know what to say. She looked like his Nan. Except for the chain, of course.
He never had important visitors at home. Just people like Mrs Went from next door, and his Nan. They were always calling in for cups of tea.
Suddenly, he knew what to do. "Would you like some tea?" he asked.
"That would be lovely!" said the lady. "You show us the way."
In the big hall, Mrs Peters was playing the piano. Robot put a finger to his lips.
"We mustn't make a noise," he whispered. "Or Mrs Peters will tell us off."
He walked in time to the music, with his head up. Chelsea Carter had never had a job as important as this! The Mayors followed him.
In Robot's classroom, Miss Turner had her back to the door.
Robot went straight to the Home Corner.
Just then, Chelsea Carter shouted in her "I'm-telling" voice, "Miss Turner! Robert Weston's got two Mayors!"
Miss Turner spun round. The lady Mayor smiled.
"I hope you were expecting us? Robot asked if we'd like some tea."
She squeezed into the Home Corner and perched on a chair.
"If you're sure?" said Miss Turner. "Certain," said the lady Mayor.
And she told the man to sit down, too.
Robot dived into the cupboard. He found a teapot with no lid. He also found two saucers, a mug and a cup with a chewed handle.
Chelsea Carter pushed him out of the way. "You need the table cloth, silly." Chelsea Carter thought she was more important than anyone else in the whole world!
Miss Turner came over.
"Chelsea, Robot can manage." And she led Chelsea Carter back to her seat.
"I've got a teapot like that at home!" said the lady Mayor. "Can I pour?" And she helped Robot to make the tea.
Robot found a plastic number-work cake. And even the man said, "Mmmm... Delicious."
While they had tea, the lady told Robot about being a Mayor. And the children brought their work to show.
Suddenly Mrs Mason swept into the class. A man with a camera rushed along behind her.
The whole class stopped.
Mrs Mason was very red in the face! She took the lady Mayor by the hand.
"I'm SO sorry! I didn't know you'd arrived. Then this reporter turned up, and Mrs Peters told me..."
Mrs Mason gave Robert such a look!
"Robot's made us feel SO at home!" said the lady Mayor. "I think he should meet all your visitors. It's been our best visit ever!"
It was Robot's best day ever.
He found out that the lady was the Mayor. The man was her Deputy. Their chains weren't made of real gold. And the Mayors came in a Jaguar with a flag on the bonnet, and a driver in a peaked cap.
The lady Mayor wanted to have her picture taken with Robot. It was in the newspaper.
The paper said about Robot's name. And it said how much the Mayors enjoyed their visit, too. Miss Turner put it on the wall with a notice saying: "Robot's Special Day!"
And there wasn't a word about Chelsea Carter.
I'd been trying to write this story for ages, but I couldn't get it right. Then I remembered a boy I used to know, called Robot, who loved helping. And the story fell into place. I don't know anyone called Chelsea. But I've known a few children like her! As for important visitors... It helps if they like children as well as being important.
My husband Tony did the illustrations for the book.
Tromso was a tame troll. He lived in a village called Hoppings, at the bottom of a mountain. He was grey and very big.
Everybody liked Tromso. He was very helpful. If anybody asked, he would cut down a tree. Or build a wall.
To thank him, people gave him things to eat. What he liked most were cakes, bananas, bricks, cabbages, old chair legs, and jigsaw puzzles with pieces missing.
Tromso kept everything. He used the things to mend his house. And if he was hungry, he ate them.
Peter and Joy were Tromso's friends. Joy was Peter's sister.
One morning, Tromso was at their house, when the postman came.
Tromso saw the letters drop through the letterbox.
"What are those?" asked Tromso. "Letters," said Peter.
Tromso found the letters very interesting.
When he went home, he made a letterbox in his front door.
All the next day and the day after that, Tromso stayed at home. Peter saw him at the window and went to see him.
Tromso was sitting sadly on the floor, eating a brick.
"My letterbox doesn't work," said Tromso. "I made a letterbox to get letters! But they don't come."
"Oh, Tromso!" said Peter. "Somebody has to send you the letters!"
Peter ran home and wrote a letter.
He put his letter in an envelope, stuck on a stamp, and posted it.
The next day, Tromso came to Peter's house. He was grinning.
"I got a letter!" he said.
"Good!" said Peter. "Have you read it?" Tromso looked upset.
"I can't read," he said, sadly.
"I'll read it for you," said Joy. The letter said:
"I wish I could read," said Tromso.
"I know!" said Peter. "We'll teach you." "Yes, please!" said Tromso.
Everyone in Hoppings helped Tromso. They put up signs in the village.
Bit by bit, Tromso learned to read. He even learned to write his name.
But he took care not to eat the pencils.
One morning, a bright blue envelope fell through Tromso's letterbox.
There was a card inside. Tromso read it all by himself.
"Come to my birthday party at three o'clock on Saturday! Love, Peter."
Tromso was puzzled. He went to Peter and Joy's house.
"I read my letter," Tromso said.
"Didn't it make you happy?" said Peter. "I don't understand," said Tromso. "There are hard words in it. I know Sunday and Monday and those days.
What is 'birthday'?"
Peter told him about birthdays and parties.
"When is your birthday, Tromso?" he said.
"I've never had one," said Tromso sadly.
"You can share mine," said Peter.
"We'll share a party. Mum always makes a cake for birthdays. I'll ask her to make one for you."
"How does she make cakes?" asked Tromso.
"She mixes up lots of nice things," said Peter. "Then she puts sweets and candles on top."
That gave Tromso an idea.
Tromso looked in his junk heap for things he liked to eat.
He found pebbles, old chairs, string and sand. He stirred them up with plenty of glue. Then he put everything in the sun to dry.
It was even bigger than Tromso. And it didn't look like a cake. So he put sugar and chopped cabbage and a very big candle on top. That was better.
On Peter and Tromso's birthday, everyone gave them presents.
There were even some things for Tromso to eat, like an old shopping basket an a dead tree.
They played Pass the Parcel. Tromso ate the wrapping paper.
They played Blind Man's Buff. Tromso fell in the duckpond.
They played Hide and Seek.
Tromso was too big to hide anywhere.
Then Peter and Joy handed round birthday cake.
"Surprise!" said Tromso. And he showed everyone his cake.
"It looks very nice," said Peter. But it didn't. Nobody wanted to eat it.
Then Peter had an idea.
"That cake is too special to eat," he said. "Is it as good as that?" said Tromso. "We'll keep it outside," said Joy.
"We could play on it."
"It's a very strong cake," said Tromso. "It won't break if you climb on it."
So they put the cake beside the duckpond. And everyone played on it. Peter put up a notice:
Tromso was very happy.
The children loved Tromso's Cake. And nobody minded if Tromso took a bite of it now and again!
In winter, snow fell on Hoppings. The mountain was sparkling white.
The children built a huge snowman. It was their best snowman, ever.
It snowed again, and the snow came to the top of Joy's boots. She gave the snowman a hat.
It didn't stop snowing.
Peter's mum looked at the mountain.
"I hope it stops snowing," she said.
"Why?" asked Peter.
"Because there could be an avalanche," she said. "And an avalanche is very dangerous. The snow gets heavier and heavier and slides down the mountain.
But it didn't stop snowing.
Everyone asked Tromso, "Help us to clear away the snow."
"All of it?" said Tromso.
"Yes please," they said. "But don't get cold."
"Trolls don't feel the cold," said Tromso.
He took a big spade. He cleared away heaps of snow. Then he saw the snowman.
"It's a pity to spoil it," he said. "But they told me to clear away the snow. And a snowman is made of snow."
He put his hat on a gatepost. Then he cleared up the snowman with his spade.
Soon, the children came out to play. "Where is our snowman?" they cried.
Everyone was very cross when they saw that Tromso had knocked it down. Tromso felt dreadful.
Peter and Joy found Tromso at the bottom of the mountain. A big tear ran down Tromso's face and melted a hole in the snow. Joy hugged him.
Just then, they heard a low, rumbling sound. Something on the mountain was moving.
Snow! It was an avalanche! "Help!" yelled Peter.
"We must warn everyone!"
Peter and Joy ran to the village. "Avalanche!" they shouted.
Everyone ran.
Tromso stood still and held out his arms.
"I don't know if I can stop an avalanche," he said. "But I can try."
Snow rolled faster and faster down the mountain in a huge snowball.
Rumble, rumble, went the snowball, as it grew bigger and bigger.
"Run, Tromso!" shouted Joy.
Tromso didn't move.
The snowball landed on Tromso. "Oof!" said Tromso.
Thew snowball rolled a bit more, then stopped.
The snowball got up. It had troll feet and troll hands. It had Tromso's face smiling out at the top.
"You saved the village!" said Peter. "I'm a snow troll!" said Tromso. "He's the best snow troll, ever!" laughed the children.
Trolls are meant to be scary, but I wanted to write a story about a friendly troll.
Most troll stories come from Norway, so I named him after a place there.
Tromso likes getting letters, and so do I.
A young friend of mine, Joy Tilbrook, thought of the snowman. Thank you, Joy!
Once there was a lad from a little farm on the Brazilian plains.
His name was Ze.
Ze was bored with the quiet life on the farm. So, one day, he told his mother and father that he was going off into the big wide world to seek his fortune.
His father looked a little worried.
You see, Ze was brave and warm-hearted, but he was not very clever. If you had asked him what 3 times 8 was, he would probably have said, "Twelve."
And if you had asked him how to spell "EXTRAORDINARY", he would have tried his best, but got it completely wrong.
So his father felt he ought to give him some wise advice. He scratched his head.
Then he said, "Ze, my son, remember this. If you find anything on your way, pick it up and keep it. It might come in handy later."
"That's wise advice," nodded Ze, "I shall remember it."
Then he kissed his mother, hugged his father and off he went.
He took the track across the plains until he reached fields and forests that he had never seen before.
And, as he walked through one of the forests, he came across a great, long, twisty length of creeper lying on the path in front of him.
"Dad told me that if I find anything on my way I'm to pick it up and keep it," he said to himself.
So he picked up the twisty creeper, coiled it several times around his waist and walked on.
He crossed rivers and valleys that he had never even heard of.
At the end of one of the valleys, Ze came across a metal gate. It was so old that it had fallen off its hinges and was lying on the ground.
"Dad told me that if I found anything on my way I should pick it up," he said to himself.
So he picked up the metal gate, slung it over his shoulder and walked on.
He reached lakes and hills that he had never even imagined. And, as he started up one of the hills a small, pink pig came waddling across the path in front of him.
"Dad told me that if I found anything on my way then I should pick it up," he said to himself.
So he picked up the pig, tucked it under his arm and walked on.
It was getting dark and Ze was more than a little bit tired. So he decided to find a place to spend the night.
About halfway up the hill there was a small house. He thought he would ask if he could spend the night there.
There was a gaggle of hungry-looking children playing in the garden.
They stopped and stared when they saw Ze walkng up their path with a creeper wrapped around his waist, a gate over his shoulder, and a pig under one arm.
Then they burst into giggles.
The children's mother looked out of the window to see what was happening. Ze gave her a cheerful smile.
"Good evening, Madam," he said. "I'm travelling in search of my fortune and I need somewhere to stay the night."
"Well," said the woman, "I am a poor widow with seven hungry children. There's barely enough room for us in this small house.
All I can offer you is our big, black hay-barn at the top of this hill..."
"That would do just fine," said Ze.
"But," went on the widow, "there is one problem."
"Oh, yes?" said Ze.
"It's a very big problem," said one of the girls.
"Yes," said the widow, "A huge and horrible beast lives in that hay-barn."
"It's been up there for as long as anyone can remember," said the girl.
"No one knows why," added her brother.
"But if anyone goes in that barn, they never come back alive," said another boy.
"All I'm going to do is curl up in the hay," said Ze, "I don't think I'll bother the huge and horrible beast, if there really is one. So I am going to take you up on your offer."
"Good luck, then," said the widow. But she had a worried frown. Ze seemed such a nice, friendly young man.
"I'll see you in the morning." said Ze and off he went, striding up the hill.
The big, black door opened with a low creak.
Ze walked in, put down his things and stretched out in the hay for a good night's sleep.
But, no sooner had he laid down his head than there was a sound from above him in the loft.
Something heavy was moving.
Ze opened his eyes and a deep voice boomed in the darkness.
Ze closed his eyes again and tried to ignore the voice.
"I AM A HUGE AND HORRIBLE BEAST," came the voice again.
"Well, so am I," said Ze.
There was a moment's silence. "WHAT?" came the voice.
"I said, SO AM I," said Ze. "Now keep your voice down. I'm trying to get some sleep."
"YOU'RE A HUGE AND HORRIBLE BEAST TOO?" said the voice.
"Yes," said Ze.
"THEN PASS ME UP... ONE OF YOUR HAIRS!"
Ze thought for a moment.
Then he undid the twisty creeper wrapped around his waist. He passed it up through the opening into the loft.
"OH," said the voice. "THAT'S ONE OF YOUR HAIRS?"
"Yes, that's one of my hairs," said Ze. "MMM," said the voice. "THEN SHOW ME... YOUR COMB."
"All right," said Ze.
And he passed the gate up through the opening into the loft.
"THAT'S YOUR COMB?" said the voice.
"Yes. That's my comb," said Ze.
"MMM," said the voice. "WELL...
THEN, SHOW ME... ONE OF YOUR NITS!"
"All right," said Ze, and he passed up the pig.
"THAT'S ONE OF YOUR NITS?" came the voice from upstairs, sounding rather scared.
"That's one of my nits," said Ze. "YOU REALLY ARE A HUGE AND HORRIBLE BEAST THEN," boomed the voice.
"That's right," nodded Ze.
Next thing, there was a shuffling of heavy feet upstairs.
Then came the creak of a window opening, a loud thud, and the sound of something pounding off down the other side of the hill.
"That's got rid of him," yawned Ze. "I knew my dad's advice was wise."
He was about to close his eyes and go to sleep. But then he felt a little curious to find out what the huge and horrible beast had been doing for all those years, up in the loft.
So he pushed a ladder into the opening, climbed up, and what should he find there but a big chest?"
Inside the chest, what should there be but hundreds and hundreds of golden coins?
The huge and horrible beast didn't come back. So, in the morning, Ze took the chest of gold and gave it to the poor widow and her hungry children.
The poor widow was delighted to find out that she was a rather a rich widow.
So Ze went home with a fortune in his bag.
And perhaps he used the money to go to night school and learn his eight times table and how to spell "EXTRAORDINARY"...
And perhaps he didn't.
Some time ago, in a certain town in India -- whose name I know but will keep to myself -- there was a milkman.
He made his living by travelling around the town with two silver pans full of milk.
"BEST MILK! CREAMY MILK!" he would shout.
"WHITE AS SNOW! SMOOTH AS SILK!"
When they heard his call, the people of the town would come out with their wooden bowls.
The milkman would take a coin from each of them and drop the money into his old coin-bag.
Then he would carefully fill their bowls with milk.
He was a clever little man. He always managed to get hold of milk, even when the other milkmen had run out.
And, at the end of the day, you could hear the money clinking and jingling in his coin-bag.
But everything was not as it seemed with this milkman.
You see, early in the morning, on his way to sell the milk, he used to stop at a well.
He would look carefully around him. Then he would wind a bucketful of water up from the bottom of the well and slip the water into his pans of milk.
So the milk he sold was only half milk. And that way he got twice the amount of money he deserved.
The mikman thought he was pretty clever doing this.
The villagers were simple, honest people. And, if the milk sometimes tasted a bit thin, they would just shake their heads and say, "The cows are drinking a lot of water in this hot weather!"
An old monkey lived in the trees above the well.
If ever the milkman caught sight of her he would hiss, "Shoo! Gedoutofit you stupid old BANANA-HEAD!"
The monkey would scamper up into the top branches of the tree.
But she would keep her pale eyes on the milkman, as he wound the bucket up from the bottom of the well.
One day, it was so hot that you could almost cut the air with a knife.
The little milkman stopped at the well in the morning. Then he shooed away the monkey and, as usual, watered down his milk.
It was one of the milkman's good days.
He sold every single drop of his milk and ended up with one hundred coins in his bag.
It was so hot that he stopped at the well for a drink on his way home.
He put down his coin-bag and wound up a bucket of cool water.
In the tree above him, the old monkey blinked.
Then, as the bucket squeaked up, she began to swing softly down through the branches.
The milkman cupped his hands in the water. Behind him, the old monkey dropped with a dusty thud to the ground.
She reached out a bony finger and hooked it round the strap of the coin-bag.
The milkman turned round.
His coin-bag wasn't there!
His mouth fell open.
"Thieves, THIEVES!" he screeched.
Then he heard a tiny little jingle from above him. He looked up, and you know what he saw: the monkey, with the coin-bag in her hand.
"EH!" pointed the milkman, "Give me that! That's mine! You knock-kneed, flea-bitten, NUMBSKULL!"
The monkey blinked.
"I SAID, GIVE IT BACK!" yelled the milkman, trying to grab the monkey by her tail.
But the monkey reached a crooked paw into the bag, took out a coin and flicked it into the air.
The coin winked for a moment in the sunshine, then tumbled into the darkness of the well.
PLINK!
"What are you doing, you cloth-eared, armpit-scratching, SPONGE-BRAIN?" yelled the milkman, looking around for a stick or a stone to throw at the monkey "THAT'S MONEY, THAT IS!"
But the monkey fished out another coin and flicked it after the first.
"NO!" bellowed the milkman, clutching his head and stamping his feet, "STOP IT!"
But the monkey did not stop.
She carried on and on until twenty... thirty... forty... FIFTY silver coins had gone glinting down into the well.
The milkman was down on his knees. He was holding out his hands.
He was begging the monkey to stop. And suddenly the monkey dropped the coin-bag.
The little man scrambled through the dust and grabbed at his money. "Half of it's gone," he whimpered.
The monkey blinked, as if to say "Half of the milk you sold was water. So half of the money belongs down that well."
The milkman hung his head. Suddenly he felt ashamed.
He had thought he was the clever one, tricking people with his watery milk. But now the old monkey up in the tree had made him look a fool.
And, you know, from that day he never mixed water into his milk again.
In fact, the milk he sold was the best for miles around. It really was white as snow and smooth as silk.
Everyone wanted to buy it.
And that's why I am not going to tell you the name of the village he came from.
Because if everyone went there to buy his milk, there wouldn't be enough for the simple, honest people of the town.
Long ago there was a clever hunter. He knew a hundred crafty ways to catch animals.
One day he went deep into the forest and dug a deep hole in the ground. Then he covered it with branches, leaves and sand.
The next morning he came back with his spear to see if anything had fallen into the hole.
The hunter hopped from foot to foot because he had been so clever.
Then he looked down at the animal in the hole and said, "Ah! Elephant! You fell right for it! This trap was easy enough to see! It was your stupidity that brought you here!"
The old elephant blinked his watery, brown eyes and said, "It was my stupidity that brought me here. You're right. But I'll tell you something, hunter. Your cleverness will bring you here too."
The hunter was flabbergasted.
"An elephant that talks!" he said. "Who has ever caught a talking elephant before? This will prove I am the cleverest hunter that ever lived!"
The hunter hurried back to his village and went straight to the Chief.
"What do you want, little hunter?" asked the Chief's guards.
"Let me see the Chief!"
"The Chief is busy."
"But I have news he must hear." "What sort of news?"
"News that will amaze and delight him."
The guards did not look impressed. But one of them nodded and led the hunter inside.
The Chief was talking to a group of village elders and he was not best pleased to be disturbed.
"Well, hunter?" he said. "What's this news? It had better be worth hearing."
"It is," said the hunter. "I have done something very clever indeed. I have caught an elephant that talks!"
The Chief stared at the hunter for a moment. Then he threw back his head and roared with laughter.
"Don't waste my time, you liar!" he said. "There is no such thing as an elephant that talks!"
"There is, sir," said the hunter,
"I talked to it just as I am talking to you. It is in a trap in the forest. Come with me and I will show you."
Tm busy," sighed the Chief.
"Every day you are busy," said the hunter. "But not every day you have the chance to talk to an elephant."
The Chief thought for a moment. Then he got to his feet with a very stern stare and said, "This had better be the truth."
"If it is a lie I will move from this village," said the hunter. "If you do not see an elephant that talks, I promise to go and live right there in the forest where I leave my traps."
"I shall remember your words," said the Chief, "Now let's go."
The hunter led the way into the forest.
When they reached the trap, there was the elephant, slowly shifting his feet in the hole.
"There he is!" said the hunter.
The hunter walked up to the hole and said, "Elephant! You in that trap! It was your stupidity that brought you here!"
The elephant gave a soft sniff with his trunk, but said nothing.
"Do you hear me?" smiled the hunter. "I said it was your stupidity that brought you here!"
The elephant flapped a dusty ear, but said nothing.
"Hey!" said the hunter, prodding the elephant with his spear. "It was your stupidity that brought you here!"
The elephant blinked slowly, but said nothing.
A scowl spread over the Chief's face.
"Hunter, you're a time-waster and a liar!" he said. "This elephant is no different from any other! Remember your promise? I will make sure you keep it! Collect your things from the village! From now on you are going to live right here in the forest!"
The hunter knew there was no arguing with the Chief. He collected his possessions, said goodbye to his friends and made his way back to the forest.
When he reached the trap, he called down to the elephant, "You foolish animal! Why didn't you speak?"
And, this time, the elephant spoke.
"It was my stupidity that brought me here," he said. "But it was your cleverness that brought you here.
One of us was foolish. The other was clever. But we have ended up in the same place!"
And ever since, there has been a saying in Africa: "Too foolish and too clever, they are brothers!"
The lion was feeling hungry. He looked about and spotted a hare nibbling grass on the side of the hill.
The lion crept slowly through the grass. The hare was munching away at the stalks and she didn't notice the lion until it was too late.
A great hairy paw grabbed her.
"Oooh," squealed the hare, "I didn't see you there, Lion! What are you doing?"
"I think I will probably EAT YOU," growled the lion.
"You will find me very small and bony!" squeaked the hare.
"You look like a rather tasty little snack to me," growled the lion.
"I know where you can find a much bigger meal," said the hare. "I know where you can find an animal as big as you!"
The lion paused.
"As big as me?"
"Yes."
"That would be a very nice snack." "It isn't far away either," added the hare.
"Mmm," thought the lion.
"All right. Show me this place. But if you try to run off 111 grab you and swallow you down without even chewing!"
The lion loosened his claws and the hare hopped out of his paw.
Then she led him down the hill to a lake. When she got to the edge, she nodded into the water.
"Look," said the hare. "There it is."
The lion looked into the water and what do you think he saw?
He saw an animal just his size.
And, what's more, when he growled, it growled back. When he snarled, it snarled back. And when he roared, it roared back.
The lion felt irritated with the rude animal in the lake. So he swiped a paw at it. And it swiped a paw back! That was just too much.
In a rage, the lion leapt at his own reflection.
Down he splashed into the cold, murky water.
That was how the hare escaped.
And that is why the lion and the hare are not exactly the best of friends.
I have been lucky enough to travel to many different countries. I now spend some of my life in England, and some of it in Brazil, where my wife comes from. In 1990 I met a storyteller called Duncan Williamson. He invited me to a storytelling get-together in his house in Scotland. That was when I started telling stories myself. And, ever since, I have listened out for good tales wherever I go.
Aidan Vickers was nine years old and very popular. Everyone wanted to be his friend.
He wasn't rich, or very clever. He was all right at sports, but nothing special. He was a good friend, and he was nice to smaller kids. But what everybody really liked about Aidan was his mum's job.
Mrs Vickers ran the snack bar at Jam Street football ground. Jam Street was the home ground of Lowgate United Football Club.
Everyone at Aidan's school supported Lowgate. Sometimes Aidan got free match tickets, so everybody liked him.
This season, strange things were happening at Lowgate United.
Something at Jam Street was seriously wrong.
Lowgate were having a great season. They never lost a home game. The goals they scored at Jam Street were impossible. That was the trouble: impossible.
If the goalie kicks the ball clear of the goal and it turns round and comes back, it's impossible. If it hits the post and still goes in, that's impossible.
If it's heading for the Lowgate goal, and then it stops in mid-air, falls down and rolls away, that's more than impossible. It's weird.
It looked as if Lowgate were cheating. But nobody could tell how it was done.
The away fans booed when the Lowgate players ran on to the pitch. And when the ball changed direction, they shouted, "Cheat! Cheat!"
Everyone was asking how Lowgate did it. Everyone wanted to know what was going on.
Lowgate's manager, Big Brian the Boss, crossed his heart and said on his word of honour that they weren't cheating. He said it to the fans, and he said it to the newspapers. He even said it on television.
"I don't know what's happening," he said. "But I wish I did. If it goes on, we'll be thrown out of the league. And we can't have that."
"No, we can't," said Aidan's mum, who was watching television with Aidan. "I've got two tickets for Saturday's match, if you want them. It's hard to get them these days. Everyone wants to come, just to see what the ball does next."
At Aldan's school the next day, everyone was talking about Lowgate.
Tall Terry, who was brainy, said that the police had searched the Directors' Box looking for a remote control device. Bossy Billie said Lowgate would be kicked out of the league.
Then, nosy Nina said, "Who's that?" and everyone looked at a new boy in the corner.
He was skinny, with shiny black hair, blue eyes, and a very new school uniform. Aidan went to talk to him because nobody else did.
"I'm Liam," said the new boy. He had a friendly grin. "We've just moved from the other side of town. What's it like here?"
They talked about teachers, and school dinners, and sport, and brothers and sisters, and Lowgate, because Liam supported them, too.
Soon they were such good friends that Aidan knew what he wanted to do with his match tickets.
"I've got tickets for Saturday," he said. "Lowgate against Millworth. Want to come?"
"Cool!" said Liam.
On a Saturday so cold that icicles hung from the Jam Street gates, Aidan and Liam stood in the queue. They stamped their feet on the frosty ground. Liam's ears were bright pink with cold.
"Look out," Aidan said to Liam. "There's Wendy."
"Who?" asked Liam.
"Washing Wendy," whispered Aidan. "She's Mum's friend. She's in charge of the laundry here."
"What!" said Liam. "You mean she washes the kit for Keith Connolly, and Hackett, and -- "
"Yes," said Aidan, "She's nice, but she fusses a lot. And she's seen us. Here she comes!"
Wendy wore a huge anorak and a Lowgate scarf. She had a very loud voice.
"Hello, Aidan!" she boomed. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Liam, from my class," said Aidan, turning red.
"We're going to win, aren't we, Liam?" said Wendy. "What do you think? Two-nil? Three-nil? Liam, son, you look frozen. Haven't you got a hat? There's an old one in the laundry."
She elbowed her way through the crowd and soon came back with a woolly Lowgate hat.
It had lost its shape, and was too big for Liam.
"It's been lying around for ages," she called out, as if she wanted the world to hear. "Don't worry, son, I washed it."
She pulled it over Liam's ears, and he pushed it up so he could see.
At last the queue began to move, and Liam and Aidan found their seats.
The players ran on, the whistle blew, and the match started.
Reporters scribbled notes and talked into mobile phones. They were watching for anything suspicious.
Near the end of the first half, Millworth found a gap in the Lowgate defence. Suddenly, it looked dangerous. Aidan yelled and cheered for Lowgate. Liam shouted something in his ear. Something about a dog.
Aidan tried to hear.
"Why don't they get that dog off the pitch?" yelled Liam.
"What dog?" Aidan shouted back. There was a surge of noise as the ball curled towards the Lowgate goal. The keeper leapt the wrong way. The ball shot for the open goal... and stopped. It simply stopped in mid-air and landed on the pitch.
The Lowgate defence cleared it.
The Millworth crowd booed.
"Did you see that?" said Liam.
"Everybody saw that," said Aidan.
"I don't get it," said Liam. "Why didn't the ref get that dog off the pitch?"
Aidan wondered if there was something strange about Liam. "There isn't any dog," he said. He looked again, to make sure. "There's no dog!"
At half time, Liam told Aidan what he'd seen. "A dog ran on when Lowgate were in trouble," he said. "It stopped the ball when it was heading for the goal. Didn't you see it?"
Aidan wondered if Liam was joking, but his friend looked truly puzzled.
"You've seen this dog. But nobody else has," Aidan said.
Aidan lowered his voice. "Do you mean that all the odd things are caused by an invisible dog?"
"Yes," said Liam. "Don't you believe me?"
"I suppose so," said Aidan. "But what shall we do? We ought to tell somebody."
"But they'll think we're crazy if we talk about invisible dogs playing football," said Liam.
Aidan could see he had a point. "Do you think it's a ghost?" he said.
"It doesn't look like a ghost," said Liam. "It just looks like a small terrier. Nice dog."
"Well, it's a nice dog that's going to get us booted out of the league," muttered Aidan.
In the second half, play was fast and tough. Lowgate scored. The pace grew faster.
Millworth surged forward.
"There's the dog!" yelled Liam. Millworth had the ball. With a sharp, accurate strike, the ball shot through a defender's legs towards the Lowgate goal.
"He's after it -- he's got it!" said Liam.
The ball stopped long enough for the keeper to race out and clear it.
"That ball should have gone in," said Aidan.
The game ended with a Lowgate win. But even the Lowgate players didn't look pleased. The Millworth fans went away with grim faces.
"We'll wait for Mum," said Aidan, glumly.
They trudged upstairs to the staff room, where the walls were covered in faded pictures. There were footballers in baggy shorts, and a few sad old men who might have been directors.
The television in the corner was already showing match reports and interviews.
"Lowgate never loses at home," said the reporter. "Are they cheating, or aren't they? Today, their luck was astonishing."
"We all want Lowgate to win, but it has to be fair," said Liam. "That dog thinks it's helping by playing for us."
"Could we train it not to?" said Aidan.
"Train a ghost dog?" said Liam. "I don't know. I've only trained a live one."
Then Wendy marched in with three mugs of hot chocolate on a tray and Aidan decided she wasn't so bad.
"It's cold enough to freeze your boots to your feet," she said. "It'll be frozen hard for the friendly game on Wednesday. Of course, these days, they have heating under the pitch. It was never like that in the old days."
She looked up at one of the photographs. "I don't know what Jack McGregor would think about it." "Who?" asked Aidan.
Wendy cupped her hands around a mug and nodded at the picture.
It showed a man with stooped shoulders and a lined face. He looked as if he might smile at any moment.
"That's Jack," she said. "He was the groundsman here for years. He went on working till they had to carry him off the pitch, bless him. He kept it lovely. On a winter morning, you'd see Jack out there, sweeping snow, with the fans helping. His little dog used to run on ahead to catch snowballs."
"Ouch!" said Aidan, as hot chocolate splashed on to his leg. "Sorry, you made me jump. Did you say 'dog'?"
Wendy shrugged. "Yes, his name was Bobby. He was some sort of terrier," she said. "It was a while ago, so I can't properly remember."
She finished her drink. "The players will have changed by now," she said. "There'll be a mountain of dirty kits for me to wash."
"That's it!" said Liam, when she had gone. "I bet it was Jack McGregor's dog that I saw!"
"So why didn't I see him?" said Aidan. "And how can we keep him off the pitch?"
Wednesday evening at Jam Street was bitterly cold, even for Liam and Aidan with their Lowgate scarves, hats, and jackets.
This time, they had a plan. In Liam's pocket was a bag of doggie chocolate drops. Maybe, Bobby would find those more interesting than the football.
They could feed them to him slowly, one by one, all through the match.
In case that didn't work -- or if they ran out of chocolate drops -- Aidan had a ball in his pocket.
Their seats were near the front, so they could attract Bobby's attention.
A large man was sitting in front of Aidan, so Aidan sat on the steps at the end of the row.
The man glared at him. He had a red face and very small eyes.
"Sitting on the steps is not allowed," he ordered.
He looked like someone you shouldn't argue with, so Aidan moved back to his seat.
"Where's the dog?" he whispered to Liam.
"Beside the players' tunnel," Liam whispered back. "How can we get near him? Look out, someone's coming."
A smartly-dressed man came briskly towards them. "He's a director," whispered Aidan, who'd seen him before. The director shook hands with the red-faced man.
"Very kind of you to come, Mr Pimm," he said. "We're delighted to have a visitor from the Ministry of Sport."
"Never mind that," grunted the red-faced man. "If Lowgate are cheating, I'll find out."
Liam turned sharply to Aidan. "Bobby's heading for the main entrance!" he whispered. "Quick, Aidan!"
Aidan and Liam dashed for the entrance. Liam dodged behind a drinks stall and Aidan followed.
"He's here!" said Liam. He pushed up the woolly hat that was almost over his eyes and took the chocolate drops from his pocket.
"Bobby!" he whispered. "Bobby! Choccy!" It didn't seem to be working.
Liam stuffed the chocolate back in his pocket.
"He was sniffing at something, but it wasn't the chocolate," he told Aidan. "I suppose ghosts don't eat it."
"Maybe you just smell funny," said Aidan. "I mean, to a dog. Where is he now?"
"Still there," said Liam, and pushed his hat up again. "I can't see a thing with this hat on."
"Try mine," said Aidan, and they swapped hats.
Aidan was folding back the woolly hat when Liam said, "He's vanished!"
In the empty space in front of him, Aidan suddenly saw a small dog.
Its tail was wagging and its head was on one side. 
"Bobby?" said Aidan. "Liam, I can see him!" Aidan looked at Liam.
"It's the hat!" said Aidan.
"If you wear that hat, you see Bobby!" said Liam. Bobby pawed Aidan's leg and looked hopefully up at the hat.
"He likes that hat," said Liam.
"Can we take him somewhere quiet?
He might play with the hat and forget the match."
"For ninety minutes and extra time?" said Aidan. "We can try. There's a yard behind the laundry where Wendy hangs the washing."
Bobby trotted after them with bright eyes fixed on the hat.
"Come on, Bobby," said Aidan, and took off the hat.
The dog disappeared at once, but he felt something tugging the hat.
"He's playing tug of war," Aidan called, as the hat thrashed in his hands. "If he'd let go, I'd throw it for him." "Bobby!" ordered Liam. "Give!"
Bobby let go and suddenly Liam grabbed the hat. He threw it. "Fetch!" he called. The hat turned in the air and dropped at his feet.
It was working. Bobby had a great time playing fetch and tug of war. Chanting and cheering came from the ground.
The cheering grew louder. From the pitch came a roar that could only mean one thing.
"Lowgate scored!" said Aidan.
But Bobby had heard the cheers, too. The hat turned and flew towards the stand, with Liam and Aidan racing after it.
"Bobby!" yelled Liam, as the hat headed for the pitch. Soon, everyone would see it. Aidan ran so fast that his lungs hurt.
Then an enormous shape blocked the boys' way.
It was Mr Pimm. Aidan and Liam stopped, out of breath.
"What have you two been doing?" he growled.
"We're chasing my friend's hat," panted Aidan.
"Oh? Grown legs and run away, has it?" sneered Mr Pimm.
Aidan wanted to say that it had blown away, but there was no wind.
"A dog ran off with it," he said.
"I didn't see a dog," he said. "They're not allowed in here." He turned to Liam, who was trying to see round him. "What are you looking at?"
"My hat," said Liam. "It's lying beside the stand. The dog must have dropped it."
"Stay there!" ordered Mr Pimm.
Mr Pimm went to snatch up the hat, and came back examining it.
"May I have it back, please?" said Liam, politely.
"I'm holding on to this hat," said Mr Pimm. "There's something funny going on. You two can sit with me, where I can keep an eye on you."
They trudged back to their seats.
Aidan knew that without Liam's hat to play with, Bobby would join in the match.
Soon, a shot heading for the Lowgate goal stopped in mid air.
Then it rolled to a defender's feet. All through the second half, the ball seemed to be playing for Lowgate. Lowgate won, but nobody felt very good about it.
"Can I have my hat, please?" asked Liam. Mr Pimm handed it back crossly.
"I don't know what you two are up to," said Mr Pimm. "But nothing strange happened until you arrived."
"That doesn't prove anything," said Aidan.
"Don't be cheeky," said Mr Pimm. "When you came back to your seats, things began to go wrong. You two are coming to the match against Pitch Park on Saturday."
"Wow!" said Aidan.
"Thanks!" said Liam.
"Don't look so pleased," went on Mr Pimm. "I think you're up to something. You'll be sitting next to me. I'll be watching you, in case anything strange happens."
"We're stuck," Aidan said to Liam afterwards. "If we have to sit with Mr Pimm, we can't stop Bobby."
"And Lowgate will get kicked out of the league," said Liam. "Our names will be in the clear, but Lowgate's won't." "We'll think of something," said Aidan.
On Saturday, the game was about to begin and Liam was wearing the hat. But they still hadn't thought of anything at all.
"Bobby's behind the goal," said Liam. "He's ready for action."
"And we can't stop him," said Aidan. "Here comes Mr Pimm."
"Swap hats?" said Liam. "I can't bear to watch."
Aidan put on the hat. He saw the bright-eyed little dog watching the pitch and he knew why Liam couldn't bear to watch. Bobby really wanted to help.
"Shall we tell Mr Pimm?" he said. "We could let him try on the hat."
They watched Mr Pimm pushing through the crowd, looking grumpier than ever.
"No chance," they both said. Aidan stared at Bobby, trying to think of some way to keep him out of the match.
It was impossible.
"Aidan!" said Liam, sharply. He pointed to the opposite stand. "Look! It's him!"
A steward was pushing a wheelchair towards the bottom of the stand. In the chair sat an old, old man with a cap on his head, a Lowgate scarf round his neck, and a rug over his knees.
He smiled as if the smile went all the way down inside.
"It's Jack McGregor!" said Aidan. "I thought he was dead!"
"Well, he can't be, because he's here," said Liam. "Wendy said he had to be carried off the pitch, but that doesn't mean he's dead, does it? He might be living in an old people's home somewhere. He's here today as a treat."
He frowned. "Where's Bobby?"
"Halfway across the pitch!" said Aidan.
Bobby was tearing across the grass, his little tail wagging furiously.
He scrabbled to a stop at the wheelchair.
Then he put his paws on the old man's knees.
Jack McGregor simply looked down and smiled. He stretched out a frail, shaky hand and laid it on the rug.
"Bobby's licking Jack's hand, isn't he?" said Liam.
"Yes," said Aidan, excitedly. "And Jack can see him! Wendy never knew whose hat this was, did she?"
"No," said Liam, "but I bet it was Jack's. Do you think Bobby's going to behave now?"
"If anyone can control him, Jack can," said Aidan. Then the players ran down the tunnel, and the game kicked off.
It was a tough game. By half time, Pitch Park were a goal up.
Whatever Lowgate's manager, Big Brian, said to the team at half time, it worked. In the second half, they played like lightning.
Bobby lay at Jack's feet with his eyes raised to his old master's face. Now and then he sat up to lick the thin hand. Jack would look down and smile, and stroke his head.
The final whistle blew. Lowgate had won 2-1. And there was no doubt about the result. It was a fair win.
Through the cheering, Liam shouted to Aidan, "The hat!"
Aidan gave it to him. They wriggled through the crowd until they stood in front of the wheelchair.
"Excuse me, Jack -- Mr McGregor," said Liam. "I think this is your hat."
Aidan bent down. "He's a nice dog," he whispered into the old man's ear.
Jack McGregor's eyes twinkled with secret laughter.
He was smiling down at something on one side of his chair, as the steward wheeled him away.
"Bobby's going home with Jack," said Aidan. "Do you think he'll come back?" "No," said Liam. "That's what he was waiting for. He was waiting for Jack to come back for him."
"I'll miss him," said Aidan. "But it's a good thing he's gone."
There were no more strange happenings at Jam Street after that. Mr Pimm said the trouble must have been caused by the heating system under the pitch.
It wasn't Lowgate's fault, he said, but they were not allowed to use it any more.
The Lowgate directors were a bit cross. They'd spent a lot of money on the heating system. Apart from that, everyone was very glad. Nobody suspected Lowgate of cheating now.
"What will they do without the heating," said Liam, "next time it snows before a match?"
"What they used to do," said Aidan. "Get the fans to help clear the pitch." "We could do that," said Liam. "Yeah," said Aidan. "Jack would be pleased!"
I'm not sure where this story came from but I very much wanted to do a book about football. I imagined a game where the ball appears to move by magic.
I never used to know much about football, but it's amazing how much my sons have taught me.
I like Bobby a lot -- and Wendy. Have you ever wondered who washes all that muddy kit?
Once there was a horrible old Giant. He lived in a big castle on top of a mountain and he was very lazy.
The Giant was so lazy, he needed servants to look after him.
But nobody wanted to work for him at all.
One day, the Giant went down the mountain. At the bottom, was a little cottage. Twelve children lived there, all on their own.
"Now they would make good servants," thought the Giant. So he carried them off, back to his castle.
"Is my Breakfast Ready?"
Every morning, the children had to get up very early, light the big stove and fetch lots of water. Then they had to make a huge pot of porridge for the Giant.
At six o'clock, the Giant would yell.
The stove wouldn't light and the water wouldn't flow. So the Giant's porridge was lumpy.
"YOU LAZY LOT!" roared the Giant. All the children started to shake,
The castle itself began to quake!
The Giant was so angry, he picked up Totty and dropped her into his bowl of porridge.
Now Totty was the smallest child of all. She was only as tall as the Giant's boot. Her little yellow hat fell off and bobbed on top of the porridge.
"Yuk! Yuk! Yuk!" cried Totty.
"I may be teeny, But I do not scream, Not even for a giant so mean!"
As soon as the Giant's back was turned, Lotty and Dotty pulled Totty out. Without her hat, she looked smaller than ever.
Every afternoon the children had to polish and rub, sweep and scrub. And everything had to shine like a new pin.
At two o'clock, the Giant would yell.
But one afternoon, the polish ran out.
The head fell off the broom and the bristles fell out of the great scrubbing brush.
And the Giant found some cobwebs in a corner.
"YOU DIRTY DOPES!" boomed the Giant.
All the children started to shake, The castle itself began to quake!
The Giant was so angry that he picked up Nessie and dropped her into the waste paper basket.
Now Nessie was the untidiest of all the children. She always left things on the floor and forgot to comb her hair.
"Ugh!" she cried. "I'm in a stew!
There's rubbish all over me, What can I do?"
Just as soon as the Giant's back was turned, Bessie and Jessie pulled Nessie out.
Poor Nessie! She looked untidier than ever!
Every night, the children had to warm the Giant's bed with a big hot water bottle. And the sheets had to be clean and smooth.
At ten o'clock, the Giant would growl.
But one night, the hot water bottle had a hole in it. Water ran onto the bed. And the Giant found the sheets were cold and damp.
"YOU DOZY DRIPS!" roared the Giant.
All the children started to shake,
The castle itself began to quake!
The Giant was so angry that he picked up Sniff and dropped him in the washbasin. It was huge!
Now Sniff always had a cold. But he never moaned. He was always cheerful. "Help!" he cried.
"This basin's like an ocean!
It has a very choppy motion.
The water's rough and dirty brown. Get me out, before I drown!"
Every Sunday, the children had to get the Giant's carriage ready. They had to pull it up and down the mountain.
He would lie on soft cushions inside it. At eleven o'clock, the Giant would roar,
"WHERE IS MY CARRIAGE?"
But one Sunday, it rained and rained. The lane was muddy and the wheels were wobbly. And so the Giant wasn't going as fast as he liked. He roared.
The Giant was so angry that he reached out of the window and gave Den a push.
Now Den was the strongest of all the children. He rolled and rolled until he was out of sight.
When the other children saw what the Giant had done, they were very upset.
But they pulled the carriage to the top of the mountain.
They all nodded.
The children gave the carriage a huge PUSH!!!
The carriage raced down the hill.
It creaked and rattled.
It banged and clattered.
The Giant bounced out of the carriage!
He rolled down the mountain until He fell into a muddy hole.
But the children were safely out of the Giant's reach.
And then Ken and Ben heard a voice.
"Help!" it said.
"Den I was and Den I am.
I thought I'd never see you again.
But thanks to the tree on the side of the hill, your strongest friend is with you still!"
Den was hanging on a tree branch.
As quickly as they could, the children rescued him. They were only just in time!
Before the Giant could say, "YOU BLOCKHEADS!", a big rock rolled down the mountain and clonked him on the head. He was knocked out cold!
Quick as a wink, the children ran down the mountainside, laughing and shouting. They were so happy to go back home again.
As for the Giant, he got himself out of the hole and crawled back to his castle.
He never tried to catch the children again. And so, if ever he wanted anything done, he had to do it -- himself!
When I was growing up I was told legends about giants. I also read jack the Giant Killer stories. Later on, I read Oscar Wilde's wonderful tale, The Selfish Giant. I thought I'd like to write my own giant stories.
I wanted them to be funny and scary and I wanted them to say something -a sort of message.
One morning, a letter arrived for Drusilla.
Drusilla opened it up.
"That's odd," she said to her cat, Peg. "Where's the letter? There's only a crayon in here."
The crayon jumped out of her hand.
It started writing on the wall.
"Oh, no! Not Hagbag!" groaned Drusilla. "I hope she doesn't want to stay for long."
All of a sudden, there was a puff of blue smoke. Hagbag had arrived. She was a large witch with three chins and purple hair.
"Drusilla, you old witch!" cackled Hagbag. She gave Drusilla a hug that nearly squeezed the life out of her.
Hagbag plumped herself down in Drusilla's rocking chair. Peg leapt off with a yowl.
"Scram, cat!" cried Hagbag.
She turned to Drusilla. "Now, what's for breakfast, ducky? I'm starving."
Hagbag sat at the table while Drusilla waited on her. She ate ten slices of toast and a whole jar of jellyfish jam. She drank six mugs of seaweed tea and gobbled all the crab cakes.
At last, Hagbag smacked her lips and said that she was full up.
"Now, ducky," she said. "What do you do for fun around here?"
"I'm afraid you'll be bored," said Drusilla. "It's so quiet by the sea."
"Perfect," said Hagbag. "I need a good rest. I may stay for a week."
Drusilla turned pale. Peg slunk out the door in a sulk. A whole week? How could they stand a whole week of Hagbag?
Make Yourself at Home.
Hagbag spent the next day lazing on the beach. She borrowed Drusilla's swimsuit. Somehow she squeezed herself into it.
She settled into Drusilla's deckchair. Then she read Drusilla's new Spell Book.
"Well, this is a treat," she said. "I'm going to like it here."
But after five minutes Hagbag was hungry.
"Do you know what I fancy?" she said. "A nice ice-cream. Be a poppet and get me one, Drusilla."
Drusilla walked all the way to the shops. She carried back two dripping ices. One for Hagbag and one for herself.
"Two? You are spoiling me!" said Hagbag. She grabbed both the ices. She started to eat them.
Drusilla and Peg watched her hungrily. Hagbag didn't even offer them a lick.
All day, Drusilla fetched and carried things for Hagbag. Every time she sat down, Hagbag would think of something else.
"Got any sun cream, ducky?" she'd ask.
By the end of the day, Drusilla was worn out. It was a relief when Hagbag said she was ready for bed. She started to climb the stairs to Drusilla's bedroom.
"Where are you going?" asked Drusilla.
"To bed of course, ducky!"
"But I've only got one hammock..." began Drusilla.
"Don't worry, that'll do me fine. Night night, Drusie. Sleep tight!"
Hagbag got into Drusilla's pyjamas. She climbed into Drusilla's hammock.
Soon, the whole hut shook with the sound of her horrible snoring.
Drusilla put her fingers in her ears. Peg hid his head under a cushion.
It was no good. There was no chance of any sleep with Hagbag in the house.
"That settles it, Peg," said Drusilla. "We've got to get rid of her. The question is, how?"
Drusilla's Spell Book lay on the table. Peg leapt on top of it.
He miaowed loudly.
"Of course, you clever cat!" said Drusilla. "We'll make a spell to drive Hagbag away."
Drusilla looked through her Spell Book. Could she turn Hagbag into a large brown rat? Maybe not. Hagbag might move in forever and nibble all her food.
Drusilla went on turning the pages.
At last, she found the spell she was looking for.
"Perfect!" she said. "We'll make her think she's got the Squoozles. And I know just how to do it."
All night, Drusilla was mixing something in her big pot and singing her spell.
Next morning, Hagbag came downstairs. There was a surprise waiting for her. On the table was a cake.
It looked like any ordinary cake, except that it had green spots.
"A cake! For me?" said Hagbag, licking her lips greedily.
She took a closer look. "Should it be green?" she asked, doubtfully.
"Oh, yes," said Drusilla. "But I'll eat it myself if you don't want it."
"No, no!" said Hagbag, quickly. "I'll try a little piece."
She cut herself a fat slice and took a bite. "Mmm," she said, with her mouth full. "Not bad."
She cut herself a second slice even bigger than the first. That went into her mouth. So did a third slice and a fourth.
Before long, only a few crumbs were left on the plate. Hagbag had scoffed the whole cake -- just as Drusilla knew she would.
In the cake was Drusilla's spell. And now the magic started to do its work.
Hagbag's face turned yellow. Then it went a deep shade of pink.
More and more spots started to appear on her face.
Large, green spots, like those on the cake. 
Soon, she was covered in spots.
Hagbag pulled out a purple hanky. She saw her hand. "Spots!" she shrieked in horror. "I've got spots!"
She sat down. "I don't feel too well, ducky," she said.
Drusilla tried not to smile. She gave Hagbag a mirror so that she could see herself.
"I'm afraid you've got the Squoozles," said Drusilla.
"The Squoozles? Odds frogs! What's that?"
"Nasty spots," said Drusilla. "Your legs go wobbly and your knees go knobbly.
I expect you want to go straight home."
"Home?" croaked Hagbag. "But I'll be all on my own at home!"
"But..." said Drusilla.
"No, no. I'm staying here till I'm better," said Hagbag. "You can look after me."
Hagbag crept upstairs.
Drusilla put a hand to her head. What had she done? Her spell had made things much worse. A healthy Hagbag was bad enough. A Hagbag who thought she was ill would be unbearable!
Chapter 4: No Rest.
At first, Hagbag said she was too hot. Drusilla opened all the windows. Soon, Hagbag was too cold. She wanted the windows closed.
Her stomach ached, her toes tingled, and her head throbbed. The sun was too bright. The hammock was too hard.
The seagulls made too much noise.
One minute she was hungry. The next she wanted a drink.
So it went on all day. Hagbag gave orders and Drusilla dashed up and down the stairs.
At long last, Drusilla heard the sound of snoring. Hagbag had fallen asleep.
Drusilla crept downstairs. She had never felt so tired in her life. She hadn't even had time to eat a meal.
She cleared Hagbag's dirty plates from the table. One of the plates had a few crumbs left on it.
Drusilla hungrily tipped them into her mouth. She sat down in her chair and closed her eyes.
The crumbs in her mouth tasted like cake. Sleepily, she remembered what kind of cake it was. Green spotted cake! The cake that she'd baked for Hagbag.
In the morning, Hagbag bounded downstairs.
"I'm better, ducky," sang Hagbag. "The spots have gone. I may even stay for two weeks..." She broke off and stared at Drusilla.
Her mouth had dropped open.
"What's the matter?" asked Drusilla. "The spots! The Squoozles!" gasped Hagbag.
"They're all gone. You're better," said Drusilla.
"Not me! You, Drusilla! You've caught the Squoozles!"
Drusilla looked in her mirror. It was true. Her face was covered in bright green spots. The crumbs of cake she'd eaten had been enough to work the spell.
Hagbag backed away from her.
"You poor old thing! What a shame! I'd love to stay longer but those Squoozles are obviously catching."
She grabbed her bag.
"Bye, bye, Drusie, I must fly!"
There was a puff of blue smoke.
Hagbag vanished as suddenly as she'd arrived.
Drusilla went upstairs to her very own bedroom. She climbed into her very own hammock. She didn't mind having spots. They would only last a day.
All that mattered was that Hagbag had gone.
Peg jumped up on to her lap. He started to purr. Drusilla smiled.
It was going to be a quiet day in Mudley-on-Sea.
I've always enjoyed writing stories for as long as I can remember.
Often I'm asked, "Where do you get your ideas from?" The answer is from everywhere. (Or sometimes out of nowhere.)
Drusilla came from thinking about the word "sandwich", which is a funny word when you think about it. I started to imagine what a Sand Witch might look like and what she would do.
"There's only one not taken," said Mrs Tidy. "That one."
The tabby kitten was tiny, even for two weeks. A scrap of a thing, with a white face.
"Can I pick it up?" asked Nikky. "Better not," said Mrs Tidy. "It's too small yet."
Mrs Tidy had seven cats, as well as the mother cat and her four kittens. The room smelt of cats and fish, and Nikky's mother wrinkled her nose.
"Perhaps we'll leave it till she's six weeks old. Then we'll come to collect her -- " she began, but Nikky tugged at her sleeve.
"No, Mum," she pleaded.
Nikky didn't care about Mrs Tidy's room smelling of cats and fish. She was crazy about cats.
"I wish we had a house like Mrs Tidy's," she said, as they walked home.
"One's quite enough," said Mum. "You'll have to look after it, you know." "Of course I will," said Nikky. "I know all about worming and grooming, and litter trays and -- "
"OK," said Mum, laughing. "I believe you."
They reached their front door. They lived above Jim Mackenzie's corner shop. There was a ginger cat living among the wooden crates on the pavement.
Jim Mackenzie had made a bed for it in a crate marked Best Apples. It wasn't his cat, he explained, but it kept the mice away.
Nikky stooped down to look inside the crate and two large, green eyes stared out at her.
When she had first seen him, the cat had spat at her. Now he knew her, and a purr rumbled in his throat.
Nikky knew better than to stroke him, though. Mum had warned her that stray cats had often been badly treated. They might lash out.
"Poor thing," said Nikky. "I wonder if he's got enough to eat?"
"I expect so," said Mum, opening the door. Given half a chance, she knew that Nikky would bring him tins of cat food every day.
Next day, Nikky went with Mum to buy a collar for her new kitten with her pocket money. When they got back, Nikky looked into the crate as usual. The ginger cat stared out at her, green eyes squinting, and spat.
"That's funny, Mum," said Nikky. "He hasn't done that for ages."
"Got out of his crate the wrong side,
I expect," said Mum.
"Cat's been like that all morning," said Jim Mackenzie. "It won't let me near it."
Just then, Nikky saw bloodstained paw marks, on the pavement.
"Mum," she shouted. "I think the cat's been hurt."
Gently, Jim pulled the crate towards him. The cat whimpered with pain.
"Car accident, I reckon," said Jim. "But I'm too busy to take it to the vet. It's not really mine, anyway."
Nikky stared at the shopkeeper in horror.
Jim Mackenzie didn't seem to care. "It'll be OK. These old strays are tough," he said.
"Come on, Nikky," said Mum. "Jim's right. We can't do anything."
Nobody cares about a poor old cat, without a home, thought Nikky.
As Mum pulled her unwillingly inside, she looked back. She thought she saw a ginger head poking out from the crate, but she couldn't really see through her tears.
Nikky worried about the cat all day. Mum was worried too, and she told Dad about it. She explained how difficult it would be to catch the cat and take him to the vet.
"You're right, love," said Dad. "He'd probably struggle, and you'd do more harm than good. I expect Jim will ask the RSPCA to put him down."
"Put him down?" Nikky stared at Dad in horror. She knew Mum and Dad weren't crazy about animals. But how could they let the poor cat be killed?
She ran into her bedroom, slamming the door.
Then she made up her mind. She would smuggle the cat upstairs to her bedroom. She would look after him, until he was better.
Nikky took her new cat basket from the cupboard. She knew Mum would be cross. But this was an emergency! Very quietly, she slipped down the stairs.
The cat was still there.
His bad leg looked all red and bloody, and flies were buzzing round it. Nikky felt rather sick.
"Come on, Puss," she said quietly, opening the basket.
"Did your Mum send you down, then?" asked Jim Mackenzie, coming over to her.
"Er, no," said Nikky uncomfortably. She couldn't tell him a lie.
"I'd like to know how," said Jim. "Anyway, I've already phoned the RSPCA. They're going to take him away."
Just as Mum and Dad said!
Nikky tipped the crate forward so that the cat would slide out into the cat basket. But before she could do anything, he scrambled out, dragging his wounded leg behind him.
Then he jumped over the wall and into one of the gardens. It must have hurt him terribly.
"Nikky!" Mum came down the stairs. She had seen Nikky talking to Jim. She grabbed her angrily by the arm.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"The cat -- " began Nikky, and Mum suddenly shouted at her.
"The cat -- that's all you think about, isn't it? Well, let me tell you, if there's any more of this nonsense, you won't even have a kitten!"
Afterwards, Mum was a bit sorry. She sat Nikky down with a drink, and talked to her.
"You don't mean it about the kitten, do you?" asked Nikky. She felt like crying.
"Of course not -- but calm down, will you? Try to think of something else but that old cat and the kitten."
That night, Nikky wasn't thinking of her kitten.
She was wondering what would happen if the ginger cat turned up again. How could she stop Jim Mackenzie getting him put down?
Outside, it had begun to rain. She hoped the cat had found shelter. She hoped that his leg wasn't any worse.
What was that?
Nikky's heart began to thump. She opened the window, straining to see outside.
And there it was -- a cat with a bad leg, crawling out from the shadows.
Nikky pulled on her dressing gown and dashed out of her bedroom.
"Nikky, for goodness sake -- " began Mum.
"Wait," said Dad. "She may be right.
I thought I heard a cat crying. I'll go out and see."
Dad grabbed a torch and hurried downstairs. He opened the back door.
"Well, I never!" he said quietly to Nikky, who had followed behind him. "Just look at this!"
The ginger cat was crouched by the door. He drew back as Dad shone the torch, but he did not run away.
"Now what?" said Mum, looking over Dad's shoulder. "You'd better get the RSPCA, Mike. We can't look after it."
"Why not?" Nikky almost shouted. "We can't let them take him away -- they might put him down -- you said so."
"The RSPCA care about animals," said Dad. "They would only do what was best for him."
Nikky grabbed hold of his arm. "You can't send him away, Dad. He's come to us. He thinks we'll look after him."
"Don't be silly, Nikky, he's only a cat -- how can he possibly think anything?"
Nikky crouched down beside the cat, and held out her hand. He snuffled at it with his damp, pink nose. Then he began to purr.
"Dad, look, he trusts me! Don't phone the RSPCA, please."
But Dad was already dialling. "Hello?" he said.
Nikky gave one big, happy sigh. Dad hadn't phoned the RSPCA. Mr Morgan was the vet!
The vet told Dad to keep the cat warm and dry and to give him fresh water and something to eat.
Mum sighed heavily, as she opened a tin of salmon.
"I hope you know what you're doing," she said.
Nikky watched the cat, as he crawled painfully from the corner and began to nibble at the salmon. He ate daintily, not as if he were hungry at all. He left half of it.
"That's cats for you," said Dad. "Best red salmon, and it turns up its nose."
"It's the shock," said Nikky, who had read all about cats.
"I bet not -- but that's enough for tonight, Nikky. Off to bed!" said Dad.
Nikky lay for ages thinking about the ginger cat. How funny that he knew she lived upstairs! But what now?
She knew Mum wouldn't change her mind. She didn't like cats much, and they made her sneeze.
At last Nikky fell asleep to the sound of the rain beating against the windowpane.
Next morning, the cat let Dad pick him up and put him in the cat basket.
"He's been someone's pet at some time," said Dad. "You can see that." "He's a strong cat," said Mr Morgan, when he examined him.
The vet cleaned the wound on the leg, and gave him an injection.
"It's a nasty wound, but there are no bones broken," he said, cheerfully. "Bring him back in four days' time."
Mum looked at the notices on the vet's board. There were lots of people needing cats and kittens.
"Good!" she said. "Once his leg's healed, we can put a notice up."
Day by day, the cat's leg grew better. He had a loud, deep purr, and he wound himself round Nikky's legs, and round her heart. She decided to call him Marmalade.
Sometimes, Marmalade would miaow softly at Nikky's bedroom door. And in the morning, Mum would find him curled up on Nikky's duvet.
"I guess the next visit to Mr Morgan will be the last," said Mum. "I'll put a notice on his board."
When no one had replied to the advert within a week, Mum sighed.
Nikky picked up Marmalade and cuddled him. "He's not ugly! He's beautiful," she said. "Anyway, I don't want him to go."
"Nikky," warned Mum. "You know what we said. You can't have a kitten and Marmalade."
Nikky knew -- and she had a big decision to make.
She went to see her kitten several times. The kitten was still very small, and wobbled round the room after her big, black brother. She had huge eyes and a heart-shaped face. Nikky loved her -- but the kitten needed her big brother, and Marmalade needed Nikky.
It was Mrs Tidy who helped Nikky decide.
"The people who want the black kitten would like the tabby one, too," she told Nikky. "I said I didn't think you'd give her up, but -- "
Nikky picked up her kitten for the last time, and snuggled it against her neck. -
It licked her with a tiny, pink tongue.
"It's all right," she whispered. "They can have her -- it will be best, really, seeing she's so small."
She followed Mum out, without looking back. On the way home, Mum bought a new blue collar. The one they'd bought for the kitten would be too small for Marmalade's big neck.
Marmalade was sitting on the doorstep outside the flat, waiting for them. And Nikky could swear there was a smile on his big, square face as he followed them upstairs for his tea.
Toffee the dog is in big trouble. Mum and Dad think she's eaten a whole bag of Doggybix. And that's only the beginning...
Nikky is mad about cats.
She wants her own kitten. But who will help Marmalade, the old ginger stray?
One Teeny-Tiny Child.
There was once a man who loved his wife and he also loved football.
His wife loved the man and their home. But what she really wanted was a baby to love.
She longed for a baby as you or I might long for a drink on a hot day.
The woman said to her husband, "Just one teeny-tiny child would make me happy"
And, believe it or not, that's exactly what the woman got. She gave birth to a teeny-tiny baby boy
"We'll call him Tom," said her husband. "Tom Thumb, because he's no bigger than my thumb."
The woman wrapped her teeny-tiny baby in her best cotton hankie. She cut the end of the finger from her finest pair of gloves to make him a bonnet. She tucked Tom into an eggshell cradle and she was happy.
Well, the years passed as years do. And Tom's mother did what mothers do. She cooked for Tom and sewed for Tom and taught Tom to crawl and walk and talk.
But as Tom grew from being a baby to being a boy, he grew to wanting more than cuddles and pretty clothes and nice food. He wanted friends and fun. He wanted to find out about the world. let Me Out!
"I'm bored," said Tom to his mother one day. He was kicking currants all over the table.
"Well," said his mother. "If you'll stop spoiling those currants you can see how I make a nice pudding for your father's dinner. Sit on my thimble and watch what I do."
But there's not much fun to be had in watching a spoon being stirred around above your head. Tom wanted to see how the flour and eggs and milk all mixed together inside the bowl.
So, when his mother turned to put a pan of water to boil, Tom reached his teeny-tiny hands up to the rim of the mixing bowl.
He pulled and kicked himself up so that he could look down and see and smell the spicy mixture.
"Mmnn, yum!" said Tom. He bent forward to reach a finger to take a taste... and he toppled over the top of the bowl, plop, into the mix!
If you have ever fallen into an uncooked pudding you will know what sticky stuff it is. It clagged to Tom's arms and clogged to his legs. The more he struggled the more he got stuck in it.
His mother picked up her spoon and slap-slopped the pudding mix, knocking poor Tom dizzy.
Then she scooped the mix, dollop, drop, plop, into a cloth. She tied it tight and popped it into the water to cook.
That water was hot.
"Yeow!" yelled Tom, and he kicked and he struggled.
At last Tom's mother noticed that her pudding was jumping around and shouting.
"Bless us all!" she said. "The pudding's alive! Help!"
And she snatched the pudding from the pot and she threw it out of the house and slam-shut the door.
"Ouch!" said Tom as the pudding landed in the grass. Then "Oooer!" because somebody had picked the pudding up.
That somebody was a hungry tinker passing by.
"Well, boggle my eyes, a pudding for free! I'll have that," said the tinker.
Tut me down!" shouted Tom's teeny-tiny voice. "Let me out!"
"Well, blow me sideways!" said the tinker. "The dang pudding's alive!" And he dropped the pudding and he ran.
Tom bit with his teeth and he kicked with his feet and picked with his fingers. He tore through the pudding cloth and escaped. He wasn't far from the cottage... but a cat was sniffing close by.
Goal!
"Ma!" shouted Tom, and he ran on his teeny-tiny legs and he kicked the door as hard as he could, bang, bang, bang.
"Open up, Ma!" he shouted.
"Quick! There's a cat that likes the smell of me!"
Tom's mother opened the door. She looked in front of her. She looked to the left and to the right.
"There's nobody there!" she said. But Tom kicked at her ankle.
"It's me, Ma!"
"Lord love us, it's my darling boy!" said his mother.
She carried Tom safe inside and she bathed him clean in a tea-cup. She told Tom, "From now on, my darling. I'll not let you out of my sight."
After that, Tom was kept indoors He got more bored than ever.
He climbed the curtains.
"Get down from there or you'll fall!" said his mother.
He caught a mouse and took it for walks on a lead.
"That thing could bite you. You can't keep it," said his mother.
So Tom stood at the window. The children outside were playing football.
"Can't I go out and play with them, Ma?" asked Tom.
"Oo, no it wouldn't be safe," said his mother.
Tom scowled and kicked the window, boom, boom, on the glass to make his mother as cross as he was.
But one day Tom's Dad said to him, "Tell you what, lad, why don't I teach you how to play football like the other children?'
He took a marble from his pocket and he put it, plonk, rumble-roll, onto the table.
"Here, Tom," he said. "Have a kick of this and see if you can get it between those two candle sticks. My finger will be goalie."
Now, a marble on a polished table is fast. Tom dribbled and darted and dodged and kicked and scored.
"Goal!" he shouted.
"You're good at this!" said his Dad.
They played and played.
"I want to play in a team," said Tom "I want to play with the children outside."
"You'll have to ask your mother about that," said his father.
"Can I, Ma?" asked Tom.
"No, my darling, you cannot."
"Why not?" asked Tom.
"Because," said his mother, "You are teeny-tiny precious. Those other boys might tread on you! No, you stay safe inside with me."
But one day Tom's mother was in the doorway chatting as mothers do.
Tom sneaked out around the women's ankles.
But as soon as he got outside, something strong picked Tom up and lifted him high into the sky.
Tom struggled and twisted and saw that he was in the beak of a big black raven.
"Let go, you bully!" said Tom.
When he looked down he saw his cottage and his Ma shrunk teeny-tiny far away. And he saw great green mountains and a big blue sea that he'd never seen before.
"Oh, wow!" he said.
The raven swooped low as they got to the sea. It opened its beak and dropped Tom. He fell, splash-thrash into salty cold water.
"Oh no," thought Tom. "I'll drown!"
But, as Tom splutter-splashed, a big fish opened its mouth and gulped. It swallowed Tom right down into its dark smelly stomach.
"Oh, Ma," thought Tom. "I wish I'd stayed safe home with you!"
He curled up small and cried.
But it wasn't long before a fisherman caught that big fine fish and he sent the fish to the palace.
The palace cook took one look at the fish and said, "I'll stuff it full of herbs, just as King Arthur likes it." And he took his knife and he slit the fish -- and out stepped Tom Thumb blinking in the light. He pointed at the Cook and shouted,
"Put that knife down!"
"Er, yes, Sir," said the Cook, and he put down the knife.
There was a rare fuss-flurry in the palace as people told each other the story of Tom Thumb. Even the King got to hear it.
"I want to see this teeny-tiny boy," said the King.
What's So Funny?
So Tom was brought, fresh washed and combed.
When King Arthur saw teeny-tiny Tom on his table, he began to laugh.
So Tom put his teeny-tiny hands on his teeny-tiny hips and asked, "What's so funny?"
"You are," said King Arthur. "I've never seen anything like you before."
"Well, I've never seen anything like you before either!" said Tom. And he pointed at the king and he laughed. "Hee hee hee, look at him!"
The Palace people were shocked. "Shall we remove the rude boy?" they asked.
King Arthur shook his head.
"No," he said. "Tom Thumb is right. I am just as much the only king around here as he is the only teeny-tiny boy. It can be lonely being the only one. I could do with a friend who knows how I feel."
"So could I," said Tom.
So the teeny-tiny boy and the great grand king became friends.
King Arthur taught Tom how to behave with dignity And Tom taught the King how to have fun. He put a hazelnut onto the table.
"Flick that with your finger," said Tom. "See if you can get it past me."
King Arthur got good at dodging and darting.
"It's even more fun with more people," said Tom. "You need two teams to play football properly."
"But where could we get two teams from?" asked King Arthur.
"There's a team where I come from," said Tom.
"Come on, then," said King Arthur.
"Let's go and find them."
So Tom and King Arthur rode over the mountains and fields to Tom's village.
When Tom's mother opened the cottage door she laughed and she cried. She hugged Tom welcome home and she told him off for running away.
At last Tom got free and said.
"Ma, this is my friend, King Arthur."
"Lawks, the King!" said Tom's mother, and she started laughing and crying all over again.
The village children came to see what was going on.
Tom told King Arthur, 'These are my friends, the team."
"Pleased to meet you," said the King, and the children giggled and bowed and blushed.
"And this," said Tom, "is my dad. He's brilliant at teaching football."
So the grown-ups sat and talked about the weather and drank tea as grown-ups do. And Tom told the children all about the King and the palace and how he came to be there.
"Oh, wow!" they said.
"Would you like to come and play football at the palace and see it for yourself?" asked Tom.
"Yes please!" said the children. "You be our captain, Tom."
So they all travelled back to the palace.
Tom's dad taught the palace people how to kick and tackle and dribble and shoot a ball.
Tom's mother had a chat and tea with the Queen. And Tom took his team down to the kitchen to see the knife that had cut him out of the fish.
Then it was time for the match.
The shouting and cheering and arguing were much the same as at any football match you or I have ever seen. But the pitch was a big round table and the ball was a glistening pearl.
"Kids against the King? We'll easily win!" Tom told the children. And they did.
"Hooray!"
"Would you like to play again next Saturday?" asked the King.
"Yes please!"
As they trundled home, Tom's mother said, "You'll never guess what! The Queen has asked me to sew some special little clothes for her baby princess!"
Tom's dad winked at Tom. He said to his wife, "You'll be busy then.
You won't want Tom under your feet all day."
"No I won't," agreed Tom's ma "You'll just have to go out and play with the others, Tom." "Thanks, Ma!" said Tom, and he scrambled up onto her shoulder and kissed her.
The story of Tom Thumb is the oldest story for children that anybody has found written down. It is a story about a tiny boy and the adventures he has. The story has been written down again and again by different people over hundreds of years. Each of those people has made their own small changes.
I've made a change to the story, too. I've added the finger football bit. It seems to me that finger football is just the right game for a boy who is no bigger than a man's thumb!
Tiny Tom Thumb wants to see the world. His mother just wants him to stay safe and sound at home. But soon Tom is off on adventures that lead him to the palace, and a very special football match!
The Town Dog lived with a Little Old Lady.
The Little Old Lady loved her. She let her sleep on her bed and sit on her lap like a cat.
The Town Dog, whose name was Lou-Lou, had a coat to wear when it was cold.
And when it rained the Little Old Lady let her ride in her shopping trolley. Lou-Lou liked to hide in the trolley.
Then she would pop out from under the shopping and make people jump.
Lou-Lou was a very clever dog. She had some important jobs to do.
She had to bark when the Little Old Lady didn't hear the doorbell.
She had to warn the Little Old Lady when something was burning in the kitchen.
And she had to clean up any food that fell on the floor.
When the Little Old Lady lost things, like her keys or her purse, all she had to do was say "keys" or "purse" and Lou-Lou would run and find them.
Then the Little Old Lady would give her treats.
Lou-Lou really was the happiest dog in the world.
One day something terrible happened. The Little Old Lady had a fall and broke her leg and was carried off to hospital. Lou-Lou wasn't allowed to go in the ambulance with her.
She was left all alone in the house with a dish of food and a bowl of water. She couldn't sleep all night. And she didn't eat the food. She was very sad and very worried.
She thought she would never see the Little Old Lady again.
The next day, a man in uniform came and opened the front door without even ringing the doorbell. He had a cap with a badge with the letters R. S. P. C. A. on it.
Lou-Lou barked and barked. She even growled -- which surprised her.
It was something she didn't know she could do.
He put Lou-Lou in a basket and carried her out to a van. She whined and scratched at the basket. Was she being kidnapped?
But the man took her to a train station. Then he put her on a train with lots of parcels and sacks and bicycles. Doors slammed and the train started off.
Lou-Lou whimpered miserably. But no one came. At last she dropped off to sleep.
The next thing she knew, the train had stopped.
Her basket was lifted up and carried out of the train.
She sniffed the air. It didn't smell at all like the town. There were interesting animal smells and strange, scary smells she'd never smelt before.
Her basket was handed to a man who was waiting on the platform. He was wearing wellies covered with mud. Lou-Lou crouched down in her basket with her ears back. Where was he taking her?
He put the basket in the back of a car. There was a woman in the front and a Terrible Child strapped into a baby-seat in the back.
The Terrible Child was screaming and the woman was trying to make it quiet by waving a toy at it.
Further back, behind bars, there were two huge and fierce-looking dogs They barked at Lou-Lou with deep, hollow barks.
The Terrible Child stopped crying when he saw Lou-Lou. He poked his hand into her basket and tried to pull her tail.
After a long and bumpy journey they arrived at a farm. The man and the woman climbed out of the car. They took the Terrible Child out of the baby-seat and opened the back of the car to let out the big dogs.
Then they opened Lou-Lou's basket and said, "Out you get."
Lou-Lou jumped out straight into a puddle. Rain was soaking through her fur and the wind was icy. She had to walk along a horrible, muddy track with the other dogs.
Lou-Lou walked on tip-toe and jumped over the puddles. The other dogs didn't mind getting wet and dirty and they barked at Lou-Lou in a jeering way.
When they reached the house, all the dogs were taken into a back room with a cold stone floor and given bowls of dog food.
There were two cats there, too, and they came and sniffed Lou-Lou, to find out if she was a cat.
Lou-Lou barked to make sure they knew she was a dog. They backed away and Lou-Lou was glad.
Lou-Lou was very hungry but she didn't eat her dinner. She jumped back into her basket and tried to go to sleep.
It was a freezing night, and very dark outside. And animals she didn't know made strange and frightening noises. The other two dogs slept on the stone floor and snored and didn't seem to care.
Lou-Lou lay awake thinking of the saucer of hot cocoa and the biscuit that she used to have at home with the Little Old Lady.
When at last she fell asleep, she dreamed she was riding in a shopping trolley full of big, juicy bones.
The next day, the man came in wearing his wellies. He took the other two dogs with him and went out into the fields.
That's when Lou-Lou heard this terrible "BANG!" outside. It was followed by a lot more even louder
BANGS!
Lou-Lou was so frightened she buried herself in a basket of washing. When the woman came to do the ironing, she found her. She was really angry.
So Lou-Lou was in disgrace. She sat quietly in a corner and watched the Terrible Child.
The Terrible Child threw a lot of food and toys around and then he went to sleep. When he woke up again, he threw a lot more food and then he started chasing Lou-Lou round the room.
That's when she discovered that she could jump out through the cat flap.
That night, the two dogs came back with the man. They had a big sack full of dead birds with them.
The two dogs were covered with mud and smelled as if they had rolled in something horrible. They growled at Lou-Lou and she tried to get as far away from them as she could.
She jumped onto the woman's lap. The woman wasn't a bit like the Little Old Lady. She pushed Lou-Lou off.
Then the man said he was going to teach Lou-Lou how to behave like a proper dog.
For the next week, Lou-Lou had a terrible time. She didn't want to learn how to behave like a dog. For a start, she had to spend all day outside, even when it was raining. Her tail was down and her ears were back all the time.
The other dogs just laughed at her and showed off. They didn't want to play with her.
There were some huge animals in the fields that she hadn't seen before. At first, Lou-Lou thought they were dogs. But they didn't smell like dogs and they didn't bark.
She went to take a closer look. One of them was bigger than the others. When he saw Lou-Lou he rolled his eyes and snorted.
He had huge sharp horns. He lowered his head and pawed the ground. It was a bull.
Lou-Lou started backing away. Then she started running. She could hear the bull thundering after her. She ran as fast as her four legs would take her.
She shot through a gap in the hedge just as the bull was about to toss her in the air.
After that, Lou-Lou decided it would be best to play with smaller animals. She even tried to make friends with the cats. One of their favourite games was chasing each other round the house and garden in and out through the cat flap. Lou-Lou joined in.
The two big dogs looked on in disgust.
"A dog going through a cat flap," said one of them, and laughed in a nasty way. And the other dog sniggered. Lou-Lou felt very ashamed.
To the Rescue.
Then, early one morning, the woman took the man to catch the train. Lou-Lou was sitting in the back of the car. She wondered where he was going.
When the woman got back she started to clean the whole house.
When she had finished cleaning, she set the table with a tablecloth and the best china.
The dogs were told to stay outside so that they didn't make muddy pawprints everywhere.
But Lou-Lou crept in through the cat flap. She hid under the table.
Lou-Lou watched as the woman got the Terrible Child ready in his outdoor clothes. Then the woman took a rug out to the car.
But the minute that she was outside, the Terrible Child toddled across the floor and slammed the front door shut. Lou-Lou was locked in -- and so was the Terrible Child!
The Terrible Child then walked over to the table and pulled at the tablecloth.
All the tea cups and saucers and plates and spoons and jam and milk went sliding with a terrible crash onto the floor. Lou-Lou was shocked.
The woman was now peering through the letterbox.
She called out, "Don't do that! Come to Mummy."
But the Terrible Child took no notice. He went over to the fireplace and started throwing things into the fire.
A magazine slid out of the fire on to the rug. A thin wisp of flame started to dart across the floor.
The woman was screaming. She was desperate. She could see her keys on the table, but couldn't get to them.
"Keys," she shouted to the Terrible Child. "Bring the keys to Mummy."
Lou-Lou pricked up her ears. "Keys!" The Terrible Child didn't understand. The other two dogs stared through the window helplessly. The cats were trying to climb the curtains.
All the animals were terrified They didn't know what to do.
Lou-Lou spotted the keys lying on the table. Quick as a flash, she jumped up on a chair and grasped the keys in her mouth. Then she dashed out through the cat flap. She gave the keys to the woman.
The woman unlocked the door, raced into the room and threw the rug over the flames, and put them out.
She picked up the Terrible Child and hugged him. She was crying. Then she turned to Lou-Lou.
"Oh, you good dog," she said, blowing her nose.
"What a clever dog you are," she said, wiping her eyes. And she lifted Lou-Lou up and hugged her too.
The other dogs looked at Lou-Lou with respect.
Lou-Lou felt so proud.
The woman made sure that the fire was well and truly out and cleared up the mess on the floor. Then she bundled the Terrible Child and Lou-Lou into the car and drove off at a very fast pace.
The Terrible Child was quiet for once. He stroked Lou-Lou nicely and said "Doc-Duc," which was the nearest he could get to "Good dog."
Soon they arrived at the train station. The woman got out of the car and she took the Terrible Child and Lou-Lou with her.
They went onto the platform and waited for the train to come. Lou-Lou expected they were waiting for the man.
And sure enough, as the train came in, there he was, waving through the window.
He climbed out of the train. And then a guard came and helped him carry something heavy out of the train. It was a wheelchair and sitting in it, who should it be but the Little Old Lady, with her leg all done up in a big plaster cast!
Lou-Lou went almost mad with joy. She leapt up and tried to lick the Little Old Lady's face.
Then the woman told the man how clever Lou-Lou had been. After that, she was allowed to ride back home on the Little Old Lady's lap.
Lou-Lou stayed in the country until the Little Old Lady's leg got better.
While they were in the country nobody tried to make her behave like a dog any more. They let her stay inside in the warm and sit with the Little Old Lady.
The other dogs didn't laugh or snigger at her, either. They looked up to her with respect.
The idea for writing this book came from a real dog. Her owner couldn't look after her any more in the city, so she came to live with us in the country.
The first time she saw a cow she came back through the hedge with her eyes as big as saucers. She wouldn't go out in the rain and used to tip-toe round the puddles. But she's a very intelligent dog. And, with time, she's got used to country life. She's sitting beside me now and looks as if she'd like to add a word or two herself if only she could type.
Lou-Lou loves her life in the town with the Little Old Lady. But when she has to move to the country, things are very different...
Some twins are hard to tell apart. Ben and Clare weren't those sort of twins. Ben had freckles, Clare didn't. Ben had fair hair, Clare had brown hair. Clare liked to paint her nails pink, Ben didn't. It was easy to tell the twins apart.
Their mum often said they were like chalk and cheese. Clare thought Ben was the cheese.
The twins were like most brothers and sisters. Sometimes they played together and sometimes they argued. But there was one thing they agreed upon -- competitions. They were both crazy about competitions.
It was amazing where you could find competitions if you looked. They were in magazines and comics.
They were on cereal packets, tubes of toothpaste and bags of crisps.
Ben and Clare often entered six or seven competitions in one week.
Ben said that if you entered enough competitions, some day you had to win. It was only a matter of time.
And as it turned out, he was right.
Chapter 2: Sweet Dreams.
One Saturday afternoon, the twins were sitting in the kitchen. They had a big pile of competitions in front of them. At that moment, they were puzzling over a competition to win a shiny red sports car. (The twins couldn't drive, but they thought it would be fun to learn.)
Their mum came over to the table and dropped two Wibble's chocolate bars in front of them. "There we are," she said. "To help you think."
"Thanks, Mum!" cried the twins. Both of them grabbed the chocolate bars at the same time. They started to tear them open.
Luckily, Ben spotted something before it was too late.
"Wait!" he said. "There's some writing on this wrapper. It's a competition!"
Clare looked and saw he was right In big red letters on the wrapper, it said:
WIN YOUR WEIGHT IN CHOCOLATE! SEE INSIDE.
The twins stared at each other, speechless with excitement. This was the competition of their dreams.
Both of them were mad about chocolate. If they had their way, they would have had chocolate for breakfast, lunch and supper. Who needed a sports car? This was a competition they had to enter.
Each of them tried to imagine their own weight in chocolate. One thing was for sure. It would be a lot.
Carefully, Clare peeled off the wrapper and read the rules of the competition.
"In no more than ten words, say why Wibble's chocolate is the best," she read.
"That's easy," said Ben. "It's yummy. That's only two words."
Clare wrinkled her nose. "It's got to be clever, Ben. You can't just say 'it's yummy'. Anyway, 'scrummy' sounds better."
"Okay, it's yummy and scrummy," said Ben.
"That's good, it rhymes," said Clare. "Wait a minute." She chewed on her pencil, thinking.
"It's yummy and scrummy... And it's going in my tummy" she laughed That sounded good. They wrote it down on the entry form.
"Ten words exactly" counted Clare. "Perfect."
Next, you had to write your name and address and your weight.
Usually, they took turns to enter their names for a competition. Ben said it was his turn.
"No," argued Clare. "Your name was going on the sports car competition. So it's my turn."
"I don't want it on that. I want my name on this one," said Ben, stubbornly.
"All right. I know how to decide," said Clare. She gave a sly smile. "We'll see who is the heaviest."
"What's that got to do with it?" asked Ben.
"It's obvious, noodle," said Clare.
"You win your weight in chocolate.
So the more you weigh, the more chocolate you get!"
"Oh," said Ben. "I never thought of that."
They both raced upstairs to the bathroom. Ben got there first and jumped on the scales. He weighed 22 kilos. But when Clare stood on the scales she weighed 25 kilos.
"Cheater! You knew that all along," said Ben.
Clare just pulled a face. In the end, it was her name and weight that went on the entry form.
Chapter 3: Always a Chance.
They sealed up the envelope and took it to the post box.
"I'll post it," said Ben.
"Let's both post it," said Clare. "Maybe it will bring us luck."
They both took one corner of the envelope and pushed it into the slot.
"Do you think we'll win?" Ben asked.
"There's always a chance," said Clare.
They'd said that lots of times before. They'd entered hundreds of competitions. But they'd never won anything, except a measly set of felt-tip pens.
"Say we did win," said Ben. "We'd share the prize, wouldn't we? I mean, we've entered together."
"Of course," said Clare. But as she said it, for some reason, she crossed her fingers behind her back.
The weeks went by, and the twins forgot all about the Wibble's chocolate bar competition. Then, one Friday evening, the doorbell rang.
Ben opened the door to find a smartly dressed woman outside. Behind her, stood a man with a camera.
The woman gave Ben a friendly smile.
"Hello. Does Clare Mimms live here?" she asked.
"Yes," said Ben. "She's my sister."
"Lucky you," said the smiling woman. "Can you get her for me? She's won a prize."
It took Ben about three seconds flat to dash upstairs and fetch Clare.
His mind was racing. He tried to remember which competitions they'd entered recently. What kind of prize had Clare won?
Mum joined them at the door to see what was happening.
"My name's Diane. I'm from Wibble..." the smart lady began.
"Wibble?" said Clare. "The chocolate makers?"
"Yes, and I'm delighted to say you've won our competition, Clare. We loved your slogan. How did it go? It's yummy and scrummy -- "
" -- And it's going in my tummy!" shouted Ben and Clare together.
"That was it," said Diane. "Now, if you'd all stand back, we'll bring your prize in."
A large, red Wibble's chocolate van stood outside their house. Two men were unloading something from the back.
It was the biggest chocolate bar the twins had ever seen. It was huge, immense -- almost as big as a door. The giant Wibble bar was wrapped in shiny red paper. The delivery men wheeled it into the house on a trolley.
"Oh, my goodness!" said Mum, goggling at the whopper bar.
"It's bigger than me!" shouted Ben "I won! I won! I won!" shouted Clare, dancing round the room.
"It weighs 25 kilos. Exactly your weight, Clare," said Diane. "If you'll just stand next to it, we'll take a photo for the newspaper."
Clare stood with one arm round her prize and a huge grin on her face. Ben felt he should have been in the photo, too.
But he wasn't asked.
At last, everyone went away and the three of them were left alone. Clare put the giant Wibble bar on the sofa.
They all looked at it. No one spoke for a while.
"Well! What are you going to do with it?" asked their mum at last.
"That's easy" grinned Ben. "We're going to eat it. Aren't we, Clare?"
Clare said nothing.
Chapter 5: You Promised!
After supper, Clare counted the squares of the chocolate bar. She felt them through the wrapper. There were seventy-two. Clare worked out that would last her about ten weeks if she ate one square a day.
Of course, if she shared the bar with Ben, it would only last five weeks. That was the trouble. She wasn't sure that she wanted to share her prize.
"Let's have a piece," said Ben, eagerly.
"No," said Clare. She wasn't ready to tear open the shiny red wrapper. It looked too perfect.
That was the trouble with Ben. He would never save anything. He'd rip off all the paper right away. Then he'd stuff himself with so much chocolate that he'd probably be sick.
"It's not up to you," said Ben.
"It is," replied Clare. "It's my prize."
"It's mine as well," said Ben. "It's our prize. You promised to share."
"Maybe I've changed my mind," said Clare. She hadn't meant to say that. It had just come out. She knew she wasn't being fair but Ben was starting to annoy her.
This was her prize. The only prize she'd ever won in her life. She wasn't going to let her brother spoil it.
Ben screwed up his face like a baby.
"That's not fair! You promised!" he shouted.
"If you must know, I had my fingers crossed. So it doesn't count," replied Clare. "Anyway, it's got my name on the label."
"It could just as easy be mine," argued Ben.
"But it isn't," hissed Clare. "It's my prize and they gave it to me. I can do what I like with it."
She grabbed the giant bar and dragged it out of the room.
"I'll get you back for this!" Ben yelled after her.
It took a lot of effort to get the bar upstairs and into her bedroom, but, in the end, Clare managed it.
Chapter 6: The Hiding Place.
Clare didn't come out of her room all evening. She laid the giant Wibble bar on the floor. She was feeling a bit guilty about Ben.
Maybe she ought to give in and let him have a piece of her chocolate? But that meant tearing open the shiny wrapper.
Clare wasn't ready to do that yet.
She liked to save her sweets for the right moment.
Later, she told herself, she would let Ben have a piece. Later, but not yet. If she ate just one small piece a day, she could make it last for a long, long time.
Ben, meanwhile, was sulking in his room. He wasn't speaking to his sister.
When he met Clare going into the bathroom, he glared at her silently.
Clare brushed her teeth and got ready for bed.
She went to sleep with the giant Wibble bar on the floor next to her bed.
In the middle of the night, she woke up. She'd been having a terrible nightmare.
In her dream, Ben sneaked into her room while she was asleep. Then he ate all the chocolate.
"I told you I'd get you back," he smiled, with chocolate smeared all round his mouth.
Clare woke up in a cold panic.
She switched on her bedside lamp. To her relief, the giant Wibble bar was still on the floor, unopened.
She got out of bed and picked it up. After her nightmare, she wanted to hide her prize in a safe place.
She opened up her wardrobe. The wardrobe was jammed with clothes and shoes. There wasn't room for a kingsize chocolate bar.
Clare sat down on her bed. She looked around the room. Between her bed and the wall, she saw a narrow gap. It looked just wide enough to hide a giant chocolate bar.
When she tried it, the bar slid neatly into the gap. It was wedged between the bed and the radiator. Perfect.
Once Clare had replaced her duvet, you wouldn't know that anything was there.
Back in bed, she smiled to herself. Her treasure was safe. Ben would never think of looking in her secret hiding place.
In the morning, Clare woke up. She looked on the floor. Then she remembered where she'd hidden the giant bar last night. She felt hungry. Should she have some now, or save it until after school?
Perhaps she'd just steal the tiniest piece now. To see what it tasted like.
Downstairs, she could hear her mum and her brother in the kitchen.
It was safe to get the bar out. The more she thought about the chocolate, the more she longed to taste it.
She imagined peeling back the red wrapper. She imagined the snap the chocolate would make when she broke off the first piece. Would it taste like ordinary milk chocolate? Or would it be better? Sweeter and creamier?
Clare felt down the side of the bed with her hand.
Instead of the large solid bar, her hand touched the hot radiator. A horrible thought crossed her mind.
She leapt out of bed. Her bare feet felt sticky. Looking down, she saw the carpet was swimming in something thick and brown. There was a strong, sweet smell in the room. A smell like... like melted chocolate!
Clare got down on her hands and knees and felt under the bed. Her hand came out coated with a brown gooey mess. Under the bed, she could see the bar's shiny red wrapper, crumpled and empty. Chocolate ran down the radiator and oozed in brown waves across the floor.
"No!" Clare wailed. "My beautiful prize! Oh, no, NO!"
Mum and Ben heard her cries and ran upstairs. When they burst into the room, Clare was still on her hands and knees. She was trying to scoop the melted chocolate back into its wrapper.
"Clare! What's the matter? Are you all right?" asked her mum.
"Ugh!" said Ben. "What's all this stuff on the floor?"
"My chocolate bar!" moaned Clare. "It melted on the radiator!"
"What?" said her mum. She looked down in horror at the carpet swimming in chocolate. "Clare, what on earth made you leave it by a hot radiator?"
"It wasn't hot last night," whined Clare. "I just wanted to hide it from Ben."
Ben looked down at his sister. She had chocolate all over her pyjamas, chocolate sticking to her fingers, chocolate in her hair and a big blob on the end of her nose.
He burst out laughing. "I thought you wanted to eat it," he grinned. "Not wear it!"
Later that day, Clare knocked on Ben's bedroom door. Ben was on his bed, reading a comic. He didn't look up.
Clare took something out of her pocket. She dropped it into his lap. It was a chocolate bar -- a Wibble's chocolate bar.
"I know it's not the same," said Clare. "But I just wanted to say sorry."
Ben slowly tore off the wrapper.
"I suppose we could always share it," he said.
Clare smiled, but Ben wasn't looking. He was staring at the wrapper.
"Wait a minute," he said. "There's another competition on here!"
I live in Nottingham and write children's books and scripts for television.
Yummy Scrummy started from reading about "compers" -- people who enter competitions all the time. It was the idea of winning your weight in chocolate that really appealed to me.
Do you think you'd be like Clare, or would you share the prize?