Read Online Carbonel and Calidor by Barbara Sleigh - Free Book Online Page B

we can hide them till we can think of some plan?’
    â€˜There’s probably some ghastly law about stealing road studs,’ said John gloomily.
    â€˜Let me think,’ he went on desperately, his fists clenched against his forehead. ‘I know,’ he said at last. ‘Once we’ve got them home, we can shut them in that old shed at the bottom of the garden, where Uncle Zack used to keep hens. Nobody ever goes there.’
    â€˜But we can’t go through the village with a pack of Scrabbles squeaking and squawking behind us!’ said Rosemary.
    â€˜Well then, we shall just have to go round the village. I think I can find the way. But it’ll take much longer, so we’d better get going. Come on!’
    They set off at a brisk pace, with the Scrabbles, twittering excitedly, streaming behind them.

8. Un-wishing
    I T was a weary, untidy pair who at last reached home. It took a great deal longer than they expected, to find their way round the village. Once, they got lost in a small wood, and had to crawl through a thicket to find the path again. Twice, they had to climb a wall. Rosemary’s half-hope that they would lose the Scrabbles on the way came to nothing. As they reached each obstacle, their twittering grew a little agitated, but after some excited scurrying to and fro, they squeezed themselves over, under or through everything in their way, to join John and Rosemary the other side, squeaking with renewed vigour at their cleverness.
    Once, when they were on a well-marked path, they heard someone coming towards them. The only way the Scrabbles could be persuaded to hide in a rather muddy ditch was to crouch down in it themselves, till the danger was past.
    It was nearly dark when they reached home.
    â€˜Just as well,’ said John. ‘Uncle Zack wouldn’t notice what we looked like anyway, but Mother Boddles will want to know exactly how we’ve got in such a mess if she spots us before we can clean up a bit.’
    â€˜As soon as we’ve shut the Scrabbles up, we can sneak in through the side door,’ said Rosemary.
    It was easier said than done to persuade the creatures to go into the shed. When they tried to shoo them in, they stood stock still, muttering suspiciously.
    â€˜It’s no good,’ said John. ‘It’s you they always follow: you’ll have to go in first, then nip out quickly when they are all inside and I’ll slam the door behind you.’
    It took quite a lot of courage for Rosemary to walk into the dark shed with the Scrabbles twittering round her feet. She could not see them clearly, but she could feel them tickling her ankles as they jostled their way in beside her. When a quick glance over her shoulder showed that the last one was through the opening, before they realized what she was doing, she turned, and with a flying leap escaped from the shed. Instantly John slammed the door behind her. Rosemary leaned against it with a sigh of relief.
    â€˜Good old Rosie!’ said John.
    â€˜But I feel such a pig !’ said Rosemary. ‘Tricking them like that when they were trusting us. Listen! They’re squeaking so unhappily. Will they be all right? Do you think they’re hungry?’
    â€˜Goodness knows,’ said John. ‘But what on earth do Scrabbles eat?’
    â€˜We found a hedgehog once in the garden at home, and we fed it on bread and milk,’ said Rosemary doubtfully. ‘We might try that.’
    â€˜All right, but we’ll have to wait till after supper. I expect they’ll have calmed down a bit by then. We’d better have a good tidy up first. We’re pretty muddy from that ditch.’
    â€˜I’ve been thinking all the way home,’ said Rosemary, as they washed their hands. ‘I think I know how it happened. The Scrabbles I mean. ...’
    â€˜Well, go on, clever!’ said John.
    â€˜Do you remember when we pulled the purple cracker at the bus stop?’