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Authors: Alexander McCall Smith
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like great fun.”
Billy held his breath as Nicola launched herself into space. He would get into terrible trouble, he thought, if the rope broke, and he had to take Nicola home all covered in plaster. But it did not, and within seconds his sister was back up onthe platform, beaming with pleasure. After that, Billy had to do it himself, and he found it just as easy as the boy had said. So they each had one more jump, and then it was time to get back to Mr Bhalla’s for dinner. The sun was going down now, and night was falling on the jungle.
Mr Bhalla had prepared a magnificent meal of coconut rice, and there was more of the pink sherbet drink which they had all enjoyed so much earlier on. Then, because they were all tired from the journey, they decided it was time to go to bed.
As he prepared to go off to his room, Billy took Mr Bhalla aside. “Are there many wild animals here?” he asked.
Mr Bhalla smiled. “You don’t have to be worried, Billy,” he said reassuringly. “You’re perfectly safe up in the trees. The most we get up here is the odd monkey now and then.”
“But what about in the jungle?” Billy pressed. “Are there any … any tigers?”
Mr Bhalla shook his head. “No tigers, I’m afraid. There used to be, many years ago, but they moved on. So don’t worry about that.”
Billy thought for a moment.
“If there were tigers a long time ago,” he said quietly, “does anybody in the village have a tiger skin?”
Mr Bhalla looked at Billy in surprise. “What a strange question! But as a matter of fact, they do. We have three or four altogether. I have a very old one which my grandfather gave to me before he died. And there are a few others. But why do you ask?”
“I’ve had an idea,” said Billy. “I’ve hadan idea about how to help you. I’m not sure whether it will work, but there’s no harm in trying.”
Mr Bhalla looked at Billy, and for a moment it seemed as if his eyes would fill with tears.
“If it might save our trees,” he said, “then anything – anything – is worth trying.”
6
Billy’s Plan: Part One
The next day, over a tasty breakfast of poppadoms and marmalade, Billy told everybody about his plan.
“Our only hope,” he said, “is to scare those men away. If they become too frightened to work in the jungle, then they’ll leave.”
“And the trees will be saved,” interrupted Nicola.
“Exactly,” said Billy.
There was a silence while everybody thought about this. There was no doubt it was true; but there was something which still needed to be explained.
It was Mr Gopal who asked the question which everybody was pondering.
“But how do we frighten them away?” he asked. “It’s easy to say that you will frighten somebody, but how do you do it? Those men sound pretty fierce from what Mr Bhalla has told us.”
Billy smiled. “They may be fierce, but there’s something much fiercer than they are.”
“I don’t understand,” said Mr Gopal, shaking his head.
“Nor do I,” said his aunt. “I don’t see how we could frighten people like that.”
“We might not be able to frighten them,” said Billy. “But what about tigers? Wouldn’t they frighten them away?”
Mr Gopal snorted. “Of course they would,” he said. “But where are the tigers going to come from?”
Billy smiled. This was the funny part of the plan.
“You’ll see,” he said. “But first, we have to go off and have a word with these men. Just you and I will go, Mr Gopal. The others must stay behind and get ready for tonight.”
Once Billy had explained the rest of the plan, Mr Gopal was full of enthusiasm.
“What a brilliant idea!” he cried. “Oh, Billy, well done! I certainly wouldn’t like to be in those men’s shoes this evening!”
Together they climbed down the ladder from Mr Bhalla’s house, while the others waved farewell from above. Then, following the well-worn path that led to the bubblegum trees, they set off purposefully on their
Billy held his breath as Nicola launched herself into space. He would get into terrible trouble, he thought, if the rope broke, and he had to take Nicola home all covered in plaster. But it did not, and within seconds his sister was back up onthe platform, beaming with pleasure. After that, Billy had to do it himself, and he found it just as easy as the boy had said. So they each had one more jump, and then it was time to get back to Mr Bhalla’s for dinner. The sun was going down now, and night was falling on the jungle.
Mr Bhalla had prepared a magnificent meal of coconut rice, and there was more of the pink sherbet drink which they had all enjoyed so much earlier on. Then, because they were all tired from the journey, they decided it was time to go to bed.
As he prepared to go off to his room, Billy took Mr Bhalla aside. “Are there many wild animals here?” he asked.
Mr Bhalla smiled. “You don’t have to be worried, Billy,” he said reassuringly. “You’re perfectly safe up in the trees. The most we get up here is the odd monkey now and then.”
“But what about in the jungle?” Billy pressed. “Are there any … any tigers?”
Mr Bhalla shook his head. “No tigers, I’m afraid. There used to be, many years ago, but they moved on. So don’t worry about that.”
Billy thought for a moment.
“If there were tigers a long time ago,” he said quietly, “does anybody in the village have a tiger skin?”
Mr Bhalla looked at Billy in surprise. “What a strange question! But as a matter of fact, they do. We have three or four altogether. I have a very old one which my grandfather gave to me before he died. And there are a few others. But why do you ask?”
“I’ve had an idea,” said Billy. “I’ve hadan idea about how to help you. I’m not sure whether it will work, but there’s no harm in trying.”
Mr Bhalla looked at Billy, and for a moment it seemed as if his eyes would fill with tears.
“If it might save our trees,” he said, “then anything – anything – is worth trying.”
6
Billy’s Plan: Part One
The next day, over a tasty breakfast of poppadoms and marmalade, Billy told everybody about his plan.
“Our only hope,” he said, “is to scare those men away. If they become too frightened to work in the jungle, then they’ll leave.”
“And the trees will be saved,” interrupted Nicola.
“Exactly,” said Billy.
There was a silence while everybody thought about this. There was no doubt it was true; but there was something which still needed to be explained.
It was Mr Gopal who asked the question which everybody was pondering.
“But how do we frighten them away?” he asked. “It’s easy to say that you will frighten somebody, but how do you do it? Those men sound pretty fierce from what Mr Bhalla has told us.”
Billy smiled. “They may be fierce, but there’s something much fiercer than they are.”
“I don’t understand,” said Mr Gopal, shaking his head.
“Nor do I,” said his aunt. “I don’t see how we could frighten people like that.”
“We might not be able to frighten them,” said Billy. “But what about tigers? Wouldn’t they frighten them away?”
Mr Gopal snorted. “Of course they would,” he said. “But where are the tigers going to come from?”
Billy smiled. This was the funny part of the plan.
“You’ll see,” he said. “But first, we have to go off and have a word with these men. Just you and I will go, Mr Gopal. The others must stay behind and get ready for tonight.”
Once Billy had explained the rest of the plan, Mr Gopal was full of enthusiasm.
“What a brilliant idea!” he cried. “Oh, Billy, well done! I certainly wouldn’t like to be in those men’s shoes this evening!”
Together they climbed down the ladder from Mr Bhalla’s house, while the others waved farewell from above. Then, following the well-worn path that led to the bubblegum trees, they set off purposefully on their
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