Read Online How to Survive Summer Camp by Jacqueline Wilson - Free Book Online
Authors: Jacqueline Wilson
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even more of a nutcase than I thought,’ said Alan.
I wasn’t sure, but I think he was impressed too.
‘Tell some more,’ Rosemary begged.
But I couldn’t think of any more for the moment so we made some more daisychains instead and Alan built a dam. The daisychains kept breaking and the dam leaked but it didn’t really matter.
No one had a watch so we weren’t really sure about the time. We’d long since finished up the fruit gums and were starting to get ravenous. Marzipan didn’t think it could be more than four o’clock but the rest of us began to wonder if we’d missed tea. Perhaps I hadn’t been quite so clever after all.
Then I heard the faint but familiar strains of ten green bottles oh-so-gently falling.
‘They’re coming back! Quick, let’s hide,’ I hissed, and we all crawled into the middle of a big bush. The singing got louder and then we could actually see feet tramping along beside the stream. I spotted huge great trainers and grey tracksuit legs and nudged Alan. He nudged me back and we got the giggles and nearly choked.
‘Shut up, shut up,’ Marzipan mouthed desperately.
‘It’s all right. They’re making too much racket,’ I whispered.
The feet were petering out now. I peered through the leaves and saw the rest of the Emeralds looking very hot and cross and bored.
‘I bet nobody even noticed we were missing,’ I said.
I thought a bit.
‘So let’s tag on the end with the others now,’ I suggested. ‘And then no one will be any the wiser.’
The Emeralds were, of course. Janie fell on Rosemary and Dora and hugged them with all her heart. Louise and Karen weren’t in a hugging mood.
‘Where have you been?’ Louise demanded furiously. ‘Uncle Ron counted us all when we got to Hampton Hill and Karen and the boys and I had to keep bobbing about to get counted twice or the Emeralds would have lost another flipping team point. What have you been doing ?’
We smiled at her and wouldn’t tell.
R osemary couldn’t stop talking now that she’d found her voice. She talked all evening and she was still squeaking away long after Miss Hamer-Cotton had switched out the light in our dormi.
‘I’m ever so tired, Rosemary. Couldn’t we go to sleep now?’ Janie begged.
‘I’m not a bit tired,’ said Rosemary.
‘Well I am,’ Louise groaned. ‘Put your wretched donkey over your head and pipe down.’
Rosemary did as she was told.
‘Dora smells funny,’ she said, sounding smothered.
Karen snorted. ‘Of course she does, stupid. She’s been in a cowpat, yuck yuck yuck. You shouldn’t put it round your face, you’ll catch some awful disease.’
‘No I won’t. Will I, Stella?’
For some reason Rosemary kept asking me things now. It was beginning to annoy the others.
‘Stella washed all the cow stuff away so Dora doesn’t smell nasty any more,’ Rosemary continued. ‘She just smells funny.Wet. Like my swimming costume when it’s been rolled up in my towel a long time.’
‘Is she still wet then?’ said Marzipan. ‘You’d better not have her in bed with you.’
‘But I can’t sleep without her.’
‘You don’t seem to be able to sleep with her either,’ said Louise.
‘I can’t help it. I said, I’m just not tired,’ said Rosemary, tossing to and fro. ‘And I can’t get comfy. My sheets are all wrinkled up and my pillow won’t go right and Dora can’t get comfy either.’
‘Shall I tuck you up?’ said Karen, getting out of bed. ‘Oh for goodness’ sake, your donkey’s still sopping. No wonder you can’t get comfy. Look, put it over here and—’
‘No! I want Dora!’
‘You can’t, you’ll get pneumonia. And I bet it’s still crawling with germs. You’ll end up with foot and mouth disease if you don’t watch out.’
‘Give me Dora!’ Rosemary roared.
‘Give her it back, Karen, or she’ll wake the whole house,’ said Louise impatiently.
Karen flung Dora back to Rosemary.
‘Stella, can you get me comfy?’
I wasn’t sure, but I think he was impressed too.
‘Tell some more,’ Rosemary begged.
But I couldn’t think of any more for the moment so we made some more daisychains instead and Alan built a dam. The daisychains kept breaking and the dam leaked but it didn’t really matter.
No one had a watch so we weren’t really sure about the time. We’d long since finished up the fruit gums and were starting to get ravenous. Marzipan didn’t think it could be more than four o’clock but the rest of us began to wonder if we’d missed tea. Perhaps I hadn’t been quite so clever after all.
Then I heard the faint but familiar strains of ten green bottles oh-so-gently falling.
‘They’re coming back! Quick, let’s hide,’ I hissed, and we all crawled into the middle of a big bush. The singing got louder and then we could actually see feet tramping along beside the stream. I spotted huge great trainers and grey tracksuit legs and nudged Alan. He nudged me back and we got the giggles and nearly choked.
‘Shut up, shut up,’ Marzipan mouthed desperately.
‘It’s all right. They’re making too much racket,’ I whispered.
The feet were petering out now. I peered through the leaves and saw the rest of the Emeralds looking very hot and cross and bored.
‘I bet nobody even noticed we were missing,’ I said.
I thought a bit.
‘So let’s tag on the end with the others now,’ I suggested. ‘And then no one will be any the wiser.’
The Emeralds were, of course. Janie fell on Rosemary and Dora and hugged them with all her heart. Louise and Karen weren’t in a hugging mood.
‘Where have you been?’ Louise demanded furiously. ‘Uncle Ron counted us all when we got to Hampton Hill and Karen and the boys and I had to keep bobbing about to get counted twice or the Emeralds would have lost another flipping team point. What have you been doing ?’
We smiled at her and wouldn’t tell.
R osemary couldn’t stop talking now that she’d found her voice. She talked all evening and she was still squeaking away long after Miss Hamer-Cotton had switched out the light in our dormi.
‘I’m ever so tired, Rosemary. Couldn’t we go to sleep now?’ Janie begged.
‘I’m not a bit tired,’ said Rosemary.
‘Well I am,’ Louise groaned. ‘Put your wretched donkey over your head and pipe down.’
Rosemary did as she was told.
‘Dora smells funny,’ she said, sounding smothered.
Karen snorted. ‘Of course she does, stupid. She’s been in a cowpat, yuck yuck yuck. You shouldn’t put it round your face, you’ll catch some awful disease.’
‘No I won’t. Will I, Stella?’
For some reason Rosemary kept asking me things now. It was beginning to annoy the others.
‘Stella washed all the cow stuff away so Dora doesn’t smell nasty any more,’ Rosemary continued. ‘She just smells funny.Wet. Like my swimming costume when it’s been rolled up in my towel a long time.’
‘Is she still wet then?’ said Marzipan. ‘You’d better not have her in bed with you.’
‘But I can’t sleep without her.’
‘You don’t seem to be able to sleep with her either,’ said Louise.
‘I can’t help it. I said, I’m just not tired,’ said Rosemary, tossing to and fro. ‘And I can’t get comfy. My sheets are all wrinkled up and my pillow won’t go right and Dora can’t get comfy either.’
‘Shall I tuck you up?’ said Karen, getting out of bed. ‘Oh for goodness’ sake, your donkey’s still sopping. No wonder you can’t get comfy. Look, put it over here and—’
‘No! I want Dora!’
‘You can’t, you’ll get pneumonia. And I bet it’s still crawling with germs. You’ll end up with foot and mouth disease if you don’t watch out.’
‘Give me Dora!’ Rosemary roared.
‘Give her it back, Karen, or she’ll wake the whole house,’ said Louise impatiently.
Karen flung Dora back to Rosemary.
‘Stella, can you get me comfy?’
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