Read Online RARE BEASTS by Charles Ogden, Rick Carton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charles Ogden, Rick Carton
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antlers arched through the airin a spray of snake spittle, followed by a slimy kitty with mismatched eyes that looked awfully glad to be outside of the python.
“Chauncey!” screamed Donald Bogginer when he recognized his pet. Donald picked up the kitty and hugged him tightly.
“These aren’t valuable exotic animals! They’re our pets!”
28. No One Likes a Bath
The children swarmed over Engine Number 7. They grabbed water hoses and sprayed the cart and its contents from top to bottom. All the dyes, paints, and decorations washed away, and an exuberant cheer erupted from the crowd as the animals were revealed. The boys and girls were thrilled to see their pets, but not as happy as their pets were to see them!
While some of the children ran to the cart, a few remained on the truck. They increased the water pressure and took aim at the causes of their misery.
The water hit the twins full on.
“Glug!”
yelped Edgar.
“Blarp!”
gargled Ellen.
The blast knocked the pair completely off their feet, and turned the ground beneath them into a swampy mess.
One by one, the children gathered up their pets from the table, laughing and cuddling as the animals licked and nuzzled them. And one by one, they stomped past Edgar and Ellen, who wallowed helplessly in the mud pit.
“
This
is for Freckles!” said Stanley Mulligan, thumbing his nose.
“And
this
is for Blumpers!” said little Annie Krump, yanking Ellen’s pigtail as she splashed by.
“And
this
is for our Mr. Poo Poo!” declared Peter Pickens, kicking mud as he marched past carrying the tail end of the reptile. Penny, holding its front end, paused a moment as if to consider allowing the snake to make a meal of its captors. As the Pickens children carried their pet away, Mr. Poo Poo stuck his long, slithering tongue out at the twins.
And to make matters even more miserable, Von Barlow’s jar of fire ants had shattered in the chaos. They scurried through the slop and all over Edgar and Ellen, taking tiny, painful chomps out of them as they went.
“Ow!”
Edgar yelped at each bite.
“You and your stupid fire ants!” cried Ellen, slapping herself in a fruitless effort to combat the insects. “Are you happy now?
Ouch!
”
After every child reclaimed his or her pet, after every child tromped past the mud-soaked twins, some with their executive parents in tow, after the firefighters rolled up their fire hose and drove Lucky Engine Number 7 out of sight, and after the crestfallen Dr. Felix Von Barlow wandered away down the street, Edgar and Ellen were left alone with the ants in the cold, foul mud.
29. Close of Business
Covered with bruises, scratches, and bites, and dripping with oozing filth and mangled holiday decorations, Edgar and Ellen trudged back home and through the front door without bothering to wipe their feet. They didn’t wipe their hands, arms, or legs, either, so as they slunk through the dank house they left trails of mud and dirty glitter in their wake.
“We sure learned a valuable lesson today, Brother,” said Ellen, yawning.
“You’re right, Sister,” said Edgar. “The next time we disguise a bunch of stolen animals, we’ll make sure not to use water-based paints and cheap glue— that stuff washes right off!”
Exhausted, Edgar and Ellen slowly climbed the dark stairs. Halfway up the third flight, an eerie feeling crept over them. They turned and there, cloaked in the shadows of the stairwell, Heimertz stood silently, his toothy smile flashing in the darkness. The twins scurried up the steps.
Near the top, they passed the den where Pet was again perched atop the wingback chair, intently watching a rerun of the very same nature show that had given them the idea for the Exotic Animal
Emporium in the first place. One glance at the program caused Edgar and Ellen to grimace and look away.
“
Arrgh
, animals! I
hate
animals, they’re more trouble than they’re worth!” moaned Ellen. “If we never ever
“Chauncey!” screamed Donald Bogginer when he recognized his pet. Donald picked up the kitty and hugged him tightly.
“These aren’t valuable exotic animals! They’re our pets!”
28. No One Likes a Bath
The children swarmed over Engine Number 7. They grabbed water hoses and sprayed the cart and its contents from top to bottom. All the dyes, paints, and decorations washed away, and an exuberant cheer erupted from the crowd as the animals were revealed. The boys and girls were thrilled to see their pets, but not as happy as their pets were to see them!
While some of the children ran to the cart, a few remained on the truck. They increased the water pressure and took aim at the causes of their misery.
The water hit the twins full on.
“Glug!”
yelped Edgar.
“Blarp!”
gargled Ellen.
The blast knocked the pair completely off their feet, and turned the ground beneath them into a swampy mess.
One by one, the children gathered up their pets from the table, laughing and cuddling as the animals licked and nuzzled them. And one by one, they stomped past Edgar and Ellen, who wallowed helplessly in the mud pit.
“
This
is for Freckles!” said Stanley Mulligan, thumbing his nose.
“And
this
is for Blumpers!” said little Annie Krump, yanking Ellen’s pigtail as she splashed by.
“And
this
is for our Mr. Poo Poo!” declared Peter Pickens, kicking mud as he marched past carrying the tail end of the reptile. Penny, holding its front end, paused a moment as if to consider allowing the snake to make a meal of its captors. As the Pickens children carried their pet away, Mr. Poo Poo stuck his long, slithering tongue out at the twins.
And to make matters even more miserable, Von Barlow’s jar of fire ants had shattered in the chaos. They scurried through the slop and all over Edgar and Ellen, taking tiny, painful chomps out of them as they went.
“Ow!”
Edgar yelped at each bite.
“You and your stupid fire ants!” cried Ellen, slapping herself in a fruitless effort to combat the insects. “Are you happy now?
Ouch!
”
After every child reclaimed his or her pet, after every child tromped past the mud-soaked twins, some with their executive parents in tow, after the firefighters rolled up their fire hose and drove Lucky Engine Number 7 out of sight, and after the crestfallen Dr. Felix Von Barlow wandered away down the street, Edgar and Ellen were left alone with the ants in the cold, foul mud.
29. Close of Business
Covered with bruises, scratches, and bites, and dripping with oozing filth and mangled holiday decorations, Edgar and Ellen trudged back home and through the front door without bothering to wipe their feet. They didn’t wipe their hands, arms, or legs, either, so as they slunk through the dank house they left trails of mud and dirty glitter in their wake.
“We sure learned a valuable lesson today, Brother,” said Ellen, yawning.
“You’re right, Sister,” said Edgar. “The next time we disguise a bunch of stolen animals, we’ll make sure not to use water-based paints and cheap glue— that stuff washes right off!”
Exhausted, Edgar and Ellen slowly climbed the dark stairs. Halfway up the third flight, an eerie feeling crept over them. They turned and there, cloaked in the shadows of the stairwell, Heimertz stood silently, his toothy smile flashing in the darkness. The twins scurried up the steps.
Near the top, they passed the den where Pet was again perched atop the wingback chair, intently watching a rerun of the very same nature show that had given them the idea for the Exotic Animal
Emporium in the first place. One glance at the program caused Edgar and Ellen to grimace and look away.
“
Arrgh
, animals! I
hate
animals, they’re more trouble than they’re worth!” moaned Ellen. “If we never ever
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