Read Online School's Out...Forever! by Kate McMullan - Free Book Online

What did it mean, all the talk of the Pinwick Fair and the careless nursemaid and leaving babies alone?
    As Wiglaf tried to puzzle it out, the carriage door flew open and Prince Rex bolted out.
    â€œStop talking!” Rex shouted. “I want to go back to the palace and play my combat game!” He began running in circles around the hillock, chanting, “Wanna go home! Wanna go home! Wanna go home!”
    Queen Marge rose and walked down the hill to Rex. The others followed her.
    â€œCome here, lad,” she called to Dudwin. “Stand next to Rex. We want to see who’s taller.”
    â€œMe!” shouted Rex as he dashed over to Dudwin. “See? Me!”
    Queen Marge eyed the lads as they stood side by side.
    â€œThey look alike, don’t they?” she said.
    â€œSo they do!” exclaimed Molwena.
    Rex had on puffy pants and a fancy doublet. He wore a velvet hat over his yellow hair. But in every other respect, the lads looked like two peas in a pod.
    â€œRexie,” said Queen Marge. “I have big news for you.”
    Rex stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at the queen.
    Queen Marge turned to Molwena. “Would you like to tell him?” she asked.

    â€œIndeed I would!” said Molwena. Then she frowned. “Tell him what?”
    â€œAbout the baby swap,” said Queen Marge.
    Molwena scratched her head. “What baby swap are you meaning, Your Queenieness?”
    â€œThe one at the Pinwick Fair,” said the queen.
    â€œI must have spent too long watching those fire-eaters and missed that,” said Molwena.
    â€œMolwena,” said Queen Marge, “when you came back to the shade tree to pick up your baby—”
    â€œOh, I didn’t come,” said Molwena. “Sent me two big boys to fetch their little brother.”
    â€œDo you think,” said Queen Marge, “they might have picked up the wrong baby?”
    Molwena gasped. “Is that what happened?” she cried. “I always thought a bewitcher must have come along and put a curse on Wiggie as he slept, and that’s why he turned out such a scrawny, little carrottop.”
    â€œThat scrawny, little carrottop was my baby,” said the queen.
    Wiglaf’s head was spinning. “You mean…,” he began. “You mean…”
    â€œShe means that Rex isn’t my cousin, Wiggie,” said Erica. “You are!”
    â€œI am?” said Wiglaf.
    â€œShe means you’re a prince, Wiggie!” exclaimed Dudwin. Then his face fell. “But that means we’re not brothers.”
    â€œA prince?” said Wiglaf. “Me?”
    Suddenly Queen Marge was in front of him.
    â€œI thought as much from the moment I saw you today,” she said, and she threw her arms around him. “I am your mother, and you are my son. I named you Rex, but now you shall be Prince Wiglaf.”
    â€œInce-pray Iglaf-way!”
exclaimed Daisy.
    â€œThat pig is bewitched!” Molwena cried, reaching into her bag and tossing salt over her shoulder in case it was catching. “Come along, Wiggie,” she said. “You, too, Dudwin. High time we started for home.”
    â€œMolwena!” cried Queen Marge. “Don’t you see? Wiglaf is my son. Your son is Rex.”
    â€œIs he, now?” exclaimed Molwena. “Wait till I tell Fergus!” She tried to hug her long-lost son, but he ducked out from under her arms.
    After that, the kings got out of the golden carriage, and there was much hugging and exclaiming of “Zounds!” and “Egad!” and “Gadzooks!” When everyone had calmed down, Dudwin spoke up.
    â€œWill you live in the hovel with the rest of us now?” he asked Rex.
    â€œI’m sure he’d rather go back to the palace,” Molwena said quickly. “But he’ll always be welcome in our hovel.”
    â€œDo those lads who tossed the water balloons live in your hovel?” Rex