Read Online The Fantastic Family Whipple by Matthew Ward - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Matthew Ward
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Language). Before long, they were playing the last note, and Arthur realized the moment he had dreamt about for four long years had finally arrived: it was time for his birthday wish.
In order to stretch the moment out as long as he could, Arthur pretended to be thinking of what to wish for—but in truth, he had known all along exactly what his wish wouldbe. He did his best to continue stalling, until he noticed the octuplets fidgeting in their chairs. It seemed he had delayed as long as his family would allow, so he closed his eyes and began his wish.
I wish
, Arthur thought to himself,
that I was a world record holder
.
But as soon as the wish had entered his mind, his heart became troubled. As Arthur grew increasingly aware of all the eyes fixed upon him, he was struck by an unsettling thought: everyone had known all along what his wish would be.
And how could they not have? Of course he would wish for the one thing that constantly eluded him.
Arthur had always known his failures were a matter of public record, but he had assumed his dreams belonged to him. At that moment, however, he realized his well-known failures had betrayed his most secret hopes, and that the one thing he thought he had achieved on his own—his very dreams—had been predicted by everyone else, even before he had dreamed them himself.
The boy glanced around the table at his restless siblings. They each had an expression that seemed to say, Come on, Arthur—make your wish, already. The whole world already knows what you’re going to wish for….
Cordelia tapped her foot and glanced toward the ceiling, while George stared at his own nose, apparently practicing for an eye-crossing record. Even Beatrice peered hungrily at the cake, willing Arthur to finish his wish so she could dig in.
Arthur looked back to the cake. He was no birthday-wishing expert, but he was pretty sure it was fair to alter a wish at the last moment—and that it was the last wish made before blowing out one’s candles that actually counted. He had half a second to think of a less obvious wish—before his family tore him limb from limb.
I wish…that I belonged
, thought Arthur.
It was something his family might not guess right away, and that gave Arthur a new boost of confidence. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath—deep enough to ensure victory over the twelve trembling flames before him. There was no chance of failure now. All he had to do was extinguish a few tiny candles and surely, his wish would be granted.
With his lungs filled to capacity, he pursed his lips and prepared to blow. But before any air had left his mouth, the study door flew open, creating a gust of wind that snuffed out Arthur’s candles in an instant.
“This will do,” said the short, chubby man who had barged into the room. “Just wheel it into that back corner over there. We only need to get it out of the way for a few minutes while they load the giant squid steaks into the refrigerator.”
Two men entered the room pushing a large cart. Sitting on the cart and wrapped in cellophane was a life-size statue of the Whipple family, sculpted in Gouda cheese. Each family member’s likeness had been painstakingly carved into the enormous cheese block in honor of their birthday celebration the next day—each, of course, but Arthur’s.
At the sight of the World’s Most Intricate Cheese Sculpture, the Whipples sprang from their chairs and rushed over for a closer look.
“That looks just like you, Daddy,” declared Penelope as she pointed to the Whipple patriarch’s cheesy bust.
“I dare say you’re right, Penelope,” Mr. Whipple replied. “The resemblance is uncanny. Why, we may as well be looking in a mirror!”
Still seated at the table, Arthur looked down at his cherished birthday cake as tiny wisps of smoke escaped from the blackened candlewicks.
THE WHIPPLE FAMILY BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
U sing a small fork, the Cannibal King of Manawatu carved a chunk off of Mrs.
In order to stretch the moment out as long as he could, Arthur pretended to be thinking of what to wish for—but in truth, he had known all along exactly what his wish wouldbe. He did his best to continue stalling, until he noticed the octuplets fidgeting in their chairs. It seemed he had delayed as long as his family would allow, so he closed his eyes and began his wish.
I wish
, Arthur thought to himself,
that I was a world record holder
.
But as soon as the wish had entered his mind, his heart became troubled. As Arthur grew increasingly aware of all the eyes fixed upon him, he was struck by an unsettling thought: everyone had known all along what his wish would be.
And how could they not have? Of course he would wish for the one thing that constantly eluded him.
Arthur had always known his failures were a matter of public record, but he had assumed his dreams belonged to him. At that moment, however, he realized his well-known failures had betrayed his most secret hopes, and that the one thing he thought he had achieved on his own—his very dreams—had been predicted by everyone else, even before he had dreamed them himself.
The boy glanced around the table at his restless siblings. They each had an expression that seemed to say, Come on, Arthur—make your wish, already. The whole world already knows what you’re going to wish for….
Cordelia tapped her foot and glanced toward the ceiling, while George stared at his own nose, apparently practicing for an eye-crossing record. Even Beatrice peered hungrily at the cake, willing Arthur to finish his wish so she could dig in.
Arthur looked back to the cake. He was no birthday-wishing expert, but he was pretty sure it was fair to alter a wish at the last moment—and that it was the last wish made before blowing out one’s candles that actually counted. He had half a second to think of a less obvious wish—before his family tore him limb from limb.
I wish…that I belonged
, thought Arthur.
It was something his family might not guess right away, and that gave Arthur a new boost of confidence. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath—deep enough to ensure victory over the twelve trembling flames before him. There was no chance of failure now. All he had to do was extinguish a few tiny candles and surely, his wish would be granted.
With his lungs filled to capacity, he pursed his lips and prepared to blow. But before any air had left his mouth, the study door flew open, creating a gust of wind that snuffed out Arthur’s candles in an instant.
“This will do,” said the short, chubby man who had barged into the room. “Just wheel it into that back corner over there. We only need to get it out of the way for a few minutes while they load the giant squid steaks into the refrigerator.”
Two men entered the room pushing a large cart. Sitting on the cart and wrapped in cellophane was a life-size statue of the Whipple family, sculpted in Gouda cheese. Each family member’s likeness had been painstakingly carved into the enormous cheese block in honor of their birthday celebration the next day—each, of course, but Arthur’s.
At the sight of the World’s Most Intricate Cheese Sculpture, the Whipples sprang from their chairs and rushed over for a closer look.
“That looks just like you, Daddy,” declared Penelope as she pointed to the Whipple patriarch’s cheesy bust.
“I dare say you’re right, Penelope,” Mr. Whipple replied. “The resemblance is uncanny. Why, we may as well be looking in a mirror!”
Still seated at the table, Arthur looked down at his cherished birthday cake as tiny wisps of smoke escaped from the blackened candlewicks.
THE WHIPPLE FAMILY BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
U sing a small fork, the Cannibal King of Manawatu carved a chunk off of Mrs.
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