Read Online The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Andrews
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surprise.
"Here, get off ! " he said in a startled voice.
The professor grinned. "She likes you, Tom. That's a great compliment."
Tom was embarrassed. "Listen, I like her too. But she's got to get down." He looked at the bird, now only inches away from his face. The tiny hands appeared again and the button eyes stared at him without blinking.
The professor and the children doubled up with laughter. "Once she takes a fancy to someone, Tom, she never changes her mind. You're stuck with her, I'm afraid."
Before Tom could protest further, a dreadful, dry rattling sound came from somewhere across the fields of waving flowers. The Whiffle Bird stiffened and then flew into the air. "MAYDAY!" she shrieked in an incredibly shrill voice.
"What does she mean?" gasped Lindy.
" 'Mayday' is the recognized international call for help," said the professor grimly. "I fear we are in for a surprise."
The horrible sound came again, but closer this time. "Tom, climb the tree and tell me if you can see anything," commanded the professor.
The boy did as he was told. "There's a big cloud of dust out there and it's moving!" he yelled. "It's coming our way!"
Lindy took hold of the professor's hand and held it tightly. "I think I'm going to be frightened," she said.
"Lindy, you must try hard not to be, because that is exactly what the Prock would want. This is his work, I know it."
"I can see something now," cried Tom. "Hundreds of strange-looking animals."
"What do they look like?"
"Weird. Like huge anteaters. No, more like cannons, but instead of wheels they have five legs in a circle on either side."
"Sidewinders," declared the professor. "That devil has sent the Sidewinders to drive us away."
"What are they?" asked Ben in consternation. "They're the Whangdoodle's private guard. I've never seen them, but they have a nasty reputation." Ben cried, "There they are, Professor! Look!"
In the distance a company of extraordinary creatures was marching towards them. They did look like cannons. Their long, funnel-like noses were held rigidly in the air at a forty-five-degree angle. They moved with a rolling, thrashing gait, their five legs churning at either side of their mud-brown bodies. The noise they made was constant now and terrifying.
Tom scurried down from the tree. The professor put his arms about the children.
The Whiffle Bird shrieked at the top of her voice, "STAND AND DELIVER!" Then she flapped away in a panic-stricken fashion up the river.
The Sidewinders were so close now that their staring eyes and slobbering mouths could be clearly seen. Above the roar, percussive music began. The moving sea of creatures shifted and bunched together. As their bodies touched, bright sparks flew in all directions and they began to glow, first green, then red, then green again, and blue.
Lindy could stand it no longer. "Professor," she cried, "I can't look at them. I want to go home." She began to weep and her thumb went into her mouth.
"We shall, Lindy. We shall. You don't have to look, but you must not move. It is imperative that we obey the Whiffle Bird and stand our ground."
The Sidewinders were almost on top of them. They could see the warts on the creatures' sandpaper skin. Their long trunks towered above their heads and their hot breath singed the leaves off the purple tree. The earth shook from the marching of so many hundreds of feet.
Lindy screamed.
Just as it seemed that the professor and the children must be trampled to death, there was a mighty crash of cymbals and the entire army turned and headed towards the river. Ben cried out with relief, "They turned. How come they turned?"
"They were only sent to frighten us," shouted the professor.
Lindy opened her eyes.
Tom suddenly grew very daring. He took a step forward and glared at a passing Sidewinder. "Boo!" he yelled.
The creature looked extremely startled and backed into a Sidewinder behind it. This started a chain reaction and, all of a sudden, chaos reigned.
"Here, get off ! " he said in a startled voice.
The professor grinned. "She likes you, Tom. That's a great compliment."
Tom was embarrassed. "Listen, I like her too. But she's got to get down." He looked at the bird, now only inches away from his face. The tiny hands appeared again and the button eyes stared at him without blinking.
The professor and the children doubled up with laughter. "Once she takes a fancy to someone, Tom, she never changes her mind. You're stuck with her, I'm afraid."
Before Tom could protest further, a dreadful, dry rattling sound came from somewhere across the fields of waving flowers. The Whiffle Bird stiffened and then flew into the air. "MAYDAY!" she shrieked in an incredibly shrill voice.
"What does she mean?" gasped Lindy.
" 'Mayday' is the recognized international call for help," said the professor grimly. "I fear we are in for a surprise."
The horrible sound came again, but closer this time. "Tom, climb the tree and tell me if you can see anything," commanded the professor.
The boy did as he was told. "There's a big cloud of dust out there and it's moving!" he yelled. "It's coming our way!"
Lindy took hold of the professor's hand and held it tightly. "I think I'm going to be frightened," she said.
"Lindy, you must try hard not to be, because that is exactly what the Prock would want. This is his work, I know it."
"I can see something now," cried Tom. "Hundreds of strange-looking animals."
"What do they look like?"
"Weird. Like huge anteaters. No, more like cannons, but instead of wheels they have five legs in a circle on either side."
"Sidewinders," declared the professor. "That devil has sent the Sidewinders to drive us away."
"What are they?" asked Ben in consternation. "They're the Whangdoodle's private guard. I've never seen them, but they have a nasty reputation." Ben cried, "There they are, Professor! Look!"
In the distance a company of extraordinary creatures was marching towards them. They did look like cannons. Their long, funnel-like noses were held rigidly in the air at a forty-five-degree angle. They moved with a rolling, thrashing gait, their five legs churning at either side of their mud-brown bodies. The noise they made was constant now and terrifying.
Tom scurried down from the tree. The professor put his arms about the children.
The Whiffle Bird shrieked at the top of her voice, "STAND AND DELIVER!" Then she flapped away in a panic-stricken fashion up the river.
The Sidewinders were so close now that their staring eyes and slobbering mouths could be clearly seen. Above the roar, percussive music began. The moving sea of creatures shifted and bunched together. As their bodies touched, bright sparks flew in all directions and they began to glow, first green, then red, then green again, and blue.
Lindy could stand it no longer. "Professor," she cried, "I can't look at them. I want to go home." She began to weep and her thumb went into her mouth.
"We shall, Lindy. We shall. You don't have to look, but you must not move. It is imperative that we obey the Whiffle Bird and stand our ground."
The Sidewinders were almost on top of them. They could see the warts on the creatures' sandpaper skin. Their long trunks towered above their heads and their hot breath singed the leaves off the purple tree. The earth shook from the marching of so many hundreds of feet.
Lindy screamed.
Just as it seemed that the professor and the children must be trampled to death, there was a mighty crash of cymbals and the entire army turned and headed towards the river. Ben cried out with relief, "They turned. How come they turned?"
"They were only sent to frighten us," shouted the professor.
Lindy opened her eyes.
Tom suddenly grew very daring. He took a step forward and glared at a passing Sidewinder. "Boo!" he yelled.
The creature looked extremely startled and backed into a Sidewinder behind it. This started a chain reaction and, all of a sudden, chaos reigned.
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