Read Online Toad Away by Morris Gleitzman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Morris Gleitzman
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out.
It was an incredible sight.
Millions of treetops were jammed together tighter than warts on a warthog. An ocean of thick foliage layin every direction for as far as Limpy could see, and he could see a long way even though the window was pretty dirty.
“Stack me,” said Limpy. “This Amazon's a big place.”
He felt the plane starting to level out, so he hopped off the toolbox and huddled down with Goliath, assuming the brace position for landing.
Limpy wasn't sure exactly what the brace position was. A dragonfly had started to explain it once, but Goliath had eaten him before he'd finished. Limpy hoped that clinging on to Goliath and wishing Mum and Dad were here was roughly right.
After a lot of thumps and jolts, the plane rolled to a stop.
Limpy and Goliath stayed huddled out of sight while the pilot flung open the rear door of the plane and dragged out some of the cages.
Must be an urgent delivery, thought Limpy. Must be a lot of people around here with unruly pets.
After a while, when the pilot didn't come back, Limpy peered out of the doorway. He saw the pilot further down the dry grass runway, with a couple of other humans, blowing smoke out of his mouth.
“Come on,” said Limpy to Goliath.
They hopped out of the plane and headed across the runway toward the forest. As they got closer to thedense wall of tangled vegetation, anxious thoughts crash-landed inside Limpy's head.
This place was bigger than a million swamps.
How were they going to find Charm in such a vast area?
Limpy told himself to calm down.
Now that she's here, he reminded himself, she'll be fine. This is the ancient home of all cane toads. The place where our relatives have lived peacefully since the dawn of time.
At this very moment, the local rellies were probably making a big fuss over Charm as she showed them how to make slug and spider stew the Australian way.
Limpy noticed how almost every tree in the forest he and Goliath were entering had a big creeper wound around it. Tightly, like they were the best of mates. And each creeper had a smaller vine clinging to it in a very affectionate way.
Stack me, thought Limpy happily. The Amazon rain forest must be the friendliest place on earth.
L impy liked the Amazon rain forest even more once he was inside it.
For a start, there was no wart-damaging harsh sunlight. Limpy peered up through the green gloom at the treetops far above. Tiny pricks of sunlight winked through here and there, but not enough to turn warts into breakfast cereal.
Plus it was wonderfully damp. The air was so moist Limpy felt like he was having a drink each time he breathed it in through his skin.
But what Limpy liked most was the smell. Rotting vegetation, his favorite. There was so much fragrant decaying compost under Limpy's feet that when he hopped, he bounced.
I love this place, he thought happily.
“This place is too noisy,” complained Goliath. “I can't even hear myself complain.”
Limpy grinned.
Goliath was right. The forest was ringing with countless voices, all shouting at each other. Screeching voices, grunting voices, howling voices, clicking voices, whistling voices, pinging voices, singing voices, gurgling voices, and so many more Limpy couldn't make out what a single one was saying.
“Everyone's just relaxed and having fun,” he said.
“I'm not,” said Goliath gloomily. “I shouldn't even be here. I should be at home with my troops, planning war strategy.”
Limpy sighed.
The sooner we find Charm and our Amazon rellies, he thought, and learn the ancient secret of living in peace and hopefully also the ancient secret of cheering up, the better.
A dazzlingly colorful fly buzzed past Limpy's nose and landed on a strip of orange jelly at Limpy's feet.
“Excuse me,” said Limpy to the fly. “We've just arrived from Australia and we're looking for my sister. Have you seen anyone who looks a bit like me only prettier?”
The fly ignored him.
“Hey, buster,” said Goliath.
It was an incredible sight.
Millions of treetops were jammed together tighter than warts on a warthog. An ocean of thick foliage layin every direction for as far as Limpy could see, and he could see a long way even though the window was pretty dirty.
“Stack me,” said Limpy. “This Amazon's a big place.”
He felt the plane starting to level out, so he hopped off the toolbox and huddled down with Goliath, assuming the brace position for landing.
Limpy wasn't sure exactly what the brace position was. A dragonfly had started to explain it once, but Goliath had eaten him before he'd finished. Limpy hoped that clinging on to Goliath and wishing Mum and Dad were here was roughly right.
After a lot of thumps and jolts, the plane rolled to a stop.
Limpy and Goliath stayed huddled out of sight while the pilot flung open the rear door of the plane and dragged out some of the cages.
Must be an urgent delivery, thought Limpy. Must be a lot of people around here with unruly pets.
After a while, when the pilot didn't come back, Limpy peered out of the doorway. He saw the pilot further down the dry grass runway, with a couple of other humans, blowing smoke out of his mouth.
“Come on,” said Limpy to Goliath.
They hopped out of the plane and headed across the runway toward the forest. As they got closer to thedense wall of tangled vegetation, anxious thoughts crash-landed inside Limpy's head.
This place was bigger than a million swamps.
How were they going to find Charm in such a vast area?
Limpy told himself to calm down.
Now that she's here, he reminded himself, she'll be fine. This is the ancient home of all cane toads. The place where our relatives have lived peacefully since the dawn of time.
At this very moment, the local rellies were probably making a big fuss over Charm as she showed them how to make slug and spider stew the Australian way.
Limpy noticed how almost every tree in the forest he and Goliath were entering had a big creeper wound around it. Tightly, like they were the best of mates. And each creeper had a smaller vine clinging to it in a very affectionate way.
Stack me, thought Limpy happily. The Amazon rain forest must be the friendliest place on earth.
L impy liked the Amazon rain forest even more once he was inside it.
For a start, there was no wart-damaging harsh sunlight. Limpy peered up through the green gloom at the treetops far above. Tiny pricks of sunlight winked through here and there, but not enough to turn warts into breakfast cereal.
Plus it was wonderfully damp. The air was so moist Limpy felt like he was having a drink each time he breathed it in through his skin.
But what Limpy liked most was the smell. Rotting vegetation, his favorite. There was so much fragrant decaying compost under Limpy's feet that when he hopped, he bounced.
I love this place, he thought happily.
“This place is too noisy,” complained Goliath. “I can't even hear myself complain.”
Limpy grinned.
Goliath was right. The forest was ringing with countless voices, all shouting at each other. Screeching voices, grunting voices, howling voices, clicking voices, whistling voices, pinging voices, singing voices, gurgling voices, and so many more Limpy couldn't make out what a single one was saying.
“Everyone's just relaxed and having fun,” he said.
“I'm not,” said Goliath gloomily. “I shouldn't even be here. I should be at home with my troops, planning war strategy.”
Limpy sighed.
The sooner we find Charm and our Amazon rellies, he thought, and learn the ancient secret of living in peace and hopefully also the ancient secret of cheering up, the better.
A dazzlingly colorful fly buzzed past Limpy's nose and landed on a strip of orange jelly at Limpy's feet.
“Excuse me,” said Limpy to the fly. “We've just arrived from Australia and we're looking for my sister. Have you seen anyone who looks a bit like me only prettier?”
The fly ignored him.
“Hey, buster,” said Goliath.
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