Read Online Toad Heaven by Morris Gleitzman - Free Book Online

deal,” whispered Charm.
    “No it's not,” said Goliath.
    Limpy stared at him, horrified.
    “There's something else we want as well,” said Goliath to the cats. “We want to know where the national park is.”
    The ginger cat looked at Goliath, then grinned.
    “You want to go to the national park?” it said.
    “Yeah,” said Goliath.
    “Yes, please,” said Limpy.
    The cats grinned at one another. Then the ginger one turned and pointed.
    “There it is.”
    Limpy was so surprised and excited, he forgot to bescared of the cats. He hopped past them and out of the tunnel.
    At last.
    He'd found it.
    The national park he'd dreamed about so often.
    Limpy's eyes were used to the light now, and he could see exactly what was spread out in front of him.
    His face fell.
    “This is it?” he croaked. “This is the national park?”
    “Yes,” sniggered the cats behind him.
    Limpy stared.
    In front of him, stretching in a rippling sweep all the way to the horizon, was nothing but water.

L impy had never seen so much water.
    Not even the time it rained nonstop for ages and the water in the swamp rose so quickly that Limpy had to drag the flat rellies to higher ground and Goliath found his lunch (bog weevils and mud leeches) hiding up a tree.
    This was a million times more water.
    “It's flooded,” said Limpy, dizzy with disappointment. “The national park's flooded.”
    He turned to ask the cats how long it had been like this, but they'd vanished.
    “It can't all be flooded,” said Charm. “There must be some high ground that's not flooded.”
    Limpy thought about this. She was probably right. A national park would have to have high bits. For the rock wallabies and the goats and the kookaburras who wanted to laugh at one another over long distances.
    “I can't see any high bits,” said Goliath.
    Limpy pointed to where the water met the sky.“They're probably so far away we can't see them from here.”
    “Too far to swim,” said Charm.
    “And cane toads can't fly,” said Goliath gloomily.“Not unless Mum and Dad have been hiding something.”
    Limpy sighed. Just hearing the names Mum and Dad made him feel sad.
    “Pity we can't swim as fast as that animal,” said Goliath.
    Limpy peered over to where Goliath was pointing. A familiar object was speeding through the water. Limpy had often seen ones like it being towed on trailers behind cars.
    “It's not an animal,” said Limpy. “It's a boat.”
    “Whatever,” said Goliath gloomily. “Pity we haven't got one of those frothy things hanging off our bottoms to make us whiz through the water.”
    Limpy stared at the outboard motor at the back of the boat.
    An idea hit him.
    “Good thinking, Goliath,” he murmured.
    His thoughts were shattered by a scream.
    A human scream.
    Limpy looked around, heart in his throat sac.
    Four nearly naked humans were standing under a palm tree, pointing at him and Charm and Goliath and yelling.
    Stack me, thought Limpy, grabbing Charm and Goliath protectively. Where did they come from? Then he realized why he hadn't seen them before. Their sunburned skin was the same color as their parrot-red picnic blanket.
    Camouflage.
    “Hop for it,” he said to Charm and Goliath. “I'll distract them.”
    The two kid humans were advancing across the sand, waving plastic spades menacingly. The mum and dad humans were right behind them, waving metal barbecue tongs even more menacingly.
    “No offense, Limpy,” said Charm, “but hopping in circles isn't going to fool them for long. I think it's better if Goliath distracts them.”
    “I agree,” said Goliath.
    Before Limpy could stop him, Goliath hopped toward the humans, yelling, “Hey, you overcooked land worms! Get your big bums over here! Catch me if you can!”
    Limpy decided to get Charm to safety, then go and help Goliath.
    That was his plan, right up until he saw the cooler lid lying on the picnic blanket.
    “Look,” said Limpy, warts tingling with excitement.“Our