Read Online Winter Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online Page A

lesson to make his appearance!
    After about ten minutes, he grew rather bored with his new surroundings, and, feeling lonely, decided that he would like to go back to his friends. But how was he to get out? The mouse scuttled into a corner, the sound he made startling Olive very much indeed. What on earth could it be, she wondered? It seemed to be coming from underneath her ink-well. Cautiously, Olive removed the ink-well from its hole in the lid of the desk and the mouse, seeing daylight, stuck his head up through the hole.
    Olive’s expression of terror was quite comical. For a second she could only sit there, frozen in horror, then she let out a blood-curdling scream, jumping up so hastily that she knocked her chair over.
    Miss Tallant, who had been listening intently as Lucy read out part of the play, jumped violently and cried, ‘Olive! How dare you disturb the class in this way? Whatever is the matter with you?’
    Her eyes wide with horror and her hand trembling, Olive pointed at her desk and stammered, ‘A m-mouse! In my d-desk!’
    The little mouse had been quite as frightened of Olive as she had been of him, particularly when she screamed so loudly, and he had swiftly retreated back through the hole, into the safety of the desk. He moved so quickly that even Sylvia, who sat next to Olive and turned her head sharply as the girl screamed, hadn’t spotted him.
    As for Miss Tallant, she didn’t quite know what to think. On the one hand, she sincerely hoped that there wasn’t a mouse in the desk, for she didn’t like them any better than Olive did. But if, on the other hand, there was no mouse, that would mean that Olive was playing a trick, for no other purpose than to disrupt the class.
    June, seeing the uncertainty on the mistress’s face, was quick to take advantage of it.
    â€˜I’ll take a look, if you like, Miss Tallant,’ she offered, standing up. ‘I’m not afraid of mice, and if there is one in Olive’s desk I shall be able to remove it.’
    The mistress had made up her mind that she didn’t like June at all, after learning that her peculiar performance in class the other day had been a joke, but she felt extremely grateful to her now, and said in a relieved tone, ‘Thank you, June. Please do so at once.’
    June strode up to Olive’s desk, saying, ‘Better stand aside, Olive, just in case he makes a dash for it. You don’t want him running up your leg.’
    Olive certainly didn’t want that, and she hastily steppedinto the aisle, moving towards the back of the room. June opened the desk, and immediately spotted the poor little mouse, cowering in a corner. Standing with her back to Olive, so that the girl couldn’t see what she was doing, she swiftly picked up the tiny creature, slipping it into the deep pocket of her skirt. If only he didn’t poke his head out and give the game away! But the mouse, quite worn out by his adventure, rather liked the warmth and softness of June’s pocket and decided to settle down there for a nap!
    Some of the others had seen what June had done, though, and were now struggling to contain their laughter! This became extremely difficult for them when the wicked June began rummaging violently in Olive’s desk for the mouse, scattering books, pencils and all kinds of belongings over the floor. At last she straightened up and, facing Miss Tallant, said solemnly, ‘There is most definitely no mouse in Olive’s desk.’
    â€˜There is!’ cried Olive. ‘I saw it, I tell you.’
    Miss Tallant, feeling bolder now that June had assured her there was no mouse, moved towards Olive’s desk and peered in. Of course, there was nothing to be seen, and Miss Tallant pursed her lips, turning to Olive.
    â€˜Pick up your belongings from the floor at once,’ she said coldly. ‘And put them back in your desk.’
    The mistress looked and sounded so angry that