Treasure Fever! by Andy Griffiths

Island

    I enjoyed that lesson.
    I enjoyed that lesson a lot.
    Despite the fact that I had almost died, I enjoyed that lesson more than I’d enjoyed any lesson ever.
    Mr Brainfright was not only a great history teacher, but a great history re-enactor as well.
    But when the lunch bell rang, Jack, Gretel, Jenny, Newton and I still sprinted for the door. None of us bothered about lunch—we were all too eager to start searching for the buried treasure.
    We ran down the steps, out into the yard and stood there blinking in the bright sunlight.
    â€˜Well, Henry,’ said Jack. ‘Where do we start?’
    â€˜Excellent question, Jack,’ I said.
    â€˜What’s the answer?’ he said.
    â€˜I have no idea,’ I admitted.
    â€˜We’re going to have to split up,’ said Gretel. ‘Henry, you search the sports field. Jenny, you takethe basketball courts. Jack can do the juniors’ area, including the sandpit. Newton, you do the flowerbeds.’
    â€˜The flowerbeds?’ said Newton, horrified. ‘But what about Mr Spade?’
    â€˜What about Mr Spade?’ said Gretel.
    â€˜He’ll kill me if he finds me digging in the flowerbeds!’
    â€˜Good point,’ said Gretel. ‘We’ll leave the flowerbeds until last. Meanwhile, you can help me do the front of the school. We meet back here in fifteen minutes. Okay?’
    We all nodded and went to search our areas.
    Fifteen minutes later we were all back in the same place blinking at each other in the bright sunlight.
    â€˜Well?’ said Jack. ‘Did anybody find it?’
    I shook my head. Jenny shook her head. Gretel and Newton shook their heads.
    â€˜Me neither,’ said Jack. ‘What now?’
    â€˜The flowerbeds?’ suggested Jenny.
    â€˜No,’ said Newton. ‘Too scary.’
    â€˜Forget the flowerbeds,’ I said. ‘If it was there Mr Spade would have found it by now. How about we go up to the top of Skull Island and look around? You can see the whole school from up there. Maybe that will give us a clue.’
    â€˜Great idea, Henry,’ said Jenny. ‘Let’s go.’
    We climbed to the top of Skull Island. Not only could we see clear across the school in all directions, we could also see right into Mrs Cross’s classroom.
    She was busily writing on the board.
    â€˜Doesn’t she know it’s lunchtime?’ I said.
    â€˜I’m sure she does,’ said Jenny. ‘She’s writing lines for the students she’s held back.’
    Jenny was right. At the back of the classroom were five students, and they all looked miserable.
    At that moment, Fred Durkin came into the classroom and handed Mrs Cross a lunch bag. She smiled at him, put the bag on her desk and turned back to the board. Fred looked up and saw us. He poked out his tongue. Then he left the classroom.
    â€˜Look at him, sucking up to his teacher,’ said Jack. ‘Bringing her lunch while she keeps those poor kids in.’
    â€˜Makes you sick, doesn’t it?’ said Gretel. ‘He’s so two-faced.’
    â€˜Forget about Fred,’ said Jenny. ‘Let’s get back to treasure hunting. Can anybody see a place where it might be buried?’
    â€˜It would have been found by now if we could
see
it,’ Jack pointed out.
    â€˜Did Principal Greenbeard say anything about a map?’ said Gretel.
    â€˜There’s no map,’ I said. ‘Whoever dug it up and reburied it didn’t want it to be rediscovered. And Principal Greenbeard is pretty old. It must have been buried for at least seventy years . . . maybe even longer!’
    The ground was hard. I kicked it with the toe of my shoe. It hurt.
    â€˜Ouch!’ I said.
    â€˜So close and yet so far,’ sighed Jenny.
    â€˜No wonder they couldn’t find it again,’ said Jack. ‘It’s hopeless.’
    â€˜Don’t give up,’ I said. ‘Remember what Mr Brainfright