shouted, probably a bit too loudly for their tiny ears.
He needed to find another place where he could climb over the fence and back into the forest.
He followed the fence line until he came to a place where the wire was completely mangled. It looked as though it had been bashed by something huge. Or gnashed. Or sliced. Or â¦
Jasper stopped thinking about it. Climbing through here would be easier than fiddling around with the bolt cutters in the dark and wet somewhere else along the fence.
The ground was overrun with tree roots. Jasper used one as a foothold and scrambled up, pulling himself under the fence and into the forest undergrowth.
âAt least I donât have to worry about monsters,â Jasper said to the sack. âI already have you.â
Jasper heaved the wriggling sack back onto his back, feeling pleased with himself at having successfully completed the Task. Successful, that is, if you didnât count the size of his tiny team-mates.
He made his way into the darkening forest towards the school.
And then he saw it.
Standing in front of Jasper, was the biggest, most horrible spider he had ever seen. And it had eight long spindly legs.
Technically, this wasnât just the most horrible spider Jasper had ever seen â it was worse than that. It was a spider-monster. Jasper started to shake.
OK, deep breath, Jasper commanded himself.
âUm, guys, we have a slight problem,â Jasper said to the tiny friends in his pocket. âThereâs a spider. Well, it isnât really a spider, itâs â¦â but Jasper didnât know what it was.
It had a hairy body and a whole bunch of eyes like other spiders â but it also had wings on its back, rows and rows of sharp fangs, and legs that ended in talons, like youâd see on a vulture. And it was the size of an army tank.
âItâs my worst nightmare,â Jasper whispered.
He could make out the entrance to a large lair behind the monster. The lair was covered in a white, sticky spider web, and behind it were the terrified faces of Class 1B.
âJASPER! GET US OUT OF HERE!â they yelled as soon as they saw him.
The spider-monster raised its fangs, revealing a blistered yellow tongue oozing with blue pus.
âWHAT IS IT? AND WHAT IS IT DOING HERE?â Jasper yelled.
âITâS THE GRUBBERGRIND!â a voice yelled.
âCATCH IT!â yelled someone else.
Home-made slingshots littered the ground around the lair. Suddenly the rubber bands and rulers in the storeroom made sense.
âHang on,â Jasper said. âBut I have the Grubbergrind.â
He looked down at the sack in his hands. Then back up at the spider-monster. Its gleaming eyes were fixed on him. Jasper could see his face reflected in every eye â and he couldnât help but notice the look of utter confusion in every reflection. It took Jasper a few moments to work things out.
âBut if ⦠if that is the Grubbergrind â¦â Jasper trailed off, then I havenât caught the Grubbergrind after all, he realised. I just have some random toilet monster in my sack, two mini friends in my pocket, a whole bunch of classmates trapped in a lair, and a monster waiting to catch me.
And itâs a Muncher, he reminded himself, looking at its gleaming fangs.
Suddenly, Jasper felt very cold. The Grubbergrind had moved without a sound. It was right above of him. It lifted its front legs, twirling a ball of web down towards him.
Jasper took a deep breath. Despair filled his body. He didnât even scream. He was done for.
16
Jasper watched in horror as the Grubbergrind â the real one this time â reared its front legs above its head. In some part of his brain, a soothing voice told him that he wouldnât actually be killed, just trapped like the rest of the class.
But the rest of his brain broke out into a cold panic. DONE FOR. DONE FOR. BIG SPIDER.
GONER.
And my life isnât even
He needed to find another place where he could climb over the fence and back into the forest.
He followed the fence line until he came to a place where the wire was completely mangled. It looked as though it had been bashed by something huge. Or gnashed. Or sliced. Or â¦
Jasper stopped thinking about it. Climbing through here would be easier than fiddling around with the bolt cutters in the dark and wet somewhere else along the fence.
The ground was overrun with tree roots. Jasper used one as a foothold and scrambled up, pulling himself under the fence and into the forest undergrowth.
âAt least I donât have to worry about monsters,â Jasper said to the sack. âI already have you.â
Jasper heaved the wriggling sack back onto his back, feeling pleased with himself at having successfully completed the Task. Successful, that is, if you didnât count the size of his tiny team-mates.
He made his way into the darkening forest towards the school.
And then he saw it.
Standing in front of Jasper, was the biggest, most horrible spider he had ever seen. And it had eight long spindly legs.
Technically, this wasnât just the most horrible spider Jasper had ever seen â it was worse than that. It was a spider-monster. Jasper started to shake.
OK, deep breath, Jasper commanded himself.
âUm, guys, we have a slight problem,â Jasper said to the tiny friends in his pocket. âThereâs a spider. Well, it isnât really a spider, itâs â¦â but Jasper didnât know what it was.
It had a hairy body and a whole bunch of eyes like other spiders â but it also had wings on its back, rows and rows of sharp fangs, and legs that ended in talons, like youâd see on a vulture. And it was the size of an army tank.
âItâs my worst nightmare,â Jasper whispered.
He could make out the entrance to a large lair behind the monster. The lair was covered in a white, sticky spider web, and behind it were the terrified faces of Class 1B.
âJASPER! GET US OUT OF HERE!â they yelled as soon as they saw him.
The spider-monster raised its fangs, revealing a blistered yellow tongue oozing with blue pus.
âWHAT IS IT? AND WHAT IS IT DOING HERE?â Jasper yelled.
âITâS THE GRUBBERGRIND!â a voice yelled.
âCATCH IT!â yelled someone else.
Home-made slingshots littered the ground around the lair. Suddenly the rubber bands and rulers in the storeroom made sense.
âHang on,â Jasper said. âBut I have the Grubbergrind.â
He looked down at the sack in his hands. Then back up at the spider-monster. Its gleaming eyes were fixed on him. Jasper could see his face reflected in every eye â and he couldnât help but notice the look of utter confusion in every reflection. It took Jasper a few moments to work things out.
âBut if ⦠if that is the Grubbergrind â¦â Jasper trailed off, then I havenât caught the Grubbergrind after all, he realised. I just have some random toilet monster in my sack, two mini friends in my pocket, a whole bunch of classmates trapped in a lair, and a monster waiting to catch me.
And itâs a Muncher, he reminded himself, looking at its gleaming fangs.
Suddenly, Jasper felt very cold. The Grubbergrind had moved without a sound. It was right above of him. It lifted its front legs, twirling a ball of web down towards him.
Jasper took a deep breath. Despair filled his body. He didnât even scream. He was done for.
16
Jasper watched in horror as the Grubbergrind â the real one this time â reared its front legs above its head. In some part of his brain, a soothing voice told him that he wouldnât actually be killed, just trapped like the rest of the class.
But the rest of his brain broke out into a cold panic. DONE FOR. DONE FOR. BIG SPIDER.
GONER.
And my life isnât even
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