while.”
The boys grinned and raced across the lawn to the bottom of the garden where Nan’s blackberry bushes grew in a weedy tangle. They were hidden from the rest of the garden by an apple tree and some rhododendrons. Max and Ben opened their rucksacks and let the gargoylz out.
“What a feast!” gasped Toby, his eyes on stalks at the sight of the brambles and nettles.
“Let me at ’em!” cried Zack, diving straight into the thorns.
“Wait for me,” called Toby, flapping his wings and zooming in after him.
“We’ll help you pick them,” said Max. “I’ve got top secret spy gloves.” He pulled them out of his rucksack. “They’re my dad’s best ones. I had to sneak them out. They ’re brand new so they’re sure to be prickle-proof.”
“And I’ve got special agent bramble slicers,” said Ben, waving a pair of scissors. “They’re my sister’s. She uses them for her scrapbook. She’d explode if she knew I had them. You hold the brambles and I’ll cut them.”
Max and Ben soon had a big pile of bramble stalks by their feet. Suddenly it began to heave and wobble as if it was alive. Then Toby’s head popped out, scattering branches and leaves everywhere.
“Tasty bramblz,” he said, with his mouth full. “You two are wonderful collectors.”
Max laughed. “How many have you collected? Don’t forget you two are supposed to be picking them for all the other gargoylz as well. You’re not meant to eat them all.”
Toby looked sheepish. “But they’re so delicious.”
POP! A dragony tail appeared beside him followed by the rest of Zack. “Best place for pricklz ever,” he said, munching away.
“Coo-ee, boys!”
“Hide!” whispered Max. “It’s Nan. She mustn’t see you.”
ZOOM! ZOOM! Zack and Toby jumped out of the bramble pile and dived headfirst into the bushes just as Nan appeared with a tray. She set it down on the grass.
“I’ve brought you some juice and cupcakes. I wasn’t sure which toppings you’d like so there’s a selection.”
“Thanks, Nan,” said Max, eyeing the huge pile of brightly coloured iced cakes in delight.
There was a rustling in the bushes followed by a licking of stone lips, and a pair of stone ears suddenly popped up.
Nan frowned. “I hope that’s not a cat in my blackberries,” she muttered.
“A cat?” came Toby’s indignant growl from the bush.
“Ben dear,” said Nan. “Your voice is getting worse. I’m going straight back in to make some of my special cold cure.”
She suddenly noticed the pile of brambles. “What do you want those for?” she asked.
“Er . . . they’re for the school rabbit,” said Max quickly.
“Yes . . . he’s staying at my house for the weekend,” added Ben.
Nan looked puzzled. “They’re a bit prickly for a rabbit, aren’t they?”
“It’s . . . it’s . . . a very rare rabbit,” said Max . “Isn’t it, Ben?”
“Yes. It’s a . . . er . . . Bramble-eating Stony Church Rabbit,” gabbled Ben. “It loves prickly things.”
“Well, fancy that.” Nan turned to go back into the house. “Enjoy your cakes.”
As soon as she’d gone the gargoylz scampered out.
“Cat indeed!” exclaimed Toby. “Ferocious yowling creatures with too much fur—” He suddenly saw the cupcakes. “Are these like the cookiez I had at school?” he asked eagerly. “I love cookiez.”
“They’re the cupcakes I told you about ,” said Max, holding out the plate. “Try one.”
Toby stretched out a paw and grabbed a cake, then stuffed it in his mouth. “Dangling drainpipes, they’re delicious!” he sighed happily.
“Let me try! Let me try!” Zack cried, gobbling up a cake and grabbing two more – one in each paw. He darted off, sat down in the weeds and munched noisily.
Three minutes later every cake had gone. Both gargoylz lay on the grass, bellies bulging.
“Shame there aren’t any more,” said Toby.
“You’ve had ten!” Max exclaimed.
“Ben and I
The boys grinned and raced across the lawn to the bottom of the garden where Nan’s blackberry bushes grew in a weedy tangle. They were hidden from the rest of the garden by an apple tree and some rhododendrons. Max and Ben opened their rucksacks and let the gargoylz out.
“What a feast!” gasped Toby, his eyes on stalks at the sight of the brambles and nettles.
“Let me at ’em!” cried Zack, diving straight into the thorns.
“Wait for me,” called Toby, flapping his wings and zooming in after him.
“We’ll help you pick them,” said Max. “I’ve got top secret spy gloves.” He pulled them out of his rucksack. “They’re my dad’s best ones. I had to sneak them out. They ’re brand new so they’re sure to be prickle-proof.”
“And I’ve got special agent bramble slicers,” said Ben, waving a pair of scissors. “They’re my sister’s. She uses them for her scrapbook. She’d explode if she knew I had them. You hold the brambles and I’ll cut them.”
Max and Ben soon had a big pile of bramble stalks by their feet. Suddenly it began to heave and wobble as if it was alive. Then Toby’s head popped out, scattering branches and leaves everywhere.
“Tasty bramblz,” he said, with his mouth full. “You two are wonderful collectors.”
Max laughed. “How many have you collected? Don’t forget you two are supposed to be picking them for all the other gargoylz as well. You’re not meant to eat them all.”
Toby looked sheepish. “But they’re so delicious.”
POP! A dragony tail appeared beside him followed by the rest of Zack. “Best place for pricklz ever,” he said, munching away.
“Coo-ee, boys!”
“Hide!” whispered Max. “It’s Nan. She mustn’t see you.”
ZOOM! ZOOM! Zack and Toby jumped out of the bramble pile and dived headfirst into the bushes just as Nan appeared with a tray. She set it down on the grass.
“I’ve brought you some juice and cupcakes. I wasn’t sure which toppings you’d like so there’s a selection.”
“Thanks, Nan,” said Max, eyeing the huge pile of brightly coloured iced cakes in delight.
There was a rustling in the bushes followed by a licking of stone lips, and a pair of stone ears suddenly popped up.
Nan frowned. “I hope that’s not a cat in my blackberries,” she muttered.
“A cat?” came Toby’s indignant growl from the bush.
“Ben dear,” said Nan. “Your voice is getting worse. I’m going straight back in to make some of my special cold cure.”
She suddenly noticed the pile of brambles. “What do you want those for?” she asked.
“Er . . . they’re for the school rabbit,” said Max quickly.
“Yes . . . he’s staying at my house for the weekend,” added Ben.
Nan looked puzzled. “They’re a bit prickly for a rabbit, aren’t they?”
“It’s . . . it’s . . . a very rare rabbit,” said Max . “Isn’t it, Ben?”
“Yes. It’s a . . . er . . . Bramble-eating Stony Church Rabbit,” gabbled Ben. “It loves prickly things.”
“Well, fancy that.” Nan turned to go back into the house. “Enjoy your cakes.”
As soon as she’d gone the gargoylz scampered out.
“Cat indeed!” exclaimed Toby. “Ferocious yowling creatures with too much fur—” He suddenly saw the cupcakes. “Are these like the cookiez I had at school?” he asked eagerly. “I love cookiez.”
“They’re the cupcakes I told you about ,” said Max, holding out the plate. “Try one.”
Toby stretched out a paw and grabbed a cake, then stuffed it in his mouth. “Dangling drainpipes, they’re delicious!” he sighed happily.
“Let me try! Let me try!” Zack cried, gobbling up a cake and grabbing two more – one in each paw. He darted off, sat down in the weeds and munched noisily.
Three minutes later every cake had gone. Both gargoylz lay on the grass, bellies bulging.
“Shame there aren’t any more,” said Toby.
“You’ve had ten!” Max exclaimed.
“Ben and I
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