were lucky to get any once you two started!”
“Coo-ee,” came Nan’s voice. “I’ve brought a bag for the brambles – and my special cold cure for you, Ben.”
POP! Zack vanished. Toby struggled to his feet but he didn’t have time to hide. He was stranded on the grass in full view. He froze, a horrified expression on his face, as Nan appeared holding out a mug of bubbling green liquid. It smelled like old socks.
She spotted Toby immediately. “What a lovely little garden gnome!” she said, putting the mug down on the grass and giving him a poke. “Did you make him at school, Max?”
“No . . . er . . . yes,” said Max. How was he going to get Toby out of this?
“Look at his diddy little hands and his little round tummy,” Nan went on. “He’d look lovely in my rockery.”
“I can’t let you keep him, Nan,” said Max hurriedly. “He’s got to go back to the chur— I mean, school. He’s not finished.”
“I can see that now,” said his grandmother kindly. “His face looks ever so ugly.”
There was a growly snort of laughter in the air behind them from Zack.
Nan looked anxiously at Ben. “You still don’t sound right, dear,” she said. “Drink up your medicine like a good boy.”
“Er . . .” quavered Ben, bending down to pick up the revolting drink.
Max could see his friend needed a plan – Operation Spill the Drink. But before he could do anything there was a faint slurping noise from the mug. The boys gazed down in astonishment as the bubbling green liquid quickly disappeared. Max hid a grin. Invisible Zack must have sneaked out of the bushes. Luckily Nan didn’t seem to have noticed.
Ben swept up the empty mug and pretended to drink the mixture down in one gulp. “Thanks.” He grinned. “It was . . . tasty.”
An almighty gargoyle burp filled the air. “Pardon me!” said Ben quickly. “My cure never fails,” chirped Nan. “See, your voice is back to normal already.” She bent down and patted Toby on the head. “And I’ve got the very thing for you , Mr Gnome. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
She bustled off to the house. Max and Ben burst out laughing.
POP! Zack appeared, wiping green goo off his chin. “Sorry, Ben. Drank it all. Couldn’t resist. Nearly as tasty as bramblz.” He raced over to Toby. “Mr Gnome!” he giggled, skipping around him. “Mr Gnome!”
Toby looked furious. “Mr Gnome!” he spluttered, jumping to his feet. “I’m an ancient stone gargoyle who’s lived proudly on the church for more than eight hundred yearz and your nan thinks I’m a garden ornament!”
“Ugly garden ornament!” chuckled Zack, rolling on his back and kicking his legs in the air.
“Coo-ee!” Nan was suddenly back, waving something small and red.
POP! Zack disappeared. Toby froze again.
“All garden gnomes should have one of these,” she said.
Max and Ben tried desperately not to laugh as Nan carefully fitted a pointy, red woolly hat over Toby’s monkey ears.
“How sweet!” She beamed, tickling him under the chin. “Who’s a smart Mr Gnome then?”
Max suddenly realized he could see a tail appearing on the grass in front of him . . . then a paw . . . then an ear . . . Zack was forgetting to stay invisible. Max stepped smartly in front of him but it was too late.
“What’s that behind you, dear?” asked Nan, peering round him. Zack was completely visible now. “Oh, you didn’t tell me there was a little girly one as well!” she exclaimed. “Did you make her, Ben? She’s so sweet!” Nan patted Zack’s fuzzy stone mane. “You’ve even tried to give her some hair.” She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a lacy handkerchief. “I haven’t got another hat,” she explained, “but this will do nicely.” She fixed the hankie round Zack’s head like a scarf and tied it under his chin. “Mr and Mrs Gnome. What a lovely couple!” “Thanks, Nan,” gulped Max. He had to get away before he burst out
“Coo-ee,” came Nan’s voice. “I’ve brought a bag for the brambles – and my special cold cure for you, Ben.”
POP! Zack vanished. Toby struggled to his feet but he didn’t have time to hide. He was stranded on the grass in full view. He froze, a horrified expression on his face, as Nan appeared holding out a mug of bubbling green liquid. It smelled like old socks.
She spotted Toby immediately. “What a lovely little garden gnome!” she said, putting the mug down on the grass and giving him a poke. “Did you make him at school, Max?”
“No . . . er . . . yes,” said Max. How was he going to get Toby out of this?
“Look at his diddy little hands and his little round tummy,” Nan went on. “He’d look lovely in my rockery.”
“I can’t let you keep him, Nan,” said Max hurriedly. “He’s got to go back to the chur— I mean, school. He’s not finished.”
“I can see that now,” said his grandmother kindly. “His face looks ever so ugly.”
There was a growly snort of laughter in the air behind them from Zack.
Nan looked anxiously at Ben. “You still don’t sound right, dear,” she said. “Drink up your medicine like a good boy.”
“Er . . .” quavered Ben, bending down to pick up the revolting drink.
Max could see his friend needed a plan – Operation Spill the Drink. But before he could do anything there was a faint slurping noise from the mug. The boys gazed down in astonishment as the bubbling green liquid quickly disappeared. Max hid a grin. Invisible Zack must have sneaked out of the bushes. Luckily Nan didn’t seem to have noticed.
Ben swept up the empty mug and pretended to drink the mixture down in one gulp. “Thanks.” He grinned. “It was . . . tasty.”
An almighty gargoyle burp filled the air. “Pardon me!” said Ben quickly. “My cure never fails,” chirped Nan. “See, your voice is back to normal already.” She bent down and patted Toby on the head. “And I’ve got the very thing for you , Mr Gnome. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
She bustled off to the house. Max and Ben burst out laughing.
POP! Zack appeared, wiping green goo off his chin. “Sorry, Ben. Drank it all. Couldn’t resist. Nearly as tasty as bramblz.” He raced over to Toby. “Mr Gnome!” he giggled, skipping around him. “Mr Gnome!”
Toby looked furious. “Mr Gnome!” he spluttered, jumping to his feet. “I’m an ancient stone gargoyle who’s lived proudly on the church for more than eight hundred yearz and your nan thinks I’m a garden ornament!”
“Ugly garden ornament!” chuckled Zack, rolling on his back and kicking his legs in the air.
“Coo-ee!” Nan was suddenly back, waving something small and red.
POP! Zack disappeared. Toby froze again.
“All garden gnomes should have one of these,” she said.
Max and Ben tried desperately not to laugh as Nan carefully fitted a pointy, red woolly hat over Toby’s monkey ears.
“How sweet!” She beamed, tickling him under the chin. “Who’s a smart Mr Gnome then?”
Max suddenly realized he could see a tail appearing on the grass in front of him . . . then a paw . . . then an ear . . . Zack was forgetting to stay invisible. Max stepped smartly in front of him but it was too late.
“What’s that behind you, dear?” asked Nan, peering round him. Zack was completely visible now. “Oh, you didn’t tell me there was a little girly one as well!” she exclaimed. “Did you make her, Ben? She’s so sweet!” Nan patted Zack’s fuzzy stone mane. “You’ve even tried to give her some hair.” She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a lacy handkerchief. “I haven’t got another hat,” she explained, “but this will do nicely.” She fixed the hankie round Zack’s head like a scarf and tied it under his chin. “Mr and Mrs Gnome. What a lovely couple!” “Thanks, Nan,” gulped Max. He had to get away before he burst out
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