shook her head. “Nothing can top that amazing tiger. As far as I’m concerned we can go home.”
We knew what she meant. The farm was actually quite cool. The Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs were surprisingly cute and the llamas were hilarious. (They were also VERY whiffy.) But I wished we could have seen them before we had our safari. Our hearts weren’t in it somehow.
Lyndz is right, I thought. Nothing’s going to come near that tiger.
Kenz was bored. She peered over a low enclosure and a bunch of equally bored-looking peacocks looked back. I vaguely heard Kenz say, “Yo! Peacocks! Can’t you do something interesting?”
I wasn’t really paying much attention. The fresh air had given me dry lips and I was rubbing on my strawberry lip balm. So I can’t actually tell you why that peacock took such a dislike to Kenny. To this day she swears that all she did was say “Yo!”
When I told Andy later, he said, “Was Kenny wearing her Leicester City sweatshirt?” I nodded. “There you go. Mystery solved,” he teased. “The peacock must have supported Nottingham Forest!”
Whatever the reason, the peacock launched itself over the wall at Kenny in a fury, rattling its quills like castanets, making hideous screeching noises and trying to peck her in some really personal places. Obviously Kenny didn’t want to be pecked to death so she just took off.
Peacocks run a lot faster than you think. This one gave the impression of moving on greased roller skates. And I don’t know if you’ve ever had a good look at a peacock’s beak, but it’s vicious!
Luckily Kenny’s football skills came in handy as she ran around the farmyard, darting this way and that, desperately trying to keep out of the peacock’s way.
Honestly it was the maddest thing I’ve ever seen. We were practically crying with laughter. But the angry peacock showed absolutely no sign of giving up. We started to worry that our mate would get hurt.
“I’d better get someone,” I said anxiously.
Kirstin shook her head. “I know what to do!” And she lowered her head like a charging bull and rushed at the peacock, making screamy peacock noises.
You could see the peacock thinking, “Yikes! Too much competition!” It took off for the barn roof, where it settled out of harm’s way, glaring down at us with mad, glittery eyes, and making screechy sounds. I got the feeling it was saying “nah nah nah nah nah” in peacock language.
“Thanks, Kirstin,” panted Kenny.
“No worries,” Kirstin smiled.
Kirstin’s cap had fallen off while she was running. Danny McCloud handed it back. “That was well impressive.”
“Yeah, we convicts have our uses,” she told him.
Unfortunately Mrs Weaver had appeared in the middle of the mayhem. “That bird seems very upset,” she said accusingly. “You weren’t teasing it, were you?”
“No, Mrs Weaver,” we chorused.
But our teacher just said, “Hmmn. We’re going to look at the maze now. But I’ll be keeping a close eye on you girls for the rest of the day.”
“Yes, Mrs Weaver,” we sighed.
“She can’t keep an eye on us if we’re in the maze,” Frankie grinned.
I think she was picturing those massive mazes you see in films. The kind where hordes of different characters wander in aimless circles without ever running into each other. But the maze at Gawdy Castle was nothing like that.
“It’s diddy!” I gasped.
“The hedges only come up to my knee,” said Kenny in disgust.
“Where’s the challenge in that?” Frankie agreed.
“I want you to divide into pairs,” Mrs Weaver was saying. “The first pair to find their way to the centre in the fastest time wins this bag of Celebration chocolates.”
Kenny’s eyes gleamed. “That’s all the challenge I need!”
We all queued impatiently for our turn to go into the maze. Frankie paired off with Rosie. I went with Kenz and Emma went in with Kirstin.
Lyndz said she’d just watch. She had Lyndz-type plans of her own, but we
We knew what she meant. The farm was actually quite cool. The Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs were surprisingly cute and the llamas were hilarious. (They were also VERY whiffy.) But I wished we could have seen them before we had our safari. Our hearts weren’t in it somehow.
Lyndz is right, I thought. Nothing’s going to come near that tiger.
Kenz was bored. She peered over a low enclosure and a bunch of equally bored-looking peacocks looked back. I vaguely heard Kenz say, “Yo! Peacocks! Can’t you do something interesting?”
I wasn’t really paying much attention. The fresh air had given me dry lips and I was rubbing on my strawberry lip balm. So I can’t actually tell you why that peacock took such a dislike to Kenny. To this day she swears that all she did was say “Yo!”
When I told Andy later, he said, “Was Kenny wearing her Leicester City sweatshirt?” I nodded. “There you go. Mystery solved,” he teased. “The peacock must have supported Nottingham Forest!”
Whatever the reason, the peacock launched itself over the wall at Kenny in a fury, rattling its quills like castanets, making hideous screeching noises and trying to peck her in some really personal places. Obviously Kenny didn’t want to be pecked to death so she just took off.
Peacocks run a lot faster than you think. This one gave the impression of moving on greased roller skates. And I don’t know if you’ve ever had a good look at a peacock’s beak, but it’s vicious!
Luckily Kenny’s football skills came in handy as she ran around the farmyard, darting this way and that, desperately trying to keep out of the peacock’s way.
Honestly it was the maddest thing I’ve ever seen. We were practically crying with laughter. But the angry peacock showed absolutely no sign of giving up. We started to worry that our mate would get hurt.
“I’d better get someone,” I said anxiously.
Kirstin shook her head. “I know what to do!” And she lowered her head like a charging bull and rushed at the peacock, making screamy peacock noises.
You could see the peacock thinking, “Yikes! Too much competition!” It took off for the barn roof, where it settled out of harm’s way, glaring down at us with mad, glittery eyes, and making screechy sounds. I got the feeling it was saying “nah nah nah nah nah” in peacock language.
“Thanks, Kirstin,” panted Kenny.
“No worries,” Kirstin smiled.
Kirstin’s cap had fallen off while she was running. Danny McCloud handed it back. “That was well impressive.”
“Yeah, we convicts have our uses,” she told him.
Unfortunately Mrs Weaver had appeared in the middle of the mayhem. “That bird seems very upset,” she said accusingly. “You weren’t teasing it, were you?”
“No, Mrs Weaver,” we chorused.
But our teacher just said, “Hmmn. We’re going to look at the maze now. But I’ll be keeping a close eye on you girls for the rest of the day.”
“Yes, Mrs Weaver,” we sighed.
“She can’t keep an eye on us if we’re in the maze,” Frankie grinned.
I think she was picturing those massive mazes you see in films. The kind where hordes of different characters wander in aimless circles without ever running into each other. But the maze at Gawdy Castle was nothing like that.
“It’s diddy!” I gasped.
“The hedges only come up to my knee,” said Kenny in disgust.
“Where’s the challenge in that?” Frankie agreed.
“I want you to divide into pairs,” Mrs Weaver was saying. “The first pair to find their way to the centre in the fastest time wins this bag of Celebration chocolates.”
Kenny’s eyes gleamed. “That’s all the challenge I need!”
We all queued impatiently for our turn to go into the maze. Frankie paired off with Rosie. I went with Kenz and Emma went in with Kirstin.
Lyndz said she’d just watch. She had Lyndz-type plans of her own, but we
Similar Books
