Something smells ... mouldy.”
“Mouldy?” repeated Tony, stationing himself in front of the bed.
“Somethingsmells in here,” said his mother emphatically. She went slowly round the room, sniffing suspiciously in each corner. Luckily she didn’t look under the bed, but came to a standstill in the middle of the room.
“When did you last have a bath, Tony?” she asked.
“Yesterday,” said Tony, ignoring the soft giggle that came from under the bed.
“There’s nothing to laugh about,” said his mother sternly.“You know you ought to have a bath everyday.” Sniffing indignantly, she added, “You smell as if you need one!” There was another titter from under the bed.
“O.K., laugh!” said his mother crossly. “It won’t seem so funny in the morning. I’ll see to it that you wash, my boy!” With this last retort she stalked out, shutting the door behind her with a determined click. Tony made sure he heard hisparents’ door close too before he sank onto his bed in relief.
“By the skin of our teeth!” he breathed.
“What’s that about teeth?” asked Anna, wriggling out from under the bed.
“Just a figure of speech,” said Rudolph condescendingly. “But of course, babies can’t be expected to understand.”
“Huh!” sniffed Anna, and stuck out her tongue.
“We must be off,” announced the vampire.
“Already?” asked Anna sadly.
“Now,” growled the vampire, and jumped ontothe window-sill. “It’ll soon be light. Come on!”
Anna looked pleadingly at Tony. “May I come again?” she asked.
“Er, of course,” said Tony, rather taken aback.
“Great!” she gurgled, and with a single bound was out through the window, looking for all the world like a rather large butterfly hovering outside.
“What about the cloak?” asked the vampire. “When do I get it back?”
“Wednesday,” answeredTony.
“O. K.,” said the vampire, and added softly, “You see, it’s not even mine. I got it out of Uncle Theodore’s coffin!”
“The one with the wo ...” Wooden stake, was what Tony had been about to say, but he had stopped himself just in time. He remembered only too well how vampires feel about wooden stakes! But in any case, Rudolph had missed Tony’s last words, and had already sailed off intothe night.
“As long as Nigel remembers the cloak on Wednesday, all will be well,” Tony just had time to think before he fell asleep.
Nigel’s Great Performance
“Y OUR RUDOLPH ISN’T THE most punctual of friends,” said Tony’s mother on Wednesday. The clock said half past four and Nigel still had not arrived.
“Never mind,” said Tony. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It certainly does matter,” contradicted his mother. “The tea’s getting cold.”
Tony thought the table looked as if she was expecting a state visit! All the best china was out,and the silver spoons and even the candlesticks. A special cake had been baked that very afternoon for the occasion, and it smelt delicious; there were Tony’s favourite cream buns as well, and the expensive chocolate biscuits with the chewy fillings, which his mother never bought for everyday tea.
“Shouldn’t you ring him up?” suggested his mother, and before Tony could answer, she had got outthe telephone directory. She ran down the list of names with her finger. “Sack, Sackerman, Sackmore, Sackstone, Sackwood. There isn’t a Sackville-Bagg,” she said, and looked questioningly at Tony.
“I could have told you that,” said Tony.
“Did you know they don’t have a phone?” asked his mother.
“Well, I didn’t know, but I guessed they might not,” said Tony evasively.
“Why?” His mother wasall ears now. But at that very moment the doorbell rang.
Tony leapt up in relief. “That must be him!” he said, and ran to the door. I hope it really is Nigel, he thought. What on earth am I going to say to Mum and Dad if he’s left me in the lurch?
But it was Nigel. At first, Tony could hardly recognise him
“Mouldy?” repeated Tony, stationing himself in front of the bed.
“Somethingsmells in here,” said his mother emphatically. She went slowly round the room, sniffing suspiciously in each corner. Luckily she didn’t look under the bed, but came to a standstill in the middle of the room.
“When did you last have a bath, Tony?” she asked.
“Yesterday,” said Tony, ignoring the soft giggle that came from under the bed.
“There’s nothing to laugh about,” said his mother sternly.“You know you ought to have a bath everyday.” Sniffing indignantly, she added, “You smell as if you need one!” There was another titter from under the bed.
“O.K., laugh!” said his mother crossly. “It won’t seem so funny in the morning. I’ll see to it that you wash, my boy!” With this last retort she stalked out, shutting the door behind her with a determined click. Tony made sure he heard hisparents’ door close too before he sank onto his bed in relief.
“By the skin of our teeth!” he breathed.
“What’s that about teeth?” asked Anna, wriggling out from under the bed.
“Just a figure of speech,” said Rudolph condescendingly. “But of course, babies can’t be expected to understand.”
“Huh!” sniffed Anna, and stuck out her tongue.
“We must be off,” announced the vampire.
“Already?” asked Anna sadly.
“Now,” growled the vampire, and jumped ontothe window-sill. “It’ll soon be light. Come on!”
Anna looked pleadingly at Tony. “May I come again?” she asked.
“Er, of course,” said Tony, rather taken aback.
“Great!” she gurgled, and with a single bound was out through the window, looking for all the world like a rather large butterfly hovering outside.
“What about the cloak?” asked the vampire. “When do I get it back?”
“Wednesday,” answeredTony.
“O. K.,” said the vampire, and added softly, “You see, it’s not even mine. I got it out of Uncle Theodore’s coffin!”
“The one with the wo ...” Wooden stake, was what Tony had been about to say, but he had stopped himself just in time. He remembered only too well how vampires feel about wooden stakes! But in any case, Rudolph had missed Tony’s last words, and had already sailed off intothe night.
“As long as Nigel remembers the cloak on Wednesday, all will be well,” Tony just had time to think before he fell asleep.
Nigel’s Great Performance
“Y OUR RUDOLPH ISN’T THE most punctual of friends,” said Tony’s mother on Wednesday. The clock said half past four and Nigel still had not arrived.
“Never mind,” said Tony. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It certainly does matter,” contradicted his mother. “The tea’s getting cold.”
Tony thought the table looked as if she was expecting a state visit! All the best china was out,and the silver spoons and even the candlesticks. A special cake had been baked that very afternoon for the occasion, and it smelt delicious; there were Tony’s favourite cream buns as well, and the expensive chocolate biscuits with the chewy fillings, which his mother never bought for everyday tea.
“Shouldn’t you ring him up?” suggested his mother, and before Tony could answer, she had got outthe telephone directory. She ran down the list of names with her finger. “Sack, Sackerman, Sackmore, Sackstone, Sackwood. There isn’t a Sackville-Bagg,” she said, and looked questioningly at Tony.
“I could have told you that,” said Tony.
“Did you know they don’t have a phone?” asked his mother.
“Well, I didn’t know, but I guessed they might not,” said Tony evasively.
“Why?” His mother wasall ears now. But at that very moment the doorbell rang.
Tony leapt up in relief. “That must be him!” he said, and ran to the door. I hope it really is Nigel, he thought. What on earth am I going to say to Mum and Dad if he’s left me in the lurch?
But it was Nigel. At first, Tony could hardly recognise him
Similar Books
