sense than to run around a swimming pool. It’s dangerous. You might have slipped.”
I looked across at all those men and women, coughing and spluttering and wringing out their skirts and jackets anddresses. They were all glaring at us. It looked like we were the only ones who
hadn’t
slipped.
“What were you three doing?” Mum asked, her hands on her hips. But we didn’t get the chance to explain. We got chucked out of the swimming pool. Mum was so embarrassed.
All the way home she kept saying, “I’ll never live this down . . . I’ll never live this down.”
“Your plan was feeble,” Anthony mumbled in the back seat next to me.
“Yeah! Foolish-feeble,” Edward grumbled.
“But it worked, didn’t it?” I said. “We did cool down all those people.”
Rescuing the Rescuers
“I want a dog,” I said.
“I want a cat,” said Anthony.
“I want a rabbit,” said Edward.
Mum put her hands on her hips. “I’m not getting three different pets. In fact I’m not sure if I should even get one.”
“But . . .” I said.
“But . . .” said Anthony.
“But . . .” Edward repeated.
“No buts!” Mum argued. “I don’t think you three realize how much work is involved in owning a pet.”
“We do!” I said.
“We do!” said Anthony.
“We do!” said Edward.
Then Mum got a funny look in her eyes. The same look she gets when she has one of her ideas and she thinks it’s a good one.
I wonder why her ideas always seem to get me and the twins into trouble?
“Stay there, you three. I’ll be right back,” Mum said, and off she dashed.
My brothers and I looked at each other and shrugged. Before we got bored just standing and waiting, Mum came back with a large box in her hands.
“What’s in the box?” we asked.
Mum put the box down on the carpet. We peered into it.
“A cat!” I said, surprised.
“It’s Mr McBain’s cat. Her name is Syrup because she’s the exact same colour as golden syrup.”
Mr McBain is our other next-door neighbour. He’s a tall, elderly man with hair that only grows on the sides of his head. The top of his head is shiny and smooth like an egg.
“How come we’ve got her?” Anthony asked.
“Yeah! How come?” asked Edward.
“If you three can look after Syrup for this weekend without getting into trouble then we’ll talk seriously about which pet to get – but only then,” Mum said.
“What do we do first?” I asked.
Anthony, Edward and I knelt down around the box.
“First, take Syrup out of the box. Then take her litter tray out of the box and put it in the conservatory near the washingmachine. Then you can feed her. Mr McBain also gave me two tins of cat food. They’re in my trouser pockets. After that you can play with her,” Mum said.
So I picked Syrup out of the box and held her against my chest and stroked her. She was warm and her fur was soft. Her breath tickled my face. I liked her.
“Maybe we should have a cat and not a dog,” I thought.
Anthony took out Syrup’s litter tray and put it in the conservatory. Edward got the two tins of cat food out of Mum’s tracksuit trouser pockets.
“Later on we’ll all have to pop to the shop at the top of the road and get some more cat food,” said Mum.
Mum opened one of the tins and put the food in Syrup’s bowl which was also in the box. We all crouched down around Syrup as she ate.
“I want a cat, Mum,” I said.
“So do I,” Anthony said.
“Yeah! Me too!” said Edward.
“We’ll see,” was all Mum said.
After Syrup had eaten her lunch we took her outside whilst Mum went to watch the telly. I was still holding her.
“Syrup, this is our garden,” I said.
“Miaow!” Syrup replied, having a look around.
Then, before any of us had a chance to blink, Syrup struggled out of my arms, scurried across our garden and scooted up our apple tree.
“What do we do now?” Anthony asked.
“Yeah! What?” asked Edward.
“We can’t call Mum,” I said. “She’ll say we
I looked across at all those men and women, coughing and spluttering and wringing out their skirts and jackets anddresses. They were all glaring at us. It looked like we were the only ones who
hadn’t
slipped.
“What were you three doing?” Mum asked, her hands on her hips. But we didn’t get the chance to explain. We got chucked out of the swimming pool. Mum was so embarrassed.
All the way home she kept saying, “I’ll never live this down . . . I’ll never live this down.”
“Your plan was feeble,” Anthony mumbled in the back seat next to me.
“Yeah! Foolish-feeble,” Edward grumbled.
“But it worked, didn’t it?” I said. “We did cool down all those people.”
Rescuing the Rescuers
“I want a dog,” I said.
“I want a cat,” said Anthony.
“I want a rabbit,” said Edward.
Mum put her hands on her hips. “I’m not getting three different pets. In fact I’m not sure if I should even get one.”
“But . . .” I said.
“But . . .” said Anthony.
“But . . .” Edward repeated.
“No buts!” Mum argued. “I don’t think you three realize how much work is involved in owning a pet.”
“We do!” I said.
“We do!” said Anthony.
“We do!” said Edward.
Then Mum got a funny look in her eyes. The same look she gets when she has one of her ideas and she thinks it’s a good one.
I wonder why her ideas always seem to get me and the twins into trouble?
“Stay there, you three. I’ll be right back,” Mum said, and off she dashed.
My brothers and I looked at each other and shrugged. Before we got bored just standing and waiting, Mum came back with a large box in her hands.
“What’s in the box?” we asked.
Mum put the box down on the carpet. We peered into it.
“A cat!” I said, surprised.
“It’s Mr McBain’s cat. Her name is Syrup because she’s the exact same colour as golden syrup.”
Mr McBain is our other next-door neighbour. He’s a tall, elderly man with hair that only grows on the sides of his head. The top of his head is shiny and smooth like an egg.
“How come we’ve got her?” Anthony asked.
“Yeah! How come?” asked Edward.
“If you three can look after Syrup for this weekend without getting into trouble then we’ll talk seriously about which pet to get – but only then,” Mum said.
“What do we do first?” I asked.
Anthony, Edward and I knelt down around the box.
“First, take Syrup out of the box. Then take her litter tray out of the box and put it in the conservatory near the washingmachine. Then you can feed her. Mr McBain also gave me two tins of cat food. They’re in my trouser pockets. After that you can play with her,” Mum said.
So I picked Syrup out of the box and held her against my chest and stroked her. She was warm and her fur was soft. Her breath tickled my face. I liked her.
“Maybe we should have a cat and not a dog,” I thought.
Anthony took out Syrup’s litter tray and put it in the conservatory. Edward got the two tins of cat food out of Mum’s tracksuit trouser pockets.
“Later on we’ll all have to pop to the shop at the top of the road and get some more cat food,” said Mum.
Mum opened one of the tins and put the food in Syrup’s bowl which was also in the box. We all crouched down around Syrup as she ate.
“I want a cat, Mum,” I said.
“So do I,” Anthony said.
“Yeah! Me too!” said Edward.
“We’ll see,” was all Mum said.
After Syrup had eaten her lunch we took her outside whilst Mum went to watch the telly. I was still holding her.
“Syrup, this is our garden,” I said.
“Miaow!” Syrup replied, having a look around.
Then, before any of us had a chance to blink, Syrup struggled out of my arms, scurried across our garden and scooted up our apple tree.
“What do we do now?” Anthony asked.
“Yeah! What?” asked Edward.
“We can’t call Mum,” I said. “She’ll say we
Similar Books
