Hunk and Thud by Jim Eldridge Page A

if it was all over for the troll: he was going to get crunched by the yeti, smashed by the feet of the giant and sandwiched between them.

    Instead, Big Rock suddenly did a roll to one side and then bounced back to his feet with surprising agility for someone so big.
    In the centre of the ring, Genno and Billy Bigfoot met at a crunching speed, colliding with the force of their two separate attacks. The leather-hard soles of Genno’s feet hit Billy Bigfoot in the chest, while Billy Bigfoot’s head smacked hard into the giant’s stomach.
    The two huge figures collapsed in the centre of the ring, tangled up in each other’s arms and legs, momentarily stunned by the impact of their collision. Both were lying on their backs, semi-conscious, with their shoulders touching the canvas.
    Immediately, Big Rock leapt on top of both of them, his weight holding both wrestlers down in their dazed state as the referee began to count:
    â€˜One. Two …’
    Too late, Genno and Billy Bigfoot realised that they were about to be counted out on a pinfall, and they both struggled to lift one arm each into the air; but they were so tangled up and the weight of each wrestler so heavy that, along with the weight of Big Rock holding them both down, neither could force an arm up and a shoulder off the canvas.
    â€˜Three!’ shouted the referee.
    Big Rock scrambled off the two wrestlers, and the referee grabbed one of the troll’s hands and raised his arm into the air.
    â€˜I declare the winner of this Battle of the Giants to be … Big Rock!’
    The crowd went wild. There was some booing and angry shouting from some of Genno’s and Billy Bigfoot’s supporters, but gradually a new chant could be heard, building up, getting louder and louder as the crowd expressed their appreciation for a great victory: ‘Big Rock! Big Rock! Big Rock! Big Rock!’
    Milo and Jack turned and grinned at each other.
    â€˜What did I tell you?’ beamed Milo. ‘I knew he’d win!’

CHAPTER 2
    That evening, Milo, Jack and Big Rock sat on the grass and looked at the shiny coins poking out from the open leather bag. Even Robin, the old horse, had stopped grazing and joined them in looking at the cash.
    â€˜Money!’ sighed Milo happily. He jerked his thumb towards their caravan, which was resting lopsidedly on three wheels, with a large boulder under the axle where the fourth wheel should have been. The fourth wheel was leaning against the body of the caravan. ‘We can get a new axle pin for the broken wheel.’
    Jack looked in awe at the money in the leather bag. He’d never seen so much before.
    â€˜With that, we can get anything we want,’ he said. ‘We can buy Big Rock a new costume.’
    â€˜I like my old costume,’ said Big Rock.
    â€˜Yes, but it’s got a lot of holes in it,’ said Jack. ‘You’re poking through bits of it.’
    â€˜Sew patches on,’ said Big Rock.
    â€˜It’s already got lots of patches on,’ Jack pointed out. ‘In fact, there are more patches on it than there is original costume.’
    â€˜Every patch a memory of good wrestling,’ retorted Big Rock.
    â€˜Okay, we’ll get some more cloth and sew more patches on,’ said Jack resignedly.
    â€˜Good,’ said Big Rock.
    â€˜A bale of hay,’ sighed Robin happily. ‘Not that I’m not happy with what Jack cooks for us, or grass, but sometimes the best thing a horse can have is a beautiful bale of sweet hay.’
    â€˜And you shall have it,’ said Milo. ‘But first, we need to get the caravan fixed. I hear there’s a blacksmith in a town about five miles away, so, first thing tomorrow, me and Robin will go there for a new axle pin.’
    Next morning, Milo set off riding Robin the horse, heading for the town and the blacksmith. Once the pair had gone, Big Rock and Jack set about training. First they did the warm-up