are you doing to that painting!’ Dr Trifle gasped as the three men came back into the room.
‘I can tell you what he’s doing?!’ Etto screamed. ‘He is making water on my beautiful masterpiece kitten with big eyes! Stop it right now, you stupid dog before I kick your stupid head!’
But it was too late. The painting was completely wet now and all the paint was running down onto the floor. And, as the kitten with big eyes in the basket disappeared, a woman’s sort-of smiling face appeared.
‘The
Smiling Lady!’
Dr Trifle gasped.
‘It was under Etto’s kitten painting!’ the director gasped too. ‘You were trying to steal the
Smiling Lady,
weren’t you, Etto? The other painting that went through the machine was just a copy you made, wasn’t it?’
‘I-I-I …’ Etto stammered.
‘And the PCM took the paint off because the paint was new paint.’
‘I-I-I …’ Etto said, still unable to say anything.
‘And you were going to take your kitten painting home and then wash off the kitten. Then you would have owned the most famous and valuable painting in the whole world and everyone would think it had been destroyed!’
‘I-I-I …’ Etto continued.
Suddenly two art gallery guards appeared in the doorway.
‘Take him away,’ the director said, pointing to the Chief Painting Restorer.
‘It’s a good thing you brought Selby along,’ the director said. ‘If it hadn’t been for him, Etto might have pulled off the greatest art theft in history.’
‘He’s a wonderful dog,’ Dr Trifle said, patting Selby. ‘But I have to admit that I’ve never seen him do anything like that before. He must have been desperate to go to the loo. Speaking of which, I think the
Smiling Lady
certainly needs a clean now.’
‘Well, what are we waiting for?’ the director said, rubbing his hands together. ‘Let’s put her through the PCM just the way we’d planned to in the first place.’
Selby sat on the front seat of the car on the way back to Bogusville. It was a beautiful day and as the scenery flashed by he thought of the
Smiling Lady.
Then he looked over at Dr Trifle.
‘She was okay,’ Selby thought, ‘but, let’s face it: she’s only a painting. As far as I’m concerned, Dr Trifle and Mrs Trifle are the most famous and valuable people in the whole world.’
SELBY SORCERER
‘Roxanna’s Spelling Kit’
Dr Trifle said, looking at the box Mrs Trifle was holding. ‘What’s that for?’
‘It’s a present for Willy and Billy. Today’s their birthday,’ Mrs Trifle said, writing out a birthday card.
‘What a good idea,’ Dr Trifle said as he finished mopping the kitchen floor, ‘a game to teach the lads to spell better.’
‘No, dear, it’s not
that
kind of spelling. Have a look.’
Dr Trifle opened the box and pulled out a long robe covered in stars and moons. Under it was a long pointy hat, a plastic wand and a booklet called
Roxanna’s Guide to Sorcery.
‘Now I get it,’ he laughed. ‘This is about
casting
spells, not spelling words.’
‘Yes, Roxanna is the girl from the TV show
Roxanna the Sorcerer,
remember?’
‘Now wait a minute,’ Dr Trifle said. ‘Who’s this for? Willy or Billy?’
‘It’s for both of them. It’s about time they learned to share.’
‘Willy and Billy share something?’ Selby thought. ‘What planet am I on? What town is this?’
‘When do we take this over to them?’ Dr Trifle asked.
‘We don’t. You and I have some serious grocery shopping to do. Jetty said that the boys would drop by on their way to town. Goodness, it just started to rain. I’d better leave the present just inside the door so they won’t track mud around the house.’
Selby watched as the Trifles drove away.
‘I can’t go out because of the rain,’ Selby thought. ‘So I’ll hide somewhere in the house where those little brats will never find me.’
Selby was about to climb up to his favouriteindoor hiding place — on top of the china cabinet — when he
‘I can tell you what he’s doing?!’ Etto screamed. ‘He is making water on my beautiful masterpiece kitten with big eyes! Stop it right now, you stupid dog before I kick your stupid head!’
But it was too late. The painting was completely wet now and all the paint was running down onto the floor. And, as the kitten with big eyes in the basket disappeared, a woman’s sort-of smiling face appeared.
‘The
Smiling Lady!’
Dr Trifle gasped.
‘It was under Etto’s kitten painting!’ the director gasped too. ‘You were trying to steal the
Smiling Lady,
weren’t you, Etto? The other painting that went through the machine was just a copy you made, wasn’t it?’
‘I-I-I …’ Etto stammered.
‘And the PCM took the paint off because the paint was new paint.’
‘I-I-I …’ Etto said, still unable to say anything.
‘And you were going to take your kitten painting home and then wash off the kitten. Then you would have owned the most famous and valuable painting in the whole world and everyone would think it had been destroyed!’
‘I-I-I …’ Etto continued.
Suddenly two art gallery guards appeared in the doorway.
‘Take him away,’ the director said, pointing to the Chief Painting Restorer.
‘It’s a good thing you brought Selby along,’ the director said. ‘If it hadn’t been for him, Etto might have pulled off the greatest art theft in history.’
‘He’s a wonderful dog,’ Dr Trifle said, patting Selby. ‘But I have to admit that I’ve never seen him do anything like that before. He must have been desperate to go to the loo. Speaking of which, I think the
Smiling Lady
certainly needs a clean now.’
‘Well, what are we waiting for?’ the director said, rubbing his hands together. ‘Let’s put her through the PCM just the way we’d planned to in the first place.’
Selby sat on the front seat of the car on the way back to Bogusville. It was a beautiful day and as the scenery flashed by he thought of the
Smiling Lady.
Then he looked over at Dr Trifle.
‘She was okay,’ Selby thought, ‘but, let’s face it: she’s only a painting. As far as I’m concerned, Dr Trifle and Mrs Trifle are the most famous and valuable people in the whole world.’
SELBY SORCERER
‘Roxanna’s Spelling Kit’
Dr Trifle said, looking at the box Mrs Trifle was holding. ‘What’s that for?’
‘It’s a present for Willy and Billy. Today’s their birthday,’ Mrs Trifle said, writing out a birthday card.
‘What a good idea,’ Dr Trifle said as he finished mopping the kitchen floor, ‘a game to teach the lads to spell better.’
‘No, dear, it’s not
that
kind of spelling. Have a look.’
Dr Trifle opened the box and pulled out a long robe covered in stars and moons. Under it was a long pointy hat, a plastic wand and a booklet called
Roxanna’s Guide to Sorcery.
‘Now I get it,’ he laughed. ‘This is about
casting
spells, not spelling words.’
‘Yes, Roxanna is the girl from the TV show
Roxanna the Sorcerer,
remember?’
‘Now wait a minute,’ Dr Trifle said. ‘Who’s this for? Willy or Billy?’
‘It’s for both of them. It’s about time they learned to share.’
‘Willy and Billy share something?’ Selby thought. ‘What planet am I on? What town is this?’
‘When do we take this over to them?’ Dr Trifle asked.
‘We don’t. You and I have some serious grocery shopping to do. Jetty said that the boys would drop by on their way to town. Goodness, it just started to rain. I’d better leave the present just inside the door so they won’t track mud around the house.’
Selby watched as the Trifles drove away.
‘I can’t go out because of the rain,’ Selby thought. ‘So I’ll hide somewhere in the house where those little brats will never find me.’
Selby was about to climb up to his favouriteindoor hiding place — on top of the china cabinet — when he
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