which case they could not have had anything to eat. In fact, Rudolph was looking pretty drained and weak.
“Er, are you hungry?” Tony asked cautiously.
“Yes,” said Rudolph. “Very.”
“Come on in then,” saidTony’s father, trying to sound jovial. “Everything’s ready. There are some buns and fruit juice.” He led the way into the living room.
“Is there milk as well?” whispered Anna. Tony nodded.
His parents had laid the table with the best china, and decorated it with paper napkins and candles – everything looked lovely … except the two visitors. The same thought must have occurred to Anna, who lookedrather embarrassed and wandered uncertainly round the table.
“How pretty it looks!” she said. “We never have anything like this at home.”
“Ssh!” frowned Rudolph.
“Why shouldn’t I say that?” argued Anna. She turned to Tony’s father and said, “It’s true. We always eat out.”
“Do you?” said Tony’s mother conversationally, returning with the box sprigs in a vase. “It must get very expensive to eat out all the time.”
“Actually, it’s quite cheap.” Rudolphcould not help smiling, and for a moment his pointed teeth were revealed. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
“That box does smell odd,” remarked Tony’s father. “Shall I open a window?”
“No, I’d rather you didn’t,” said Mum. “Otherwise those moths will get in.”
“Moths?” giggled Rudolph. “I love moths!”
“Well, I don’t,” said Tony’s mother firmly.
“Bats are even better. They have suchsweet faces.”
“Ugh!” shivered Tony’s mother.
“Or vampires!” Anna could not resist the suggestion, and this time it was too much for Rudolph. He broke into a peal of laughter, but as he still had his hand over his mouth, he soon ran out of air and began to choke.
“Are you all right?” asked Mum, but Rudolph could only cough.
“Wait a minute!” said Tony’s mother, and ran to the kitchen, returningwith a glass of water. “Drink this – you’ll feel much better.”
By this time, Rudolph was coughing so badly that he did not notice that Tony’s mother was holding a glass to his lips. But he had barely tasted the first drop before he sprang up, and ran into the hallway, sneezing and spluttering.
“You poor thing!” said Tony’s mother, hurrying after him.
Anna looked at Tony and grinned. “What canyou expect?” she said. “Water on an empty stomach ...”
At this point, Tony’s mother came back. “He’s locked himself in the bathroom,” she said, “and there are the most terrible noises coming from inside!”
To soothe her, Anna said calmly, “It’s only because he’s so hungry.”
This did not seem a very adequate explanation to Tony’s mother, but his father asked: “Haven’t either of you had anythingto eat then?”
Anna shook her head.
“Well, come on, come on.” He held out the plate of cream buns, and Anna took one.
“Go on, then,” urged Tony’s father. “No need to wait!”
“I, er, don’t like cake,” she said.
“Oh. Well, just eat the cream then,” said Tony’s father.
“Would you like some apple juice?” asked Tony’s mother.
“No thank you. It gives me a tummy ache.”
“What do you like to drinkthen?”
“Milk, if you have any.”
“Of course,” said Tony’s mother. “I’ll fetch some.”
As she went into the hall she let out a cry. “Rudolph’s disappeared!” she exclaimed, and Tony heard her hurrying around anxiously, opening all the doors. “How could he have got out of the flat?”
“Through the front door?” suggested Dad helpfully.
“No!” wailed Mum. “We would have noticed him.”
“Perhaps we justweren’t looking at the right moment?”
“Don’t be silly!” insisted Mum. “He would have had to have gone right past the living room door.”
“Well, he must have flown then,” said Dad crossly.
“Who knows?” said Mum. “Tony’s bedroom window is
“Er, are you hungry?” Tony asked cautiously.
“Yes,” said Rudolph. “Very.”
“Come on in then,” saidTony’s father, trying to sound jovial. “Everything’s ready. There are some buns and fruit juice.” He led the way into the living room.
“Is there milk as well?” whispered Anna. Tony nodded.
His parents had laid the table with the best china, and decorated it with paper napkins and candles – everything looked lovely … except the two visitors. The same thought must have occurred to Anna, who lookedrather embarrassed and wandered uncertainly round the table.
“How pretty it looks!” she said. “We never have anything like this at home.”
“Ssh!” frowned Rudolph.
“Why shouldn’t I say that?” argued Anna. She turned to Tony’s father and said, “It’s true. We always eat out.”
“Do you?” said Tony’s mother conversationally, returning with the box sprigs in a vase. “It must get very expensive to eat out all the time.”
“Actually, it’s quite cheap.” Rudolphcould not help smiling, and for a moment his pointed teeth were revealed. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
“That box does smell odd,” remarked Tony’s father. “Shall I open a window?”
“No, I’d rather you didn’t,” said Mum. “Otherwise those moths will get in.”
“Moths?” giggled Rudolph. “I love moths!”
“Well, I don’t,” said Tony’s mother firmly.
“Bats are even better. They have suchsweet faces.”
“Ugh!” shivered Tony’s mother.
“Or vampires!” Anna could not resist the suggestion, and this time it was too much for Rudolph. He broke into a peal of laughter, but as he still had his hand over his mouth, he soon ran out of air and began to choke.
“Are you all right?” asked Mum, but Rudolph could only cough.
“Wait a minute!” said Tony’s mother, and ran to the kitchen, returningwith a glass of water. “Drink this – you’ll feel much better.”
By this time, Rudolph was coughing so badly that he did not notice that Tony’s mother was holding a glass to his lips. But he had barely tasted the first drop before he sprang up, and ran into the hallway, sneezing and spluttering.
“You poor thing!” said Tony’s mother, hurrying after him.
Anna looked at Tony and grinned. “What canyou expect?” she said. “Water on an empty stomach ...”
At this point, Tony’s mother came back. “He’s locked himself in the bathroom,” she said, “and there are the most terrible noises coming from inside!”
To soothe her, Anna said calmly, “It’s only because he’s so hungry.”
This did not seem a very adequate explanation to Tony’s mother, but his father asked: “Haven’t either of you had anythingto eat then?”
Anna shook her head.
“Well, come on, come on.” He held out the plate of cream buns, and Anna took one.
“Go on, then,” urged Tony’s father. “No need to wait!”
“I, er, don’t like cake,” she said.
“Oh. Well, just eat the cream then,” said Tony’s father.
“Would you like some apple juice?” asked Tony’s mother.
“No thank you. It gives me a tummy ache.”
“What do you like to drinkthen?”
“Milk, if you have any.”
“Of course,” said Tony’s mother. “I’ll fetch some.”
As she went into the hall she let out a cry. “Rudolph’s disappeared!” she exclaimed, and Tony heard her hurrying around anxiously, opening all the doors. “How could he have got out of the flat?”
“Through the front door?” suggested Dad helpfully.
“No!” wailed Mum. “We would have noticed him.”
“Perhaps we justweren’t looking at the right moment?”
“Don’t be silly!” insisted Mum. “He would have had to have gone right past the living room door.”
“Well, he must have flown then,” said Dad crossly.
“Who knows?” said Mum. “Tony’s bedroom window is
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