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From the Swamp Stories by Anne Cooper.
Chapter 5
THE CHOIR
OUTING
There were brightly painted shops and
stalls along the beach, and a long pier stretched into the sparkling blue sea.
Uncle Bron and his friends set out to the pier with their fishing rods for a
restful days fishing. Clara strolled along the beach with Sir Edward Eel Gar
discussing the choral symphony that he was composing for the choir, and at the
same time keeping her eye on the younger members of the choir, who had made
tracks for the beach with their buckets and spades. Sophie and her friends had
decided to make a sea serpent taxi in the sand. They dug out the long lumpy body
and made nice comfy seats. Then they stuck in shells for eyes and nostrils and
decorated it with strands of seaweed. After playing on it for a while, they
decided to go for a walk along the sea front. They had a go on the dodgems, then
they went into a shop and bought some little flags for sticking in their sand
castles. Sophie also bought a camera and a pot of honey to take home for a
present for Mum and Dad. They walked on past the gambling machines that a few
young crocodiles were putting their money in. The crocodiles had pasty faces
through being indoors too much. They were drinking from cans of lager, and
stared rudely at Sophie and her friends as they walked past, one stuck out his
tongue. Sophie paid no attention. A lovely smell wafted from across the street.
They went and bought fish with oven fresh home made chips, and giant jam
doughnuts. Then they went back to the beach for a paddle in the sea.
Suddenly
they heard a loud commotion coming from the direction of the pier.
“I
bet it's those crocodiles making trouble.” Bruce said, It was. They had fed
all their money into the machines and now they were bored. They were running
along the beach pushing over the smaller animals and snatching their buckets and
spades. Clara came running to pick them up and comfort them, but she could not
catch the crocodiles who were running into the sea. The leader was making
straight for the end of the pier where Uncle Bron and his friends were fishing.
“Look
at those old fools fishing, let’s grab their
lines and pull them into the sea.” he yelled. Each crocodile grabbed a line
and started rushing out to sea with it. They did not get far, Uncle Bron and his
friends were far too big and strong to be pulled into the sea. Instead they
began to wind in their lines. The crocodiles had got the hooks and lines stuck
between their teeth and began to panic, but the more they dashed about the more
entangled with the line they became, and by the time they were reeled into the
pier they were all trussed up like turkeys. Sophie got some fantastic photos.
“You
hooligans need some lessons in manners.” Uncle Bron said.
“You
will not be untied until you promise to apologise to all the animals you pushed
over, and find their buckets and spades for them.” The crocodiles promised,
and did as Uncle Bron had ordered them. The one that had stuck his tongue out at
Sophie came and said.
“I'm
sorry I was rude. I'll be careful to drink less lager in future.”
“That's
OK.” Sophie said, and offered him a mint humbug.
“Thank
you.” he said, Sophie thought that perhaps he was not quite as awful as she
had thought.
“Just
listen to little Sophie,” Uncle Bron whispered to Clara, “She has a very
promising voice."