HIDEAWAY ISLAND 9

Crocobilly and Crocadilly made their home on Toothy Ted's island and built a hotel, so their friends could come and stay with them. When it was finished Crocobilly put a poster up on the Brigade's notice board, it said.

HIDEAWAY ISLAND HOTEL (FORMERLY TOOTHY TED'S DEN). CROCOBILLY AND CROCADILLY CORDIALLY INVITE MEMBERS OF THE PREHISTORIC ANIMAL BRIGADE TO SPEND A HOLIDAY ON THEIR HIDEAWAY ISLAND. BASK ON OUR GOLDEN BEACHES, OR KEEP FIT WITH CROCOBILLY AND CROCADILLY'S SWIMMING AND SPORTS PROGRAMME, OR STROLL THROUGH THE FOREST WITH DON PTERANADON'S NEW “OBSERVER'S BOOK OF GONDWANAN BUTTERFLIES,” WHILE THE CHILDREN ENJOY OUR SPLENDID ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND DESIGNED BY MR. MOONLIGHT.

The hotel quickly became very popular with the brigade, and was always fully booked. Sophie sometimes flew over to spend a day there in the magical adventure playground with her friends. It had a rocket trip to the moon, a parachute trampoline, invisible paint sprays, and what Sophie liked best of all a bubble submarine suit. Once she was zipped into this, she could explore underwater, which pteranadons cannot normally do. 

One morning she arrived early at Hideaway Island, and as she flew over one of its secluded coves, she noticed a crocodile nosing around there. She could not be certain but she thought that it was Bad Jason. She went straight to the adventure playground for a spray of invisible paint. She knew that its effect would last ten minutes, and she thought that that would be long enough to find out what Bad Jason was up to.

She flew straight up to the little cove and landed close to him. He was studying a piece of paper. As he did so a slight breeze blew it from his claws and it fluttered towards Sophie. She picked it up and flew away, just as Bad Jason came running to retrieve it. He looked in amazement as his paper whirled up into the air. Then he cried and stamped with rage, and rolled on the ground swearing and screaming. 

Sophie arrived back at the hotel just as the paint wore off and she became visible again. She found Crocobilly and Crocadilly talking to Rex and Queenie in the garden, and showed them the paper. It was a map of the Hideaway Island, and on one of the beaches near the hotel a cross was marked, and written against it in large letters was the word “TREASURE”. 

“That is why Bad Jason was so cross when his precious paper blew away,” Rex said. “I have heard rumours that Toothy Ted has buried some treasure on this island.”

“Well done Sophie, that was quick thinking.” Queenie said.

“Can we go to where the cross is marked and dig to see if there really is some treasure?” Sophie asked. 

They decided to go straight away, before Bad Jason got there, but first they looked carefully at the map. The cross was marked on a small beach near the hotel which was not where Bad Jason had been looking at all. When they found the place, they started digging and soon began to uncover empty bottles and beer cans. Then to their great excitement, they uncovered a large treasure chest. On the lid was carved a skull and cross bones and the words.

“PROPERTY OF TOOTHY TED, KEEP OUT.”

Inside were lots of beautiful jewels, medals and money. All stolen by Toothy Ted and his gang.

That weekend, the chest was taken back to the Hurly Burly ground and the animals that had been robbed came to collect their stolen property. There was still a lot of money left over at the end, and the animals voted that it should be divided between Crocobilly, Crocadilly, Rex, Queenie and Sophie. As Rex and Queenie were millionaires already they decided to give their share to Crocobilly Crocadilly and Sophie. Crocobilly and Crocadilly paid off all the mortgage on their hotel with their share and Sophie bought a bubble submarine suit all of her own, with all of Mr. Moonlight's latest inventions on it.

Boy and Lady put the rest of her money in the bank in a high interest account.

“It will be a nice nest egg for when you grow up.” they said.