Extraordinary Ernie & Marvellous Maud Read Free Page B

Shenanigans?’
    ‘No, not that,’ whispered Ernie urgently. ‘It’s Emma Plucker!’
    ‘Where?’ said Maud, craning her neck.
    ‘Coming towards us.’
    ‘Oh,’ said Maud loudly. ‘The red-haired girl?’
    ‘Shhh,’ hissed Ernie, for Emma Plucker wasonly a few metres away and seemed to be about to speak. ‘Just follow my lead, okay?’
    ‘Ernie? Ernie Eggers? Is that you?’
    ‘Yeah, it’s me,’ said Ernie, blushing. ‘Hi, Emma.’
    Emma Plucker had never spoken to him before, even though they’d been in the same class since kindergarten. Sometimes Ernie suspected he might be invisible. Perhaps that was his natural superpower?
    ‘Why are you dressed like that?’ Emma asked curiously. Clearly Ernie was quite visible in his fluorescent green suit.

    ‘Oh, I’m a trainee superhero.’
    Maud was butting his knee. ‘Introduce me,’ she bleated.
    ‘Oh, right. And this is my sidekick, er… Fang,’ Ernie said. ‘Fang.’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘Your sheep is called Fang.’ It didn’t seem to be a question.
    ‘She’s not a sheep, she’s a sidekick. I mean, she
is
a sheep, but—she’s trained in karate.’
    Maud scowled ferociously, and kicked out with her back leg.
    ‘Well,’ said Emma, ‘if I’m ever in trouble I’ll know who to call. See you, Ernie; nice to meet you, Fang.’ She waved a hand and strolled off down the street.
    ‘Right, er, bye, Emma,’ said Ernie.
    ‘Well,’ said Maud, as they watched Emma disappear into the distance, ‘she seems nice. Is she a friend of yours?’

    ‘Ohne,’ said Ernie, shocked. ‘She’s very popular.’
    They continued their patrol of High Street, walking up one side of the street—chemist, bank, pet shop, laundromat, Superheroes Society, florist, takeaway—then crossing the road and walking back down the other side—hardware store, toyshop, fruit shop, milk bar, newsagency, bookshop, supermarket.
    As the morning passed the sun grew hotter and hotter, and Ernie started to feel a bit prickly inside his tight suit.
    ‘I’m just going to stop at the milk bar for a bottle of water,’ he said. ‘Do you want anything, Maud?’
    ‘No thanks, Ernie. Oh, wait, yes—I’d love some grape flavoured bubblegum.’
    ‘Okay.’ Ernie entered the shop and immediately found his bottle of water, but he couldn’t find any grape bubblegum. ‘I’ll just be a minute,’ he said to the shopkeeper, putting the water on the counter.
    He went to the door of the shop and called, ‘Maud! They’ve got strawberry and tutti-frutti, but no grape, so do you … Maud?’
    She was gone.
    Then Ernie heard a frantic bleating and saw Maud trotting around the corner of the supermarket as fast as her little legs could carry her—with a big black dog close behind!
    ‘Maud!’ cried Ernie, racing after them. ‘Hang on, Maud, I’m coming!’
    He tore around the side of the supermarketand saw that the dog had cornered Maud by the dumpsters lining the back wall of the building. The dog was growling fiercely, teeth bared.
    Maud’s bleats had become whimpers and her eyes were wide with terror. Her cape hung limply to one side.
    Slowing to a jog, Ernie looked desperately about him for some kind of weapon. His eyes fell on an abandoned shopping trolley. Perfect! Wheeling it in front of him he began to run, and when he had gathered enough speed he jumped onto the bar above the wheels.

    ‘Here I come, Maud!’ he bellowed.
    The dog, startled, looked behind to see Ernie heading straight for him like a missile, his cape flying.
    The dog fled, yelping in alarm, its tail between its legs.
    Ernie put his feet back on the ground, and he and the trolley skidded to a halt.
    ‘Maud, are you okay?’ he panted, rushing over to his trembling sidekick.
    ‘Oh Ernie,’ she whispered. ‘I thought …’
    ‘Everything’s all right now,’ said Ernie in a firm voice. ‘Did you see the way that dog took off?’

    ‘Did I!’ said Maud, some of the old spirit creeping into her voice.