Horrid Henry Wakes the Dead Read Free Page A

the playground. A terrible sight met her eyes. All her “Vote Margaret’ posters had been defaced. Huge beards and mustaches had been drawn on every one. Beneath the picture, instead of “Be on target! Vote Margaret!” the words now read:

    The next poster read:

    How dare Henry graffiti over her posters! I’ll get you Henry, thought Margaret. Just wait until tomorrow.
    The next day was campaign speech day. Horrid Henry sat on the stage with Moody Margaret in front of the entire school. He was armed and ready. Margaret would be blasted from the race. As Margaret rose to speak, Henry made a horrible, gagging face.
    “We face a great danger,” said Moody Margaret. “Do you want a leader like me? Or a loser like Henry? Do you want someone who will make you proud of this school? Or someone like Henry who will make you ashamed? I will be the best president ever. I’m already captain of the soccer team. I know how to tell people what to do. This school will be heaven with me in charge. Remember, a vote for me will brighten every school day.”
    “Go Margaret!” yelled Sour Susan as Margaret sat down.
    Horrid Henry rose to speak.
    “When I’m president,” said Horrid Henry, “I promise a Goo-Shooter Day! I promise a Gross-Out Day! With my best friend Marvin the Maniac presenting the prize. School will start at lunchtime and end after playtime. Gobble and Go will run the school cafeteria. I promise no homework! I promise skateboarding in the hall! I promise ice cream! And candy!
    “If you vote for Margaret, you’ll get a dictator. And how do I know this? Because I have discovered her top-secret plans!” Horrid Henry pulled out a piece of paper covered in writing and showed it to the hall. “Just listen to what she wrote:

    “I never wrote that!” screeched Margaret.
    “She would say that, wouldn’t she?” said Henry smoothly. “But the voters need to know the truth.”
    “He’s lying!” shouted Margaret.
    “Don’t be fooled, everyone! Margaret will ban candy! Margaret will ban chips! Margaret will make you do lots more homework. Margaret wants to have school seven days a week.

    “So vote Henry if you want to stop this evil fiend! Vote Henry for tons of candy! Vote Henry for tons of fun! Vote Henry for president!”
    “Henry! Henry! Henry!” shouted Ralph, as Henry sat down to rapturous applause.
    He’d done it! He’d won! And by a landslide. Yes!! He was President Lord High Master of the Universe! Just wait till he started bossing everyone around! Margaret had been defeated—at last!
    Mrs. Oddbod glared at Henry as they sat in her office after the results had been announced. She looked gray. “As president, you will call the school council meeting to order. You will organize the bathroom tidy rotation. You will lead the litter collection every playtime.”
    Horrid Henry’s knees felt weak.
    Bathroom…tidy…rotation? Litter? What?? That was his job? That’s why he’d schemed and bribed and fought and campaigned and given away all that candy?
    Where was his throne? His title? His power?

    NOOO!
    “I resign!” said Horrid Henry.



Ding dong.
    “I’ll get it!” shrieked Horrid Henry. He jumped off the sofa, pushed past Peter, ran to the door, and flung it open.
    “Hi, Grandma,” said Horrid Henry. He looked at her hopefully. Yes! She was holding a huge carrier bag. Something lumpy and bumpy bulged inside. But not just any old something, like knitting or a spare sweater. Something big. Something ginormous. That meant…that meant…yippee!
    Horrid Henry loved it when Grandma visited, because she often brought him a present. Mom and Dad gave really boring presents, like socks and dictionaries and games like Virtual Classroom and Name that Vegetable.
    Grandma gave really great presents, like fire engines with wailing sirens, shrieking zombies with flashing lights, and once, even the Snappy Zappy Critters that Mom and Dad had said he couldn’t have even if he begged for a million