Horrid Henry Wakes the Dead Read Free Page B

years.

    “Where’s my present?” said Horrid Henry, lunging for Grandma’s bag. “Gimme my present!”
    “Don’t be horrid, Henry,” said Mom, grabbing him and holding him back.
    “I’m not being horrid, I just want my present,” said Henry, scowling. Why should he wait a second longer when it was obvious Grandma had some fantastic gift for him?
    “Hi, Grandma,” said Peter. “You know you don’t need to bring me a present when you come to visit. You’re the present.”
    Horrid Henry’s foot longed to kick Peter into the next room.
    “Wait till after you get your present,” hissed his head.
    “Good thinking,” said his foot.
    “Thank you, Peter,” said Grandma. “Now, have you been good boys?”
    “I’ve been perfect,” said Peter. “But Henry’s been horrid.”
    “Have not,” said Henry.
    “Have too,” said Peter. “Henry took all my crayons and melted them on the radiator.”
    “That was an accident,” said Henry. “How was I supposed to know they would melt? And next time get out of the hammock when you’re told.”
    “But it was my turn,” said Peter.
    “Was not.”
    “Was too, you wormy worm toad—”
    “Right,” said Grandma. She reached into the bag and pulled out two gigantic dinosaurs. One Tyrannosaurus Rex was purple, the other was green.
    “RAAAAAAAA,” roared one dinosaur, rearing and bucking and stretching out his bloodred claws.

    “FEED ME!” bellowed the other,
    shaking his head and gnashing his teeth.
    Horrid Henry’s heart stopped. His jaw dropped. His mouth opened to speak, but no sound came out.
    Two Tyrannosaur Dinosaur Roars! Only the greatest toy ever in the history of the universe! Everyone wanted one. How had Grandma found them? They’d been sold out for weeks. Moody Margaret would die of jealousy when she saw Henry’s T-Rex and heard it roaring and bellowing and stomping around the yard.

    “Wow,” said Horrid Henry.
    “Wow,” said Perfect Peter.
    Grandma smiled. “Who wants the purple one, and who wants the green one?”
    That was a thought. Which one should he choose? Which T-Rex was the best?
    Horrid Henry looked at the purple dinosaur.
    Hmmm, thought Henry, I do love the color purple.
    Perfect Peter looked at the purple dinosaur.
    Hmmm, thought Peter, those claws are a bit scary.
    Horrid Henry looked at the green dinosaur.
    Oooh, thought Henry. I like those red eyes.
    Perfect Peter looked at the green dinosaur.
    Oooh, thought Peter, those eyes are awfully red.
    Horrid Henry sneaked a peek at Peter to see which dinosaur he wanted.
    Perfect Peter sneaked a peek at Henry to see which dinosaur he wanted.

    Then they pounced.
    “I want the purple one,” said Henry, snatching it out of Grandma’s hand. “Purple rules.”
    “ I want the purple one,” said Peter.
    “I said it first,” said Henry. He clutched the Tyrannosaurus tightly. How could he have hesitated for a moment? What was he thinking? The purple one was best. The green one was horrible. Who ever heard of a green T-Rex anyway?
    Perfect Peter didn’t know what to say. Henry had said it first. But the purple Tyrannosaurus was so obviously better than the green. Its teeth were pointier. Its scales were scalier. Its big clumpy feet were so much clumpier.
    “I thought it first,” whimpered Peter.
    Henry snorted. “I thought it first, and I said it first. The purple one’s mine,” he said. Just wait until he showed it to the Purple Hand Gang. What a guard it would make.
    Perfect Peter looked at the purple dinosaur.
    Perfect Peter looked at the green dinosaur.
    Couldn’t he be perfect and accept the green one? The one Henry didn’t want?
    “But I’m obviously the best,” hissed the purple T-Rex. “Who’d want the boring old green one? Blecccchhhh.”

    “It’s true, I’m not as good as the purple one,” sobbed the green dinosaur. “The purple is for big boys, the green is for babies.”
    “I want the purple one!” wailed Peter. He started to cry.
    “But they’re