Mr Gum and the Goblins Read Free

emerald in his beard and jumping up and down like carrot cakes.
    â€˜Shabba me whiskers,’ scowled the King.‘These creatures is noisy. Whoever thought leadin’ a Goblin Army would be such a bother?’

Chapter 4
You’re A Bad Man, Mr Launderette!
    T he next morning dawned cold and clear in Lamonic Bibber. Martin Launderette was up early to work on his VERY SECRET INVENTION when Jonathan Ripples happened tostroll by. He was eating a very large sandwich filled with smaller sandwiches.
    Now, Jonathan Ripples might have been fat – in fact, he definitely was – but he wasn’t stupid.
    â€˜Ho, Martin, what’s all this?’ he asked, pointing towards the strange device. There were tubes and pipes coming off it and a big motor attached to the back and a wide round hole in the front.
    â€˜It’s just a washing machine,’ said Martin Launderette innocently. ‘I do run a launderette, you know.’

    â€˜But why’s it so big?’ asked Jonathan Ripples, poking his head in through the round door.
    Oh, how Martin Launderette chuckled inside when he heard this. Because the truth was, he wasn’t just building any old washing machine. He was building the Ripple-izer 2000 and when it was ready he was going to shove Jonathan Ripples inside and start it up.
    He always acts so high and mighty!
thought Martin.
Well, the Ripple-izer 2000 will rinse the smile off his fat face once and for all! It won’t kill him or anything, because this is a children’s book. But it will teach that flabberwhopper a lesson, all right!
    â€˜You’re not up to shenanigans, are you?’ said Jonathan Ripples, who knew the launderette owner only too well.
    â€˜Who, me?’ protested Martin Launderette.‘Gosh, no. I’m simply building a really big washing machine, that’s all. One that you could fit into – but that’s just a complete coincidence.’
    â€˜Hmm,’ said Jonathan Ripples suspiciously, and off he waddled in all his glorious bulk.

Chapter 5
The Meeting at the Stone Table
    M eanwhile, over at the Stone Table on the other side of town, there was serious business taking place. Now, the Stone Table was a mysterious and powerful object of Ancient Times, and it stood in a field of long grass,surrounded by questions and long grass.
    How old was it?
    Who had built it?
    What had it been used for, so long ago?
    No one knew the answers, but the best guess came from a famous scientist called Crunchy.
    â€˜I have done careful scientific experiments with a ruler,’ declared Crunchy, ‘and I estimate that this Stone Table is over TWENTY YEARS OLD. And I estimate it was built by PEOPLE. AndI estimate it was originally used AS A TABLE. Now I am off to mess around in pyramids and dig up a mummy because that is what scientists do.’

    And now, sitting around the Stone Table in the thin December sunshine were Friday, Alan Taylor and Polly, all looking very solemn indeed.
    â€˜Good friends,’ began Friday. ‘I havegathered you here this winter’s morn because Father Christmas has been kidnapped by an evil sparrow who wants all the presents for himself! And it is up to us to come to his rescue –’
    â€˜Friday,’ sighed Polly. ‘That’s just that film we watched last week,
A Very Sparrowy Christmas,
remember?’
    â€˜Not really,’ said Friday truthfully. ‘So why
have
I gathered you here this winter’s morn?’
    â€˜Because Mrs Lovely got attacked on GoblinMountain,’ said Alan Taylor. ‘Remember?’
    â€˜Not really,’ said Friday truthfully. ‘Now listen, friends. Last night a wise dream came to me and a strange voice spoke unto me and it said:
    â€œHello, Friday. How are you? I like your hat. Oh, by the way, you must go on a brave quest and sort out those goblins before things get worse.”
    â€˜The voice said I must go up Goblin Mountain,’ continued Friday.