Never Trust a Troll! Read Free Page B

teeth.
    “Other times humans steers their boats under the bridge,” the troll went on. “And me family robs ‘em, too. Or, if we feels like it, we eats ’em.” Grock licked his lips.
    A worried murmur swept the dining hall.
    “I won’t eat anyone here,” said Grock. “Promise!” He grinned again.
    “And why have you come to DSA, Grock?” asked Mordred.
    “Don’t want to go into me family business, do I?” said Grock. “Want to become first troll dragon slayer!”
    “Excellent!” Mordred grinned at Grock. “Welcome, troll lad!”
    Now Lobelia stood up again. “Each of you Class I lads and lasses will have a buddy from Class II. You will spend the first week of school with your buddy, who will explain all about DSA.”
    “Hope I get Dudwin,” Janice said.
    Wiglaf hoped he would get Grock as his buddy. He knew he could help the troll get used to DSA.
    “Class I, push your table and benches over to the wall,” Lady Lobelia said.
    Grock picked up the Class I table and threw it against the wall.
    “Whoops!” he said. “Sometimes I forgets me own strength.”
    Lobelia rolled her eyes. “Make a circle in the middle of the dining hall,” she said.
    Class I did as they were told.
    “Class II,” said Lady Lobelia, “form a circle outside theirs. Everybody hold hands.”
    Wiglaf stood in the big circle between Janice and Erica.
    Coach Plungett stood up with his mandolin. “Just listen to the song, and you can’t go wrong,” he said. “Class I, circle to the right. Class II, circle left.”
    Wiglaf and the others in Class II began moving to the left.
    “Close your eyes. When I stop singing, freeze.” Coach began to play his mandolin and sing:
    “Everybody needs a buddy,
A buddy wise and true!
When you’re new and need some help,
Your buddy’s there for you!”
    Everybody kept circling while Coach sang verse after verse of the buddy song. At last he sang:
    “If you’re sad and homesick,
And don’t know what to do,
Ask your buddy and you’ll find
Your buddy’s there for...Y-O-U!”
    Coach stopped singing.
    “Everybody freeze!” he shouted.
    “Don’t peek!” said Lady Lobelia. “Class I, take a step forward.”
    Wiglaf smelled that sweet scent again.
    “Now, Class II, step forward,” said Lady Lobelia.
    Wiglaf stepped forward. The sweet scent grew stronger.
    “Open your eyes,” said Lady Lobelia. “And say hello to your buddy!”
    Wiglaf opened his eyes. Yes!
    Directly across from him, Grock opened his small yellow eyes.
    The sweet scent was really strong now.
    Wiglaf smiled. It had to be hard being the only troll at DSA. It had to be hard being so much bigger than everyone else. He was ready to start helping the troll right away.
    “Hello, Grock,” he said, looking up.
    “Put ’er there, buddy!” said Grock. He held out a hairy hand.
    Wiglaf reached out and shook the troll’s hand.
    “Yikes!” he cried as something in the troll’s hand buzzed, giving his hand a shock. He quickly drew his hand away.
    “Guh-huh! Guh-huh!” the troll laughed. He opened his hand to reveal an angry bumblebee. “Gotcha with me bee buzzer, buddy!”

Chapter 4
    O ver here, buddy!” Grock called to Wiglaf from the front of the breakfast line the following morning. ”I saved ye a place, didn’t I?”
    “Thanks,” said Wiglaf, slipping into line. He saw that the troll had stuffed his tunic pockets with packets of Frypot’s red pepper sauce. Again, Wiglaf noticed the sweet, flowery smell.
    Wiglaf felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned and saw Torblad behind him with his buddy, Aggie.
    “No cutting,” said Torblad.
    “Let it go this time, Torblad,” said Wiglaf.
    But Torblad shook his head. “Go to the end of the line.”
    Wiglaf wondered, was Torblad really a stickler for the rules? Or was he bothered by the troll’s strong scent? What did Grock smell like, exactly? Clover, maybe? Or parsley?
    “Hey, guy,” Grock said to Torblad. “Ye’ve got a bug in yer ear.”
    “A bug?”