Penguins of Madagascar Movie Novelization Read Free Page B

wiggled his tentacles masterfully. He’d stuffed his whole body into a jar. People loved seeing him. Kids thought he was cool.
    Dave glared at the penguins. “And then you arrived. You took everything from me. Four adorable penguins! With you around, no one wanted an old octopus anymore.”
    To make room for the penguins, Dave’s tank hadbeen removed from the zoo. He’d been shipped out to another zoo. But once again, people only wanted to see the adorable penguins.
    â€œAnd so it went, over and over, at zoo after aquarium,” Dave went on. “Adorable penguins stole the show, while I was shunned. Forgotten. Unwanted. Alone.”
    Private wiped a tear from his eye. “That sounds awful.”
    â€œOh, it was,” Dave assured him. “I came to realize that some creatures are born to get all the love. The rest of us get nothing.”
    Behind him, Rico swallowed the entire row of globes. Dave turned just as Rico gulped down the last one.
    â€œUgh! What is wrong with you?” Dave asked.
    Rico shrugged.
    Skipper tried to smooth things over. “Oh Daryl, Daryl, Daryl, you can’t blame us for what happened to you.”
    â€œUh, can !” Dave said. “That’s how this whole revenge thing works!”
    He held up a canister of glowing green goo.
    â€œAnd with this, I finally have the power to destroy you,” he announced.
    â€œCrikey!” exclaimed Private.
    Dave snapped one of his tentacles and three octopus henchmen appeared.
    â€œNicholas, cage them!” he ordered one of them.
    â€œI have bad news for you, Dennis,” Skipper informed him. “You messed with the wrong birds. Because we are an elite unit; the best of the best. Cream of the corn on a platinum cob. And we’re gonna take your deadly green goop and sashay right out of the exit hatch.”
    â€œAnd just how are you going to do that?” Dave asked.
    â€œDeploy secret weapon!” Skipper commanded.
    Skipper jumped on top of Private. Kowalski jumped on top of Skipper. Rico jumped on top of Kowalski, who squeezed Rico’s belly. A cloud of orange Cheezy Dibble dust sprayed into the eyes of Dave and his henchmen.
    â€œAhh! The cheese! It burns!” Dave screamed.
    He dropped the canister. The penguins, still stacked one on top of the other, jumped on the canister. Then they rolled across the floor to the elevator platform.
    â€œRoll out!” Skipper yelled.
    When they reached the platform, Skipper kicked the canister up to Rico. Rico swallowed it, and the boys escaped out of the hatch.
    Dave growled, wiping the dust out of his eyes.
    â€œAfter them!” he yelled.

CHAPTER 5
Gondola Chase!
    The four penguins emerged onto the deck of the submarine. Gondolas—flat-bottomed boats steered by a gondolier rowing with a long oar—floated past them. People used them to get around the city.
    â€œTaxi!” Skipper called out.
    The nearest gondola held a couple staring into each other’s eyes, and a guitarist playing romantic music. The penguins jumped in and tossed the couple and the gondolier out.
    Skipper turned to the guitarist. “How about some music? Something chasey!”
    The musician started playing a fast tune. Private looked back and saw the three octopus henchmen leaving the sub.
    â€œHere they come!” Private yelled.
    â€œLet’s move!” Skipper urged.
    Private and Rico each picked up an oar, and they paddled furiously through the canal. Slam! They banged into another gondola.
    The gondolier shouted at them in Italian as they rowed away. Behind them, the octopi swam through the water and then hijacked a gondola. They used the gondolier like a puppet, making his arms row faster and faster as they chased the penguins.
    â€œWe’ve got baddies at six o’clock!” Private yelled.
    â€œKowalski, battle formation!” Skipper ordered.
    Kowalski hopped up onto the stern of the ship, and Skipper hopped onto his