Rotten Luck! Read Free

fair!”
    “The fellow’s right, sheriff,” said the king. “If you put taxes up any more we’ll have a rebellion on our hands. I can’t allow it.”
    “Balderdash!” snarled the sheriff. “Tax ’em and axe ’em, I say!”
    “Calm down, sheriff,” said the king. “I can’t be doing with rebellious peasants. And I certainly don’t want any more robberies in the forest. There’s only onething for it. If you can’t catch this Ghost chappie yourself, my brave knights will have to do it. Tomorrow one of them can miss the boar hunt and search for the Ghost of Grimwood instead.”
    “Wh-what?” said Sir Spencer. “You mean ride into the f-forest alone, sire?”
    “Precisely, Sir Spencer,” said the king. His eyes swept around the table. “Now, who’s going to volunteer, eh? Kindly stand up!”
    There was an awkward silence. Sir Percy was suddenly fascinated by the carved gargoyles on the ceiling. Sir Spencer became engrossed with a tiny bit of fluff on his sleeve.
    I can’t say I blamed them. Grimwoodis big and dark and scary. If the Ghost and his outlaws lived there, they must be a pretty terrifying bunch.
    The only knight who wasn’t desperately trying to avoid the king’s eye was Sir Roland.

    “Bunch of wimps!” I heard him mutter. “If they won’t volunteer, I will!”
    He was starting to stand up when the elderly earl opposite suddenly woke with such a start that he knocked over his goblet of mead. The mead flew across the table and splashed straight into Sir Percy’s lap.
    “Bother!” he yelped, jumping to his feet. “I’m soaked! Cedric, go and fetch me a clo—”
    He trailed off as he realized that everyone was staring at him.
    “Bravo, Sir Percy!” declared the king. “Well done for volunteering. You will leave for Grimwood at dawn.”

Chapter 3
Forest Fiasco
    I was up well before sunrise the next morning to get everything ready for Sir Percy’s mission, including scrabbling together a picnic from some leftovers down in the castle kitchens. By the time I woke my master, the sun was already peeping over the forest. It didn’t look quite so scary in the daylight and at least it hadstopped raining. But I was still glad when Sir Percy decided to bring Patchcoat, too.
    “He can tell us a few jokes as we go along,” Sir Percy said, as we stepped out into the castle courtyard. The king, queen and sheriff were getting ready to go hunting with Sir Spencer and the other knights. “Besides, it’s always useful to have an extra pair of eyes when one is hunting for dangerous outlaws, don’t you think?”
    My master was in a remarkably confident mood. Even so, I was surprised when he turned down the king’s offer of a platoon of his best soldiers.
    “Are you sure, Sir Percy?” said the king.
    “Quite sure, sire,” said Sir Percy. “Any extra men will only – um – make too much noise. Stealth, sire, that’s the only way to catch the Ghost. Creep up on him unawares, that sort of thing.”
    “What?” said the sheriff sharply. “Do you sewiously expect to catch the Ghost with only a squire and a jester ?”
    “Of course, sheriff,” my master replied. “Don’t forget that I once captured Filbert the Fox and his gang single-handedly. It’s in The Song of Percy. ”
    “Happy now, sheriff?” said the king. “It’s about time we were off. The early bird catches the boar, eh?”
    “Actually, sire, if you’ll excuse me Ithink I’ll miss today’s hunt,” said the sheriff. “I’ve just wemembered I’ve some urgent business away fwom the castle.”
    “Really, sheriff?” said the king. “Why didn’t you mention it before? Very well, if it’s important I suppose you’ll have to go. All the more boar for me!”
    The sheriff bowed and hurried back into the castle, just as Sir Roland came out in full hunting gear, with Walter struggling under the weight of a massive crossbow.
    “Good luck, Sir Percy,” said the king, clapping my master on the back. “I wish all my