The Warrior Sheep Down Under Read Free Page B

finished. We’s gonna drown. That’s almost the same as dyin’.”
    â€œI’m sorry, guys,” Wills said quietly. “Maybe she’s a wicked witch, not a fairy godmother.”
    Alice raised her voice a little. “Well, Ted? What are you waiting for? I told you to ditch them.”
    â€œCan’t, I’m afraid,” replied Ed. His jaw was jutting out even farther.
    â€œCan’t?”
    â€œIt’s against regulations.”
    â€œWhat regulations?”
    â€œThe Non-Disposal of Fleeced Animals in the Sea regulations.” Ed had just made this up. He glared at Alice, defying her to argue.
    Bur she didn’t. She leaned closer until her nose was almost touching his. “Then slaughter them,” she hissed quietly. “You can have lamb chops for supper every day for a month.”
    When Alice had gone, quietly closing her cabin door behind her, Ed and Deidre stood looking at each other.
    â€œYou any good at butchering?” asked Ed.
    Deidre shuddered. “Oh, I couldn’t.”
    â€œMe neither.” Ed sighed and called to a deckhand. “Make room for them in number two hold,” he ordered. “Out of sight, out of mind.”
    A few minutes later, the sheep were following the deckhand down some stairs to a small but airy hold on the other side of the boat.
    Sal looked around the hold approvingly. “How very pleasant,” she said. “You see, she’s already assisting us.”
    â€œWho is?” asked Oxo, scoffing some cauliflower the deckhand had thrown in.
    â€œThe, um, you know…”
    â€œFairy godtingy,” supplied Links helpfully.
    â€œExactly. Our fairy godtingy. Just as Wills predicted she would.”
    Wills tried to protest. He was very confused. “But she told the Ed man to ditch us. That means—”
    â€œNo, no, no, dear.” Sal beamed triumphantly. “I’m sure she didn’t say ditch. I expect she said dip .”
    Wills blinked. The other warriors stared.
    â€œOf course,” conceded Sal. “Being dipped is not pleasant. None of us likes being pushed into a tank of stinky water, but it’s for our own good. That’s why Ida does it every spring: to stop us getting scab and other nasty diseases.”
    Wills was even more confused but he didn’t have the chance to say more because Sal had closed her eyes and was beginning to sway slightly.
    â€œHello, she’s off again,” muttered Oxo.
    â€œThe sheeply warriors brave and true…” cried Sal,
    â€œWill need some help to find that Ewe.
    A human, strange in word and deed,
    Will be their star and take the lead.
    Through foaming waters, Outback dire,
    Through thirst and famine, mud and mire,
    Her actions may seem odd , it’s true…”
    Sal opened one eye meaningfully.
    â€œBut if they want to save the Ewe,
    They must stay by the human’s side,
    They must stay close, for she’s their guide…”
    Sal opened both eyes and smiled at Wills. “Does that help?”
    â€œEr, yes…I think so.”
    Jaycey added excitedly, “If we stay close, she might give me some hoof varnish.”
    â€œWhat is written is written,” announced Sal.
    And nobody could really argue with that.

4
Barton’s Billabong
    It was evening back at Murkton-on-Sea, and Rose was getting more and more worried. She’d looked everywhere for the sheep. She was beginning to feel guilty too. What if they’d fallen into the harbor and drowned? So when her sister Ida phoned, she didn’t know what to say. Fortunately, Ida did most of the talking.
    â€œLovely morning here at Barton’s Billabong,” she said. “And guess what, we’ve got another joey.”
    â€œAnother what?” asked Rose, vaguely.
    â€œJoey,” repeated Ida. “You know, baby kangaroo. It’s an orphan. Like Wills. We’ve popped it into a pillowcase so it thinks it’s still in