The Wolf Cupboard Read Free Page A

home.”

    At school, Leon was trying to do some tricky sums when the classroom door burst open. A kid from the baby class came running in.
    â€œMiss says Leon’s got to come
right away
!” he yelled, as if they were all deaf. “It’s about Danny!”
    â€œWhat’s wrong now?” thought Leon.

    When Leon got to the baby class, Danny’s teacher looked puzzled.
    â€œI don’t get it,” she told Leon. “For two days Danny has been as good as gold. But today he’s been really naughty. He’s been running around the classroom, yelling and throwing books on the floor.”
    Leon looked around the room. He saw Danny sitting at the back with his lip stuck out like a big pink slug and a frown on his face.

    â€œIt’s almost like he
wants
to be punished,” said the teacher. “Do you know what’s going on?”
    â€œI think I do,” said Leon. “Can I talk to Danny outside?”
    â€œOf course,” said Danny’s teacher.
    Leon marched to the back of the class.
    â€œCome with me!” he hissed at Danny. “I know what you’re up to.”
    He took Danny outside the classroom.

    â€œI know your game!” said Leon. “You’re trying to get put in that wolf cupboard, aren’t you?”
    â€œThis silly school!” Danny frowned. “What do I have to do to get put in the wolf cupboard? I’ve been really bad!”
    â€œThis is stupid!” said Leon. “This wolf thing has gone far enough!”
    â€œBut I want to meet the wolf!” wailed Danny. “It’s cruel, locking him up in there. I want to take him home! I want him and me to be friends!”

    â€œLook, Danny…!” snapped Leon.
    But Danny wasn’t listening. He was gazing up the corridor, towards the wolf cupboard. “Hey!” he said, smiling. “The wolf cupboard is open!”
    Danny ran to the cupboard. Leon raced after him. But Danny was already tugging the door wider.

    Leon felt a tiny trembling deep in his stomach, as if a wolf with yellow eyes and teeth dripping blood might really leap out.
    He skidded to a stop beside Danny. The cupboard door was wide open. It was full of PE stuff, like hoops and footballs and cricket bats. There was hardly room for a mouse in there. Let alone a wolf.

Chapter Eight

The Truth About Wolves
    Danny stood, staring into the cupboard. He didn’t speak.
    Leon said, “There’s no wolf, Danny. Just like I told you. That stick you saw your teacher with? I bet it was a cricket bat and she was just putting it away.”
    Still Danny didn’t speak.
    â€œDanny?” said Leon, more gently, putting a hand on his little brother’s shoulder. “You OK?”
    Danny burst into tears. He pulled away from Leon and threw himself on the floor. He was crying as if his heart would break.
    â€œI
wanted
there to be a wolf in the cupboard,” he wailed. “Where’s my wolf?”
    Leon didn’t know what to do. All he could say was, “
Shhh!
Miss will hear you.”

    â€œI’ve got nothing to take to Show and Tell!” roared Danny.
    â€œWhat?” said Leon, puzzled.
    Then he remembered. When he was in the baby class, kids would bring things in, show them to the other children and talk about them.
    â€œIt’s Show and Tell this morning,” Danny sobbed, “and I was going to take my wolf into my class and tell them all about him.”

    Suddenly, Leon had another brilliant plan.
    â€œI can’t believe it!” he said, pretending to be shocked. “You weren’t going to take a wild wolf into the baby class, were you?”
    â€œWhy not?” asked Danny. “The book says they hardly ever attack kids.”
    â€œI know that,” said Leon. “And you know that. But
other
kids don’t know that, do they? They only know about the big, bad wolves in fairy tales. If you took a wolf in, they’d say,