Badger the Mystical Mutt and the Crumpled Capers by Lyn McNicol Read Free Book Online Page B

would be leader. Neither of them had included Lennie in the vote.
    â€œWhy don’t we do one potato, two potato?” suggested Lennie. “That seems the fairest way.”
    â€œPotato what?” said Pickle.
    Lennie placed his paw in the centre of them, and said “One potato”, then invited Pickle to put her paw on top and say, “two potato”.
    Pogo Paws joined in, and as he placed his paw on top of Pickle’s paw, he said “three potato”.
    Lennie used his other paw to put on top of the pile of paws and said “four”. He pointed to Pickle to use her other paw.
    â€œFive potato?” Then Pogo Paws made “six potato”, and Lennie “seven potato”.

    Pickle looked at Lennie as she had no paws left.
    â€œRight,” sighed Lennie. “Here’s how it works: one potato, two potato, three potato, four; five potato, six potato, seven potato, more. We just keep putting our paws in, and when you’ve used up one, you put it behind your back. The first to have no paws left at the end is ‘it’.”
    â€œWhat do you mean ‘it?’” asked Pickle.
    â€œThe new gang leader, of course,” said Lennie, pretty sure that he’d counted it out
not
to be him.
    â€œI get it, I get it,” said Pickle excitedly. “This is a good game. Right, I’ll start it off.”
    Pickle did her “one potato”. Lennie followed with “two potato”, and Pogo Paws with “three potato”. And so they continued with, “four, five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes, more”, and soon they each had one paw behind their back.
    Then they carried on with the next round.
    Lennie crossed his eyes and hoped he’d counted properly, with his one remaining paw still in the game.
    But he hadn’t.
    As he placed his other paw behind his back, Pogo Paws and Pickle looked at him in astonishment.
    â€œYou’re ‘it’. You’re actually ‘it’. You’re our new gang leader,” they shouted together in horror.
    â€œLooks like I am,” grinned Lennie,wondering just how on earth he was going to cope with the responsibility.

    Badger trotted back to his garden feeling very pleased with himself.
    â€œAnother Badgical-Magical job well done,” he thought.
    Then he saw it, glinting next to the sundial.
    His treasured Wim-Wim had returned.
    It clanked and rattled to greet him. He took off his neckerchief and polished its reverse plunger lovingly.
    The Wim-Wim was back and ready for the next Badgical-Magical adventure.

ALSO PUBLISHED BY THE LUNICORN PRESS

    Badger the Mystical Mutt
    ISBN: 978-0-9569640-0-7

    Badger the Mystical Mutt
    and the Barking Boogie
    ISBN: 978-0-9560640-1-4
    www.badgerthemysticalmutt.com